Business Eye May June 2022 by Buckley Publications

Issue 215 May/June 2022 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

A Material Difference Danske Bank & Tailored Image Features:

Mairead Mackle’s Tarasis Business With A Conscience At Its Core

Manufacturing in Northern Ireland - Strength & Potential Despite The Challenges

NIE Networks Business Eye Family Business Awards 2022

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Contents

May/June 2022 ISSUE 215

Remain 09 Challenges For Hotel Sector

Hotel performance here in Northern Ireland showed a radical improvement, not surprisingly, during 2021 but plenty of challenges remain according to the latest NI Hotel Industry Survey from ASM Chartered Accountants.

Some of the leading figures in Northern Ireland’s Tourism & Hospitality Sector give us their views on the state of play as we head into the 2022 summer season, and the headwinds and challenges facing one of our most important industries.

Barclay Communications & Firmus Link For Contact Centre First

Barclay Communications, the business mobile, landline and IT provider, has partnered with natural gas company Firmus Energy to launch a brand new contact centre concept.

A Material 20 Difference Designing clothing with the environment in mind is very much on trend for Danske Bank uniform makers Tailored Image. Business Eye talks to the company about the steps it is taking as a traditional manufacturing company to become more sustainable.

Perfect Storm Or Clear Skies Ahead?

What does the forecast look like for Northern Ireland? As we once again dominate the headlines on a national and international basis, any observer would be forgiven for thinking that we are beset by gale force winds with an economy that must be on the brink. BDO’s Michael Jennings & Brian Murphy give their view.

Kingsbridge Unveils NI’s First Cardiac Surgery & Intensive Care Unit

Kingsbridge Healthcare Group (KHG), Northern Ireland’s leading independent healthcare company has officially launched its private cardiac surgery service; the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. It marks the latest step forward by one of our most ambitious companies.

Tourism & Hospitality Challenges Ahead

North Coast Investment

One of Europe’s most sustainable hotels, the SaltHouse at Ballycastle, is to expand on the back of a £3.5 million cash injection. The hotel’s owners plan new bungalows and a new look restaurant at the hotel’s site on the hill above the the town.

Tech Futures - From Cables To Live Music

The very latest developments across the world of technology, from charging cables and live music and much more besides, brought to you in association with tech experts Nitec Solutions.

Manufacturing Month Highlights The Strength Of The Sector

Despite many challenges, the robust health and enormous potential of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector was in the spotlight throughout May’s Manufacturing Month here.

New Chair For Chartered Accountants Body

Northern Ireland’s chartered accountants have a new Chair. PwC Audit Partner Emma Murray has taken over the chain of office from Maeve Hunt.

NIE Networks Business Eye Family Business Awards

A look back to the very first NIE Networks Business Eye Family Business Awards in association with Harbinson Mulholland, which took place in May at the Culloden Estate & Spa.

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It was always inevitable that the postBrexit environment would be challenging for businesses in Northern Ireland, but no one really suspected that the Northern Ireland Protocol would become the dominant theme that it has.

Comment

“For the UK Government to go off on a solo run and impose its own changes looks, smells and feels very dangerous and potentially even more damaging to the Northern Ireland economy.”

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

s things stand, the protocol is dominating politics here, it’s the reason why our newly elected Assembly and the resulting Executive is on ice, it’s working out very well for some businesses and it’s causing problems for others. There is a fair degree of nonsense talked about the protocol. Take the claims of some in the DUP, our largest unionist party. From Gregory Campbell’s commemmorative tin of shortbread through to Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s claim that our economy is being pillaged by the protocol, it’s hyperbole and nothing else. In fact, recent figures from the FT showed that only two regions in the entire UK are bucking the lack of growth trend. One is London, the other Northern Ireland. It’s a fact that Sir Jeffrey the DUP and other unionist parties prefer to ignore. But unionist concerns can’t simply be written off and ignored. They’re right to say that we’re still in a supposed grace period and that the protocol has still be implemented in all its might. And, if they have deep-seated constitutional objections, then these can’t simply be written off either. Most agree that there are bound to be ways in which the worst elements of the protocol can be tinkered with to produce the right result. As a method of making Brexit work for all concerned, it’s not going anywhere. It can only be changed, and it would be all the better if it could be changed with the agreement of both key parties – the UK and the EU. For the UK Government to go off on a solo run and impose its own changes looks, smells and feels very dangerous and potentially even more damaging to the Northern Ireland economy.

It’s also not what the Northern Ireland economy needs just at the moment. Not only have we just emerged from the pandemic, but we’re also facing some of the strongest headwinds we’ve had to face for quite some time. Fuel prices are rocketing, raw material prices (as a result) are going in the same direction, recession looks entirely possible and there’s also the small matter of serious staff shortages across a number of different sectors. But, if we don’t need a trade war and economic crisis brought on by a hasty UK government move on the protocol, we also don’t need to kind of street unrest being threatened by some loyalist activists and mentioned by some unionist leaders. As has been said many, many times before, one or two images of bricks being thrown on our streets or buses being burned and our economy, not just the tourist one, takes an almost immediate nosedive. It’s all very well for leaders like Doug Beattie to warn sagely about potential trouble on our streets if the protocol situation isn’t sorted out to some people’s liking. It’s incumbent on unionist leaders, Beattie, Donaldson and Jim Allister included, to try to make sure that it doesn’t happen. If, once again, they wind up their constituents to fever pitch and then hold their hands up in horrors when the trouble starts, they should be held to account. Think now and act now before it all gets out of hand.

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Eye on News

Labour Relations Agency launches all new Employer Toolkit for NI businesses

A brand-new online toolkit, developed to help existing and growing businesses navigate the diverse rules and regulations of the employment landscape, has been launched by the Labour Relations Agency (LRA).

ree to use and totally impartial, the new service is accessible via the LRA’s website (www.lra.org.uk) and outlines the full range of policies and procedures needed for the workplace, particularly as organisations adapt to new ways of working in a post-pandemic world. All businesses across NI, irrespective of size, scale, or sector, can use the online toolkit which provides the most up to date employment advice, draft documentation and information on a single platform. Each document can be downloaded and either replicated or adapted to fit the specific needs of the organisation. This includes a ‘Written Statement of Employment Particulars’ template, an essential document that must

Helen Smyth, the Labour Relations Agency and Zara King, Glover & King Solicitors unveil the new online toolkit which is free for all NI businesses.

be issued to new employees within two months of commencing employment. Other areas covered range from the prevention and management of disputes within the workplace to handling sickness absence. Topical issues such as harassment, bullying, and supporting employees through the menopause are also fully covered. According to Employment Relations Manager Helen Smyth, the online toolkit enables employers to be fully up to speed on employee rights and responsibilities: “The aim of the new toolkit is to offer employers and HR practitioners a highly efficient guide which is not only accessible but easy to use and understand. It is empowering and confidencebuilding as it encourages businesses and workforces to be more informed and in control of all the policies and procedures they have in place.” The launch of the toolkit supplements the vast array of free information available from the LRA. This includes the recently published Hybrid Working Guide, which aims to support businesses and organisations as workforces continue to return to offices after two years of home working. Minister for the Economy, Gordon

Lyons welcomed the new addition to the LRA’s suite of services: “I wish to commend the LRA on their development of an Online Employer Toolkit that will assist both new and existing businesses in Northern Ireland navigate our employment relations rules and regulations and adopt best practice in employment relations generally. I am sure many will benefit from having the most up to date employment advice, draft documentation and information on policies and procedures needed for the workplace, all within a single platform, accessible online and free of charge.” County Antrim business, Glover and King Solicitors is just one of the many organisations that have already benefited from the online service. Company Director Zara King said: “As a small firm, the employment toolkit was a tremendous help to our business. We’re grateful to the LRA for their support and guidance in introducing us to this service.” “It’s easy to use and helps point you in the right direction in terms of your specific business needs. I would highly recommend this online tool to any organisation.”

Eye on News

Danske Bank first bank to allow multi-bank account viewing Danske Bank has become the first bank in the UK to create a digital solution that lets business customers view all of their accounts and payments across multiple banks in one place.

hrough Danske’s online business banking platform ‘District’ businesses can now get a full overview of their finances and gain a single point of entry to their accounts and transactions, including those with other banks, without needing to switch between different banking platforms. Following an initial pilot stage, over 60 local businesses in Northern Ireland are now using the new account aggregation functionality. One of those customers is Co Antrimbased Wilsons Auctions. The familyowned business has grown from a single auction site in Northern Ireland to the largest independent auction company in the UK and Ireland, with 19 sites across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and an annual hammer total in excess of £400m. Paul Clarkin, Finance Director of Wilsons Auctions, said:

“At Wilsons Auctions we operate bank accounts with a number of UK banks but Danske Bank are our lead bank. Using this feature within Danske’s online banking platform has simplified the Group’s ability to process customer payments. We can now see all incoming payments in one handy location which improves our workflow and frees up time for other tasks. “It also means we have one quick snapshot of all our bank balances on a live basis throughout the day without dealing with passwords, fobs and multi factor authentication for all our other banks. It looks like a modest change, but it has had a big impact.” David Thompson, Head of Digital Channels at Danske Bank UK, said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to bank with us and make how they manage their day-to-day business easier.

Karen Kennedy, Senior Cash Manager Danske Bank; Paul Clarkin, Finance Director of Wilsons Auctions and David Thompson, Head of Digital Channels at Danske Bank UK pictured at Wilsons Auctions Mallusk.

That means continually investing in innovative new digital features to improve the customer experience. We’re delighted with the feedback so far. Customers have told us they are saving time because they have all the information they need on one screen, which helps them make business decisions based on

a full overview of their finances”. The new solution is based on open banking, which connects banks, third parties and technical providers – enabling them to simply and securely exchange data to their customers’ benefit. It was developed in partnership with Denmark-based open banking specialists Aiia.

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Eye on News

Almac Launches New Funded Degree Apprenticeship Programme

Almac Group has launched its new degree apprenticeship programme, Almac Accelerate, in partnership with Ulster University which will begin in September 2022.

he ‘earn as you learn’ threeyear programme aims to kickstart an exceptional career in Almac for four successful candidates. Almac Accelerate combines a fully funded BSc. Honours Degree in Leading on Customer Operations and paid work experience within either Almac Clinical Services’ Project Management or Procurement teams at the company’s global headquarters in Craigavon. The application process is now live and is open to students with, or who are about to qualify with, a Level 3 qualification. The four available places are funded by the Department for Economy’s Higher Level Apprenticeship programme. As with Almac’s other award-winning Higher-Level

Apprenticeship programmes, this new initiative includes a structured programme of tailored on-thejob training and mentorship to support and guide the apprentices throughout their studies. Almac Accelerate will give students an opportunity to secure a permanent position in the company upon award of their degree and a clear career path into more senior roles across the company. In addition to a debt-free degree, the successful candidates will also receive an attractive benefits package including a competitive salary, flexible working patterns, annual bonuses and employer pension contributions. Kelly Neill, Head of Project Services at Almac Clinical Services, said: “Through Almac Accelerate

Kelly Neill, Head of Project Services at Almac Clinical Services, Ruth Mercer, Course Director at Ulster University Business School and Professor Gillian Armstrong, Associate Dean of the Ulster University Business School, launch the new Almac Accelerate programme.

we’re eager to support young adults in developing their business skills and experience, while working towards a very practical degree with truly applicable modules for the workplace. “With the ever-increasing costs of third level education and the struggle to get hands-on experience, degree apprenticeships are a win-win for both the students and Almac. “Sir Allen McClay was a huge advocate of supporting jobs in the local community and this apprentice program is a continuation of his legacy. This year will be the start of what we expect to be a hugely successful program that will grow year on year, securing the talent that Almac needs to allow us to continue to excel in the future.” Ruth Mercer, Course Director at Ulster University Business

School said: “We are very excited to partner with Almac to offer this pioneering Degree Apprenticeship. The delivery of customer operations globally is evolving rapidly, and the part-time BSc (Hons) Leading on Customer Operations programme has been designed to equip employers with the next generation of customer-centric leaders. “Apprentices will benefit from the innovative and jobrelevant applied learning, and a rewarding career path. Strategic partnerships, like this, between academia and industry, will continue to play an instrumental role in ensuring the workforce is equipped with the skills of the future. This investment from Almac signals their commitment to creating a diverse talent pool and we’re delighted to support that ambition.”

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Eye on News

SPAR 60th anniversary event raises over £160,000 for local charities

SPAR NI celebrated 60 years in Northern Ireland last year, and were finally able to mark the milestone with a gala ball which took place at the ICC at the end of March, raising over £160,000 for Marie Curie NI and Cancer Fund for Children in just one night.

he money will be split equally between the two charities which partner with SPAR, EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA retailers in Northern Ireland. Bringing together over 700 retailers, suppliers, special guests, directors and employees from across the SPAR and Henderson Group network, the SPAR 60th Gala Ball turned out to be a big hit for all who attended, with sixties entertainers, tribute acts, a live and silent auction and a lot of dancing to headline act, Billy Ocean. The event allowed SPAR’s guests to reminisce on the last 60 years, looking back to Henderson’s beginnings at St. George’s Market in the late 1800s, reflect on the organisations

SPAR NI has worked with, and their contributions to charity, appreciating the huge impact they have made to communities across Northern Ireland. Charity and community have been at the heart of the Henderson Group since their beginning, and a display looking back at the past 60 years included the words of former Chairman, John Agnew, “Giving back is an integral part of our business and has grown substantially since my father began to keep note of charitable support in a little black book, which I still have!” The red-carpet event, was kindly sponsored by Coca-Cola as diamond sponsor and generously supported by numerous SPAR suppliers, was hosted by Claire McCollum and began

Henderson Group Sales and Marketing Director, Paddy Doody (centre) with Phil Alexander, CEO at Cancer Fund for Children (left) and Conor O’Kane, Partnership Manager at Marie Curie NI, celebrating the £160,000 raised by SPAR NI throughout their 60thanniversary year in 2021.

with an opening address from Martin Agnew, Joint Chairman and Managing Director of Henderson Group. The guests enjoyed entertainment from Peter Corry Productions and watched local artist Stephen Whalley paint an ode to Belfast during the meal, which was then auctioned off later in the night. The glitz and glam continued with a dazzling performance, complete with Sixties costumes, a Marilyn Monroe tribute act and a huge 60th Birthday cake to top off the celebrations for SPAR. One of the main events of the night was the silent auction, which included much sought-after items such as a signed and framed montage from Shane Lowry, who recently came third in the Masters, a trip to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a Terry Bradley original painting, along with luxurious hotel breaks, to name but a few. The celebrations continued as everyone got on their feet to dance the night away to an

amazing performance from headline act, Billy Ocean, followed by an impressive Take That tribute band who closed the night. A fantastic night was had by all, but the greatest success was the impressive £160,000 raised for local charities. Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group said; “Thank you to everyone who attended the unforgettable night, helping us celebrate 60 years of SPAR but more importantly, helping us raise vital funds for Marie Curie NI and Cancer Fund for Children. “The money raised will be an incredible help to both these charities. £80,000 is the equivalent of 4,000 hours of care from a Marie Curie nurse in the community or could help Cancer Fund for Children provide over 80 families (or 400 individual family members) with a therapeutic short break to Daisy Lodge. Such important services that we’re thrilled to be able to help continue.”

Helping Northern Ireland grow again

They helped us diversify during the pandemic. Susie and Bob, Burren Balsamics, Co Armagh

It’s daunting when most of your order book is slashed practically overnight due to coronavirus. That was the dilemma facing Burren Balsamics. But with cool heads, they quickly re-invented themselves with help from their Small Business Adviser at Danske Bank. Very soon their new offshoot, Letterbox Larder, was up and running. And, happily, it’s now well on its way to making some very tasty returns.

Watch their story and see how we’re actively supporting local business danskebank.co.uk/grow

Eye on News

MCG Investments Appoints New Advisory Board

MCG Investments has announced the appointment of a new advisory board to help lead it through the next stage of its ambitious expansion plan following a record year of growth which has seen the property investment company record its first seven figure turnover with transactions over £1.2M.

he new advisory board comprises of Mairead Mackle MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Tarasis Enterprises, a diverse suite of progressive businesses across several industries including healthcare, support, housing solutions and renewables; Eugene O’Neill, Managing Director of Inspired Corporate Advisory and a highly experienced R&D tax credit and Capital Allowances specialist and entrepreneur and

Leadership Coach, June Burgess, who is well-known for building and operating the Fitzwilliam Hotel in Belfast before she sold it in 2015. Tanya McGeehan, Managing Director of MCG Investments said: “This is a very exciting time for MCG Investments and our growing list of sister companies. To have attracted three highly respected and successful local business powerhouses such as Eugene, June and Mairead to our Board is a massive boost to the

Tanya McGeehan (second left), Managing Director of MCG Investments welcomes the property investment company’s new advisory board members - entrepreneur and Leadership Coach, June Burgess; Eugene O’Neill, Managing Director of Inspired Corporate Advisory and Mairead Mackle MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Tarasis Enterprises.

company and our future plans. They each bring such a wealth and diverse experience that will be invaluable to me and my team as we continue to build on the growth of the company at the rate that we have been doing so over the last number of years.” “As Managing Director of a property investment company, I take my responsibilities very seriously from a governance, compliance and strategic perspective and I know that the advice and direction of the new Board members will be critical to the future success of the business. I am really looking forward to the engagement from the new Board members and our staff and wider team are also very

excited to see how far we can take the company from our humble kitchen table beginnings to the boardroom going forward.” Mairead Mackle MBE added: “The remarkable growth of MCG Investments in a few short years is testament to the fantastic work Tanya and the team have been carrying out. Myself and my fellow board members are looking forward to supporting this in the months and years ahead and we are confident, that collectively, we will help the company continue to thrive and keep it going on an upward trajectory.”

