Ulster Business - August 2018

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ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

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TOP 1OO NORTHERN IRELAND COMPANIES 2018

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies

Contents 12 News

43 The Top 100

148 Business Breakfast

All the latest news and exclusives from across Northern Ireland and beyond

This year’s list of the biggest companies Northern Ireland has to offer

We speak to Fergal McFerran of Stonewall about helping firms achieve inclusivity

24 Alastair Hamilton

50 Back in the Day

169 Motoring

The Invest NI chief executive says the Top 100 list showcases the best of our exporters

The first editor of Ulster Business looks back at a very different Top 100 - 30 years ago

Our man Pat Burns pushes some of the latest top motors to the limit

36 In Focus

52 Profiles

186 The Chairman

A year ago FinTrU founder Darragh McCarthy said he’d create 1,000 jobs - has he delivered?

Editor John Mulgrew and photographer Elaine Hill profile some of those making the Top 100

From a summer garden party to the opening of two hotels... he’s been around as usual

38 Top 100 Analysis

118 Interview

190 Travel

Jonathan Cushley breaks down the Top 100 Companies list... so you don’t have to

Ulster Business sits down with Michael Graham of Graham Construction

John Mulgrew discovers the second city has a wealth of food and drink to offer up

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Visit danskebank.co.uk/business Source: Survey commissioned by Danske Bank of businesses in Northern Ireland with turnover between ÂŁ400,000 and ÂŁ240 million, run by the market research agency Aalund. Based on interviews undertaken during the period March 2017 and February 2018. Danske Bank is a trading name of Northern Bank Limited. Registered in Northern Ireland R568. Registered Office: Donegall Square West, Belfast BT1 6JS. Northern Bank Limited is a member of the Danske Bank Group.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies EDITOR’S COMMENTS

Top 100 Companies reaching new heights during 2018

W

elcome to the Ulster Business Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies 2018.

It’s been a busy few weeks here, but I’m pleased to say this very special double-issue of the magazine is now ready for your perusal.

Looking back at the first list 30 years ago, the size, scale, turnover and breadth of the Northern Ireland’s business landscape has changed exponentially.

It was the grocery sector in Northern Ireland which played a big part of the top of the list, before the emergence of UK retailing brand giants here.

That includes a few familiar faces from television adverts gone by, such as Stewarts, Wellworths and Crazy Prices.

At that time, Moy Park was a mere minnow in comparison to the £1.4bn giant it is today. In fact, with its turnover then, the poultry company wouldn’t even have made this year’s list.

This year there are more than a dozen new entrants to the list, many of which are on there this time due to a surge in their business performance in the space of just 12 months.

Publisher Ulster Business c/o Independent News & Media Ltd Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG Printer W&G Baird Greystone Press, Caulside Drive, Antrim BT41 2RS www.wgbaird.com

Turnover is now at a record level, with those on this year’s list approaching combined sales of £24bn.

And despite ongoing uncertainty around a post-Brexit business landscape, the most interesting thing is the surge in profit.

Businesses on the list saw a 78% rise in pre-tax profits, based on their previously filed accounts.

The only thing which still has a long way to go is the representation of women at the very top. And with the departure of Janet McCollum from Moy Park, just 2% of the Top 100 list has a female chief at the helm.

Hopefully that figure will improve next year and those that follow.

I’d like to thank everyone who gave Ulster Business their time for interviews and photography, which included Mr Tayto himself.

Of course, it’s not just the biggest companies which fuel the Northern Ireland economy, but the small and medium-sized firms, many of which are likely to appear on this list in the years to come. ■ John Mulgrew

Editor John Mulgrew

Production manager Irene Fitzsimmons

Manager Sonia Armstrong

Graphic design INM Design Studio

Deputy manager Sylvie Brando

Profile photography Elaine Hill

Sales executive Sarah-Ann Gamble

Contact: 028 90 264260 www.ulsterbusiness.com

Independent News & Media Ltd © 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Independent News & Media Ltd.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 FOREWARD

Turning challenge into opportunity

By Michael Neill, head of Belfast office, A&L Goodbody

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t A&L Goodbody we are proud to be again supporting the Ulster Business Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies list.

The Top 100 Companies have continued to make great strides, with many recording a significant growth in their turnover, headcount and global footprint.

The past 12 months have brought significant challenges for businesses in Northern Ireland, not least as a result of continued political stalemate and uncertainty around Brexit.

Congratulations to Dale Farm Co-operative, John Graham Holdings and Almac Group who all move into the top 10 this year. It is also encouraging to note a number of new entrants in this year’s rankings, including Heron Bros and Mac Interiors.

Uncertainty makes the process of business planning more challenging, but the companies that rise to the top are agile and forward-thinking enough to turn challenge into opportunity. This is exemplified by those companies appearing in this year’s Top 100 Companies.

AUGUST 2018

While construction, agri-food and energy remain dominant to some degree, the diversity of the companies and sectors in the rankings illustrates that there is, and will continue to be, a blueprint for emerging companies in Northern Ireland to

emulate as they strive for sustainable growth and success.

As an international law firm with offices in Belfast, Dublin, London and in the US, we enjoy working with many of the Top 100 Companies in the Northern Ireland market and further afield, advising on both domestic and international matters. We have been inspired by their drive, determination and resilience, and the example they set to Northern Ireland plc. We very much look forward to seeing their businesses continue to thrive over the next 12 months.

On behalf of all at A&L Goodbody, congratulations to each of this year’s Ulster Business Top 100 Companies – we wish you every success in the future. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

A summer in numbers £24bn The sales generated by the businesses on this year’s Top 100 Companies list. The list has grown to include 15 new entrants, with two Northern Ireland firms now boasting turnover in excess of £1bn.

Michael Neill, partner at Top 100 sponsor A&L Goodbody, Chris Kirke of Moy Park, Ulster Business editor John Mulgrew

78% The huge surge experienced by the companies on the list in pre-tax profits, comparing their results from the previous year. NI Water topped the table for the most profitable, followed by Moy Park, which remains Northern Ireland’s largest company.

Top 100 companies see sales and profit surge

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orthern Ireland’s top companies have seen a huge surge in sales of more than 8% to almost £24bn, according to the Ulster Business Top 100 for 2018.

£268m The largest single increase in turnover among the Top 100 Companies. Fuel business LCC Group, which is based in Cookstown, saw sales soar to £852m in the last year, putting it in third place on the table.

And the profitability of the leading lights of Northern Ireland business shot up by a huge 78% in the space of just one year.

Taking the top spot for the seventh year in a row is poultry processing giant Moy Park, with more than £1.4bn in turnover.

Overall, the companies making the list saw sales rising by around 9% in the space of one year.

0 The number of ministers Northern Ireland has at Stormont. At the time of publication it will have been well over 560 days without a working Executive. Businesses continue to warn that the lack of administration is having a direct impact on investment and trade.

This year, and just a few weeks ago, the company appointed a new chief at the helm of the Craigavon-headquartered business.

Chris Kirke, formerly of Greencore, paid tribute to the firm’s stalwart and his predecessor, Janet McCollum.

“I think Janet built an unbelievable organisation. I think I bring some new eyes, and some different ways of working. I know this from roles I have previously done,” he told Ulster Business.

Speaking about the success of Moy Park

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and its continued place at the top of the Top 100 list, he said: “When you look at the organisation, they are client-based. We have an A-list of clients.

“The facilities are some fantastic, wellinvested, and capital spent in the right places.

The values centre around the people and the development. It is a business with a long heritage, and the outlook for the business is fantastic.”

Graham Construction saw one of the biggest leaps on the list, soaring more than £200m in turnover and rising to fourth.

New entrants include technology giant Kainos, while W&R Barnett is now the only other company on the list to join the ‘billion club’. However, fuel wholesaler LCC Group is fast approaching the mark, with its turnover soaring to £852.8m.

Some others making the list this year include Draperstown construction firm Heron Bros, and Mac Interiors. Strathroy Dairy has joined the list at number 99, after posting a £20m surge in turnover, while Dale Farm shot up into the top 10.

The growing success of Ulster Carpets has also seen it added top the list at number 98.

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies

Jack Nicklaus golf course ‘could come to Belfast’

NEWS Jack Nicklaus

By John Mulgrew

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top-end multi-million pound luxury golf course designed by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus could be coming to Northern Ireland, Ulster Business can reveal.

It’s understood that the 18-time major winner has written personally to Belfast City Council about a proposal to build a course at the Giant’s Park site in the North Foreshore area.

The section, which could become one of Northern Ireland’s most prestigious courses, is a 200-acre chunk of land.

The site is currently owned by Belfast City Council. Plans were initially launched for the area’s redevelopment three years ago.

As one of golf’s greatest players, 78-year-old Jack Nicklaus has had more than 110 career wins, including six victories at the Masters at Augusta, three Open wins, three in the PGA Championship and took the trophy at the US Open on four occasions.

He’s designed more than 300 top courses across the globe, including several elsewhere in the UK and Ireland.

That includes Killeen Castle in Co Meath, and Mount Juliet in Kilkenny, which has played host to the Irish Open Earlier this year, Belfast City Council’s director of property and projects Gerry Millar, unveiled that four proposals had been made for the 200-acre plot.

But the details of the proposed schemes have not yet been revealed.

A spokeswoman for Belfast City Council said: “We are considering a number of development proposals in relation to Giant’s Park and information relating to them remains confidential.”

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Farrans to build Harbour’s City Quays 3

Quotes of the summer “We are tremendously proud to be recognised as Northern Ireland’s top company once again in the prestigious Ulster Business Top 100, particularly as it coincides with our 75th anniversary celebrations. It is the great people within the business that makes Moy Park the successful company it is today.”

Chris Kirke, Moy Park president speaking as it was revealed the firm is still number one on the Ulster Business Top 100 Companies list.

By John Mulgrew

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onstruction giant Farrans looks set to build the huge £15m 17-storey City Quays 3 building at Belfast Harbour, Ulster Business can reveal.

And it comes as the Harbour has unveiled record results, including a 5.6% surge in operating profits to £34m.

It’s also understood that Belfast-based Farrans will build the latest and largest of the City Quays office schemes, which could create 600 construction jobs during its construction.

“This is a Brexit that is in our national interest... it is the right Brexit deal for Britain.”

Prime Minister Theresa May (at the time of writing) addressing the Commons about its early agreement on Brexit, which led to the resignation of three government ministers.

Darrell McGuckian, Farrans operations director told Ulster Business: “Farrans are delighted to be working with the Belfast Harbour Commissioners team to deliver the City Quays 3 project as part of their ongoing developments “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Belfast Harbour Commissioners once again and to bringing this wealth of experience and expertise to the fore on City Quays 3.”

The scheme is still awaiting a final green light, as it’s deemed a ‘regionally significant’ project which needs the go-ahead from Stormont.

“While NI firms are still relatively optimistic, their lower levels of confidence than among their UK counterparts can also be attributed to factors including Brexit and the local political situation. These issues, alongside skills shortages, will remain prevalent into the months ahead.”

Ulster Bank chief economist Richard Ramsey on business sentiment.

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Meanwhile, Belfast Harbour saw turnover rising by 6.5% to £61.9m during 2017. The growth in turnover and profits was supported City Quays

by a 3% increase in port cargo handled to a record 23.7 million tonnes.

During the year it invested £42m in new port facilities and regeneration developments, while it says future “capital expenditure plans include an upgrade of the port’s ferry and container handling facilities at a cost of £60m, and further investments in new logistics warehousing units.”.

Work is currently under way on a new 900-space car park, while next year’s results are likely to see a further uplift in revenue, due to the new AC Hotel and films studios on the North Foreshore.

Overall, port operations make up around 80% of overall turnover at Belfast Harbour.

“A key factor in the success of Belfast Harbour is the ongoing growth in port throughput in sectors such as aggregates, steel, animal feeds and grains, roll-on/roll-off freight, ferry passengers and cruise ship visits,” Joe O’Neill, Belfast Harbour’s chief executive said.

“The Harbour’s real estate activities also are delivering ongoing growth. As trade in traditional sectors such as coal and refined oil reduce, we will continue to explore new trade opportunities, alongside those in real estate and tradeable services.

“Our ongoing partnerships with Titanic Quarter and Catalyst Inc also continue to yield positive results.

And Belfast Harbour’s chairman, David Dobbin, said: “Belfast Harbour is a key economic driver for our region. Our ‘trust port’ status allows us to reinvest all of our earnings after tax for the benefit of port users and the wider economy.”

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Centra creating 80 jobs with new stores

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entra is creating around 80 new jobs with three new stores, Ulster Business can reveal.

Work is now under way on a £1.5m Centra and Chipmongers chip shop in Carryduff, outside Belfast, while in Limavady, Co Londonderry, it’s understood it’s also opening a £450,000 store.

Centra confirmed to Ulster Business that the two new stores would be opening later this year.

It comes after Centra announced the creation of 30 jobs at a shop in Craigavon, Co Armagh as part of a £2.5m investment.

The investment by retailer Musgrave and the Greene family includes a new Centra store and Go Fuel forecourt, located at Lake Road, Craigavon, close to Rushmere Shopping Centre.

The new store brings the number of Centra shops to almost 90, with close to 500 across Ireland.

Store owner, Tom Greene said: “We are proud to work with Musgrave, Centra and Go Fuel on what has been a highly significant development for the area.

“This store has been developed with the ever-busy commuter in mind, providing a

Centra customer manager Norman Bennett with Centra Lake Road Craigavon store owner, Tom Greene

range of fresh food and convenience options, alongside an extensive grocery range.

“As well as being a one-stop shop for food, household necessities and vehicle fuel, the new Centra store offers comfortable, stylish surroundings.”

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Drop in NI construction ‘alarming’

By John Mulgrew

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sudden drop in construction activity here is yet more evidence of “an industry suffering as a direct consequence of Northern Ireland’s political impasse”, experts have warned.

The latest official statistics point to a worrying 6.5% fall in construction across Northern Ireland for the start of the year, compared to the end of 2017.

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“It is yet more evidence, as if it were needed, of an industry suffering as a direct consequence of Northern Ireland’s political impasse,” he said.

“Importantly, this slowdown in activity encompasses not just the large scale flagship projects that get so much attention, but also the smaller to mid-sized education, health and housing works which are the lifeblood of contractors, their employees and their supply chains.”

“The lack of leadership and abdication of responsibility that the past 18 months has seen is now clearly impacting on the levels of public sector work coming to the market as well as the confidence of the private sector with regard to investing in new development.

Drop in new construction work

However, it doesn’t include work carried out by Northern Ireland construction firms elsewhere in the UK and Ireland.

Decrease in NI construction

lack of ministerial authority and accountability has left civil servants increasingly unable to progress works.

6.7%

According to the figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) the decrease in the overall output was accounted for by an 11.8% decrease in ‘repair and maintenance’ and a 6.7% decrease in new work.

6.5%

managing director of the Construction Employers Federation, the latest figures are “alarming”.

According to John Armstrong,

And Robert Gibson, audit and assurance director at Grant Thornton in Northern Ireland, said the latest Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin “shows that the sector got off to a slow start in the first quarter of 2018, following four quarters of relative consistency”.

11.8%

RSUA director, Ciaran Fox, said: “The significant fall in private sector construction activity in Northern Ireland is another alarm bell for the wider economy. It suggests that Brexit and the absence of devolved Government has knocked private sector confidence and that investment is being held back as a result.”

Fall in repair and maintenance work

“Looking purely at the public sector spend, these figures clearly show that, even though Executive departments’ capital budgets have been on the rise, the

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Courthouse hotel ‘downsized’ amid new plans

By John Mulgrew

A

new hotel at a derelict Belfast courthouse could now be a smaller development with 71 bedrooms amid newly filed plans, Ulster Business can reveal.

Plans show that Signature Living’s new hotel at the Crumlin Road courthouse will now include 71 rooms, restaurant, a bar area and a spa located in the basement.

“There will also be a rooftop function suite to cater for large events, overlooking the hills to the west of the site,” a design statement said.

Developer Lawrence Kenwright is building several hotels in Belfast, including a George

AUGUST 2018

Best-themed scheme at the Scottish Mutual Building.

His company has now applied for a “change of use and extensions and alterations to the existing courthouse including roof extension to create hotel with ancillary facilities, parking, landscaping and all associated works”.

Signature Living boss Lawrence Kenwright

“The proposal is to create a high quality hotel with complementary uses and required service spaces within the building envelope. “… the original building will be sympathetically restored and converted into a luxury hotel. Additional space for rooms, dining room and conference facilities wiIl be

provided in a two storey rooftop extension providing expansive views out over the hills to the west and the city to the south east.”

Signature Living Group also plans to open The Waring Hotel on Waring Street in Belfast Cathedral Quarter.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

NI unemployment ‘heading towards record low’

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orthern Ireland’s unemployment rate is heading towards a record low, according to fresh government figures.

But while the unemployment level for the three months ending in May dropped to 3.5%, Northern Ireland’s employment level remains the lowest in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

That’s a measure of the percentage of working age adults who are in work, and represents overall economic activity.

Ireland at 27.5%, while the lowest was in the south west on 18.1%.

The NI unemployment rate of 3.5% was below the UK average of 4.2% and was the joint second lowest rate of the UK regions.

Ulster Bank chief economist, Richard Ramsey, said that it “is encouraging to note that the growth in employment over the last year has been largely driven by employees and fulltime work”.

Richard Ramsey

Westmeath with the creation of 200 jobs over four years.

The firm makes software products for clients including government and utilities.

Across the UK, the highest employment rate in the UK was in the south west (79.2%) and the lowest was in Northern Ireland (69.8%).

“There was a net gain of 33,000 employees over the year to March to May 2018. Over the same period, full-time and part-time employment increased by 25,000 and 5,000 respectively.

Speaking about the drop in the unemployment rate, it says the “largest decrease was in Northern Ireland at 1.8 percentage points, followed by the north east and the West Midlands, both at 1.1 percentage points”.

“Self-employment remained flat at 127,000.

Meanwhile it is worth noting that there has been a marked pick-up in the number of people with second jobs and temporary workers. This is arguably a reflection of the rise of the so-called gig economy.”

Neueda says it will carry out software development for global telecoms and financial services in its new offices on Athlone’s Dublin Road.

During the same period, the highest economic inactivity rate in the UK was in Northern

Meanwhile, Belfast IT company Neueda is opening a software engineering hub in Co

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Last year the firm expressed concerns over the recruitment of EU talent following Brexit.

The £15m-revenue business employs around 200 people at its headquarters in Weaver’s Court in Belfast. Neueda It also has operations in London, New York and Latvia.

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Law firm takes on five associates

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aw firm A&L Goodbody has taken on five new associates at its Belfast office as it expands its team here.

The new associates at the corporate law firm are Catherine Paul, who will work in corporate, Kate McIlvenny, in litigation and regulatory, Orla O’Hare, litigation and regulatory and Jonathan Simpson and Jill Gracey, in employment.

“Over the past decade, our Belfast office has grown significantly in size, capability and geographical reach, both locally and internationally,” Michael Neill, head of office at A&L Goodbody in Belfast said.

“This growth and success has been driven by

AUGUST 2018

New associates Orla O’Hare, Jill Gracey, Jonathan Simpson, Catherine Paul and Kate McIlvenny with Michael Neill (centre)

the outstanding quality of our lawyers and business support professionals, who have enabled us to advise clients, both at home and abroad, on a wide range of legal matters.

Headquartered in Dublin, A&L Goodbody is one of Ireland’s leading international law firms. The firm has around 800 staff working across its six office locations.

“As well as technical expertise, our clients expect energy, commitment and strong commercial acumen from our more senior lawyers, and our five new associates very much fit the bill in this regard.”

The company was also named ‘corporate law firm of the year’ by Insider Media.

Just last year, the firm said it had hired 25 new staff in Belfast.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

NI house prices ‘to rise fastest in UK’

ouse prices in Northern Ireland are to surge faster than anywhere else in the UK in the next four years, according to a new study.

H

“However long-term forecasts can be impacted by a range of factors, and there are some noteworthy issues not least the region’s low levels of economic growth.

PwC’s latest UK Economic Outlook survey says prices are forecast to see a boost of around 4%, with average house prices, currently around £128,000, set to reach £154,000 by 2022.

“We are still languishing at the bottom of the UK regional growth league and, with the absence of a devolved administration and Brexit on the horizon, we should all be concerned.”

The report has also revised down initially already flat predictions over Northern Ireland’s general economic growth.

It’s predicting the overall UK property market grow by 3.4% by 2022.

The report also says that with a rise in artificial intelligence (AI), research suggests Northern Ireland could see the loss of around 4,000 jobs by 2037. However, this is considerably less than other regions in the UK.

But it says it “should experience some improvement next year” with PwC forecasting that the region should grow by around 1.2% in 2019.

“The Northern Ireland property market continues to perform better than expected, with a positive balance between earnings and house prices,” PwC Northern Ireland chairman, Paul Terrington, said.

It estimates that the “number of jobs in the manufacturing sector could be reduced by around 25% due to AI and related technologies, representing a net loss of nearly 700,000 jobs”, across the UK as a whole.

“That’s still well below the forecast UK average of 1.3% for 2018 and 1.6% in 2019, leaving Northern Ireland as, yet again, the slowest-growing of the UK’s 12 regions.”

“We have also considered the effect of future interest rate rises, and believe that only around 11% of UK households would be immediately affected if rates increased.

Elsewhere, Northern Ireland’s estate agents are forecasting rising house prices as confidence in the market grows, according to a separate survey.

Northern Ireland house prices saw the seventh highest level of growth this year, with PwC forecasting the region will rise to third in 2019 and top the list by 2022.

“Based on this, the Monetary Policy Committee would not be overly concerned about small rate rises causing significant short-term economic damage.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Ulster Bank report said sales expectations among Northern Ireland surveyors are at their highest since last summer.

It now predicts growth will sit at just 0.8% for the course of 2018.

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Paul Terrington, PwC regional chairman

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Invest NI ‘ahead of growth target’ it’s helped amounted to £1.7bn during the course of the year.

“An out-turn of nearly 11,000 additional jobs within the first year is an exceptional result, and positions us one third of the way towards our four year outcome target,” Alastair Hamilton said.

Alastair Hamilton

I

nvest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton says the business growth organisation is ahead of target for its four year plan.

“These are jobs that businesses have already created and two thirds of these are in companies located outside of Belfast.

It says it’s assisted in adding 11,000 new jobs here within the first year of its programme, which runs from 2017 to 2021.

“The figures also show we are half way towards the four year external sales outcome target.

Invest NI says total sales among the firms

“In addition, we have already reached the

lower end of the export sales outcome target, with this group of companies reporting growth of export sales of £800m over the year (12%).”

It said it’s helped support almost two dozen businesses invest in Northern Ireland for the first time. That would make it one of the most successful years for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last few years, according the organisation.

“The agency continues to see strong interest from companies looking to invest in Northern Ireland and in 2017/18 it supported 23 businesses to invest for the first time, one of our highest in the last five years,” Mr Hamilton said.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Majority of manufacturers poised for growth: survey

By John Mulgrew

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he bulk of Northern Ireland manufacturers are experiencing growth and plan to expand their workforces in the coming months, a new survey has said.

And while the sector has been hit by a series of major job cuts in the last two years, including Bombardier, Michelin and JTI Gallaher, it points to positively among many of the firms here, with 57% experiencing increased sales in the last 12 months.

And while 55% expect to see growth to increase this year, more than 50% of those quizzed as part of the survey carried out for Manufacturing NI and legal firm Tughans see both Brexit and general political uncertainty as barriers to further expansion.

A total of 72% describe their business as being in a position of growth while more than four-fifths say they have been profitable.

“This is the most comprehensive survey that has been done of the sector this year. Far from the sunset industry some may think, it shows a vibrant, successful and growing

56%

Businesses which see impact of Brexit uncertainty hitting growth 22

45%

Stephen Kelly, chief executive, Manufacturing NI, Maureen Treacy, Perceptive Insight and James Donnelly, corporate partner, Tughans

sector making a larger contribution to the economy and jobs and poised to have a bigger impact if we can provide them with the right political, economic and trading environment,” Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI chief executive said.

The number of firms which have boosted their workforce

“While there is optimism for sustained growth, the survey also puts into sharp focus the many challenges faced by the sector particularly the lack of local governance.”

James Donnelly, corporate partner, Tughans, said that “with the majority of surveyed businesses (83%) in recruitment mode it is a concern that skilled workers such as those with engineering and automated manufacturing skills are proving difficult to find.

90%

The companies which plan to invest in their business in the next year

“There are more, and better paid jobs, many reporting inflation busting pay rises, so we would encourage those thinking of a career to get into manufacturing.

“Another reason why this sector, as well as the Northern Ireland economy generally, needs to see government restored.”

