Westmead Industrial
Category Market News
The Westmead Industrial Area enjoys an excellent location in the Upper West suburb of Pinetown, and is the area’s premier industrial hub. It is made up of five individual parks – Maxmead, Alexander Park, Surprise Farm, Monte Carlo Industrial and Mahogany Ridge – and boasts no fewer than five entrances, all of which are easily accessed from the N3.
Westmead has enjoyed unprecedented growth in recent years, largely due to the upgrade of the Richmond Road off-ramp from the N3, which makes it much easier for large trucks to enter and leave the area. This ease of access – not only to and from the N3, but also to other key routes to the KZN north and south coasts – has helped to cement the area’s continuing popularity as a key industrial node.
A Fast Track To Success
Although it is now a sought after industrial destination, Westmead has a fascinating, and very different, history that is possibly known only to the most die-hard petrol heads.
The area was once a crucial part of KZN’s fleeting, but illustrious, motorsport circuit, and the Westmead track was the proud venue for the very first National Grand Prix on 17 December 1961. This inaugural event attracted such celebrated drivers as Graham Hill, Jim Redman, Paddy Driver and Jim Clark, to name a few.
The race, which featured 89 laps of the brand new track, was won by British driver Jim Clark, in his Lotus 21. Sadly, our local South African drivers were outclassed on the day, with the first of them finishing three whole laps behind Clark. Only the legendary Stirling Moss, who started at the back of the grid, was able to provide any real competition for Clark, and was the only driver to finish on the same lap.
The track was built at a cost of R130 000, and the construction experienced several problems and delays – many of which were caused by heavy rain. Yet, in spite of these setbacks, it was eventually completed on time and played a brief, but exciting role in the South African motor racing scene.
Although the Westmead track was controversial at the best of times – being in direct competition to the Roy Hesketh track in Pietermaritzburg – its hillside location made it popular with racing fans, who came to see their heroes negotiate tricky sections with names like “Devil’s Leap,” “The Rise” and “The Knoll.”
A Proud History, A Bright Future
Over half a century later, many of the roads in Westmead actually follow the original layout of the track, and have names which are a continuing legacy of the area’s exciting past – Monza, Daytona, Goodwood, Hillclimb and Hesketh, among others.
Although proud of its fascinating history, the Westmead Industrial Area is today an inviting proposition for very different reasons. It is home to a wide variety of large and small factories and warehouses, ranging in size from 800m² to 30 000m², and offers a host of attractive investment opportunities.
A large number of well-established businesses are already enjoying the many benefits Westmead has to offer – easy freeway access, realistic rentals, reliable 3-phase electricity supply, and good security, to name just a few. We have companies covering a broad spectrum of industries, including construction, engineering, couriers, vehicle servicing and spares, printing, packaging and many more.
To see for yourself why this area is so popular, and discover what it can offer your business, contact one of Chalupsky Properties’ agents today.
Author: Wayne Ashford
