Business Eye June 2024

Ulster Carpets and Danske Bank: Issue 234 June 2024 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Weaving innovation into the fabric of their businesses Features:

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Colm McMullan - New Partner At Harbinson Mulholland

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Vantor - Specialist Approach To Cyber Security

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Ulster Rugby Launches Premium Business Club

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Contents 14

New President For NI Chamber

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Galgorm Invests In New Forest Dens

The Regional Market Leader for PwC in Northern Ireland, Catriona McCusker, has taken over as President of the NI Chamber of Commerce & Industry, succeeding Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of Henderson Foodservice. She’ll be assisted by the new Vice-President Kailash Chada, Group CEO at Phoenix Energy.

Northern Ireland’s premier luxury resort, Galgorm, has added a new range of accommodation to its collection in a £3 million investment. The new Forest Dens are the first element in a new Forest Gerden at Galgorm.

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Ulster Carpets & Danske Bank – Weaving Innovation

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Colm McMullan – New Partner At Harbinson Mulholland

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Vantor – A Specialist Approach To Cyber Security

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Northern Ireland Business Challenges & Business Opportunities

Blending a rich historical legacy with a drive to innovate and be at the cutting edge of their respective industries is something that is in the DNA of both Danske Bank and its longstanding customer Ulster Carpets.

Colm McMullan, who describes himself as Harbinson Mulholland ‘man and boy’, has been appointed as a new Partner at the Belfast-based accountancy and business advisory firm.

Paul McShane and Gareth McAllister talk about the launch of Vantor, a new specialist company focused entirely on delivering managed cyber security services to client organisations here and across the UK and Ireland.

The boardroom at MKB Law’s Great Victoria Street offices provided the venue for the latest Business Eye Round Table in association with MKB Law, one of Belfast’s leading commercial law firms. In a wideranging discussion, an influential panel discussed the challenges facing businesses in Northern Ireland, the role of government, finance & banking as well as a number of other live issues.

Buckley Publications 20 Kings Road Belfast, BT5 6JJ Tel: (028) 9047 4490 Fax: (028) 9047 4495 www.businesseye.co.uk

June 2024 ISSUE 234

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Investment, Growth And The Global Dairy Market

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Ulster Rugby Club Launches Premium Business Club

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Build Or Retrofit And They Will Come

Following a run of impressive results, dairy cooperative Dale Farm is making a significant investment to grow even further. Business Eye caught up with Dale Farm’s Group Commercial Director Mark Boyle to talk cheese, current dairy market trends, and how the business has navigated the challenges of the past three years.

The newly-launched Ulster Rugby Business Club, in association with long-term partner corporate law firm A&L Goodbody (ALG), is a unique network for local businesses and corporate members from across the province.

Mark Collins, Managing Director at Belfast-based architectural practice Collins Rolston, discusses how breathing new life into iconic buildings while embracing the demands of the future could be the secret to restoring city centre living in Belfast.

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Tech Eye – Global Tech News Digest

The very latest in tech news and views from the UK and across the globe, brought to you by Business Eye in partnership with tech specialists Nitec.

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Leaf Celebrates 20 Years In Business

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AIB Business Eye Awards Are Launched

IT specialists Leaf celebrates 20 years in business with a spectacular evening event held at The MAC in Belfast, attended by staff, customers and friends of the business.

The 2024 AIB Business Eye Awards have been launched at a networking reception held at Custom House Belfast, and attended by business leaders, sponsors and previous winners of Northern Ireland’s leading business awards.

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley Business Development Manager Ciara Donnelly

Design McCadden Tel: (028) 9024 2228 www.mccadden.co.uk

Photography Press Eye 45 Stockmans Way Belfast, BT9 7ET Tel: (028) 9066 9229 www.presseye.com

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By the time anyone reads this, there will be a new government in power at Westminster and, barring a miracle of record-breaking proportions, it will be led by Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

Comment

“Unpopular decisions have to be made for effective government to work. Just ask Sir Keir Starmer.

Whatever he said on the election trail, he’s going to have to make a few of them himself.“

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Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

ack here in Northern Ireland, we’ll have had our chance to shuffle the pack and change things around. Will we have taken it? On past form, probably not. But one can always live in hope.

A few seats for the Alliance Party, one or two for the Ulster Unionists, a couple of SDLP retentions and the face of Northern Ireland on the House of Commons benches will have altered radically.

How much does it matter though? Will a new Labour government in London make a fundamental difference here? The answer is no. Northern Ireland, and it’s something we should never forget, will be as far down Keir Starmer’s ‘to do’ list as it always was for Rishi Sunak and for Boris Johnson and Theresa May before him, except for a brief period when DUP votes were hugely significant. And that didn’t end well.

We’re one of the devolved regions, alongside Scotland and Wales, and that status won’t change under a Labour or any other government. Unless the Reform Party ever romps home, but that won’t be in the foreseeable future.

What does that mean? It means the devolved government is hugely important for this place, and it’s only likely to become even more important. Stormont is important.

Our MLAs are important and, increasingly, this is where the decisions will be made.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill says that she’ll be heading over to London to knock on the door of Number 10 as soon as is practical after the election, presumably to wave the battered old Belfast begging bowl in the face of the new Prime Minister. Unfortunately, Michelle, you’ll be well down the pecking order.

General election done and dusted, the Executive and Assembly has to face up to reality and get down to some real government.

That means revenue raising. It’s what real government is all about. There are plenty of options. The obvious place to start is by introducing water charges, a simple, justifiable and quick way to raise a decent amount of revenue for the public purse... whether it’s subsequently used to improve our crumbling water infrastructure or whether it goes to the NHS. The other avenues? Prescription charges for some is a no-brainer, free transport could and should be reviewed in certain cases, and so the list goes on.

Our MLAs can’t live in a dream world, where unpopular decisions simply don’t exist, forever. Unpopular decisions have to be made for effective government to work. Just ask Sir Keir Starmer. Whatever he said on the election trail, he’s going to have to make a few of them himself.

Watch this space.

Eye on News

Glandore Officially Open Belfast’s Newest Sustainable Shared Workspace Arthur Place

John Kelly and Jason Hull of Intapp with Michael Kelly, Fiona Kelly, Clare Kelly, Rebecca Kelly (Directors of Glandore)

One of Ireland’s leading workspace providers, Glandore has officially opened its latest office space in Belfast, following a sustainable renovation, making it the occupier of the entire building at Arthur Place in the city centre.

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rthur Place, which offers suites ranging from 440sq ft to 768aq ft across seven floors, is Glandore’s second location in Belfast and is situated directly opposite Arthur House, its other Belfast workspace.

The family-owned Glandore offers the ability to custom design workspace in Belfast, that will now include enhanced amenities onsite including a club room, meeting rooms, ground floor coffee and kitchen station, reception and bike storage at Arthur Place.

Leading global software provider,

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Intapp is the latest company to avail of the modern Arthur Place office space after opening up in a 2,507sq ft space fully customised to their needs.

Intapp with the help of Glandore created a bespoke office layout for their expanding team to include more collaboration zones, meeting rooms, soundproof pods and less desk space.

With a primary focus on sustainability, Glandore renovated Arthur Place with sustainable materials, low chemical products and includes increased water conservation and waste

management practices, bike storage and high quality end of trip facilities.

Belfast’s newest office space boasts large windows and flexible configurations, of finished to the highest quality and designed to maximize productivity. Together, both Arthur Place and Arthur House offer companies the flexibility to scale from 1 to 200+ desks on flexible terms from three months upwards in fully serviced office space which can be custom designed to meet unique requirements and working styles.

Clare Kelly, Glandore Director said:

“The office market has changed dramatically in recent years, and we are seeing a huge growing demand for flexible workspaces, designed to suit individual company needs rather than a one size fits all approach.

“We are delighted to open Arthur Place following our sustainable renovation and expansion of the building and welcome both new and existing members to operate and flourish from our Belfast location.”

John Vance, Director of Intapp Belfast said: “We are thrilled to announce our move to Glandore’s Arthur Place in Belfast as we grow to over 50 employees. This new office location reflects our commitment to providing a dynamic, collaborative workspace for our team. By investing in an environment that fosters innovation and teamwork, we are positioning Intapp for continued growth and success. Our new space not only supports our current team but also allows us to expand our presence in Belfast, enhancing our ability to deliver exceptional service to our global client base.”

Established in 2001, Glandore is a leading flexible market operator, run by Michael Kelly and his three daughters Fiona, Clare and Rebecca.

Glandore has accommodated an impressive roster of international firms in their offices across Ireland, with high-end workspaces located in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

Arthur Place offers customers the convenience of being located on a vibrant pedestrian street, surrounded by some of Belfast’s best restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as all major transport links and is ideal for companies who require the flexibility and scalability to focus on business development and growth.

Arthur Place is available for viewings and bookings.

For more information on Glandore flexible working spaces, please visit: www.glandore.co

Eye on News

Karen Walsh Takes Best Dressed Title At Down Royal Karen Walsh stepped up to the style stakes at this year’s Younique Aesthetics Best Dressed Lady competition which took place on day two of the BoyleSports Summer Festival of Racing at Down Royal Racecourse.

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acing fans and fashion fanatics headed to Northern Ireland’s most prestigious racecourse in their droves on Saturday 22nd June to enjoy a day of fantastic entertainment both on and off the track.

Sponsored by Younique Aesthetics, the Best Dressed Competition was judged by Áine Larkin, Clinical Director at Younique Aesthetics, Cool FM Presenter and fashion enthusiast Rebecca McKinney and 2024 Miss Northern Ireland winner, Hannah Johns.

Of the 10 stunning finalists, all of whom vied for the coveted Best Dressed Lady prize, it was Karen Walsh from Banbridge who caught the interest of the judges with her attention to detail and keen eye for fashion. Her show-

stopping outfit included a Coast jumpsuit and headpiece paired with Dior shoes, a matching bag and Chanel jewellery.

Karen took home a £3,000 Younique Aesthetics voucher for use on treatments and/or products at branches in Belfast or Newry.

Commenting on her win Karen Walsh said: “It is such an honour to be crowned this year’s Younique Aesthteics Best Dressed Lady at the BoyleSports Summer Festival of Racing.

“There have been so many stunning outfits on display this year and to be selected as the overall winner is a real surprise, but I’m thrilled.

“Many congratulations to all the other ladies selected in this year’s Top 10 and thank you to the judges for

selecting me as the overall winner.” Áine Larkin, Clinical Director at Younique Aesthetics said: “It has been such a joy to once again return to Down Royal this year as sponsor and judge of the Best Dressed Lady competition.

“Today’s stunning showcase was a real celebration of fashion and elegance and the sense of style on display was exceptional making our job as judges extremely difficult. We were delighted to crown Karen as the Best Dressed Lady and we hope she enjoys her prize.”

Kathryn Holland, Commercial Manager at Down Royal added: “This year’s competition has been a wonderful event and we are thrilled with the high level of participation and the spectacle of style that has been on display.

“Many thanks to our sponsor Younique Aesthetics for their continued support in helping make our Best Dressed Lady competition a success.

“Congratulations to our winner Karen Walsh and to all our Top 10 finalists.”

Ulster University Introduces New Scholarship In Honour Of Leading Marketer ULSTER University Business School has announced the launch of a new scholarship in partnership with Professor Julie Hastings, Director of Hastings Hotels and Visiting Professor at Ulster University Business School (UUBS).

Julie Hastings was the Marketing Director of Hastings Hotels for almost 30 years before she retired at the end of 2022.

She is a current Board Member of the leading collections of hotels which was founded by her late father Sir William Hastings in 1966. Julie has a longstanding association with Ulster University having been appointed as Visiting Professor of Ulster University Business School in 2013 and since then has contributed to specialist teaching and mentoring on undergraduate and postgraduate courses, using her expertise from the industry.

Recognising the financial challenges faced by many students, The Professor Julie Hastings Scholarship aims to provide

financial assistance to final year students at a critical juncture in their educational journey.

Over the next six years, two scholarships will be awarded annually to two final year students, one studying BSc Hons Culinary Arts Management and one studying BSc Hons International Hospitality Management and BSc Hons Marketing.

The scholarships will provide an additional avenue of support to undergraduate students as they prepare to enter the workforce and develop their careers.

Professor Julie Hastings said: “My role as Visiting professor has definitely been a career highlight for me as I am a huge advocate of supporting young talent to help them reach their full potential.

Through this scholarship, I am delighted to be able to continue my association with the UUBS and help offer a financial opportunity to two deserving final year students each year. I hope this will assist them with the next chapter in their

academic or professional careers.”

Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis, Head of Department of Hospitality Tourism and Events Management at Ulster University Business School (UUBS) and Dr Mary Boyd, Head of Department of Management, Leadership and Marketing added: “Julie Hastings has been a pioneer of marketing and has helped shape the industry in Northern Ireland. For more than a decade she has been a Visiting Professor for UUBS and she has been steadfast in her support and sharing her wisdom with our students.

We are proud to pay tribute to Julie through the launch of The Professor Julie Hastings Scholarship which represents a vital investment in our students’ futures. This scholarship provides invaluable opportunities beyond the classroom to significantly facilitate and enhance career readiness. We extend our heartful gratitude to Julie for her generosity and ongoing support.”

Professor Julie Hastings (middle) is pictured with Ulster University’s Dr Mary Boyd, Head of Department of Management, Leadership and Marketing and Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis, Head of Department of Hospitality Tourism and Events Management.

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Eye on News

Reversing the £1billion cost of workplace conflict

A research report commissioned by the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) reveals that ‘good jobs’ could help reverse the cost of workplace conflict within Northern Ireland, which burdens employers and the local economy with a staggering £1billion in costs per year.

Economy Minister, Conor Murphy, with Labour Relations Agency Chief Executive, Don Leeson.

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ver 100 delegates attended the ‘Building a Business Case for Good Jobs’ research report launch at the LRA (18 June 2024) where its authors,Professor Chris Warhurst and Dr Emily Erickson from Warwick Institute for Employment Research, demonstrated the links between good jobs and increased innovation, productivity, and employee health and wellbeing.

The key finding was that positive employee engagement and wellbeing is mutually beneficial for both workers and business performance.

Opening the event, the Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy reiterated one of his four key priorities, as part of his Economic Vision, is to create ‘Good Jobs.’ He said: “Providing workers and their

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families with a decent, secure income is an important aim in its own right. What this research demonstrates is that Good Jobs also contributes to other economic and social objectives, such as improving productivity, and promoting physical and mental health.”

The Minister went on to announce that his Department is adopting the Carnegie Framework as its definition of Good Jobs. He said: “This Framework, which is also used in the research, identifies seven dimensions of job quality: Terms of employment; Pay and benefits; Health, safety and psychosocial wellbeing; Job design and the nature of work; Social support and cohesion; Voice and representation; and Work life balance.

“This is an extremely comprehensive definition, and my Department will work to progress all seven dimensions.”

Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Agency, Don Leeson said: “The report provides tangible proof that good jobs improve organisational performance. Considering this alongside the research the LRA published last year showing that toxic workplaces cost employers and our economy up to £1billion per year, the provision of good jobs makes sound economic sense.

“When businesses invest in job quality through fair wages, supportive work environments, and opportunities for development, they see significant improvements in employee morale, productivity, and

retention. This, in turn, enhances overall business performance and contributes to economic stability and growth. This is what we need in Northern Ireland, given our persistent low level of productivity.

“The findings suggest that the dimensions of good jobs are a useful foundation for a Good Employment Charter for Northern Ireland, which the LRA is currently developing to help drive the creation of good jobs,” Don added.

Co-author of the research, Professor Chris Warhurst said: “Our findings provide good news for policy makers who are interested in improving innovation, productivity and employee health and wellbeing.

We have found evidence that good social support from colleagues and line managers can create workplaces that are more innovative.

“A strong positive relationship exists between pay and productivity, and good work-life balance also boosts productivity. However, long working hours and job insecurity negatively impact mental and physical health. Control over tasks and task variety positively affects mental health, supporting the case for creating more good jobs.”

Leading Northern Ireland fintech company, FinTru, which has been celebrated for its good employment practices, participated in the research.

Chief Administration Officer, Sinead Carville, said: “The company’s employee-focused culture is exemplified by a variety of wellbeing programmes, clear career progression pathways, training and learning opportunities, and inclusivity – all of which leads to a high-performance workplace.”

Welcoming the Economy Minister’s support, Don Leeson concluded: “We hope the report helps all businesses to understand the business benefits of good jobs generally, and in Northern Ireland specifically.

Longer term this offers enormous potential, ultimately improving our economic performance.”

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Eye on News

Visit Belfast New Plan For Tourism Growth Visit Belfast has launched an ambitious new three-year strategy for tourism growth with plans to strengthen and elevate the appeal of the city’s vibrant neighbourhoods to drive new growth and fresh exploration.

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aunching its new strategy, the Belfast City Region’s official destination marketing and management organisation said it plans to further strengthen the city’s tourism economy by 20 percent over the next three years, delivering a cumulative economic boost of £424 million by 2027 from its combined sales, marketing and visitor servicing activity.

Targeting an annual growth rate of 6.25 percent, Visit Belfast expects to deliver £133 million to the economy this year (2024-25), up from £125 million the year before and increasing to an annual return of £150 million for the Belfast City region in 2026-27.

Belfast’s visitor economy has enjoyed continuous growth and improvement since Covid-19, with Visit Belfast’s threeyear Rebuilding City Tourism strategy acting as a driver in rebooting the tourism sector and returning tourism’s economic impact to pre-pandemic levels.

Visit Belfast Chair, MarieThérèse McGivern, said: “Our New Horizons strategy builds on the significant progress to date and supports the continued strengthening or investment strategy of Belfast as a thriving, competitive visitor destination.

The successful delivery of our postCovid Rebuilding City Tourism 2021-24 strategy has ensured that the city’s visitor economy has re-emerged stronger and more dynamic, innovative and competitive in a market that has been characterised by strong headwinds and challenging trading conditions.”

Its new strategy for 2024-2027, New Horizons for the Belfast City Region,

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Visit Belfast Chair Marie-Thérèse McGivern and Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive.

sets ambitious plans and targets for sustainable tourism growth.

Shining a bigger spotlight on Belfast’s neighbourhood areas which offer a rich and diverse culture, history and heritage filled with authentic and unique experiences, Visit Belfast said it will boost their profile locally, nationally and internationally to enhance the city’s overall destination appeal – and build on the strong growth achieved to date in leisure, business and cruise tourism.

“The targets are bold and ambitious,” Marie-Thérèse said. “Together with Belfast City Council and key partners, we’re committed to increasing the benefits of tourism across our city and wider region including neighbourhoods in a responsible, sustainable way that enhances the visitor experience while working well for the people of Belfast.”

Visit Belfast’s most recent strategy, delivering for a post-Covid era – Rebuilding City Tourism 2021-24 delivered an economic return of £319 million for the city, powered by strong growth in leisure, business and cruise tourism, with room occupancy rates exceeding 84 percent at weekend (and 80 percent midweek), rising footfall and greater consumer spend.

The new 2024-27 economic target for of £424 million represents an increase of almost one third (32.9 percent).

The detailed strategy and plans,

which following extensive consultation, were developed with the support of TOPOSOPHY, one of Europe’s leading placemaking and marketing agencies, were presented to key stakeholders and partners at a major event at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park – located in just one of the city’s many neighbourhood areas earmarked for new growth potential.

This year, in 2024/25, Visit Belfast is targeting 780,000 visitors, 445,000 bed nights and 766,000 tourist enquiries, while driving sustainable best practice across the sector.

Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive, Visit Belfast, said: “The aim of our new strategy is to spread the tourism benefits right across the Belfast City region, helping to sustain many more businesses and jobs and building new connections with visitors.

Working closely with our key stakeholders and all our partners, by enhancing the visitor experience and inspiring visitors to do more, spend more and stay longer, we aim to drive new growth and value for the economy.

“Though cost issues and the challenging trading environment persist, Belfast has continued to deliver high levels of visitor satisfaction, establishing itself as an attractive citybreak, business and cruise destination, the outlook

is positive in our commitment to maximising tourism’s potential for the benefit of the entire city and region.”