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12443180619a

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

If one thing is certain it is that nothing is certain Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton says the Top 100 list showcases many of our big exporters on the world stage

T

he potential out-workings of Brexit, US trade arrangements, world politics and the global business environment are ever evolving and all present challenges for business.

Responding to change is not new. For a business to succeed in any environment it needs to be flexible, resilient and responsive.

It is our role at Invest Northern Ireland to provide the right support to help businesses prepare, adapt and build a strong foundation for growth.

Supporting businesses to innovate is central to this ability to adapt to change. Investing in innovation is crucial, not just to business growth but to survival. Studies show a solid link between investment in innovation, and profitability and growth. Be that through developing new products to meet changing customer need, finding new markets to spread risk and grow sales, to reviewing and improving internal processes to strengthen leadership or become more efficient.

Increasing international competitiveness is particularly important for a small, regional economy such as Northern Ireland.

By increasing the number of businesses selling products and services outside Northern Ireland, and attracting more international companies to invest here we are driving our economic growth. This will safeguard the

24

future of our businesses, our economic prosperity and provide employment for generations to come. Supporting the delivery of this is at the very heart of what we do.

This is why our 2017-2021 Business Strategy includes initiatives to support the outcome of supporting our customers to increase their total sales by £3.2bn to £4.2bn by 2021.

The value of Northern Ireland exports is currently £8.5bn. The Republic of Ireland and US have been our biggest individual export markets for some time, around 8,000 businesses currently sell products and services in these territories.

During 2017/18 there were increases in exports to four of our top five destination countries, with the largest increases in exports of goods to the Republic of Ireland and Canada.

This Top 100 from Ulster Business includes a large number of companies that we have worked closely with to support export growth. The increases in NI exports are testament to the commitment of these companies to explore, test and grow into new markets.

Continuing to grow exports is vital for the long-term prosperity of our economy. We offer a wide range of trade support and a strong presence in key export markets to help support this growth. And over the past year we have increased our international presence in 10 new territories, including Hong Kong, Toronto, Johannesburg and Sydney to provide in-market support for Northern Ireland companies investigating export opportunities, or looking to build on existing business, in these markets. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Alan Armstrong

Almac revenue soars to £531m

By John Mulgrew

N

orthern Ireland pharma giant Almac has cracked the £500m turnover mark with profits soaring by more than 20%.

The Craigavon business saw pre-tax profits rising to more than £33m for the year ending September 2017. And its revenue increased by 19% to £531m.

Job numbers also soared, rising to 4,407, with almost 3,000 of those staff working at the firm’s Northern Ireland base.

The company says 2017’s figure of £33m benefited from “upfront and other payments relating to the out-licensing of oncology products which had been developed in house by the group and which also contributed to the profit before tax figure for the year”.

“The company continued to invest in expansion projects in 2017 with the building of additional lab and office facilities and the ongoing construction of one of the largest

pharmaceutical cold store facilities in Europe at its global headquarters campus in Craigavon,” it said.

Alan Armstrong, chief executive of Almac, said: “During the year we made significant investment for the long-term benefit of the group including global expansion into key strategic territories.

“The financial benefit of these investments may not be realised immediately, however they will ensure steady and continued growth of the group into the future.

“All our profits are reinvested into the business, enabling us to offer best-in-class services and products to our clients and continue to be a leader in the life sciences sector.”

Almac’s base in Craigavon

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The international company is a privatelyowned organisation that has grown over almost half a century and now employs nearly 5,000 people.

Almac provides services to the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors globally. As well as the UK and Ireland, it also has operations in the US and in Asia, Singapore and Tokyo.

At the start of the year, the firm announced further investment plans for its £30m Co Louth site, a move protecting it against Brexit uncertainty.

The company said the opening of the site has been prompted by Brexit, as well as being part of its global expansion plans, and will enable it to maintain “seamless” access to the single market.

It’s due to open in January next year and “complements the existing clinical supply and drug product development” carried out at its global headquarters in Craigavon, Co Armagh, Almac said.

Almac was the first major Northern Ireland firm to announce a major move as a result of the vote for the UK to exit the EU. ■

AUGUST 2018

27

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

£107m contract win for IT firm Novosco

B

elfast IT firm Novosco is creating 150 new jobs after winning a massive £107m contract with the NHS in England.

The cloud-computing firm, which employs around 180 staff, landed the deal to manage IT infrastructure and support services for Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust runs Addenbrooke’s and The Rosie maternity hospital and is one of the largest and most digitised trusts in the UK. Following the announcement, Novosco revealed it’s adding 114 new posts to its Belfast base, with further roles being created at its offices in England.

Invest NI is offering the company over £1.2m towards the creation of the Northern Irelandbased roles, while Danske Bank is providing finance for the capital investment.

It’s understood the contract is worth £107m over seven years, will see Novosco provide a range of services to support the trust’s eHospital digital programme and its electronic patient record system.

It adds to Novosco’s existing portfolio of health sector clients, which includes a number of UK NHS trusts.

Earlier this year, Novosco was crowned the

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Patrick McAliskey, managing director, Novosco

Outstanding Business of the Year at the 2018 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in partnership with Ulster Bank.

“Cambridge University Hospitals is regarded as one of the leading lights in healthcare digital transformation in the UK and we are delighted that they have chosen Novosco to provide these vitally important IT services,” Novosco managing director, Patrick McAliskey, said.

“We look forward to working with Cambridge University Hospitals to help them further extend their digital platform and capabilities and to help them provide even better and safer care to patients.”

“Novosco provides services to many of Northern Ireland’s leading businesses and public sector bodies as well as to universities, NHS Trusts, housing associations and businesses across the UK and Ireland. Our latest contract with CUH will propel our growth in the English market and require us to significantly expand our Belfast headquarters.

“Expanding our workforce will be critical to driving the next phase of our business strategy and Invest NI support will assist us to secure the right skills to ensure our continued growth.”

And Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI chief executive, said Novosco has been one of the organisation’s key to its ‘scaling’ programme.

“To stimulate economic growth we need to support those businesses with potential for high growth to become the large companies of the future.

“To help achieve this we have a specific goal as part of our business strategy to double the number of companies participating on our scaling programme. Novosco has been part of our ‘scaling’ programme since October 2012. It has grown rapidly in recent years to become a significant player in Northern Ireland’s thriving IT industry. This growth has been through a combination of investment in leadership, skills and exports. This expansion marks another milestone in Novosco’s development.” ■

AUGUST 2018

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SURVEY

Launching the KPMG CEO Outlook 2018 are John Hansen, partner in charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, and Angela McGowan, director of CBI Northern Ireland

NI CEOs: Headwinds won’t get in the way of business growth The leaders of some of Northern Ireland’s biggest companies are optimistic about the future for their businesses despite threats from cyber-attack, geopolitics and generational shifts, according to the KPMG CEO Outlook 2018

T

he report found that 92% of CEOs (chief executives) in Northern Ireland are confident about their company’s growth prospects in the next three years, although that growth is likely to be limited to 2% a year or less.

across the border in the Republic of Ireland.

That is on a par with leaders around the world but slightly lower than the confidence in growth found among CEOs

Geopolitics is also an issue with territorialism seen as a threat to growth by one quarter of CEOs.

30

Tempering the outlook in Northern Ireland are ever-present concerns about cyberattack, although encouragingly 68% of CEOs believe that they are well prepared to deal with that issue should it arise.

And the shift in the generational make-up of the labour force to one more heavily weighted toward millennials means a third of CEOs here believe they need to do more to reposition their brand to meet their needs.

DRIVING BUSINESS FORWARD John Hansen, partner in charge at KPMG in Northern Ireland, said: “Northern Ireland’s CEOs are driving their businesses forward at a time of great change.

SURVEY

Our survey shows they are having to be agile in order to meet the challenges posed in an ever-changing environment where new threats are emerging all the time.

“With those challenges comes opportunity and by exhibiting the fortitude, resilience and innovation with which they have become well known for, many Northern Ireland companies will be able to thrive in the run-up to and after Brexit.”

TECHNOLOGY AND DISRUPTION The report found disruption is being welcomed as an opportunity by 92% of CEOs in Northern Ireland and, encouragingly, only 8% believe their organisation is struggling to keep pace with the rate of technical innovation in their sector. In fact, most are actively disrupting the sector rather than waiting to be disrupted by others.

In order to tackle that opportunity head on, Northern Ireland’s business leaders are taking personal ownership for driving digital transformation.

Almost all are personally ready to lead radical organisational transformation while two thirds plan to collaborate with start-ups to make sure they are investing in innovation.

And CEOs here have a positive view about what new technology can do for the wider economy with most (92%) expecting artificial intelligence to deliver more jobs than it destroys.

“One of the most encouraging insights to come out of the survey is the understanding which Northern Ireland’s leaders have about the importance of digital to their organisation’s future,” John Hansen said.

“They aren’t just paying lip service to digital transformation but are taking hold of it with both hands to make sure it is a key priority for their businesses.”

MILLENNIALS On the issue of millennials, half of those surveyed said understanding how the needs of this particular demographic group differ

AUGUST 2018

from older customers is a challenge while the same percentage said responding to millennials’ expectations is also difficult.

Other challenges include appointing senior leaders who can better relate to millennials and attracting millennials’ attention while competing against online content from other brands and publishers.

When it comes to workforce capabilities, Northern Ireland CEOs place most importance on emerging technology specialists to support their organisation’s future growth plan, followed by cyber security specialists, sustainability experts and scenario and risk monitoring specialists.

A similar pictured exists in the Republic of Ireland.

So while disruption is being welcomed as an opportunity by most CEOs here, they realise they need to remain vigilant.

They are well aware of the need to improve the way they monitor disruption over the next few years (44%) and of acting as agile as possible (28%) to stay ahead of the game.

However, over a quarter (28%) admitted they are finding it a struggle to link their growth strategy to one which in turn benefits society.

When it comes to expansion over the next three years, three quarters of Northern Ireland CEOs are determined to explore emerging markets with Eastern Europe (41%) and Central/South America (35%) top of the list. In developed markets, North America is the most popular destination with three quarters of chief executives determined to grow their business there, followed by Asia Pacific (25%).

Comment

By Angela McGowan, regional director, CBI Northern Ireland

S

ome of the themes which dominated last year’s survey continue to be prevalent this time round such as cyber security, Brexit and geopolitical events.

However, this year we are seeing greater emphasis on areas such as the digital agenda, technical disruption and opportunities in emerging markets.

An outward focus has always been the hallmark of a successful CEO; so it is interesting to see that 70% of business leaders say that their biggest priority for geographical expansion is emerging markets.

Although expected to remain strong, world economic activity is forecast to move down a notch as central banks gently apply their brakes on monetary support.

At the CBI we expect growth in the global economy to edge a little lower to 3.4% in 2019. However, it is still easy to see why most business leaders want to tap into that global economic activity, especially CEOs located in Great Britain and Northern Ireland where their home market is a lot less buoyant because of Brexit uncertainty.

In Northern Ireland our economy continues to lead in areas such as engineering, cybersecurity, fintech, medical technologies and diagnostics and of course, high-quality food production. These sectors continue to be prosperous because they are all externally focused.

POSITIVE ABOUT THE FUTURE Overall, CEOs are positive about the future for their businesses, while mindful of the not-inconsiderable challenges in front of them in the form of demographic shifts, the threat of cyber-attacks and geopolitical volatility.

While topline growth is expected to be tempered, the ability drive growth in the coming year will require resourcefulness and realism in equal measure. ■

It is also important to note that while our successful sectors are tapping into international markets, they are also simultaneously exploiting technological opportunities.

The most successful companies are also renowned for adopting technology before competitors. KPMG’s study shows that CEOs are positive about what technological advancement can deliver. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

A

round six years ago, I was asked to contribute an industry article in an urban regeneration publication outlining the positive steps that could be taken to re-invigorate town centres in a prevailing climate of spiralling retail failures and horrendous high street vacancy levels.

In 2012 we had just witnessed the collapse into administration of ubiquitous high street names such as Barratts, Clinton Cards, Peacocks, Julian Graves, Ethel Austin and JJB Sports. Admittedly, some of these names did manage to survive this tumultuous period, and remain a high street presence to this day, but thanks only to good fortune and aggressive restructuring of their respective estates.

At that time most commentators (me included) suspected quite logically that we had seen the worst as the real impact of the credit crunch truly took hold, yet here we are six years on and the retail casualties simply keep on coming.

In recent months, Poundworld, Maplin and Toys ‘R’ Us all slumped into administration while high-end department store, House of Fraser, has recently announced a CVA which will see them close 31 stores across the UK (more than half of their current portfolio) putting up to 6,000 jobs at risk. Not to mention the numerous ‘quiet conversations’ being had by plenty of others urging landlords to accept reduced rental payments just to help them through.

In light of the above, it has therefore never been more evident that our town and city centres must evolve beyond a traditional retail dynamic in order to survive. While progress in Belfast over recent years has been encouraging, it is imperative that our stakeholders continue to assist property developers to continue re-imagining our cityscape.

To a degree one could argue that the renaissance is already underway, particularly having regard to recent development activity in Belfast city centre. While Ulster University campus construction has been delayed, a number of city centre student housing schemes are already in operation and several more are in the development pipeline.

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Our towns and cities must evolve to survive

By David McClure, Osborne King

In terms of leisure, the picture is also bright with hotel openings galore over the past 12 months; the 23-storey Grand Central by Hastings Group and Hampton by Hilton both opened in June providing a further supply of 479 bedrooms. Budget concepts too are on the rise with the easyHotel on Howard Street and locally-backed studio concept, The Flint, both scheduled for opening later this summer.

This is obviously great for Belfast but what about farther afield? Interestingly, a noticeable trend is now emerging in provincial towns up and down the country.

Encouragingly, this trend is the re-emergence of the retailer seizing the opportunity to acquire freehold properties at discounted prices to consolidate or indeed expand their presence within a local area. A review of bank branch disposals in recent years including those carried out by Osborne King on behalf of Danske identifies that most of these properties were acquired not by investors but by businesses or charities for their own use.

I also firmly believe that conversion to residential use must be promoted as absolutely fundamental to the changing face of the high street and this is particularly so in provincial locations. After all, it’s perhaps the

most obvious catalyst; bring people back to live in the heart of a town or city and they’ll avail themselves of nearby retail and leisure offers helping to sustain the environment in the longer term.

Belfast itself needs much more genuine city centre schemes and it is particularly encouraging to see several in planning at last seeking to utilise vacant upper floor accommodation within the retail core. One does, however, wonder why we don’t follow England’s example and grant Permitted Development Rights (PDR) to developers seeking to convert antiquated office schemes into residential units.

Such a move would revolutionise the development process and would show a genuine acknowledgement of the pressures facing Belfast and our larger urban areas.

Over the past decade our indigenous developers have proven themselves to be a particularly hardy bunch, genuinely entrepreneurial, and deeply passionate about the success of business in Northern Ireland. It is therefore imperative that they are further supported by a more flexible and efficient planning system and government if we wish to see the evolution of our urban areas continue. ■

Property performers, not puppets.

Professional property advice with no strings attached. Independent thinking for the smarter investor.

www.osborneking.com

ADVICE

Barclays giving NI businesses digital boost A

t times in Northern Ireland, it can look frustratingly like a lot of things stay the same. However in business, things are really moving and the way we do business is evolving at a breath-taking pace.

technology already in place. Our personal banking app was recently voted best in the UK, and our small business platform allows businesses to access a pre-approved overdraft limit at the touch of a button.

Our award-winning corporate cash management system, Barclays.net, is tried and tested by the 25% of UK companies which put it through its paces every day.

The biggest change we’re seeing is in all things digital. We now adopt new technology quickly and easily because developers are getting better at using a human-first approach to make complex things intuitive.

Take contactless payments.

BEYOND NI: EXPORTS AND CONNECTIONS

Remember how the first few times you waved your debit card at a machine, it was a bit scary and surreal. We’ve rapidly become accustomed to contactless payments and things like Apple Pay. This once futuristic stuff is now common place and it is really transforming how companies transact.

Along with these complex advances come the obvious threats of cyber security, the potentially ransomable value of individual or company data post-GDPR, and the competitive market risks to businesses which aren’t already on their digital game.

While we’re seeing a burgeoning community of tech start-ups through both our own Eagle Lab at Ormeau Baths and a growing number of incubator hubs in Belfast and Derry, as well as impressive numbers of IT jobs created from inward investment, it’s never too late to begin your digital transformation. The thing is, if you’re a tech firm, your financial tech needs to be walking the walk too. Increasingly, we’re finding clients placing more emphasis on this in their choice of banking partner, above all else.

34

Adrian Doran, NI head of corporate banking, Barclays

Barclays was the first bank to develop an ATM over 50 years ago, and the first UK bank to launch a credit card. In more recent years we were among the first to launch contactless cards, and we were the first bank in Northern Ireland to make cheque imaging available to our clients. In the past 10 years we’ve invested over £1bn in new technology which has meant our clients can be sure our digital technology is right up to date.

While other banks are now facing a catch-up period of investment and the challenges of upgrading their platforms, Barclays has the

The spotlight is being turned on Northern Ireland’s exporting capabilities, brought into sharper focus by the issue of Brexit. Without doubt, export sales are one of the key opportunities for growing the economy. We are really excited to work with established export businesses like Moy Park at one end of the spectrum and a successful new tech business, Neurovalens, at the other. This startup began life as one of the first tenants in the Barclays Eagle Lab at Ormeau Baths and due to growth, has recently moved into its own premises to accommodate its now more than 30 staff.

While access to money is obviously important for business growth, access to our networks can be just as valuable for NI companies.

With Barclays’ major presence in the UK and US, our London and New York private equity contacts are opening doors for Northern Ireland firms looking for market intelligence.

This style of partnership working with a local banking team, which can link into a wellestablished international network, is exactly the foot up our companies need to make them competitive in a global economy. ■

We think outside the boundaries to support businesses across Northern Ireland With in-depth sector knowledge and the ability to connect you with local and international partners, we’ll help you achieve your ambitions.

Contact our dedicated relationship team on 0330 150 1244* or visit www.barclayscorporate.com/ni

*Calls to 03 numbers will cost the same as a call to an 01 or 02 number and will be included in any inclusive minutes. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls.

Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England (Company No. 1026167) with its registered office at 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702) and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Barclays is a trading name and trade mark of Barclays PLC and its subsidiaries.

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies IN FOCUS

FinTrU: start-up to the region’s fastest job creator FinTrU founder Darragh McCarthy tells John Mulgrew about plans for 600 new jobs as the Belfast financial outsourcing firm looks to Northern Ireland’s second city

I

t was almost a year ago exactly that FinTrU founder Darragh McCarthy told this journalist he would grow his firm to a 1,000 worker business in five years.

Now, already cracking the 250 mark, the Cork man has just unveiled the largest single jobs announcement for Northern Ireland in several years.

He told Ulster Business about his plans for a new hub in Londonderry, bringing 305 jobs, and a further expansion of 300 staff in Belfast, which will bring that, at the time seemingly overly optimistic target, into reality.

FinTrU was formed in 2014, and works with some of the world’s largest tier one investment banks in areas such as regulation and legal services.

“Based on FinTrU’s growth to date, and having successfully partnered with Invest NI on job creation, along with the Department for the Economy, FinTrU has realised it is time to make a further investment in Northern Ireland,” he said.

“And more significantly, not just in Belfast, but outside of Belfast, and we have identified the north west region of Northern Ireland.

36

“There is surplus available talent, at a great cost point.

“We look forward to partnering with the North West Regional College with the academy model, similar to what we have done with Belfast Met. “FinTrU’s plans for the next five years is we will run six academies a year.”

To say Darragh’s ambitious would be an understatement, and his company’s surging growth has already garnered recognition and accolades along the way.

The former Morgan Stanley banker been nominated for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and in May, walked away with the Fast Growth Business Award at the Aer Lingus TakeOff awards, in association with Ulster Business.

Following rapid growth, FinTrU expanded from a small Dublin Road office, to buying over the entire Carleton House building in the Gasworks. And in the space of a year, the building has had a top-end modern refit.

FinTrU founder and chief executive Darragh says his company has doubled its workforce

each year, since it was formed in 2014.

“We continue to move up the food chain, and have six major tier one banks signed up, and likely we will get another two by the end of the year.

“The product areas are legal, risk, compliance KYC (know your customer) operation and consultancy.

“One of the new initiatives is that FinTrU Tech is becoming a bigger priority by the day. We won’t have a separate technology company, but we will imbue our products with greater technology offerings.”

Looking at how the business has managed to hit its numbers, Darragh says the company has a “very healthy gross margin” of around 40%.

“We have a net margin, profit, of somewhere between 15% and 20%. In a steady state, if we can run a 15% to 18% net margin, I’ll be very happy. With the advent of technology, we could bring that higher.” ■

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies IN FOCUS

AUGUST 2018

37

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 ANALYSIS

Top 100 firms continue to grow Independent consultant Jonathan Cushley, who compiled the Top 100 list using data from global data and analytics company Dun & Bradstreet, breaks down the numbers

T

his is now the 30th compilation of the Ulster Business Top 100 companies listing and shows that exceptional trading results have been posted by the major businesses.

The performance of the Top 100 Northern Ireland companies shows growth across, sales, pre-tax profit and shareholder value – with year-on-year profits for the companies showing 78% growth.

to either early 2018, 2017 or late 2016 financial year end.

Since the inception of the Top 100 listing 30 years ago, turnover has been used as the key identifier of performance, however, we also review pre-tax profit and shareholder value (tangible net worth) providing a rounded view on individual company and Top 100 performance.

The Ulster Business Top 100 listing incorporates the results of Northern Ireland based companies, either Northern Ireland registered or when a significant portion of their business is driven and transacted through the province.

For benchmarking purposes comparisons have been made with previous Top 100 editions. These comparisons will include results for companies that are no longer included in the current Top 100 listing, this is due to the fluidity of financial performance.

In the vast majority of cases the figures utilised in compiling the listing correspond

TURNOVER Sales generated by the companies listed

Top 100 Turnover 30 25 20 15

Turnover (£b)

10 5 0 2011

38

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

in the 2018 Top 100 increased by 8.3% to £23.85bn from £21.88bn.

This year has seen some exceptional sales performance, none more so than from John Graham Holdings Ltd, which trades as Graham Construction. It posted sales to March 2018 of £767.6m up from £565.9m.

John Graham moved from 10th position to fourth in the list, behind perennial number one, Moy Park Ltd, W&R Barnett Ltd, LCC Group and Dunbia Ltd. Glen Electric Ltd, which has been a staple of the Top 100 since it’s inception have unfortunately dropped out of the listing in 2018 due to the fact they no longer file consolidated accounts for the companies owned by the Newry-based business.

W & R Barnett Ltd, the international commodity trading, storage and agri-business based in Belfast continued the strong sales growth which has been noted in previous years and the group have now broken the £1bn barrier – sales of £1.1bn represent a year-on-year sales growth of 17.7%.

Within the body of the Top 100 two companies Lacpatrick Dairies (NI) Ltd and McKibbin Holdings Ltd do not show prior year

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 ANALYSIS TOP 10 MOST PROFITABLE COMPANIES

Rank

Company

Profits (m)

Profit Margin (%)

Top 100 Rank

1

NI Water

102.9

24.4

16

2

Moy Park Ltd

59.7

4.3

1

3

Schrader Electronics

56.3

16.6

20

4

NI Electricity Networks

52.8

20.2

30

5

Norbrook Holdings

50.4

18.5

27

6

W&R Barnett

46.8

4.2

2

7

Power Energy NI

30.9

6.9

15

8

Terex GB

28.3

7.2

17

9

SHS Group

24.8

5.3

11

10

Coolkeeragh ESB

24.2

18.5

57

comparative figures. This is due to its recent incorporation.

During the compilation of this year’s Top 100 the editorial team made a decision not to include both Fidessa Group plc and Qualcomm Technologies International Ltd from the listing, while it is accepted that both companies are supportive of the Northern Ireland economy by providing employment and utilising research and development skillsets. As multi-national organisations headquartered outside Northern Ireland and maintaining branch locations within the province it was felt that their financial figures do not provide a fair reflection of their impact on the Northern Ireland economy.

Sales per employee across the Top 100 during their last financial year was £260,442.

Top 100 Profit 1400 1200 1000 800 Profit (m)

600 400 200 0 2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

PROFITABILITY As mentioned the turnover of the Top 100 increased by some 9%, however the profitability of the companies increased by nearly 79% (78.7%) - rising from £517.5m to £924.9m.

This represents an increase in profit margin (sales/pre tax profit) across the listing of 3.9% compared to a previous year margin of 2.4%.

Michael Graham, Graham Construction

AUGUST 2018

Northern Ireland Water Ltd continues to be the most profitable business in the province posting profits of £102.9m against sales of £422.4m a margin of 24.4%, Moy Park Ltd posted profits of £59.7m (profit margin – 4.3%).

