ONE of Poole’s major industrial estates is getting busier and is attracting new kinds of businesses, it is claimed.

Nuffield Industrial Estate is home to 100 business and employs more than 4,500 people.

Colin Gale, managing director of ETS Trucks, based on the estate, said: “Compared to where we were three years ago, this feels a lot busier and there is a better feeling to it.

“In Hamworthy, we were one of the largest businesses. Now we are a much smaller player compared with the likes of Lush and other international companies. That is how we like it and we are part of the whole infrastructure of the industrial estate.

“The reason for the move was the next stage of the ETS Trucks company progression. We had the team, we had our customers, it was a case of moving everything only four miles away to a space that was much more accessible for everyone.”

James Robinson, partner from chartered accountants PKF Francis Clark and chairman of the Nuffield Industrial Estate Association, said: “I have been part of the association for nearly 10 years and have seen the space evolve from predominantly engineering and manufacturing to a whole host of industries. Whilst the space hasn’t changed, the variety of businesses has.

“From mechanical, to fabrication, to creative, to charity, to even residential, the thing that makes this industrial estate different, is that it has a beating pulse. It has evolved and adapted and a key part of the commercial fabric of Poole.”

BBC South Today has chosen to follow it over the next 12 months as a barometer of the economy.

Its business correspondent, Alastair Free, said: “This industrial estate represents a good indicator of the health of the local economy.

“With a mix of industries, I wanted to follow the fortunes of a business park and not just a business. The next 12 months are going to be an interesting year to find the winners and growth from within the industrial estate.

“Whilst the year ahead is as unpredictable as the months behind, this industrial estate supports hundreds of families and means money is being spent within the local community.”