John McGrillen, Chief Executive, Tourism Northern Ireland, said: “Recognising and positively promoting our unique and competitive strengths as a compelling destination is vital in promoting our destination appeal to visitors around the world, to driving growth and to delivering economic impact.

Tourism Northern Ireland will continue to work with Visit Belfast and all our partners to ensure that we maximise our tourism potential, helping to position the region internationally as an attractive place to visit, making our visitors feel welcome while also helping to make the lives better for all our citizens.”

With over 330,000 cruise passengers visiting all parts of Northern Ireland, over six million air passengers across the two main airports, 2.1 million ferry passengers and the opening of the new Belfast Grand Central Station later this year, one of the largest transport hubs in Europe which will cater for up to 20 million passenger journeys annually, Belfast plays an important role as the gateway city to the whole of the region.

Belfast accounts for around 32% of Northern Ireland’s tourism nights and 40 percent of all tourism spending in Northern Ireland.

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Eye on News

Henderson Group Launches Carbon Initiative For Fresh Food Suppliers

Henderson Group has announced a Carbon Accounting Pilot programme that will aid its fresh food suppliers in their mission to understand their carbon footprint and create action plans to reduce carbon emissions.

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t is part of the wholesaler and retailer’s ambitious net carbon zero targets, which have been set in line with the British Retail Consortium, alongside those set by the UK Government for 2040.

Neal Kelly, Category Development Director at Henderson Group made the announcement during the annual Henderson Wholesale Fresh Supplier Breakfast at the 2024 Balmoral Show, inviting up to five SME suppliers to take advantage of the reduced-cost pilot scheme.

Mr Kelly explained; “As a business, we have made huge strides in recent years on our net zero journey, however working with hundreds of

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Henderson Group’s Neal Kelly

suppliers, especially in the fresh foods sector, we need to ensure they are not left behind on this journey and are as committed to futureproofing their businesses as we are.

“This pilot offers a small number of suppliers to enjoy a below cost carbon accounting service, so that we can better understand whether a broader programme will be useful and feasible for the business and our suppliers.”

Henderson Group has selected Our Carbon as its pilot partner, who will have dedicated resource assigned to the scheme to deliver a baseline set of carbon accounts for the participating suppliers.

Neal says undertaking this kind of carbon accounting can be hugely costly for smaller suppliers, but the benefits will outweigh the costs in the long term.

“Bringing our suppliers and partners along with us on this

journey provides a more sustainable future for everyone. This pilot will take a proactive approach to removing emissions and make a positive impact on the environment, our trial partners will save costs through operational efficiency and will futureproof their businesses against climate risk and incoming regulation,” continued Mr Kelly.

“Investment in ESG (environmental, social and governance) is evolving at pace. It is a hugely important area of focus for the next decade and more, and we are committed to ensuring our suppliers are on this journey with us and it is an integral part of their company culture going forward.”

Henderson Group has committed over £2.5m towards sustainability goals for 2024.

Henderson Retail has recently completed the installation of solar panels at 23 of its stores, with a

further 19 stores to have arrays fitted in the coming months, which, in totality will see the reduction of the company’s annual electricity consumption by around 320 tonnes of carbon.

Last year, 1,494 solar panels were installed across 75% of the roof of the newest warehouse at the Group’s support office in Mallusk, representing an investment of over £900,000. This year will see that ambition go further, with solar panels fitted on Henderson’s Hyde Park warehouse, servicing Henderson Wholesale’s ambient range of products alongside the refrigerated Henderson Foodservice warehouse.

60 bp pulse Electric Vehicle charging points have now been installed at 26 Henderson Retail SPAR and EUROSPAR stores in Northern Ireland. The partnership was announced in 2023, and installation will complete by 2025.

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Eye on News

Caitroina McCusker is new NI Chamber President

Cat McCusker (President, NI Chamber) and Kailash Chada (Vice President NI Chamber)

Caitroina (Cat) McCusker, the Regional Market Leader for PwC in Northern Ireland, is the new President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber).

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ucceeding Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of Henderson Foodservice, Cat’s appointment was ratified at the membership organisation’s Annual General Meeting in Custom House. Kailash Chada, Group Chief Executive Officer at Phoenix Energy is the new Vice President.

As Regional Market Leader, Cat heads up a team of more than 3,700 PwC employees in Northern Ireland.

She is also the Education Consulting Leader for PwC’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region, a position which sees her work at a global and local level to drive innovative and disruptive work, helping universities to reimagine their student and

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staff experience. A graduate of Ulster University, Cat has also worked with major organisations across local government, central government and the police.

Speaking about her appointment as the 178th President of the business membership organisation, Cat said: “It is an honour to be appointed NI Chamber President, an organisation which is held in such high regard locally, nationally and internationally.

Taking on the chain of office, which has been worn by some of this region’s most esteemed business leaders over more than two centuries is a privilege and certainly, a career highlight for me.”

With a particular interest and expertise in skills, ESG and technology transformation, Cat is especially focused on NI Chamber’s role in helping to address skills challenges, boosting competitiveness and enhancing productivity, adding: “Right now, businesses of all sizes face many well documented challenges but there is also a wealth of untapped potential in our economy. With the right combination of strategic direction from policy makers and collaboration with businesses, there is so much we can achieve in partnership. As President of NI Chamber, I look forward to working with the Board, Executive team and members across Northern Ireland to ensure that the experience and ideas of business leaders are heard and acted upon

and that some of the gamechanging measures needed to support high-growth sectors are prioritised.”

Following his appointment as Vice President, Kailash Chada said: “With a restored Executive and a General Election coming soon, this is an important juncture for business. NI Chamber has a vital role to play in helping to reset the relationship between industry and policy makers by facilitating the widest and deepest collaboration possible.

As we look to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the energy transition, our unique market access and strength in high-growth sectors, it is an exciting time to hold this position and something I am certainly excited to be involved with.”

Eye on News

Belfast Celebrates Double Awards Win Visit Belfast secured the ‘Best Convention Bureau’ title at the annual awards in London for a second consecutive year in an international competition that selects the best in class across the world of conferences and events.

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n a major boost for the city, ICC Belfast was also a top winner, securing the ‘Best UK Events Venue’ title, reflecting its team’s approach to delivering an exceptional experience for delegates in world class surroundings.

The Destination Marketing Management Organisation (DMMO) for the Belfast City Region, which marks its 25th anniversary milestone next year, beat Vienna’s Convention Bureau to win the coveted title that recognises Visit Belfast’s leadership and innovation in supporting outstanding events which provide a clear focus on sustainability, legacy and impact.

ICC Belfast triumphed at the micebook awards, beating ACC Liverpool, Church House Westminster and Farnborough International, to be recognised as the UK’s best events venue.

ICC Belfast has also been shortlisted for ‘Best Convention Centre’ at next month’s Conference & Events Awards 2024, lining up against some of the world’s largest convention centres including ExCel London, ACC Liverpool and ICC Birmingham to take the top prize.

Steve Daniels, Chairman of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall, said, “As chairman of BWUH Ltd. we are delighted to receive this award that recognises ICC Belfast as a state-ofthe-art international conference venue.

This further strengthens the position of Belfast as a city that is primed for business events. That message is important as we continue to build on our reputation as a conferencing destination. I’m incredibly proud of the team for their ongoing commitments to our venue. They continue to recognise that our contribution is about more than simply winning awards, but winning for the region, economically, socially and culturally.”

Belfast’s profile as a leading

Charlie McCloskey, Director of Events and Public Experience at ICC Belfast, Nikki Paterson, Business Solutions Manager at Tourism Northern Ireland, Rachael McGuickin, Director Business Development, Sustainability and Transformation at Visit Belfast and Lord Mayor, Councillor Micky Murray.

international conference destination has grown dramatically in recent years.

Last year, Belfast was officially named as the world’s best conference and events destination at the annual C&IT Awards gala in London for the fifth time in six years, securing a record-breaking position that underlines the city’s strengths as a major international draw for business delegates and event organisers.

C&IT’s Best Conference Destination 2023 award recognised Visit Belfast and the city’s tourism industry for its consistent, collaborative efforts to meet and exceed the expectations of conference and event organisers to deliver a world class experience for thousands of delegates every year while ICC’s ‘Best Venue - UK’ award

by C&IT recognised its contribution to the city’s thriving business conference sector as well as how the team has successfully delivered on its values as a venue that celebrates diversity and champions inclusivity.

Visit Belfast was also awarded ‘UK Best Destination Team of the Year’ at the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) Awards 2023, securing the top industry title in a highly competitive shortlist that included Conference

Leeds, Meet in Wales and Newcastle Gateshead Convention Bureau.

Rachael McGuickin, Director of Business Development, Sustainability and Transformation at Visit Belfast, said, “Business tourism generates £30 million for our local economy every year and represents a significant, growing part of the city’s vibrant tourism economy that directly supports a range of venues, hotels, bars, restaurants and transport providers across the supply chain. They also provide knowledge, wealth and connections to support the development of our regional economy and underpin Belfast’s reputation as a leading international hub for innovation, academic excellence and business success.

“Industry recognition for our success is important – it not only rewards the collective efforts made by our teams but assists in marketing ourselves to win new business and achieve further growth.”

A new Integrated Strategy for Business Events in Northern Ireland was launched in March 2022 which seeks to double the number of international conferences hosted annually and attract three times the number of delegates from the UK and Ireland by 2030.

John McGrillen, Chief Executive of Tourism NI, said: “I would like to congratulate both Visit Belfast and ICC Belfast on their success at the recent micebook Awards.

“This is a recognition of what Belfast has to offer as an outstanding, unique and authentic destination for business meetings and events.

“Business events don’t only contribute to the city’s visitor economy, they also support knowledge exchange, foreign direct investment and bring social benefit to our local communities.

“These awards will no doubt ensure that Belfast and the wider region will continue to be a destination of choice for business events in the future.”

Established in 1999 as the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau (BVCB), Visit Belfast is a not-for-profit public, private and community partnership focused on driving city and regional tourism growth through business events, leisure breaks and cruise.

ICC Belfast is Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built international convention centre boasting over two decades of experience in delivering world-class events, offering 7000m2 of flexible space for conferences and events catering for up to 5,000 delegates.

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Eye on News

Galgorm Invests £3 Million To Add New Forest Dens Northern Ireland’s premiere luxury hotel, Galgorm has added a stunning new range of accommodation to its collection, with a £3 million investment.

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aving already invested £60 million since 2010, Galgorm secured its position among the world’s premier tourism destinations in 2021 when it announced a further £30 million investment to expand and enhance its resort and spa facilities by 2027.

The new Forest Dens represent £3 million of that investment phase and are the first element of the ‘Forest Garden’ at Galgorm.

The expansion to the Thermal Spa Village is due to follow in summer 2025, complete with forest walks, wood-fired sauna, hot tubs and a rope bridge connecting the Thermal Spa Village on both sides of the river.

Colin Johnston, Managing Director at Galgorm, stated: “Our commitment to maintaining Galgorm’s standing as a worldclass, award-winning tourism destination has driven us to invest and innovate continually

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over the last number of years. This latest £3 million investment is a testament to our dedication to offering premium and authentic experiences to our guests.

“The introduction of the Forest Dens marks a unique addition to our accommodation portfolio, providing guests with an exceptional opportunity to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying the luxury and tranquillity that Galgorm is renowned for.

“With further substantial investments on the horizon, guests can look forward to even more exciting developments, including the expansion of our Thermal Spa Village next summer.”

The fabulous new ‘Forest Dens’ are tucked away beyond the river Maine in the peaceful heart of Galgorm Wood, each one complete with a beautifully

bohemian backyard for the chance to get back to nature and soak up some serious tranquility.

Guests will be invited to relax in their own private sauna, unwind with a wood-fired bath and freshen up in the outdoor shower for a truly rejuvenating break from the bustle.

Other features include a stylish indoor kitchenette, outdoor seating with heating, BBQ facilities and a fire pit.

Where earthy nature meets that famous Galgorm luxury, the new Forest Dens, set within 40-acres of private forest, are the latest addition to the resort’s exquisite accommodation offering which includes 125 luxurious guestrooms, 41 cottage suites, 16 Shepherd’s Huts, six log cabins and four exclusive residences.

Suitable for two guests, with one double bed, ensuite with shower and Galgorm

Cora amenities, a Forest Den stay includes access to the spectacular Thermal Spa Village from check-in to check-out, helping to bring guests’ sense of Zen to the next level as they embrace true comfort and explore the great outdoors in the Galgorm changing robes and sliders.

All of Galgorm’s lodging accommodation is dog friendly, so guests are also invited to bring their pooches along for a visit.

Just 30 minutes from Belfast, and two and a half hours from Dublin, Galgorm is set within 450 acres of parkland next to the river Maine in the heart of Co Antrim.

The resort was named Best Destination Spa 2024 in the prestigious Conde Nast Johansens Awards, and won six awards at the 2023 World Luxury Awards, including Global Award Winner for Best Luxury Spa Resort.

Eye on News

Maxol announces roll out of low emissions Biodiesel in Northern Ireland As part of its greener vehicle mobility strategy, Maxol has announced the introduction of HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), a second-generation biofuel, to selected forecourts in Northern Ireland.

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roduced from renewable feedstocks, including nonfood grade vegetable oils, used cooking oils, and residue fat fractions, Maxol hvoPRO reduces carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to regular diesel.

Starting in early April, five sites across Northern Ireland’s leading, family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer, now offer Maxol hvoPRO, a more eco-friendly, low carbon emissions fuel: Mallusk, Townparks in Antrim, Eglinton in Derry, Ballymore in West Belfast and Tannaghmore on the A26 from

Antrim to Ballymena, with additional sites to be added later this year.

A further three sites in the Republic of Ireland will also offer the low emissions fuel: M3 Mulhuddart and Turvey in Dublin, and Coolshannagh in Monaghan.

Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group said: “Maxol hvoPRO underlines our commitment to customer choice and is a key element of our strategy to be a leading provider of greener fuels across the island of Ireland. We are hugely focused on mobility innovation, and this

includes providing lower emission fuels and EV charging solutions for our private motorists, fleet and Fuel Card customers.”

Maxol hvoPRO is produced through a hydro-treating process, similar to the production of regular biodiesel.

But unlike traditional biodiesel, HVO undergoes a hydrogenation process, which significantly improves its quality and performance characteristics.

No engine modifications are required and Maxol hvoPRO is compatible with most newer diesel engine vehicles.

With 30% of Maxol’s fleet already running on Maxol hvoPRO, this will

increase to 50% by early 2025. This move aligns with Maxol’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint across various aspects of the business.

Maxol hvoPRO, derived from waste products that meet international sustainability and carbon standards, aligns with Maxol’s commitment to cleaner fuel alternatives. It complements the Maxol Premium Fuel range and follows the roll-out of Maxol’s EV Ultra-Rapid Charging Hubs at Kinnegar in Holywood and Braid River in Antrim and the company’s first Ultra-Rapid EV hub in the Republic of Ireland at Newbridge Kildare.

Pictured (L-R) is Kevin Paterson, Regional Manager NI with Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group.

17

Eye on Young Enterprise Awards.

Friends School Lisburn Team Take Top Award At Young Enterprise 2024 A team from Friends School Lisburn, Bottle Up, was crowned Young Enterprise Northern Ireland Company of the Year. Bottle Up tackles plastic waste by creating handmade flowers from used plastic bottles.

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Pete Snodden chats to Young Enterprise alumni Siena McConaghie and Leon Gibson

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ottle Up perfectly exemplifies the circular economy by transforming plastic waste into stunning decorative pieces.

By upcycling a common waste product, the students are transforming it into something new and useful, all while promoting sustainability.

Their eye-catching flowers come in a variety of styles and colours, offering a unique and eco-friendly alternative to traditional, often mass-produced artificial flowers.

The students set up the business as part of the Young Enterprise Company programme which saw hundreds of students running their own business at school this year, gaining valuable employability skills and an insight into entrepreneurship as a future career pathway.

Representatives from the local business community and local universities were there to celebrate the Company student winners, as well as over 90,000 young people of all ages who have participated in Young Enterprise experiences this year. After public funding cuts, they have rallied to support the work of the charity to ensure that children and young people of Northern Ireland invest in entrepreneurial skills from an early age.

Pete Snodden with Richard & Brenda Buckley (Business Eye)

OTHER AWARD WINNERS ON THE NIGHT WERE:Danske Bank Business Beginnings Winner:

Company Programme Special Recognition:

Shrinkables, Killowen Primary School

Blossom, Limavady Grammar

Team Programme Winner:

Company of the Year Runner-Up:

Spectrum, Park School Belfast

Brain it On, Omagh Academy

Start-Up Company Winner:

Company of the Year:

Custom Company, Northern Regional College

Bottle Up, Friends’ School Lisburn

Eco Wicks, Northern Regional College UU Assessment Award: Natalie McCullagh, Ballymena Academy Dylan Hayler, Cambridge House Grammar School Rishav Sharma, Sullivan Upper Meet the finalists - Audience Award for Best Pitch Blossom, Limavady Grammar School Export Potential Award: Brain it On, Omagh Academy

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Eye on Cover Story

ULSTER CARPETS AND DANSKE BANK Weaving innovation into the fabric of their businesses Blending a rich historical legacy with a drive to innovate and be at the cutting edge of their respective industries is something that is in the DNA of both Danske Bank and its longstanding customer Ulster Carpets.

W

hen you think of Las Vegas, you might think of the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, its opulent casinos and themed hotels or the lavish shows put on by global superstars like Adele, U2 or Elton John.

What you might not immediately think about is Portadown, but there’s a very good chance that as you stroll through one of the hotels, imagining yourself on the set of Ocean’s Eleven, you will be walking on a carpet made by Ulster Carpets.

Established in 1938 in Portadown

by George Walter Wilson, Ulster Carpets is the premier supplier of Axminster and Wilton carpets for homes, hotels, casinos and cruise ships across the world. Still owned and run by the founder’s family, the core business remains based in Co Armagh, but has grown to be a successful global exporter with offices in London, Paris and the US, employing over 700 people.

As it marked 85 years in business last year, the company reported an £11.8m increase in turnover to £79.9m and unveiled plans

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to redevelop its headquarters.

Managing Director Nick Coburn, the third generation of his family to run Ulster Carpets, says there is renewed positivity after the challenges caused

by Covid, high energy costs and the cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s been a tumultuous few years.

For the first year and a half after Covid hit, our business effectively stopped because we were reliant on cruise ships, hotels, hospitality, travel, tourism and casinos.

Travel, tourism and hospitality all effectively stopped,” says Nick.

“What has surprised us is the speed of the recovery in key markets, led by America.

It happened a lot sooner than expected. One of our biggest sectors in the US is casinos and when the market came back it came back really strongly. We have experienced this to a similar degree in the hospitality sector across the rest of the world. So we have been increasing production and getting back to equilibrium between demand and supply.”

Ulster Carpets also sees further growth potential in the hotel sector, where the quality of its products means it supplies the top end of the market such as The Savoy Hotel, The Ritz in Paris and The Waldorf Astoria.

Founded by Nick’s grandfather to create sustainable employment in the local area after the Great Depression, he says the origins of Ulster Carpets still inform the company today.

“It’s still a family-owned business but most of our directors today are non-family members. We have eight companies across the Ulster Carpets Group, but I think the ethos of what my grandfather started, of looking after employees and looking after the community, has very much stayed with the company as we’ve expanded into something much larger than he could have envisaged in his time,” he says.

“As the business has grown and evolved, Danske Bank has always been very supportive of the strategic decisions we’ve made to get Ulster Carpets to where we are now.”

Shaun McAnee, Managing Director of Corporate and Business Banking at Danske Bank says there are synergies between the two companies.

“Ulster Carpets has all the strengths of a local business embedded in its community, but with the attributes and

Nick Coburn, Managing Director of Ulster Carpets with Shaun McAnee, Managing Director of Corporate and Business Banking at Danske Bank.

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Eye on Cover Story

“We have done tremendous work so far to improve our carbon footprint but through a series of changes rather than one big bang.”

structures of a successful international business.

“We are both large local employers with a strong heritage in Northern Ireland. This year Danske Bank marks 200 years of supporting people, businesses and society in Northern Ireland. Today, we are privileged to have many longstanding relationships with businesses across all sectors and support them with the full range of services and products they need to innovate, grow and compete.