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 ANALYSIS Of the 100 companies 14 declared losses for their last financial year. The biggest impact on the Top 100 performance came from C&C Holdings (NI) Ltd, an investment holding company with assets including Tennents Caledonian, Tennents NI and Magners GB Ltd., which declared a loss of £172.4m due to an impairment of financial asset.

Profit for each employee across the Top 100 during their last financial year was £10,098.

TANGIBLE NET WORTH (SHAREHOLDER RETURN) The final measure of a company’s success that we review is its value to its shareholders.

In its simplest form this is calculated as the shareholders’ funds (issued capital) + retained earnings – intangible assets.

Sara Venning, NI Water

TOP 10 MOST VALUABLE FIRMS

The value of this year’s Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies sits at £6.6bn.

Eight of the companies showed a negative tangible net worth, a condition in which a company’s liabilities exceed its assets.

The shareholders return for the 100 companies equates to profit/tangible net worth as a percentage -13.94% Sales to equity ratio defined as turnover/ tangible net worth, indicates how many pounds are generated with each pound of investment – for the latest filed results this equates to 3.59.

Company

Tangible net worth (m)

Top 100 rank

1

NI Water

1,268

16

2

Queen’s University

472.5

21

3

Encirc Ltd

321.7

28

4

NI Electricity Networks

307.4

30

5

Ulster University

277.3

39

6

Almac Group

276.9

9

7

Moy Park Ltd

248.7

1

8

W&R Barnett Ltd

247.3

2

9

Schrader Electronics

179.4

20

10

Caterpillar NI Ltd

176.3

14

Top 100 Shareholder 8000 7000

EMPLOYEES The companies within the Top 100 listing, as declared in their latest filed annual accounts, employed a total of 91,600 employees. Moy Park Ltd is number one in the overall listing also employs the most people – 9,620.

6000

The top 10 companies employ over 43% of the total Top 100 workforce.

5000 Shareholder Value (£b)

4000

LOCATION Since the inception of the Top 100, some 30 years ago we have periodically reviewed the geographic locations of the included companies.

3000 2000 1000 0 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

* Shareholder Value – Tangible Net Worth

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This year saw a slight swing in company location, with a total of 68 businesses located in the east of the province – a decrease of four on the 2017 listing.

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 ANALYSIS TOP 10 COMPANIES WITH THE MOST EMPLOYEES

Company

Number of employees

Top 100 rank

1

Moy Park Ltd

9,620

1

2

Short Bros Plc

4,558

6

3

Almac Group

4,407

9

4

Queen’s University

3,710

21

5

Northern Ireland Transport Holding Co

3,681

38

6

Dunbia Ltd

3,584

3

7

John Henderson Holdings Ltd

3,387

5

8

Ballyvesey Holdings Ltd

2,521

7

9

John Graham Holdings Ltd

2,108

4

10

Allstate Northern Ireland

2,072

77

Location 12 22 7 Co Antrim

3

Co Armagh

10

10

Belfast Co Down Co Fermanagh Co L’Derry Co Tyrone

36

NOTES A date of the end of June has been used as a cut of the inclusion of accounts within this compilation of the Top 100 listing. Data has been compiled through an amalgamation of Dun & Bradstreet’s Hoovers analytical tool and UK Companies House.

1. Short Brothers PLC, KN Networks Group Ltd and Lacpatrick Dairies (NI) Ltd, file accounts in US dollars. (Short Brothers PLC)

AUGUST 2018

and the latter two companies file accounts in euro. To allow for fair comparison the companies figures have been converted to sterling at the currency conversion rate applicable at their fiscal year end.

2. Golf Holdings Ltd owns both James E McCabe Ltd and Philip Russell Ltd. Golf Holdings does not file consolidated accounts and therefore both subsidiary companies are included in the listing providing a fair reflection of their standing.

3. Musgrave Distribution ltd and Musgrave Retail Partners (NI) Ltd are separate legal entities filing individual accounts in Northern Ireland.

4. AES Ballylumford Ltd and AES Kilroot Power Ltd are separate legal entities filing individual Northern Ireland Accounts.

5. Lagan Construction Group Holdings Ltd entered administration on 5/3/18. Currently they have filed accounts for the year end 31/03/16 – their 31/03/17 accounts were due to be filed on or before 31/12/17 and are overdue. Due to the size of the group prior to administration the editorial team retained the company within the listing.

ABOUT DUN & BRADSTREET Dun & Bradstreet provides data and analytics to help businesses manage their relationships with prospects, suppliers, clients and partners. Nearly 90% of the Fortune 500, and companies of every size around the world, rely on Dun & Bradstreet data, insights and analytics.

For more information visit www.dnb.co.uk or follow @dnbukteam

Jonathan Cushley is an independent risk management consultant with over 33 years’ experience supporting business growth and sales development through the use of data.

41

Proud to support Northern Ireland’s leading companies A&L Goodbody is one of the leading law firms in Northern Ireland. We provide clients with the highest quality legal service through award-winning innovation and market leadership.

We look forward to playing our part in the continued growth of Northern Ireland’s Top 100 companies.

To find out how we can assist your business, please contact: Michael Neill Head of Belfast Office +44 28 9072 7433 mneill@algoodbody.com

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TOP 1OO NORTHERN IRELAND COMPANIES 2018

Profiles by John Mulgrew Photography by Elaine Hill/Kevin Scott

Sponsored by

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 COMPANIES 1-20

Rank Rank 2018

2017

1

1

Company

Year ending

Activity

Moy Park

Turnover £000s

Profit/ Loss

Prev profit

Net worth

Latest sales

Previous sales

£000s

£000s

£000s

31/12/16

1,400,717

1,407,399

59,709

35,721

245,240

31/07/17

1,113,399

946,093

46,833

36,243

247,325

30/09/17

852,807

584,708

20,844

21,494

114,445

02/04/17

768,259

787,512

11,779

7,156

73,469

31/03/18

767,636

565,921

13,117

16,056

56,224

31/12/17

759,067

699,322

20,040

20,347

149,328

31/12/16

708,620

747,608

62,031

-275,807

-167,898

30/09/17

609,592

621,351

4,413

6,895

114,635

30/09/17

531,422

447,224

33,031

26,785

276,913

31/03/18

482,375

388,920

12,071

9,768

61,047

31/12/17

478,985

455,954

7,028

7,726

63,822

30/12/16

467,715

379,408

24,813

21,114

71,809

31/12/17

465,789

427,095

11,068

5,537

50,400

31/12/16

455,268

537,045

10,098

-1,795

176,342

31/03/17

445,800

488,500

30,900

34,700

82,600

31/03/17

422,412

413,525

102,912

99,141

1,268,060

31/12/16

394,982

387,061

28,272

23,440

51,719

31/12/16

377,816

359,659

-827

691

-4,835

31/12/16

374,984

261,408

4,342

4,354

76,034

31/12/16

339,839

337,216

56,322

61,726

179,370

Poultry and meat processing

2

2

W & R Barnett Grain importer

3

8

LCC Group Fuel wholesaler

4

3

Dunbia Meat processor

5

10

John Graham Construction

6

6

John Henderson (Holdings) Food wholesale and retail

7

5

Short Brothers Aerospace

8

7

Ballyvesey (Montgomery Transport) Commercial vehicles

9

14

Almac Group Pharmaceutical manufacturer

10

20

Dale Farm Co-operative Dairy processor

11

11

Charles Hurst Motor retailer

12

18

SHS Group Ltd Wholesaler

13

15

McLaughlin & Harvey Construction

14

9

Caterpillar (NI) Ltd Generator manufacturers

15

12

Power NI Energy Ltd Electricity supplier

16

16

Northern Ireland Water Ltd Utility

17

17

Terex GB Ltd Engineering

18

19

P & O Ferrymasters Ltd Freight transporters

19

28

Northstone (NI) Building materials

20

22

Schrader Electronics Ltd Tyre pressure gauge manufacturer

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

44

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 COMPANIES 21-40

Rank Rank 2018

2017

21

24

Company

Year ending

Activity

Queen's University Belfast

Turnover £000s

Profit/ Loss

Prev profit

Net worth

Latest sales

Previous sales

£000s

£000s

£000s

31/07/17

338,349

316,538

13,031

2,370

472,451

31/12/17

334,073

242,881

13,386

10,030

30,000

31/12/17

330,765

277,037

1,892

1,884

19,737

30/09/17

314,013

321,009

8,967

-1,916

75,555

31/12/16

306,103

297,214

3,469

3,028

17,161

31/12/16

282,158

258,187

6,284

5,675

8,679

28/07/17

271,961

238,735

50,434

38,614

127,983

31/12/16

265,889

241,027

-3,102

30,992

321,676

31/12/16

264,387

276,085

10,864

7,486

47,657

31/12/17

261,100

246,800

52,800

50,200

307,400

31/12/16

261,001

257,445

253

-2,574

12,539

31/03/17

245,462

197,296

-2,550

4,291

1,968

31/12/17

242,290

146,858

592

776

1,906

31/05/17

231,556

210,391

932

1,004

71,117

31/03/16

225,598

202,181

7,554

4,329

29,779

31/12/17

215,799

226,955

19,471

19,150

142,904

31/03/17

206,418

234,207

17,696

1,503

26,956

26/03/17

205,235

202,948

-673

-18,326

-139,809

31/07/17

203,219

187,981

14,381

-2,763

277,319

28/02/17

196,814

170,448

8,897

6,769

35,694

University

22

-

McAleer & Rushe Contracts UK Ltd Construction

23

26

Donnelly Bros Garages (Dungannon) Motor retailer

24

13

Fane Valley Co-operative Society Dairy processor

25

25

Foyle Food Group Holdings Ltd Meat processor

26

29

Isaac Agnew Ltd Motor retailer

27

33

Norbrook Holdings Pharmaceutical manufacturer

28

32

Encirc Ltd Glass manufacturer

29

27

Wrightbus (Cornerstone Group) Bus manufacturer

30

31

NI Electricity Networks Ltd Electricity generation

31

30

Musgrave Retail Partners NI Food wholesaler

32

39

Sangers NI Pharmaceutical distributor

33

50

Greenfields Ireland Dairy produce wholesaler

34

37

Nicholl Oils Fuel distributor

35

36

Lagan Construction Group Holdings Construction

36

35

FP McCann Concrete engineers

37

34

SSE Airtricity Energy Supply NI Electricity generation

38

38

Northern Ireland Transport Holding Co Public transport

39

41

Ulster University University

40

-

Kn Networks Group Ltd Infrastructure

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

AUGUST 2018

45

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 COMPANIES 41-60

Rank Rank 2018

2017

41

40

Company

Year ending

Activity

Retlan Manufacturing (SDC)

Turnover £000s

Profit/ Loss

Prev profit

Net worth

Latest sales

Previous sales

£000s

£000s

£000s

31/03/17

189,433

179,394

12,370

10,256

43,903

31/05/17

186,797

147,415

2,870

3,429

12,940

28/02/18

186,042

151,697

12,097

12,498

-11,645

31/12/16

176,562

172,315

4,181

9,681

44,972

31/12/16

175,835

01/07/17

173,983

163,310

1,866

3,144

56,760

01/01/17

167,936

135,050

5,703

1,351

29,933

31/12/16

164,878

161,315

2,026

2,014

14,630

28/02/17

153,811

8,413

-172,384

-19,588

-30

31/03/17

153,374

136,652

2,193

2,855

8,987

31/12/16

152,409

136,352

7,350

5,473

42,706

31/03/17

150,240

146,186

2,850

3,631

18,646

31/03/17

148,895

175,885

8,788

11,879

43,867

31/12/16

148,004

117,328

1,401

197

8,982

31/12/16

144,424

96,762

-1,381

278

-9,463

30/04/17

140,689

124,545

-2,191

-864

440

31/12/16

130,917

142,270

24,190

-15,334

12,061

31/08/17

130,512

127,722

5,011

4,137

20,525

30/09/17

117,669

128,143

3,405

-1,052

24,566

31/10/16

115,909

108,135

2,723

1,067

22,940

Trailer manufacturer

42

49

Devenish NI Animal nutrition manufacturer

43

48

First Derivatives plc Financial services software

44

45

Coca-Cola HBC NI Drinks manufacturer

45

-

Lacpatrick Dairies NI*

284

3,225

Dairy processor

46

46

Tayto Group Snack manufacturer

47

54

Chain Reaction Cycles Cycle retailer

48

47

Maxol Oil Fuel distribution

49

-

C&C Holdings NI Drinks manufacturer

50

53

Lamex Foods Europe NI Food distributor

51

64

Brett Martin Holdings Ltd Construction supplier

52

51

DCC Energy Ltd Petroleum wholesaler

53

44

Viridian Energy Supply Ltd Electricity utility

54

58

Ards Holdings Ltd (Gilbert Ash) Construction

55

77

Lakeland Dairies NI Dairy processor

56

43

Circle K Energy Ltd (Topaz) Fuel wholesaler

57

52

Coolkeeragh ESB Ltd Power generator

58

55

Westland Horticulture Ltd Horticulture

59

57

SONI Electricity distributor

60

65

Lynas Foodservice Frozen food distributor

*17 month period since incorporation

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

46

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 COMPANIES 61-80

Rank Rank 2018

2017

61

62

Company

Year ending

Activity

AES Kilroot Power

Turnover £000s

Profit/ Loss

Prev profit

Net worth

Latest sales

Previous sales

£000s

£000s

£000s

31/12/16

112,179

113,565

11,381

-7,257

118,557

31/12/16

106,930

104,645

19,346

17,988

36,474

31/12/16

103,821

111,600

4,810

6,163

74,568

31/12/16

103,491

116,753

13,446

12,927

46,742

31/12/16

100,039

95,991

12,331

17,970

43,116

22/12/16

99,851

127,569

-5,128

13,198

75,760

31/12/16

99,460

121,950

11,134

-4,225

5,500

31/12/16

98,081

97,058

6,142

2,752

40,859

31/03/18

96,680

83,504

14,251

13,320

35,730

28/02/17

94,819

57,423

12,798

2,603

69,005

31/12/16

94,751

93,176

-262

-817

-682

31/12/17

94,724

56,553

6,098

3,387

12,604

31/12/16

93,706

80,276

3,710

2,961

4,041

31/12/16

93,442

89,061

4,034

3,115

29,495

31/12/16

92,672

95,252

2,546

2,383

46,143

31/12/16

90,057

116,287

1,460

-1,461

10,078

31/12/16

89,314

89,492

-5,894

5,563

30,466

31/12/16

85,097

86,801

-108

176

2,263

31/12/16

83,876

83,038

3,525

5,264

12,685

31/12/16

82,391

67,137

16,659

-10,170

22,799

Power station

62

-

Stena Line Irish Sea Ferries Ltd Freight and passenger ferries

63

63

AES Ballylumford Power station

64

60

Capita Managed It Solutions IT systems

65

68

Randox Holdings Pharmaceutical manufacturer

66

56

Dunnes Stores (Bangor) Retailer

67

59

Carnbane House (O'Hare & McGovern) Builder

68

67

Kingspan Environmental Building supplier

69

-

Kainos Group plc Digital services

70

-

Heron Bros Construction

71

70

Musgrave Distribution Ltd Grocery wholesaler

72

-

Mac-Interiors Ltd Fit-out

73

81

Agnew Commercials Ltd Commercial motor distributor

74

73

Haldane Shiells Building product distributor

75

69

James E McCabe Ltd Drinks distributor

76

61

Firmus Energy Energy supplier

77

72

Allstate Northern Ireland Software development

78

74

A H Fuel Oils Fuel distributor

79

79

Macnaughton Blair Construction machine distributor

80

98

GE Grid Solutions (UK) Ltd Electricity infrastructure

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

AUGUST 2018

47

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOP 100 COMPANIES 81-100

Rank Rank 2018

2017

81

80

Company

Year ending

Activity

N & R Gordon Ltd (Gordons)

Turnover £000s

Profit/ Loss

Prev profit

Net worth

Latest sales

Previous sales

£000s

£000s

£000s

30/04/17

81,334

80,570

5,166

4,745

5,439

31/12/16

81,226

83,202

8,920

2,242

77,779

31/03/17

79,926

69,796

3,288

4,409

14,088

31/12/16

78,867

85,030

13,283

13,691

58,490

31/12/16

78,424

84,092

13,104

6,509

62,604

31/08/17

77,889

78,183

890

846

-33,793

31/03/17

77,540

69,662

11,032

5,701

23,870

31/12/16

77,408

77,722

1,586

1,752

15,691

31/12/16

76,290

71,791

-924

607

6,603

31/12/16

75,593

61,728

2,043

-1,160

14,595

31/12/16

75,187

75,211

-4,163

862

18,801

31/12/17

74,723

82,013

1,522

1,197

3,932

02/12/16

73,762

75,893

6,176

8,340

60,333

31/07/17

72,920

64,189

144

465

3,805

30/06/2017

72,857

74,522

3,480

3,086

19,712

31/12/2016

72,718

62,976

-2,380

466

542

31/03/2017

69,155

59,757

12,678

11,002

45,108

31/03/17

68,403

64,062

6,717

6,593

45,175

31/07/17

66,247

46,938

472

470

6,450

31/03/17

63,907

72,446

2,900

945

5,501

Pharmacy

82

78

Clearway Holdings Waste & scrap recycling

83

82

Creagh Concrete Products Concrete manufacturer

84

75

Montupet (UK) Motor part manufacturer

85

76

Gardrum Holdings (Euro Auctions) Auctions

86

83

Magir Ltd (Medicare Pharmacies) Pharmacy operations

87

94

Severfield (NI) Ltd Engineering

88

84

Philip Russell Drinks distributor

89

93

Balcas Timber Timber manufacturer

90

-

Agro Merchants Lurgan Transport Freight transport

91

89

Ryobi Aluminium Casting (UK) Motor part manufacturer

92

-

McKibbin Holdings Ltd Holdings company

93

85

Cooneen by Design Ltd Clothing manufacturer

94

-

D&W Carlisle Ltd Trade and retailing

95

91

Diageo Global Supply Ibc Ltd Drinks manufacturer

96

-

Savage & Whitten Holdings Ltd Wholesaler

97

-

Andor Technology Ltd Scientific camera manufacturer

98

-

Ulster Carpet Mills (Holdings) Ltd Carpet manufacturer

99

-

Strathroy Dairy Ltd Dairy processor

100

92

Cranswick Country Foods (Ballymena) Meat processor

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

48

International perspective with a local point of view A&L Goodbody is one of Northern Ireland’s leading law firms advising the local and international business community.

To find out how we can assist your business, please contact: Michael Neill Head of Belfast Office +44 28 9072 7433 mneill@algoodbody.com

INSIDER 2018 CORPORATE LAW FIRM

BAND 1 LAW FIRM 2018

DUBLIN / BELFAST / LONDON / NEW YORK / SAN FRANCISCO / PALO ALTO

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

30 years on…

NI’s business landscape has changed for the better As the Ulster Business Top 100 marks its 30th year, the magazine’s first editor Eddie O’Gorman looks back at a very different Northern Ireland

I

f 1988 (for those who can remember it) seems like another world, it’s because it was. Thirty years later, it’s easy to forget how much has changed.

Running a company in Northern Ireland in the late 1980s was a difficult and occasionally dangerous business. Even the simple process of getting from A to B could be a frustrating experience. On the main roads it often meant joining long queues of vehicles at random and hastily-erected checkpoints. Delays were common, and so, in consequence, were missed appointments and disrupted delivery schedules.

just to get access to the main shopping area.

Thirty years ago, this was all part of the tedious daily routine, a routine interrupted from time to time by bomb attacks, or by hoax bomb attacks, which, in Belfast in particular, often resulted in a massive gridlock in and around the city centre.

Those were also the days when, if the first rule of business was to make a profit, then the second, at least in Northern Ireland, was to keep your head down while you did it. As a result, while there were plenty of good business stories to be told, there were

50

There were many people who doubted that it could be done. I know this, because I was one of them. Such was the reluctance of companies to divulge even the most basic information, that nobody really knew whether they would be willing to identify themselves as being among the leading companies in the region.

Because, from the outset, we decided that in the climate of the time, it would be unfair to publish even such information as was in the public domain without letting them know that we intended to do so.

Retailers, particularly those in the major towns and cities, had their own problems to deal with. Out-of-town shopping centres were a relatively new phenomenon in those days, and delivery drivers heading for town centres had to contend, not only with security checkpoints en route, but with security barriers and no-access zones when they finally arrived.

For the general public, town centre shopping often meant passing through security barriers

precious few people willing to tell them.

However, in 1988/89, a year after its launch, Ulster Business decided to compile the first list of Top 100 Northern Ireland companies.

A checkpoint in Newry

Accordingly, we sent out letters to the companies involved, ostensibly with the aim of inviting them to update their information, but also to give them the opportunity to decline to take part. We made it clear that if for any reason they would not wish to be identified, then we would respect that.

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

Top 20 companies in 1988

Shorts workers in Belfast building the 360 aircraft

It was a concession that could have scuppered the entire process. As a result, we passed some nervous weeks only too aware that with enough objections and withdrawals, the whole exercise would be rendered meaningless.

In the event, and to our great relief, only two companies of that original Top 100 asked not to be included, and only one of them was in the Top 20.

The list of companies that we ended up with is a stark reminder of how much the economy has changed in the intervening decades. It was, for example, a time when Northern Ireland still had a clothing and textile sector. One of the leading companies, Desmond & Sons, had at this time a dozen or so factories, mainly in the north-west, employing a largely female workforce, many of them their family’s main source of income, making a range of leisurewear and nightwear for its sole customer, Marks and Spencer.

Two of Northern Ireland’s most iconic

AUGUST 2018

companies were prominent on that original list, of course. Shorts, two years before its takeover by Bombardier, was State-owned, surviving (just) by turning out its rackety old unpressurised 360s, which were said to fly low enough so that you could wave to people on the ground, and slow enough that they had time to wave back.

Harland & Wolff was also in state hands, and like Shorts, was suffering from a chronic lack of investment. Unable to compete with newer yards in the Far East and South America, it was struggling to remain relevant in a fast-changing industry.

Another leading sector in 1988 was food retailing. In those days, some years before the advent of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Asda, it was very much a home-grown affair, dominated by the local supermarket chains, Stewarts and Crazy Prices.

Thirty years on, and after two decades of relative peace and stability, the Top 100 has a very different look, epitomised by the growth of the food processing sector (Moy Park, Dale

Company

Sales

Northern Ireland Electricity

£306.6m

Milk Marketing Board

£212.9m

Shorts Brothers plc

£194.9m

Stewarts Supermarkets

£166m

Wellworth & Co

£150.2m

Lamont Holdings

£96.7m

Cawoods of Northern Ireland

£95.8m

Dunnes Stores

£89.6m

CV Carpets

£86m

TBF Thompson

£82.6m

Crazy Prices

£73.6m

European Components Corp

£69m

Harland & Wolff plc

£67.5m

McLaughlin & Harvey

£65.9m

Moy Park

£61.6m

Irish Bonding Company

£54.6m

John Kelly Ltd

£54.6m

Hyster (NI) Ltd

£49.3m

John Thompson & Sons

£47.8m

Hughes Tool Company

£47.1m

Farm, and Fane Valley), and the emergence of a raft of world-class pharmaceuticals companies (Randox Laboratories, Norbrook, and Almac).

Then there are sectors which hardly existed 30 years ago, such as IT firms like Fujitsu, Kainos and First Derivatives, specialist backoffice services (Allstate), and call centres.

This year’s Top 100 reflects the transformation which has taken place over the past three decades, and through it all, Ulster Business has been there to record the changes, the highs and lows, the presidential visits, the scandals and the bankruptcies, and to bring out each year a new list of Top 100 companies, these days, thankfully, without first having to ask whether or not they want to take part. ■

51

01 Moy Park C

hris Kirke has just taken over in charge of Northern Ireland’s biggest company.

In his first interview since taking over at the helm of Moy Park, he says he wants to grow the already huge poultry giant further still, expanding into new untapped markets.

Moy Park retains its position at number one on the Ulster Business Top 100, with turnover of more than £1.4bn, employing around 6,400 people in Northern Ireland alone.

London-born Chris Kirke, formerly with the Greencore group in the US, replaced long-serving boss Janet McCollum this summer, less than a year after Craigavon-based Moy Park was taken over by new US owners Pilgrim’s.

“My role is to work very hard on the returns the business makes, grow it appropriately in the right areas,” he told Ulster Business.

“We need to be at the forefront of winning with customers, both ones we have and ones we would like to have.

“We have to think of this business as a European business. It’s based in Craigavon, but supplies around Europe.”

The company supplies Moy Park branded and own label chicken products to leading

52

retailers and foodservice providers throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe.

“We fit into a corporate structure with the Moy Park personality that goes with that.”

And looking at Moy Park in numbers, the company processes six million fresh chickens each week, 600,000 turkeys a year, along with 200,000 tonnes of ‘added value products’.