Eye on Incentives

Thinking of rewarding your staff? Think local and choose the Belfast City Centre Gift Card 1 The Belfast City Centre Gift Card makes the perfect staff reward or incentive. Your employees will be able to choose from local independent businesses, big retail brands, cafes, restaurants, hotels and Bars. All while knowing they are supporting local. 2 100% of the Gift Card spend is retained in Belfast City Centre’s economy, thanks to the support of over 200 Businesses, they are making it even easier to shop, stay and dine in our amazing City Centre. 3 Gift Cards are processed locally and delivered locally from Belfast City Centre. They are valid for 12 months allowing your staff to spread the spend wherever and on whatever they like.

Michael Edwards, Director of TODD Architects is a supporter of the Gift Card: “The Belfast City Centre gift card was an ideal gift for employees at our Belfast studio. We wanted to contribute positively to the local economy while also giving our people the freedom to choose how to use their gift across the wide array of participating outlets. The process for purchasing the cards and delivery was seamless and we would not hesitate to recommend the gift card to other organisations looking for ways to reward / incentivise staff.” Natalia O Hanlon from Maldron Hotel Belfast City Centre also uses the Gift Card for guests, “For me they offer incredible

Your employees will be able to choose from local independent retail businesses, big retail brands, cafes, restaurants, hotels and bars.

Spend is retained in Belfast One, Linen Qtr. and Cathedral Qtr. BID Areas thanks to the support of over 200 City Centre Businesses who are making it even easier to shop, stay and dine in our amazing City Centre.

flexibility to be used for shopping, dining, entertainment and we now also use these in a package for guests to experience Belfast city. We look forward to a longstanding working relationship and so far it has been delightful!” You can Buy a Gift Card online at www.belfastgiftcard.co.uk or for larger corporate orders or further information contact karen@belfastone.co.uk The Belfast City Centre Gift Card initiative is a partnership funded by the Belfast Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) Belfast One, Linen Quarter and Destination CQ. So far the scheme has generated over £200k worth of sales, directly benefitting the City Centre Businesses involved.

Gift Cards are processed locally and delivered locally. You can buy a Gift Card online at For larger corporate orders c SCAN TO ORDER

Eye on News

Barclay Communications Links With Firmus For Gamma Centre First

Barclay Communications, the business mobile, landline and IT provider, has partnered with natural gas company firmus energy to bring a brand new service to its entire team.

he partnership will see firmus energy become the first business in Northern Ireland to provide a Gamma contact centre. It follows on from another threeyear contract between the companies. The Horizon Cloud Gamma Centre will allow firmus energy to engage with customers more easily and simplify customer interaction in what is one of the industry’s most complete business phone systems. A cloud-based contact centre solution integrates

Britt Megahey, Managing Director, Barclay Communications and Niall Martindale, Interim Managing Director at firmus energy

seamlessly with the wider Horizon infrastructure which allows agents to easily handle calls from their web browser and supervisors to manage the call queues and keep on top of the agent’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in real time. The new system also provides a rich new customer contact experience for voice, email, web chat and more allowing agents to work from anywhere on any device. firmus employs over 100 people, most of which are heavily reliant on effective communication both internally and externally between colleagues and clients. Barclay Communications has worked with firmus energy since 2019. The Horizon Cloud Gamma Centre took 10 weeks to become fully operational and will mark a first for Northern Ireland. It gives the energy provider’s customers a whole new omni-channel

experience in a time of digital evolution. Speaking about the partnership, Britt Megahey, Managing Director, Barclay Communications said: “We are delighted to partner with firmus energy on what is a real communications transformation. It is proof of firmus energy’s commitment to its customers that they have invested in the new system for its contact centre allowing the company to be at the forefront of its field. “Gamma Contact Centres offer customers an experience unlike any other. It’s a convenient advanced response to a fast moving world. “Our teams are really passionate about customer experience. We assigned a Project Management team who operated on-site to support the rollout alongside a team of engineers. Prior to install, the system was discussed extensively and pre-built in a trial phase which ensured a really smooth transition.” Niall Martindale, Interim Managing Director at firmus energy, added: “We wanted a telephone solution that would enable our team to work effectively from home whilst making sure quality standards remained as high as ever. Our customer services team are the centre focus for inbound and outbound customer queries so it is essential they have a system that gives them the same capability as they would have working from the office. “As we now live in a hybrid working environment, this new system gives us flexibility and ensures we continue to offer a premium service to our valued and prospective customers. “The Barclay Communications team has been fantastic to deal with, showing real expertise from start to finish. We are very pleased to be partnered with a provider that not only offers a robust and reliable solution, but exceptional customer service.” Joseph Manning, Regional Sales Manager at Gamma says, “Barclay has always pioneered the Gamma vision. They are the fastest growth Platinum Partner throughout the channel and achieve phenomenal growth year on year through the extensive range of Gamma products. The team share the same vision to deliver the best possible solutions and has adapted quickly to the ever-changing market. We were delighted to see one of our flagship products complement two fantastic organisations in Barclay Communications and firmus energy.

Eye on Law

The Fawcett report raises an urgent call to action for employers to address menopause in the workplace. Leeanne Armstrong from UK law firm TLT comments:

arlier this month, the Fawcett Society, sponsored by The Wates Group, published what is believed to be the largest ever survey in the UK of menopausal women entitled, ‘Menopause and the Workplace.’ The results of the survey were alarming: • One in ten women who have worked during the menopause have left their job due to their symptoms. • Eight out of ten women said their employer had not shared information, trained staff, or put in place a menopause absence policy. • 44% of women said their ability to work had been affected by menopause, with 61% of those saying their symptoms have resulted in a loss of motivation, and 52% saying they had lost their confidence. With people over 50 making up nearly one third of the working age population, this must become a matter of priority for UK employers if they are to attract and retain valuable female talent.

Fawcett recommendations The Fawcett report has called for increased legal protection under UK equality laws. One suggestion has been the creation of a standalone menopause provision. To date, we have seen women successfully take menopause related claims in the Employment Tribunals under existing antidiscrimination provisions covering age, sex and disability. However, Fawcett considers it is insufficient with menopause falling “in the cracks between” those existing protected characteristics.

Other recommendations include the introduction of mandatory action plans on menopause as part of gender pay gap reporting requirements, and flexible working as a default position for all jobs where this is a possibility. In Great Britain, where there is a mandatory gender pay gap (GPG) reporting regime for employers, there is currently no legal requirement to also publish an action plan to eliminate any GPG, but Fawcett considers that the creation of a plan to take “well-evidenced, low-cost actions to support women with menopause” is key to closing it.

Workplace menopause policies The creation of a workplace menopause policy is an important means of showing employer commitment to tackling the challenges menopause can create for ageing female employees, and promoting a corporate culture that supports and empowers women going through the menopause to discuss their physical and mental symptoms at work. When devising a menopause policy, employers should consider: • Training line managers and HR teams to notice the signs of menopause and handle any conversations sensitively. Organisations may benefit from investing in training for employees to become menopause champions. • Gender specific risk assessments to help inform small practical adjustments that will promote the health, safety and well-being (physical and mental) of an employee going through menopause.

Leeanne Armstrong from UK law firm TLT

This may include things like providing a desk fan, or easy access to cold drinking water to alleviate someone’s symptoms. • Signposting employees to sources of internal and external support such as a support helpline or access to GP advice. Employers may wish to consider bringing in external professionals and charities to help raise menopause awareness. • Making adjustments to existing workplace policies and procedures – for example a dress code policy may be challenging for someone experiencing menopause symptoms, and allowing more flexibility on clothing could make a big difference to their comfort in work. The strict application of procedures to address poor performance or sickness absence could adversely impact employees experiencing

symptoms such as anxiety and depression, brain fog and/ or memory loss. Adjustments to workload, deadlines or absence management triggers could address the impact.

Conclusion The increased focus on tackling the effects of menopause in the workplace is to be welcomed. Increased discussion, including at government level, about positive employment strategies and the implementation of policies to support menopausal females can only help to remove the long existing stigma of the subject, provide the necessary practical adjustments for impacted employees, and prevent the loss of valuable female talent from the labour market.

Eye on Insurance

AbbeyAutoline can help you navigate challenging times Northern Irish Businesses are still navigating through one of the most unpredictable, challenging periods of all time.

lthough May brought a fanfare of political excitement and promise, issues relating to rising inflation and the cost of living still remain post elections. The Bank of England Monetary Policy Report in May reported that inflation was predicted to increase to 10% this year. It has currently soared to 9%, the highest level in 40 years The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also warned that the cost-of-living crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will slow the economic recovery from the pandemic. With such drastic increases

in inflation and dramatic world events, insurance requirements are constantly changing which can be difficult for businesses to pilot. At AbbeyAutoline, we have a team of commercial experts who are dedicated to helping you put in place the right types of cover. They will guide you through the many industry specific legal regulations and obligations you may also need to consider. Rising inflation is contributing to the underinsurance risk too. Businesses are becoming increasingly concerned about surging prices, which are not only a challenge to the day to day running of the business but also

to the level of cover that needs to be in place. Having a broker that knows you and your business can be a salvation for your company. If suitable cover isn’t in place, a business may struggle to recover without the financial pay out that suitable insurance protection can provide. Making sure that your business has the right cover arranged at the right level should be a serious consideration. Business insurance protects you from an array of risks such as: loss, theft and damage to equipment, property damage, business interruption, employee sickness or injury in the workplace, public injury or property damage caused by your business, third party business or financial loss caused by your work. Your broker will help you assess any additional elements

of cover you may need, so you have a tailored package that safeguards you against a wide range of risks to your business. Our team work with some of the largest insurance companies across the UK and Europe and we are constantly working hard to negotiate the best possible prices we can offer and cover for our business clients. Our team will help you assess any additional elements of cover you may need, so you have a tailored package that safeguards you against a wide range of risks to your business. At AbbeyAutoline our team of dedicated experts are ready to help. To find out how we can assist your business visit www.abbeyautoline.co.uk

Eye on Cover Story

A Material Difference Designing clothing with the environment in mind is very much on trend for Danske Bank uniform makers Tailored Image. Business Eye spoke with the company about the steps it is taking as a traditional manufacturing company to become more sustainable.

hen was the last time you stopped and considered what the clothes you wear to work are made of and how they were made? For most of us, it’s probably never, or only in passing. It might surprise you then to find out that a local company based here in Northern Ireland has developed the technology to create tailored uniforms which have as many as 45 recycled plastic bottles woven into their material. Innovative design-led uniform and workwear manufacturer Tailored Image is a family business, founded by Celia

Birt that has been making and supplying uniform clothing for employers in a range of industries for almost 25 years, with close to 100 staff operating from two sites in Dungannon, Co Tyrone. The business has a strong footprint in transport (airlines, buses, trains), what it calls “blue light” (fire service and health care), the hospitality sector and retail, with customers including London bus operator Go Ahead plc, Metroline, Translink and Bus Eireann. It has invested in making its website and fully interactive online ordering portal as intuitive as ordering from a high street brand. The company

services customers across the UK, Ireland and Europe. Company Directors Brendan and Bernard Birt believe that as forward-thinking companies look for new ways to improve sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint, work uniforms offer a new, and perhaps slightly unexpected, way to make a real difference. “Pre-Covid there was a small box on tender documents relating to sustainability, but the world has now woken up to it,” explains Bernard. “Manufacturers in other parts of the clothing industry are becoming more sustainable because consumers and

(L-R) Paula Duggan, Business Banking Manager, Danske Bank; Chris Martin, Head of Sustainability at Danske Bank; Brendan Birt, Operations Director, and Bernard Birt, Managing Director, Tailored Image.

end users are demanding it and in our sector, that’s now also being reflected in tenders and the subsequent award of contracts. In the award process there is now a significant weighting given to sustainability that wasn’t there before. We welcome that.” Tailored Image had been taking what Bernard calls “baby steps” in order to cut its environmental impact for a number of years, reducing plastic packaging, recycling more material, reducing waste and getting rid of plastic hangars. The company continues to consult with its customers on how to reduce waste and says customers

are receptive, particularly if it also lowers their own costs. But it was in 2019 that its team found an innovative way to take the same approach to its core product. Working with their fabric manufacturing partners and the airline easyJet it developed a fabric with four-way stretch characteristics with the added bonus of the polyester element of the fabric being produced from recycled bottles – with approximately 45 in every suit. “I think design-led innovation is in our DNA as a company,” says Bernard. “We’re customerfocused product people and we love projects that allow us to collaborate on designs in a three-

way process between us, the customer and the manufacturer.” While easyJet was the first major brand to roll out this new type of clothing, in a few months Danske Bank in Northern Ireland will introduce its new uniforms using the same technology. Chris Martin, Head of Sustainability at Danske Bank, comments: “While sustainability issues are firmly on the agenda here in Northern Ireland and companies want to take action, what we continue to hear from business customers of all sizes is that many of them are still not really sure where to start. “As a bank we’re committed to helping Northern Ireland

businesses adapt to the net zero future and to see climate action not just as a cost, but as a growth opportunity. That’s why we worked with Business in the Community to develop a climate literacy programme for businesses.” The Climate Action Programme includes training workshops delivered by Business in the Community to help participants understand climate change causes and consequences, learn how to measure their own carbon footprint, create a strategy to mitigate their own climate impact, and ultimately to commit to cutting their greenhouse gas

Eye on Cover Story

Oonagh Murtagh, Head of Danske Bank’s South Business Centre with Brendan and Bernard Birt.

emissions by up to 50% by 2030. By the end of the year Danske Bank will have facilitated as many as 50 of its customers to take part in the programme. As a Danske Bank customer, as well as a supplier, Tailored Image was invited to take part. “The programme was great timing for us,” says Brendan. “The ultimate aim for us is net zero, that’s where we want to be, but we know we need to take steps to get there. It’s not just about making a commitment; we have pledged to put a plan into action.” Following the programme, Tailored Image partnered with Carbon Neutral Britain to measure its carbon footprint. It will soon report on how much carbon the business produces and offset that by investing in reforestation and renewable projects. The business plans to achieve Carbon Neutral status by the end of the third quarter 2022. The company’s staff have bought into the process and are working with customers on other innovations to reduce waste, such as ways to upgrade old uniforms, offering cleaning and repair services, turning old uniforms into insulation and even running a rental service for dress uniforms

“As a bank we’re committed to helping Northern Ireland businesses adapt to the net zero future and to see climate action not just as a cost, but as a growth opportunity. That’s why we worked with Business in the Community to develop a climate literacy programme for businesses.”

only worn occasionally. Tailored Image says certain customers are now also thinking about how to brand garments in ways that will allow them to be reused by others when they are no longer needed. “We are aware of the impact we have, so we feel like we have to do something real, something we can measure. We’ll all have to get a bit uncomfortable with it until we are on top of it. Reporting our carbon impact is a good first milestone, but it’s not the end goal,” Brendan adds. “We have been making Danske Bank’s uniforms for a number of years and we know how committed they are to being a sustainable and responsible business. They are asking all the right questions. We have a long way to go but we’re glad

we’ve made a start on our journey.” Oonagh Murtagh, Head of South Business Centre at Danske Bank, said Tailored Image is a great example for other family-owned businesses in Northern Ireland. “We’re committed to supporting ambitious SMEs and family enterprises as they look for new opportunities to develop and grow their businesses. Tailored Image is already a leader in its field and is using product and service innovation to respond to its customers’ sustainability needs in a way that differentiates the company from its competition.”

Eye on Cloud Communications

Scale-up success: How to drive performance and productivity Radius Connect Ireland Director Stephen McQuoid says increasing productivity can be a challenge, but by introducing some quick, simple, worthwhile and cost-effective solutions, increased growth, greater competitiveness and confidence can easily be achieved.

he quest for workplace efficiency never stops. Yet, it’s importance in the face of a challenging economic environment, soaring energy costs, tough competition and a fight for skills and talent means it’s never been more important. Northern Ireland faces a particular productivity challenge too. It remains the poorest performing region in the UK at almost 20 percent below the UK average. Key to improving prosperity, in a post-pandemic era, closing the productivity gap by addressing underperformance and driving new efficiencies to stay in the game will be the key issue ahead. While the simple things can often be the hardest and which require particular focus – ensuring you have a strong, committed team in a solid organisational structure that works for example – there are simple and exciting approaches available to boost efficiency and keep a track on your progress. For many local businesses, running a fleet in the face of sky-high fuel costs is now one of the biggest challenges and something which needs careful management and an innovative approach to stay on top. Telematics is one easy way to help lift the burden of one of your biggest business costs. This incredibly accessible technology has the instant power to help save fuel and cut costs by analysing driver behaviour, identifying areas for improvement including better route and time management for staff. By driving down fuel use, telematics can also help a business become more sustainable by monitoring CO2 emissions and the positive downward impact this innovative solution can make on the environment. You will even get alerts when vehicles are due for maintenance based on date, mileage or others factors to help keep your fleet in tip top shape. At Radius, we provide best-in-class telematics systems that combine pioneering technology that will make a difference to your business and bottom

line and, when used in conjunction with fuel card data, vehicle tracking provides an unparalleled picture of fuel spend and vehicle activity. Through our island-wide DCI division, from Belfast to Cork and Galway to Dublin, Radius has been serving the local business community with fuel cards, providing a cost-effective fuel management solution that enables our clients to manage their vehicles and fleets with real-time online invoices using our industry leading management solution called Velocity. Using a smartphone app, on one simple dashboard you can get a comprehensive tracking system that provides up-to-the-minute information on your fleet’s status, journey history and driver performance for the last 30 days.

“The way we do business is changing dramatically and the adoption of digital technology makes the importance of fit-for-purpose digital infrastructure paramount.” Having this digital control is important and improving the way you communicate reliably, securely and efficiently is another key way to drive productivity. Whether in relation to mobile, fixed or broadband connectivity, digital infrastructure is a critical enabler of productivity and broader business competitiveness in Northern Ireland. The way we do business is changing dramatically and the adoption of digital technology makes the importance of fit-forpurpose digital infrastructure paramount. As the region’s leading award-winning business solutions provider, Radius can deliver all these services seamlessly. Independent and with over three decades of local experience, we offer a global presence with direct local support. With outstanding partners in Vodafone, NFON, EE, Gamma, 02 and more, we connect business to business and their customers with an unrivalled product portfolio designed to drive digital transformation, drive growth and save money. From telematics to fuel cards to business insurance and more, Radius can support you with any or all of your needs, including landline,

Stephen McQuoid

broadband, mobile, IT and security, helping your employs stay on top no matter where they are. As an easy first step, it’s important to discuss your options and after a careful assessment of your needs, we can help identify those initiatives with the highest potential. Together, we can help bridge the productivity gap for a brighter, innovative and more resilient future.

