Stage One _______________________________________________
Founded in 1982 , Stage One is the creative powerhouse behind some of the creative industry ’ s most iconic sets and stages . From Olympic ceremonies to sellout stadium tours , Stage One is a creative construction company renowned for designing , manufacturing and erecting structures for the creative industries , sitting at the intersection of design and technology .
As technological advancements continue to transform creative industries , Stage One is keen to remain at the forefront of innovation , using new solutions and mechanisms to construct never-before-seen productions . Manufacturing Today sat down with Tim Leigh , Managing Director at Stage One , to find out more about its project secrets and how the business is able to stay ahead in this competitive landscape .
“ Our first giant break was in 2004 when we worked on the Opening Ceremony for the Athens Olympics ,” Tim reminisces . “ We created a giant Cycladic head , which was winched out of a pit and then exploded across the stadium , and Björk was dancing on top of one of those pieces . For the business , that was a real make or break moment . It transformed us from really small projects onto the world ’ s stage . Since then , we ’ ve been involved in the majority of Olympic ceremonies .
“ I joined the company in 2013 when there were approximately 80 people . We ’ re now at around 132 people working across all sorts of disciplines . We ’ ve got the regular support functions – finance , HR , commercial , and sales – but the majority of the people working for us have a manufacturing or engineering function , working as designers , CAD engineers , and mechanical and structural engineers , right through to those in the workshops .”
Equipped with a strong team possessing such a diverse skillset , Stage One ’ s capabilities cover a wide range of services and solutions .
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