On the future and the jobs front, Chris says Moy Park’s Craigavon base will remain its thriving hub.

That’s something which Chris is keen to expand and grow.

Moy Park has production facilities at a dozen sites across the UK, Holland and France “When you look at the organisation, they are client-based. We have an A-list of clients,” he said.

“The facilities are some fantastic, wellinvested, and capital spent in the right places. The values centre around the people and the development. It is a business with a long heritage, and the outlook for the business is fantastic.”

He said Moy Park’s ability to diversify and bring new products to market is one of its strengths which could assist its new parent company.

“I want the business to become a food business. At the moment we are a primary processing business,” he said.

That could include a range of new ‘added value’ areas and convenience foods.

“We need to expand larger categories than those we are in now. In terms of Craigavon, this is our corporate centre and our home.”

On Brexit, he says the business is focused on risk, but is fortunate that the UK is “selfsufficient” with wheat.

“But there are other items we import so we have to be mindful of that,” he said.

Paying tribute to his predecessor, Janet McColllum CBE – chief for four years but rose through the ranks of the business over the course of a 25-year career – Chris said:

But will the Moy Park brand be diluted with the takeover?

“I think Janet built an unbelievable organisation. I think I bring some new eyes, and some different ways of working. I know this from roles I have previously done.

“I call ourselves Moy Park – the European division of Pilgrim’s. That’s what we are. We are keeping our heritage.

“When someone takes over, they do things in a slightly different way and it grows again.” ■

Chris Kirke, Moy Park president

AUGUST 2018

53

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

Food firms key to the economy

Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association executive director Michael Bell says the industry is a crucial cog in the economic landscape

T

he significance of the Northern Ireland food and drink industry really cannot be overstated.

It is a central piece in an eco-system, and the eating eco-system, as I like to call it, includes farming, farming supplies, haulage, packaging supplies, haulage to customers, cold stores, laboratory services, stainless steel engineering services, laundry services etc.

Like most ecosystems, it is complex. In total, the eating eco-system in Northern Ireland supports approximately 100,000 jobs or about 20% of our entire private sector.

Those jobs are spread fairly uniformly across Northern Ireland and tend to be non-urban, historically based on where raw material was available.

Scotland, Wales or England.

It is even more important given the sad and unfortunate demise of some other large manufacturing industries in recent years.

We face, of course, some challenges and some great opportunities. Our challenges at the minute are principally Brexit, and our ability to move goods and access labour in the future. We are hopeful that our government will come up with pragmatic and sensible solutions to these problems.

The industry continues to perform very well with output, employment and all key metrics inching up.

In total, our output is approximately £5bn of which some £4bn leaves Northern Ireland, destined in the main for Great Britain, but also to 70 other countries around the world.

Unfortunately, however, we still struggle to get the level of support that we need to take this industry forward. Currently in the UK you can get up to 40% capital financial assistance if you are a food processor based in Scotland, Wales or England but not in Northern Ireland.

The industry is hugely important to Northern Ireland, much more so than for our friends in

We recently joined with 11 other business bodies in Northern Ireland to call on the

54

Secretary of State to remove the decisionmaking logjam that we have endured now for over 16 months, so we can deal with some of the most pressing issues in the governance of Northern Ireland. In the continued absence of devolution or any signs of its likely return anytime soon, we believe we now need some creative thinking to ensure some form of decision making is possible in the interim.

There is a distinct danger that some of the great work that this industry has done, could be undone, putting our young peoples’ jobs in jeopardy.

Innovation is increasingly important for the sector and does not just relate to new product development. Automation is developing, and it will have a role to play in transforming the sector. Innovation will also help respond to particular policy issues such as health, wellness and wastage. And responding to consumer choice, the industry is reacting to trends towards convenience and reducing single use plastics. As ever Northern Ireland food and drink is exciting. ■

we’re PROUD TO BE NUMBER 1

ULSTER BUSINESS TOP 100

Producing fresh, locally farmed poultry for 75 years, our commitment to quality from farm to fork makes Moy Park the food industry leader of choice.

www.moypark.com 55

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

I

t’s been a bumper year for Henderson Group. With its four companies flourishing, the owners of the Spar, Eurospar and Vivo brands in Northern Ireland, ranked at number six in the Ulster Business Top 100 in 2018.

Henderson Group, which is based outside Belfast in Mallusk, is made up of Henderson Wholesale, Retail, Group Property and Foodservice, all of which posted healthy results for the year 2017, with the entire operation posting a turnover of just over £759m, up 8% on 2016.

The company has invested £47m through its retail network, infrastructure and employment, resulting in the opening of 36 new stores across its brands in 2017.

And planning permission was granted by Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council to build a new fresh foods warehouse and distribution unit, as well as expanding Henderson Foodservice’s ambient warehouse.

The £15m facilities are due to complete in 2020.

Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director for Henderson Group says that 2017 was a stand out year for their company and brands across Northern Ireland.

“There is growth across all companies within the group as we continue to invest in all areas of the business.

“We added to our portfolio of stores, supermarkets and forecourts through acquisitions and new store openings.

“In 2016 there was the introduction of The Kitchen brand, and 2017 was about bringing our fresh, convenient, value brands and products under one umbrella; Meal Inspirations. We positioned our Spar and Eurospar stores as the place to go for tonight’s tea, where you will find all components for quick and tasty meals for the whole family.

“The Henderson Foodservice business is continuing to expand and grow, and this year delivered 17.8% growth on 2016. Henderson Foodservice has continued to diversify in the way it operates for its customers, and recently launched the new ‘quality is served’ digital brand offering online.”

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Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group

Henderson expansion planning confirmed as growth for group continues The Barista Bar coffee brand is now available in over 300 sites across Northern Ireland, outgrowing some of the major international coffee shops here.

“We have such a high class of innovative and hard-working retail partners and suppliers who share the Henderson values and vision,” Paddy said.

And ‘food-to-go’ is another area in which the company has excelled in the past year.

“We’re exceptionally proud of the award wins, and the differences they’re making in their communities.”

“Henderson Retail has invested approximately £1m in the development of the Daily Deli operation and brand across its stores in the past year,” Paddy said.

“Our retailers in Northern Ireland have mastered best practice in retailing, as the Retail Industry Awards highlighted last year.”

Other significant award wins include Joanne Walker from Eurospar Carrowdore in Newtownards, who won the International category at the FMI Store Manager Awards during the Future Leaders Summit in Louisville, Kentucky.

Eurospar has now reached a fundraising total of £900,000 for Cancer Fund for Children since the partnership began in 2011.

“In 2018, we have continued to invest in our retail network and work with independent retailers to provide more services to their shoppers,” Paddy said.

“We continue to invest in our facilities with the knock down and re-build of one of our warehouses in Mallusk due to begin by the end of the year.” ■

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William Barnett, chief executive of W&R Barnett

02 W&R Barnett I

f you’re a business which has just cracked the £1bn turnover mark, you’re normally on the tip of the most peoples’ tongues.

But while it’s one of Northern Ireland’s biggest companies, W&R Barnett is a giant of industry which goes about its business without shouting about it.

The Belfast-based business, headed by William Barnett, is the holding company in charge of a range of international commodity trading companies, and a leading trader of grain and non-grain animal feed commodities.

The company employs around 1,500 staff, and is also top supplier of bulk liquid storage to the UK food, feed and energy sectors, and boasts The firm has made a number of acquisitions

AUGUST 2018

in the last few years.

William Barnett told Ulster Business the company is “aiming to continue to invest in all our businesses and their people to further increase our productivity, quality and potential for growth”.

Most recently, one of its most recent takeovers was by its subsidiary Logson Group, the UK’s largest independent supplier of corrugated packaging, after it announced the acquisition of the Cardboard Box Company, an independent sheet plant based in, Lancashire.

W&R Barnett entered the corrugated packaging market in 2015 when it took on the Logson business.

In the space of a year, and in part down to the expansion and takeover of the business, W&R Barnett saw its turnover grow from £946.1m to £1.1bn – making it Northern

Ireland’s third largest company, and the largest family-owned business here.

According to the company, turnover increased through addition of Logson and an increase in commodity prices, while staff numbers significantly increased by Logson, which now represents the majority of the group’s workforce.

It’s also taken on the Boxshop Limited, based in East Kilbride, in Scotland, while subsidiary United Molasses Group also took on Argos Feed Group Zrt, based in Hungary.

The company has also investing capital expenditure within the “feed trading and feed milling businesses in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to increase port storage capabilities, improve energy selfsufficiency and modernise IT systems”.

And through John Thompson & Sons, W&R Barnett is the largest manufacturer of animal feed in Northern Ireland. ■

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PENSIONS

The top 100 NI companies could cut defined benefit pension costs Mark McClintock, head of pensions at Deloitte, outlines how some of the businesses in the Ulster Business Top 100 list could cut their pensions bill using an innovative new approach

I

n March 2018, the UK Government published a White Paper, entitled ‘Protecting Defined Benefit Pension Schemes’. Unless you are a pensions professional, it is highly likely that this event passed you by. However, if you are a sponsor, trustee or even a member of a defined benefit scheme, the White Paper may hold some relevance for you, as it is opens the door further to pension scheme consolidation.

and provide easier access to expertise and improved investment strategies” (DWP White Paper, 2018)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has committed to finding ways to help build confidence and encourage existing forms of consolidation, and to raise awareness of the benefits of consolidation with trustees and sponsoring employers.

“Small-to-medium-sized schemes might be expected to benefit most from consolidation” (DWP White Paper, 2018)

Consolidation may take a variety of forms, but it essentially involves the pooling of administrative functions and/or assets and liabilities, with a view to reducing costs and improving governance.

“Consolidation methods can already help schemes to realise lower administrative and investment costs, improve governance

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For defined benefit (DB) schemes, there are methods of consolidation that help them to achieve the benefits of scale, while maintaining responsibility for their scheme.

One such example is the defined benefit master trust, which is a consolidation vehicle that collectively manages pooled pension assets.

What’s the position in Northern Ireland?

There are at least 100 companies in Northern Ireland that could cut the cost of managing their DB pension schemes, some by as much as multiple million pounds initially and thereafter several hundred thousand pounds a year.

DB pension arrangements have become an increasingly expensive overhead for businesses and many tell us that no matter how much money they contribute, it’s not enough. The run off for these schemes can be as long as 40 years but the cost to buy out the schemes would be so expensive it would cripple most companies.

The feedback, reflected in the White Paper, is that the Government needs to do more to encourage consolidation.

In the past, the benefit of economies of scale from a master trust could come at a cost, with pension scheme trustees and employers losing some of the control and flexibility of their schemes. However this is no longer the case, and solutions are available which reduce costs without these disadvantages.

Mark McClintock

The Deloitte NI pensions team at their new office in Lincoln Building, Great Victoria Street, Belfast

Some of Northern Ireland’s best-known employers in manufacturing, retail, banking and other sectors still operate defined benefit schemes and while many have long since closed to new members – some over a decade ago – the companies still hold the liability of these costly schemes.

There remains a fear factor over pensions.

Even the most sophisticated businesses think there is no fix or that the fix is too complicated. People think there’s nothing new in pensions and that they’ve seen everything before, but our Deloitte Pensions Master Plan is a new innovation for the industry.

under management in excess of £900m, is in the process of moving into the master trust.

efficiency and the opportunity for enhanced governance.

The Deloitte Pensions Master Plan consolidates DB schemes into a single trust where schemes can benefit from reduced fund management and administration charges. For one Deloitte client, its pension scheme’s ongoing expenses reduced by 30% after moving into the Master Plan.

Deloitte’s experience advising and administering schemes ranging from less than £5m in assets under management to over £2bn will be a core strength in helping the running of the Master Plan.

Oversight from a single independent trustee means each ring-fenced section benefits from improved governance, without removing any of the powers of the existing trustees. And there is no sharing of risks, just sharing of cost

The White Paper reflects the pension industry’s call for greater innovation and consolidation.

We believe that we are ahead of the pack, when it comes to DB consolidation. The Deloitte Pensions Master Plan continues to grow as it supports trustees and sponsors to manage their pensions costs.

They have come from a wide range of industries including financial services, the aeronautical sector, the fashion sector and the communications sector. Deloitte’s own defined benefit pension scheme, which has assets

AUGUST 2018

Joining the Deloitte Pensions Master Plan

New se

The Deloitte Pensions Master Plan, launched in 2015, is open to DB schemes, with current scheme trustees retaining full control of assets and liabilities. Participants have ranged in size from schemes with less than 100 members and around £10m in assets to those with multiple thousands of members and almost £1bn in assets.

ction

The Deloitte Pensions Master Plan

Section Trustees

Bulk transfer of liabilities and assets Transferring scheme

Master Plan Trustee Scheme Trustees

• The employer’s pension responsibilities are unchanged by the transfer • New Section Trustees can be the same as the existing Trustees • Old pension scheme wound up post-transfer

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DeloittePensions

MasterPlan Your pension scheme Lower cost, better funded The Deloitte Pensions Master Plan offers a comprehensive solution for your defined benefit pension scheme.

Key benefits include lower costs, improved governance and high quality advice while employers and trustees remain in control.

For more information visit www.deloitte.co.uk/deloittepensionsmasterplan or email deloittepensionsmasterplan@deloitte.co.uk

Important note It is the responsibility of employers and trustees to satisfy themselves that any transfer into the Deloitte Pensions Master Plan is appropriate for their needs and the needs of pension scheme members. Employers and trustees retain responsibility for the remainder of the ceding pension scheme post-transfer. Independent professional advice should be sought where appropriate. Trustees should always seek legal advice in advance of a transfer. Š 2018 Deloitte Pensions Services Limited. All rights reserved.

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BREXIT

W

ith less than a year remaining until the United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union, many of us are preparing for, or have recently returned from, summer holidays on the continent – the last time we will do so as fully-fledged EU citizens.

While Brexit will of course continue to have implications for British tourists next year, the impending EU withdrawal is already having a significantly greater impact for those in the business world who are in the midst of acquisitions or disposals or seeking to be so in the coming months.

RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES The change presents both opportunities and risks on the parts of buyers and sellers – so it essential that all parties, and their legal advisors, plan for all eventualities.

Many of these new considerations are obvious: for example, the importance of gaining a detailed knowledge of the workforce of the entity being acquired and crucially the immigration status of any workers based in the UK and in the EU and any who travel to and from the EU as part of their job; another area would be the extent to which any intellectual property registrations need to be made or extended and checking governing law and jurisdiction clauses.

Likewise, the parties will need to consider any competition law issues applying and any applicable merger regulations. However, buyers should also carefully review any material contracts and check for, not only termination clauses, but any foreign exchange risks or opportunities post-Brexit.

If there are any EU grants or funding arrangements outstanding, any possible claw back of monies or termination provisions should also be reviewed.

DUE DILIGENCE These are just a few areas of those to be considered and while many of these aspects should form part of any proper due diligence exercise, there are specific provisions usually contained in acquisition or disposal agreements that must also be very carefully considered, such as deferred consideration clauses, earn out provisions and formulae, non-compete clauses and seller limitation provisions.

These are particularly important in the current

AUGUST 2018

Post-Brexit considerations on M&A Lynsey Mallon, corporate and commercial partner at leading law firm Arthur Cox, examines the key considerations that should be taken for those embarking on mergers and acquisitions activity as Brexit looms climate because some of the provisions can extend well beyond the date of the deal, often for a number of years, requiring them to be expertly drafted to ensure they work both before and after Brexit and to ensure that any values or limits are still appropriate.

There is also a need to carefully consider the likely exposure of the counter-party or target or indeed any guarantors to a significant change in their profit and loss position following Brexit. For example, is the buyer in the middle of a re-organisation of its group structure that would leave the seller looking to a shell company to pay out deferred consideration or earn out monies?

SPECIFIC CLAUSES To address these issues parties are now including specific clauses in the deal documentation – which may even include a ‘re-negotiation clause’ – that sets out what process the parties will follow should Brexit

cause any unintended consequences after the deal is closed. For example, changes in law, in trade tariffs, to licences and consents or in currency fluctuations, could all have a major impact on one or both parties.

However, whilst these specific provisions may be desirable, their inclusion will very much depend on bargaining position and successful negotiation, so the use of experienced advisors is crucial. With offices in Belfast, London, Dublin and beyond, Arthur Cox has extensive knowledge of all relevant jurisdictions and experience working closely with clients on behalf of both sellers and buyers. ■ The corporate and commercial team at Arthur Cox is well positioned to advise on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions activity throughout the UK and the EU. Please call 028 9023 0007 for further information from Lynsey or your regular Arthur Cox contact.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

Companies list shows importance of manufacturing Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly looks at how crucial the sector is for the Northern Ireland economy

O

nce again, the Ulster Business Top 100 Companies list shows how vibrant, successful and important our manufacturing sector is. Sales are up, exports are up, R&D investment is up and despite high profile casualties, jobs are growing meaning that one in four families in Northern Ireland still directly and indirectly depends on a manufacturing wage.

It also clear that many of the other businesses in the Top 100 depend on the sector for their success too. When manufacturing grows, the entire economy grows with it.

The remainder of 2018 and into 2019 will define the success or otherwise of the NI economy for the next decade as Brexit looms large.

More than a third of Manufacturing NI members, some 38%, said they were are planning on shifting production outside of the UK by developing their new facilities, making a purchase or creating new partnerships inside the EU. Only 16% of firms were making plans to expand production or investing in sales development in the UK and outside of the EU. More of our businesses, mostly SMEs, trade cross border than trade with the rest of the UK, but almost 60% of our external trade,

64

by value, is with Britain and over 70% of our imports cross the Irish Sea. A Brexit Border across Ireland or between these islands would harm the jobs and relationships, so it should not be accepted that a solution should be a choice of either.

It is essential to focus on ways which ensure there will be no delays, hindrances, costs or over-burdening complexity which will threaten the future of the 214,000 families across NI who depend on a manufacturing sector.

Positioning Northern Ireland as The bridge rather than the border between the UK and the EU post-Brexit could see us prosper rather than being imperilled. This would finally transform for our economy by becoming one of the most attractive regions in the world in which to invest and create thousands of jobs.

Positioning Northern Ireland as the bridge rather than the border between the UK and the EU post-Brexit could see us prosper rather than being imperilled.

Securing the critically important commitment from the Prime Minister that trade between NI and GB will be “unfettered” alongside the draft ‘backstop’ offer of continued membership of the EU’s Customs Union and access to much of the Single Market for Northern Ireland only begins to build that bridge. We have been offered the chance to not only have our cake and eat it but to make it too!

It’s good to have the security of being treated the same as others, but is also OK to be different if it offers the chance to really prosper? That is a hugely attractive outcome, but are we willing to grasp the opportunity?

The costs of Brexit will be borne by our manufacturing community through managing migration, origin certification, customs cost and delays and potentially tariffs and nontariff barriers.

The head of HMRC’s estimate of one post-Brexit customs model would cost our manufacturers £400m a year, the equivalent of 20% of profits from the sector.

It’s increasingly clear that Brexit will add significant costs and complexity and it’s coming hurtling at us. Our manufacturers need to be compensated and our business environment made more cost competitive.

If we don’t, the Ulster Business Top 100, in future years, will have a very different appearance. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies RECRUITMENT

Our top companies must test their own recruitment processes

By John Moore, managing director, Hays Northern Ireland

W

hen was the last time you searched for a job at your own company?

to the online application, interview and onboarding.

Almost two thirds of job applicants say they have been put off joining a prospective employer because of a bad experience at the interview stage, with the main complaints being that the process took too long (38%), there was a lack of structure to the interview process or interviewers were poorly prepared (43%) or because the role is substantially different to the job advertised (37%).

That might sound like a strange question, but we know from our research that most senior managers and executives are only able to spend limited time on any given recruitment process.

The assumption for many of them is that, if we’ve managed to fill the roles advertised, then the process must be great. But in Hays’ recently published What Workers Want Report for 2018, it became clear that the experience employers think they offer differs greatly from the experience of candidates.

The report, which is based on a survey of 766 professionals and employers in Northern Ireland (and 14,000 nationally), found that 65% of employers believed their organisations offered a good or excellent application experience to candidates. That compared to only 55% of candidates.

What some employers forget is that the applicant journey starts before they choose to engage with you. Some 67% of respondents said negative employee or applicant feedback on third party employer review sites has discouraged them from applying to an organisation.

This would be less worrying if employers were confident in their reputation in the market, but only 54% of employers felt they had a clearly defined employer brand (75% of applicants are more likely to apply to a company whose brand they are familiar with).

66

John Moore

Assuming you’ve got a good reputation, the next crucial step is to invest in getting the online experience right for applicants.

Perhaps unsurprisingly more than 40% of people said they are most likely to look for jobs in the evenings or at weekends and 55% said that’s when they apply. The online application experience is crucial – with 47% of applicants saying they have given up on applying for roles if the process is too complicated.

Almost 62% of people said it was important or very important that there was a person to contact during the application submittal process. For many SMEs an online application process isn’t an option, but in those cases employers must have a point of contact available for people to ask questions.

The Northern Ireland employers who are most successful at hiring talent are those who make a good first impression on candidates and present their organisations in the best possible light - from initial research,

But perhaps tellingly, the report found that a poorly managed applicant experience can also create staff retention problems, as nearly half (47%) of employees have left at least one new job within the first 12 months because it didn’t meet expectations set during the application process.

In today’s intensely competitive market, the challenge isn’t just finding prospective candidates, it’s keeping them engaged throughout the entire application process to the point of hire and beyond. Our findings show that many organisations are letting future talent slip through their fingers as applicants experience frustrations and delays throughout the process or leave the role early in their employment.

Organisations need to scrutinise their applicant journey and invest both time and resources into addressing the issues potential employees experience when applying for roles. ■ To request a copy of the Hays What Workers Want report visit hays.co.uk/what-workers-want

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Gary Hanley, senior vice president of the Americas, Invest NI and Greg Strobel, chief executive of HHA eXchange

US firm adding Belfast software centre

By John Mulgrew

A Ireland.

“Our software serves as the single source of truth for payers and providers, improving transparency and communication for better homecare environments.

between business and academia to ensure courses provide graduates with the relevant knowledge, it is no wonder the Northern Ireland software sector is performing so well.

New York business HHA eXchange, which produces homecare management software for the US, has unveiled a base in Belfast.

“The Belfast team will focus on new enterprise technology developments that are central to our business’ growth.

The company has opened a 50-strong software development centre, and is “actively hiring technical talent to support its growth”.

“A key factor in choosing to open an office in Northern Ireland was the level of software knowledge and skilled talent available here, in addition to the location’s ease of travel from New York City.”

“Projects like this, where developers will work on the very latest technology developments, provide a real opportunity to grow the knowledge and skills of the Northern Ireland workforce.”

US healthcare software business is creating 50 new jobs as it sets up its first base in Northern

Invest NI has offered £400,000 of support towards the creation of the new high-paid roles.

Greg Strobel, chief executive of HHA eXchange, said the company has “won many new contracts recently, which means we need to scale our business quickly to support this growth”.

“Our new tech hub in Belfast will focus on developing cutting-edge technology solutions to meet the needs of our expanding customer base.”

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And Gary Hanley, senior vice-president of the Americas, Invest NI, said: “We’ve been highlighting Northern Ireland’s reputation as a great location for software development for some time. In this case, HHA eXchange was told about the access to great talent by another US company investing in Northern Ireland. You can’t get a better testimonial than that.

“With several thousand STEM and ICT graduates every year, and a strong link

Meanwhile, a pharmaceutical business in Co Londonderry is expanding with the creation of 14 new jobs. iMed NI is taking on the new staff at its manufacturing site in Draperstown.

It’s a major wholesale importer of pharmaceuticals, and repackages and relabels prescription and over the counter pharmaceutical products.

Co-owners Laurence O’Kane and Paul Murphy said advice and support from economic development agency Invest NI had helped the firm with recruitment, and upskilling its existing workforce. ■

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ADVICE

Northern Ireland businesses showing ambition for growth Expert advice is enabling aspiring companies to navigate uncertainty and progress to the next stage, says Francis Martin, advisory partner at BDO Northern Ireland

N

orthern Ireland is home to some of the most innovative and exciting businesses in the UK. The Ulster Business Top 100 again demonstrates that there is a wealth of businesses with the ambition to develop new ideas and embrace opportunities to scale up to new levels of success.

The continued growth and success of the region’s leading performers and the emergence of dynamic new businesses show that, by most measures, there are many reasons for optimism despite the uncertainties of Brexit, strong global headwinds and the absence of a devolved Assembly.

With so much at stake, having a clear understanding of the factors that will drive the future growth of our economy’s top performers and entrepreneurs aspiring has never been so important. All businesses face complicated and unprecedented challenges and having access to a wide range of advice is critical.