Stephen McQuoid is Regional Director, Ireland, Radius Connect. Radius Connect is rapidly becoming a leader in business telecoms in the UK and Ireland. For more information on Radius Connect and the wider family group of Radius businesses, visit www.radiusconnectsolutions.com

Eye on Business Advice

A perfect storm or clear skies ahead? What does the forecast look like for Northern Ireland? As we once again dominate the headlines on a national and international basis, any observer would be forgiven for thinking that we are beset by gale force winds with an economy that must be on the brink.

Michael Jennings, Partner (left) and Brian Murphy, Managing Partner (right) of BDO Northern Ireland.

owever, for those that actually take a moment to look outside the window, they will see that we in fact have a strong and vibrant business community that belies our current political turbulence. Although we face many of the same challenges as the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, we

have shown that we are a resilient community that is adept at dealing with changing circumstances. In the midst of all this change, BDO NI’s team of expert business advisors are working on a daily basis with companies and organisations that are driving and encouraging the growth and development of the private sector;

delivering jobs, investment, and opportunities for the future. What we are seeing is a business community that has emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic with a renewed sense of vigour and a focus on growth and creating prosperity for all. Businesses didn’t sit on their hands during the pandemic,

they adapted, they innovated, they rationalised, and in doing so, they created the strongest possible foundation on which to build. These actions, combined with the financial interventions provided by government, have, contrary to what might have been expected, created a positive marketplace to operate in.

Eye on Business Advice

The Blue Skies If embraced properly, change can be a good thing and BDO NI is helping bring about positive change within the business community, once again forging a path in Northern Ireland, through a series of exciting mergers and acquisitions. With BDO’s unique mix of experience and commerciality in bringing businesses together, we have been able to ensure successful outcomes that have enabled these businesses to grow and prosper. In what has been a very much re-energised marketplace, our team has also worked closely with clients to help consolidate and sell businesses, even through the pandemic period, highlighting that despite the wider circumstances the private sector still moves forward. The way we do business is also evolving and new funding opportunities are providing interesting and profitable opportunities. Many local businesses are now thriving through working with our Private Equity teams, who are able to identify and engage the best and most relevant sources of funds and support for local firms. Again, our experienced team is able to use its expertise to bring parties together to create deals that will ultimately benefit Northern Ireland’s economy and provide real employment.

The Grey Skies Although there are many local success stories to celebrate and considerable positivity in the local private sector that should not be underestimated, it would be remiss of anyone to overlook the challenges that currently face so many businesses and households. The recruitment of suitable candidates for roles has been an issue even before the Covid pandemic, what had then been a concern has now become a major problem. The most recent findings of the NI Chamber of Commerce and BDO Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) showed that 89% of local firms who responded were facing recruitment difficulties. Although jobs are being created in the current economic climate, there is a significant and worrying lack of suitable candidates applying, inevitably putting pressure on management and existing workforces. With inflation increasing, and the Governor of the Bank of England predicting it will rise even further, we could be in for a stormy period ahead. Large energy users and hauliers have seen their bills increase dramatically over the last year, with the circumstances in Ukraine exacerbating the situation. In the most recent QES, 77% of businesses expected to have to increase their prices due to the surge in the cost of raw materials and to meet the demand for increasing wages. As the cost of doing business

goes up, there is little option for many but to pass these costs on to their customers and to consumers, potentially leaving many in a difficult position. Unfortunately, all indications are that these higher prices will remain with us for a while yet. This certainly impacts consumer confidence, with less spending money available in people’s pockets and greater concern about what’s to come taking its toll. With firms having to deal with increased costs, from energy to wages to transport, it’s also the case that for some the issue of existing debt and loan repayments may need to be reviewed. We are working with businesses across various sectors, helping to find solutions to these issues, we are helping them take back control and to provide continuity and planning for the future.

The forecast These challenges are real and so are the risks and the concerns about the future that many have. However, the opportunities that exist in our market are also very real. Jobs are being created, positions are available, companies are innovating, they are investing, and they are growing. We at BDO NI are working with them to deliver strategic business planning, and where necessary restructuring to meet the needs of the world we are living in. In doing so, BDO works with a wealth of partners from central and local government, banks –

both local and with the Bank of England, also our professional industry network and our own pool of contacts across all sectors to ensure that we deliver for clients. Our work with the NI Chamber through the Quarterly Economic Survey, coupled with our client engagement, provides us with an insight and understanding of the realities most businesses are facing. We have invested ourselves in this to ensure we remain alert and aware of what businesses need to succeed. In the early days of the pandemic, we recognised that NI’s vital hospitality industry would be at the most risk, working together with stakeholders we used our expertise and our network to help ensure measures were put in place to help and support the sector. We have also helped many to successfully restructure and reposition their business to thrive in this new world. Although there are grey skies ahead for many, we cannot and must not dismiss the days of clear blue skies and the opportunities they bring. We at BDO are here to ensure that local businesses are prepared to face any weather, to withstand the gales and to emerge into the clear blue on the other side. Northern Ireland is fortunate to have a resilient and innovative business community that has been leading the way in bringing change and opportunity, hopefully soon, the headlines will carry that our elected leaders will be following the business communities’ lead.

Eye on Entrepreneurs

Mairead Mackle & Tarasis Business With A Conscience At Its Core

Eye on Entrepreneurs Mairead Mackle is already widely acclaimed as one of our leading business leaders, never mind business women, but it’s fair to say that few appreciate the sheer scale of her business activities. Few also realise just how engaging she can be...until they meet her.

he fact that she and her husband Gerald have seven children ranging in age from late 20’s to seven adds to the mystique of Mairead Mackle, the entrepreneur, innovator and investor. We catch up at the Seagoe Hotel in Portadown, a suitable meeting point for Mairead en route from her home outside Armagh to a business event at a Dublin hotel. Despite her schedule, she’s not in any rush. Providing she’s talking business and people – and the two are inseparable in her mind – Mairead won’t be doing any clock watching. “I still get a buzz out of it after all these years,” she smiles. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be doing it. She’s been known to quote American author Michael Gerber who said “If a business isn’t giving you more life, it’s taking it away.” Once a podiatrist in the NHS, Mairead Mackle knew that it wasn’t the life for her. “I found everything about it restrictive. I wanted freedom and I wanted flexibility.” So she did something about it, and came up with an idea for a domiciliary care business that would allow more people in need of care to live independently in their own homes. “The business started at my kitchen table 25 years ago and it’s grown into a team of 1,200 delivering 1 million hours of care to over 60,000 clients.” But the businesses that Mairead and Gerald run, Tarasis Enterprises, goes a whole lot further than that. It includes the Homecare Independent Living and Homecare Support Services brands. It’s a lesser known fact, though, that it provides more than 3,000 crisis beds every single night to those who are vulnerable and at risk of homelessness. And, on a wider scale, Tarasis Enterprises – the operating group – also includes a housing solutions operation called Fabraco and Evolve, a social enterprise set

up to encourage more women to set out on their own business and entrepreneurial journeys. Mairead has also been long involved in the renewables marketplace and has a firm target to invest a further £10 million in the sector over the coming three to five years. “We have built a successful business from the start and are continuing to build on the same strong foundations” she says simply. “What’s really important is to share our values, and put those values to work right across the spectrum of our businesses.” “Both Gerald and I have always felt strongly about being able to give back. Our vision is to use the power of our businesses to affect real social change in the communities in which we operate, making a positive

“Both Gerald and I have always felt strongly about being able to give back. Our vision is to use the power of our businesses to affect real social change in the communities in which we operate, making a positive difference to people’s lives.”

difference to people’s lives.” Tarasis has its own employeeled charity iCare which, since its inception, has raised almost £500,000 and granted close to 400 iCare wishes for individuals, families and groups across the country. In addition, Mairead runs Tarasis Foundation, set up to channel practical help and funding from across the enterprise into a range of charity and community initiatives that promote kindness and equality. The famous quote from Henry Ford that a business making nothing but money is a poor business could well be applied. Away from corporate social responsibility, it’s perhaps not

surprising that a former winner of the Irish Tatler Entrepreneur of the Year and Businesswoman of the Year at the annual Every Women Awards in London, is passionate about encouraging more and more women into business. “It’s really important,” she says. “Sometimes, a little encouragement and confidence is all that’s needed to help women take the next steps. Hopefully that’s something I can help with as a woman who has run a large-scale business over quite a number of years. “We’re seeing more and more women business ambassadors coming forward, but we need to see more.

“The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship back in 2019 highlighted that female entrepreneurs could contribute £25 billion to the UK economy.” Mairead has been urged to write a book over the years by various friends and business contacts. Last year, she took the plunge. The resulting Evolve: Voices Of Leadership features the insights of 16 top female leaders from around the world and is aimed at inspiring women. In the book Mairead explores the leadership journeys of these inspirational women, focusing on how female leadership characteristics are essential in business and in life. Looking to the future in business terms, she sees potential in developing more low-cost steel or timber frame housing to help meet housing needs here in Northern Ireland. But she’ll also continue to do what she’s been doing for the past 25 years or so. “To me, success is doing what you do but with passion,” she says. “If you can help make other people’s lives better at the same time, then all the better.”

Eye on Healthcare

Kingsbridge Invests £3 Million In NI’s First Private Cardiac Surgery & Intensive Care Unit Kingsbridge Healthcare Group (KHG), Northern Ireland’s leading independent healthcare company has officially launched its private cardiac surgery service; the first of its kind in Northern Ireland.

Brendan & Caroline Boyle

Eye on Healthcare

Brendan Boyle with Kingsbridge Co-Founders Suresh Tharma and Ashok Songra (right)

ollowing a £3 million investment into building a “state of the art” Operating Theatre and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and purchasing highly specialist cardiac equipment; it has successfully treated its first 7 patients. In the process, twelve new clinical and administrative jobs were created to facilitate the treatment of major life saving cardiac surgery as well as other specialist surgeries at Kingsbridge’s flagship hospital in Belfast. Essential to the cardiac surgery service was the creation of Northern Ireland’s first private ICU. It has been named the ‘Jim Dornan ICU,’ after Professor Jim Dornan, one of the founding Consultants at Kingsbridge who sadly passed away in 2021. The cardiac service will initially include treatment of the 5 most common cardiac surgeries performed namely cardiac bypass surgery for blockage of arteries, mitral and aortic valve repair and replacement surgery and atrial septal defect closure in adults. As the service is more established, more complex procedures will be added.

The Cardiac surgery service was officially launched by its first Cardiac patient Brendan Doyle who had a lifesaving Mitral Valve Repair surgery in January 2022, an operation he had been waiting on since 2016. *As of December 2021; 369 patients in Northern Ireland were on the waiting list for cardiac surgery with around 107 patients waiting for more than 6 months. This is despite approximately 200 people a year being transferred to private hospitals in the south of Ireland to facilitate timely emergency surgery. Dr Suresh Tharma KHG Co-Founder said this was the culmination of many years of meticulous planning to implement a comprehensive private cardiac surgery service in Northern Ireland. “We know how much pressure there is on cardiac surgery delivery in Northern Ireland, and until now patients like Brendan, have had to travel to Dublin or Great Britain to have life-saving surgery. It is hopeful that the cardiac surgery service in Kingsbridge will assist the NHS in providing a solution

much closer to home, which would benefit the patients and their respective families. Ashok Songra KHG Co-Founder reiterates “We have world-class surgeons and specially trained support staff at Kingsbridge to deliver on this need and believe this unit is a game-changer in alleviating the pressure on vital NHS capacity and is already being accessed by patients locally as well as from the rest of Ireland and Great Britain. Aside from the obvious logistical and convenience factors, retaining the intellectual surgical skill sets and funding within Northern Ireland will have far-reaching long-term benefits”. Commenting on his own experience, Brendan Doyle (47) from Ballymena explained, “I was told I would have to wait up to at least a year on my surgery in the NHS so you can imagine the worry. However, my consultant spoke to me about the new Cardiac Surgery facilities at Kingsbridge, and that is when we contacted them to see if they could help me. “It really has been life changing for us as a family. I feel like a new man and cannot wait to go on

holiday with my wife and two young children this summer, as well as get back to work as soon as soon as I receive the go ahead from my clinicians.” Brendan’s wife Caroline knows only too well how fortunate he was to be able to receive his life saving cardiac surgery at Kingsbridge. “Brendan’s condition went from being minor to severe in just a matter of months and I could see him getting more tired and weaker each day. He is not a man that complains but I knew his palpitations were getting worse, so every time he left the house to go to work, I used to feel sick to the pit of my stomach with worry about him in case he took congestive heart failure while waiting for his operation. “In the end it was thanks to my occupational private health cover that we were able to fund Brendan’s surgery. I know we are very privileged to have been able to do this, but it was literally a matter of life and death for our family,” she explained. Oc Nzewi, a renowned and respected recently retired, cardiothoracic surgeon in Belfast heads up the clinical governance and clinical leadership of the service and has been involved during the development of this service from incubation to delivery. He has also vast experience of working in a private cardiac surgery unit in England. Mr Nzewi said, “I am proud to be involved in a local gamechanging service in Northern Ireland which will make a difference to its people”. Having set up a similar service in his hometown of Nigeria through his charitable foundation; he is confident this cardiac surgery service will be a success. Kingsbridge are the only healthcare group in Ireland to have hospitals in both Northern Ireland (Belfast and Ballykelly) and in the Republic of Ireland (Sligo). They have plans to expand further over the coming year and hope to deliver a series of ‘programmes of care’ to afford patients rapid access to a linear pathway from diagnosis to treatment for a range of common illnesses.

Eye on Tourism&Hospitality

Award Success For Belfast Restaurant Blank

A Belfast restaurant with a unique twist has just picked up two top awards.

lank, on the Malone Road, won Culinary Experience of Ulster and Vegetarian Menu of the Year at an all Ireland awards ceremony which took place in Limerick last week. Blank’s unique selling point is the fact it has no menu - instead guests are presented with a list of ingredients sourced only on the island of Ireland and each dish they are served is a surprise.

The judges recognised the restaurant’s dedication to local produce and they loved how Blank keeps diners guessing. The restaurant opened its doors back in October 2021 to rave reviews and these awards are the latest for husband and wife duo, Jonny and Christina Taylor. Christina said: “We couldn’t be more pleased to pick up not one but two awards at this year’s

The team behind Blank proudly display their recent YesChef Ireland Awards for Culinary Experience of Ulster and Vegetarian Menu of the Year: (L-R) Head Chef Stephen Johnston, Owners Jonny and Christina Taylor, and General Manager Alex Daley.

YesChef Ireland Awards. We are really passionate about what we do, so it’s great to gain this recognition and see that others think Blank is as special as we do. “Our restaurant is all about showcasing fresh local produce, the finest ingredients we can find only on this island and a truly unique dining experience - with our ‘Blank’ list that has everyone talking. The fact we’ve won Vegetarian Menu of the Year, as well as Culinary Experience,

shows the level of attention we give to every meal we serve. Our vegetarian tasting experience is just as exceptional as our regular one. For us, vegetarian dishes should never be an afterthought. We put as much thought into every detail for every guest. “We’ve been so warmly received since we opened in 2021 and these awards are a testament to our brilliant team and to those who’ve dined with us over the past few months.”

Eye onTourism & Hospitality

Eye on Tourism&Hospitality

They Thought It Was All Over Once we all got through the little bonus of the Omicron variant of Covid back in the early New Year, there was a palpable sense of optimism in the air and around the world of business. Covid, at long last, was receding. Restrictions were on the way to being dropped altogether and things were looking up.

THE QUESTION As we enter our first summer season post-Covid, what are the key challenges facing the tourism & hospitality sector?

ourism & Hospitality, in particular, seemed to have a lot to look forward to. Imagine a spring, summer and autumn season without a pandemic and without any travel restrictions. We would be back, it seemed, to the heady days of the summer of 2019. But it hasn’t quite worked out like that. Covid has continued to fade into what seems like a bad dream. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has kicked off a chain reaction of economic headaches. Ukraine - plus other factors - has led to something none of us saw coming. A cost of living crisis including the highest inflation most of us have experienced for many long years. Here in Northern Ireland, as if we needed it, the continued wrangling over the NI Protocol is adding to the challenges. There has even been talk in some circles about potential street unrest during the traditional ‘marching season’. That’s precisely what tourism here doesn’t need

as it struggles to get back on its feet. The industry, though, is nothing if not resilient. It has managed to come through long periods of closure during Covid. It’s managed in the past to weather economic storms. The cruise ships are back in Belfast and a fully restored - even expanded - flight schedule means that more and more visitors are being delivered. It’s always worth remembering that a few economic and financial headwinds facing consumers isn’t necessarily bad news for tourism here in Northern Ireland. Nor is the current rash of travel disruption at

airports and holiday flights being cancelled by airlines like easyJet and Tui. Just as Covid travel restrictions last summer drove extra customers the way of Northern Ireland as a destination, the same is likely to happen this year… but for different reasons. Weather apart (and no one comes here for the weather), our tourism product is first class and it has been honed and shaped over recent years to become a whole lot slicker, more professional and more targeted at its core customer base. We can still enjoy a positive and profitable season.

“Our tourism product is first class and it has been honed and shaped over recent years to become a whole lot slicker, more professional and more targeted at its core customer base.”

