Westlands business parks are full

The Westlands business parks in the Netherlands are full. "All our rental space is taken. Sales are also going strong. In the last five months, I have sold more than 30.000 m2. There are also several potential buyers on the waiting list", says Herwi Rijsdijk of ABC Westland. Rijsdijk has an advantage - he can expand. This is a luxury not afforded to everyone. "We are completely full", says Gerard Hofman about the Honderland business parks in the AD. "Even the land to be delivered in two years is already sold."

Herwi recently bought 13 hectares of land adjacent to ABC Westland. He is also in negotiations with "a few neighbouring gardeners". "Fortunately, the Westland municipality has indicated that they want to work with us. They are willing to make changes to the land usage rights. This was done in a new coalition agreement. I am grateful for this but it was also urgently needed. There is very little space available in the whole of Westland. If Westland wants to prosper, land must be fast made available", says Herwi.

There is no shortage of interest. "It is especially existing tenants who want to expand. However, there is a lot of interest from exporters of exotic products. There are also those who want to buy the land itself. This is coming from suppliers in Westland as well as foreign producers. There is interest from the whole breadth of the exotic imports sector. From Chinese ginger growers to lime and avocado producers from Mexico. They all want to establish a gateway to Europe here", he explains. 

There are about 100 companies in this agricultural and food terrain. They vary from import-export companies to sorting companies and packing plants. There are transport companies, cold stores and cultivation associations. Then, there are service companies as well as a wholesale centre for retailers and the catering sector. "The lines between all the businesses are extremely short. This means more effective collaborations", says Herwi. He realises they are in a good position. "We did, however, experience an eight-year-long dip. It is only in the last two years that the situation has become so attractive."