CBI: 50 YEARS OF BUSINESS INNOVATION | UK SPOTLIGHT
AN ENDURING VISION WITH NATURE AT ITS HEART
CENTER PARCS
www.centerparcs.co.uk
It was in the 1960s when Piet Derksen had a dream. The Dutch entrepreneur – who ran a sports shop near Rotterdam and a tent factory near Eindhoven – wanted to create an outdoor park with tents as a way of bringing his staff and their families closer to nature. Before long, Piet realised that it wasn’t just his employees who enjoyed spending time with their loved ones in the great outdoors. The tents transformed into bungalows, the staff were joined by paying guests and Piet’s single park evolved into Center Parcs. “Here at the opening of Woburn Forest, we
continue to embody the essence of Piet Derksen’s vision from more than 50 years ago,” says Martin Dalby, CEO of Center Parcs UK. “The values he stood for are just as, if not even more, pertinent and relevant to today’s society.” The lure of the forest – complete with luxury
lodges, more than 200 indoor and outdoor activities, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise and an award-winning spa – now attracts more than two million guests each year across the company’s five UK locations. “It provides families with a haven in which to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with each other,” says Dalby. Indeed, the 365-day-a-year operation has survived two recessions and continues to grow.
SHORT-BREAK LEADER Center Parcs UK was created in 1987 at Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. Within 28 years, the
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company had become the UK’s leading short breaks provider and, in June 2014, opened its fifth “village”, Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire. It’s the culmination of a 10-year quest, a £250 million investment and the work of some 1,200 people over the two-year construction phase. Woburn Forest improves on the traditional
accommodation that welcomed guests at Sherwood Forest in the 1980s, offering 625 luxury lodges, a 75-bedroom hotel, Aqua Sana spa and six spa suites. Just two months after opening, the fifth village has already achieved occupancy rates of 95 per cent. Center Parcs’ four other villages – Elveden,
Longleat, Sherwood and Whinfell Forests – operate at virtually full capacity throughout the year. Such success is about more than seamless operations and logistics – the real success behind Center Parcs is its people. Each of the five villages sits at the heart
of a small community. Its employees are the lifeblood of the business and Center Parcs is often the biggest employer in the local area. As of August 2014, Center Parcs UK employed more than 7,500 people across its five villages and head office.
AN INVESTOR IN PEOPLE The company prides itself on investing in and developing its staff. When Woburn Forest opened, more than 84,000 hours of training was delivered
to 1,500 new team members. Such employee development has seen Center Parcs achieve industry-leading rates of labour retention and long service, reflected in numerous examples of career progression up to the most senior levels in the company. Ninety per cent of staff who work at Woburn
Forest live within 15 miles of the village, while 40 per cent of employees fall into the 16-to-24 age bracket. The economic importance of Center Parcs Woburn Forest to Bedfordshire is equally significant and it’s estimated that it, like the other four villages, will generate in excess of £20 million for the local economy each year. Proof positive that Piet Derksen’s original community-led dream is very much alive and kicking, more than half a century later.
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