At BDO Northern Ireland, we understand that growth comes in all shapes and size and it is imperative that companies have confidence

74

opportunities and challenges which it brings. More importantly, we maintain closer relationships with our clients. Our flat nonbureaucratic business structure quickly draws on the expertise of senior-level professionals resulting in greater responsiveness, accessibility and agility.

Francis Martin, advisory partner at BDO Northern Ireland

and knowledge to lever their position to achieve sustained future development and prosperity. For almost three decades, our specialist advisers have assisted companies in all sectors of the economy to overcome complicated issues, reduce risk exposure and fulfil their ambition to scale up.

Our years of experience have allowed us to develop close relationships with local and international stakeholders – including key players from the investor community – and uniquely position us to guide businesses through the growth journey and the

Our experienced and specialised teams hold an in-depth understanding of the complex issues that are shaping fast-paced business and tax environments, allowing clients to tap into some of the very best business insights and practical know-how.

Entrepreneurially spirited mid-sized businesses are the engine of our evolving economy, but they will need support and confidence to fully progress to the next stage in their growth journey. With a challenging year ahead, it is likely that Northern Ireland is going to be more dependent on the success and competitiveness of our businesses. BDO Northern Ireland stands ready to help propel companies on their growth journey. ■ To find out how BDO Northern Ireland can help your business call 028 9043 9009 or visit www.bdoni.com

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Colin McNab, group operations director at Charles Hurst

11 Charles Hurst

7676

W

ith more than a century of business under its belt, Charles Hurst is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest car retailers.

The business, which now has a turnover of almost £500m, now boasts a huge lavish flagship Jaguar Land Rover showroom on the Boucher Road.

Headquartered at Belfast’s Boucher Road on Europe’s largest automotive retail site, and part of the UK car retail and aftercare giant Lookers plc, Charles Hurst opened its third business in Dublin in 2017 when it launched a new showroom.

The company employs more than 900 staff across 11 locations, almost 20 car franchises, three motorcycle outlets, a dedicated van centre and four specialist tyre retail operations.

Charles Hurst Group operations director Colin McNab, who has been with the business for more than 40 years, said: “By offering every customer, regardless of budget, the very best choice of vehicles – both new and used – combined with outstanding customer service and a focus on excellence, we’ve continued to maintain our position of growth and success.

“We’re committed to replicating this success and our winning formula across the island of Ireland and we’re delighted to report that this is a strategy which is working extremely well and will remain a focus for the future.”

Charles Hurst also has a dedicated accident repair centre, ‘fast-fit’ operation and a ‘smart repair’ centre.

It operates an Audi dealership and aftercare business in Dublin and is behind the development of the £17m ultra-modern Audi Centre and 18-bay service workshop, which

AUGUST 2018

opened in December.

Last year, it announced two new senior appointments in order to support its future growth and consolidation of investments.

Jeff McCartney, who is sales operations director, oversees the company’s sales operation, franchise managers and the organisation’s 32 sales departments.

That ranges from Ferrari to Renault, as well as Usedirect, while Andrew Gilmore is now aftersales operations director at Charles Hurst Group, where he will oversee the company’s full aftersales business.

Colin said: “With a strong investment base and an outstanding team of people across the company, with expertise, knowledge and a customer-comes-first attitude, we look forward to the future with confidence in our ability to achieve and to continuing our promise to invest, expand and excel by delivering, quite simply, great choice and value.

“At Charles Hurst, the strength of our business continues to be built on the hard work and commitment of our staff - and our workforce lies at the heart of our success.”

It also deals in a range of luxury and sportscar brands, including Ferrari and Aston Martin with a modern showroom, based in Belfast. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies

S

HS Group is the company behind some of Northern Ireland’s bestknown drinks and other food brands.

Founded in 1975, the SHS Group, which now boasts turnover of £467.7m, operates in the fast moving consumer goods sector in the UK, Ireland and increasingly in international markets.

From its Belfast headquarters the SHS Group, which is headed by chief executive Elaine Birchall, supports its commercial divisions.

Employing more than 1,000 people throughout the UK and Ireland, the company owns brands such as WKD, Shloer, Bottlegreen and Merrydown Cider, and also distributes a portfolio of well-known brands including Jordans, Ryvita, Finish, Mars Drinks and Colgate.

“Our Group divisions delivered double digit organic growth in 2017 driven by innovation, annualising new business and continued brand investment,” Elaine said.

“The WKD and Merrydown brands are benefitting from recent relaunches and we have extended our soft drinks portfolio through acquisition and new markets.

“The Sales and Marketing Divisions in Ireland and the UK increased revenues from both new contracts and core business. Our condiments and sauces division consolidated its position as market leader in private label herbs and spices through improved customer service, innovation and new distribution.”

She said the company’s latest investments in brands such as Meridian nut butter, No & More craft water and Rocks Organic squash brands reflects the growth in ‘better for you’ health conscious sectors.

“The acquisitions are part of our strategy to deliver long-term sustainable growth through extending channel and category coverage,” she said.

Asked about the company’s future growth plans, Elaine said: “Working alongside my senior leadership team, we have developed a five-year strategy – Vision 21. This sets the ambition for our commercial divisions and centres of excellence and is built on the core pillars of category growth, operational excellence and our people.”

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Elaine Birchall

12 SHS “We have introduced a new HR function led

by Chris Lillie to enable ‘our people’ strategy which seeks to develop individual and team capabilities in line with our growth ambition through leadership programmes, mentoring and training.”

And asked about the current state of the market in NI, Elaine says “trading remains challenging in a backdrop of market consolidation and increased costs to serve”.

“Certain categories are suffering from constrained consumer spending and Brexitrelated uncertainty is likely to continue to impact business investment. The continued lack of clarity around NI government and future, long-term access to EU markets and workers is compromising inward investment

decisions and growth initiatives such as large capital projects.

“From our perspective, we are committed to Northern Ireland and to nurturing talent.

At the SHS Group headquarters, we act as a centre of excellence for the rest of the Group and are extending our Group functions to better support our acquisitions.”

On Brexit, Elaine says while the weakening of sterling has eroded profitability and there remains continued uncertainty, that “we remain a respected trading partner in Northern Ireland and international markets having historically weathered political and economic disruption and are committed to growing our business and servicing our customers with integrity.” ■

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16 NI Water S

ara Venning’s job involves looking after one of Northern Ireland’s largest and most crucial pieces of infrastructure.

With a turnover of £422m a year and the responsibility of delivering 570 million litres of water to 850,000 homes and businesses

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across the region, NI Water is one of our largest operations.

How has it changed and evolved over the last few years, in terms of being run?

It also has assets worth close to £3bn, including more than 40,000 kilometres of water mains and sewers, which is one and half times longer than Northern Ireland’s entire road network.

“Much of what NI Water delivers takes place underground or out of sight,” NI Water chief executive Sara Venning said.

“It is often the case that the unseen water and

Sara Venning, chief executive of NI Water

wastewater infrastructure only becomes seen when it fails.

“It then becomes apparent how much every aspect of life relies on what the company delivers.

“NI Water has been focusing on how to make its infrastructure more visible and valued.

“There are a number of exciting initiatives happening to help achieve customer promises and the company’s vision of becoming a ‘world-class’ water utility, capable of meeting future customer expectations at a

AUGUST 2018

sustainably lower cost.”

One of its latest projects is trying cut down the size of its own carbon footprint, as Northern Ireland’s largest consumer of electricity.

“Flagship projects for energy include a new £7m solar farm, where 24,000 solar panels produce enough electricity to supply the power needs of one of Northern Ireland’s largest treatment plants - Dunore Water Treatment Works in south Antrim.

“The Dunore solar farm is a major step toward reaching the company’s goal of increasing

electricity consumption from renewable sources from the current 13% to 40% by 2021.”

As far as some of the major ongoing work required to maintain the network, it’s currently investing £5m in a Belfast city scheme (pictured) which has its base on the Dublin Road. The project involves upgrading a pumping station on Hardcastle Street and pipe laying on Adelaide Street and Linenhall Street.

NI Water has entered the fourth year of a six year business plan, which sets out how the company will grow value and trust. ■

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23 Donnelly D

onnelly Group has been in the motor sales business for more than 70 years, and in that time has grown considerably into one of the biggest in the trade.

“Trust, respect and relationships are our core values and the ethos of ‘keeping the customer central to everything we do’ has remained unchanged since the company’s inception in 1947.”

The firm first set up shop on the border of Co Tyrone and Co Armagh in 1947, when when Peter Donnelly started a vehicle repair and taxi business in Caledon.

The group has eight locations across Northern Ireland, and sells 19 different car brands.

Since then, it’s grown turnover to £330m, and sells around 15,000 vehicles every year.

Dave Sheeran, managing director at Donnelly Group, told Ulster Business: “A major strength of the business is our locations province wide and the convenience this presents for customers.

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That includes Toyota, Fiat, Honda, Renault, Seat, Vauxhall and Jaguar Land Rover.

Last year, it revealed it’s building a new £6m Jaguar Land Rover showroom next to the firm’s flagship site in Dungannon, Co Tyrone. Donnelly Group has been selling Land Rover vehicles since 1981.

The company now employs close to 700 staff, and posted

pre-tax profits of £1.9m, according to its latest publish set of accounts.

“In 2017, as well as celebrating our 70th anniversary, Donnelly Group acquired a third Vauxhall franchise in Campsie, and a third Suzuki franchise on Belfast’s Boucher Road,” Dave Sheeran said.

Group “These strong relationships with our manufacturing partners have played a key role in our recent acquisitions, and will be key as we look to further expansion.

“Later this year we will be opening a new £6m Land Rover Jaguar showroom. Not only does this add Jaguar to

our impressive portfolio of manufacturing partners but it will also be the first and only premium brand outlet anywhere in mid-Ulster.

“Our success is testament to the hard work, commitment and dedication of our skilled employees. They are the front face of the

business and the reason our customers want to return time and time again.”

“Our employees at all levels of the business understand our ethos and live our values in their everyday work.” ■

Dave Sheeran, managing director at Donnelly Group

AUGUST 2018

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FINANCE

Q&A with Jayne Gibson, managing director of Insight.Out Financial Best piece of advice? Stay true to your values What’s the key to lifestyle financial planning? Taking the time to understand clients’ short, medium and long-term goals. Where do they want to be, how do they want to live, both now and in the future.

Jayne Gibson, pension transfer specialist, Insight.Out Financial

Insightful investments at Belfast financial firm

A

Belfast-based, lifetime financial planning company, headed up by pension transfer specialist, Jayne Gibson, has just relocated its business and rebranded as Insight.Out Financial, creating three new jobs.

Formerly known as GWM Solutions, Insight.

Out Financial has invested almost £100,000, including a complete re-brand for the company and move to a new headquarters on the Holywood Road, Belfast. Three new jobs have been created and there are plans to recruit a further two team members in 2018.

Now employing 10 people, the company is owned by Jayne Gibson, who in 2005 was one of the first people in the UK to gain Chartered Financial Planner status. Jayne established her original business, GWM solutions, in 2015 and since then, the business has expanded year-on-year.

create a new and exciting brand that was more reflective of our offering.

“Insight.Out was born, and with the help of Part Two Design, we have created a strong brand that stands out in the financial sector.

Mirroring our company values, the brand is professional, modern, transparent and bold.”

Insight.Out has a wealth of technical knowledge to work at all levels in the financial services sector and has significant experience working with high net worth investors.

“The company offers services to businesses across the UK and to individuals who value expert financial planning that is aligned to a person’s lifestyle, personal and financial goals.

Commenting on why the company chose to rebrand, Jayne Gibson, managing director of Insight.Out Financial said: “As the company continued to expand, we began to think about our brand, and what GWM Solutions stood for in the market place.

“What makes Insight.Out different is our company’s personality combined with our knowledge and expertise. We’re down-toearth financial advisors who take a holistic approach to every client’s financial planning,” Jayne says.

“Aligned to the company’s future growth plans, the time was right to invest in and

“My aim is to understand the ‘big picture’ for clients, and from this, we create the right

How do you get the most from your team? By creating a positive and engaging work environment, and a culture where everyone is valued.

Leadership style? Open, honest, direct.

Pet peeves? The misconception that you have to be wealthy to consider financial planning. We work with clients across the board, and can make a major difference to a person’s long-term planning and future lifestyle What’s next for Insight.Out Financial? We’re growing, our team is growing, and our reputation is growing every year. We’re focused on becoming one of the leading lifestyle financial planning and pension transfer specialists in the UK. Hobbies? Travel, especially to Kenmare where the scenery, food and craic is mighty.

Final word? Work hard, stand by your ethics and enjoy the rewards.

financial plan for clients; often this means frank discussions and ensuring that we set in place realistic expectations. It’s this frank, honest and personal approach that’s helping our business to grow.”

Insight.Out Financial is endorsed by the Personal Finance Society, the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments, and the Chartered Insurance Institute. ■ To get in touch contact Insight.Out Financial on or 028 9590 2280, email info@insightoutfinancial.com or visit www.InsightOutFinancial.com

Insight.Out Financial is a trading style of GWM Solutions Ltd, which is an appointed representative of Network Direct Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

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87

PROFILE

Noel Brady: Driving sales success through experience Consult Nb1 founder Noel Brady on how business is booming with Brexit around the corner 88

N

oel Brady is a business consultant with more than 40 years under his belt.

The well-known Belfast man founded Consult Nb1 in 2004 and has built a highly successful consultancy business, which specialises in a range of both public and private business consultancy services.

His CV is lengthy with a varied mixture of work across a range of sectors which includes 17 years in the public sector, before heading into senior private sector outsourcing roles in major IT companies.

As if 25 years in both public and private sector organisations wasn’t enough Noel decided he wanted a new business challenge. That’s when he set up his firm Consult Nb1, and he is now about to celebrate 15 years in that business.

“In 2004 I noticed a niche in the market, for someone like me coming out at my level and experience, who could make himself available to companies to help them with board level or strategic challenges which they faced.

“I was able to make chief executive services available to small and mediumsized companies who in some instances did not have a chief executive or senior management team in place.”

“When it came to the big issues, I was able to come in and help them on a part-time basis.

“This could involve strategic direction, mentoring, development of sales strategy or more importantly the need to grow the business.”

Noel says that this initial idea has grown and blossomed, and seen him take on a raft of different roles and responsibilities.

For example, he is chairman of Moment Health, a high-tech company which offers an application based support service to help improve recovery rates for women struggling with maternal mental health issues.

This 2017 start-up is already beginning to widen its service to global customers, he is working with company owner and chief executive, Nuala Murphy, to move this exciting business forward.

The public sector in Northern Ireland is a huge buyer of products and services and in addition to his public sector

AUGUST 2018

background, according to Noel.

“I’ve always liked having one role in the public sector, because it keeps me in touch with changes and developments in the sector and to be honest I like giving something back to the organisation that employed me in my first job and invested heavily in my further education”.

the NI market across multiple industries and this clearly seems to verify that he is a “master” in this rare class.

“I can get involved in small to medium tenders for SMEs but also tend to get involved in very large public sector projects, such as PFIs, hospital builds and large IT projects,” he said.

This clearly explains previous and existing roles he has held. He was a non-executive director with DVA, a Belfast Harbour Commissioner for eight years, and in 2016 was appointed the financial non-executive director of the South Eastern Health and Social Services Trust.

Noel says much of his client base and work is now coming directly from references.

An outstanding feature of Noel’s firm Consult Nb1 is that he welcomes and expects that each client will have different requirements and challenges.

“A small company, for example, a legal, IT or accountancy firm, may see an opportunity for which they wish to submit a tender. They may not have the processes or experience necessary.”

His primary aim is to work closely with clients to understand their vision and objectives.

His suite of services includes gathering and discussion of market intelligence regarding existing and future projects, assistance and advice, profiling of businesses and clients, identifying new areas and writing winning tenders.

In regard to his broader service offering, for example, it could be a software company from the Republic of Ireland, Europe or wider afield, which has a solution focused on financial services, wishing to enter the Northern Ireland market.

Noel has built up a massive network of top contacts, and is very proud of his focus on the Northern Ireland market.

“This is my market and I make it my business to focus entirely on what is happening here.”

Given the size and scale of Northern Ireland’s public sector, it is quite common that the outcome of an engagement plan might be the identification of a potential tender opportunity.

Tender writing and working in bid teams is clearly a passion with Noel, and it forms a substantial part of his company workload.

His enthusiasm for the subject is obvious to anybody that meets him – never seeming to tire of the challenges that a complex tender can bring.

His success in tenders is well known in

“I have built a solid reputation for writing tenders, and dealing with the various client side tender organisations.

Perhaps to underline his expertise in this area, the Department of Finance (DoF) has identified a pipeline of digital and IT projects over the next few years and Noel has been elected as Joint-Chair of an industry forum designed to ensure that these projects progress smoothly.

Noel says he’s busier than ever and believes that Brexit is playing its part in that increased demand. Noel holds very strong views on the absence of a working Northern Ireland Assembly here, he says: “It is totally shameful for our two biggest parties to be maintaining an almost ‘spoilt child’ like attitude to discussing bringing government back here for the people of the province, while continuing to be paid for the privilege.”

However, as a natural positive thinker he believes there is an upside in even this debacle.

“As a by-product, because of the absence of Government, we seem to have a situation where the public sector feels able to release whatever tenders it can, at certain levels.”

So, what’s next for Noel?

“I’m in discussion with a company in the US at present which I believe is using AI in a way not seen before which will change the face of customer service and how we sell things forever… now that’s enough to get me out of bed in the morning.” ■

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Brian Conlon, founder and boss of First Derivatives

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43 First

Derivatives

W

hen a company has diversified its main product line into everything from a Formula One racing team, to working with data in space – it’s probably doing something right.

Brian Conlon’s First Derivatives, which has expanding from its Newry base across the globe, has developed its Kx software – something which has found its way from the world of finance, to expand beyond areas which it was initially designed for.

The listed company produces software used in the financial service sector, but has also landed deals for work with Formula One team Red Bull and in other areas.

It is planning to continue more than two decades of double-digit growth as its sales soar to almost £200m.

The company says it is tapping further into a potential total global market for its software, worth up to £80bn.

The now giant of technology saw turnover soar to £186m in the year to February - up 23% on the same period a year earlier.

And with that, the company is growing as an employer, and an overall contributor to the economy.

It’s now a global business with around 1,600 employees.

While it operates in Newry, it has several global offices, including a new base in Belfast at the Weaving Works building.

During the last 12 months it has signed up clients in new sectors, including the Formula One Red Bull team and Airbus defence and space.

First Derivatives said its Airbus deal was for “large scale processing of geospatial data”, and would bring opportunities in energy and engineering.

AUGUST 2018

And speaking about the latest results, Seamus Keating, chairman of First Derivatives, said that the firm’s “ability to capitalise on the investments we have made and the scale of our addressable software market provides us the potential for continued strong growth in future years”.

“While we will continue to invest to stay at the forefront of our field, much has already been done to support our ambitious plans and our current structure is sufficient to achieve significant growth.

“Recognising that success always requires focus and effort, we nevertheless look to the future with confidence.”

“This has been another year where we have combined organic growth with selective investment in the business to realise the enormous market opportunity available to First Derivatives. Prompted by strong demand from our clients, we have continued to penetrate our markets enabling us to deliver our 21st consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth.”

Earlier this year, the firm reached a stock market valuation of more than £1bn.

It’s another of Northern Ireland’s technology success stories, and those making a huge impact and name for themselves right across the globe. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

NI’s biggest firms punching above their weight

By Dr Esmond Birnie of the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre

T

he economic recovery which began at the start of this decade has been losing pace. UK economic growth rate was only 1.7% in 2017.

Northern Ireland growth was probably even less. In short, a challenging business environment.

It is therefore reassuring to look at a group of Northern Ireland businesses which achieved substantial sales in 2016 and 2017. Indeed, in about three-quarters of cases among the Top 100 the most recent sales figure was higher than that in the previous year.

The mix of sectors within the Ulster Business Top 100 was striking (moreover, some of the businesses were based in greater Belfast but others were outside). Taking the 25 businesses with the highest levels of sales, 10 of these were involved in manufacturing

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and half of those were in food processing.

Given that manufacturing’s share of Northern Ireland’s economic output or gross value added (GVA) is about 14%, 10 out of 25 is a large representation. The remainder of the 25 largest businesses were engaged in the following sectors: wholesale retail, trading, transport, utilities, ICT, motor vehicle retail, universities and construction.

Notwithstanding a batch of redundancies announced in early 2018, manufacturing employment grew substantially during 2017.

Employment also went up in construction.

After a period of rapid expansion, the pace of expansion in private services began to slow in 2017.

It is likely that the Top 100 have been punching above their weight in terms of a broader contribution to the Northern Ireland

economy. They are likely to be the source of a sizeable proportion of total exports and R&D spending. The data indicates that during 2016-17 Northern Ireland exports increased In total the Top 100 employed about 90,000 people: equivalent to about onein-nine of the total workforce. As we have seen, the Top 100 are likely to be above average performers within Northern Ireland.

That has two important implications.

First, it could be misleading to try to draw any conclusions from the Top 100 to the overall performance of the Northern Ireland economy. Second, there is an ongoing challenge to attempt to spread some of the high performance from the Top 100 into the rest of the economy whether by collaboration with the regional supply chain or policy intervention. ■

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PROPERTY

C

D Fairfield, one of the UK’s leading non-statutory and statutory property debt specialists, has secured an exclusive two-year deal with Move With Us. Belfast-based CD Fairfield signed the deal with the firm – the UK’s largest network of independent estate agents, with over 1200 high street locations and is owned by London private equity investors Palamon Capital Partners – to be the sole approved provider of debt services to its group.

This new relationship will see CD Fairfield create 25 new jobs over the next 18 months, include 21 in Belfast and four in Cambridge.

Speaking about the deal, Phil Davison, managing director at CD Fairfield said: “This is a great result for all involved in CD Fairfield.

It has taken over a year to deliver what is a hugely exciting development for the company.

This allows us to bring our expertise to the widest possible UK market; becoming a partner with a company of Move With Us’s size and scope can only be a validation of five years of hard work.

“The property market in GB is experiencing a downturn with property still 20% below peak 2008 price levels in parts of the North of England and Wales and prices falling in London and the south. With interest rates expected to rise and the Bank of England warnings around house prices in the last week; we are posed to bring our specialist expertise to beleaguered buy-to-let landlords and those requiring property debt advice.

“With our experience and growth in this specialist area of debt management, we expect to see the number of clients CDF are helping grow exponentially, thanks to this exclusive partnership with Move With Us.” Speaking on the decision to partner with CD Fairfield, Ben Greco, managing director at Move With Us, said: “Move With Us started working with CDF last year when some of its NI property-debt cases required properties to be managed and sold in England and Wales.

Being a leading residential asset manager,

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Tom Caldwell, director at CD Fairfield, Ben Greco, managing director of Move With Us and Philip Davidson, managing director of CD Fairfield

CD Fairfield secures major partnership Move With Us were a good fit.

“CD Fairfield brings bespoke help to a range of property-linked debt problems for investors, accidental landlords or actual homeowners. Its case studies really are testament to the help it gives and what can be achieved to mutually benefit all parties involved in those issues.”

Founded in 2013 by directors Philip Davison and Tom Cardwell, this is a significant development for the business, that currently has over 650 retained clients and is regarded as one of the top specialist property debt companies in the UK.

“Settling over 500 cases with an average debt write down of £57,000 for buy to let landlords and homeowners.

CD Fairfield, director, Tom Cardwell, said: “This collaboration marks an exciting time for CD Fairfield and see significant financial development in our NI base. It will see the expansion of our team and the investment in new offices to house the increased capacity required.

“From day one our focus has been on our clients and as we continue to grow that will remain the cornerstone of our company philosophy.” ■

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46 Tayto

T

ayto has been king of the castle in terms of Northern Ireland’s crisp and snack sector since 1956, when it moved into its grand Tandragee headquarters.

Its 20,500 sq m base includes Tayto Castle, which is more than 500 years old. In the last 62 years, the company, which is now headed by Paul Allen, has grown its reach and diversified its company portfolio, and increased turnover to just shy of £174m.

Tayto’s sister company Montagu has also expanded in the last few years, including taking on a number of vending machine businesses.

“Tayto Group and Montagu are both family-owned businesses, and growth comes organically from doing a really great ‘day-job’,” Paul Allen, chief executive of Tayto told Ulster Business.

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“Allied to that, growth through acquisition remains a key tenet of our business plan.

“Tayto has been growing since 1956 and the expectation is that we will continue on this path in to the future, adapting to market changes for flavours, products and continuing to invest in new product development along the way.”

It’s taken on a number of new businesses in the last few years, including the Real Pork Crackling Company and Pop Notch popcorn.

It employs 250 people on site with a further 30 staff at its warehouse in Lurgan.

“Secondly, we have invested in the business over a sustained period which has ensured that our products continue to be of the highest quality, made with efficient machinery and distributed in an effective manner.”