“We have supported Ulster Carpets for 40 years, not just through lending but by providing a range of banking services like trade finance, foreign exchange and cash management support delivered by locally based specialists, and our online financial platform, District.”

Ulster Carpets’ growth is driven by investment in innovation, particularly new loom technology, and acquiring businesses which support their diversification strategy, recently adding iconic British flooring brand Alternative Flooring and Solidwool, a business which combines unwanted wool with a bio resin to make unique furniture. The Group employs 50 people dedicated to R&D at its subsidiary Griffith Textile Machines and invested

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£3m in machinery at its wool processor Ulster Yarns last year.

“We invest heavily in people and in design,” adds Nick. “We have more than 30 designers, some of whom joined us as students. To us it’s not just a piece of carpet, it is art. Like every business in every sector, you’re always trying to find something new and a bit different.”

Shaun McAnee says that while Danske Bank’s support has underpinned economic growth across the region for two centuries, like Ulster Carpets, it’s not standing still.

“Where they are investing in new flooring products and technology, we are investing locally in developing and producing transformational new software and innovative solutions that give our customers a better experience.

Whether that’s for business and personal current accounts, asset finance or further modules added to our already market leading banking platform, giving customers greater access to our very broad range of services.”

People also remain at the heart of Danske’s success. It invests heavily in learning and development while supporting colleagues to give back to local communities through volunteering, fundraising, and

delivering financial education in schools and workplaces. Danske has been recognised by Best Companies as a world class employer and one of the top financial services employers and large companies to work for in the UK. Sustainability is on the agenda of both organisations. As a heavy manufacturer Nick says Ulster Carpets and its customers are on a steady journey to net zero.

“There are competing issues of wanting everything to be sustainable and making sure it is realistic and commercially viable.

We remain focused on delivering innovative and responsible manufacturing solutions that not only underpin our credentials as a sustainable company but help drive the change our sector needs,” explains Nick.

“We have done tremendous work so far to improve our carbon footprint but through a series of changes rather than one big bang.

We switched to 100% renewable electricity in Portadown a few years ago and have significantly reduced the amount of water we use in our dye house. Our post-production waste no longer goes to landfill but is recycled, mostly into luxury Axfelt underlay at our factory in Devon.

But we still have a long way to go.”

Shaun McAnee expects sustainability to be an ongoing priority for businesses in all sectors and says a key focus of the bank is helping customers become more sustainable, as well as committing to being operationally net zero by 2030.

“Businesses must now be able to demonstrate their green credentials to their customers and supply chains, which is why we co-developed a Climate Action programme with Business in the Community to help companies understand and reduce their carbon impacts. Over 150 business customers have been through the programme to date,” he says. It is also now available as online learning to increase access for businesses.

“For Ulster Carpets, sustainability is not just about reducing its impact, it’s also about preparing for the future through diversification and innovation. Being a sustainable business is also at the heart of everything we do at Danske Bank. That will remain our ethos as we look ahead to our third century in business with optimism and determination to support our customers, wider society, and the economy.”

Eye on News

Economy Minister Backs Heat Pump Sector Economy Minister Conor Murphy has said developing and investing in the local heat pump sector will not only drive the net zero agenda but generate significant economic prosperity.

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he Minister was speaking as he opened the heat pump Knowledge X-Change and Networking event co-hosted by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and Ulster University. The event was attended by SMEs, entrepreneurs, academics and policymakers to gain feedback on the opportunities and barriers facing the industry. The event will also help inform a future scale-up cluster.

Minister Murphy said: “The global heat pump sector is worth £60billion

and supports 1.3million jobs. By developing and investing in the local sector and securing even a small proportion of this vast global market, we can deliver significant economic prosperity for the region.

“The heat pump sector here is beginning to flourish. By leveraging its strengths in innovative engineering and advanced manufacturing, alongside capitalising on our unique dual-market access, it is delivering low and zero carbon solutions that are in global demand.

“In order to fully capitalise on the opportunity, all-island collaboration is key. By continuing to work in partnership across industry, Government and academia, we have the potential to make the north a centre of excellence in the heat pump industry.”

Welcoming the Economy Minister and over 120 delegates to this event at Ulster University Belfast, Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew highlighted the research and innovation of the University’s Centre for Sustainable Technologies: “It is fantastic to be able to announce the successful development of our new 200°C high-temperature heat

pump prototype, a groundbreaking advancement for industrial processes.

This innovative technology represents a significant step towards more sustainable and efficient industrial energy solutions.

Our researchers and engineers have demonstrated exceptional expertise and commitment to addressing critical challenges in energy management.

“This prototype not only showcases our university’s leadership in cuttingedge research but also our dedication to fostering innovations that contribute to global sustainability efforts. We look forward to seeing the profound impact this technology will have on industries and our environment.”

Professor Neil Hewitt, Director, Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Ulster University, Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice Chancellor, Ulster University, Conor Murphy, Economy Minister and Dr Marie Cowan, Director, Geological Survey of Northern Ireland.

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Eye on Education

Embracing the future of learning in your business Northern Ireland (NI) means business when it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI). There has been substantial investment in the last six months as the Department for Economy lays out an intent to make NI a location of choice for AI for inward investors.

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ut are we all ready for this revolution? Education plays a crucial role in ensuring no one is left behind in this. The Open University’s Trends in Learning report offers insight into this evolving landscape. I’ve delved into this report and identified some key emerging trends businesses should be aware of - including AI.

Adapting to AI AI can be used to complement established learning approaches, not replace them.

It’s important we engage critically with the technologies and understand the limitations. Learn how the tools can be used effectively and valuably so that the best decisions around the adoption and implementation of AI are made.

Ensure transparency with your workforce and customers regarding the origin of outputs—clarify whether they’re human or technological. Recognise that some people may be hesitant about adopting the tools, requiring support and guidance throughout the upskilling process.

Multimodal learning Incorporating diverse modes such as written, audio, and visual elements to create engaging and accessible learning experiences is essential for improved accessibility and inclusivity. Examples include: - Audio and video interviews with subject matter experts, discussing key concepts and theories and offering practical tips for learners.

- Infographics that engage while distilling key concepts into an easily digestible format - Animated video – an engaging way to deliver key learning concepts, promoting reflection through a series of reflective questions at the end.

- Interactive assessments that offer a score at the end as well as skills development advice.

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Cultural Representation in Learning Individuals want workplace learning that resonates with their unique backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, culture, and language. This pertains to ensuring representation of people from various backgrounds and histories in learning content, materials, and approaches.

Perform cultural sensitivity checks on the learning material. Verify the use of appropriate terminology and authenticity of content, and seek input from individuals with diverse lived experiences. When incorporating case studies and scenarios, seize this as an opportunity for diverse representation. Go beyond the obvious and ask yourself who may be underrepresented or overlooked here?

Exploring the Potential of the Metaverse Exploring the Metaverse is crucial. In the coming years, a significant technological shift is anticipated, and remaining abreast is essential. Try borrowing a headset to grasp its functionality. Could it inform your onboarding, for example?

Translate its features into workplace use.

Embrace forthcoming innovations rather than resisting them. Some employees

Maureen Fox, Business Relationship Manager (Ireland), The Open University.

will initially oppose the Metaverse and learning, so present compelling business justifications. Highlight its potential to enhance customer experiences, foster relationships, and boost sales through interactivity.

Entrepreneurial Skills Entrepreneurial skills include creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, teamwork, flexibility, risk-taking and a strong work ethic.

The culture of your workplace is critical – does it seek to encourage staff to take initiative and be creative?

It’s equally important to consider employees’ broader skill sets, not just their technical expertise, when conducting skills audits and creating training plans.

Encourage your team to explore their passions both within work and in their spare time – encouraging them to pursue their interests can help in developing a comprehensive skill set.

Challenge-based learning When implementing challengebased learning, it’s vital to begin by assessing the business objectives.

Determine the company’s needs

and the desired outcomes from the learning process. Consider how to ensure that employees can apply what they learn in the workplace. Develop strategies to support and facilitate their application of new skills.

This approach motivates employees to address real-world challenges through collaborative and innovative methods.

Crafting relevant challenges that align with business objectives empowers staff to cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.

Investing in AI is crucial for Northern Ireland’s economic growth. However, preparing for this transformation requires careful consideration of emerging trends. Innovation plays a massive part in your organisation’s future and its vital that you bring your employees on that journey of learning and development.

How can you reimagine training and learning within your business?

The Open University in Ireland is here to support you with developing the skills needs within your business. If you would like to chat about the options that are available, I’d be delighted to help.

Maureen.fox@open.ac.uk www.open.ac.uk/northern-ireland

70% of

organisations in Northern Ireland say skills shortages have increased workload on existing staff*.

*The Open University Business Barometer 2023

Get the skills you need for the future by growing your own talent.

open.ac.uk/business/ireland

Eye on News

The Allstate Foundation donates £250k to local charities

Stephen McKeown, Managing Director and Vice President, Allstate Northern Ireland, Sonya McMullan, Regional Services Manager, Women’s Aid Federation NI and Bernadette Haughey, Business Engagement Coordinator, Allstate Northern Ireland.

The Allstate Foundation is proud to mark another year of making an impact in Northern Ireland communities, donating a quarter of a million pounds to local registered charities in 2023.

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ince The Allstate Foundation programmes were introduced here, the culture of giving back has become firmly embedded at Allstate Northern Ireland, with volunteering time increased and donations doubled in only its second year.

A total of £250,000 has been

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donated to six charities including Women’s Aid, Men’s Advisory Project NI, The Rainbow Project, and Dress for Success. Their work aligns with the core pillars of The Allstate Foundation: empowering youth to serve and improve communities, advancing racial equity and disrupting the

cycle of relationship abuse.

Women’s Aid received the largest donation of £120,000, as part of a five-year partnership they have with the Foundation. This funding has supported projects including refurbishing safe play areas at refuges, creating a financial wellbeing toolkit for survivors of domestic abuse and hosting therapeutic workshops for young people. The Allstate Foundation’s partnership with Women’s Aid is helping fulfil its mission to support domestic abuse survivors in achieving financial independence.

The Allstate Foundation has also supported the work of 22 Trussell Trust Foodbanks across Northern Ireland, The Rainbow Project in Belfast, andBusiness in the Community’s Good Food Fund to help tackle hunger in primary schools.

In the past year, Allstate NI employees volunteered 4,000 hours of their time to charitable causes as part of the recently introduced Helping Hands Programmes, which has also granted £30,000 to the registered charities staff volunteer with.

The Allstate Foundation has also provided an extra £14,000 in pound-for-pound matching funds of personal donations.

“At Allstate NI, we are proud to partner with a variety of charities that make a real difference to the lives of others,” said Stephen McKeown, Managing Director and Vice President, Allstate Northern Ireland.

“We have fully embraced our fundamental responsibility to contribute to our local communities.

Volunteerism plays a positive role in our workplace culture at Allstate, cultivating creativity and enhancing teamwork amongst our employees. Our commitment to corporate responsibility not only benefits those we serve but also enriches the lives of our employees and strengthens our bonds with the local communities.”

Through all these efforts, The Allstate Foundation continues to foster positive change and contribute to the betterment of communities throughout Northern Ireland.

Eye on News

Award-winning Luxury Golf & Spa Resort On The Market

The 4-star Roe Park Resort, on the outskirts of Limavady has been listed for sale through the CBRE Group with a guide price of £14m. Roe Park Resort, which was named the Best Golf Resort in Ulster at the 2024 Golfers Guide to Ireland awards, has been independently owned since it opened in 1995.

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n the last three years, the popular resort has seen investment of over £3million in its wedding and events facilities, golf course, refurbishment of bedrooms and development of a third self-catering property – the Gate Lodge. It is now one of the leading luxury resorts in Northern Ireland.

Speaking on behalf of the Roe Park Resort, Alan Wilton, Board Chairman said, “Roe Park Resort holds a very special place in our hearts, and we are extremely proud of the successful and

Park Resort its unique charm.

As well as having 118 bedrooms, 18-hole parkland golf course, driving range/ golf academy, spa, two awardwinning restaurants, bars and health club, the Roe Park Resort has three self-catering properties with planning

permission sought for the development of a further 11 detached self-catering units.

Northern Ireland is a golfers’ paradise, boasting a fantastic mix of courses to challenge all skill levels. Roe Park Resort is renowned as one of the top golf destinations in Northern Ireland.

It not only offers a PGA standard 18-hole, 5,154m parkland course but is also very close to some of the world’s legendary links courses along the Northern Ireland coast. These include Royal Portrush Golf Club which will again host the Open in 2025 following the hugely successful competition in 2019 when almost 240,000 visitors attended the event.

Alan Wilton concluded, “This is an exciting transition for Roe Park Resort. One which provides a great opportunity for the resort and the team to develop even further under new ownership.”

Paul Collins Head of Hotels in CBRE Ireland commented “We are delighted to be appointed to sell one of Northern Ireland’s best known and highly profitable resort hotels. Roe Park Resort is an exceptional opportunity for parties to acquire a thriving business in a charming location with excellent future development potential.”

stable business it is today. After almost 30 years, the directors believe that the time is now right for new owners to take up the reins and see the resort continue to thrive into the future.”

The 118-bedroom resort which sits on the edge of the Roe Valley Country Park, was once an 18th Century manor house and the site of the first hydroelectric power to be introduced in Ireland. The historic manor house has been beautifully restored and together with the original coach house and gate lodge, gives the Roe

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Eye on Finance

Colm McMullan New Partner Appointed At Harbinson Mulholland

To celebrate the occasion of Colm’s appointment as a partner the firm hosted an event for the team and invited guests at the National Football Stadium.

Paul McVeigh (right), an ex-premier league footballer, was the keynote speaker covering the importance of mindset in performance psychology.

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Eye on Finance

Stepping up from director to partner at any accountancy practice comes with its challenges. But Colm McMullan describes it well.

Colm McMullan.

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he big change is that you don’t just work IN the business. You also work ON the business,” he says simply. “The strategic direction of the business is part of what you do, staff matters are part of what you do so it’s an interesting shift in my role that I’ve already stepped into over the last year.”

He describes himself as a ‘man and boy’ employee of Harbinson Mulholland and he’s the latest member of staff to make the professional journey from university graduate to partner, something which Senior Partner Darren McDowell is very proud of.

“Colm is just one of a number of team members who’ve been with us since they graduated from university. We have a very settled, stable and – I hope – happy staff and that’s something we’re very committed to maintaining.”

Strictly speaking, Colm McMullan hasn’t spent his entire career within the walls of the Harbinson Mulholland office. He spent a couple of years on secondment to one of Northern Ireland’s emerging high tech knowledge companies, and he reckons its an experience that gave him

valuable knowledge of the other side of the business fence.

It’s also industry experience that has helped him become one of Northern Ireland’s leading professional advisers for young and growing knowledge economy companies. He works regularly with Catalyst and its client companies and is a judge in the organisation’s annual INVENT competition.

On a day to day basis, Colm heads up a nine-strong tax team at Harbinson Mulholland, working on tax matters for both personal and corporate clients, but with a specialisation in a number of areas including employee share schemes, a growth area particularly amongst tech companies here in Northern Ireland and increasingly seen as a means of boosting staff retention and loyalty in a competitive jobs marketplace.

In addition, he’s carved a niche for himself as an expert on the complex UK tax implications of global share schemes implemented by Northern Ireland-based subsidiaries of bigger US-based operations.

Colm and his team are well

versed in areas like Employee Management Incentives, R&D tax schemes and the Patent Box, designed by HMRC to encourage companies to keep and commercialise intellectual property within the UK through a lower rate of corporation tax.

“We have a very strong advisory side to everything that we do,” says Colm. “It’s all about providing the right advice at the right time to our client companies.

“I’m fortunate to be working with people who know their stuff, who are trustworthy and who are good craic as well. We’ve got a strong family ethos here at Harbinson Mulholland and that’s something that isn’t going to change.”

He recently advised on the acquisition of a laser skin care clinic, a transaction which brings with it a number of tax and VAT implications.

“We’ll do the same as the big four accountancy firms will do, but we’ll do it in a personalised and dedicated way,” he adds.

“Our staff stability helps with that. When our clients start working with someone at Harbinson Mulholland, they’re likely to keep on working with

them. We’re big enough to cope, but small enough to care.”

Darren McDowell, for his part, talks about how Harbinson Mulholland tends to find itself working with what he calls the ‘mighty middle’ of businesses in Northern Ireland. The firm has a particularly strong reputation for working with family businesses, but their work goes further than that into a wider range of other enterprises.

“We service our clients’ day to day needs, whether that’s tax related or anything else, but we’ll also help them with their wider business strategies,” explains Colm McMullan.

“There are plenty of challenges out there at the moment. Almost every organisation, across every sector, is struggling to recruit and retain people at the moment. But that’s not all.

A lot of businesses are facing higher costs and the cost of borrowing is also on the rise.

So good professional advice is more important than ever.”

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Eye on Recruitment

Scaling smart: securing the right leaders for business success Scaling a company is a critical phase for any organisation regardless of industry, size or years in existence. Naomi McGuinness, Head of Research at Narratology Executive Search, discusses the importance of having the right leaders to drive growth and evolution.

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rganisational growth comes in many forms – from establishing a new division or location, launching a new service or product, through a merger or acquisition or indeed through successful organic growth.

Whether growth is intentional or not, it changes a company.

Executive leaders suddenly have more business, more products and more people in their remit - as well as the integration, re-organisation and transformation growth might bring. Previous business processes, customer demographics and perhaps even current leaders may no longer align with what is required for this new season. And with this growth, the culture and values on which the organisation was established and thrived, may not be reflected or protected.

We often hear the phrase “what got us here will not get us there.”

Just as organisations understand that the strategies that propelled them to their current success won’t be enough for future growth, existing leadership teams may not be enough to drive or support it. At this critical stage, companies need to truly evaluate their top talent and any gaps scaling might bring.

Know the gaps Organisations should have a clear picture of the skillsets they require to drive and deliver growth.

Apparent gaps might require the creation of an entirely new position, elevation of a current position and, if integrating, the amalgamation of roles and transfer of skills. What’s equally (if not more) important is having leaders with a growth mindset – individuals who can drive

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“Just as organisations understand that the strategies that propelled them to their current success won’t be enough for future growth, existing leadership teams may not be enough to drive or support it.” a company forward, who balance agility with control and who prioritise decision making over bureaucracy. At Narratology we shape senior teams to ensure the right leaders are in the right place at the right time.

Grow your own talent Growth relies immensely on figureheads who break ground in innovation or who realise ambitious strategies with commercial success - but who excel as people leaders.

Connecting, inspiring and developing teams, in particular during fastpaced growth is essential. Such talent may already be present in the organisation albeit not yet at leadership level. In shaping a leadership team we assess existing skillsets and future talent against pressing gaps and can provide short to medium term solutions

over a development period to safeguard against over-promotion.

Know your market It’s impossible to accurately plan growth without knowing current and future talent market availability. Narratology has extensive experience working not only with scaling companies but supporting clients preparing for succession planning at mid and senior management level, decision making on organisational design and requiring guidance on the intricacies of a new market before hiring. Our discreet research assignments combine extensive market knowledge, broad networks and an expert research resource to provide our clients with valuable insights – and often reassurance – prior to action.

Appoint the right leaders Fledgling scale-ups, multi generation family businesses and PLCs all have one thing in common – all require exceptional leaders with the vision, motivation and know-how to grow an organisation. Often this can mean the need to increase capability from outside the current workforce. Identifying, engaging, assessing and appointing top-tier talent can prove difficult through traditional recruitment methods and existing contact networks can compromise sensitivities and confidentiality. Narratology brings expertise in successfully delivering such processes and our targeted approach enables us to make the key appointments an organisation’s success hinges upon.

To find out more about Narratology’s approach to executive search please contact us at admin@ narratologyexec.com or on 028 9044 6336.

RES EA R C H A N D EXPE R IE NCE .

NOT GU ES S WO R K .

