A champion Olympic
fencer is champing at the bit for the opportunities afforded by the 2022
Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham in three years.
High security fencing
manufacturer Zaun Ltd supplied 23km of permanent fencing for various stadia at
the London 2012 Olympics.
And Zaun then secured
the Athletes Village, Chris Hoy Velodrome, Celtic Park, Hampden Park, Troyglen,
Kelvin Grove Lawn Bowls and the SECC at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Small wonder therefore
that they are so excited about the Games coming to the Midlands next time out.
Owner, director and
co-founder Alastair Henman says: “The feedback we got from the Glasgow
2014 Organising Committee, Police Scotland and the Home Office was very
positive, and all were pleased with the security at the Games.
“So, we are hoping to
capitalise on that, our London Olympics experience and a host of keynote
political summits to secure more major events in the future.“
Innovation was the key
to winning the initial Olympic work, thinking about the project in a different
way using technical capabilities of existing machines to highlight potential
savings.
Back in 2008, Zaun was
an unknown in major events security and simply registered for two opportunities
on the portal competefor.com, which has
become an ongoing service used in the supply chain since its successful
introduction for the London 2012 Games.
But that has all
changed, as Henman explains: “The 2014 Commonwealth Games followed, with just a
simple introduction letter and a follow-up call to the organising committee,
who gave us details of who we should be speaking to.
“We now had a
reputation for innovation, quality and delivery at the greatest show on earth,
which was a passport to all sorts of other work.”
Zaun developed its PAS
68 MultiFence especially to resist hostile vehicle and mob attacks at the
London 2012 Olympics. The UK Intellectual Property Office has since
granted Zaun a patent for it.
The two Games alone
brought Zaun £35m of contracts over six or seven years. But it was the
introduction to all manner of other contracts that was the real prize.
Contracts as diverse
as Edinburgh Castle, the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland, Fastlane nuclear naval
base, the NATO Summit in Wales, Wimbledon, Calais, Windsor Castle, London’s New
Year’s Eve celebrations and most recently US President Donald Trump’s State
visit to the UK.
Zaun is actively
pursuing opportunities with the 2022 Commonwealth Games and continues to look
to a packed programme of world sporting spectaculars and major political and
state occasions to provide its integrated high-security perimeter event overlay
services.
Henman says: “I spent
four years of my life delivering our largest ever contract for the London 2012
Olympics. It was a fantastic time for us, and it opened up so many doors
and opportunities.
“But a contract of
that magnitude cannot be expected every year and the company needs to be
founded on solid repeatable business. The spectaculars are great for
show, but don't necessarily bring home the dough, month after month, year after
year.
“Now we are focused on
using the credibility and success of London 2012 and the 2014 Glasgow
Commonwealth Games to secure long term sustainable customers.”