Asked about the latest acquisitions, such as the Real Pork Crackling Company, Paul said that is “very much linked to our strategy of growing organically and making discerning acquisitions which complement our existing operations”. ■

And it’s a 24-hour day for factory, with production split between its own products and private label brands.

Around 60% of production is exported to elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, but sales also reach out to around 44 locations, including Australia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the US.

“I think the buoyancy of the Tayto Group is down to a number of things,” Paul said.

“Firstly, we make really, really good crisps and snacks and repeat purchase is key to the success of any company.

Paul Allen, chief executive of Tayto

AUGUST 2018

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THE KEY TO A HAT-TRICK Earlier in the month, the newly rebranded Connect Total Communications picked up the Vodafone award for One Net Business Partner of the year. This alone is an incredible achievement for the fast-growing Belfast based company; but what’s different is, this win marks the 3rd time they’ve scooped this much sought-after award amongst hundreds of other entrants in the same industry.

Many will ask what sort of elements a company like Connect need in order to consistently pick up this calibre of award. Do they have one key component that sets them apart? Or is it more the combined effort of a strong and dedicated team? When asked, the latter was the clear answer. With this in mind, Connect gave us an overview of what really makes a great team and what they hope to achieve in the coming years.

Scott Richie, Chief Executive of Connect, gave us a quick introduction to some of the Connect staff, asking them about their roles in the company, and how each of them effectively work together as a team.

Planning is a huge part of our process at Connect. This industry moves so fast that we need to make sure to keep on track with our goals and objectives. Whether it’s for a new client or an existing one, we’re committed to our deadlines and targets.

- Sarah Thompson (Planning & Implementation)

Our team culture is based around Teamwork, Drive, Innovation, Professionalism and Integrity.

As a Team Leader at Connect, my aim is to keep my team motivated and happy. I think the key to this is keeping an atmosphere that encourages creativity and expression.

- Claire Mulhern (Team Leader)

We definitely pride ourselves in our high standard of customer service at Connect. Not only do we make sure to respond to customer queries as fast as we can, but we also work on building personalised connections with our customer base. We feel this type of individual service really helps with retention rates and overall satisfaction (which are at an all-time high this year!)

- Sophie McCutcheon (Customer Service)

Providing a consistent level of great service creates an immense sense of trust within our customer base.

We deliver our promises every time, not just when it’s convenient. I think it helps that we work with some of the best product on the market, allowing our offering to be superior to a lot of other telecoms companies.

- Anthony Gibson (Tech Support)

Connect Total Communications has always been built on an ethos of supporting and training our people to deliver excellence to our customers. As the competitive advantages of unified communications has become part of all businesses requirements, we have continued to invest in our people, ensuring they have the skills needed. Externally this has been recognised, from within and outside of the telecoms industry.

- Alison Irvine (Director)

It’s clear to see that Connect Total Communications are being awarded for much more than just their product offering. A unified solution means a unified team, with strong and inspired direction, confidence, vast knowledge of their product, and a company ethos that encourages innovation and professionalism.

T O TA L C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

connecttotal.co.uk AUGUST 2018

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Brendan Mooney, chief executive of Kainos

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69 Kainos B

rendan Mooney has overseen the rapid growth and expansion of Kainos, while still maintaining the company’s base in the heart of its home in Belfast.

The listed firm is a digital services company that provides information technology expertise across a number of sectors, particularly government, financial services and healthcare.

Its latest preliminary results show overall revenue is now up to £96.7m, soaring from £83.5m a year earlier.

Brendan told Ulster Business the firm has now cracked the 1,200 staff mark, with no sign of slowing down.

“We are feeling very positive,” he said.

“The number of people in the company is now well over 1,200, and we are delighted to see so many joining, and those who were there 10 years ago.

“In terms of the demand, historically, around 90% comes from our clients, with the balance from new customers.

“Some of the contracts we have won have been quite large.”

Kainos was founded in 1986, as a spin-off from Queen’s University. Since then, it’s walked away with numerous accolades, with Brendan Mooney named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in Ireland in 2016.

The latest results have shown growth in international markets after Kainos opened new offices in Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. It now has 11 offices, including one in Atlanta, Georgia.

Looking to the future, Brendan says: “You always have you aspirations and plans. From

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2010 we have been confident in our ability to identify opportunities, and develop them.”

He says it’s also looking at a new headquarters site in Belfast, after growing out of its home just off Botanic Avenue.

In the latest results, revenue from government customers and the commercial sector accounted for 56% and 30% of revenue, respectively, while healthcare revenue is down to 14% of sales, compared to 17% a year earlier.

New offices in southern Europe are also on the cards for the plc.

On the chasm of political vacuum, Brendan says while from a business perspective, Northern Ireland’s a key location, most of its sales are elsewhere in the UK and Europe, but that business in general “abhors” the ongoing stasis.

And on the vote for Brexit, he says it’s not had a direct impact on the business so far. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

The fight is not over yet Women in Business chief executive Roseann Kelly says more must be done to ensure greater female representation in boardrooms across Northern Ireland

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ith a growing perception that women are smashing the glass ceiling and with a more intensified commitment across business on diversity, it is disheartening to see only two female chief executives listed among the Ulster Business Top 100 Companies here in Northern Ireland this year.

This represents a big drop when compared to the Top 100 companies three years ago, when we saw the then chief executive of Moy Park, Janet McCollum, recipient of the Women in Business Outstanding Business Woman of the Year Award, also featured within this list.

Research by McKinsey over the past 10 years has also shown that although process has occurred globally, it is at a rate which is far too slow. In 2007, they found that women held 11% of seats on the executive committees of Europe’s leading companies.

What is even more distressing is the fact that their research also suggests that many people are content with the status quo, with almost

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50 of men believing that it is sufficient when just one in 10 senior leaders in their company is a woman and one-third of women agree.

ball, we must continue to define ourselves as a progressive society with forward thinking leaders and to do this.

And in a world and society where women seem to be actively encouraged to strive to reach their career goals, why is this so? The answer is simple. Although, often quick to vocalise support for gender equality in the workplace, employers often fail to make the decision to implement frameworks to support business women throughout their careers.

To support women here in Northern Ireland, Women in Business launched the Gender Diversity Charter Mark last year, giving local businesses the opportunity to commit to delivering diversity initiatives and ethical practises in their workplace.

Women play an invaluable role as economic drivers which is vital in working towards building confidence in the Northern Ireland Economy ahead of Brexit and in the lack of a functioning Executive.

However, women not only offer a muchneeded boost to the economy: a gender diverse workforce provides easier access to resources; multiple sources of information, wider industry knowledge and a range of perspectives on problem solving.

Northern Ireland cannot take its eye off the

The NI Gender Diversity Charter Mark enables organisations to identify and reflect on institutional barriers facing women that impact on their career progression.

I believe that this is an important step in achieving real gender equality in business here in Northern Ireland and I am delighted to celebrate some of these businesses’ successes this summer.

I would call on all businesses locally to really commit to diversity and not drop the ball the job is far from done. We need to remain committed to gender equality and show true and meaningful leadership. ■

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Investors should remember that the value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up and that past performance is no guarantee of future returns. You may not recover what you invest.

Quilter Cheviot Limited is registered in England with number 01923571, registered office at One Kingsway, London, WC2B 6AN. Quilter Cheviot is a member of the London Stock Exchange and authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

LEGAL

S

tarting off as apprentices almost 20 years ago, Emma Hunt and Chris Guy now hold senior positions at Mills Selig – one of the region’s leading corporate and commercial law firms.

And according to both, it’s the firm’s culture, its ability to attract some of Northern Ireland’s leading businesses as clients, and a practice which is firmly focused around its staff.

Belfast-based Mills Selig was formed when two solicitors, Ivan Selig and Stratton Mills, formed a partnership in 1959.

Emma Hunt is now head of litigation at the firm. The Queen’s University graduate joined the city centre-based practice in 2001, after completing a master’s degree at University College, Dublin.

Emma’s an expert in a raft of areas, including dispute resolution and litigation, debt recovery, media and defamation and professional regulation, and became a partner in 2009.

“The way you start at Mills Selig is you sit in each of the core departments, to get a feel for the different areas,” Emma said.

“I chose litigation as I was more interested in that area, which includes court work and disputes - I like the contentious elements of it.”

And it was there Emma worked across a wide-range of areas, including media law.

“I was given exposure at a very early age to running my own cases, client-facing. It grew quite quickly, both the department and the practice.

“You have to be able to turn your hand to anything, and I’ve covered a wide spectrum.

The media work is obviously interesting.”

And with the rise of technology and use of social media from 2010 onwards, changing the face of media cases, Emma and the Mills Selig team were instrumental in growing the defamation practice to focus resources on

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Charting a course to the top Emma Hunt and Chris Guy of Mills Selig on charting their career courses from the ground up to the top table at one of Northern Ireland’s leading law firms

defamatory online publications, acting both for, and against, leading social network sites.

As a director and head of corporate with Mills Selig, Chris Guy started out as the firm’s first apprentice in 2000, after completing his law degree at Queen’s University, Belfast.

In his almost 20-year career, now specialising in high-value and complex M&A and private equity transactions, he’s been behind some of the largest corporate deals to take place in

LEGAL

deals. They are happening all the time, and the Northern Ireland market is very busy.”

Emma and Chris say a lot of the firm’s topend work comes about through referrals, and is down to the reputation the business has.

In the years since Emma and Chris joined, Mills Selig has grown its workforce by 75%, and now has 49 employees.

The company also weathered the storm of recession, and continued to expand during the economically tougher years, from 2008 onwards.

The firm also boasts both a dynamic and young workforce, while maintaining a longserving list of staff members And despite the current political deadlock, subdued economic growth and Brexit, it continues to deliver a strong trajectory in terms of turnover and employment.

In the past five years, Mills Selig has seen a 60% surge in turnover, with an increase of 10% in 2018 already. And the practice continues to expand.

“Mills Selig is a great place to work, and everyone is very personable,” Emma said.

Speaking about why he’s been with the firm for almost 20 years, Chris says: “One of things I remember from my interview for Mills Selig was that the practice was described as a meritocracy. It is based on how you perform and what you do. That has always been true.

Emma Hunt and Chris Guy

Northern Ireland in the last few years.

“It’s getting to act in the high-value, most complex transactions around that gets you, and keeps you interested,” Chris says.

Among his recent high-profile deals, Chris won the Insider Deal of the Year award (£10m and over) for his work on the sale of Co Antrim’s SDC Trailers to CIMC Group.

He also acted for the MBO team on the

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acquisition of Trucorp Ltd, which won 2017 Insider Deal of the Year (under £10m).

In 2018, under the leadership of Chris, the corporate team at Mills Selig was involved in two of the biggest prizes awarded at the Insider Dealmakers Awards.

“It demonstrates that we are involved in those high-profile, and high-value deals,” Chris says.

“We have a very strong reputation for M&A

“It’s about fantastic lawyers who are doing great work.”

“For me, it is around the quality of work. We act for a range of world-class clients, such as First Derivatives, Hughes Insurance and Devenish.”

Emma says the firm also always has one eye in succession, and making sure that those working for the practice are on the right career path.

Mills Selig is continuing to grow, and has taken on more than half a dozen new lawyers in the last 12 months. ■

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Martin O’Kane, deputy manager director with Damian Heron, managing director

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hile there are always newcomers to the Ulster Business Top 100 list, construction firm Heron Bros managed to not just creep on to the bottom of it, but shoot well up, after adding almost £40m in turnover to its accounts in the space of a year.

It was six brothers who laid the foundations in Draperstown, Co Londonderry, in 1956.

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Since then, the company has evolved significantly, and it has made a name for itself in creating a positive impact across the construction sector across Ireland and the UK. And it’s working on some major schemes here in Northern Ireland, including three new leisure centres for Belfast (such as the former Robinson Centre pictured).

The latest results for the year 2016/17 marked

60 years in business. It employs more than 250 staff, and in its latest accounts posted pre-tax profits of £12.8m, and £95m turnover.

“We have strategically targeted the leisure sector in recent years due to increased public sector investment in sporting facilities,” managing director Damian Heron said.

“Our expertise in delivering sporting infrastructure throughout the UK and Ireland

has gained national awards and press coverage.

“Our leisure portfolio boasts national sporting arenas, flagship stadia, modern leisure complexes, major spectator and corporate boxes.

“We are currently on site with three leisure centres in Belfast and one in Newtownards with the combined value of £90m.”

“Again, with the increasing public-sector investment in mental health provision we have benefited from constructing mental health and secure care facilities throughout the UK.

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“We are delighted to be working with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust while delivering a £15m mental health hospital in Southport.”

Some of its other projects include Gallagher Shopping Park in Port Glasgow and a Porsche Centre in Belfast.

The company also takes its corporate social responsibility seriously, and Damian says that “operating as a responsible business creates a culture that inspires our people, develops our supply chain and instils confidence in our clients”.

Earlier this year, the firm also walked away

with the gong for NI Responsible Company of the Year at Business in the Community’s 2018 Responsible Business Awards.

“Despite enjoying consecutive years of cumulative growth, our board has made the strategic decision to consolidate our growth and ensure our structures are in place to provide sustainable growth in the future,” Damian said.

“While the construction industry is showing signs of recovery from the economic downturn, it remains volatile. Challenges include the absence of a Stormont Executive, Brexit uncertainty and the skills shortage of construction professionals.” ■

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IT

Awards showcase top IT talent A

host of Northern Ireland’s top IT talents have been rewarded as part of a major awards event in Belfast.

The Northern Ireland branch of the British Computer Society (BCS) - the Chartered Institute for IT - held its annual awards evening at The Mac, supported by Olenick, Capita and ESRI Ireland.

The event showcases the achievements of IT professionals throughout Northern Ireland who are the “embodiment of the BCS vision as the chartered institute for IT professionals”.

The organisation sets and promotes standards of professionalism, is committed to education and to ensure IT is accessible and integrated in the community.

With an increased reliance on digital infrastructure and enterprises, there is even greater responsibility on those who provide such services.

Northern Ireland boasts a burgeoning IT sector, with around 1,200 companies in the field, employing more than 30,000 people.

decisions to make. We had a high number of entries this year, all of which demonstrated a very high standard of IT professionalism in Northern Ireland.

BCS plays an active role in helping professionals, practitioners, politicians and parents to understand the role technology plays in society.

“We were also particularly delighted at the number of entries received for our new award, which celebrates the teachers in Northern Ireland who are inspiring the next generation.

I would like to thank Conrad Simpson, Rose Kane Quinn and Dr Irene Bell for joining myself and Sinead Dillon on the judging panel.”

The group provides representation for Northern Ireland's IT professionals, promotes IT in the wider community, and maintains a strong link with schools, colleges and universities promoting the discipline of computer science.

This year also saw the introduction of a new award, the IT Educator of the Year. The award was introduced as a result of the continued partnership with Computing at School Northern Ireland (CASNI), and Dr Irene Bell, the organisation’s chair.

“It is wonderful that a prestigious professional organisation as the BCS is recognising, through this award, the fantastic work that teachers in Northern Ireland are doing to move forward the computing agenda in their schools and classrooms,” Dr Bell said.

The awards were hotly contested as the judges had their work cut out for them scoring the outstanding achievements of the nominees.

Among those addressing those gathered was Becca Hume, from TapSOS. Becca has developed a free app which creates a nonverbal way to connect with the emergency services.

BCS Northern Ireland’s chair, Rachel McKane, said: “Our judging panel had some very tough

Founded in 1957, the BCS has achieved more than 60 years of making IT good for society.

The IT Educator of the Year Award sponsored by ESRI Ireland WINNER: Eamonn O'Hare, St. Malachy’s High School, Castlewellan HIGHLY COMMENDED Dr Caroline Pereira Lynch, St Catherine’s College, Armagh Beverley McCormick, Newbuildings Primary School, Co Londonderry

Young IT Professional of the Year sponsored by Olenick WINNER: Kelly Moore, Kainos SHORTLISTED Ryan Beckett, Secure Clare McKeever, PwC

IT Professional of the Year Award sponsored by Capita WINNER: Dave Vincent, Invest NI/ Tourism NI SHORTLISTED Lorna McAdoo, Version 1 Seamus Cushley, PwC

To get in touch email Rachel McKane, chair of BCS NI at rachel.mckane@bcs.org.uk

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IT

Sinead Dillon, Rachel McKane and Dr Irene Bell - Stranmillis University College

Educator of the Year Award presented to Eamonn O’Hare of St Malachy’s High School Castlewellan by Rachel McKane of ESRI Ireland (and chair of BCS NI)

Young IT Professional of the Year Award presented to Kelly Moore of Kainos by Claire McBride from Olenick

IT Professional of the Year Award presented to Dave Vincent by Jackie Crooks from Capita IT

This years’ winners pictured with BCS NI chair Rachel McKane

Claire McBride, Olenick, Rachel McKane ESRI Ireland (chair of BCS NI) and Becca Hume, TapSOS

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72 Mac Interiors I

t seems a company like Mac Interiors is only growing higher and higher.

As it completes work on a multi-million pound refurbishment of the 14-storey River House in Belfast (pictured), boss Paul McKenna says the firm will add another 50 staff to the workforce in the next year.

“It’s the continued growth, and we have moved into different sectors, and into commercial refurbishment fit-out and new build,” he told Ulster Business.

“We are offering a different level of service, and offering commercial clients the opportunity to have a building out of the ground.”

Since 2002, the company has grown both its turnover and workforce considerably, and now the Mac Interiors business in Northern Ireland has seen its turnover reach £94.7m.

A lot of the firm’s work takes place in

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Dublin, and it has its headquarters in Newry, along with offices in London and Birmingham.

“It’s about delivering on your promises, doing it right first time. That’s the key approach.”

“We have grown roughly 35% in staff numbers, year-on-year, and we are up to 150 now. We intend to take on 50 staff between now and the end of 2018.”

Its latest project in Belfast was River House, which was saw the drab and dated 1960s hi-rise turned into 110,000 sq of top-end modern office space.

Mac works with some of the world’s largest blue chip companies. That includes fit-outs for Hewlett-Packard and KPMG, the latter of which the company worked on its headquarters in Dublin.

Owners Castleforge Partners are also taking a chunk of the floors for flexible working space, which allows companies to grow and expand their needs.

It’s also worked on five offices for EY across Ireland.

“We would be known as disrupters, in the best way. We don’t do what everyone else does.

“We look at how we can deliver it seamlessly. We need to deliver what we say we will deliver.

Looking at overall growth at Mac Interiors, Paul says the firm has already hit its turnover target, and aims to be one of, if not the largest, firms of its kind in Ireland.

Some of its others high-profile projects includes a 200-bedroom hotel in Liverpool, a large Dublin office scheme, along with projects in London and elsewhere in England. ■

Paul McKenna, Mac Interiors

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FAST 50

Fast 50 entrants could be next generation of business heavyweights

By Peter Allen, partner, Deloitte

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t this time of year we put out a call to the technology companies on the island of Ireland to enter the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards programme.

The awards, now in their 19th year, rank Ireland’s fastest growing technology companies and recognise the indigenous technology companies that have demonstrated outstanding growth in turnover over the last four years.

It is an exciting time for us as our interaction and engagement with the companies that feature on the list every year is inspiring and reinforces our view of the significant value that innovative tech companies are adding to the economy.

Through the awards, each year we recognise many Northern Irish technology companies that are at the cutting edge, using technology for progress and to address the challenges that we all face while also creating opportunities, both for themselves and for those that use their products.

The programme has become recognised as a barometer of a company’s success and it is testament to the growth of the tech sector that more than 60 companies from Northern Ireland have appeared on the list over the last two decades.

Some of those fledgling companies have gone on to become leading players in the local tech sector, such as Belfast-based Novosco, which recently announced plans to grow its workforce to 330 after securing a £107m contract with the NHS. Novosco featured in the Fast 50 for a record 17 years.

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Pictured at Olympia Leisure Centre are Ivy McFarlane, business development director at data management specialists AquaQ Analytics, a new entrant to the Fast 50 last year, Peter Allen, partner at Deloitte and Steven Johnston, business manager at AquaQ Analytics

Sixteen Northern Irish companies made the Fast 50 last year, with Belfast-based Ozaroo Retail, one of the UK and Ireland’s fastestgrowing online retailers, the highest ranking Northern Ireland business at number six in the countdown.

Swords-based eShopWorld secured the top spot in the ranking in 2017 for the third year in a row. The provider of ecommerce and logistics management solutions to retailers has achieved a staggering growth rate of 3,632 per cent over four years.

Fast 50 companies are drawn from across the technology spectrum – including software, hardware, communications, media, cleantech, and life sciences. One of the common characteristics that we observe year after year in this network of companies is their ‘can do’ mind-set and a world view that focuses on the art of the possible.

We know that the awards offer a glimpse into the future of the technology world for venture capitalists and multinational companies and also provide a platform for businesses to showcase their achievements and future ambitions in the global market. We at Deloitte are proud to play our part in showcasing the innovation, entrepreneurship and intellectual property in our technology sector.

Many inspirational companies from across the technology sector have won this award on their way to achieving great success and this year’s winners will be in good company, as we look to recognise the next generation of dynamic Irish technology companies. ■ The closing date for entries is September 14, 2018 and the winners will be announced on November 2, 2018 at the awards ceremony. For details of how to enter, please visit www.fast50.ie

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Technology Fast 50 2018 IRELAND

Jorge Lopes, Diageo NI country director

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iageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol bringing consumers a collection of brands including Guinness, Harp, Baileys, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray.

With three sites in Northern Ireland – including the Baileys global facility at Mallusk, a bottling and packaging plant in east Belfast and corporate headquarters in Belfast city centre – the last year has seen business in good growth for Diageo NI with the company gaining market share.

Jorge Lopes, Diageo NI country director, says: “We’ve been focussed on our ambition to grow our commercial sales this year while continuing to build our reputation as a responsible employer and a major exporter.

We were delighted to be awarded the prestigious Gold Level Core accreditation at Business in the Community’s Responsible Business Awards which is a real seal of approval as to how we operate as a business here.”

“The tourism and hospitality industry has really continued to flourish in Northern Ireland with accolades rolling in and it’s great to be a part of it. We are a major supporter of the

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95 Diageo

industry, not least because of the business that we’re in, but also through our strategic partnership with Visit Belfast and our sponsorship of the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards.”

There have been many commercial highlights for Diageo during 2017/18, with a number of notable brand launches. Rockshore Irish Lager was launched in February 2018, spearheaded

by Magherafelt native Niki MacCorquodale, head of beer innovation for Diageo Europe.

The launch of Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin in October 2017 has seen the brand currently breaking all sales records and is the company’s most successful launch since Captain Morgan.

“Both Rockshore and Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin have been a welcome addition to our portfolio with customers and consumers alike really taking to them straight away,” Jorge says.

“They’ve got off to a great start this year and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

“As a brand, Harp has enjoyed a welcome revival these last 12 months.

The

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Harp ‘Pure Here’ campaign, which celebrates the people and places that make life in Northern Ireland so special, has been a hit particularly on social media. The limited edition ‘Pure Here’ Harp county cans also performed well in the take-home trade. The next few months will see even more exciting developments for the brand but I can’t say too much about that right now.”

“Hop House 13 was launched in February 2015 and we’ve now sold 25 million pints of it across Ireland. The Open Gate Brewery – the Guinness experimental brewery at St James’s Gate in Dublin – has been ‘on tour’ to Belfast several times this year, including visits to the Tesco Taste Festival and the Belfast ‘twilight markets’ and it continues to produce an exciting variety of artisan beers. There are now 91 rotating pumps in bars across Belfast where customers can test out the new beers for themselves. The current beer is ‘Summer Ale’ which has a crisp taste with apricot and citrus notes and it’s been received very well, particularly in this warm weather.

“Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur is another success story and it grew 5% globally based on our half year results figures (to end Dec 2017). We’re very proud of it as a brand not least because the Mallusk facility produces 70% of all Baileys sold worldwide.”

The Diageo Reserve portfolio of luxury spirits – which includes brands such as Tanqueray Ten, Johnnie Walker, Ciroc and Bulleit – has proven to be another key strength for the company and again taps into the trend for cocktails and high-end spirits.

“We know that people are choosing quality over quantity when it comes to choosing what to drink and this is a good thing because people are drinking less but drinking better and we encourage that,” Jorge says.

“They are trading up in their choice of spirits and rightly expect the proper glassware, mixer and garnish to go with it. They want the overall experience.”

“There is also an increased emphasis on drinks pairing with food and many bars and restaurants in Belfast are now tapping into this very successfully. In fact, earlier this year we teamed up with The Cloth Ear to launch ‘the Irish flight’ which features three small plates of the finest Northern Ireland produce, matched with three top Irish tipples, including Guinness, Hop House 13, and Roe & Coe Irish Whiskey.