Eye on Tourism&Hospitality

Janice Gault NI Hotels Federation - CEO

The last two years have been testing. Just when we thought we were out of the woods, and firmly on the path to recovery, a number of unexpected curveballs have been thrown. Who would have thought that a war in the Ukraine was on the cards and inflation would hit double figures?

upply chain issues, rising global energy prices and labour shortages have all presented challenges for the sector, making it incredibly difficult for hotels to set and maintain prices, bed down menus and guarantee availability of staple ingredients. The supply chain has been in free fall with soaring prices an added challenge. In the hotel sector, the biggest postpandemic challenge remains people. For the first time in history, there are more vacancies than there are candidates on the unemployment register. There is no denying that there was an issue before COVID-19 struck but, in its aftermath, things have deteriorated considerably. In an industry where people are an intrinsic part of your product and, one of your biggest assets, much has been done to address the situation. However, the sector requires more workers than are available in the current indigenous

labour market. The answer, in addition to improving the industry’s image, is access to a potential workforce outside the United Kingdom. There are low levels of understanding at a political level of the scale of the problem and little appetite to help resolve it. Pre-opening in 2021, the NIHF surveyed its members. One hundred percent of those asked had a vacancy and, when extrapolated out, the indications were that over 1,400 positions were vacant. This figure has ebbed and flowed since reopening in May 2021 but it has not been resolved in any meaningful manner. Good work has been done by HATS, the sector’s collaborative network. Campaigns have been implemented in conjunction with Tourism Northern Ireland, but faced with an internationally labour shortage, there is fierce competition to attract and retain employees. Recruiting talent remains the ultimate challenge for summer 2022.

Hotels in Northern Ireland have performed well. A busy summer is on the cards as staycations remain popular and business owners seek to empower employees through flexible hours, perks around food and healthcare, in addition to training. Throughout the pandemic hotels have shown their ability to adapt. This summer the sector will make the best of the opportunities presented and show resilience in the face of yet another unprecedented set of circumstances.

Eye on Tourism&Hospitality

Paul Grant Trade Director, Stena Line

After an incredibly challenging few years we are about enter a very busy summer period in the ferry industry with forward bookings ahead of pre pandemic levels.

tena Line is in a strong position to cope with this additional capacity, having previously invested in three new ships, despite the fall off in business caused by COVID. Onshore, we have also expanded our passenger terminal facilities for our Belfast-Liverpool customers, one of the fastest growing routes in Europe. The new terminal (VT2) is set to officially open in the next few months. Thankfully, we took a long-term view of the market and remained committed

to investing in developing our Irish Sea operations, which is why Belfast is now the busiest hub in the entire Stena Line route network. Like many businesses in the travel and hospitality sector, scaling up and resourcing our services has been a challenge. We’ve great people working at Stena Line and they have remained loyal and immensely flexible throughout the unique demands of the pandemic. In January of this year, we launched a major recruitment drive to fill the gaps which generated an extremely positive response. And now as we move into our peak season, we are out in the recruitment market again this time looking for seasonal workers, with flexible working conditions forming a major element of our ‘pitch’. So far, we have managed to push through a number of unique challenges and feel we are reasonably well equipped to handle whatever is coming down the tracks. What is crystal clear is that the hospitality sector needs to work harder at attracting

new talent in as well as training people who can be ‘business ready’. Tourism continues to be a phenomenal success story for Northern Ireland but if we are to be world class, as many in our sector aspire, Northern Ireland needs to develop skilled people who are enthusiastic and passionate about the sector. We have great local people that can really be a differentiator when it comes to competing on a global tourism stage. Let’s play to our strengths and put our local people front and centre. Give them as much support and encouragement as we can and tourism will re-establish itself as our premier industry.

Eye on Tourism&Hospitality

Judith Owens MBE Chief Executive, Titanic Belfast

Since launching ten years ago in March 2012, we have worked very hard at Titanic Belfast to establish ourselves as a world-leading attraction on the local, national and international stage, with 82% of visitors coming from outside NI.

e are proud to have played a key role in the resurgence of tourism, not only for Belfast and Northern Ireland, but to island of Ireland as a whole and as the industry looks to rebuild post-Covid, we believe that we will continue to act as a catalyst for regrowth of the sector, however this will not be without its challenges! As we approach our summer season, we are seeing strong visitor levels due to pent up demand across all markets but at times with very different customer behaviour than before such as shorter booking periods (a trend set to continue, particularly with the GB market), hassle adverse and more price conscious travellers. It’s important that we as an industry meet the challenge of balancing rising costs with maintaining visitors’ perception of NI as a ‘value for money’ destination.

Recruitment has continued to be challenging, as is the case across the industry presently, with many individuals having left the sector during the pandemic. With perseverance we have been relatively successful and continue to attract high quality candidates, however we have also put a strong focus on building relationships with education and industry bodies to support the promotion of the sector as a viable career path and encourage retention of those already within it. This is something I am particularly passionate about and in my role as Chair of the ‘Attract’ subgroup of the board of Hospitality and Tourism Skills (HATS) network, we are working with government departments and other partners with the objective of attracting people into our industry for employment to futureproof and address the skills

shortages we are seeing currently. As with any business, when there are many new faces in roles and still some level of Covid absenteeism, this also presents its own obstacles to be overcome with rigorous training programmes and employee wellbeing support to ensure we maintain the five-star service our guests expect, and we hold ourselves accountable for! As Chair of the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance (NITA), I look forward to continuing to work with our industry, and with support from government departments, overcome the challenges that our sector faces, encouraging ongoing investment and focus, to ensure that Northern Ireland realises its true tourism potential.

Eye on Tourism&Hospitality

Caroline McComb Director, McCombs Coach Travel

When we saw the first green shoots of a return to normal business within Tourism, we were nothing other than grateful for a return to a somewhat normal environment. As the season moves on however there are many new challenges to overcome.

he main challenge for us is meeting the demand. We are seeing all of those with cancelled travel plans re-booking, along with those who now have a different outlook on life than they did pre-pandemic and are hungry to get out and see and experience what the world has to offer. This has meant a huge increase in the demand for visitor services like the tours and transport we offer to out of state visitors. In previous years we had very clear patterns for peak times and volumes which made it straight forward to plan for staffing. In 2022 those patterns no longer exist, and it is simply busy all the time. Like businesses in all sectors, not just tourism, the increase in operating costs is huge. Our biggest increase is obviously in the price of Diesel, with the net price per litre now up by almost 50% on this time last year. The longer term threat to Tourism is that if the price of air travel increases dramatically as a result of the increase in fuel prices, along with the cost of living continuing to be high and therefor people having less disposable income, then leisure tourism will ultimately fall and we will see a sharp downturn in demand. Another huge challenge within the Coach Travel Industry is the shortage of Coach Drivers in Northern Ireland. This is a problem that has been there since before Covid, but has been made worse by the Pandemic. We have seen many drivers either retiring or using their other skills/licences to move into haulage and other driving sectors, and

this has made the problem much worse. For every challenge however, there is a positive, and we will be eternally grateful to be back to work again. Tourism was one of the hardest hit industries due to the restrictions on movement, but we are coming back better than ever. The satisfaction of providing services to people from all over

the world is incredible and seeing people on the ground enjoying the amazing Tourism offering in Northern Ireland is priceless!

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Ciaran O’Neill Managing Director, Bishop’s Gate Hotel

To say we are postCOVID is a little premature. Businesses are still being confronted with many challenges as a result of the pandemic including staff shortages and employees testing positive.

ecord levels of inflationary growth, rising wages, and labour shortages have impacted the hospitality sector. There has also been a radical change in work practices and culture as many employees change their working patterns. With government seemingly moving on and removing support packages, in particular VAT assistance, many will struggle to maximise the summer season. On a positive note, trading for the Hotel sector has been strong since reopening in May 2021. The summer forecast is bright with turnovers set to exceed 2019 pre-COVID levels. The impact of the crisis is being felt throughout the entire tourism ecosystem. Staff shortages are evident across Northern Ireland. Airports are struggling to cope with numbers they previously managed with ease pre-COVID, while many restaurants are reducing opening hours, operating from a Wednesday to a Saturday, due to staff shortages. It’s no secret that the tourism sector relies on the hospitality sector for both domestic and international tourism. Hotels are like complex jigsaw puzzles in which hundreds of pieces need to be placed just right for the whole picture to come together. We need a return to seven-day trading for businesses across the wider portfolio. This means that restaurants, cafes, shops and visitor attractions should be open if we are to achieve the ambitions of Tourism NI’s continued growth targets.

Our biggest challenge for the summer is people. Many businesses have been unable to recruit enough staff to operate at full capacity and, those that have, often struggle to retain talent. Retention is a major hurdle. Wages have risen by 25% from May 2021 to May 2022 for many businesses and the cost of utilities has doubled. For many this will leave them unviable without some form of government intervention. Brexit has had a fundamental impact on food and drink prices, with foodservice inflation expected to rise, adding to the soaring costs facing the sector. Many hospitality businesses are passing costs on to consumers as they try to mitigate steep rises in energy prices and general inflation. Ironically, Game of Thrones has driven many visitors to our shores in recent years. To quote a famous phrase, “Winter Is Coming”, and NI hotel owners must prepare for the long, hard winter ahead.

Eye on Tourism&Hospitality

Hotel performance improves in 2021 - but challenges remain The annual Northern Ireland Hotel Industry Survey published by ASM Chartered Accountants is a comprehensive assessment of the trading performance of the industry.

fter a near decade of growth in tourism, the impact of Coronavirus on the industry made the 2020 survey results depressing reading. The 2021 edition of that survey has just been completed by Michael Williamson, Director of Consulting at ASM Chartered Accountants. Here is his assessment of the performance of the hotel sector last year. “2020 was a blood bath for hotel operators and 2021 did not start any better with a second period of lockdown commencing on Boxing Day 2020. Most hotels only reopened in late May 2021 but business during the summer season was certainly brisk, especially in resort hotels and those located in tourism hotspots. That demand drove room rates to a new record and the moderation of other Covid related restrictions allowed wedding receptions and other events to return to hotels until December, so that too was a step forward. But while progress was made there remains a long way to go to reach the high watermark of performance in 2019”. The headline Survey results for 2021 show: • hotels were open for 256 days on average in 2021 (2020: 230 days) during which bedroom occupancy averaged 51.2% (2020: 45.0%); • the average achieved room rate in 3, 4 and 5 star hotels was the highest on record at £127.19 (2020: £96.97); • total revenues per room (“TrevPAR”) at £47,203 improved on 2020, but was only 65% of the 2019 average. The 2021 revenues include income from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and industry grants. When these are removed, the

TrevPAR from trading for 2021 was £40,369 - a decline of 44.7% compared to 2019; and • average profit (earnings) before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) improved to £11,032 per room (2020: £1,319). While being close to the out-turn for 2019 (£13,778) the 2021 result benefits from interventions awarded by the NI Assembly (a business rates holiday and support grants). These averaged £5,986 per room in 2021 and did not exist at all in 2019. Adrian Patton, Director at ASM noted: “Superficially, earnings for 2021 look reasonable, but when we disaggregate the very welcome interventions that the NI Assembly provided to hospitality and tourism

businesses, earnings for the year are not nearly as satisfying. Indeed, when we add the average earnings for 2020 and 2021 together, the combined total falls short of the 2019 result even with the interventions included. So, at the very least, hotels have lost a year of profits and the associated cashflow arising”. Michael Williamson concludes: “It’s important not to get carried away with the apparently strong performance during the year. Across 2020 and 2021, we estimate that a staggering 3.15 million room nights were lost to the hotel industry. Earnings are not cash-flow and that is what really matters. Loans and deferred taxes must now be paid, we are experiencing unprecedented pressure on operating costs, staff shortages and a possible recession. Most

of the interventions have been removed and VAT is back at 20%. Meanwhile, the Irish Government has committed significant funds to tourism development in 2022 including €50m to assist business’ survival and recovery. It has also preserved the reduced rate of VAT (9%) until 28 February 2023. At a stroke, this makes Irish hotels more competitive than those in Northern Ireland. If we are to have any chance of making a strong recovery, we need similar action for our hoteliers”.

For further information and interviews with Michael Williamson please contact: Tel: (028) 90249222 michael.williamson@ asmbelfast.com

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Ballycastle Eco Hotel To Invest £3.5 Million In New Restaurant & Cottages One of Europe’s most sustainable hotels, The Salthouse in Ballycastle, is to expand with a £3.5m cash injection.

he spend will see the property, which launched in 2019, add a new restaurant and a range of eco cottages to its offering. The decision to elaborate on the existing offering, which includes a 24-bed hotel, six eco lodges, spa and restaurant was prompted by a surge in demand for breaks there. The new project will align with the hotel’s existing ‘eco and smart hotel’ concept, which is one of the most forward-thinking

on the island of Ireland, and indeed the rest of Europe. Planning has been passed for the new 110-seater restaurant, which will offer an array of culinary delights featuring the very best locally-sourced produce, served in a relaxed environment. The Salthouse will create 30 new jobs as it enjoys a boost in visitors. The Salthouse’s existing a la carte restaurant will continue to serve up its renowned seafood

dishes and classic mains that have become popular with regulars and newcomers alike. The creation of a new restaurant will mean The Salthouse can boast two foodie offerings, with the newer site providing a more casual element. Meanwhile The Salthouse’s proposed ‘eco cottages’ will flaunt stunning interiors and the most beautiful sea views. There will be 24 new eco cottages that collectively offer 32

bedrooms. The properties will be built to the highest sustainability standards to ensure The Salthouse is beyond carbon neutral. The opening of both elements is scheduled for early next year. Carl McGarrity, Director at The Salthouse Hotel, said: “When we launched The Salthouse in 2019 we knew we were filling a void in the hospitality scene. “Carbon neutral is a term that is being used more and more, by consumers and businesses

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alike. Our customers want it, they expect high environmental ethics from service providers and due to that demand, we have chosen to expand to meet their needs. “Our new eco cottages and restaurant will elevate our offering and provide more choice for the ethically minded traveller, but it will also ensure we are loyal to our sustainability theme, all whilst offering the best of service, quality and the most stunning views that stretch across the Atlantic. “A major recruitment drive is underway ahead of the expansion and we look forward to launching to the public next year.” The Salthouse is a self-sufficient business. An onsite wind turbine and solar panels have been integrated into the design and the energy that they generate powers the hotel and eco cottages. The property also has a ‘no single use’ plastics policy while the water that services The Salthouse is from its very own borehole. The Salthouse, located on Dunamallaght Road in Ballycastle, is approximately a one-hour drive from Belfast and DerryLondonderry, and three hours from Dublin, which makes it very accessible for both local and international visitors. The Giant’s Causeway and Game of Thrones filming locations are

only a short drive away, while some of the top golf courses and fishing locations are nearby. The business is a joint venture between Nigel McGarrity and a local property developer.

For further information on The Salthouse Hotel, log on to www.thesalthousehotel.com

“A major recruitment drive is underway ahead of the expansion and we look forward to launching to the public next year.”

Carl and Nigel McGarrity, from The Salthouse Hotel.

Eye on Hospitality

The Old Inn – An Old Favourite Just Got Better By Richard Buckley, Editor

We’ve been coming to The Old Inn at Crawfordsburn on and off throughout many years. Why wouldn’t you, after all? It has to be one of the cutest, quaintest and most picturesque hostelries anywhere in Northern Ireland, never mind North Down.

he place has soldiered on through thick and thin under various owners, but it’s now part of one of this island’s most progressive – and ambitious – hospitality groups, The Galgorm Collection. Owned by the Hill Brothers, the group owns the excellent Galgorm Resort near Ballymena, the relatively new Rabbit at Templepatrick, Cafe Parisien in the centre of Belfast and Fratelli Belfast. The Old Inn at Crawforsburn is a bit different. First established way back in the 1600’s, it’s been part of the fabric of life in North Down for as long as anyone can remember. So, when Galgorm took over, the new owners must have felt local eyes burning into them. The locals needn’t have worried. On the evidence of a few recent visits, the place retains all of its old world charms (there’s a roaring fire, even on a balmy June evening....) but the food and – in particular – the service have been given a serious kick up the proverbial. Where to start? Where else but with prompt, friendly bar service and a first-class pint of Guinness. Give us both of those things and we’re on your side immediately. And, for those who say that Guinness isn’t

the perfect aperitif, you’re wrong. For those who don’t like to start a meal with hearty pint, and we admit there are some, there’s a huge drinks list and a baffling number of different gins, in particular. The same goes for the wine. It’s a decent list, with a particularly good selection of wines by the glass for those who (curiously) can’t cope with a whole bottle. Here’s a free tip, though. If you’re a red wine fan, and you’re going for the steak, beef, lamb or duck, spend a few extra pennies on the absolutely wonderful Ramón Bilbao Reserva, a truly brilliant, sumptuous rioja. We’d have had a second bottle if we hadn’t an early start planned for the following morning. Bad planning. While myself and my son, a chip off the old block when it comes to booze, revelled in the rioja, our other halves quaffed an excellent, refreshing and light Picpoul de Pinet from the coast of France. We run the risk of sounding like a food critic...if we’re not careful. What about the food, we hear you cry? It was the best dinner we’ve had for quite a while, it has to be said, with the possible exception of an amazing burger at Wolsey’s in Bangor, but that’s not quite in the same league.

(L-R) Charlotte McClean, The Old Inn Hotel Manager; Andy Johnston, The Old Inn Food & Beverage Manager; and Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection Managing Director

For starters, between the four of us, we had excellent Seared Scallops (with Celeriac Purée, Pancetta, Granny Smith & Thyme Dressing), my own choice of the Cornfed Chicken & Black Pudding Terrine (with piccalilli, hazelnut & sourdough) and – the winner on the night – Steak Tartare (with tabasco mustard dressing, cornichons, shallots, egg yolk and toasted Guinness wheaten). Not everyone’s cup of tea, is steak tartare, and it conjures up images of that classic Mr. Bean sketch where he tries to shove it into a nearby customer’s handbag, but it’s a brilliant dish. Onwards to the main courses, two of us went for the same dish, a classic but really well executed Garlic & Thyme Roasted Lamb Rump with Crispy Lamb Shoulder (and broad beans, garden peaces, wild garlic, heritage carrots, anna potato and a superbly rich and aromatic lamb jus. Or gravy to the likes of us. Mrs. Buckley enjoyed the Pan-Seared 10oz Sirloin with a really fresh and flavoursome Tomato & Chili Salsa and Caramelised Shallot, while the apprentice left nothing behind on a

plate that had been home to Five-Spice Marinaded Duck Breast with Beetroot, Basil & Pine Nut Gnocchi and – wait for it – Passionfruit & Port Jus. What’s not to like about that, for heaven’s sake? Running rapidly out of steam, we did dabble in three desserts for the four of us, not much of a sacrifice admittedly. There’s a great Irish cheeseboard, with oatcakes to die for. Mind you, as a philistine, we’d have preferred a few Jacob’s cream crackers, truth being told. There was also a 75% Dark Chocolate Brownie....serious stuff for serious chocolate lovers. And a really good Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Sorbet. Much the same applies. Here’s the thing, though. The food might have been brilliant. But the service was unbelievably good. To our eternal shame, the combination of Riojo, Picpoul, Guinness and assorted aperitifs rendered us unable to remember the waiter’s name. We should, of course, have written it down like an old-fashioned journalist. But he was the best of the best. And the same could well be said of the Old Inn itself.