E X ECUTI VE SEARC H AND SELECTION

Arthur House, 41 Arthur St, Belfast. BT1 4GB | narratologyexec.com | +44 (0)28 9044 6336

Eye on Cyber Security

Vantor

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A Specialist Approach To Cyber Security

Eye on Cyber Security

One of Northern Ireland’s leading tech entrepreneurs has launched a new specialist company focused entirely on delivering managed cybersecurity services to client organisations here and across the UK and Ireland. Vantor has been established by Gareth McAlister and is a sister company to Nimbus, the IT support business established by Gareth in 2010.

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eading the businesses commercial operations is Paul McShane, who has a wealth of exceptional experience building and leading commercial teams over the past 20 years. Paul’s ability to build and lead high-performing teams across diverse markets has seen him holding senior commercial roles within Global Print and Document Management giant Xerox and more recently within other national and local market leaders.

Paul, who joined Vantor when it launched earlier this year says, “Adopting growth strategies that meet the demands of both international and local markets is something I have enjoyed greatly over two decades, but having the opportunity to get involved in a new startup business within the Cyber Security sector is something that I am very excited about”.

Nimbus have been hitting the headlines in recent years through an impressive list of awards, growth and innovation within the IT sector.

“We been successfully providing the

full range of Managed IT solutions to its customers for almost 14 years, including IT Support, Cloud, Connectivity, Video Conferencing and of course included IT security,” says Gareth McAlister. “The constantly increasing and evolving cyber threat to businesses of all shapes and sizes today made it easy to understand that there is a real need and appetite in the business community for that focused, dedicated, partner that specializes exclusively in cybersecurity.”

“We aim to be an important partner to business large and small, a strategic partner to internal IT teams in medium and large organisations and a vital support and resource to the leaders and owners of smaller businesses” adds Gareth McAlister.

Adopting new technologies is of course part of modern business strategy. “Reel back ten years and it was all about the cloud and what it could do for all of us,” adds Gareth McAllister. “Customers, at times were apprehensive

about embracing this new way of working and in some cases had to alternative but to step into the cloud. “Flash forward to today and the continuing rise in cyber-attacks mean businesses have no choice but to invest in a strong security posture to protect their business and demonstrate to customers, insurers and stakeholders that they have done all they can to defend themselves.”

“There is a stigma to admitting you have fallen victim to something like a ransomware attack” adds Paul McShane. “Businesses don’t want to admit to that. They’re worried about reputational damage and customers viewing them as unhygienic and walking away. And there is some evidence to suggest that’s exactly what can happen.”

“Vantor aim to provide the tools and services to help our clients prevent the vast majority of attacks getting through, but critically to also detect and respond to the advanced attacks that are successful” “a timely and

effective response to a successful attack is key to minimizing the impact on your business” “Large multinational organisations have been protecting themselves against these threats for a long time, working with similarly sized security consultancy providers and investing in 24/7 detection and response services through inhouse and outsourced Security Operations Centres (SOC). This hasn’t historically been an option for most businesses in the domestic market” “As cyber criminals are now using AI and automation to attack our SMB business community on mass, we have brought these 24/7 detection & response services, through our outsourced Security Operations Centre, to the local business community in a practical and affordable way. Allowing them to focus on what they do best, growing their businesses, safe in the knowledge that they have round the clock protection” Gareth McAlister paints a vivid picture of how Vantor’s team can

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Eye on Cyber Security

jump into action. “Let’s say you find out, at 3 am on a Sunday morning, that your systems have been breached and you’ve become another victim of a ransomware attack. Your data and systems are inaccessible, and your business isn’t operational. What do you do? Who are you contacting? With solutions such as our Endpoint Detection and Response, threats like ransomware attacks are detected early using AI and machine learning, the effected device is instantly isolated from the rest of your system to prevent spread of the attack, and our 24/7 SOC maintain secure access to the effected device to remediate the situation, return the device to a safe state and importantly understand how the attack happened and provide actionable insights on how to prevent it happening again” Paul McShane likens the Vantor’s approach to cybersecurity to that of the physical security. “Most businesses will have invested in alarm systems, CCTV, and many will have these monitored by a managed security company who can respond on their behalf should there be a break in or a fire for example” “I don’t have the numbers but I’d bet there are more cyberattacks on local businesses than there are burglaries, yet most businesses don’t protect

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their digital business as they do their physical premises and what is actually the most valuable part of modern business?” “Our services provide that same managed security service for your digital assets, we provide the alarms, CCTV and the managed response to incidents all delivered by highly skilled cybersecurity professionals” Attacks meanwhile remain on an upward trajectory. They continue to grow in sophistication, and they’re being driven by criminal organisations who are commercially motivated like any other business. “These gangs are big commercial operations with a lot of people working for them. For these

gangs it has become about volume, gone are days when ransomware attacks were only targeted at companies who could afford to pay millions of pounds.

Nowadays, attackers are utilising AI and automation tools to efficiently and effectively target local SMB’s in volume and are much more likely to be demanding tens of thousands rather than millions” “the ransom fee is not the only consequence for local businesses, one, the payment of the fee does not always result in a happy ending with all data and systems returned, but there is also the cost of downtime, returning hardware and systems to an operational state, and

reputational damage to consider” The net effects of the Covid pandemic also haven’t helped. “while the move to remote or hybrid working is rightly seen as a positive one for many businesses it adds another layer of complexity to security. Employees are no longer safely sat behind corporate firewalls and accessing corporate data and systems from company issued devices. Protecting these employees and the data they can access remotely is something business need to seriously consider” says Paul McShane Both Gareth McAlister and Paul McShane have high hopes for Vantor and the value it can bring to local businesses. “I see good cybersecurity as a business enabler for local organisations. Establishing good practices and evidencing this through accreditations like Cyber Essentials say you are not only open for business but a safe business for your customers to work with. It will help maintain existing customer relationships and open doors to new ones” says Paul McShane.

“There are no geographical limitations with our services” adds Gareth McAlister.

“Most of our customers are in UK & Ireland as things stand, but that will change as our reputation grows. We can support anyone, anywhere”.

Eye on News

MAD Colour’s Smart Heating Solutions by solv MAD Colour, a leader in print services, faced a heating challenge during their expansion to a larger facility. They turned to solv, a trusted facilities management partner, for a solution.

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he task was to provide independent heating for MAD Colour while considering the other tenant’s needs. solv presented two options: a new gas system or maintaining the existing oil setup with added biomass, an environmentally friendly option.

Committed to sustainability, MAD Colour chose the biomass and oil hybrid system. solv meticulously installed the new commercial oil heating, managing a phased transition due to the recent move. To minimise disruption, solv completed the final changeover during the holiday period, ensuring a smooth transition with constant communication.

Now, MAD Colour enjoys efficient heating with condensing oil boilers featuring smart technology for lower running costs. “There were significant challenges transitioning from the centralised boiler plant,” says Jamie McMinnis, Managing Director at MAD Colour. “With a tight turnaround during Christmas, solv’s expertise

was invaluable. Stephen conducted a thorough site survey, proposing a solution that involved a mix of oil and waste burning, considering costeffectiveness and environmental impact. Despite the complexity, solv efficiently coordinated with the supply chain and expedited necessary parts. Within a month, they made the building operational by January, a monumental effort. Wearing three hats as a homeowner, landlord, and business owner, I highly recommend solv for their outstanding maintenance services, cost-effective solutions, and environmental considerations.”

This project signifies a shared commitment to sustainability and operational excellence between MAD Colour and solv. solv’s ability to deliver smart service solutions makes them a valuable partner for businesses like MAD Colour. Facing a similar heating challenge? Contact solv today on 02890 451010 to discuss your options and ensure warmth year-round.

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Eye on Round Table

Northern Ireland – Business Challenges & Business Opportunities.

But What Needs To Be Done?

The boardroom at MKB Law’s Great Victoria Street offices provided the venue for the latest Business Eye Round Table in association with MKB Law, one of Belfast’s leading commercial law firms. In a wideranging discussion, an influential panel discussed the challenges facing businesses in Northern Ireland, the role of government, finance & banking as well as a number of other live issues.

BW – Cautious would be the answer. There’s been an easing in inflation and energy prices have come down. But that hasn’t found its way into people’s pockets just yet from what we can see in hospitality. I’m usually optimistic but there’s a fair degree of caution at the moment.

The Participants

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RB – Let me kick off with an opening question for all of you.

How do you view the broader business climate here in Northern Ireland? Are you optimistic?

Bill Wolsey

Rajesh Rana

George Higginson

Founder, Beannchor Group

Director, Andras House

Managing Director (NI), Bank of Ireland

Cathy Kennedy

Jaime Steele

Gordon McElroy

Associate Director, Sumer Northern Ireland

Managing Director, Pale Blue Dot

Managing Director, MKB Law

Maria Conway

Richard Buckley

Director, MKB Law

Editor, Business Eye, Chair

RR – You have to be optimistic to do business here and our own plans are quite ambitious in terms of business growth. We’re all watching what the Assembly & Executive is going to do in terms of making the hard decisions. But we’re ploughing on regardless, and we’re not the only ones.

CK – It’s a mix across the sectors. Manufacturing is fairly buoyant and software is still strong. In my own sector, R&D and innovation, it’s a bit more uncertain. The government can’t seem to make its mind up about what it’s going to do.

GH – We’ve been through a few difficult years and it’s more stable now for sure. Stormont getting back has been helpful.

But Cathy is right. It varies across the sectors. Commercial property, for instance, is a sector that we’re a bit more concerned about.

JS – We’re very positive. I’m involved in two businesses. One is a brand and digital agency, we can work anywhere in the world and the pandemic accelerated that for us.

We had our best year in business

Eye on Round Table

last year, and the same goes for my other business, which is in sports goods. So we’re optimistic as well.

MC – George is right, there is definitely uncertainty around commercial property and hospitality as well. A lot depends on consumer confidence. At the moment people want to spend less and that has a knock-on effect.

GM – One thing that strikes me is the cost of human capital. Wages bills have grown really quickly off the back of inflation and the fact that there are fewer qualified people out there as well as more demand for them. That’s our single biggest cost of sales and it does squeeze margins. The past year was our best in terms of turnover, but not in terms of profit.

RB – A couple of you mentioned the return of devolved government.

Does it really give everything a lift? Or is just a feelgood factor?

MC – It does bring a feelgood factor but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

Take residential property, which is a big part of our business. It’s dependent on infrastructure and investment in infrastructure is uncertain at best. But it’s better that they’re there than not there.

GH – It will have a positive effect on inward investment. There

has been a reticence to come here until they see some sort of stability. But infrastructure is a key point. The Derry road is open but there are plenty of examples of infrastructure projects that haven’t been delivered. We’ve heard of investors who’ve been put off by the infrastructure situation.

in the issues which affect Belfast city centre in the evening, and they’re more interested in infrastructure issues like limited routes from our airports.

BW – Any form of political and social stability has got to be good.

Infrastructure is an issue but if you look at return on investment from businesses and properties, there’s a better return here than there is in Dublin. But politicians here need to stop waving flags at one another and get on with the economy and guiding us to a situation where we can stand on our own two feet. If only they could take a more adult approach to what’s best for all of the people of Northern Ireland.

RR – It’s great to have the Assembly back but you could say that we don’t have a government. Our First and Deputy First Ministers are figureheads. They’re not in charge.

Their appetite for making difficult decisions is certainly in doubt. I’d like to see more delegated to local councils. They’re more accountable and they make local decisions.

CK – I’ve been talking to the same clients for quite a few years and we never talk about red, white and blue or green, white and gold. It just never happens. Few care who’s in the government. They just want a government in place. All of the successes in the past few years have been despite a government not being in place. There is so much in the media about division but it’s so irrelevant to businesses here.

MC – Certainly, when it comes to investors, local politics are of no interest. They’re more interested

RB – They’re back now and they’ve set a budget. What should their priorities be?

GM – I’d agree and disagree. Handing control of planning to local councils hasn’t improved things on that front.

But you’re right that we don’t have a government. We’ve a group of people who rubber stamp what’s proposed to them by the senior civil servants.

That becomes apparent when the Programme for Government is discussed. It’s handed to them by the civil service. They’ve no vested interest in helping business because there are no business votes and they’re not dependent on taxes generated by the local economy.

BW – We have a competitive advantage in that we’re able to trade with the UK and with Europe. They should have a laser

focus on that. How can we sell Northern Ireland as a location with that competitive advantage?

Let’s make Northern Ireland more successful, let’s generate more tax income, let’s pay for ourselves.

CK – Our clients would love to see capital investment, big projects coming out of the ground. Firms are stuck between a rock and a hard place. A machine which cost £2k before Covid now costs £3k and there are no capital grants available. They’d like to see government supporting them, helping them grow. As things stand, it sometimes feels that government is hindering rather than helping.

BW – I heard one MP on radio recently saying that our trade with Europe with irrelevant. If he was in business, he’d be asking how we can do more trade with Europe.

That neatly illustrates what we’re up against. We have a real opportunity to make Northern Ireland not only successful but profitable.

GH – I did get asked a lot about dual access and the Windsor Framework.

The good news is that it has gone quiet. No one asks the question any more. But we’ve heard of Dublin organisations interested in coming north, and there is also interest from London. Go down to Newry and there are loads of thriving cross-border businesses.

It’s become part of the fabric.

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Eye on Round Table

RR – The problem could be complacency. We’ve got to remember that inward investment is constrained by lack of people.

It you want to move here with a family, it’s not easy to find a home and a school place.

RB – Should we resurrect the proposal that we set our own rate of corporation tax?

CK – We’re now at 25% for profits over £250,000. We’re now even worse off compared to the Republic than we were back then. But I don’t think it can even be on the table until the Executive gets on a steady financial footing.

GH – Yes, it’s hard to see it happening any time soon because of the current fiscal situation. Some sensible decision making needs to take place.

RR – If we did have it, are we ready to embrace it? If a big investor came in today looking for somewhere to house a huge server centre, for example, we couldn’t deliver. Then there are the problems in our planning system.

GM – Yes, the tax rate isn’t as big a driver as we might think. It’s the wider environment. We’re a low-wage economy compared to the south, and that’s something we can build on, but we need to get the infrastructure right.

BW – Whether its short, medium or long-term, it should be something we look at. There’s a big difference

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between 25% and 12.5%. Then there’s VAT – 20% in our business here and 13% in the south. The UK government tends to forget that we share land border with the south.

CK – The bottom line is that we have double the corporation tax of the south and that sends the wrong message, whatever way you look at it. People will just see the headline.

RB – What is the finance climate?

Are the banks actively lending to business in Northern Ireland?

GH – Yes, we are. We’ve got more liquidity than we’ve had for a number of years. This place is awash with Covid money. A lot of it hasn’t been spent and therefore less businesses are borrowing.

There may be some confidence and fear factors, of course. Some sectors are better than others. You don’t need to be a genius to work out that commercial property isn’t the best bet at the moment. On

the other hand, we’ve changed our view on tourism and hospitality.

GM – Are the banks not very tied to businesses that have a lot of fixed assets? There’s a view that you won’t lend on cashflow or support new economy businesses and start-ups.

GH – Look, it’s certainly easier to lend on fixed assets. But we’ve funded machinery investments in manufacturing, for example. And we do lend purely on commercial finance. But a pure start-up with no background is always going to be difficult for lenders.

MC – And that’s a problem for small companies who just can’t meet lending criteria, so they end up having to take much more expensive finance and it just doesn’t help their chances of succeeding. Even where the core business is good, the cost of finance can lead to problems.

JS – We struggled to get finance for our sports business, and we ended up giving up some equity and working with Belgian investors.

GM – I think there is a challenge for local business owners to be willing to give up some equity for finance. Historically, we’re not too keen on equity finance.

GH – A lot of businesses here are family-owned and, for obvious reasons, they won’t take that route.

RR – One sector really struggling to get finance is residential property development. In fact, the Executive should consider ways of kick starting the housing market here. Without that, the rest of the economy is going to lag behind.

MC – We’ve talked a lot about encouraging city centre living but we’re not getting there. A lot of younger people would love to live and work in the city, but Belfast isn’t good at it.

RB – Almost every business leaders today mentions HR and people as one of the big challenges.

Are there any solutions?

JS – We’re lucky to have a lot of creative talent here so we don’t struggle on that front.

Where we do struggle is on the tech/software side of things. That hasn’t been helped

by FDI firms coming in and sucking up a lot of the talent.

We’ve ended up offshoring some of that kind of work.

Eye on Round Table

GM – In our sector, Big Law coming to Belfast in the shape of the big offshore operations has had a real impact. There is a limited pool of lawyers qualifying each year and that hasn’t changed in the 40 years I’ve been in the profession.

What has changed is the arrival of the Baker Mackenzies and Allen & Overys. So we have a specific problem. When we train people, they have a much wider market that they can then go into, and it forces salaries up from the bottom.

MC – And the young law graduates tend not to think about their career path. They’re thinking about how they can make the most money as quickly as possible. They end up delivering legal services into a New York office or somewhere well away from Northern Ireland. If and when they come back into private practice, they might need re-trained but their salary expectation will remain high.

CK – When Invest NI announced 30 new jobs, it doesn’t actually mean

new jobs, it means 30 people who need to leave other companies.

BW – At the higher level, we’re really struggling to get good people – managers, top quality chefs, marketing people. We’re in the ludicrous position where we contribute to an apprenticeship levy but there are no apprentices coming through. There has never been any joined up thinking between education and industry.

Our industry is vibrant, growing and will continue to grow. For that, we need good people.

MC – It’s not made any easier by a lack of joined up government.

Schools here fall under the Department of Education remit while colleges don’t. They’re managed by the Department for the Economy. So there can be a disjointed approach.

BW – I was at one of the biggest schools in West Belfast not so long ago to talk about careers

in hospitality. There were lot of other employers there. Over the two hours, 11 young people came to talk to me. But there was a big queue for physiotherapy.

What does that tell you?

comes to EV charging infrastructure.

We have tax advantages for electric cars but not nearly enough chargers.

MC – It begs the question what sort of guidance are these kids being given on careers? Schools should be celebrating the fact that they’re sending kids out into a whole range of different careers across every sector.

RR – Our tourism strategy is a big document. I looked for the strategy in it, but there doesn’t appear to be one. It says that tourism is great and that we need more of it.

But it doesn’t say how or when.

RR – From our perspective, recruitment has improved from where we were immediately after Covid, but we have to work harder to retain people and look after people now. There are much better career paths in hospitality now than there have ever been, but staff costs are getting higher and higher.

RB – Let’s turn to infrastructure.

If there was any money in the pot, what are the key priorities for investment?

GM – We act for a number of large housing developers and the single biggest constraint that they have is getting connected to the sewage network. It’s affecting a lot of residential and commercial developments.

RB – Finally, what about tourism?

Are we doing enough?

JS – The strategy should be about getting them to stay here longer and spend more money.

BW – 70% of our visitors come through Dublin Airport and a lot of them need the new Electronic Travel Authorisation. They don’t understand why and it doesn’t make things any easier. And Rajesh is right about the strategy.

None of us know what it is. But let’s not forget that the size of the prize is substantial. It comes back again to joined up thinking and a sharp focus on what needs to be done to move us forward.

MC – In many cases, developers end up paying the cost of planning applications that they can’t implement because of the sewage problem.

RR – Infrastructure, if we get it right, is the gift that keeps on giving. Think about the Lagan Weir and how one investment transformed the whole waterfront. Those game-changing investments can pay back in spades.

GM – Absolutely. A pound spent in construction circulates all around the economy.

RR – The green economy is a massive opportunity. Onshore wind farms can provide significant benefit to local economies, for example.

CK – I’m a recent convert to an electric car but, if our government is serious about converting more people to EVs, they’re going to have to invest. We’re so far behind when it

GH – As I’ve said, if we get the basic building blocks right, we can go from there. The new Ulster University is a case in point. It’s a superb building and it’s brought new life into a part of Belfast that was in need of it. So let’s move on, take the big decisions and stop playing around the edges.

CK – Michael Williamson, who heads up our tourism and hospitality practice, says that world travel is due to rise by 50% between 2015 and 2030. That’s a lot. But will we be able to capitalise on that? Will we have the rooms and the facilities?

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Eye on AgriFood

Investment, growth, and the global dairy market Following a run of impressive results, dairy cooperative Dale Farm is making a significant investment to grow even further. We caught up with Dale Farm’s Group Commercial Director Mark Boyle to talk cheese, current dairy market trends, and how the business has navigated the challenges of the past three years.

