Terry Smith
“ I was five when the business started , I can remember often going in the lorry to sites with dad and watching the seats being built .”
at it that way for the investment to make sense , because investment in seating is a very significant cost . The investment that goes into Paris , will then strengthen our business and allow us to provide existing customers with new products .”
When it comes to minimising the environmental impact of the business , Merchant says a focus on sustainability is ingrained into everyone who works in the business : “ It ’ s across everything we do on a day-to-day basis ; our business is inherently sustainable due to the fact that we ’ re recycling everything we use and if we don ’ t do it efficiently then we don ’ t make money – it ’ s as simple as that .
“ For Paris 2024 , the organising committee is a procuring with a significant weighting on sustainability and the corporate social responsibility side . By coincidence , where we ’ re going and what we ’ re trying to achieve mirrors their goals as an organisation ; we ’ re on the same path . If we ’ ve got huge amounts of waste , we ’ re not efficient .
If we don ’ t recycle things properly , we ’ re not efficient , and if we don ’ t fill lorries properly , we ’ re not efficient . Everything we do is about being sustainable and that inherently makes you efficient .”
Looking ahead , Merchant says the success of the company will be based on its ability to combine that focus on sustainability with the provision of first class products and service : “ We have to maintain a point of difference between us and our competition by being even more innovative and even more sustainable . We want to continue pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved and how it can be achieved .”
Clearly proud of the past and excited about the future , Merchant says his years at Arena have been well spent : “ Every day is a surprise . When I look back and reflect on what I ’ ve done and where I ’ ve been ; it ’ s a very privileged position .”
Withey says there have been myriad highlights during his 45 years spent at Arena but among the first to come to mind was his work on one of the company ’ s first major international projects – creating the set up for a production of Aida on the banks of the Nile in Egypt : “ I spent 12 weeks in Egypt building temporary stands to form an arena for the performances , which was a real eye opener .”
In terms of what has enabled Arena to expand from table tennis to the Olympics , and maintain its position as a go-to company for organisers of some of the world ’ s biggest events , Withey says it is a matter of continued forward thinking , never resting on your laurels and having really good people that form strong relationships and never let people down .
For Smith , it ’ s personal : “ All these years later I am proudly looking after my father ’ s legacy ,” he says . “ Even though we are now part of a big corporate group , we ’ ve managed to maintain a lot of our family values and I like to think a lot of our personal commitment in terms of our clients and that personal service .”
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