In January, Westcountry Business broke the news that London and Westcountry Estates (Lonwest) had spent almost £21 million on 11 retail parks in Bridgwater. Clearly not wanting to hang about, the company has now completed a smaller deal for a site right on its doostep in Plymouth. Lonwest has paid what it called 'a considerable sum' believed to be more then £1 million - to buy the former Calor Gas depot adjacent to its Faraday Mill site in the City. To say it is on their doorstep is not exaggeration - you look down on it from Lonwest's headquarters at the park. It is only a small site, measuring some 10,000 sq.ft to 12,000 sq.ft when re-dveloped, but it is more of a calling card for the firm's plans. It will give Faraday Mill frontage on to one of the main routes into Plymouth City Centre and will be as important for its marketing and advertising role as for its rental value. "It is only a small site, but it is a big part of the jigsaw for us, said James Hockin, son of company founders Michael and Diane Hockin and a director of the company. "It makes Faraday Mill more visible on the route into town and buying it gives us control over its development". The site will be rebranded in Lonwest's distinctive red-branded livery and redeveloped. The existing building will be refurbished in the first phase before being rented out some time this year - and Lonwest plans to add two buildings of at least 3,000 sq.ft. Calor Gas sold the site and is now consolidating its operations as its Lee Mill base. So is the second acquisition in as many weeks a sign of where the firm wants to be heading? "We have a lot of developments going on at the moment' Mr Hockin said. "We won alot of sites with development potential and are now pushing forward to get planning permission on sites needing development". He said several of the company's parks would benefit from plans to increase organic growth - developing land it owns which is not maximising its potential. An example is at Christian Mill Business Park at Crownhill, Plymouth where the firm is planning to create an extra 10,000 sq.ft of retail space by developing land npw used as a car park. "We can add considerable amounts of money to our portfolio by working on what we have already got " Mr Hockin said. But we are also out there in the marketplace for other portfolios. He said, the market for buy-to-let on industrial units was very strong. "People have done the residential market and are increasingly swapping to industrial units". he said. And the businesses are buying them and putting them in the pension fund so that they are effectively paying themselves rent". He echoed his father Michael Hockin when asked about the business's move into Somerset. Two weeks ago, Westcountry Business revealed that Lonwest had bought 11 industrial estates in Bridgwater from Schroder Real Estates Ventures. The estate comprise more than 100 individual units and include some 273,000 sq.ft of space. Mr Hockin Snr, speaking to Westcountry Business in January, described Bridgwater as "a massive commercial area" which was set to grow further in the future. Bridgwater, like neighbouring Taunton, is set to be the site of major changes in coming years, under the Bridgwater Challenge initiative. Mr Hockin Snr said the firm's interest in the town has been boosted by plans for a second major road linking the town centre withe the M5. He said the move into Somerset was set to continue with the firm looking at making further acquisitions in the county, focusing on the area around Yeovil and Chard. His son echoed these sentiments, saying that moving east was a 'natural progression' for the firm. "We could move anywhere we want, but if we keep it in the South West it is easier to manage' he said. But geographical expansion is not the only string to the company's bow. Lonwest also focused on developing its latest Plymouth venue, Phase Nine of Faraday Mill Business Park, part of a clearly booming 2007 for the company. It has not ruled out other future purchases in what it believes is a strong market for commercial buy-to-let. Its latest accounts show a rent roll of £4.25 million in 2006 with an accupancy rate of above 90 per cent. It is now aiming to hit the £5 million mark by November this year - something the new acquisitions will help it move towards. The business has recently merged with Prestige Design and Build to create a new development arm, LWE Prestige. Led by Andy Dart, LWE Prestige is now working to put the finishing touches to the former Prestige Design and Build schemes Latitude 52 and Berkeley Square in Plymouth and is also about to start demolition work on a scheme to build 122 flats with glass fronted retail space on the ground floor at the city's Ballard Centre. The newly-formed company will also work on Lonwest's redevelopment of the former National Shire Horse Centre, near Yealmpton which is going through the planning process. Lonwest uis now working to turn the former Ryford building at Estover, Plymouth into Cannon Mill. The 35,000 sq.ft building will be converted into a mixed use trade park that will be ready for business at the end of this month. And, after the expansion of the car park at its Sugar Mill Business Park at Billacombe Road, Plymouth, Lonwest is about to embark on a refurbishment of units there to capitalise on the parks additional footfall and to create prime retail space. The business is also planning to create three additional 5,000 sq.ft units at the site. Lonwest could be said to have pioneered the idea of converting large and unwanted buildings into smaller, more desirable units. Its Faraday Mill Business Park, once a Booker Cash and Carry Warehouse was bought as far back back as 1986, while at Christian Mill Business Park which started life as a Clarks Shoe Factory and that was bought in 1997. More recently, in 2006, it acquired the former Cooper Standard Automotve Building at Estover and the neighbouring former Ryford Building. Michael and Diane Hockin set up the business on 1983 when it made its first acquisition - the Sugar Mill Business Park. Aside from the 11 Retail Parks involved in the deal in Bridgwater, Lonwest now owns and manages 16 Business Parks, 11 the greater Plymouth area. Brent Mill Business Park, near Ivybridge, consists of 21 units and Tregoniggie Industrial Estate in Falmouth, had 15 units. Further afield, Lonwest also owns Taw Mill Business Park in Barnstaple, which comprises 21 units. All of these Business Parks were acquired from the South West Regional Development Agency. (SWRDA). At the moment, the company has more than 250 tenants. The Hockin Empire Anna Mill - Secure storage and offices at Wrangaton, near South Brent and Ivybridge on the A38 Boringdon Mill - a mix of trade counter, retail and warehouse units in Plympton. Brent Mill - for individual terraces totalling 21 units, near Ivybridge Centurion Mill - Approximately 70,000 sq.ft with an additional 5,000 sq.ft office and trade counter space near Exeter Services on the M5. Chantry Mill - 18 industrial / warehouse units in three terraces in Plympton Christian Mill - a developing commercial location in Ivybridge Drake Mill - formerly the Cooper Standard Automotive Factory in Estover, Plymouth. In total the property comprises over 84,000 sq.ft of production and office space. Faraday Mill - a popular commercial in the Prince Rock area of Plymouth, comprising of retail, office, industrial, warehouse and leisure. Faraday Mill Trade Park - a further extension of Faraday Mill Faraday Mill Phase 9 - a 20,000 sq.ft unit. Grace Mill 0 a range of commercial buildings on a site totalling 1.7 acres. Lister Mill - a mix of trade counter, office, industrial, warehouse and other units. Phoenix Mill - more than 6,000 sq.ft of trade counter and industrial space in Estover in Plymouth. Sugar Mill - Retail centre in Plymstock, which includes CDS (The Range) one of the City's retailers. Taw Mill - 19 Units in three terraces in Barmstaple. Tregoniggie - a 16 unit estate in Falmouth, Cornwall.