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ark Boyle joined Dale Farm as Group Commercial Director in the summer of 2021, following over 30 years of experience in leadership roles in the international food industry. A graduate of UCD’s Michael Smurfit Graduate School of business, Mark started out at Green Isle foods and spent 20 years at Kerry Foods, ultimately leading the company’s Consumer Foods business in Ireland. As Group Commercial Director, he leads Dale Farm’s commercial, innovation and marketing teams, responsible for delivering sustainable growth for the business across categories, market channels, and customers.

Three years into the role, Mark reflects on how Dale Farm has addressed the challenges industry has faced in recent times. “We have enjoyed strong business performance in the face of well documented challenges, from the pandemic to inflation and the cost-of-living crisis,” Mark said.

“Navigating our way through each of these requires agility and strategic decision making, and we’re fortunate to have a strong team across the business who are passionate about Dale Farm, able to spot opportunities and have a can-do attitude. Over this period, we have performed well across our portfolio of products including cheese, beverage, ice cream, butter and spreads. Cheddar in particular has seen strong growth and is an area where we are leading the industry locally and further afield.

“Globally, the dairy market remained resilient over this period as you might expect given its key role in feeding a global world

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population, but there has been plenty of challenge and volatility.

Demand has been relatively subdued in some dairy markets of late and supply has also disappointed so whichever of the two recovers first should shape the commodity market direction in the months ahead. That being said, from a consumer, foodservice and business to business perspective we see plenty more opportunities to continue growing our dairy business sustainably, together with our customers.”

Dale Farm recently announced a major expansion in its cheddar processing facility at Dunmanbridge, outside Cookstown.

Totalling £70 million it marks one of the single biggest investments of its kind by a Northern Ireland

Mark Boyle, Group Commercial Director

“I’m proud to work with a highly engaged, capable team, with a desire for continuous improvement and strong sense of purpose in their work.” agri-food company. Mark says the investment will boost the cooperative’s position as a leading player in the European cheddar market. “We are already exporting cheddar to 40 countries worldwide thanks to our reputation for quality, consistency, and sustainability. We have experienced years of impressive, sustained growth in our cheddar business. This investment is about building on that momentum and enabling us to grow with our customers in retail, foodservice and B2B worldwide.

“As well as improving and replacing existing equipment, we are introducing a new high speed automated cheese line, increased warehouse footprint and investment in new patented products and processes. We have a patent granted for cheddar produced at Dunman and we are always innovating. Overall, the plans will increase our capacity by 20,000 tonnes per year. With the introduction of new production processes coupled with energy efficient technologies we are also reducing our carbon footprint at

the site by some 4,500 tonnes per year when compared against milk powder production.”

Mark says the secret to the cooperative’s success, and ability to make this level of investment, is strategic planning backed by a strong team. “I’m proud to work with a highly engaged, capable team, with a desire for continuous improvement and strong sense of purpose in their work. It is thanks to the cross functional teamwork approach across the business that we continue to lead the sector.

Through our people’s combined efforts and the success of our strategy as a group we are in a position to make an investment of this scale, while continuing to pay a competitive milk price to the farmers who own the business and supply us with milk.”

TH E R E AT EVE RY STE P O F TH E WAY, FROM FARM TO FR I DG E , TO PRO DU CE TH E B EST Q UALIT Y DAI RY. dalefarm.com

Eye on Rugby

Ulster Rugby launches its premium Business Club in association with A&L Goodbody

A 150-strong crowd came together in the A&L Goodbody Lounge at Kingspan Stadium, home of Ulster Rugby, to celebrate the launch of the club’s new business network.

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he newly-launched Ulster Rugby Business Club, in association with long-term partner corporate law firm A&L Goodbody (ALG), is a unique network for local businesses and corporate members from across the province.

Offering the opportunity to grow connections and increase brand awareness, the Business Club will also offer exclusive ‘money can’t buy’ experiences.

Today’s launch gave an insight into what members can expect from the quarterly events across the year, which will be hosted from next season onwards and form part of the 2024/25 package – with international business leaders and speakers set to share their experience and learnings.

Tommy Bowe, former Ulster, Ireland and British & Irish Lions’ winger, hosted the event Q&A panel with Hannah Bowe,

Six Nations Chief of Staff and former Ireland international hockey player; Paul Magee, Head of Corporate Banking NI, Bank of Ireland; and Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Speaking at the event, Tommy Bowe, said: “It’s been a really enjoyable event to have the worlds of sport and business come together here at Kingspan Stadium.

“From experience, I know there are many transferrable skills from leaders on the field to those in the corporate world, and much of the experience that I learnt as a player has proved valuable in a business setting.

“I wish Ulster Rugby the best of luck with this new venture which, just like the team, is aiming for the highest standards – and is an offering that we can all get behind and reap the rewards of.”

Head of Commercial at Ulster Rugby, Keith Shorten, added: “On behalf of Ulster Rugby, I would like to thank all of the guests who joined us today at the launch of Ulster Rugby’s inaugural Business Club, as we look to harness the power of business and sport coming together.

“Members from next season onwards will benefit from great networking opportunities delivered over the course of the season, and game night premium lounge access which will include ‘money can’t buy’ access for Ulster Rugby home fixtures.

“With the opportunity to buy tickets for Ireland home internationals also included in the package for valuable staff or client engagement, along with access to a year-round members-only media platform, we are confident this a highvalue product that we are able to offer the corporate market across the province.”

Michael Neill, Partner and Head of Office at ALG in Belfast said: “Kingspan Stadium is not only the home of rugby in Ulster, it’s also home of some of the most effective and enjoyable business networking and relationship building there is, and we’re proud to facilitate this through the A&L Goodbody Lounge.

“Rugby, perhaps more than any other sport, has power to unite and bring people together through a shared passion, ambition and drive for success on the pitch.

So, it seems fitting that Ulster Rugby is launching its Business Club today – which, similarly, will bring together people with that same shared ambition and drive for success within our businesses.

“We very much look forward to networking, sharing ideas and gathering knowledge from local and international business leaders and speakers at the Business Club in the coming year.”

If you are interested in joining the Ulster Rugby Business Club in association with A&L Goodbody, contact Glenda Willett, glenda.willett@ulsterrugby.com.

ULSTER RUGBY BUSINESS CLUB – MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE: • Exclusive quarterly networking events – with leading speakers from the world of sport and business (member access and x 2 guests).

• Right-to-purchase 2 x tickets to ALL Ireland home international fixtures.

• Tickets (x8) in Spirit of ’99 lounge at Kingspan Stadium, for Ulster Rugby home fixtures, including a 2-course dinner and entertainment, gold Grandstand seats, and access to exclusive networking area on match night.

• President’s Lounge upgrade – members will be invited to join Ulster Rugby’s President, and guests, for a game during the 2024/25 season.

Tommy Bowe, Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Wylie, Hugh McGaughey (Ulster Rugby Interim Chief Executive), Hannah Bowe & Paul Magee (Bank of Ireland).

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Eye on Rugby (1)

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1 - Tommy Bowe, Glenda Willett (Ulster Rugby), Suzanne Wylie, Hugh McGaughey, Hannah Bowe, Keith Shorten (Ulster Rugby) & Paul Magee (Bank of Ireland).

2 - Richard Buckley and Tommy Bowe. 3. A&L Goodbody’s Michael Neill addresses the audience. 4. Keith Willett, Regional Director, St. James’s Place Wealth Management, with Hannah Bowe. 5. Mark Marais (Africa Golf Safari) with Suzanne Wylie.

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Eye on Rugby (6)

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6 - Ulster players Harry Sheridan and Michael Lowry with guests. 7 - Gareth Martin (Deloitte), Richard Buckley (Business Eye) & Stephen Smith (Lighthouse Communications).

8 - Robyn McMurray (Ulster Rugby) with Michael Boyd, Chief Executive, Progressive Building Society and IRFU Ulster Branch Treasurer. 9 - Former Ulster & Ireland winger Andrew Trimble with guests. 10 - Paul Magee (Bank of Ireland) with former Ulster & Ireland player, now Performance Director at the IRFU, David Humphreys. 11 - Katie Doran (Lanyon Communications), James Neill (KPMG) and Ellvena Graham (Chair, Tourism NI). 12 - Former players turned businessmen Andrew Maxwell and Andrew Trimble.

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Eye on Arts&Business

Arts & Business NI rolls out new blueprint for the future of arts organisations Arts & Business NI (A&BNI) has rolled out the first financial resilience programme specifically designed at helping arts and cultural organisations become more resilient and commercially confident to diversify and grow.

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eventeen Northern Ireland arts and cultural organisations are completing Blueprint, a pioneering financial resilience programme aimed at making the arts sector more robust, sustainable, and less reliant on short-term public funding by diversifying their income streams Developed to address the financial fragility of the arts and cultural sector, Blueprint is a completely new funding model that has brought 30 Northern Ireland organisations through an initial phase of mentoring, workshops and one-on-one training.

From there, 17 organisations progressed to phase two, giving each access to investment grants worth £45,000 for use to test income generation ideas and develop growth strategies. The funding, which is open for flexible use by the recipient to use in a way that best encourages growth and stability, comes from a mix of independent and public funders.

Organisations completing the second phase of Blueprint include The Duncairn Arts Centre, Belfast Exposed, Andersonstown Traditional and Contemporary Music School, Belfast Photo Festival, Fighting Words NI, Golden Thread Gallery, Household, Kids in Control, In Your Space Circus, Maiden Voyage Dance, Replay Theatre Company and Seacourt Print Workshop, Terra Nova Productions, Theatre and Dance

NI, University of Atypical, Vault Artist Studios and Young at Art. Each of them have found the experience beneficial for different reasons, using the funding and training to unlock potential and uncover opportunities for growth.

Speaking about their experience of Blueprint, Grainne Woods of physical theatre company Kids in Control said, “We try to make society more inclusive by giving people the tools to rise above things that may hold them back and take control of their lives. Blueprint came for us at a time post-Covid when the funding landscape felt particularly tough. We had been keeping our heads down, focusing on doing the work we do for the people we support, but applying for Blueprint changed everything.

“The programme gave us the chance to assess what we needed to do to truly fulfil our potential. It gave us

insight to realise we had to develop our operational and artistic team and, importantly, the confidence to progress with a complete company rebrand to better communicate our services. We are now emerging under our new identity, Rogue Encounters, as part of an exciting growth and development strategy that will take us into the next chapter. Blueprint never felt like a competition. It was a group of likeminded people whose organisations were finally getting the support they deserved.”

Seacourt Print Workshop Another organisation that has benefited from Blueprint is Seacourt Print Workshop in Bangor.

Director Emma Drury explains: “We had managed to secure our own building in the heart of Bangor

which had been an ambition of ours for a long time. Without the Blueprint experience and funding, the first year of owning the space would have been very difficult. It gave us the flexibility to make necessary improvements and create studio spaces that we now rent to tenants, not only generating income for ourselves but also giving other artists a space to call their own.

“A big benefit of Blueprint is being taken seriously and listened to as business leaders. Arts organisations have to make really tough decisions and Blueprint gave us the time and space to think about how best to develop our organisation. There is a great sense of community amongst the participants and everyone has been very supportive of one another. The programme goes well beyond funding – it’s a learning experience that delivers real results.”

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Eye on Charity

Centra Run Together Back In Ormeau Park For 2024 T

Leading convenience retailer Centra is calling on runners and walkers to take part in its annual fundraising event, Run Together, which is back for 2024, and promises to be another fantastic event at Ormeau Park in Belfast.

L-R: Bubba, Fitness Trainer; Lucy McCusker, Action Cancer Corporate Fundraising Manager; Jennifer Morton, Centra Brand manager; Pete Snodden, Centra brand ambassador and radio presenter

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aking place on Sunday 20th October, registration is now open and with both 5K and 10K routes available, the event plans to bring 1,600 participants together to raise vital funds for Centra’s longterm charity partner Action Cancer.

There are 200 early bird registrations open now for each run with the 10K priced at £15 (normally £22) and the 5K available to book for £10 (normally £13). The full registration fee will be donated to Action Cancer. The runs will be staggered with the 10K kicking off at 9.30am and the 5K at 11am.

Commenting on the launch, Jennifer Morton, Centra brand manager, said: “We are very excited to welcome back our Run Together fundraising event for 2024. Last year’s event was a sellout, with all proceeds going to Action Cancer, and there was a real buzz and feeling of community spirit among the crowd. We’re looking forward to a repeat of that in October and to welcoming 1,600 people of all ages and abilities back to Ormeau Park.

“As part of Centra’s Live Well initiative, our aim as always is to get as many people as we can up and moving. Whether you’re running the 5K with your family or really challenging yourself with the 10K, the run is a perfect

Eye on Charity Run Together aims to raise £30K for Action Cancer opportunity to get outside and have fun whilst raising vital funds for an amazing cause.”

Centra has supported Action Cancer since 2001 and raised a staggering £33,000 at last year’s Run Together. This year, Centra hopes to match the 2023 fundraising target to help keep the charity’s mobile detection the Big Bus on the road, providing its free life-saving services to communities across Northern Ireland, including breast screening, health checks and skin cancer detection appointments.

Every £120 raised can pay for a free mammogram or skin cancer detection appointment, while £50 covers the cost of a health check.

As part of Centra’s Live Well initiative, Run Together is designed to motivate people of any ability or age to embrace a healthy lifestyle by taking part in the run. Whether participants are just starting their fitness journey or are looking for something to do with the family, the event is open to everyone.

Participants can walk, jog or run through the park, alongside hundreds of others, to raise funds

and awareness for Action Cancer.

Lucy McCusker, corporate fundraising manager for Action Cancer added: “Run Together is always a fantastic event and we are so grateful to everyone who turns out to support it. The money raised makes a real difference to hundreds of people, by enabling us to bring our life saving services directly to communities across NI onboard the Big Bus. Early detection saves lives, so we would encourage people to sign up, take part and help keep the Big Bus on the road.”

Local fitness Trainer, Bubba, is joining again this year to lead a pre-run stretch for all those taking part while Centra brand ambassador and radio presenter Pete Snodden will start the event and welcome participants over the finish line.

Everyone taking part will receive a T-shirt, bespoke Centra Run Together medal, lunch, goodie bag and Frank and Honest coffee, as well as tasty samples courtesy of our Live Well sponsors. There will also be entertainment for all the family on the day.

For further information and details of how to register for the 5K or 10K visit www.centra.co.uk or find out more on the Centra Facebook page, facebook.com/CentraNI

Centra Run Together is kindly sponsored by: Deep River Rock, Boost, Lucozade, Keoghs, O’Donnells, Fulfil, Grenade, Border, Forest Feast, Ferrero, Coleraine, Dromona, PRM, Yazoo, Hartley’s.

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Eye on Design

Rethinking Belfast: Build or Retrofit and they will come Mark Collins, Managing Director at Belfastbased architectural practice Collins Rolston, discusses how breathing new life into iconic buildings while embracing the demands of the future could be the secret to restoring city centre living in Belfast.

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or years, local government has been trying to get people to move back into Belfast’s city centre to encourage not just economic growth but to ensure people feel connected to the centre and can participate in its economic and social life. A holistic approach to enhancing the built environment is paramount to achieve that.

The obvious starting point is having a proper residential offer.

Apartments in Belfast can often be small, temporary places that are unable to accommodate a family’s growth over time. There also seems to be a matter of quantity over quality, as we see a high density of these tight and limited properties. If we take European cities such as Barcelona as an example, they offer generous three and four-bedroom apartments that families can actually call home for the long-term.

The good news is that we don’t necessarily have to create apartment blocks from scratch.

Many of our heritage buildings have been successfully repurposed and retrofitted for commercial

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endeavours such as hotels and office accommodation. However, and once more taking inspiration from other great cities such as London and Liverpool, there is an opportunity to use these unique and valuable assets for housing. And not only intricately designed buildings from the Victorian and Georgian eras, but also the ‘concrete beasts’ from the ‘70s that seem to be forgotten and are just an unwanted part of the scenery in Belfast.

From an architectural point of view, repurposing and retrofitting these buildings provides an exciting creative challenge as we must consider them in their entirety, and not only an empty shell. How can we make them habitable? How can we meet sustainability standards and future-proof them so they will also stand the test of time, while protecting the fabric of the building and its character? These are big questions, but projects like these will always bring the best out of any good professional design team.

Repurposing heritage buildings for housing also ticks the boxes for sustainability and cost

efficiency: it breathes new life to embodied carbon, consequently reducing carbon footprint, and lowering costs in demolition and disposal. But it would also result in built-environment quality that would help attract people to the city centre again: bringing with it a refreshed sense of local, contemporary identity.

In my view we must reclaim what used to make Belfast special. By the end of the 19th century, the city was at the forefront of the world stage, and the architecture from that time was reflective of that. Unfortunately, today, many of the main buildings in the city could be anywhere in Europe. Of course, architecture goes through trends, but by tapping into Belfast’s history, we can align architectural design to function and bring the city a better sense of cohesion.

Naturally, the city also must be reassessed from the point of view of infrastructure. Belfast has a generous offer of office and student accommodation, as well as a range of places to enjoy the nightlife, but lacks leisure options for people who live in the city centre.

Unlike Dublin, for example, with famous urban parks such as St Stephen’s Green and Merrion Square, expansive green spaces within Belfast city centre are extremely limited. For example, it has been remarked upon by many of our clients passing through the city that doesn’t have any trees.

To make the best of Belfast’s landscape, green corridors along the streets in the city centre could be the answer to provide a place for residents to breathe, unwind or simply walk their dogs.

A city centre cannot thrive without an efficient transportation system. It will be exciting to see the new Belfast Grand Central Station up and running in 2025, but a tram or cable car system is still food for thought when it comes to making city centre living more convenient.

Bringing our best assets back to life and creating both a structure and an environment in which people can thrive and enjoy urban living would definitely attract people who wish to make Belfast city centre their home.

If you build (or retrofit), they will come.

Eye on Awards

REMARKABLE MARKETING AWARDS (1)

Northern Ireland’s inaugural Remarkable Marketing Awards were staged at the Europa Hotel in Belfast during late May, recognising excellence in marketing across a range of different categories. Individual and marketing team winners were chosen by an international judging panel. The headline sponsors were Card Research & Insight.

1- Kingsbridge Private Hospital, winners of best in healthcare and pharma.

2 - Artemis Technologies Marketing Team winner of 3 remarkable awards.

3 - Frank McKee Belfast Academy of Marketing, recipient of Marketing Maestro award with Brain Injury Matters.

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4 - Host Emer Campbell pictured with DFI Beds and Team, winners in Media and Creative -award presented by Walter Campbell, creative director behind the award winning Guinness Surfers Ad. 5 - Headline partner Albert Hamilton, Card Group Research and Insight with Lusso Tan, winners of best in market research.

6 - Lauren Campbell, Victoria Square winner of Marketing Leader award pictured with Emer Maguire and Ciara Donnelly, Business Eye.

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Eye on News

Ministers committed to allisland sustainable tourism Ministers Conor Murphy and Catherine Martin have signed an agreement on the need for tourism to be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable on the island of Ireland.

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he Ministers signed a Joint Ministerial Statement supporting Sustainable Tourism in advance of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Tourism Sectoral meeting in Armagh.

Ministers affirmed their commitment to have a vibrant and competitive tourism sector that makes a significant contribution across the island, is environmentally sustainable, helps promote a positive image of the island of Ireland overseas, and enables local communities to prosper.

Minister Murphy said: “Tourism is a vital contributor to the all-island economy. We must embrace the opportunity the sector presents as we grow our economy, in a sustainable way. I see this as critically

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important and done right, the transition to a greener and more sustainable economy can be a just transition that also generates prosperity for all.

“The joint Ministerial statement affirms the importance of sustainability in the tourism sector and I was pleased to have the opportunity to discuss this at the North South Ministerial Tourism meeting today.

“We are committed to ongoing collaboration between our tourism agencies, industry and stakeholders as we drive sustainable growth for our tourism sector.”

The need for tourism to be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable on the island of Ireland is widely accepted by those involved

in the sector. Policy in both jurisdictions is evolving to reflect this reality.

