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| NEC in Birmingham celebrates 40 years of business | NEC in Birmingham celebrates 40 years of business |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The National Exhibition Centre could expand further, its chief executive has said as the venue turns 40 years old. | The National Exhibition Centre could expand further, its chief executive has said as the venue turns 40 years old. |
| The NEC's first seven exhibition halls were opened by the Queen on 2 February 1976. | The NEC's first seven exhibition halls were opened by the Queen on 2 February 1976. |
| The NEC Group now covers a 182,000 sq m site between Birmingham and Solihull, including the 16,000-seat Genting Arena and runs venues in central Birmingham. | The NEC Group now covers a 182,000 sq m site between Birmingham and Solihull, including the 16,000-seat Genting Arena and runs venues in central Birmingham. |
| NEC Group chief executive Paul Thandi said new developments in the West Midlands could lead to further growth. | NEC Group chief executive Paul Thandi said new developments in the West Midlands could lead to further growth. |
| The group was sold by Birmingham City Council to privately-owned Lloyds Banking Group's private equity business last year. | The group was sold by Birmingham City Council to privately-owned Lloyds Banking Group's private equity business last year. |
| More on this story and others Birmingham and Black Country | |
| "We now have the opportunity to invest and apply capital in different ways as we target business expansion," Mr Thandi said. | "We now have the opportunity to invest and apply capital in different ways as we target business expansion," Mr Thandi said. |
| The National Exhibition Centre | The National Exhibition Centre |
| Peter Cooper, a former catering manager at the NEC, was there when the site was first opened and helped to guide the Queen around on her first visit. | Peter Cooper, a former catering manager at the NEC, was there when the site was first opened and helped to guide the Queen around on her first visit. |
| "It was a great day for everybody," he said. | "It was a great day for everybody," he said. |
| "Everybody was waiting for it to open. It was something that we all thought was going to be a marvellous thing, and it's aspired to something greater than anybody ever expected." | "Everybody was waiting for it to open. It was something that we all thought was going to be a marvellous thing, and it's aspired to something greater than anybody ever expected." |
| Dennis Johnson, a senior charge hand, has worked at the NEC for 43 years, watching it grow from a building site to the modern complex. | Dennis Johnson, a senior charge hand, has worked at the NEC for 43 years, watching it grow from a building site to the modern complex. |
| In one day's shift he can walk nearly five miles (8km), he said. If he had walked such a distance every day he had worked at the NEC it would add up to about 44,000 miles (70,800km), equivalent to going nearly twice around the world. | In one day's shift he can walk nearly five miles (8km), he said. If he had walked such a distance every day he had worked at the NEC it would add up to about 44,000 miles (70,800km), equivalent to going nearly twice around the world. |
| He said he had enjoyed every day of working at the centre. | He said he had enjoyed every day of working at the centre. |
| "I've just been really happy working here - it's been a good job for me," he said. | "I've just been really happy working here - it's been a good job for me," he said. |