Pictured above: L-R: TJW Bodyshop owner Tomasz Walkuski and Arv Soar of Property Investment Portfolio

Rock Valley, the Mansfield based industrial business park that just two years ago was the crumbling site of a double glazing firm, is now a thriving hub of small business activity, according to its owner Arv Soar.

Whilst the recession kept many business parks in the East Midlands half empty, Rock Valley maintained an above 80% occupancy rate throughout, and has now reached full occupancy with its latest business leaseholder - car repair firm TJW Bodyshop.  

Arv Soar's property development company Property Investment Portfolio purchased and developed the site in 2008 and rather than mothballing the site in the recession like many other companies - it pushed hard to attract the right businesses.

"A lot of people thought we were crazy to push Rock Valley during the downturn," explains Arv Soar.

"But we knew that this town centre location would be great for start up businesses that required small scale industrial units to get their ventures off to a great start - even in tough market conditions."

Rock Valley's latest tenant, TJW Bodyshop, has enjoyed an enormous success since arriving,  so much so that owner Tomasz Walkuski's order book has already reached capacity for the foreseeable future and he's potentially looking to hire more technicians. 

26 year old Tomasz whose business is nearly two years old, relocated to Rock Valley from Sutton in Ashfield, he says:

"To me Mansfield is an excellent place to do business, there is a large population of drivers here and we seem to be attracting a lot of customers from Nottingham as well.

"I'm looking to grow my business here and expand my team of three. I'm also branching into vehicle body art - a passion of mine, which I think will bring in customers from across the UK and perhaps even further afield."

TJW Bodyshop's neighbours at Rock Valley include a car valeting company, a double glazing company and a steel fabrication company. 

"Businesses don't stop in a recession, they just assess running costs and value," continues Arv Soar.

"Mansfield offers low costs and high value to businesses looking to set up shop as well as offering good value in the residential housing market. It has fantastic road links, an affluent population and good access to Nottingham, and there is the all-important buzz coming from its small, innovative young businesses."

Following on from the success of Rock Valley, Property Investment Portfolio is now looking to focus its attentions on the residential market and is looking to increase its residential property holdings in the area.