Following the meeting, Minister Martin added: “The importance of tourism, on both sides of the border, and the joint approach taken to the promotion and development of the sector, led to tourism being one of the areas chosen for formal North-South cooperation. That cooperation has been hugely beneficial, with the tourism sector now an exemplar of what can be achieved when we work together on this island, with a shared purpose.

“It was great to resume North South Ministerial Engagement on tourism matters today.

In particular, to affirm my commitment to work together with all stakeholders towards

achieving a sustainable tourism sector. I want to see a vibrant tourism sector that drives improved visitor satisfaction levels with a greater regional spread across the island, is environmentally sustainable, helps promote a positive image of the island of Ireland overseas, and makes a positive impact on local communities.

“This is an issue that is at the heart of the new national tourism policy framework that is being developed by my Department. The framework will integrate environmental, social and economic considerations across all policy objectives.”

TechEye

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Straight talking tech.

Eye on TechEye

Chicken Nuggets Galore & Bacon Ice Cream Sometimes artificial intelligence isn’t what is was cracked up to be.

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ake the case of fast food chain Donald’s which is removing artificial intelligence (AI) powered ordering technology from its drive-through restaurants in the US, after customers shared its comical mishaps online.

A trial of the system, which was developed by IBM and uses voice recognition software to process orders, was announced in 2019.

It has not proved entirely reliable, however, resulting in viral videos of bizarre misinterpreted orders ranging from bacon-topped ice cream to hundreds of dollars’ worth of chicken nuggets.

McDonald’s told franchisees it would remove the tech from the more than 100 restaurants it has been testing it in by the end of July, as first reported by US trade

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publication Restaurant Business.

“After thoughtful review, McDonald’s has decided to end our current global partnership with IBM on AOT [Automated Order Taking] beyond this year,” the restaurant chain said in a statement.

However, it added it remained confident the tech would still be “part of its restaurants’ future.”

“We will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year,” the statement said.

The technology has been controversial from the outset, though initially concerns centred on its potential to make people’s jobs obsolete.

However, it has become apparent that replacing human

restaurant workers may not be as straightforward as people initially feared - and the system’s backers hoped.

The AI order-taker’s mishaps have been documented online.

In one video, which has 30,000 views on TikTok, a young woman becomes increasingly exasperated as she attempts to convince the AI that she wants a caramel ice cream, only for it to add multiple stacks of butter to her order.

In another, which has 360,000 views, a person claims that her order got confused with one being made by someone else, resulting in nine orders of tea being added to her bill.

Another popular video includes two people laughing while hundreds of dollars worth of chicken nuggets are added to their

order, while the New York Post reported another person had bacon added to their ice cream in error.

The ending of this trial though does not mean an end to concerns about AI reshaping the workplace.

IBM said it would continue to work with McDonald’s in the future.

“This technology is proven to have some of the most comprehensive capabilities in the industry, fast and accurate in some of the most demanding conditions,” it said in a statement.

“While McDonald’s is re-evaluating and refining its plans for AOT we look forward to continuing to work with them on a variety of other projects.”

Straight talking tech.

Eye on TechEye

Microsoft Back In Company Top Spot

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vidia briefly overtook Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company recently.

The artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant held the top spot for a couple of days, with a stock market valuation of $3.34tn (£2.64tn).

But Nvidia’s shares then fell with Microsoft reclaiming the title as it held steady at more than $3.3tn.

Nvidia’s rise has been fuelled by its dominance of what analysts call the “new gold or oil in the tech sector” - the chips that power AI. Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple each worth more than $3tn - are in a three-horse race to be the world’s most valuable company.

While Nvidia reached the top spot for just a brief period, some analysts have predicted competition between the three technology firms will remain fierce.

“We believe over the next year the race to $4 trillion market cap in tech will be front and centre between Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft,” Wedbush Securities said in a note earlier this week.

Nvidia’s stock has boomed thanks to growing demand for chips that train and run generative AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The firm also benefitted significantly from a rush to mine Bitcoin in 2020, which saw a jump in sales of its graphics cards.

Its rise as been mirrored by the growing profile of its boss, Jensen Huang, who has become well-known thanks in part to his popularity in his native Taiwan, where fans treat him like a rock star.

Predictive Parkinson’s Test Could Be A Game-Changer

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predictive test for Parkinson’s disease could be game-changing. With help from artificial intelligence, researchers have identified a biological signature of Parkinson’s disease they hope could lead to a simple blood test for the condition at least seven years before symptoms appear.

The progressive condition affects more than 150,000 people in the UK and is currently the world’s fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder.

Parkinson’s is a broad spectrum of conditions, but the most common symptoms are slowness of movement, tremors, and muscle stiffness.

There are currently no drugs that slow or stop Parkinson’s, and efforts to develop preventative treatments are hampered by the ability to know whether someone is going to develop the condition.

Like any progressive neurological conditions, by the time symptoms emerge, the damage to brain

cells caused by Parkinson’s has already occurred.

“At present, we are shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, and we need to start experimental treatments before patients develop symptoms,” said Professor Kevin Mills at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, who helped develop the blood test.

Using machine learning - a form of artificial intelligence - researchers from University College London and University Medical Centre in Goettingen, Sweden, screened blood samples from people with Parkinson’s and detected eight key proteins or “biomarkers” common to those with the condition.

They then used their machine learning tool to analyse blood samples taken a decade ago from people with a sleep condition called Rapid Eye Movement Disorder, around 75% of whom go on to develop Parkinson’s.

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Straight talking tech.

Eye on TechEye

Booking.com Warns Of 900% Increase In Travel Scams

Booking.com is warning that artificial intelligence (AI) is driving an explosion in travel scams.

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he firm’s internet safety boss, Marnie Wilking, said there had been “anywhere from a 500 to a 900% increase” in the past 18 months.

She said there had been a particularly marked increase in phishing - where people are tricked into handing over their financial details - since generative AI tools like ChatGPT burst onto the market.

“Of course, we’ve had phishing since the dawn of email, but the uptick started shortly after ChatGPT got launched,” she said.

“The attackers are definitely using AI to launch attacks that mimic emails far better than anything that they’ve done to date,” she said.

Phishing attacks often try to convince people to hand over their card details through by sending them fake - but very convincing looking - internet booking links.

Scammers often target websites like Booking.com and Airbnb because they allow people to

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list their own places to stay After someone pays up, the scammers either vanish without a trace - leaving the buyer without a place to stay - or even try to scam them out of more money through follow-up messages.

These sorts of scams have been around for decades, though they often come with telltale signs of fraud, such as spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

realistic images and much more accurate text, in multiple languages.

She is calling for hotels and travellers to use two-factor authentication - it involves an additional security check, such as inputting a code sent to you phone - calling it “the best way to combat phishing and credential stealing”.

She also urged people to more vigilant than before when clicking on links.

“Check that contact details are readily available on websites and that there is a telephone number - many scam sites purposely don’t have one.”

But - speaking at the Collision technology conference in Toronto - Ms Wilking said AI was making them harder to detect because it could generate

But despite criticising how scammers are using AI, she said the technology was also allowing Booking.com to rapidly remove fake

hotels that tried to scam people.

“We’ve set up AI models to detect those and either block them from getting on there to begin or take it down before there’s any booking,” she said.

Jane Hawkes, a consumer expert specialising in the travel industry, said travel providers should “step up efforts” to make people aware of the scams.

“They also have a responsibility to advise travellers ways to minimise the risk of being scammed,” she said.

But she said people should do their research “with due diligence” to avoid falling for them in the first place.

“Check that contact details are readily available on websites and that there is a telephone number - many scam sites purposely don’t have one,” she said.

And she also recommended booking package holidays, rather than booking flights and accommodation separately, and to use a credit card to maximise how much you are protected.

Straight talking tech.

Eye on TechEye

US Medical Chief Calls For Social Media Health Warnings One of America’s most senior health officials has called on the country to impose smoking-style warning labels on social media platforms.

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riting in the New York Times, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said social media increased the risk that children would experience symptoms of anxiety and depression.

He wants people who visit these platforms to be shown a message warning that they are “associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents”.

He said such a label would “regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe”.

The BBC has approached Youtube, TikTok, X and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, for comment.

Warning labels were first added to cigarette packaging in the US in 1966, after then-Surgeon General Luther L Terry published a report linking tobacco to lung cancer.

Other countries then followed, with the UK requiring a similar message to be printed on packets in 1971.

Mr Murthy said that the evidence showed adding these labels to tobacco packaging increased awareness of the

risks associated with smoking.

And he believes that a similar warning applied to social media platforms would encourage parents to monitor their child’s safety online.

In the article, he also called for phone use to be banned in schools, and said parents should stop children from using devices during meals and at bedtime.

It comes after Mr Murthy published a public health advisory in 2023 which found a link between teenage social media use and poor mental health.

But he accepts that there is no academic consensus on the impact of these platforms, and is calling for more research to be done.

“In an emergency, you don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information,” he said.

“You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly.

“The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency - and social media has emerged as an important contributor.”

‘Not inherently harmful’ Gin Lalli, psychotherapist and author of How to Empty Your Stress Bucket, told the BBC warning

labels would be “a significant step towards promoting better mental health and wellbeing”.

She said that social media may have many benefits, but there may also be some risks such as cyberbullying or exposure to harmful content.

“These risks lead to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, something myself and my colleagues are seeing more and more.”

She said a warning label would act as a reminder for people to be mindful of their usage, and to take regular breaks.

“I can also see warning labels as being of great benefit to the parents – having that ‘back-up’ so to speak means that they can feel more confident in setting boundaries around social media use,” she said.

There is an ongoing debate about the impact of social media on young people.

Some research has found a link between heavy social media use and a negative impact on teenagers’ mental health, and other research has linked teenage social media use to a reduction in how satisfied children feel with their lives.

But a 2023 study found no evidence linking the global spread of Facebook and widespread psychological harm, while other research reported some children benefit from spending time online speaking to friends they already know offline.

And the American Psychological Association says social media is “not inherently beneficial or harmful”, though it warns of problematic use and wants content removed which encourages harm.

It also said “most” under14s should be monitored while using social media.

In the UK, tech firms will have to take more action to keep children safe on the internet, with the Online Safety Act set to come into force in 2025.

Media regulator Ofcom set out new rules for tech firms in May, requiring them to have robust agechecking measures and to steer children away from “toxic” material.

But parents of children who died after exposure to harmful online content want the rules to go further.

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Eye on Housing

Housing As We Age: Northern Ireland Is Yet To Meet The Needs Of Over 55s Charles O’Neill, Director of Product Development at Co-Ownership, argues that Northern Ireland needs to re-think its strategy on housing stock.

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any will already be aware that Northern Ireland is growing older. In 2019 one in six people were aged 65 and over, and by 2030 this is projected to be one in five. However, what many of us may not realise is that our housing landscape does not yet adequately meet the needs of this ageing population.

As we age, the home we live in may no longer suit our physical and emotional needs. A two-storey property may present challenges for someone with mobility issues, whilst a large home may be too costly to run in retirement. For others, it may be location and not living close to family, community or essential services that is the issue.

Housing is intrinsically linked to health and wellbeing. This is why, with funding from the Department for Communities, we introduced our Co-Own for Over 55s product in 2022 – a product geared to support people live comfortably and independently as they age. Customers use the equity from the sale of their current home, or their savings, to fund a share in their new home. They pay a small rent and can choose a new build or existing property anywhere in Northern Ireland up to a maximum value of £195,000.

We’re proud that the product not only offers an immediate lifeline to people living in a home that is negatively impacting on their lives, but it also empowers people to better prepare for their future.

From initial discussions with Age NI and the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, we anticipated the model would be viable and command interest from the audience – and it has. Our data shows that 41 per cent of applicants to date want to move even though they already own their own home, and only 52 per cent have retired, signalling that the other half are still employed and proactively thinking about their future.

However, over the past two years we learned that applicants come from broader, more complex situations too. 70 per cent are single applicant households, highlighting the personal and emotional challenges people face as they age - the breakdown of a relationship, or the passing of a loved one. 44 per cent of all applicants live

in private rentals, and 14 per cent with friends or family, revealing the significant opportunity we have to help people who otherwise thought they may never own a home of their own, or return to home ownership.

Just 5,379 new homes were completed overall in Northern Ireland during 2023, the lowest since 1959, caused by a myriad of challenges including labour shortages, weaknesses in our infrastructure, and difficulty securing materials. Furthermore, medium-sized, two-storey homes tend to dominate existing and new housing stock. Yet, our Co-Own for Over 55s product highlights that more diversity is needed.

Developers and planners should take confidence that there is demand for bungalows, and smaller homes

such as one-bed apartments.

Crucially, if properties like this are available for our ageing population to move to, we can free up housing stock for first-time buyers who may require all that a medium or large family home has to offer.

Decision-makers should also embrace net-zero homes and sustainable living models to keep energy bills low and ensure that home ownership remains accessible to people at all stages of life.

We are proud that the introduction of our Co-Own for Over 55s has allowed us to support a wider section of society. But with an ageing demographic in Northern Ireland, we need our housing stock to also prioritise the needs of older people, so we can continue to help those who need us.

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Eye on News

Lidl Northern Ireland gives a £2m ‘Kickstart’ to local producers

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idl Northern Ireland is set to give a ‘Kickstart’ to a new batch of 13 local producers from across the region who successfully earned a place on the retailer’s coveted Kickstart Supplier Development Programme – an initiative that the retailer has invested more than £2 million in to support 29 local agri-food producers and facilitate export of home-grown produce through Lidl’s international store network, boosting local businesses.

Following a competitive Dragon’s Den style pitch process to find this year’s most innovative products, 13 suppliers across five counties were handpicked for the programme after an intensive application process which saw producers put through their paces with a business pitch to Lidl’s buying team and a taste test to select the best in category.

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Successful producers will now see their artisan offerings, spanning 33 new products, on sale on Lidl’s shelves across its 220 stores across the island of Ireland from September 19th for a limited time, while stocks last.

From delicious overnight oats to farm shop meals and mouthwatering hot sauces, this year’s assortment will have something for everyone, with a focus on protein packed products and showcasing the fruits of Northern Ireland’s apple orchards, with cider, gin and spiced apple punch all in this year’s mix.

Now in its seventh year, Lidl Northern Ireland’s Kickstart programme is backed by the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association (NIFDA) and aims to support small and medium-sized local producers to boost their brand, enhance their supply and

reach new customer audiences.

Before the products hit the shelves, this six-month development programme offers suppliers dedicated business support from Lidl Northern Ireland’s in-house experts, advancing their product, brand and business with practical guidance on how to scale production, drive production efficiency, as well as product development and packaging support, allowing them to optimise on-shelf opportunities in the Autumn and scale for success.

Since launching the programme in the region in 2018, Lidl Northern Ireland has showcased over 50 innovative home-grown products, offering small and medium sized producers the opportunity to reach over 2 million weekly Lidl customers across the island of Ireland and get a foot up in breaking into the competitive supermarket retail sector.

Kate O’Driscoll, Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland, said: “Northern Ireland is a region famed for its food and drink and every year I’m impressed by the innovation, quality and craftsmanship that suppliers clearly pour into their products. The standard is always incredibly high and this year was no exception.

After a competitive application process, I’m delighted to add 13 local suppliers to our Kickstart programme this year and bring 33 new, locally made products to shoppers across the region.

What makes Lidl Northern Ireland’s Kickstart programme so impactful is that we can immediately facilitate export opportunities for all successful suppliers that make it onto the programme. Not only do they have the opportunity to sell their products locally within our regional network of 41 stores, but also within our 179 stores located in the Republic of Ireland, reaching more than 2 million weekly shoppers which is a huge boost for small businesses.

We’ve also worked with Kickstart suppliers to further grow their reach through our wider store network, including supplying our Lidl GB stores with Hellbent’s deliciously tasty Shakalaka Boerewors, bringing a taste of home to even more audiences.

As a retailer committed to sourcing locally and supporting our agri-food industry, we are proud to champion quality products at great value, delivering on our ‘Big on Quality, Lidl on Price’ promise for our customers.”

This year’s intake will see products from Bertie’s Bakery, Blackfire Food, Cloughbane Farm Foods, Mrs K Global, Green Fingers Family, Lecale Harvest, Long Meadow Cider, Rosie’s Bakes, SLICED, Armagh Cider Company, Strangford Coffee Roastery, Sweet Robyn’s and Woodlab Distillery hit Lidl Northern Ireland stores this autumn.

Eye on News

Recycling company invests with support from Bank of Ireland

Recycling company set to see solid returns from equipment investment with support from Bank of Ireland. Pictured from left is Suzanna McKenzie, Director of Business Services, McKenzies (NI) Ltd; Ciaran Lavery, Senior Business manager, Bank of Ireland UK and Sergio McKenzie Jnr, Executive Director, McKenzies (NI) Ltd

A leading metal recycling company is set to reap the benefits of a multi-million-pound investment in new recycling equipment that will enable it to process scrap metal and produce a highly sought after range of recycled metals for export across the globe.

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cKenzies (NI) Ltd, a family led business with more than 50 years’ experience, has made the investment as part of their continued growth and sustainability plans. Supported by Bank of Ireland UK, the latest investment in equipment, follows a strong twelve months for the company which has also recently acquired an established metal recycling business in Campsie, and further expanded its operations with the opening of a deep sea port in Waterford.

Speaking about the latest investment, Sergio McKenzie Snr, MD, McKenzies (NI) Ltd says: “Innovation and sustainability are key drivers of our business operation and ambition and we have made significant investment over the last 12 months in our operational bases to ensure we are located where our customers need us to be, helping to reduce the road miles they need to travel to transport their scrap metal.”

“The introduction of the new recycling plant is game-changing

for us and our customers as it will allow us to take scrap metal and process it into separate grades of metal producing a range of recycled metal products that are sought after both here and right across the globe.

It will give us a strong competitive advantage locally as most metal recyclers export largely unprocessed material to producers in Europe, where we will be able to undertake metal processing and grading onsite and in turn provide a quick turnaround to global markets through our port side operational bases.”

“A key enabler in our investment activity over the last 12 months has been the support received from Bank of Ireland UK. As well as their financial backing, Ciaran and the team have been on hand and ready to help us throughout each stage of our ambitious growth plans.”

Ciaran Lavery, Senior Business Manager at Bank of Ireland UK says: “The team at McKenzies (NI), led

by Sergio Snr, are committed to transforming traditional metal recycling processes across the region and are seizing opportunities for sustainable growth. We are delighted to see the company expand their operations and service range, and we are pleased to support them with their current and future development plans.”

“At Bank of Ireland UK we work closely with our customers to understand their business ambitions and sustainability goals so we can provide the right products and services at the right time to support them on each phase of their business journey.”

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Eye on Events

Leaf Celebrate 20th Anniversary R

eflecting on two decades of innovation and excellence, Leaf IT is thrilled to mark its 20th anniversary as one of Northern Ireland’s premier IT Managed Service Providers. From humble beginnings in a garage in Bangor, Steven Goldblatt’s inspiring founding story has seen Leaf evolve into a key player across the Island of Ireland. Their journey

highlights significant milestones including our expansion from a team of 3 to over 30 dedicated professionals, our unwavering commitment to customer service, and our recognition as ConnectWise’s Global Cybersecurity Partner of the Year for 2023.

Leaf’s 20th Anniversary celebration was a testament to their journey and the community that has supported

them. Held at The MAC Belfast, the event was filled with laughter, reminiscing, and heartfelt gratitude.

Leaf extend a sincere thank you to their incredible clients for their unwavering support and to their dedicated staff for their hard work and dedication. The evening was unforgettable, marked by great food, drinks, ambience, and, most importantly, the presence of

extraordinary company. As Leaf toast to the next 20 years, they remain committed to continued growth and success, made possible by the invaluable relationships built along the way. Leaf It’s expertise in cybersecurity and disaster recovery continues to set them apart in the industry, underscoring their dedication to cutting-edge technology and excellence.

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Top: Leaf Team – Brendan Lyons, Pamela Parker, Mark Mulligan, Rachel Morrow, Justin Archer, Iain Bell, Steven Goldblatt, Danielle Magee, Alex Dinu, Christine Wylie, Darryl Heanen, Katie McAdam, Colin Patton, Oonagh McKeogh, Barry Donaldson, Allison Miller, Stephen Mitchell. (1) Gordon McElroy MKB, Business Eye gang, Leo Callow from Callow Events. (2) DJ Eadzo

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(3) Leaf; Brendan Lyons, Alex Dinu, Mark Mulligan, Iain Bell. (4) Leigh Anne English, Microsoft, Ashleigh Livingstone from Worthingtons. (5) Leaf; Katie McAdam, Danielle Magee, Pamela Parker, Oonagh McKeogh, Allison Miller. (6) George Laing and Harry Bateman from Lisney. (7) John Cummings, Jacqui Campbell, Michele Bustard, Chris Squire and Jason Dwan from Ansell. (8) Christine Wylie (Leaf), Brian Roche from Smart Sustainability, Rachel Morrow from Leaf. (9) Chris Leech from Bryson Group, Charlie Stewart and Amanda Shaw from Stewart Solicitors. (10) John Minnis and Lynzi Templeton from John Minnis Estate Agents. (11) Barry Donaldson, Colin Patton and Darryl Heanen from Leaf. (12) John McGuckian and Ben Sims from Tughans, Phil Vernon and Christian Campbell from Enso Recruitment.

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Eye on News

Newcastle Prepares For September’s Amgen Irish Open

Tourism Northern Ireland has brought together key stakeholders and local businesses from the Northern Ireland tourism industry to showcase the exciting opportunities to get involved in the 2024 Amgen Irish Open.

Kevan Whitson, Head Professional and Golf Operations Manager at Royal County Down golf club; Cllr Valerie Harte, Chairperson of Newry Mourne & Down District Council; Paul Gillmon, Championship Director of the Amgen Irish Open from the DP World Tour; Siobhan McGuigan, Head of Events at Tourism Northern Ireland.

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he tournament, which takes place at the world class Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, Co Down from 11-15 September, will bring some of the top golfers in the world to Northern Ireland.

At the Slieve Donard Hotel this week, over 90 representatives from local businesses joined Tourism NI, Newry Mourne and Down District Council, Royal County Down Golf Club, DP World Tour, and the NI Fire & Rescue Service to discuss how best to maximise the business opportunity offered by the tournament.

The businesses in attendance were advised of plans for marketing, accommodation certification requirements, transport and traffic, briefed about expected quality and fire safety standards, and found out how they could get ready to welcome visitors to the tournament.

Siobhan McGuigan, Head of Events at Tourism Northern Ireland said: “Northern Ireland is truly made for golf,

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and we have a big year ahead of us with the Amgen Irish Open coming to Royal County Down this year and the 153rd Open Championship returning to Royal Portrush in July 2025. Tourism NI is a proud partner of both events.

“Northern Ireland is famed for its 19th hole hospitality, and we want visitors not only to enjoy the golf but also experience all that NI has to offer off-course too, including local food, drink, music, accommodation and visitor attractions.

We are also known as a value-for-money destination, so would encourage our industry to apply fair-pricing principles, to encourage visitors to extend their stay, and come back to visit again.”

Paul Gillmon, Championship Director of the Amgen Irish Open from the DP World Tour, said: “We are excited to be heading to Royal County Down for this year’s Amgen Irish Open and we are grateful to all our partners for their support in building what will undoubtedly be one of the highlights on the island of Ireland’s sporting calendar.

“The community spirit and buy-in from local people and businesses alike make this event what it is, and it was wonderful to see so many express an interest in finding out how they can get involved this year.”

Cllr Valerie Harte, Chairperson of Newry Mourne & Down District Council, said: “The Council is proud that this year’s Amgen Irish Open is taking place in Newcastle. We are working in partnership with DP World Tour, Royal County Down and Tourism NI, and want to extend a giant invitation to people who are coming for the golf to take time to experience all that this region has to offer. There are fantastic opportunities for local tourism businesses to benefit from the arrival of visitors from across Ireland, the UK and beyond to this tournament and for it to provide a positive boost to the local economy.”

The Irish Open was first played in the 1920s and most recently took place in Northern Ireland in 2020, when it was hosted by Galgorm Castle Golf Club. The tournament was last staged at Royal

County Down in 2015. Previous Irish Opens held in Northern Ireland have each generated in excess of 20,000 bednights across the region, and significant global broadcast coverage.

The day before this year’s main tournament begins, celebrities including Patrick Kielty, Johnny Sexton, Tommy Bowe and James Nesbitt will be taking part in the Amgen Irish Open Pro Am competition.

Tourism NI recently revealed that the overall value of Golf Tourism in 2023 increased to £68.2m, the highest figure ever recorded for golf tourism in NI, and well above the £52m recorded in 2019, the year which saw The Open Championship return to Royal Portrush. The increase was driven by more spend by golfers from Great Britain and North America.

The figures were published as Northern Ireland was named the Best Golf Destination in Western Europe by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO).

Eye on News

Catalyst Marks 25th Anniversary With Call For Increased Collaboration Catalyst has marked its 25th anniversary by calling for increased collaboration between entrepreneurs, industry, government and academia to drive regional prosperity and help Northern Ireland reach its true potential over the next quarter of a century.

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atalyst is an independent, nonprofit science and technology hub focused on creating opportunity for all through world leading innovation and supporting entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland from its campuses in Belfast and Derry.

The organisation was formed as a Good Friday Agreement project in 1999 as the Northern Ireland Science Park, to create a self-sustaining, internationally recognised science park and research-driven centre for knowledge-based industries.

Since opening its original site, Catalyst has grown to span eight buildings over two campuses in Belfast and DerryLondonderry and is now home to more than 140 innovative start-ups, scaleups and large companies employing c.3,000 people in technology-focused jobs. It’s programmes, which support every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, include Generation Innovation, INVENT, Co-Founders, Springboard, Way to Scale and Inbound Investors.

Launching the organisation’s strategic theme for the anniversary year Together, Transforming, Tomorrow at an event attended by over 100 stakeholders in the Innovation Centre in Belfast, Chair of Catalyst’s board Ellvena Graham

Catalyst CEO Steve Orr, Catalyst Chair Ellvena Graham and Ian Snowden, Permanent Secretary of the Department for the Economy pictured at the Innovation Centre.

reiterated the organisation’s primary strategic vision of ‘opportunity for all from world-leading innovation’.

Ellvena Graham, Chair of Catalyst said: “Northern Ireland has come a long way since 1999 and so has Catalyst.

Established on derelict former shipyard land, we are now a thriving hub of entrepreneurial activity, with businesses recognised as world leaders in cyber security, med-tech, life sciences, and more. Catalyst has turned a £20m investment into over £400m of economic impact and helped shape a sector which is now a major employer for the region.

“It’s important to look back at what’s been achieved, but the focus of everyone at Catalyst is on creating an inclusive and equitable future, where prosperity can be felt by all in NI and where people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to pursue careers in technology or learn the skills needed to become an entrepreneur.

We’ve chosen Together, Transforming Tomorrow, because to make that a reality will require even greater collaboration with all of our partners.”

Steve Orr, Chief Executive of Catalyst said: “Over the past 25 years of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship Catalyst has worked hard to create a community and

ecosystem which has enabled people from NI to make a massive impact on the global stage in tech, science and industry. Catalyst has gone from being a portacabin in a derelict corner of Belfast’s shipyards to one of the FT’s top 10 start-up hubs in the UK and Ireland.

“But how we do things in the next 25 years has to look different. Catalyst’s vision is that NI will lead the way in proving that inclusive entrepreneurship and equality of opportunity can benefit a whole region. Empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators isn’t something we can do alone. So we’re calling for our successful individuals at home and around the world, our market leading companies and key stakeholders in government, universities and education to work with us to shape what comes next. If you want this place to be truly great, don’t watch from the sidelines, bring what you have to offer to the table.”

The CEO highlighted that partnerships have been essential to the progress of the ecosystem and others have led important initiatives which give NI a foundation for future collaboration, including the opening of the Ormeau Baths start-up hub; Invest NI’s creation of the NI Regional Entrepreneurship

Acceleration Programme (REAP) with MIT; Catalyst’s successful cross border collaboration with the Letterkenny Institute of Technology; and the success of NI’s universities in growing collaborative R&D beyond what was previously thought possible.

Over the next six months Catalyst plans to run a series of events to engage and collaborate with its partners to set specific strategic goals for the next decade for Northern Ireland’s innovation sector, across R&D, scaling companies and inclusive entrepreneurship.

Earlier this year Catalyst was recognised as one of the leading startup hubs in Europe in a special report produced by the Financial Times, Sifted and Statista. The research placed Catalyst in the top 10 startup hubs in the UK & Ireland and top third in Europe, ranking it number 40 out of 125 locations based on the performance and success rates of their business support programmes, incubators and accelerators.

This year’s Catalyst Dealtracker NI report showed that investment into tech firms in Northern Ireland reached its highest ever level in 2023, with £143.2m invested across 72 deals, with an average investment of just under £2m.

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

AWARDS 2024

AIB Business Eye Awards Launched For 2024

Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director, Business Eye & Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB Bank launch the AIB Business Eye awards.

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orthern Ireland’s leading business awards, the annual AIB Business Eye Awards, have been launched for their 18th year at a networking event held at Belfast’s Custom House.

Richard Buckley, Editor of Business Eye and Brian Gillan, Head of Business Banking, Retail and NI at AIB, hosted the launch event which was attended by category sponsors and key business guests.

Brenda Buckley, Andrew Ryan (TLT Solicitors), Brian Gillan & Fergal Maguire (TLT Solicitors).

AWARDS 2024

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Headline awards once again include the coveted Company of the Year, Business Personality of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards.

With a wide range of categories, the AIB Business Eye Awards recognise qualities and success across different specialist categories and sectors.

“We work very hard each year to fine tune and improve these awards and to maintain their reputation as the very best awards of their kind in Northern Ireland,” says Brenda Buckley of Business Eye. “2023 produced a record number of entries, and really high-quality entries. Despite all of the challenges facing business here, we’re confident that the bar can be raised once again this year.”

AIB, a key supporter of the Northern Ireland business community, is a

long-standing partner of Business Eye and its award programmes.

Speaking at the launch, Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI at AIB said; “The AIB Business Eye Awards are a fantastic showcase of the innovation, creativity, and determination at the heart of Northern Ireland’s business community. Every year the awards adapt and grow to recognise how companies here are evolving to overcome challenges and grasp new opportunities. This year is no exception and we’re proud to unveil additional sector awards marking the recovery and growth of tourism, hospitality, construction, and property development.

Together with Business Eye, we look forward to shining a light on leading local firms and encourage companies from across the region and industries to enter.”

Last year’s awards showcased an impressive array of winners at a memorable awards night held at the ICC Belfast venue in front of a 700-strong audience. Belfast & Derry/Londonderry based FinTrU, one of the leaders in the dynamic fintech sector in Northern Ireland, lifted the coveted Company of the Year award, while Niall McKenna, proprietor of James ST & Waterman House, was named Business Personality of the Year.

Other key winners included Malplas as Manufacturer of the Year’, Derry Brothers as Small Business of The Year and top law firm Wilson Nesbitt as the Professional Services Firm of the Year.

The closing date for entries to the 2024 AIB Business Eye Awards applications is Tuesday 1st October, with the judging panel due to meet shortly afterwards. The gala awards night will be staged at the ICC Belfast on Thursday 24th October 2024.

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AWARDS 2024

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(1) Brenda Buckley (Business Eye), Sonya Cassidy & Miriam Moertl (Ardmore).

(2) Ciara Donnelly (Business Eye), Karl Webb (Queen’s University) and Brenda Buckley. (3) Brian Gillan, Head of Business Banking, Retail & NI at AIB, with Richard Buckley (Business Eye) and Darren McDowell (Harbinson Mulholland).

(4) Brenda Buckley. Treena Clarke (Harbinson Mulholland) and Richard Buckley.

(5) Lee-Anne Devlin & Jill Crawford, Ulster University. (6) Andrew Ryan (TLT Solicitors). (7) Darren McDowell (Harbinson Mulholland) with Sheena McGlynn (AIB). (8) Richard Buckley addresses the audience. (9) Mark McKeown (AIB).

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Eye on News

Dale Farm profits rise for third year running

L-R John Morgan, Group Chief Financial Officer_ Nick Whelan, Group Chief Executive_ Fred Allen, Chair, Dale Farm.

Dairy cooperative Dale Farm has recorded strong results for the financial year ending March 2024.

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et profit before tax is up at £29.8m (previous year £26.8m), an increase of 11%, while the cooperative’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) have also increased, rising to £44.9m (previous year £43m). With group turnover of £631.4m for the past financial year, Dale Farm has improved its turnover to profit ratio.

In May 2024 Dale Farm announced a major investment of £70m in its

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cheddar processing facility at Dunmanbridge, Co. Tyrone, one of the largest investments of its kind by a Northern Ireland agri-food company.

The results mark the third successive year of increased profits for the farmer-owned dairy cooperative, something Group Chief Executive Nick Whelan puts down to strategic decision making, the collective efforts of the 1,200 people employed by Dale Farm, and the farmers who supply the business with high quality milk.

Nick Whelan said: “Every decision we take as a cooperative is about ensuring the profitability and sustainability of our members’ farm businesses. Through strategic investment we are delivering growth while paying a competitive milk price to the

1,300 farmers who own the business and supply us with healthy, nutritious, quality milk.

“Through our strategy – a focus on research and development and investing in the strongest areas of our business – we are growing, and these results show that strategy is working. We have developed a high-performance culture at Dale Farm where our team members across the business are stepping up to the challenge, using their creativity and diligence to ensure we are the best that we can be.

“Our ambition is to lead the sector, not just in Northern Ireland but across Europe.

Our £70m investment in our cheddar processing facility at Dunmanbridge will ensure we remain at the cutting edge of innovation and build

on our reputation for quality, consistency and sustainability.

Fred Allen, Chairman, Dale Farm said, “Last year the dairy market experienced volatility, and inflation continues to affect input costs for producers.

Against this backdrop, over the past year we were still in a position to pay a competitive milk price, with the average price paid totalling 35.2p per litre in 2023/24. It is more important than ever that we continue to invest in those parts of the business that deliver the highest returns for our farmers. The profitability of the cooperative and continued investment is key to securing farm businesses for future generations.”

Eye on News

Energystore Acquires Majority Share In Scottish Specialist Flooring Contractor Innovative insulation manufacturer and installer energystore has acquired a majority share in award-winning Scottish specialist flooring contractor Advanced Traditional Screeding (ATS) for an undisclosed sum.

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eadquartered in Holywood, Co Down, energystore designs, manufactures and installs insulation systems for floors, walls and roofs and is the leading supplier of high-performance EPS (expanded polystyrene) bead insulation products to the UK and Irish construction industry.

Fife-based ATS was established in 2014 and works with commercial customers across Scotland and the rest of the UK on all aspects of pre-construction and construction flooring installation, with experience of all types of screeds, resins and underfloor heating systems.

ATS has been a long-term installer of energystore TLA®, a flagship energystore product which combines eps beads coated in an innovative additive with cement to create a pourable insulation. This unique poured insulation offers a noncombustible alternative for use in floor and roof construction as a high strength void former or insulation.

Following the acquisition, ATS will continue to operate as a standalone company within the energystore group and all 17 staff will be retained.

Connor McCandless (left), Managing Director of energystore, said: “We have known Jason and his team at ATS for a number of years and have been impressed by their work for tier one construction firms across a wide range of projects. We have been looking at opportunities to grow energystore’s footprint across the UK and we felt

that ATS’s culture, values and growth ambitions were very aligned with our own. Like us, they are a company that is committed to delivering quality work and to supporting the communities they work in. We were already working together on some exciting development opportunities, so it has been an easy move to formally join forces.”

Jason Lister, founder and Managing Director of ATS, will continue to lead the business following the acquisition by energystore.

Jason Lister said: “I’m really proud to be able to announce this partnership with energystore at a time when ATS has been enjoying significant growth and has a very healthy order book for the year ahead. In the most recent financial year ATS grew our turnover to a record £5m and I am confident we will increase that again this year.

“As a customer and installer of energystore TLA®, we know they are a company committed to innovation and sustainability. ATS now has a great opportunity to expand the range of products and services we provide to our

customers as part of the energystore team. It is a very positive day for the company, our people and our customers.”

Energystore, which is celebrating 50 years in business in 2024, currently operates from six locations across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, employing 90 people and supplies homeowners

and commercial customers, including construction companies, new build developers and housing associations.

Last year the business launched its Emission-less Mission, a farreaching strategy that will see energystore invest £2m across the business to reach net zero emissions from its operations by 2028.

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Eye on News

Gildernew & Co Announces Lyndsey Mulgrew’s Promotion to Director G ildernew & Co, a leading accountancy and business advisory provider with offices in Dungannon and Belfast, has promoted Lyndsey Mulgrew to the position of Director in its Accounts & Tax division. This promotion reflects Lyndsey's outstanding contributions to the firm and underscores our commitment to recognising and nurturing talent within our business.

Lyndsey joined the team at Gildernew & Co in February 2022, and during this time she has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, leadership, and expertise in advising owner managed businesses on their own

growth journey. Lyndsey’s knowledge and experience in working with clients in the UK and Ireland tax regimes, her experience in helping clients achieve the optimum business structure, and her straight-forward approach to working with business owners and their teams have helped cement her position as one of the firm’s lead client advisors.

In Lyndsey’s new role as Director, she will play a key role in strategic planning and business development, helping to shape the future direction of the business. Lyndsey will also continue in her mentorship role with trainees, with focus on training and quality, ensuring the continued

excellence and innovation that our clients have come to expect.

Gerard Gildernew, Managing Partner of Gildernew & Co, said “We are thrilled to promote Lyndsey Mulgrew to Director. Lyndsey’s commitment to client service delivery, her drive for continuous improvement in quality and her investment and commitment to train the team around her have been exemplary.

We wish Lyndsey continued success as she takes this next step in her career path with Gildernew & Co, and we look forward to seeing her influence on the practice’s future strategy and direction as she embraces this new role.”

Economy Minister Launches Plans To Grow Seven Priority Sectors E conomy Minister Conor Murphy has launched action plans designed to enhance growth across seven of the north’s most innovative, productive and export-orientated economic sectors.

The action plans set out a roadmap to deliver the Minister’s economic vision.

The sectors are: • Agri-Tech; • Life and Health Sciences; • Advanced Manufacturing, Materials and Engineering; • Fintech / Financial Services; • Software (including Cyber); • Screen Industries; and • Low Carbon (including Green Hydrogen).

Speaking at the Digital DNA Conference, the Minister said: “When we have sectors of such potential it’s important that government supports that growth

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in a strategic, tailored manner.

“That is why my officials, working in partnership with industry, have designed action plans to harness the potential of our most innovative, productive, and internationally orientated sectors.

“Supported in the right way, all seven of our high potential sectors can grow further. In doing so, they will create good, highly skilled jobs. They will drive up our productivity through international exports. And they will ensure the benefits of economic growth are felt right across this region. These plans have been co-designed with industry, and that collaboration must continue.”

The action plans aim to drive growth by improving collaboration and clustering, responding to industry’s skills requirements, nurturing innovation, and better coordinating trade and focused investment.

Eye on News

DANSKE BANK WINS GOLD DIVERSITY MARK STATUS Danske Bank has been awarded the Gold Diversity Mark, becoming the first bank in Northern Ireland and only the second company to achieve the top accreditation for its commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workplace.

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iversity Mark was founded in 2016 and assesses company commitment to diversity and inclusion across the UK and Ireland.

Danske Bank was awarded the Silver Diversity Mark in 2020 and has now received the Gold accreditation following a review of its progress by Diversity Mark’s independent assessment panel.

Christine White, Director at Diversity Mark said: “We extend our congratulations to Danske Bank on attaining the Gold Diversity Mark. This recognition is a testament to Danske’s unwavering commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within their organisation to benefit their colleagues. The rigorous standards and highly robust assessment process involved in earning this distinction further underscores the bank’s dedication to creating an inclusive workplace where all individuals are valued and empowered.