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that a good practitioner should always encourage an assessment of the whole face before preparing a treatment plan to rejuvenate the face. Product selection is also key, he adds. In his clinics he favours a combination of Passive and Active Threads to create the best If overblown lips and chipmunk cheeks spring toresults.Threads mind when you of can be used think for a number haslook becomeat increasing of Cosmetic purposes from contouring the ful? Is facial rejuvenation,“This it’sapproach time to Thread lifts. Cosmetech Clinics are popular within the practice“ says Mr Smith, jawline to lifting the brows and defining focused on creating subtle results using Thread the lifts making them the Senior Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon at shape of the lips. It can also be used or passive threads r COG threads isperfect choice for those looking for a natural look. dures are very well er a generalisation “This approach has become increasing popular within the practice” says taken under local Mr Smith, Senior Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon at Cosmetech Clinics. at the procedures to have done.

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Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon Mr Gerard Smith BDS, MBChB, FDSRCS(Eng), FRCS, FRCS (OMFS)

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Centre for Competitiveness And QUB celebrate Success Of Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Programme

Frontline managers in Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector are going through a new programme to help boost the sector’s productivity.

he Centre for Competitiveness and the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute at Queen’s University Belfast have put 19 representatives from companies such as Dale Farm, Denroy, Encirc, Interface, Moyola Engineering and Ryobi through the new Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Programme with many more set to follow. Sponsored by the Department for the Economy (DfE) with support from the QUB Bright Minds initiative, and The Centre for Competitiveness, the programme has been designed to support the DfE’s ambitious 10X Economy Strategy and contribute to the sustainable growth of the Northern Ireland manufacturing sector. Laith Dajani, Executive Director at the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute, said: “We are proud to support the Advanced Manufacturing Leadership executive education programme, that aims to equip supervisors and team leaders for future leadership roles in the face of digital disruption

and transformation. By synergising academic research and rigor with practical expertise, the programme is designed and delivered in partnership with the Centre for Competitiveness to advance Northern Ireland’s competitive edge locally and internationally.” Over a five-month period, the first cohort of students learned how to improve their personal management capabilities; lead their team with confidence; and implement practical tools and techniques for effective manufacturing operations. They have recently been presented with their certificates for completing the programme. Participants were able to explore how Industry 4.0 can deliver digital transformation from the bottom up and shape the future of the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland. Data Analytics, Design Thinking, and Circular Economy principles were covered to provide a robust toolbox that will enable the development of a sustainable and

Pictured (L-R) Rachel Doherty, HR Director, Denroy with programme participant Clare Loney of Denroy and William Ussher, Senior Executive at the Centre for Competitiveness (CforC).

efficient manufacturing operation. Modules in finance, strategy and leadership helped them to increase their understanding of business from a manager’s perspective. The second cohort of the programme is due to commence in September 2022. William Ussher, Senior Executive - Manufacturing Systems at the Centre for Competitiveness, said: “The people going through this programme are without doubt one of the most valuable assets in manufacturing businesses. The production front line management have excellent knowledge of processes and operations, they understand the recurring issues and are best placed to suggest improvements. This programme is designed to provide them with a range of skills to lead in a manufacturing environment. Our aim is to equip these front line managers to be the drivers of cost and value. I have no doubt that the first cohort of graduates from the

programme are well equipped to go back and make a significantly positive impact for their companies.” Dr. David Paulson, Professor of Practice at Queen’s Management School and Programme Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Programme, said: “Northern Ireland’s manufacturing businesses face multiple challenges: increasing productivity, recovering from the pandemic, adjusting to life after Brexit, understanding the opportunities and threats posed by Industry 4.0, and becoming more sustainable. All of these challenges would be tough enough for business leaders if they weren’t compounded by the difficulty of finding scarce management talent. The AMLP is designed to give highpotential front line managers in manufacturing environments the skills and confidence to progressively increase their impact, and to offer their employers an additional source of future management strength.”

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Common Sense, Common Cable... But Maybe Not For Us The EU has provisionally agreed all new portable electronic devices must, by autumn 2024, use a USB Type-C charger, a move it says will benefit consumers.

ut what seems like an eminently sensible move may not apply here in the wake of Brexit. Under the current post-Brexit arrangements, the regulation would apply to Northern Ireland, according to EU and UK officials, but that’s clearly subject to change. According to a parliamentary report the “new requirements may also apply to devices sold in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit agreement, potentially triggering divergence of product standards with the rest of the UK”. Apple products such as iPhones and iPads will have to conform to the new regulation, as will, eventually laptop computers. Existing devices will be exempt. The agreement will be brought before the European Parliament

and the Council of Ministers after their summer recesses, where it can be formally approved and then published. Apple told the BBC it had no new comment to make. It argued against the proposal, when it was first introduced, in September 2021, with a spokesperson telling BBC News that: “Strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world”. Apple is the biggest manufacturer to use a custom charging port that is exclusive to some of its products - its iPhone series uses an Apple-made Lightning connector. The new rule will cover a range of “small and mediumsized portable electronics”, according the EU, including:

• mobile phones • tablets • headphones and headsets • handheld videogame consoles • portable speakers Any of these charged using a wired cable will have to have a USB Type-C port, regardless of who makes the devices. Laptops will also have to abide by the ruling but manufacturers will have 40 months after it comes into effect to make changes. The agreement also includes a plan to let customers choose whether or not they want a charging cable with their new electronics. “This law is a part of a broader EU effort to make products in the EU more sustainable, to reduce electronic waste, and

make consumers’ lives easier,” the EU said in its announcement It would save consumers “up to €250m [£213m] a year on unnecessary charger purchases” and cut 11,000 tonnes of waste per year, the EU added.

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ONLINE PRIVACY & The Rise Of Responsible Tech The details of what we all look at online adds up to a seriously valuable resource. This tracked data helps the likes of Google and Facebook earn billions and billions of dollars a year in advertising revenue, as they use the information to target adverts at us.

t happens to all of us. If you’re browsing online fashion retailers to potentially buy a new pair of jeans, you should very soon see adverts for the denim trousers appearing elsewhere on your computer screen. We have all seen this happen regarding whatever we were thinking of purchasing. The level to which we are being tracked online in this way is somewhat unnerving. The average European has data about his or her internet usage shared 376 times a day according to recent research. For US surfers this almost doubles to 747. But what if you could not only have more control over how much of your data is shared, but actually make money from it? That is the promise is of a Canadian tech firm called Surf, which last year launched a browser extension of the same name. It rewards people for surfing the internet. Still in its beta or limited release stage in the US and Canada, it works by bypassing the likes of Google, and instead sells your data directly to retail brands. In return Surf gives you points that can be saved up and then redeemed for shop gift cards and discounts. Firms signed up so far include Foot Locker, The Body Shop, Crocs, and Dyson. Surf points out that all the data is anonymous - your email addresses and telephone numbers are not shared, and you don’t have to give your name when you sign up. It does however ask for your age, gender and approximate address, but these are not compulsory. The idea is that brands can use the data that Surf provides to, for example, see what are the most popular websites among 18 to 24-year-old men in Los Angeles. Then can then target their adverts accordingly. Surf hasn’t released details of how much people can earn, but so far it says it has enabled users to collectively earn more than $1.2m (£960,000). People can also use Surf to limit what data

they share, such as blocking information about certain websites they visit. Surf’s co-founder and chief executive Swish Goswami says the firm wants to be “the frequent flyer rewards of internet browsing”. He adds: “From day one we have been clear with users on what we share and don’t share, and we give them the ability to control their data as well. “I think if you are upfront with people, and letting them know you are sharing data with brands, and you are doing it in an anonymised way - i.e. it cannot come back to them because we don’t have their first or last name, then people are more comfortable to say ‘yes’ and share more with us.” Surf is part of a growing movement that some commentators have dubbed “responsible technology”, part of which is to give people more control over their data. Another tech firm in this space is fellow Canadian start-up Waverly, which allows people to compile their own news feeds rather than rely on Google News and Apple News’ tracker and advertising-based algorithms. With Waverly, you fill out the topics you are interested in, and its AI software finds articles it thinks you’d like to read. The Montreal-based firm is the brainchild of founder Philippe Beaudoin who was formerly a Google engineer. Users of the app can change their preferences regularly and send feedback on what articles are being recommended to them.

Mr Beaudoin says that users have to make a bit of effort, in that they have to tell the app the stuff they are interested in, but that in return they are freed from being “being trapped by advertisements”. “Responsible tech should empower users, but it also shouldn’t shy from asking them to do some work on their behalf,” he says. “In return, our AI reads thousands of articles a day, and places them in an index .” Rob Shavell’s US firm Abine, makes two apps that enable the user to increase his or her privacy - Blur and Delete Me. The former ensures that your passwords and payment details cannot be tracked, while the later removes your personal information from search engines. Mr Shavell says his view is that the surfing the internet should come with “privacy by design”. Carissa Veliz, an associate professor at Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics in AI, says that tech firms need to be “incentivised to develop business models that do not depend on the exploitation of personal data”. “It is worrisome that most of the algorithms that are ruling our lives are being produced by private companies without any kind of supervisions or guidance to make sure those algorithms are supportive of our public goods and values,” she adds. “I don’t think transparency is a panacea, or even half of the solution, but policymakers in particular should have access to the algorithms.”

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There’s A Robot In The Operating Theatre Robots are being used to help tackle surgery backlogs in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic.

cross the Irish Sea, New Cross Hospital in the Midlands has two Da Vinci Xi robots working every week on cases in urology, colorectal, cardiothoracic and gynaecology surgery. Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust said while robotic operations could take longer, there were other benefits. These include shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery times for patients. The procedures can also often result in less bleeding, reduced infection risk, less post-operative pain and smaller

scars, the hospital trust said. What that says about the human skills of surgeons and doctors isn’t made clear.... The miniature instruments are introduced into the body through a small insertion and controlled by surgeons at all times to perform specific tasks. Mr David Mak, consultant urological surgeon, said it meant operations could be performed “more accurately” due to the precision the robots offer. The trust has secured one new robot to join another it has had on lease since

September 2020, which performs surgery for prostate, bladder and kidney cancers; lung cancers, gynaecology cancers and the treatment of endometriosis. They also perform colorectal resections, where a cancerous part of a colon is removed - the hospital is believed to be one of only 20 centres in the UK offering the procedure. Mr Pete Cooke, consultant urological Surgeon, introduced the first programme of urological robotic surgery in the West Midlands to the

trust in 2011. Since then, more than 2,000 patients have benefitted. “Over the last decade there have been a number of changes in robotic surgery, and the machines now offer advanced features with the ability to do ever more complex operations,” he said. “I’m very proud to have led this within the organisation and our results are there to see.” Training is now planned for the head and neck team so it can start undertaking some of its procedures robotically.

I’m Thinking, Elon. I’m Thinking... Do you want to let Elon Musk put an implant in your brain?

f that’s your dream in life, then you’ll be excited to hear it’s one step closer to reality – as Elon Musk’s Neuralink company has just posted a

job looking for a clinical trial director. Having previously demonstrated its brain-machine interfaces with animals, this new director would apparently be responsible for “working with Neuralink’s first Clinical Trial participants” – i.e. the first humans Neuralink will test its tech on. This study is the necessary next step if Neuralink is to achieve Musk’s goals for

the technhology – becoming a recognized treatment for neurological-related problems and facilitating communication between computers and the brain. To receive approval from organizations like the US Food and Drug Administration – and as such be allowed to be sold as an official medical device – Neuralink will need to show that its implants provide a meaningful improvement over existing options, and that any risks from using them are far outweighed by the benefits. Unless you’re selected for one of these studies though, you likely won’t be using a Neuralink device for a while. For one, each study would likely last at least a year – and that doesn’t account for time spent developing the study and analyzing the results. And while governing bodies can accept results from just one clinical trial in situations where no other treatment is available – the nature of Neuralink’s implants will likely force them to retain the usual two-trial minimum rule. With time spent on administrative work accounted for – and assuming

Neuralink will want to fully analyze trial one before developing a follow-up – we’re looking at around five years before we’ll see Neuralink approved at best, and that’s also assuming things go its way. The work won’t stop there though. In order to conduct “well-designed clinical trials” – as the FDA puts it – Neuralink will likely be required to conduct separate studies for each condition it is looking to treat. This would reduce the risk of Neuralink trying to fudge its results using practices like p-hacking – whereby testing for so many factors at once, the trial generates at least one statistically significant result by random chance. If this last part makes sense to you (and you’re based near Fremont, California) then you may want to apply for the role of Clinical Trial Director or take a look at other roles on the Neuralink job board. As for the rest of us, we’ll have to wait a while before we find out if these studies bear any fruit. Who knows? In ten years’ time, we could all be walking around with a computer in our heads.

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A Brave New World For Live Music Is virtual reality part of the future of live music?

f you cannot physically go to a gig, would you prefer to stand on stage and watch your favourite band virtually instead? During the coronavirus pandemic a few European rock bands tried the approach as live gigs were outlawed. Recently right here in Northern Ireland a virtual reality gig was staged in the unusual surroundings of the Mussenden Temple, a historic landmark perched on the North Coast not far from Castlerock. Singer Andy Rodgers and The Stunt Double Collective performed The Cave Sessions in the historic National Trust venue on the north coast. Limited space might have meant that the physical audience had to be small, but the virtual audience was much larger. Virtual reality is technology which allows someone to immerse themselves in a three-dimensional environment, wearing a special headset or goggles. It has mainly been used, so far, in video games but is increasingly being adopted by other forms of entertainment including music. Stu Reid, from Stunt Double Music, is one of those behind Mussenden Temple’s virtual reality gig. “We’ve made an experience which works in person but also works if

someone’s watching it in virtual reality,” he told BBC News NI. “We filmed the gig in a very conventional way for people used to music videos but we’ve also recorded it in virtual reality. You put on goggles and what you see will be a 360-degree version - it’ll feel like you’re actually in Mussenden Temple. We filmed it in such a way that it feels like the angle you’re in that you’re part of the music group, so it feels like more than just being a member of the audience, it feels like you’re participating in the music”. But according to Stu Reid virtual reality will complement, rather than replace the conventional music video. “It allows you to experience things from a different angle,” he said. “With virtual reality it feels like you’re a lot more part of what’s going on. There’s a lot of virtual reality material out there but very little with music because it’s incredibly difficult to do. But we think they work hand in hand”. Visitors to the UK City of Culture festival in Coventry were recently able to recreate what it was like to go to a rave in the 1980’s using virtual reality. For those, presumably, whose memories don’t stretch back to the heady days of the 1980’s. Abba, famously. Have ‘reformed’ for a series of virtual gigs using avatars. But could music fans virtually get on stage with legendary bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones or the

Supremes at some point in the future? “There’s the time machine aspect,” said Stu Reid. “You could be part of a gig where the band has long since disbanded. Or you could be in a place where someone gave an important speech and feeling like you are there at that momentous time in history. “It’s going to grow like many things in technology - what starts off as a bit of geeky thing can end up

being something everyone uses. “I can remember far enough back when computers were grey boxes that only a few people who were a bit geeky messed around with and now everyone has one. “Northern Ireland and Ireland are often considered among the best places in the world for music, so we want to give those cutting edge opportunities to present music in a new sort of way. The possibilities are endless”.

Across The Pond... With No One On Board

It may conjure up images of the Marie Celeste, but a very different kind of crewless vessel has managed to recreate the Maflower’s historic journey across the Atlantic some 400 years ago.

he Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) completed a 2,700-mile (4,400km) trip

from Plymouth in the UK to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada, recently. It had been due to go to Massachusetts in

the USA, but was diverted to Canada to investigate issues it had at sea. The 50ft (15m) long solar-powered trimaran is capable of speeds of up to 10 knots (20km/h) and was navigated by on-board artificial intelligence (AI) created by IBM with information from six cameras and 50 sensors. It was created to showcase the development of technology in the centuries since the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the New World, bosses said. It set off from the UK on 29 April and had been expected to take about three weeks to make the journey. However, it suffered some technical difficulties before the decision was made at the end of May to divert to Halifax. Project director Brett Phaneuf

said the IBM technology “remained functioning as intended” and it was still planned for the boat to sail on to Plymouth, Massachusetts, and then on to Washington DC. He said: “The journey she made across was arduous and has taught us a great deal about designing, building and operating a ship of this nature and the future of the maritime enterprise.” The original Mayflower, a 100ft (30m) triple-masted wooden vessel with canvas sails and a top speed of three knots (6km/h), carried 102 passengers and a crew of about 30 from Plymouth to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. By contrast to the recent trip, the crossing in 1620 took more than two months.

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Eye on Finance

How we helped make a medium-long term vision become a short-term reality! Upstream – Funding Ambitious Growth Plans, and Quickly!

