Member Article

North West firms capitalise on Olympic legacy

Businesses in the North West have benefitted from the legacy of London 2012’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, after a £9.9bn boost to the UK economy.

Just one year into a four-year programme that follows on from the Games, UK Trade and Investment has found success for North West businesses through market and sector events held in Salford as a spin-off to the British Business Embassy conferences ran at Lancaster House, London.

The Global Investment Conference held at Lancaster House ran parallel to the Games and was made up of 17 business events to boost foreign trade and investment.

In the North West, over 300 delegates were attracted to Salford events, while 15 companies followed it up with a trade mission to Brazil.

One business to benefit from the Games in the region was St Helens-based ATG Access, which designs and manufactures high-specification security installations such as bollards, road blockers and bespoke vehicle barriers.

The firm provided security products for London 2012, and is now preparing to bid on contracts for the 2016 Games in Rio, Brazil and the Russian World Cup.

Glenn Cooper, ATG Managing Director said: “The London Olympics was a really successful project for us. We provided a full package of services and met every target and deadline that we were set.

“We are keen to build on this, and the UKTI Trade Mission to Brazil set things in motion for us to offer our experience to the organisers of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio.

“We liaised with UKTI before the trip and told them who we were interested in meeting. They then used their contacts to arrange meetings for us.

“Being associated with UKTI gave us instant recognition as a trustworthy company, so people took us seriously.

“Having the trip organised for us took out the hassle and made sure that we made the most of our time without being distracted by logistics.”

The company plans to approach all major sporting events over the next decade, hoping to supply its vehicle barriers to all new stadia and areas requiring protection.

Since a trade visit with UKTI to Brazil, it has grown its business there, finding a manufacture-under-licence and a local agent through whom it is now tendering for a contract to work on the Stadium for the Rio Olympics.

Clive Drinkwater, regional director for UKTI North West added: “Our major business objective for the 2012 Games was to help develop fitter and more competitive businesses in the NW.

“Over 620 Olympics 2012 contracts were won by NW businesses generating £220m and NW companies have gone on to supply the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and both the World Cup and Olympics in Brazil.

“We now have a cluster of very active companies in the field of sporting infrastructure that is world class ready to supply other major sporting events across the globe. I look forward to seeing this group of businesses prosper in the coming years.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .