A growing Milwaukee-area company that develops products in the microbial solutions market has expanded into its third facility.

Oak Creek-based Microbial Discovery Group said Tuesday it leased a 117,000-square-foot facility at 3303 W. Oakwood Road in Franklin. The company said it will invest more than $30 million in the facility over the next few years, according to Tuesday’s announcement.

Founded in 2007, Microbial Discovery Group develops and commercializes products and ingredients for environmental, industrial, agricultural and human applications.

The company will use the new space to enhance its fermentation, lyophilization and spray drying capabilities, according to Tuesday’s announcement.

“With the rapid evolution of biotech solutions to solve modern day problems, there is a growing need for fermentation and drying capabilities of larger capacities,” said Mike King, chief executive officer, in a statement.

The company plans a four-phase expansion at the new facility that will ultimately increase its annual fermentation capacity to 22 million liters, according to the company.

“With this expansion, we are continuing to answer the call for sustainable solutions to the world’s largest problems,” said Sona Son, chief operating officer, in the statement. “Adding this new facility’s fermentation and drying capacity will increase our capability to grow and manufacture environmentally-safer microbial products.”

Microbial Discovery Group has its headquarters at 7420 S. Howell Ave. in Oak Creek. It also has another Franklin facility at 5200 West Ashland Way.

The new facility on Oakwood Road is in a 271,000-square-foot industrial building developed by HSA Commercial Real Estate, a Chicago-based firm that has continued to build up its industrial holdings in southeast Wisconsin.