Has your company lost out on a business opportunity because your bank hasn’t been able to make a funding decision quickly enough?

ith Upstream, we can use your company’s committed income streams to free up a significant amount of working capital that can, in turn, enable you to unlock discounts with your suppliers, manage your supply chain more efficiently, employ new staff, and explore new territories. At Upstream – part of Cubitt Trade Holdings (Europe) LLC – we specialise

SECTOR: Pet products – relatively young business building up an online subscription model during Covid and looking to scale and diversify into wholesale. CHALLENGE: This was a new business with a thin balance sheet, predicated upon promoter capital. Its success was directly co-related to investment in social media algorithms and the ability to be ‘front and centre’ on Facebook and similar platforms for subscriber attention. Whilst representing a model that is not traditionally bankable, similar businesses have been invested, scaled, and exited for many times multiples already across the globe - so there was a clear market opportunity for the promoter. Initially we provided a Trade Finance facility to buy raw material and packaging and once proof of concept had been achieved, we opened the conversation regarding equity, funding, and geographic spread.

in structuring scalable, flexible, and innovative working capital solutions for ambitious businesses where growth, and development is being constrained due to insufficient and unimaginative funding. Covering Ireland and headquartered in Belfast, Upstream is led by an experienced team of owner-managers who have been supporting businesses of all sizes, across most sectors, as individuals for decades, and under the auspices of Upstream for more than a decade. Now, as part of a major, international finance group, Upstream has access to significant capital which has been earmarked for deployment in the UK and Ireland’s commercial and corporate markets. Here’s how we recently assisted one well known Northern Ireland business:

Alan Wardlow and Judith Totten of Upstream

SIZE: A modest £300k of Trade and Supply Chain finance line from day one which has grown into a full end-toend supply chain to invoice finance structure. We now fund raw materials through to wholesale buyers. SOLUTIONS: Once proven, it became obvious that this business had the product, the quality ethos, and the people to scale locally, nationally and globally. The owners have now agreed a full growth capital and debt structure with Upstream / Cubitt to allow for a seven-figure investment, which will enable their medium to long term vision to become a short-term reality. USPS / DIFFERENTIATORS: Again, this is a great example of a solutions-based approach, enabled through an open mind, and a will to work with the owners to find a partnership with aligned interests and drivers. To make this work for the promoters required swift analysis, focused collaboration

and delivery of funding when needed – with the ultimate growth capital goal always in mind. The owner has commented: “The trust I have for the team in Upstream is unparalleled. I have never had a funding partnership like this before.”

Eye on Manufacturing

Manufacturing Month proved strength of local sector Stephen Kelly, CEO, Manufacturing NI

“We don’t make anything anymore”. We’ve all heard it, some of you have probably said it.

Stephen Kelly, Chief Executive, Manufacturing NI.

(L-R): Johnny Hanna, KPMG; Nigel Birney, Lockton Companies LLP; John Mathers, Barclays; Mary Meehan, Manufacturing NI; Laura Gillespie, Pinsent Masons; and Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI at the launch of Manufacturing Month 2022.

dmittedly the days of the industrial revolution, where tens of thousands walked through a single set of gates to the sound of the factory horn, making boats and ropes and linen and shirts seem long gone, but they have been replaced with innovative, agile, and no less worldrenowned manufacturers in every community and in election week constituency in Northern Ireland. Covid changed a lot but also proved a lot. We may have seen much of our capability move east but what our incredible manufacturing leaders have created in its wake has proven to be resilient, creative, and critical.

Whether it’s our food producers or our engineers or those who pivoted to meet the emergency on our health front line, the importance of having our own domestic production base has never been clearer. With the complications of Brexit, supply chain challenges, rapid inflation, and an increasingly acute lack of labour, there’s no doubt that the 2020s has already seen the most extraordinarily difficult time to be in a manufacturing business. Yet, despite all that has been thrown at them, the local sector has never been more upbeat. Our recently published survey of the sector shows that two thirds of firms are reporting themselves as growing

compared to 41% in July 2020 as we exited the first Covid lockdown. Bringing in almost £15bn of external income, more than what Treasury passes back to the Executive to run public services, means that we really don’t have an NI economy if it weren’t for our manufacturers. Which is why it is important that 39% say they have increasing sales in the EU and 40% increasing sales in GB. And in employment, local firms are returning or creating jobs four times faster than their counterparts in Britain. Nothing seems capable of stopping the march of our makers. That is why we designated the month of May as Manufacturing

Month, to cherish and celebrate those in great businesses, populated by great people, and are making great products enjoyed in markets at home and abroad. Blue chips like KPMG, Pinsent Masons, Lockton, and Barclays, as well as public sector partners Invest NI and the Further Education Colleges, recognise the contribution being made economically and socially by the sector which is why they supported Manufacturing Month. With the election now firmly behind us, we quickly need a Programme for Government, budget, and our Executive back taking local decisions for local people. We need the UK and the EU to provide the stability, certainty, simplicity, and affordability through agreement on our post-Brexit trading environment. Manufacturing Month was a golden opportunity to bring together companies, manufacturers, leaders, teachers, lecturers, and apprentices, and mark the people who make our food and the table it rests upon, those who bring us our machines and motorway bridges, those who put the wings on the planes for our holiday flights, and those who are providing pharmaceuticals and the PPE to protect our nurses.

Eye on Manufacturing

(L-R) Mary Meehan, Manufacturing NI; Colleen O’Boyle, Mallaghan Engineering; Aine McGreeghan, South West Regional College; and Clodagh Rice take part in the Women in Manufacturing event with Further Education NI)

(L-R) Tony Murray, Lockton Companies LLP; Laura Gillespie, Pinsent Masons; John Mathers, Barclays; Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI; William Taylor, KPMG; and Mary Meehan, Manufacturing NI.

(L-R) Mary Meehan, Manufacturing Month; Nigel Birney, Lockton Companies LLP; and Tony Murray, Lockton Companies LLP.

Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye, hosting the Manufacturing Month launch business breakfast.

The launch of Manufacturing Month at KPMG’s Belfast offices.

John Mathers, Barclays (centre).

Ashleen Feeney, Partner, KPMG welcomes attendees to the Manufacturing Month launch business breakfast.

Panel discussion taking place at the Anchor High Summit at the Galgorm

Eye on Manufacturing

(L-R) Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI; Dr Jayne Brady, NI Civil Service; and Richard Hogg, Macrete.

Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI.

Packed room at the Anchor High Summit at the Galgorm Resort, Ballymena.

Jamie Delargy, host of the Anchor High Summit.

(L-R) Inaugural inductees to the Northern Ireland Manufacturing Hall of Fame Dr Terry Cross OBE; Pat O’Neill; and Brian Irwin.

Attendees at the Anchor High Summit at the Galgorm

The Trade NI delegation with Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer at the Trade NI Westminster Reception.

(L-R) The Trade NI leadership team - Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster; Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI; and Glyn Roberts, Retail NI.

Eye on Manufacturing

Manufacturing NI launches new cross border Digi Manufacturing programme Digi Manufacturing is a new cross-border cluster collaboration between the IDEAM Cluster and Manufacturing NI to foster new strategic value chains and enhance the digitalisation and green transition uptake of manufacturing SMEs to become more competitive.

he Digi Manufacturing project is being delivered with support from InterTradeIreland’s Synergy initiative. Synergy is a crossborder cluster initiative set up by InterTradeIreland, the cross-border trade and business development body. It aims to scale cross-border collaboration among SMEs and other players such as universities, third sector organisations, and government agencies using cluster and networking supports. The overarching aim of Digi Manufacturing is to create new crossborder strategic value chains and enhance the digitalisation uptake between both Manufacturing NI and IDEAM Cluster manufacturing SMEs. One of the key goals is to explore how businesses can reduce the 2050 Net Zero target through the coming together of these key partnerships, building resilience and shortening supply chains. Manufacturing SMEs were able to engage at Manufacturing NI’s Anchor High Summit on 12th May in The Galgorm Hotel with a reciprocal visit to The Manufacturing Solutions 2022 and Digitalisation of Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition (at the Technological University of The Shannon, Limerick) planned for 15th June. The project offers a unique opportunity for manufacturer SMEs to network and learn, exploring key opportunities such as digitalisation and green transition. By working collaboratively with Manufacturing NI, 10 IDEAM members will gain digitalisation upskilling, green transition insights, case-study learning, and industry know-how aligned with key international targets to develop collaborative innovative projects and promote competitiveness.

The new Digi Manufacturing collaboration between Manufacturing NI, IDEAM Cluster and InterTradeIreland was launched at the recent Anchor High Summit at the Galgorm as part of Manufacturing Month.

20 SMEs (10 from Manufacturing NI network and 10 from IDEAM Cluster) will benefit from collaboration opportunities to create new strategic value chains with the completion of a digital maturity self-assessment, and industry study visits to comprehend practical examples of how digitalisation and net-zero are being embraced and implemented firsthand. The participating firms will obtain the critical knowledge, new collaborative project ideas, matchmaking, potential funding insights and a core understanding of digitalisation and their green journey ahead. Dr Jamie Meehan, Cluster Manager, IDEAM said: “At IDEAM, we believe that the Digi Manufacturing project is crucial to the future of manufacturing SMEs to highlight digital and green transition industry best practices and enable firms to embrace new ideas and technologies

to improve their competitiveness and relevance to their customers. Digi Manufacturing will enable a new cross-border collaboration between IDEAM and Manufacturing NI members to foster significant collaboration between these cluster organisations and member companies. Digitalisation is the key enabler; sustainability and green transition are core outcomes, and we need to work more collaboratively to improve the effectiveness of manufacturing SMEs across the island.” Mary Meehan, Deputy CEO at Manufacturing NI, added: “Companies need to enhance their competitiveness through the digitalisation of their manufacturing processes in a sustainable manner. Through Digi Manufacturing, we will collectively support industry to collaboratively unlock new and invaluable opportunities concerning

funding opportunities, international collaborations, R&D projects, matchmaking, networking, and support for their digitalisation and green efforts. We are delighted to be part of this InterTradeIreland funded Synergy project in collaboration with IDEAM.” Damien McConville, Synergy Manager at InterTradeIreland, also commented: “InterTradeIreland is pleased to support this cross-border Digi Marketing collaboration between IDEAM Cluster and Manufacturing NI through our Synergy programme. Co-operation and joined up thinking in areas such as digi-manufacturing and adapting to a low carbon economy are key areas for all-island collaboration. It makes sense for like-minded companies to work together and find solutions to common problems which will help them to become more competitive and ultimately benefit both economies.”

Eye on News

Gray Design Unveil New Studio Space in Newry Leading architects, Gray Design, recently has unveiled a brand new studio space located along The Mall in Newry.

t the official opening Gray Design welcomed a host of clients and colleagues, old and new, to the state-of-theart office. Broadcaster, Adrian Logan was MC for the evening and Newry Chamber of Commerce CEO, Tony McKeown congratulated Gray Design on behalf of the local business community. Gray Design, which this year celebrated 15 years in business, has offices in Belfast, Newry, and Dublin, and offers a wide range of expertise in all major sectors including Commercial, Conservation, Retail,

Housing, Transport and Leisure and is well known for delivering high quality services from modest residential extensions to multimillion-pound commercial schemes. Gray Design has worked with major global brands like McDonalds, Starbucks, and KFC and its team has worked on projects in diverse locations such as USA, Switzerland, Russia, Hungary, Dubai, Qatar as well as the length and breadth of Ireland. Barry Gray (right) with Colin D’Alton and guest speaker Adrian Logan

Donnelly Group Raises Over £14,000 For AWARE NI Local mental health charity, AWARE NI, has benefitted from £14,000 of support following its tenure as Donnelly Group’s charity partner for 2021-2022.

Roisin Donnelly, Donnelly Group, and Lisa Abell-Farrelly, AWARE NI.

undraising efforts by Donnelly Group, Northern Ireland’s largest independently owned motor retailer, which included a Dragon Boat Race along the River Lagan and a golf day community event with support from local businesses, amounts to an impressive £14,356.40, which will go towards helping those struggling with mental health

issues across Northern Ireland. Roisin Donnelly (pictured left), for the Donnelly Group Foundation, said: “As a local company that employs people from all across Northern Ireland, we are committed to making a positive impact in the communities in which our staff work and live. “AWARE was the charity partner of choice as voted for by employees

from across our nine locations, so it has been wonderful to see them show such enthusiasm for the partnership and get involved right from the beginning, with our fundraisers always seeing a fantastic turnout of support from the Donnelly Group team along with their friends and family. “As our partnership with AWARE draws to an end, as a team we have been able to reflect on how it has helped us boost our own mental health throughout the year, such as through our Sunset Climb to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, and our Mood Walk at Parkanaur Forest Park.” Lisa Abell-Farrelly, Corporate Partnership Officer, at AWARE NI, which runs community support groups for those

affected by depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, and education programmes for schools and businesses, said: “Poor mental health can affect people from all walks of life and in many cases, the work we do is lifesaving, but it is only possible through the substantial help of organisations such as the Donnelly Group. “The money raised throughout the course of our charity partnership will significantly help people across Northern Ireland who rely on our services to maintain positive mental health. “We would like to extend a huge thank-you to the team at Donnelly Group for their generous donation. It has been a pleasure working together as its charity partner over the past year!”

Eye on News

Ulster Chartered Accountants Elect New Chairperson Emma Murray has been elected Chairperson of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society at its 115th Annual General Meeting. The Ulster Society represents 5,200 local Chartered Accountants and is a district society of Chartered Accountants Ireland, the largest and oldest professional accountancy body in Ireland.

s Murray, who takes over as Chairperson from Maeve Hunt, is Partner with PwC in Belfast. She leads PwC’s Northern Ireland audit practice, having joined the firm after graduating from University College Dublin in 2000. She becomes the fifth female Chairperson of the Ulster Society. Addressing the Society’s AGM, held in-person for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions were introduced, Ms Murray said that the key priority would be to help to build a strong local economy which creates opportunities for people: “In the year ahead, we’ll be working hard to support our members working across every sector of Northern Ireland business and we’ll be supporting those who have a positive vision for Northern Ireland. “We need to ensure that we have a stable society which allows

“We continue to live in unpredictable times. We are moving into post-pandemic recovery, and over the last couple of years how we work and engage with each other has changed. As a professional body, our focus will be on helping business to move forward and to bring through talent so that they can encourage jobs and foster growth for everyone in our community.” Ms Murray said that she would be working to build on the success that the Ulster Society has enjoyed during the leadership of her predecessor, Maeve Hunt: “The health crisis changed everything. We had to adopt a new way of working and it changed how members interacted with us. “The pandemic vastly increased our engagement with members as they had more opportunity to link in virtually to our events. We

people to create opportunities, build confidence and encourage talent. “We know that there are a number of key challenges for Northern Ireland, including the impact of the pandemic on business and society; the costof-living crisis; the impact of Brexit and the workings of the NI Protocol; and of course, the breakdown of the Northern Ireland Executive when it is needed more now than ever. These are all challenges, but none of them are impossible.

will continue to provide a busy programme of both virtual and in-person events and provide a strong voice for members across Northern Ireland.” Ms Murray has been in accounting practice for over twenty years and is also a Board member of Trócaire and a member of the organisation’s audit committee. Outside of work, she is a mum, loves to travel and is a passionate supporter of Tyrone GAA.

Eye on Food Business and Retail Management

New Ulster Degree Addresses Skills Shortfall in the Food and Drink Industry A new undergraduate degree in Food Business and Retail Management launching at Ulster University Business School in September 2022 is set to address the growing skills shortage across all levels of the local food and drink sector - from food producer to food retailer.

Professor Geoff Simmons

ood and drink is a £5 billion industry in Northern Ireland and is the region’s largest manufacturer. It is deemed a priority sector by government and a major future economic driver requiring support to build a stronger economy. The Department for the Economy’s ‘Rebuilding a Stronger Economy’ paper notes the importance of safeguarding the agri-food sector against challenges such as Brexit, and supporting opportunities for economic growth and innovation. Professor Geoff Simmons, Course Director, says the new Food Business and Retail Management BSc has been designed to equip students with the commercial awareness and skills demanded by the food industry at managerial level. “The most recent strategic plan for the food industry ‘Going for Growth – Investing in Success’ emphasised a programme of measures to ensure higher levels

over three-four years. “The full-time option is aimed at school leavers who will be prepared for a range of managerial opportunities with food producers and retailers. For those in employment

Teaching Block Coleraine

of market-led innovation, sales growth outside Northern Ireland, especially to new markets in the USA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and a significant improvement in skills. Crucially, skills development was positioned as a key requirement across the wider food and drink supply chain. Given the challenges surrounding the availability of managerial and commercial skills, we have developed a brand new course to help future leaders respond to significant opportunities and challenges faced by the industry. The programme will equip both young people entering the industry, and those working within the sector, with the core business management skills needed for commercial success.” Teaching will be delivered on Ulster University’s Coleraine campus, with students having the flexibility of studying either full-time or part-time

who wish to continue their professional development in management and leadership roles, the course can be taken on a part-time basis.” Geoff adds. Students will develop transferable business-focused skills across core commercial areas, such as food marketing, consumer behaviour, food retail management, category management, food supply chain management and international business. The food producer and retail focus will allow graduates to pursue careers in functional management positions with food producers and across a range of retail management opportunities – from supply chain and category management to marketing and international business. Over the last number of years, Ulster University Business School has demonstrated its long-term commitment to the development of Northern Ireland’s

food and drink sector through multi-million pound investments in state-of-the-art facilities. The Food and Drink Business Development Centre, a centre of excellence, was established to provide sector specific support to Northern Ireland’s local food and drink industry in research and business education. Located on the university’s Belfast campus, the Centre provides a unique range of support tools and expertise in key areas such a marketing and consumer behaviour, innovation management, supply chain management and food policy and sustainability to help businesses innovate and develop new product concepts. The Centre also contains a Consumer Insight Lab, a virtual reality retail store that allows firms to trial new products, packaging and category management, with shoppers recruited from relevant market segments. Moreover, The Food and Consumer Testing Suite (FACTS) at Ulster University’s Coleraine campus, helps businesses create, develop, refine and improve food and drink products through development kitchens, sensory testing booths, consumer research facilities, and a nutritional analysis laboratory. Through this suite, Ulster has partnered with leading experts from McDonalds, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and many local SME food firms to support product innovation and new product development in the region.