“We’re seeing record numbers of visitors arriving into Northern Ireland and only recently Lonely Planet named Belfast as one of the top travel destinations for 2018. From a tourist point of view, this is where it is at and there is a major opportunity for bars and restaurants to really capitalise on it.”

Speaking about Diageo’s plans for the next 12 months, Jorge says: “Growth remains the key objective. We have a very strong draught and packed beer business, premium spirits are doing really well and the new ‘innovation’ pipeline of products such as Roe & Co whiskey, Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin and Rockshore means we can look forward to exciting times ahead.” ■

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Nikki Brown of NTD, Laura Firth, head of student experience, Angela Dynes, library manager

North Time and Data assist with college security

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o Antrim business North Time and Data has been working to help speed up and improve ID systems for students at one of Northern Ireland’s top colleges.

The Lisburn-based company, which has been in business for 30 years, has been collaborating with Northern Regional College (NRC) to install a new student ID production system.

The firm recommended the Magicard Rio Pro printer to the college, due to the high quality of the print and suitability to the task in hand.

Built for heavy use, the Rio Pro sets the standard for secure ID card printing.

It includes high-capacity hoppers and a fast, reliable print engine that can produce more than 150 high quality, secure, full colour cards each hour.

The Magicard Rio Pro is also compatible with EasyBadge, the software chosen to help create the ID badges. This provides NRC with easy printing and allows a smooth transition from their previous ID system. Nikki Brown from NTD said: “After some discussion with NRC,

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we knew that the Magicard Rio Pro printer and the EasyBadge software would be the perfect partnership for this particular project.

bulk cards. We have 20,000 students so it is vital that we have the ability to print cards in high speed capacity.

“NRC needs to be able to design and print several different badges in one go, with each influx of students. We strongly believe this pairing of products will allow them to do exactly that.”

“The Rio Pro printers were easily installed and have made the tasks required of them so much easier to complete.

The Rio Pro allows users to create their own personal HoloKote on each card they print, meaning fraud is an impossibility.

Angela Dynes, library manager at NRC, said: “At the beginning of the last academic year we decided to upgrade our student ID card production system.

“NTD was able to carry out a smooth installation process in each campus throughout the college by migrating from the old software and providing user training.

“The new system has made it effortless for us to greatly improve upon the production of ID cards for our students as well as bringing about a range of benefits. For example, the filtering options allow for faster processing of

“The system is invaluable and allows for easier and faster editing of cards. We have been consistently impressed by the efficiency and simplicity of EasyBadge software and the Magicard Rio Pro printers supplied by NTD.” Being the predecessor of the latest Rio Pro 360, the Magicard Rio Pro sets the industry standard for quality and high-speed ID card printing suitable for education establishments such as Northern Regional College.

NTD supplies the full range of Magicard printers from the value range for a small business to re-transfer printers for organisations with a high-volume demand.

For more information or to arrange a demonstration, contact NTD on 028 9260 4000.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies INTERVIEW

Graham: The rise to the billion pound mark Graham Construction has seen its sales surge by more than £200m to £767m in the space of just one year. John Mulgrew speaks to boss Michael Graham about growing the business here and elsewhere in the UK, landing some major contracts, and the impact of Brexit on the construction sector

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he re-branded and modern glass-clad offices of Hillsborough construction giant Graham Construction seem a fitting monument to the success of the Co Down firm in the last few months, in particular.

The huge success of the company in the last year has meant it’s soared from 10th to fifth on the Ulster Business Top 100 Companies list – making it the biggest business of its

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kind here, and one of the largest across the sectors.

Michael says the company employs around 2,200 people directly, but at any given time there could be between 5,000 and 6,000 working for Graham, through subcontracting.

It’s working on some of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects, with single contracts in

excess of £200m.

Graham works across building, civil engineering and fit-out, and also has its facilities management arm.

Construction firms which weathered the storm of recession found much of their major work elsewhere in the UK, with some moving from a focus on public sector to private sector jobs.

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies INTERVIEW

In its latest accounts, the firm saw sales rising to £767m, with pre-tax profits of £13m.

“There have been a number of significant projects secured. The profitability is just under 2%, so a bit back,” Michael said.

“We have recently done a lot of rebranding.

There have been some sub-contractor casualties which we have absorbed but we have won substantial (contracts).”

That includes a £165m scheme to build a hospital in Aberdeen – one of the firm’s largest single contracts.

“That is due to start next year,” Michael said.

“We have our first major job in Liverpool - a £50m residential scheme there, close to the Albert Dock.”

Others include a contract for the construction of a 5.5km bypass to the town of Congleton, Cheshire - the total scheme worth around £90m.

And what’s the strong growth down to?

“I think it’s a couple of things. We have a broad service offering. We have a number of divisions, from building, civil engineering, to fit-out. We are doing everything from schools, to universities to rented accommodation to hotels, swimming pools and leisure.

“We have a range of sectors, and within civil engineering we have marine, roads, bridges, and water. Fit-out would do a lot of work with Primark.”

Michael Graham

However, closer to home Graham is behind some of Belfast’s largest construction schemes.

That includes the £53m Grand Central Hotel – a 300-bedroom development by Hastings Hotels which is now open, and the largest in Northern Ireland.

It’s also behind the ongoing construction of Erskine House in Belfast city centre, which

AUGUST 2018

will become HMRC’s new Northern Ireland headquarters.

Michael says getting some of the biggest, high-level projects only comes with building a solid base on similar schemes elsewhere.

“We are probably doing more work in Northern Ireland than we have ever done,” Michael said.

“It certainly helps. You only get invited to the party if you are able to demonstrate a sufficient track record of silver-type projects somewhere else,” Michael said.

Elsewhere here it’s working on the A6 upgrade in a joint venture with Farrans, and is well into completing the Portland 88 apartment building on Ormeau Avenue.

And Michael says a lot of the business comes through ‘frameworks’, where the business pre-qualifies for work, along with repeat clients. >

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies INTERVIEW

Erskine House

In London, he says it’s currently in the ground with three new leisure centres.

Since taking over as editor earlier this year, I’ve found myself once again having to ask and write about what impact a lack of an Executive is having on development across Northern Ireland.

And following the latest development in the proposed £240m Arc 21 incinerator for Co Armagh, in which an appeal was unsuccessful in challenging a High Court decision to overturn a civil servant’s green light for the scheme, what’s Michael’s

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view on the impasse?

“I think from someone who is working in the infrastructure field, at the minute there is no plan as to what Northern Ireland needs,” he said. “… healthcare, for example. Civil servants can’t do any more, they can’t go in with the modernisation plans, because that needs to be signed off.”

The B word is also across Michael’s desk, as it is with others across Northern Ireland, the Republic and the rest of the UK.

And Graham is already taking decisions not bid on long-term facilities management contracts in London, as price-escalation is a major concern, with labour potentially becoming harder to secure following Brexit next year.

“There are a number of things. It will be the availability of labour and materials. Materials that come from Europe are potentially going to be more expensive, and subject to more checks. In London, 40-50% of the labour on site could be EU or non-UK. They really have to look at what freedom of movement measures are in place for construction.” ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PLATFORM

We must have clarity over Brexit

By Niall Harkin, chairman, Chartered Accountants Ulster Society

I

t seems like the border has been one of the biggest draws in Europe recently, with a high profile visit from Michel Barnier (and a slightly lower profile visit from David Davis, who popped in unannounced it seems).

During the course of his visit, Mr Barnier said that the EU’s preferred solution was the backstop arrangement which would see Northern Ireland continue to follow EU rules.

THE CUSTOMS CONUNDRUM Prime Minister Theresa May, until now, has resisted the lure of the border. She would like to solve the border problem by creating a customs partnership.

This could ultimately mean that the UK would have to stay in a customs union and remain aligned to the rules of the EU Single Market.

While this model might allow free flowing trade and prevent a hard border, there are fears that the plan would cause issues for the UK when trying to pursue an independent trade policy.

With some MPs finding this model totally unacceptable, more work is needed to establish an option which will mean no hard border (and frictionless trade).

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It’s vital that we get clarity on the future trading relationship between the UK and EU. Northern Ireland’s business community needs a realistic plan on how the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will be managed to satisfy both UK and EU trading controls. The sooner, the better.

THE CRUCIAL AREAS Maintenance of a common transit area is key for the island of Ireland, particularly for the agri-food sector. If this weren’t maintained, multiple customs checks could be enforced on exports and this would have an obvious undesirable effect on fresh produce.

We would also like to see funding for customs education. If we leave the Customs

A programme of education and resourcing to help smaller businesses to adapt will be required.

Union many companies who haven’t had the experience of exporting or importing from outside the EU will need to get to grips with their customs obligations. A programme of education and resourcing to help smaller businesses to adapt will be required.

Government also needs to consider the VAT cash flow effect of businesses trading with the EU. All imports to the UK from the EU will need to have VAT paid at the point of import. This means a cash flow benefit to the exchequer, but the costs would be borne by businesses which need to pay the VAT up front and then recover later… quite a burden for business.

Fortunately there is an answer to this. The postponed method of accounting for VAT, if introduced, would see importers paying VAT at their next VAT return rather than at point of entry, helping business cash flow.

Leaving the EU without this in place would be a problem for local business. Incidentally, Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office has already started to publish statistics which exclude the UK for certain key indicators. They are preparing for Brexit. It’s high time the Northern Ireland business sector got that opportunity as well. ■

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Funding solutions tailored to your business

By Sean Dolan, Bibby Financial Services Ireland

R

unning a business can often be quite challenging. From dealing with staffing issues to securing new business and everything in between, it’s no surprise that SME owners can often feel overwhelmed with the number of tasks they have to deal with on a daily basis.

For many businesses, accessing funds is one of the biggest issues they face and not just in Northern Ireland - research by Bibby Financial Services in autumn 2017 found that on average, SMEs across the world wait for 34 days to be paid. Business owners from every sector understand that such delays can have a significant effect on cashflow.

At Bibby Financial Services Ireland (BFSI), our aim is to ensure businesses across Northern Ireland have access to cashflow when it’s needed most. More importantly, we believe in a relationship-based approach to business, which involves us getting to know your business and working with you to provide funding solutions to meet your current and future needs.

Our approach means we can tailor our products and services to your requirements, ensuring that the appropriate funding supports are available to you.

Bibby Financial Services Ireland is a key part of the wider Bibby Financial Services network – we support 10,400 businesses in 14 countries. With an annual turnover of £8.2bn globally, clients all over the world rely on our accomplished team to assist with their funding requirements.

As business development manager at Bibby Financial Services Ireland, I am responsible

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Sean Dolan, business development manager, Bibby Financial Services Ireland

for running the sales operations for Northern Ireland and the border region, helping to support businesses with interests in both the domestic and international market.

This is done by providing bespoke financial assistance and a wide range of specialist and working capital funding options.

In many cases, SMEs here are not fully aware of the myriad of funding options and supports available even though many funding solutions, including invoice financing, are far more suited to their needs than traditional lending options such as banks.

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Whether you are a small start-up business struggling with working capital or a larger organisation looking for a cash injection to fund expansion plans, as long as you are trading on credit terms within the business to business marketplace you can benefit from invoice finance. At Bibby Financial Services Ireland, the supports we provide can give business owners the time and space to develop their businesses, rather than getting caught up worrying about access to funds. ■ For more information, please visit www. bibbyfinancialservices.ie or call Sean directly on 07917 006 051

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With 86,000 customers and rising it’s growth across the firm for firmus energy

F

irmus energy is on a continued path of growth across its integrated natural gas distribution and supply business, according to managing director Michael Scott.

“Since being awarded our licence to develop the natural gas network in 2005, we have invested more than £100m in the Northern Ireland economy, with over 36,000 customers connected to our gas network in the 30 cities, towns and villages where we operate,” Michael said.

“We also supply a further 50,000 customers in the greater Belfast area. ‘’We have ambitious plans to invest a further £120m in Northern Ireland over the next five years, developing the network and making natural gas available to more than 170,000 homes and businesses.

This will mean by the end of 2020 our natural gas network will extend to around 1.7 million metres in length.

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‘’In addition to our natural gas network business we supply (purchase and bill) natural gas to more than 86,000 business and domestic customers. This is a unique position to be in as we are the only integrated natural gas business in Northern Ireland.

“In the industrial and commercial marketplace our team of experienced key account managers along with the gas purchasing team work closely with customers on a daily basis advising them of all of the purchasing options available to them, providing them with market data from which decisions are made. ‘’All of our energy advisers and indeed the whole firmus energy team are ‘city and guilds in energy efficiency’ qualified and we’re proud to be the only gas business in the UK to hold such an accolade.

“This enables us all to advise customers correctly, improve their green credentials and maximise the efficient use of natural gas appliances.

“In conjunction with, and to ensure our distribution and supply business operates with safety, efficiency and corporate responsibility at the fore we are committed to making a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate and have recently achieved Core Silver Accreditation status from Business in the Community, ISO 14001:2015 which highlights the company’s commitment to the environment, ISO 18001 a globally recognised occupational health and safety management system along with ISO 55001, the benchmark standard for asset management.”

Corporate responsibility is a cornerstone to firmus energy’s success and will remain integral to our continued plans for investment.

To date, conversion to natural gas within firmus’s network area has displaced over 800,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere which is the equivalent of removing approximately the amount of CO2 produced from 30,000 cars from our roads, every year.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Tayto chairman Raymond Hutchinson and chief executive Paul Allen

employees to the Tayto group.

The English firms have been bought from parent company Uvenco UK plc after they went into administration.

Its parent company Montagu Group’s latest deal after buying the assets of failed Co Londonderry popcorn firm Pot Notch.

And earlier this month it announced the purchase of Cambridge Vending, while last year it bought another English vending company, Freedom Refreshments.

Tayto takeovers continue to crackle

C

announced the purchase of Pop Notch in Maghera, with production moving to Devon, where it already owns Portlebay Popcorn.

The Co Armagh snack firm’s latest acquisition was a pork crackling company in England.

And related company Montagu Group has also announced the purchase of Uvenco Vending, franchise business Snack-in-the-Box and Drinkmaster.

risps giant Tayto has further grown its business reach after a series of major takeovers in the last few weeks.

Tandragee-based Tayto has now added The Real Pork Crackling to its portfolio. It already owns another pork scratching snacks label, Mr Porky.

Tayto chief executive Paul Allen said the latest deal was “an excellent fit for Tayto Group we are both family-owned businesses”.

Former owner Chris Cunliffe will continue to lead the business as well as taking on a wider role as chief operating officer for pork products within the Tayto Group.

Earlier this year, the purchase of Uvenco Vending, franchise business Snack-in-the-Box and Drinkmaster, made it the UK’s biggest vending machine company.

Over the last few weeks Tayto has also

It adds £15m of turnover and 200

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Tayto’s chief executive Paul Allen said vending machines and ‘on the go’ consumption were a key area of expansion for the company.

“This purchase brings us another 12,000 points of sale, giving us a total of more than 25,000 across the group,” he said.

“It also broadens our geographical reach as the company has offices in London, Newport, Blackburn, Coventry and Liskeard and franchisees across the UK. “We are delighted with the addition of almost 200 employees to our group and a further £15m of turnover.

“Our added scale and geographic growth now places us as the largest British-owned vending company.”

He said the acquisition of Drinkmaster and Snack-in-the-Box were bringing Montagu Group into new areas.

“Snack-in-the-Box is a UK-wide franchise operation, run through local franchisees who provide honesty boxes and vending machines.” ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

David Crowe, owner along with director Kevin Baird outside the easyHotel

easyHotel chain ‘to expand across Ireland’

By John Mulgrew

T

he first budget easyHotel in Belfast could be the first of many across Ireland – with rooms starting at as little as £10 a night.

The new spot, which is currently underconstruction, is due to open its doors at Howard Street later this year as part of a £5m investment. Around 30 jobs are being created with the new hotel.

David Crowe and Kevin Baird now have the Irish franchise for the easyHotel business, and told Ulster Business they plan to roll out additional hotels after the launch of the first Belfast spot.

“The investment is the guts of £5m. We started two years ago, and now have ended up with 81 fabulous rooms, which are just awesome. It’s all about location, location, location,” David said.

David says the building which is home to the hotel has been lying empty for several years,

132

and “we had to find something to do with it”.

Speaking about growing the franchise here, David said:

“We saw he idea, the concept, we went to London and met with them, and came back with the franchise for Ireland.

“We want to, and we will. We have to open the first one, get it right and learn about it.

“It’s just a very simple, stripped-back hotel. It’s like what easyJet did with the airline.

“What do you want or need? You don’t pay for extras unless you want to, and this is exactly the same.

“I think we are the first to use the smartphone key apps. So, if you have booked prior to coming, we text you the night before, say we are looking forward to seeing you, and bypass reception, directly to the room, hold your key to the door, and walk in.” easyHotel Belfast will have 81 bedrooms across the four floors, free wi-fi, with the option of family rooms, double rooms and ‘superior’ rooms.

Kevin Baird added: “We love the product, and the more we have got to know about it, the better it has become, because of its strippedback simplicity. It is geared towards a particular type of traveller, which appeals to us.

“They are only using you as a vehicle to explore something else. So, the idea is that they are not interested in you, but you have to perform brilliantly.”

The new hotel is one of a number of developments to open their doors across Belfast in the last few months.

That includes the new Maldron hotel at Brunswick Street, and the 300-bedroom Grand Central – the largest hotel in Northern Ireland – on Bedford Street. ■

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enhance physical and mental health wellbeing.

Maryland is not just a beautiful space however; what sets it apart is the dedicated care solutions, delivered through an experienced healthcare team.

Audrey Lockhead, Maryland Chairperson, a registered Nurse with over 45 years experience in both private and public health services explains: “Pressure area ulcers, or as they are commonly known, bed or pressure sores are always of concern among the elderly generation or for those who have become unwell. Treatment of pressure sores is both timely and expensive and costs the NHS millions of pounds per year. As a result, the average length of stay in hospital for patients with pressure sores is 25 days. Aside from the disruption this can cause to the patient and their family, it has a direct impact on public budgets and bed availability.�

Nestling in the Castlereagh countryside, it was the brainchild of brother and sister Susan McCurry and Peter Marshall and their close friend and mentor Audrey Lockhead, who wanted to create an environment of the quality care where they would be happy for their parents to live.

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If you are considering your own future or that of a relative or friend and want to learn more about the facilities available at Maryland Healthcare, the centre is open every Friday afternoon.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies ANALYSIS

Making Northern Ireland the next Singapore

for Intelligent Autonomous Manufacturing Systems (i-AMS), a pioneer research programme at Queen’s which is leading innovation in new technologies for advanced manufacturing.

Mark Price, pro-vice chancellor for Queen’s University’s faculty of engineering and physical sciences, looks at how partnership between industry and academia are paving the way for huge advances in manufacturing

It will enable the industry to be more competitive through the optimisation and digitisation of manufacturing processes, including automation. It also paves the way for more productive, flexible, resilient, responsive and energy efficient manufacturing systems and associated supply chains.

N

This means we can drive down costs, improve product quality, minimise waste and ultimately increase productivity and competitiveness.

orthern Ireland has a proud past past built on the manufacturing sector, with vibrant Industries that fed a flourishing economy.

From ships to tyres, whiskey to linen, our companies have been making world-class products for a global market for hundreds of years.

Although the make-up of the products has changed slightly, we’re still holding our own in global manufacturing. There’s no doubt some of those labour-intensive processes – linen manufacturing is a good example – are now carried out in regions where costs are lower, and this has been a loss to us initially.

However, as an innovative and resilient people we have created new opportunities in high value activity where we can make a bigger impact and more benefit for the economy, and better for the people of Northern Ireland.

Singapore transformed itself into a global technology leader and wealthy economy with just such a resilient and positive attitude, and

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by focusing on key areas of strength.

The area we’re now making waves in is advanced manufacturing in sectors such as aerospace and defence, automotive, construction, materials handling, electronics and consumer products.

We now have an enviable reputation in plastics and polymers, composites design and manufacturing, precision manufacturing, design and stress modelling, and aircraft seating and interiors.

And while that partnership between industry and research has already borne fruit, we are determined to go one step further to keep the brilliant companies which operate in Northern Ireland ahead of the ever-present threat of competition from around the world.

That is why we have opened a new £7.5m advanced manufacturing technology facility at our Belfast campus.

Based at the Northern Ireland technology centre at Queen’s and is part of the Centre

And, of course, there is the biggest question of talent, a factor Queen’s is well aware of, being an engine room of the talent pipeline From a very early stage, our students at Queen’s will have the chance to use stateof-the-art industrial machines, which will be beneficial when they begin their careers in industry.

They’ll be ready to hit the ground running when they take up their first posts and will be net contributors fast.

The opening of the facility is an incredibly exciting move, not just for us at Queen’s, not just for the manufacturing sector, but for the whole economy in Northern Ireland.

It is a great example of industry, government and academia working in partnership to move Northern Ireland forward and we can’t wait to for the journey ahead to become a new Singapore. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

£7.3m whiskey distillery for Co Down

A

new £7.3m whiskey distillery is getting the go ahead in Co Down.

Planning permission has been granted for a new distillery, bar, restaurant and visitor centre on Monaghan Street in Newry.

The green light to proceed was given by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Backed by Newry businessman and entrepreneur, Michael McKeown, the location will see the revival of the Matt D’Arcy & Company business on the site which goes back as far as 1817.

Andrew Cowan, chief executive, Matt D’Arcy & Company, said:

Michael McKeown, owner and investor of Matthew D’Arcy & Company with chief executive Andrew Cowan

“We are thrilled to have received such good news on the positive planning decision. This will now see us move to the next stage of the plans for Matt D’Arcy.”

“This is a really special development which will create jobs, fill local hotels and bring many tourists to this key attraction on the eastern corridor of Ireland, perfectly positioned between Belfast and Dublin.

“We have already received a significant amount of interest in the plans to develop the Irish whiskey tourism offering on this part of the island which we believe will be very successful.

“The Irish whiskey market is hugely successful and growing at a significant rate. Last year the market produced a modest nine million cases with the 2020 target of 12 million cases looking like it will be exceeded.”

Bubbacue shuts both Belfast restaurants

B

elfast barbecue restaurant Bubbacue has shut its two city locations in another blow to Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector.

The decision to shut follows a creditors’ voluntary liquidation (CVL) notice.

Bubbacue, owned by husband and wife John and Karen Blisard, set up its first location at Callender Street in Belfast city centre in 2012.

And following that, it launched a second location on Botanic Avenue last year.

Speaking about the closure of the business on Facebook, a post said: “Regretfully, Bubbacue is now officially closed. We want to thank all of our amazing employees and customers for all of their support over the years. It has been a pleasure serving slow smoked barbecue to Belfast.”

employ around 35 staff members.

It is believed that both restaurants jointly

At the time, Mr Blisard said the business had

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At the end of last year, it said it had secured a £400,000 loan from the Growth Loan Fund to assist with the second outlet.

plans to open a location in Dublin, and plans for a third store in Northern Ireland.

The closure of the casual restaurants comes after the acclaimed Bull and Ram restaurants in Belfast and Ballynahinch shut their doors.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies DIGITAL DNA

Belfast ‘could have autonomous public transport in five years’

By Grace McAllister

Suzanne Wylie, Damian Mitchell, Tom McClellan, Lisney’s Declan Flynn and Alan Meban

B

elfast could boast its own autonomous bus system within the near future and see the introduction of high-speed 5G mobile broadband, a major tech event has heard.

Suzanne Wylie, chief executive of Belfast City Council, said the city could have an “autonomous bus system in five years”, following on from the new Glider bus service, which goes live next month.

She was speaking as part of a panel discussion at the Digital DNA tech event, which included Declan Flynn of commercial property firm Lisney, at St George’s Market in Belfast city centre.

As well as discussing the future public transport system the possibility of 5G in the near future was strongly encouraged as the “backbone of the future” of Belfast infrastructure.

After applying to be the first 5G test bed in the UK, Belfast could now see the new wireless mobile tech in the near future.

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Ms Wylie said the strength of Belfast’s digital connectivity in the city is at the heart of the 25 year plan in the Belfast Agenda.

This means that the urban centre we are used to will begin to behave differently in the near future, as the speed of wireless broadband and connectivity increases.

Also on the panel was Tom McClellan, the UK head of business development at WiredScore.

Along with supporting the integration of 5G in the city, he also discussed the idea of autonomous driving, saying “none of us will be driving in 10 years.”

He spoke of the benefits of 5G such as it being up to 1,000 times faster than 4G, enabling much-needed development in the workplace which could be connected through the network.

While in the past on a 4G network it would take seven minutes on average to download a Netflix movie Mr McClellan claims on 5G that would be cut substantially.

Alongside Mr McClellan and Ms Wylie was Paul Beacom, senior asset manager at McAleer & Rushe who outlined the importance of the, “wellness factor,” in the workplace.

