Concrete plant as seen from Costco parking lot.

Oxnard, west of Van Nuys Boulevard, has a concentration of light industry some of which includes heavy machinery rental, stucco and concrete plants, plumbing supplies, door and window retail and wholesalers, upholstery, motorcyles, an oil storage facility and a new public storage complex.

United Rentals, has industrial and heavy machinery on its Van Nuys property. The four story modern building, with its jutting promontory, is an unexpectedly beautiful structure amidst the banality of the tractors and lead pipes surrounding it.

Public Storage has a new facility west of Sepulveda, that incorporates bold orange steel doors and some landscaping. The bright, clean and orderly arrangement is more attractive than most Valley apartment buildings.

The concrete plant and Chevron refueling terminal are reminders of how the basics still matter in our “post-industrial” economy. But every one of these places employs security guards and closed circuit cameras, and permission must be asked before photographing on the grounds. We live in an age of ever more aggressive monitoring of citizens. How long can “the free market” co-exist with the age of big brother?