To find out more about the BSc Food Business and Retail Management course visit: www.ulster.ac.uk/courses/202223/ food-business-and-retailmanagement-30065

Eye on Awards

Henderson Retail Takes Northern Ireland’s Family Business Crown Mark McCammond, Retail Director, Henderson Group receives the Family Business of The Year Award on behalf of Henderson Retail from Dame Rotha Johnston, Chair of Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Ltd (lead sponsor). Also pictured are (L) Darren McDowell, Senior Partner Harbinson Mulholland (sponsor) and (R) Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director, Business Eye.

Henderson Retail, one of Northern Ireland’s largest private sector companies, lifted the top award at last night’s NIE Networks Business Eye Family Business Awards in association with Harbinson Mulholland.

he inaugural event, aimed at Northern Ireland’s vital familyowned business sector, took place at the Culloden Estate & Spa in front of an audience of more than 400 guests. Henderson Retail was named Family Business Of The Year at the new awards, but the list of winners on the night reflects the strength and depth

of a sector which accounts for some 330,000 jobs around Northern Ireland. The company also won the Large Business section of the Retail Business Of The Year Award with Menarys taking the Small/ Medium-Sized award on the night. Belfast-based IT services firm Nimbus lifted the Service Sector Excellence Award while the CSR Award went to prolific charity supporters and local house builders, Hagan Homes. The award for Emerging Family Business of the Year went to Portadownbased craft beer producers McCracken’s Brewery, whilst the Hospitality & Tourism category was won by fast-expanding coffee and food chain Bob & Berts. In the important Employer of the Year category, the two winners were local design agency Whitenoise and the McKeever Hotel Group, owners of

properties including the Dunadry Hotel & Gardens and Corrs Corner Hotel. The Manufacturing Excellence Award, meanwhile, went to Kilkeel’s Copes Technologies in the SME division and to Edge Innovate, based in Dungannon, amongst the larger companies. “We’ve felt for some time that there was space, and demand, for dedicated awards aimed at the family business sector here in Northern Ireland and we’re delighted to have been able to launch this new set of awards,” says Brenda Buckley of Business Eye, the company behind the annual AIB Business Eye Awards which take place in November. “But we were particularly pleased to see a really big, high quality entry for the first year of the awards and to be able to welcome more than 400 guests to the Culloden Estate & Spa for a memorable evening celebrating the very best of family business here.”

Eye on Awards Highly Commended UFORM

Darren McDowell, Harbinson Mulholland

Full List of Winners

Rotha Johnston, NIE Networks (right) presents a highly commended certificate in the Family Business of the Year category to Adam Donnelly, Simon Oliphant & Ryan Donnelly from Uform. Also pictured are Brenda Buckley, Business Eye (L), & Darren McDowell, Harbinson Mulholland (Second Left).

Family Business of the Year

Next Generation Family

Sponsor: NIE Networks

Business Leader

Henderson Retail

Sponsor: Ulster University

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

UFORM

AG Paving & Building Products Retail Family Business

Highly Commended AG Paving & Building Products

of the Year Sponsor: Harbinson Mulholland Menarys Henderson Retail Service Sector Excellence Award Sponsor: Business Eye Nimbus HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Workpal

CSR Family Business Of The Year Sponsor: The Community Foundation Hagan Homes Emerging Family Business of the Year Sponsor: Queens University Belfast McCracken’s Brewery Food and Drink Family Business Sponsor: Action Cancer Fish City TS Foods Hospitality and Tourism Stephen Acheson & Daniel McCavery of AG Paving & Building Products, receive a highly commended certificate in the Family Business of the Year category. Also pictured are Darren McDowell, Harbinson Mulholland (L), Brenda Buckley, Business Eye & Dame Rotha Johnston, NIE Networks (R).

Family Business Sponsor: Business Eye Bob & Berts

Shona Mulholland, John Mulholland Motors Alan Mercer, Hillmount Most Innovative Family Business Sponsor: Tarasis Environmental Street Furniture Energystore Employer of the Year Sponsor: Alpha Whitenoise McKeever Hotel Group HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Industry Training Services Construction and Property Family Business Sponsor: Elliot Duffy Garrett M&M Contractors HIGHLY COMMENDED:

McGinnis Group

Manufacturing Excellence Award Sponsor: HSBC UK Copas Technologies Edge Innovate Fastest Growing Family Business Sponsor: Nimbus Shelbourne Motors Family Business Legacy Award Sponsor: Harbinson Mulholland Diamond Systems HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Safe Gas NI

Eye on Awards Retail Family Business of the Year Menarys

Aileen Murnion, Barbara Black, Jonathan Kerrigan, Melissa Gormley from Menarys receive the Retail Family Business of The Year (SME category) from Angela Craigan, Harbinson Mulholland.

Retail Family Business of the Year Henderson Retail

Angela Craigan, Harbinson Mulholland presents the Retail Family Business of the Year (large company award) to Mark McCammond, Henderson Retail.

Richard Buckley, Business Eye.

Eye on Awards Service Sector Excellence Award Nimbus

Ronan McKeown, NIE Networks presents the Service Sector Excellence Award to Gareth McAllister, Nimbus.

Dame Rotha Johnston, NIE networks.

Highly Commended Workpal

Ronan McKeown, NIE Networks presents Ian Megahey, Workpal with a highly commended award in the Service Sector Excellence Award category.

Compere, Mark Simpson.

Eye on Awards

Guests enjoying the champagne reception.

CSR Family Business Of The Year Hagan Homes

Roisin Wood, CEO Community Foundation, presents the CSR Award to James Hagan, Hagan Homes.

Andrew McCague and Emma Johnston.

Eye on Awards Emerging Family Business of the Year McCracken’s Brewery

Professor Patrick McCole, Queens University Management School presents the Emerging Family Business of the Year Award to Ryan & Nicola McCracken of McCrackens Brewery.

Belfast Beo perform.

Eye on Awards Food and Drink Family Business Fish City

Lucy McCusker, Action Cancer presents the Food & Drink Family Business of the Year (SME category) to Aaron Norton & Grainne O’Loane from Fish City.

Paula Young, Donna McGregor and Claire Louise Mooney.

Food and Drink Family Business TS Foods

Lucy McCusker, Action Cancer presents the Food & Drink Family Business of the Year (large company category) to Joanne Molloy & Tony Steele, TS Foods.

Eye on Awards Hospitality and Tourism Family Business Bob & Berts

Nikki Larkin and Lynne Gilmore. Brenda Buckley presents the Hospitality & Tourism Award to David Ferguson from Bob & Berts.

The team from Barclay Communications.

Eye on Awards Next Generation Family Business Leader

Next Generation Family Business Leader

Shona Mulholland, John Mulholland Motors

Alan Mercer, Hillmount

Shona Mulholland, John Mulholland Motors receives the Next Generation Family Business Leader Award (SME category) from Professor Sandra Moffett, Ulster University Business School.

Professor Sandra Moffett, Ulster University Business School presents the Next Generation Family Business Leader Award (SME Category).

David Armstrong, Richard Ward, Fred Ward, Barbara Ward, Caroline Willis, Micheal Willis, Vivienne Ward, Paul Ward and Richard Crawford.

Eye on Awards Most Innovative Family Business Environmental Street Furniture

Mairead Mackle, Tarasis Enterprises presents Most Innovative Family Business Of The Year Award (SME Category) to Alan Lowry of Environmental Street Furniture.

Jim Traynor, Beth Reynolds, Diana Stec and Adam Stec.

Most Innovative Family Business Energystore

Mairead Mackle, Tarasis Enterprises presents Most Innovative Family Business Of The Year Award (large Business Category) to Neil Ferguson & Connor McCandless, Energystore.

Eye on Awards Employer of the Year

Employer of the Year

Whitenoise

McKeever Hotel Group

Paul Black, Alpha (centre), presents the Employer of the Year Award (SME Category) to Laura & Adam Smyth of Whitenoise.

Eddie McKeever & Martin Toner, McKeever Hotels receive the Employer of The Year Award (large company category) from Paul Black, Alpha.

Highly Commended Industry Training Services

Scott Wilson and Pamela Beattie.

Brendan Crealey, and Ciara Judge, Industry Training Services receive a highly commended award in the Employer of the Year category from sponsor Paul Black, Alpha.

Eye on Awards Construction and Property Family Business M&M Contractors

Kevin McVeigh, Elliott Duffy Garrett (L) presents the Construction & Property Family Business of the Year to Gareth Loy, M&M Contractors.

Belfast Beo perform.

Highly Commended McGinnis Group

John McGinnis & daughter Annie Heading receive a highly commended award in the Construction & Property Family Business of the Year category from Kevin McVeigh (centre), Elliott Duffy Garrett.

Richard Buckley, Brenda Buckley, Megan O’Neill & Sam Buckley.

Eye on Awards Manufacturing Excellence Award

Manufacturing Excellence Award

Copas Technologies

Edge Innovate

Adele Ireland receives the Manufacturing Excellence Award (SME category) on behalf of Copas Technologies from Scott Wilson, HSBC.

Niall McKiver, Diane McKiver & Brenda Cullen, Edge Innovate receive the Manufacturing Excellence Award (large company category) from Scott Wilson, HSBC.

Ronan McKeown, Maeve Donnelly, Jonny Kerr, Dame Rotha Johnston, Randal Gilbert, Christine Kelly, Sinead Ferris and Nick Douglas.

Eye on Awards Fastest Growing Family Business Shelbourne Motors

Gareth McAllister, Nimbus (second left) presents the Fastest Growing Family Business of The Year Award to Caroline Willis, Richard Ward & Paul Ward from Shelbourne Motors.

Highly Commended

Family Business Legacy Award

Safe Gas NI

Diamond Systems

Victoria & Paul Scott receive a highly commended award on behalf of Safe Gas NI in the Family Business Legacy award category from Darren McDowell, Harbinson Mulholland.

Paul Doherty, Julieann Picking, Angela Bennett, Steve Snoddon from Diamond Systems collect the Family Business Legacy Award from Darren McDowell, Harbinson Mulholland (second right).

Eye on Awards

Jonathan Raife, Robin Heatherington, Gillian Heatherington, Sam Raife, Megan Hayward, Dillon Comyn and John Stapleton.

Marion Robinson, Ellen Pogue, Ciara Judge, Aisling McAlinden and Tara-Jayne Crealey.

Kimberly Hughes Alia Geagea.

Eye on Awards

Marion Robinson, Ellen Pogue, Ciara Judge, Aisling McAlinden and Tara-Jayne Crealey.

Debbie Wilson and Siobhan Matthewson.

David Kennedy, Mary Catherine McNama, Roisin Wood and Timothy Rankin.

Eye on Awards

Martin Reynols, Michelle Reynolds, Angela Bennett and Steve Snoddin.

Megan O’Neill & Sam Buckley.

Denise, Danny, Caeili and Conan Carr.

Gary McDonald, Maeve Donnelly, Rotha Johnston and Darren McDowell.

Peter, Aideen, Nikki and Connor Dunlop.

Paul Burke, Gordon Coulter MBE and Adele Ireland.

Eye on Awards

Darragh Cullen, Brenda Cullen, Diane McKiver and Niall McKiver.

ReTake That perform.

Jim Laird & Alex McCandless.

Austin Nolan, Paul McQuillan, Stephen Harpur and David Coleman.

Brenda Buckley, Ciara Mercer, Alan Mercer with baby daughter Reya, Robin Mercer & Richard Buckley.

It’s a family affair: Winner of the best tweet prize: Baby Reya Mercer with her mum Ciara Mercer and compere Mark Simpson.

Eye on Export

Collins Aerospace Flying High in Export Success Chances are that the frequent flyers amongst us have already been exposed to the intricate and high-quality work of Collins Aerospace whilst airborne. Part of Raytheon Technologies, the company is recognised as the leader of the global aviation seating market.

ith over 300 sites across the world, Collins Aerospace has a facility in Kilkeel in the heart of the Mournes, which manufactures seating for the world’s most reputable commercial and business airlines. It delivers innovative product solutions to most of the world’s major airlines including British Airways, Etihad, Finnair, Air France and KLM. With such an impressive customer list, it is no surprise to learn that Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel has continued to thrive despite the impact of the global pandemic on the aerospace sector, which was one of the most severely impacted. The company is positioned

Managing Director of Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel, Stuart McKee

extremely well for future growth. Collins Aerospace’s facility in Kilkeel has been declared a Centre of Excellence for manufacturing innovation and customer satisfaction across all of Collins’ global sites. The relationships that it has established with its global customer base is one of the contributing factors of its export success and in order to achieve its anticipated further growth, the company is committed to maintaining and nurturing these great relationships moving forward.

Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel has firmly established its reputation as leader of the global aviation seating market, which has ensured its continued export success. Photo credit: Finnair.

“A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.” It has established a strong reputation for the products that it produces, which are the newest, most specialised, and bespoke on the market. We only need to look at the FinnairTM AirLounge Business Class seat that was launched in February 2022 to global acclaim, which is one of the most innovative new products to be launched in the market in the last decade. Described as “more like a piece of classic Nordic furniture than a simple airline seat,” the seat was manufactured by the team in Kilkeel, which continues to push the barriers of innovation. The seat has since been shortlisted as a finalist in the upcoming Crystal Cabin Awards at AIX Hamburg, which showcases excellence in aircraft interiors innovation. The depth of the company’s innovation was showcased during the pandemic when it pioneered ways to continue to meet customers’ needs and maintain an impressive on time delivery performance. Several future technologies and manufacturing techniques were implemented, including industry 4.0 processes,

advanced composites and composites innovation, alongside the development of a state-of-the-art logistics Hub. The introduction of these processes has helped Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel incorporate better sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices, and contributes to a better circular economy within the facility. This is fast becoming a priority for many customers within the global aerospace market. Managing Director at Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel, Stuart McKee spoke about the company’s resilience and success saying, “Our tremendous export success is wholly and completely due to the work of the Collins Aerospace team. The team was instrumental in the changes that were made to our more efficient processes which at all times underpinned the customer. As Barack Obama famously said, “A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.” Thankfully, the changes that we implemented have contributed to us maintaining a very happy global customer base.”

Eye on Export

Wrightbus Wins £69 Million Export Contract Ballymena firm Wrightbus has landed a major deal to supply up to 800 electric buses to the Republic of Ireland. The first batch of 120 buses will form the start of a five-year framework agreement.

he order represents an investment of about €80.4m (£69m), Ireland’s National Transport Authority said. The battery-powered buses Streetdeck Electroliner BEVs - will be manufactured and assembled at the firm’s facility in Galgorm, and the first 120 vehicles wil mark the start of a five-year agreement. It’s reckoned to be the single biggest bus procurement deal in the history of Irish transport. Neil Collins, managing director of Wrightbus, said: “We are extremely proud of this historic deal, which is hugely significant for Ireland’s decarbonisation ambitions and for us here at Wrightbus. “This deal further cements the reputation we have built in the zero-emission sector, and follows hot on the heels of historic

deals in Australia and Germany.” He said the deal showed the firm’s “ambition to be at the forefront of the zero emission drives in cities, towns and rural areas across the world”. Ian Paisley, DUP MP for North Antrim, said it was “wonderful news” for the company and workforce. Such orders only come about because of hard work and the best product,” he said, carefully avoiding the issue of the NI Protocol. “The Wrightbus transport solutions are the right product for the time and are now part of the mainstay of transport solutions in UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Australia and elsewhere.” The Irish bus deal follows an announcement last month that Wrightbus was to supply

100 hydrogen buses to Germany for the first time. Back in Ireland, The National Transport Authority said that, of the 120 buses initially ordered, 100 are destined for use by Dublin Bus on services within the Dublin metropolitan area and 20 for use by Bus Éireann in the Limerick metropolitan area. The remaining buses to be ordered as part of deal will serve other towns and cities, including Cork, Galway and Waterford.

The Irish transport minister hailed the deal as a step towards meeting carbon reduction targets. “Going electric will reduce the carbon footprint of our public transport fleet, and will help us reach our long-term climate goals, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan,” said Eamon Ryan. “These new electric buses will also help reduce air pollution, improve public health and improve access to public transport for people of all abilities.”

Eye on Export

The Protocol A Guide To What It’s All About Special trading arrangements were needed for Northern Ireland after the UK voted for Brexit in 2016. This is because it’s the only part of the UK with a land border with an EU country - the Republic of Ireland.

efore Brexit, it was easy to transport goods across this border because both sides had the same EU trade rules. No checks or paperwork were necessary. After Brexit, a new system was needed because the EU has strict food rules and requires border checks when certain goods - such as milk and eggs - arrive from non-EU countries. In addition, of course, the border is a sensitive issue as well as a political issue. With that in mind, the UK and EU agreed that protecting the Good Friday Agreement was a priority. So, both signed up to the NI Protocol as part of the wider Brexit agreement, which is now part of international law.

How Does The Protocol Work? Instead of checking goods at the Irish border, the protocol agreed that any inspections and document checks would be conducted between Northern Ireland and Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). These take place at Northern Ireland’s ports. It was also agreed Northern Ireland would keep following EU rules on product standards.

What Are The Current Issues? Unionist parties argue that placing an effective border in the Irish Sea undermines Northern Ireland’s position within the UK. Other

parties here, largely, support the existence of the protocol and don’t want to see it scrapped.

The UK Government Position Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has told MPs that the protocol has led to problems which the government had not foreseen when it signed the agreement. She argued that the Protocol had undermined the Good Friday Agreement, and had also led to unnecessary bureaucracy for businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. She said that the proposed Northern Ireland Protocol Bill would mean that British goods destined for sale in Northern Ireland would only have to to meet British standards, and not those of the EU. The foreign secretary added that the urgency of the situation meant that the government had to act without reaching agreement with the EU, but that its preference was still for a negotiated settlement. However, opposition MPs have accused the government of acting irresponsibly.

Meanwhile, Over In Brussels Reacting to the Foreign Secretary’s statement, the EU said it would “need to respond with all measures at its disposal”. It has warned before that renegotiating the text of the Northern Ireland Protocol is

out of the question, and that any unilateral action by the UK would have consequences. The EU set out its own proposals for the protocol last October, including: • an 80% reduction in checks on food products arriving in Northern Ireland and halving the amount of paperwork • passing legislation to allow the trade in medicines between GB and Northern Ireland to continue • relaxing rules so chilled meats, such as sausages, could still be sent across the Irish Sea In return, the EU wanted extra safeguards to prevent products from Great Britain crossing into the Republic of Ireland.

The UK rejected this offer, saying it would “worsen the current trading arrangements”.

What Happens Next? Any legislation needs to go through Parliament, which could take months. It is not clear how the EU will respond, but some experts fear a possible UK/European trade war. Former prime minister Theresa May has warned that abandoning the protocol would damage the UK’s reputation. She said the government should consider “what such a move would say about the United Kingdom and its willingness to abide by treaties which it has signed”.

For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 1 David McLaughlin has joined leading telecommunications provider eir evo as the company’s Business Account Manager. In his role, David will manage client relationships, identify potential opportunities with both new and existing customers and promote the new eir evo offering to businesses across Northern Ireland. David, a Computer Science graduate from Ulster University, is an experienced sales and account manager with over 10 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry.

1. David McLaughlin

2. Ben Johnston

Leading telecommunications company eir evo 2 has appointed Ben Johnston as Inside Sales Account Manager, focusing on the SMB market for Northern Ireland and helping corporate customers with their digital transformation projects. With a responsibility for identifying and realising customer IT requirements and ambitions, Ben brings significant sales and management experience, having previously worked within Market Research Planning where he progressed from lead generation and sales development to Brand Manager, overseeing and training a team of 20. Ben has a degree in Computer Science from Ulster University. 3 Sam Best has joined leading telecommunications provider eir evo as Business Development Manager. Sam’s role will support enterprise and public sector organisations to provide innovative solutions in driving value and improving productivity. Sam brings more than a decade of experience in digital transformation, entreprise software and data privacy, having previously worked with Micro Focus, PlanNet21 and Virgin Media. Sam has an honours degree in Biological Sciences from Queen’s University.

3. Sam Best

4. David Beatty

4 David Beatty, Business Development Lead for Workplace Solutions, eir evo Leading telecommunications company eir evo has appointed David Beatty as Business Development Lead for Workplace Solutions, which offers a range of digital communications platforms that support modern ways of working. Advising on and delivering digital transformation for organisations across all industries, David will be responsible for the integration of digital technology processes into all areas of a business, increasing efficiency and enhancing their customer interactions. David is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management, and is certified by Cranfield School of Management, Queens School of Management, and Miller Heiman. 5 Jim Montgomery, Business Development Lead for Digital Transformation, eir evo Jim Montgomery has joined leading telecommunications company eir evo as Business Development Lead for Digital Transformation, acting as the company’s customer-facing advisor for any business aiming to become a truly digital workplace. Jim’s role will see him liaising between clients and technology partners to realise customer needs with the latest digital innovations. Jim has worked in the telecommunications industry for more than 25 years and studied engineering before entering the world of telecoms, also completing a number of industry qualifications, including the Cisco Certified Networking (CCIE) certification. Leading telecommunications company eir evo has 6 promoted Clair Gheel to Business Development Director. Clair will be ultimately responsible for the roll out of network products across the eir evo portfolio to the company’s roster of corporate clients and will lead a team of account managers handling the delivery of services that support their customers’ business goals.

5. Jim Montgomery

6. Clair Gheel

Eye on Charity

In Good Company

Belfast Solicitors’ Association The Belfast Solicitors’ Association (BSA) has been working in partnership with Action Cancer since 2019.

Paul Moylan Chairman Belfast Solicitors’ Association is pictured with Lucy McCusker, Corporate Fundraising Manager Action Cancer, following a tour of Action Cancer’s Therapeutic and Screening Centre in South Belfast.

stablished in 1943, BSA is the largest local association of solicitors in Northern Ireland. The BSA seeks to ensure the provision of ethical and efficient legal services to the community. As an organisation of over 700 members, the BSA prides itself on its strong sense of social responsibility and working closely in support of Action Cancer has allowed them to strengthen this objective. To date BSA, have raised £10,848 for Action Cancer’s prevention, detection and support services. At time of this article going to print the BSA’s marathon relay team raised the sum of £4676.25 inclusive of gift aid. One highlight, which took place during lockdown was an online webinar with leading trial lawyer Robert Shapiro, defense counsel for OJ Simpson throughout his 1995 trial. Paul Moylan, who has recently taken on the role of Chair was delighted to continue the relationship: “I am thrilled to be able to continue our partnership with this worthy, local cancer charity. On a recent visit to Action Cancer House I was blown away by the state-of-theart Therapeutic and Screening Centre and the extensive range of services available to local people affected by cancer - and their families. There are so few of us who have not been impacted in some way by cancer, therefore it has been very easy for our members in BSA to get behind such an emotive cause.” The BSA are hoping to raise an additional £10,000 for Action Cancer services this year. They aim to achieve this target via a range of exciting fundraising activities – something for everyone to enable all members to get involved. This year’s activity includes: relay runners in the Belfast City Marathon, a golf day at Belvoir Park Golf Club, tag rugby and gaelic football tournaments and a pub quiz to name but a few. Lucy McCusker, Corporate Fundraising Manager Action Cancer, said: “We are so proud to be continuing this strong and unique partnership with BSA. What we have achieved to date is remarkable considering the backdrop of the pandemic and the challenges to fundraising which it brought. Having Paul Moylan confirm BSA’s continued support for another year was such welcoming news as life begins to get back to normal. Under Paul’s stewardship we are confident of another successful year of generating funds and raising awareness of our life-saving and support services.”

Eye on Charity

Campbell College Pupils Alan Karmuramira, Ivan Caughie, Harvey Laird, Seb Charles and Alexander Brennan took part in the Belfast City Marathon relay in aid of Action Cancer

Campbell College Belfast

Campbell College Teacher Mr Jonathan McNerlin also participated in the Belfast City Marathon

Another corporate partner seeking to raise £10,000 for Action Cancer this year is Campbell College Belfast. Campbell College Belfast was established in 1894 and sits in a stunning 100-acre woodland Campus nestled on the edge of East Belfast. With 1,200 pupils, the school’s vision is to inspire individuals to be the best they can be; contribute to the world around them and grow into men of character. Campbell College strive for the boys to leave the school with an assured set of values, believing that can truly make a difference in society. Action Cancer has a close affiliation to the school as a former Campbellian, Dr George Edelstyn, sought to make a difference when he founded Action Cancer in 1973. An oncologist at Belvoir Park Hospital, Dr Edelstyn established Action Cancer with the aim to fund pioneering research into chemotherapy and to

support patients and their families during treatment. Over the last 50 years, Action Cancer has grown from strength to strength serving local people in Northern Ireland impacted by cancer. Dr Edelstyn’s values, instilled in him by his education at Campbell, continue to define the charity’s guiding principles still to this day. The school is keen to continue Dr Edelstyn’s legacy by supporting Action Cancer, which includes fundraising and raising awareness of the charity’s services within the Campbell College community. Fundraising activity to date has included; rugby top raffles, Spring Concert, selling Christmas cards, relay runners in the Belfast City Marathon and there are plans for a picnic in the school grounds before the end of the summer term. Edel McInerney, Head of Physics and fundraising lead for the school said; “In recent years, our school community has been directly impacted by cancer through diagnoses of staff and parents. It can be tough on the boys to see people they know and love get

sick. Keen to make a difference, the boys have been inspired to do what they can to help Action Cancer, a worthy cause that truly helps people in their time of need.” Lucy McCusker, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Action Cancer added; “We are so delighted to have Campbell College and its wider community on board to support Action Cancer. The historical link and shared values of both organisations makes this partnership even more special. Thank you for all your support and funds raised so far, you are really making a difference.” Action Cancer’s ‘In Good Company’ series seeks to highlight the strength and range of current fundraising partnerships.

To find out how your company could work in partnership with Action Cancer, please contact Lucy McCusker, Corporate Fundraising Manager on lmccusker@actioncancer.org or call 07743 416325.

Eye on News

Deloitte Appoints Two New Belfast Partners

Deloitte has announced that it has appointed Marie Doyle and Kerrie Irvine as partners in Belfast. Marie Doyle (left) and Kerrie Irvine.

arie becomes a partner in Deloitte’s Northern Ireland Public Sector practice, while Kerrie has been made a partner in the firm’s Human Capital consulting business in Belfast. Across the UK, Deloitte has promoted 124 people to partner – a 57% increase on last year. Of the new promotions, 44 (35%) are women, increasing the total number of Deloitte’s women partners to 323 (26%). 22 new partners are from ethnic minority backgrounds, equating to 18% of the promotions. Jackie Henry, office senior partner in Belfast, said: “I have worked closely with Marie and Kerrie throughout their careers and their promotions are fully deserved. Both are leaders in their field and bring extensive experience and expertise that will be invaluable as we continue to grow Deloitte’s presence in Northern Ireland. “I am pleased to see progress in the representation of women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds at partner level. We are continuing to prioritise creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where there is equity of opportunity for everyone.” Kerrie joined Deloitte’s consulting team

as a graduate in 2005 and has worked with clients in a range of sectors to deliver complex transformation programmes. In 2015 she began to build the firm’s Human Capital team in Belfast, which supports clients in the UK, Europe and globally, growing the team to more than 200 people. Kerrie also leads Deloitte’s inclusion and wellbeing programme in Belfast, which ensures team members can be themselves at work and helps them thrive. Kerrie Irvine said: “Our Human Capital team has become well known across the Deloitte network for providing high quality consulting services to our clients. Having joined as a graduate myself, I am proud to have been able to create professional career opportunities for people, including graduates and school leavers, here in Northern Ireland. “I am committed to further scaling the team in Northern Ireland, working with our clients to help them deliver complex change ambitions and supporting our people to grow and develop their own careers.” Marie joined Deloitte in 2004 and has worked with a wide variety of public and private sector clients. An economist by background,

Marie specialises in large scale technology enabled public sector transformation. Marie has led the development and implementation of transformed operating models for public sector organisations in policing, health, education and social security. She is a member of the CBI Northern Ireland Regional Council and is also on the Board of Directors of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. Marie Doyle said: “I am looking forward to continuing to grow the breadth of client work we do in the Belfast consulting practice and bringing the wider capabilities we have in Deloitte – such as robotics, cyber security, finance transformation and large-scale programme management and delivery – to clients in the Northern Ireland market. “Transformation of the public sector is a long-term challenge not only in Northern Ireland but across the world and Deloitte’s team in Belfast is well equipped to help clients manage that process.”workforce is equipped with the skills of the future. This investment from Almac signals their commitment to creating a diverse talent pool and we’re delighted to support that ambition.”

www.cityauctiongroup.com

Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Kia’s Upmarket Challenger Kia has turned the quality dial up another notch with the new Sportage, writes James Stinson.

he family SUV market is the most competitive there is. Cars like the Nissan Qashqai, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tuscon, Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq are all seriously good motors and that’s before we even get to this new Kia Sportage. Kia isn’t the cheeky chappy, value car maker it once was. It now stands with established European, Japanese and German car brands as a maker of high quality, desirable motor cars. But it still has the ability to disrupt, undercutting some rivals, innovating like hell while still offering an unbeatable 7-year / 100,000 mile warranty. Entry level Sportage models, which come well specced, are decent value while the inside is much more spacious than the car it replaces. On top of this, the new car is the best quality Sportage yet. Build quality, fit and finish is truly impressive. When it comes to buying a new car one of the most important decisions you have to make is what

engine to go for. In this department, Kia gives you lots of choice, with one petrol and two diesels, and manual and automatic gearboxes available. Automatic versions get mild-hybrid technology (MHEV) to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. There’s also a ‘self-charging’ hybrid (HEV) version, and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which can officially do more than 40 miles of driving on electric power alone. If you’re looking to maximise traction, you can opt for four-wheel drive on top-spec models. Prices run to well north of £40,000 for the bells and whistles plug in hybrid version but you don’t need to spend anywhere near that to own a nicely equipped, driver friendly Sportage. The entry level ‘2’ model with a 148 bhp 1.6 petrol motor and manual gearbox is available from £26,745. Standard equipment includes things like 17-inch alloys, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, LED headlamps, 8-inch touchscreen with DAB radio and MP3 compatibility, as well as 40:20:40 split folding rear seats. Just as impressive is the list of standard driver aids and safety features, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with city,

pedestrian, cyclist and junction covering, Lane Following Assist and Lane Keep Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Hill-start Assist Control. It’s a very safe car! Prices rise as you move up the trim levels and start looking at more complicated engine / drivetrain options. Diesels cost a little more and are still worth considering if you do a lot of mileage or plan to tow a caravan or something similar. Mild hybrids offer some extra oomph to automatic petrol versions. The full hybrids are more expensive still but are more economical to run. Unlike the mild hybrids they have a big enough battery and electric motor to allow for some electric only running for short distances. The plug-in hybrid is the most expensive option on paper but is probably the cheapest to run, allowing you to drive as much as 40 miles on battery power alone. Plug-in hybrids are too pricey

for most private buyers but are really popular with company car drivers because of the super low BIK tax rates. Whichever one you opt for the driving experience is pretty seamless. Even in the full hybrid version, it’s virtually impossible to tell when the car is moving between petrol only, petrol/ electric and electric only power. Elsewhere, the new Sportage is sharp looking, with a menacing grille and decent road presence. There’s a more spacious cabin, including best in class rear passenger room and a bigger boot. The cabin is filled with nice soft touch materials while the controls are clear, well laid out and, thankfully, easy to use – something Kia does particularly well. In a very crowded market, the new Sportage is a car you really should test drive before spending your hard earned cash anywhere else.

SELL YOUR CAR OR VAN NOW! LET THE EXPERTS SELL YOUR VEHICLE THE SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE WAY!

3 NO HASSLE, NO TYRE KICKERS, GREAT PRICES! 3 SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE WAY TO SELL YOUR VEHICLE NO MATTER THE AGE, MAKE OR PRICE RANGE! 3 WE CAN EVEN ARRANGE SWIFT TRANSPORT OF YOUR VEHICLE FROM YOUR DOORSTEP

www.cityauctiongroup.com Contact Richard Smith 07966 536521 anytime for an instant valuation or email corporate@cityauctiongroup.com

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Big and bold that’s the new 7 Series

BMW has taken the wraps off its new 7 Series… and there’s quite a lot of it. The German marque’s executive flagship is longer, wider and taller than the car it replaces and bigger than the long wheelbase version of the old 7 Series.

nterestingly, BMW has chosen to launch with the all-electric “i7” version first with the full suite of engine options coming on stream in 2023. That will include a diesel but no petrol only option this time. Instead, there will be two petrol / electric plug-in hybrids. The focus on electrification is sensible given the direction of travel and the company car tax benefits. The launch version i7 xDrive60 features two electric motors – one for each axle – giving total power outputs of 536bhp and 745Nm of torque. An even meatier M version with 650 bhp is promised. But even in this standard guise, performance is fairly eye watering. The 0-62mph time is 4.7 secs. Range is a claimed to be 360-380 miles while the i7 can be charged up overnight at home or through a fast-charging station. Here, it can charge at up to 195kW, making it possible to add just over 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. These fast-charging stations are popping up in other countries but there are none in Northern Ireland presently.

Given the price tag and the desire for flexibility many drivers may instead opt for one of the plug-in hybrids or even the new 3.0 litre six-cylinder diesel. The diesel is a mild hybrid affair that offers decent performance – 0-62mph time of 6.3 secs - and low to mid-forties mpg but

it’s an expensive company car option. By contrast, the plug-in hybrid enjoys BIK car tax benefits not far off full electric but with a good deal more driving / range flexibility. The plug-in hybrids will go up to 50 miles on battery power and as far as you like after that on petrol power. Company execs love to make an impact and BMW has worked hard to create a bold new exterior design. Up front, the large grille, consisting of two elements as on all recent BMW models, is even larger than before and comes with BMW’s ‘Iconic Lighting’ treatment, as first brought to the facelifted 8 Series. The separation of the

headlamps, with the LED running lights positioned above and the main beams in a separate recess below, add greater presence while providing close visual ties with the recently facelifted BMW X7. A three-box silhouette with familiar long-bonnet proportions characterises the overall shape, which features smooth and largely unadorned surfaces throughout. Only two feature lines are evident along the flanks, which have a pronounced shoulder running from the outer tip of the running lights through to the taillights. As on the BMW iX, door handles with an internal touchpad and electronic mechanism replace traditional handles. Three different M packages add performance-inspired styling cues: M Sport, M Sport Pro and M Performance. There is also a choice of chrome and blackened styling elements, and wheels range from 19inch as standard up to optional 22inch as part of the M Performance styling package. The suspension setup involves double wishbones at the front with a multilink rear, and widened tracks compared to the outgoing G11-generation 7 Series. Air suspension is fitted as standard and is able to drop the ride height by 10mm in Sport mode (or at higher speeds to lower drag), or raise it by 20mm if the conditions demand. The new BMW i7 will go on sale before the 7 Series, in November. The i7 xDrive 60 in ‘Excellence’ trim will cost just over £107,000, while M Sport versions will set you back almost £112,000. Diesel and plug-in hybrid versions of the 7 Series will go on sale in Spring 2023. BMW hasn’t confirmed how much they’ll cost, but you can expect them to set you back around the same as a comparable Mercedes S-Class, from around £80-85,000.

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• 30+ years experience in Northern Ireland providing a professional asset recovery solution for government departments, liquidators, insolvency practitioners, solicitors and financial institutions • Our aim is to provide a professional one-stop asset management and realisation solution using cutting edge technology and qualified personnel to generate revenue whilst eliminating excessive costs • Extensive experience managing highly sensitive assets, secured in protected centralised storage facilities and remarketing assets such as vehicles, HGV and Plant/Machinery, real estate, jewellery by digital online or physical auction • Nationwide coverage with secure storage compounds strategically located in Belfast 5 acres, Omagh 6 acres and Portadown 3 acres • Valuation service undertaken by qualified asset remarketing specialists • We bring the auction to your premises! On site auction specialists with extensive experience providing the complete solution for business clearance auction events • Expert digital online timed auction events to compliment all physical auctions to ensure global worldwide coverage to maximize the value of your assets

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