“We applaud Danske Bank for setting a high standard in diversity and inclusion practices, and we are confident that their progressive leadership will continue to inspire positive change within the business community and beyond.”

Danske Bank has made significant and impactful developments over the last four years, with the support of colleague volunteers from across the Bank, promoting allyship and designing programmes across four colleague networks focusing on gender, LGBTQ+, disability and racial equality.

Vicky Davies, Chief Executive of Danske Bank said listening and learning from colleagues is at the heart of the bank’s approach: “At Danske Bank we’re committed to ensuring that every colleague feels that they’re included, that they belong, and that their voice is going to be heard. I passionately believe that colleagues themselves have a lot of the answers when it comes to making their work a better place. Our colleague-led affinity networks are therefore a powerful driving force in our approach to be a more inclusive place to work, by challenging, educating and positively agitating for change for colleagues, for their families and for wider society. Accountability is so important and while it’s a continuing journey, being awarded Gold Diversity Mark provides valuable independent recognition that we’re making an impact.”

Vicky Davies, Chief Executive of Danske Bank, Caroline van der Feltz, HR Director at Danske Bank and Christine White, Director at Diversity Mark.

Examples of Danske Bank’s activities include: • Board-level commitments • D&I embedded into all aspects of the colleague journey to attract, grow and retain talent • 25% the workforce in formal coaching/ mentoring relationships.

• an active Women in Tech Working Group • use of Stonewall Workplace Equality Index results to refine approach and set targets • paid placements for individuals with disabilities, leading to permanent employment opportunities • signing the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter • support for colleagues through events, podcasts, training, education and awareness • strong external partnership approach with organisations like Artsekta, Cara Friend, NOW Group, SistersIn, Stepping Stones and others.

“Collaboration has been key to fostering inclusion and belonging, alongside visible support from our Board, executive team and leaders across the organisation. One area where we’ve seen great collaboration is in the development of our suite of Guiding Principles which are designed to help colleagues thrive at every stage of the employee lifecycle - covering topics such as menopause support, reasonable adjustments, transitioning and working carers.

The policies have been developed with input from colleagues and external stakeholders and this approach has been transformative for colleagues and for our business.”

Almost 200 organisations are working towards achieving and maintaining the Diversity Mark accreditation, representing over two hundred thousand employees in the UK and Ireland.

Caroline van der Feltz, HR Director at Danske Bank added: “Diversity and inclusion is an intrinsic part of our culture and our colleagues can be immensely proud of this recognition.

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Eye on News

M&S NAMED EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR BY NOW GROUP

Pictured after M&S was named Employer of the Year at the 2024 Now Group Graduation at Stormont are (L to R) Sean Hanna, Director of Services, NOW Group; Lorna Connolly, Academy Learning Partner, M&S; Gary Kirk, Talent Support Partner, M&S; James Smithson, Regional People Partner for Northern Ireland, M&S; Kieran McCauley, Store Manager, M&S Coleraine Riverside and Margaret Allen, Chief Operating Officer, NOW Group.

Marks & Spencer has been named ‘Employer of the Year’ at a recent graduation event held by The NOW Group – an organisation dedicated to supporting those with learning difficulties and autism into sustainable employment in Northern Ireland.

T

he graduation ceremony, which was held at Stormont, saw more than 200 graduates receive certificates for completing training in core industries including, warehousing, digital, retail, tourism, catering and hospitality and cyber security, to name but a few.

Among them were eight young people from the North Coast who completed a 12-week course run by the Now Group training academy in partnership with M&S Coleraine Riverside.

The graduates undertook one day of study a week in areas including retail management and customer service before completing three placement days in store, working with M&S colleagues.

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Speaking about the award win, M&S Coleraine Riverside Store Manager Kieran McCauley said: “We are delighted to have been given this accolade.

Working with the NOW Group and our recent graduates has been a brilliant experience for our whole store team.

“It has been wonderful seeing participant’s confidence grow as they learned more and more about working in a store like ours and we are very proud they all completed the course.

It’s fantastic to have been there to see them receive their certificates.

“Providing opportunities for people of all different backgrounds and walks of life is very important to M&S and we look forward to our partnership with The NOW Group continuing to grow.”

Ciaran Pepper, a NOW Group participant who has gone on to secure a job with M&S Coleraine Riverside comments: “I was interested in a career in retail catering but lacked the confidence, belief and knowledge on how to get into the sector. Through the training academy, the NOW Group has given me an opportunity to develop the necessary skills in an industry that I’m truly passionate about and interested in.

“I have learned all the practical skills I need to sustain a successful career and I’m really looking forward to joining the world of work and learning even more about the retail industry.”

Reflecting on the significance of the event, Maeve Monaghan, NOW Group CEO, expressed heartfelt congratulations to all the graduates and to M&S for being named employer of the year. “Our training academies are designed to equip participants with tangible skills, experience and qualifications, paving the way for their

integration into the workforce and helping them to make meaningful contributions to their communities.”

Maeve adds: “NOW Group is proactively partnering with businesses to address recruitment challenges and provide inclusive solutions for individuals facing employment barriers, and it is thanks to M&S, and our partners and organisations, across Ireland, whom we work closely with to run many of our academies and who are helping to lead the way in promoting accessibility, diversity and inclusion.”

In the past year, NOW Group has supported over 1,550 participants through its initiatives with 250 participants going on to gain paid employment. Along with the 12+ bespoke academies, the NOW Group offers soft skills programmes and in the past year, has run over 1,000 courses.

Eye on News

LEADING ACCOUNTANCY FIRM TO JOIN SUMER GROUP

The Belfast office of one of Northern Ireland’s largest accountancy firms, ASM Chartered Accountants, has announced that it is joining the prestigious Sumer Group at the end of this month, to become Sumer Northern Ireland.

S

umer is the UK’s leading mid-market accountancy practice delivering professional support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK. It is a top 15 UK accountancy practice on a mission to champion SME businesses and offer local delivery with the benefits of the resources a national firm can bring.

Led by Managing Director, Brian Clerkin, Sumer Northern Ireland, with 10 Directors and over 100 staff, will continue to provide a comprehensive range of services including Audit and Accounting, Corporate Finance, Insolvency, Forensic Accounting, Internal Audit and Tax Services to its portfolio of public, private and not-for-profit sector clients.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with Sumer,” Brian said. “This represents an exciting new chapter for us, and we are confident that this strategic partnership will not only enhance our growth prospects, but it will also expand the range of services and expertise that we can offer to our client base.

“The Sumer Group and our firm share the same ethos of dedication and commitment to providing an excellent client-focussed service, so this partnership is a perfect fit.

“The business landscape is constantly evolving and our clients are subject to an array of economic challenges and opportunities,” Brian continued. “We believe that joining Sumer will enable us to tap into a wealth of knowledge and resources across the Sumer Group and leverage additional technology to assist our clients.

“Over the coming months, a further twenty members of staff will join our team which will further

The Belfast office of ASM Chartered Accountants, has announced that it is joining the prestigious Sumer Group at the end of this month, to become Sumer Northern Ireland. Pictured is Brian Clerkin, Managing Director of Sumer Northern Ireland, foreground, left, and Warren Mead, CEO of Sumer, foreground, right, and the Directors of Sumer Northern Ireland.

enhance our service offering.”

Warren Mead, Chief Executive Officer at Sumer welcomed Brian and the team to the Sumer Group. Warren commented: “We’re very pleased to welcome Sumer Northern Ireland to the Sumer Group. This partnership is exciting for both parties as it signals a time of expansion, and it also marks the opening of our first office in Northern Ireland.

“Brian and his team have a stellar reputation in the industry, and we have no doubt that this will continue as Sumer Northern Ireland grows and that their clients will continue to be serviced with the integrity and excellence that they’ve become accustomed to. Sumer Northern Ireland will be empowered to

do more in support of its clients and champion local business.

“The establishment of Sumer Northern Ireland will open up numerous opportunities for future expansion, and further acquisitions, driving our growth in the region.”

Brian concluded by confirming that the ASM Chartered Accountants’ other offices in Magherafelt, Dungannon, Newry and Dundalk would continue trading under the ASM brand and that the merger only affects the Belfast office.

“It is only the ASM Belfast office, with all its staff and Directors, that is becoming Sumer Northern Ireland,” Brian explained. “The team is really looking forward to the breadth of opportunities that this collaboration

with Sumer will bring to our clients.

“We’re very excited for the future and are confident that this merger will drive significant growth and success for Sumer Northern Ireland and our clients.”

To find out more about Sumer Northern Ireland and any upcoming recruitment opportunities, visit the website: www.sumerni.co.uk.

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Eye on News

CO Maxol CEO Brian Donaldson Wins Coveted NACS Industry Leader AwardSKI Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group, is this year’s recipient of the NACS Industry Leader of the Year award. The award was presented on 6 June during a special awards gala at the NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Barcelona.

“I

am honoured to receive this recognition and award from my peers. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Maxol team and support of the McMullan family.

Over the past decade, our collective efforts have driven the success and innovation that define our company today. I am proud of what we have achieved, and this award inspires us to continue our journey.” said Donaldson.

Donaldson, from County Down, joined Maxol Oil Limited in September 1986 as a graduate trainee and was actively involved in the development

of Maxol’s retail network in Northern Ireland. He quickly progressed to area manager, then to retail manager and was appointed general sales manager for Northern Ireland in 1995. In 2002, he served as a general manager of marketing and retail at The Maxol Group and was responsible for developing its extensive retail network, maximizing nonfuel income streams, developing food partner alliances with Mace/Spar and coordinating its marketing, sponsorship and PR activities throughout Ireland. From 2012 he was chief operating officer and in 2016 appointed CEO and has overseen a transformative strategy in repositioning

Maxol has an innovative convenience led brand through the introduction of Maxol’s own convenience concept in the Republic of Ireland with proprietary brands, ROSA coffee, Maxol deli and private label range.

He currently sits on the CBI NI Council and recently became chair of CBI NI’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group, which is driving significant improvements around charge-point provision across Northern Ireland.

Established by William McMullan in 1920, Maxol is a 104-year-old company and the largest familyowned convenience forecourt retailer in Ireland. With a network

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OSMETIC MOLE AND Cosmetic Mole & IN TAG Skin REMOVAL Tag Removal interview him about minor surgery for skin tag and mole removal:

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YPLZ WSLHZL JHSS 028 9042 3200 or email frontdesk@cosmetech.co.uk

Eye on News

Kitchen Specialist Potter Cowan Opens New State Of The Art Showroom In Belfast

Pictured at Potter Cowan’s new showroom are (L-R): Damien Treanor and Cormac McCloskey, co-owners of parent company Errigal, with Paul Lupari, Managing Director of Potter Cowan.

Potter Cowan, a leading name in kitchen solutions has announced the grand opening of its new cuttingedge showroom in Belfast. The milestone marks the culmination of a significant six-figure investment supported by the company’s trusted supply partners.

T

he expansive new interactive 3,000 sq ft working trade showroom, which is located at Potter Cowan’s head office in Duncrue Crescent in Belfast, features the latest on trend appliances, sinks and taps, worksurfaces, lighting and clever storage solutions.

The state-of-the-art showroom was launched at an event for customers, hosted by Potter Cowan’s new Managing Director Paul Lupari, who joined the business earlier this year. In addition to the launch of the showroom the business has

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also invested in a comprehensive brand refresh on its buildings, fleet, uniforms, marketing and website.

With over 75 years’ experience, Potter Cowan has a team of 50 staff working across their contracts and distribution divisions at branches in Belfast, Dublin and Cork, and a client base that reaches across the UK and Ireland.

Its contracts division has installed kitchens for local and national developers of large residential projects for over 20 years, building an excellent reputation in both London and Northern Ireland, where it counts many of the

region’s largest developers, including Ballymore, Lagan Homes and Lotus Homes amongst its longstanding clients.

The company’s long-established distribution division supplies a wide range of kitchen products including kitchens and appliances, sinks and taps, work surfaces and accessories to trade customers, sourced internationally from renowned kitchen manufacturers such as Formica, Caple, Minerva, and Sycamore.

Paul Lupari, Managing Director of Potter Cowan, said: “We were proud to welcome customers to the new Potter Cowan showroom today.

This investment demonstrates our commitment to driving innovation and delivering exceptional value to Potter Cowan’s clients. Our goal is to provide an enhanced, interactive experience that showcases the latest industry trends and cutting-edge products,

reinforcing our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our customers.”

Representatives from Errigal, Potter Cowan’s parent company, who acquired the business in 2022, were also in attendance at the event. Errigal’s co-owners, Cormac McCloskey and Damien Treanor, emphasised the mutual benefits of this investment, highlighting the strengthened relationship and enhanced offerings for their clients.

Cormac said: “Errigal’s success is based on building strong and trusted relationships with clients and continually enhancing our offering to give them the best experience. Potter Cowan is a highquality, well respected family business with great customers, and we believe that refreshing its brand and building this new showroom will position the business for further growth.”

Errigal acquired Potter Cowan for an undisclosed sum in 2022.

www.cityauctiongroup.com

www.cityauctiongroup.com

Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Making electric likeable Mazda’s MX-30 R-EV tackles range anxiety in a novel way, writes James Stinson.

C

ars aren’t cheap anymore… Prices have been going through the roof in recent years especially.

Covid and a worldwide chip shortage, followed by a spike in energy prices are to blame. But there are some encouraging signs that prices have stabilised and, in some cases, are even falling.

Some of the biggest price drops have been for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Manufacturers need to shift more electric cars to meet emissions targets and buyers are the beneficiaries.

The latest eye-catching price reduction comes from an unexpected quarter. Mazda is a relative latecomer to electric cars, launching its first batterypowered car, the MX-30, in 2021.

At the start of the year, entry level prices for the MX-30 were nearly £31,000 but Mazda has knocked £3,000 off every model meaning the cheapest all-electric Mazda can now be had for £27,995.

We’ve tested the MX-30 on these pages before and it’s fair to say we had mixed emotions. We liked the styling and the quality but were less impressed by its range and practicality.

The MX-30 is a tall, compact sports utility vehicle. It looks like a conventional five-door, but there are no pillars between the front and rear side doors.

The rears are small and hinged at their trailing edges, a bit like a London taxi.

And to open the rear door, you’ve got to open the front one first. It’s eye catching and unusual but not the most practical.

The small doors and sloping rear roofline mean the back of the MX-30 is a little dark and cramped and best suited for kids and smaller adults only.

We also weren’t fussed on the MX-30’s official 124-mile all-electric range.

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Mazda claims that’s more than enough for a lot of drivers but buyers appear sceptical. And that’s a great pity because the MX-30 is a super car in almost every other area. It looks great, feels refined and balanced on the road and has a beautiful, high-quality interior.

And maybe that’s where this latest plug-in hybrid R-EV range extender version comes in. The R-EV has an even smaller battery than the BEV version but also has a small petrol-powered rotary engine under the bonnet. In theory, the MX-30 R-EV can travel for up to 53 miles in electric only mode.

“MX-30 R-EV can travel for up to 53 miles in electric only mode. When that runs low, the petrol motor kicks in… not to power the wheels but to recharge the battery. It means the R-EV can travel for up to 400 miles without stopping to fill up or recharge.”

When that runs low, the petrol motor kicks in… not to power the wheels but to recharge the battery. It means the R-EV can travel for up to 400 miles without stopping to fill up or recharge.

On the road, the MX-30 R-EV delivers the same smooth driving experience as other BEVs. There’s some engine noise when the

engine kicks in… (when the battery runs low) but it’s not intrusive.

There are quicker EVs around but a sub 10 seconds 0-60mph time is adequate. And the relatively small 17.8 kWh battery means it doesn’t take long to charge either… less than an hour on a 7kw wallbox or just four hours from a conventional 3-pin socket.

As mentioned earlier, the interior is distinctive and classy, with lovely textured materials throughout.

The rear is compact and the boot is average but the overall look is pleasing and very distinctive.

It comes in three grades – Prime-Line, Exclusive-Line and Makoto. Standard equipment on all UK MX-30s includes LED headlights with daytime running lights, reversing camera, Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Intelligent Speed Assist, navigation and head-up display.

Sold alongside the Mazda MX-30 BEV, the MX-30 R-EV plug-in hybrid has benefitted from the same list price reductions and now starts from just £31,495. Generous tax benefits make it especially attractive for company car drivers but private buyers might be tempted too.

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

ACE IN MINI’S PACK

MINI has released prices for the all-new MINI Aceman - a funky new EV Crossover – which slots in between the MINI Cooper and MINI Countryman.

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he entry-level Aceman E uses a 42.5kWh battery that MINI expects to provide a range of up to 192 miles in one go, while its 181bhp front-mounted electric motor allows for 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds.

The Aceman SE gets a bigger 54.2kWh battery and a more powerful 215bhp e-motor, which

cuts the 0-62mph time down to 7.1 seconds and increases the range all the way to 252 miles.

The Aceman E and SE have maximum charging speeds of 75kW and 90kW respectively, which MINI says will allow for a 10-80% top-up in under 30 minutes for both versions.

It promises to be a fairly spacious too, with the rear seats able to accommodate six-footers with ease.

There’s 300 litres of boot space available and 1,005 litres to play with when the 60:40-split rear seats are folded down.

Order books for the MINI Aceman open in June, and the first examples are set to arrive with customers just in time for Christmas. Prices will start from £31,800 for the Aceman E and £36,300 for the Aceman SE, and both will be offered in three trim levels: Classic, Exclusive and Sport.

Standard kit on all models includes the circular OLED touchscreen with wireless smartphone connectivity, a heated steering wheel, rear-view camera, cruise control and other driver-assistance tech like blind-spot detection and cross-traffic warning.

The Aceman SE gets more kit as standard, however, namely a head-up display, wireless charging pad, heated front seats, keyless entry and customisable front and rear light signatures.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING The arrival of summer neatly coincides with the launch of a new range of VW California campervans.

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t gets a familiar look and a choice of twotone paint options, but is available in more trims and layouts than ever before, with the top-spec Coast and Ocean models featuring a small kitchenette with a single-ring gas hob.

It’s the first California to come with two sliding doors as standard, with one on each side of the van.

This means that both sides of the van can now be

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used for entering and exiting the rear and that the kitchen – with larger worktops, a hob, a coolbox and a sink – is now accessible from outside for the first time.

But the key interior feature is the addition of a new control unit with a 5.0 inch display, housed on the passenger-side C-pillar. This can be used to raise the pop-up roof, adjust the interior lighting, operate the fridge and heater and check the waste and water levels.

These features are also controllable through the driver’s smartphone and the touchscreen infotainment system.

The California will be available with a choice of petrol or diesel engines but is also the first Volkswagen camper to offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The powertrain range opens with Volkswagen’s

familiar four-cylinder turbo diesel engine with 147bhp. The petrol engine is a turbo four offering 201bhp. Both drive the front axle.

The PHEV variants come with Volkswagen’s 4Motion four-wheel-drive system and combine the firm’s 1.5-litre turbo petrol four with an electric motor and a battery.

Five specification levels are available on the California: Beach, Beach Tour, Beach Camper, Coast and Ocean.

Volkswagen describes the entry-level Beach as “essentially a Multivan with a manual pop-up roof”.

It has six seats, meaning there’s no room for a bed below, so there are only two sleeping berths.

The Beach Tour has five seats that can be folded flat to form a bed, with a mattress included. It also adds rotatable front seats, a folding table, two folding chairs housed in a bootlid compartment, sliding windows and that new digital control panel.

Volkswagen said the Beach Tour represents its “classic camper van”, adding kitchen elements such as a single-ring gas cooker, a cutlery drawer and more storage space. It also gains a 230V power supply.

The Coast drops to four seats but gets a larger, well-packaged kitchen, adding a fridge, cabinets, a sink and a second camper battery.

The Ocean gets all of that plus fabric seats made from recycled materials (with heating function for the driver and passenger), an auxiliary air heater, climate control and a roof-positioned storage box.

The new T7 California goes on sale in June priced from around £65,000, with the top spec plug-in hybrid Ocean likely to cost from £80,000 upwards.

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CORPORATE FLEET & FINANCE AND LCV SUPER SALE EVENT 150 VEHICLES GOING, GOING, GONE! EVERY THURSDAY at 11am

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