According to the Minister for Tourism & Heritage, the lasting legacy of the London 2012 Olympics can be seen on an industrial site in north Wolverhampton.
With 200 days to go to the start of the Games, MP John Penrose visited integrated fencing manufacturer Zaun, which has won 11 Olympics contracts.
His visit was part of David Cameron’s drive to show the huge importance the Government places on making the most of the Games and its legacy for Britain.
The Prime Minister held the first Cabinet meeting of the year at the Olympic Park to get Ministers focused on making 2012 the best Games ever and securing the maximum benefit from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He then despatched them to businesses, sports facilities, schools and organisations across the UK to see first-hand how the Games will benefit the whole country.
Mr Penrose, who visited Zaun along with former 5000m world record holder David Moorcroft OBE, said: “Zaun is an excellent example of companies all around the country getting involved in the Olympics, landing contracts, creating jobs and doing really well on the back of it.
“They have a big part to play in making sure the security at London 2012 is top-notch – and they’re using it to look for exports to other major sporting venues across the world.”
Zaun has already installed over 20km of perimeter fencing five metres high with seven-metre high lighting and CCTV columns every 25 metres. This has created 20 new jobs at Games venues and generated 12 new jobs in the Midlands since Zaun’s work on the Olympics began in 2008.
Eleven separate London 2012 contracts have seen Zaun work on the Olympic Stadium, South and North Parks, the Hockey Stadium and Basketball Arena and the Athletes’ Village, Media Centre, Green Energy Centre and transport malls.
Zaun is one of 303 firms from the West Midlands who have won tenders to supply London 2012, totalling more than £515 million, more than any other region outside the South East.
Co-founder and technical director Alastair Henman said: “It’s great publicity for us to have a Minister visit and to feature in broadcasts on ITV and the BBC.
“Not only has the Olympics created a mini-boom for us over the past three years, but it has also given us a huge amount of credibility on the international stage, and we’re finding it opening doors in the Middle East and beyond.”
Zaun now has its sights set on Russia, where the Winter Olympics will be held in 2014, and Brazil, which will host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.
