Flir Systems Inc., a designer of thermal imaging devices for commercial and military applications, has acquired two buildings from the Sares Regis Group, a real estate company headquartered in Irvine, Calif., for an undisclosed amount.

According to Steve Fedde, a Sares Regis senior vice president, the cash transaction will enable Portland, Ore.-based Flir to further expand its commercial systems operations in central California.

"We're pleased that Flir decided to continue leveraging the engineering and technology talent that comes from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Flir will be a cornerstone company in the Cabrillo Business Park. It is exactly the type of top-quality, high-tech owner-user we envisioned for our project," Fedde said.

The two facilities bought by Flir, which can accommodate up to 510 workers, are a 120,000-sq-ft, low-rise R&D building and a 50,000-sq-ft office building. They are near the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara and adjacent to the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport.

Flir's local operations include engineering and product design for thermal cameras, and imaging products for security, first-responder, personal night vision and diagnostic applications.