Mr Beacom is also involved in the redevelopment of the old Belfast Telegraph building on Royal Avenue, which is now a joint-venture between Belfast City Council and McAleer & Rushe.

He said many of the historical features of the building will appeal to new tech firms, and could include a running track on the roof.

Also speaking on the panel were David Algie from Arup and Damian Mitchell, property director at Causeway Asset Management.

They both supported moving Belfast’s commercial buildings forward to support future development in the growing tech industry.

Mr Mitchell encouraged the use of WiredScore as a means of rewarding outstanding internet connectivity in the workplace. ■

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EXPORT

Alison Currie, trade manager at InterTradeIreland

How to access £5,000 of funding to grow cross-border sales

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f you want more help with sales, know that you are not alone. Close to 10% of businesses consider it a weak spot. That is what SMEs are telling us through InterTradeIreland’s Business Monitor.

Sales, are of course, crucial to the success of your company, but if you are running a small business you may have limited resources to strategise, according to Alison Currie, newly appointed trade manager at InterTradeIreland.

This is where InterTradeIreland can help.

Assisting micro-businesses in particular, InterTradeIreland’s Elevate programme will link you up with a consultant that can identify and capitalise on the significant cross-border sales opportunities that exist on your doorstep – £5,000 of consultancy support is available to you.

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WHY DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? A very basic point is that a consultant has specific knowledge of your new marketplaceand can create business introductions for you.

This can help you overcome the early hurdle of trust. The more a buyer trusts you and the company you represent, the more receptive they will be, Astra McNicholl knows this first hand. She is the founder of Itty Bitty Books, which starting from a stall in St George’s Market in Belfast, has now signed a deal in Dublin.

SME EXPERIENCE OF THE ELEVATE PROGRAMME Astra says: “IntertradeIreland has, without a doubt, been the main organisation that’s helped us get our business to the next level.

“Through the Elevate Programme we were

able to work with a professional sales team who helped us strategise our expansion into Ireland and ultimately, secure a fantastic distribution deal for our Itty Bitty Book set.

This deal has the capability to sell more books in the next year than we’ve sold in our entire five years of trading.

“As a micro-enterprise I’ve often felt that the really good help was just out of reach for us, which can be very frustrating.

“InterTradeIreland were flexible where possible and took into account our business plan when processing our application. It felt as though they really wanted to find a way to help us achieve our goals.” ■ If you think your SME could benefit from £5,000 of sales support you can apply here www.intertradeireland.com/elevate

Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TECHNOLOGY

Igniting a new generation of innovative businesses Tristan Watson, chief executive of business accelerator Ignite NI takes a look at the tech startups which could one day make it onto the Ulster Business Top 100

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he technology sector in Northern Ireland has made a significant contribution to the growth of the economy over the past 10 years, establishing a reputation for the region as a home for FDI investors and increasingly as a hub for innovative tech start-ups and companies with high potential to scale up.

As we acknowledge the heavyweights of Northern Ireland business it is exciting to think that some of these early stage tech companies could be featured in the Top 100 in years to come.

At the recent Ignite NI Accelerator showcase, 10 innovative technology companies gave an insight to what that future list may look like, pitching their businesses to an assembled collection of Northern Irish business leaders and investors at the Ormeau Baths.

Many of the companies are looking to shake up existing industries and create products and services with the potential to transform aspects of our daily lives.

For example, Veri demonstrated how its software is making paperwork paperless by digitising and automating the quality and compliance systems associated with training, eliminating time people currently spend filling in forms. Another software firm, Continually, is helping businesses convert website visitors

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The founders from the teams on the 2018 Ignite NI Accelerator programme with Invest NI’s Tracey Meharg and Ignite’s chief executive Tristan Watson

to customers by replacing online contact forms with live messenger chats.

Datch, a voice assistant targeted at the manufacturing sector, shared how their product was like ‘Siri for the factory’ and will similarly make tasks easier in the manufacturing process.

Prospr showed how it is helping businesses personalise their software, bringing the consultancy market into the 21st century by offering enterprise level expertise at freelance rates. Cloudsmith in turn outlined how it is making developers lives easier by creating a simple, secure and centralised storage service.

Ignite NI is helping these innovative early stage technology companies grow and develop to a point where they are equipped to go and raise further investment. Some of those presenting are well on their way to making their mark.

Spare parts platform CADshare, which allows manufacturers to source spare parts closer to where they are needed, has been able to attract £500,000 of investment during the programme.

Landed, an automated recruitment platform is currently working in the Caribbean market, and secured Hotel Chocolat as a new client while on the Ignite NI accelerator.

The rise of Smart Cities has created opportunities for companies like iSensing, who are collecting data by deploying sensor networks in cities, capturing and analysing the real-time movements of people and traffic around cities and airports to help those managing that flow of people.

Locate a Locum, which is revolutionising the pharmacy market with its automated booking platform, is being used by the four largest pharmacy chains in the UK and during the three months of Ignite has managed to double its work with Boots Pharmacy.

Performa Sports is also using real-time analytics, but for them it is to help coaches make the right decisions in sport by using a platform that takes the guesswork out of player analysis.

These companies have all spotted a problem and are providing a solution. The more of them we nurture, the more likely it is that home-grown technology firms will dominate the Top 100 in future. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies DIGITAL

Students log on to Digital Youth and Google Digital Garage partnership

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igital Youth, the award-winning technology programme first launched by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in 2017, recently partnered up with Google Digital Garage at a special event in The Market Place Theatre, Armagh.

Delivered to 15 schools across the borough

by Young Enterprise NI, with teacher development by MakeMatic, the programme, which was named overall winner in the ‘Digital Skills’ category at the NextGen Digital Challenge Awards 2017, has developed the digital skills of over 500 young people this year.

each school came together at the event to showcase their learning gained through the programme, and hear from Google experts on how to take their ideas forward using digital marketing and social media.

Speaking at the event, Lord Mayor, Julie Flaherty, said: “Following on from the successful delivery of this pioneering programme last year, I am delighted to welcome its return given the tremendous potential it offers in expanding students’ digital literacy knowledge in areas such as coding, app development, robotics, digital photography and filmmaking. The programme greatly enhances their exposure and builds confidence so that they may consider pursuing a career in the fast growing digital technology sector.”

As part of the Digital Youth programme, students have participated in digital masterclass events learning about the digital Carol Fitzsimons MBE, chief executive with sector, and developing their own ideas for Young Enterprise NI, the charity responsible business concepts incorporating use of new for delivering the programme on behalf of the CRG Conference Advert 2018 178x130mm.pdf 1 10/07/2018 17:16 digital technology. The top students from council, said: “Young people are growing up

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Lord Mayor Julie Flaherty joins students from Tandragee Junior High School & St Patrick’s College Banbridge at the Digital Youth event

surrounded by digital technology, and it’s vital we support them to understand how they apply these tools into the world of work to become the digital specialists that businesses need.” ■ To find out more about ‘Digital Youth’ or other council programmes supporting the continued growth of the economy, go to www. armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk

AUGUST 2018

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies INTERVIEW

Business

Breakfast

By John Mulgrew

The column that doesn’t have time for lunch...

BREAKFASTEER: FERGAL McFERRAN, CLIENT ACCOUNT MANAGER, STONEWALL BREAKFASTING VENUE: BULLITT HOTEL

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nclusivity across a vast range of Northern Ireland’s workforces is now at the top of Fergal McFerran’s daily agenda.

He’s now the man on the ground here for LGBT charity Stonewall, and is trying to make, help and shape Northern Ireland workforces to become more welcoming and inclusive environments for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Stonewall has been up-and-running for almost 30 years, but in the last few months it’s teamed up with the Rainbow Project in Belfast to help companies here with its ‘diversity champions’ programme.

“That works with employers over workplace inclusion, to create truly inclusive environments. Throughout the rest of the UK, we work with more than 750 organisations,” he said.

“That was formalised last autumn when Stonewall announced a formal partnership with the Rainbow Project.”

Catching up for a breakfast chat, Bullitt hotel in Belfast city centre is the establishment of choice.

And on this occasion, and it’s been a rare one in recent months, we are actually having breakfast… rather than just the bare caffeinated drip required to get any productive day off the ground.

Of course, as I start quizzing Fergal on his

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new role, the food arrives. He can blame me for this one.

Fergal says firms have approached the organisation to find out what they can do to improve their own workplaces, while others are already ensuring that they ensure their companies are ahead of the curve.

“There would be people who we identify as inclusive employers, while there are others who very much know it’s something they need to work on.”

It’s something firms need to be aware of, and complacency isn’t enough.

“One of things we hear is that people say ‘we don’t have any issue with that’,” Fergal says.

“And when you delve into that, the chances are they haven’t asked their staff.”

The organisation’s latest research points to a somewhat worrying percentage of people who have concerns that their sexuality will impact their employment opportunities.

“When you look at some of the statistics regarding Northern Ireland, one in four people won’t be out in the workplace,” he says.

“About a third of people believe that their sexual orientation will have a negative impact on their chances of progression.

“If employers try to really examine what their staff think... I think they will really get a clear picture of what the situation actually is.”

Some of the inaugural members of Stonewall’s programme in Northern Ireland include law firms Allen and Overy, Baker McKenzie and Pinsent Masons, along with Allstate, Citi, EY, Close Brothers and the PSNI.

Fergal McFerran, Stonewall

Across the board, Northern Ireland is playing catch-up to elsewhere in the UK. “Some of the things we have here, compared to the rest of the UK, are very different. There is a journey to go here that isn’t really under way yet.

“There are pockets of really good practice, and some organisations which do it really well and understand, but there are others, and our programme is an opportunity to really do it.

“There has been a shift in the last while, and public sector organisations are getting really involved in this. When we publish our UK Top 100 list, the split is almost 50/50 between public and private.”

He says businesses need an investment in “time and effort” instead of spending large sums of money. ■

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AUGUST 2018

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TRAVEL

Cars

Car commuters

A series of images in Belfast city centre show the amount of road space taken up by cars carrying 105 people compared to sustainable modes of transport including Translink’s new Glider

Record breaking numbers choosing public transport E

arlier this summer the Northern Ireland public joined forces with Translink, The Department for Infrastructure, Belfast City Council and The Institution of Civil Engineers to demonstrate the ‘waste of space’ on our roads in a bid to combat congestion and highlight the advantages of sustainable travel.

A short ‘Road Share’ film was captured to tell an important story about how transport choices impact the health, well-being and overall prosperity of everyone in Northern Ireland. The film compares the typical space occupied in a city street by various modes of transport – cars, buses, Glider, cycling and walking – and demonstrates how moving large numbers of people by car around cities is just not efficient.

Progress is being made to tackle this issue with more people in Northern Ireland choosing bus and train travel.

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Last year, a record 81 million passenger journeys were made on Translink services – the highest number in the last 20 years.

This success supports delivery of the draft NI Executive Programme for Government outcome ‘to increase use of public transport’.

Infrastructure development and sustained vehicle investment remain high on Translink’s agenda to encourage even more people to make the smart move and choose public transport.

GLIDER Starting this September, the innovative Glider service will provide direct cross-city services between east and west Belfast, linking into Titanic Quarter. Representing an investment of over £90m, Glider will be the first Executive flagship project to be delivered

for the draft Programme for Government and will help unlock the city’s potential as a forward-thinking, dynamic and ambitious city with a competitive edge attracting talent and investment.

TRANSLINK FUTURE TICKETING SYSTEM Commencing this year, Translink’s Future Ticketing System (TFTS) will provide customers with better integration, flexibility and convenience. Key enhancements will include contactless credit/debit card payments, mobile and app payments, an ePurse stored value ‘Oyster-style’ smartcard, ticket vending machines and gated rail stations. The current focus is upon delivering the new off-vehicle ticketing set-up for Glider with all TFTS enhancements due for completion by mid-2021.

WEAVERS CROSS This transport-led regeneration project will consist of a world-class transport interchange

TRAVEL

Bus

and surrounding masterplan development that will deliver significant social, economic and environmental benefits.

It will provide a gateway to Belfast for commuters and tourists, a main bus and train connection point for all parts of Northern Ireland and the main rail link to Dublin, including direct connections to all major airports in Belfast and Dublin, promoting Belfast as an international business and tourist destination.

NORTH WEST Planning permission has been granted for a new North-West Multi-Modal Transport Hub. This project will involve the restoration and refurbishment of the existing Waterside Station into a multimodal hub with a new train terminus.

It will also feature bus stands, a ‘park & ride’ facility, passenger waiting area, bike hire, parking & repair services, retail units, community space and a new greenway link.

Glider

PORTRUSH STATION REDEVELOPMENT Representing an investment of over £5.5m funded by the Department for Communities and Department for Infrastructure, plans are progressing on schedule for the redevelopment of Portrush Train Station scheduled to open in spring 2019 ahead of the 148th Open Championship in July 2019.

LANYON PLACE Work is currently underway to refurbish and modernise Belfast Central Station. The station’s new name ‘Lanyon Place’ will come into effect this September coinciding with the new Glider service. With over 2.6 million passengers using the facility last year, this transformation will enhance the overall customer experience and support the area’s rapid regeneration.

Walking & cycling

in Translink and Irish Rail’s strategic development plan ‘Better connecting Dublin and Belfast Enterprise’.

The plan identifies opportunities to develop the Enterprise service through the following initiatives: - Introduction of an hourly service frequency between the two cities - Infrastructure enhancements to improve journey times and connections - Electrification through investment in infrastructure and rolling stock Translink is currently seeking stakeholder support and approval to start procurement of new fleet and project funding to undertake a detailed Technical and Feasibility study for Enterprise journey time improvement options.

THE JOURNEY AHEAD ENTERPRISE Development of the Enterprise rail service is key to strengthening the economic links between north and south as outlined

Translink is committed to delivering a transformation in public transport, providing integrated services which connect people to opportunities, enhance the economy and improve the environment, enabling a thriving Northern Ireland.

What the Road Share film simply demonstrates is a real need for more people in Northern Ireland to choose sustainable transport. And, with so many exciting infrastructure and vehicle developments along with ticketing product innovation, there hasn’t been a better time to make the smart move to public transport. ■ For more information visit www.translink.co.uk and watch Road Share on the @TranslinkNI YouTube channel.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies EXPORT

NI digital agency breaks out and into US market

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elfast-based award-winning agency i3 Digital has landed more than £1.1m ($1.5m) of fresh deals in the US – creating 10 new jobs.

digital solutions that are “delivering operational efficiencies and reshaping businesses, marketing, communications and e-commerce efforts”.

Following three years of hard work, persistence and many flights later, the team from i3 Digital has firmly established a major strategic beach head into the US market.

Within the last nine months the company has secured new contracts across the US, with a range of leading organisations and global corporations - Bechtel Inc, California Avocados, Mullen Lowe, TSI Inc, Dead River Company.

Adrian Bradley, chief executive and founder of i3 Digital, said: “We are currently in negotiations with four major global organisations. It has taken time to establish ourselves in the US market but it’s now really starting to snowball for us. Our clients are brilliant to work with and our team loves the scale and level of project that they are now working on.”

From the west coast to the east coast, the i3 Digital team is designing and building

Headquartered in Belfast, the company also has offices in London, Dublin and Boston. ■

Pictured ‘breaking out’ of Crumlin Road Gaol is Adrian Bradley, chief executive and founder of i3 Digital

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AUGUST 2018

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Take a look inside Northern Ireland’s grandest new hotel

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orthern Ireland’s largest hotel – worth around £53m – has opened its doors in Belfast city centre.

The new 23-floor and 304-bedroom Grand Central has been unveiled at Bedford Street.

The hotel, owned by Hastings Hotels, includes the new Seahorse restaurant and Observatory cocktail bar, as well as a lounge and cafe.

Room prices start at £80 a night, per person, rising to around £2,000 for the grand surroundings of the top-end suite, named after the late company founder Sir William Hastings.

Hastings’ investment has also created 200 new jobs and given way to a luxurious two-storey high marble-clad lobby and three dining venues including the top floor Observatory overlooking Belfast and beyond.

A four-star property, Grand Central has been two years in the making and has completely transformed the former office block that was Windsor House.

Jonathan Wade is joined by Stephen Meldrum, general manager of the Grand Central Hotel

Stephen Meldrum, general manager of the Grand Central Hotel said: “We are delighted to open the doors of the Grand Central Hotel and see the vision of our late chairman, Sir William Hastings, be fully recognised.

General view of the Seahorse Bar and Restaurant

General view of Belfast city centre taken from the 23rd floor of the new Grand Central Hotel

“The Grand Central Hotel is a really unique proposition for Belfast. No detail has been overlooked and we are excited to bring a new era to the city.

“The teams have been working hard over recent weeks to get the hotel open on time and we are looking forward to welcoming our first guests from the prestigious Hosts Global Forum who are staying with us this week.”

The work on the large hotel development was carried out by Co Down construction giant Graham. ■

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies TOURISM

Tourism heads towards £1bn New figures show total spending by visitors to Northern Ireland continues to rise

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he tourism sector here is heading towards the billion pound mark as fresh figures show record spending.

Overall spending by visitors to Northern Ireland increased to £926m in 2017, with around five million trips.

Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) estimate that tourism generated 4.9 million trips from all markets, up around 6%, with visitor spending increasing by 9%.

“This additional spend is due to significant increases from other overseas, Republic of Ireland and domestic markets,” according to Tourism NI.

on 2016, while the Republic of Ireland market saw a significant 49% increase in holidays to Northern Ireland.

local attraction. It was also a record-breaking year for our hotels in terms of both occupancy levels and sales.

Overseas markets performed well with a growth in spend of 9% to £248m. More of the January to December visits were holiday trips, up 5% on 2016.

“This period saw an outstanding summer for Titanic Belfast, the Causeway Coastal Route and many other tourism attractions across the country. Other contributing factors to the strong visitor growth include high profile events such as the Irish Open, increased marketing activity by Tourism NI in the Republic of Ireland and, of course, more favourable exchange rates making NI more competitive.

“Full performance figures for last year reveal we welcomed more visitors than ever before to Northern Ireland continuing tourism’s upward trend to becoming a £1bn industry by the end of the decade,” Tourism NI chief executive, John McGrillen said.

“The Giant’s Causeway was Northern Ireland’s most popular visitor attraction in 2017, attracting over one million visitors, the highest number of visitors reported in one year for a

“2018 is already off to a positive start, with hotels achieving unprecedented sales during the first quarter of the year and industry feedback suggests continued growth in business this year.” ■

Around 2.5 million holiday trips were taken, an estimated increase of 16%.

And 1.5m domestic holidays were taken by Northern Ireland residents, an 18% increase

AUGUST 2018

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PROPERTY

Andy Tough

Retail property market stalling: report

By John Mulgrew

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orthern Ireland’s retail property market stalled in the second quarter of the year as the sector came under pressure, according to one survey.

Demand for retail property in Northern Ireland fell in the second quarter of 2018, according to the latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and Ulster Bank Commercial Market Survey.

It said that demand from “both tenants and investors for retail property continued to go lower according the balance of respondents to the survey, with sentiment at its lowest level in over six years”.

biggest drop since December 2011.

However, the office and industrial sectors are considerably more upbeat, according to the survey.

“In the both sectors there were rises in occupier demand, three-month rent expectations, and three-month capital value expectations,” it said.

“Enquiries from both UK and foreign investors were down at an all-sector level.”

Andy Tough, chair of RICS in Northern Ireland, said: “It’s certainly a challenging time for the retail sector in Northern Ireland, as it is across the UK, with consumer confidence weak and retail footfall under pressure.

“And contributors to the survey anticipate a further fall in retail occupier demand, in line with the trend across the rest of the UK,” it said.

“The challenges being faced by the sector, not surprisingly, come through in the latest set of survey results”.

According the survey, the second half of 2018 saw the weakest occupier demand since March 2012, with a net balance of -50% said that occupier demand in the sector had fallen.

However, Mr Tough added: “But it’s certainly not all bad news in the commercial market, with some bright spots in the industrial and office sectors.

Meanwhile, investment enquiries saw the

“Both sectors remain fairly robust in terms

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of rent expectations and capital value expectations for the next quarter.

Indications from the survey that the availability of office accommodation is increasing will also provide positive news for many, particularly in relation to efforts to attract further inward investors.”

Gary Barr, relationship director, commercial real estate, Ulster Bank said: “Rising demand in the office and, to a lesser extent, the industrial sectors is encouraging.

“Despite the evident challenges for the retail market we continue to support a wide range of property deals and see firm demand from investors for quality assets.”

However, a report from CBRE says the commercial property market in Northern Ireland has maintained its strength through the first half of 2018, despite political headwinds.

Its ‘marketview’ report for the second quarter of 2018 highlights “the record-breaking year of the Northern Ireland office market”.

Office take-up totalled 268,336 sq ft across 23 reported transactions. ■

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CO-WORKING

Nial Borthistle, business development at Glandore, Clare Kelly, director of Glandore, Rebecca Kelly, director of Glandore, Michael Kelly, managing director of Glandore

Family business Glandore invests £1m to create co-working space in Belfast

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op workspace business Glandore has opened a new co-working space in Belfast as part of a £1m investment.

The new Belfast co-working space at Arthur House, provides desk space for almost 100 members and is aimed at start-up entrepreneurs, small businesses and foreign director investment (FDI) companies taking their first steps into Northern Ireland.

Established in 2001, Glandore is a family owned business led by three sisters who are directors of the company alongside their managing director father, Michael Kelly, and has a total of more than 2,500 desks, spread across eight office locations in Belfast and Dublin.

International companies which started their

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Irish operations in Glandore workspace include Worldpay, Rapid 7, Facebook, Twitter and Dropbox, while overseas investors such as Tullet Prebon, Cayan, Bamboo Rose and Bazaarvoice are among the current or former members of its flexible workspaces in Belfast.

One of the latest member companies to join Glandore in Belfast is US tech company SmashFly, which provides marketing automation software for recruiters and will be creating 70 jobs as part of their first investment outside of the US. “Glandore offers us the perfect space and strategic location for SmashFly’s EMEA expansion,” said Sinead Kelly, head of human resources and business operations at SmashFly.

“We’re very excited to be building out an amazing R&D team in Northern Ireland and the flexibility that Glandore provides is fantastic for us to scale and expand alongside the terrific talent pool that Belfast has to offer. We’re all about people and making connections which is why Glandore’s exciting new space and events programme is the ideal environment for us to engage with other members and companies of all sizes.”

Michael Kelly, managing director of Glandore, said: “We have been providing flexible workspace in Belfast for 12 years and in Dublin for over 17 years.

“The co-working industry is rapidly expanding and the demand for more of this sort of flexible space in Belfast is increasing.

By opening this fantastic new space we are now able to offer the full spectrum of office

CO-WORKING

Glandore members co-working from their new rooftop terrace on Arthur Street in Belfast

accommodation to our members, from one part-time desk right through to offices for up to 70 people.

“We know from experience that long-term leases don’t work for some fast-growing companies who want speed to market with minimal risk and upfront costs. For many of them, whether they are local entrepreneurs or the first staff from an international company that has set up here, a vibrant coworking space is more desirable than sitting alone in an office.”

Michael believes that one of the attractions of Glandore’s co-working offer is this

AUGUST 2018

opportunity for startups to rub shoulders with FDI companies at the early stage of their journey in the market. The new space, on the fifth floor of Arthur House, will also be available for social and networking events and meetups.

“As a family business, our aim is to give our members the very best start to their operations but also enable them to achieve their growth ambitions,” he said.

“From the quality of the working environment and service, our holistic workplace wellness programme to the unique networking events for our members

and alumni, we strive to support the growth and success of our member companies.”

Many Glandore-based companies are international, often requiring more than just work space, and find invaluable the assistance offered in accelerating their network and local connections.

It is estimated that as many of four million people worldwide will be co-working by 2020 from more than 14,000 spaces. ■ For more information visit www. glandorebelfast.co.uk

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Health platform aims to transform workplace

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op business consultant Noel Brady, chairman of Moment Health, has been working with Nuala Murphy, the multi-award winning company’s founder, and a team of expert developers, to bring The Workplace, a global first for corporates and other organisations, to market.

Businesses can use Moment Health’s The Workplace to support employees who might be struggling with their mental health.

A great practical tool for mental health champions and managers promoting and supporting good mental health, it ultimately offers early intervention as and when needed.

The Workplace can integrate into a current employee wellbeing system or be rolled out as a standalone mental health benefit.

Noel said: “Engaging with Moment Health makes perfect business sense benefiting the organisation and workforce. With one in 25 new mothers leaving their jobs due to maternal mental health and related illnesses, coupled with the cost of mental health in general to the workforce, there has never been a more critical time to support your employees.”

Nuala and technical co-founder Gavin Rooney combined their expertise in health and enterprise solutions to develop The Workplace.

Nuala said: “We had the idea, plan and vision, and with Gavin’s technical expertise, and our team, we have been able to bring our enterprise product to market at lightning pace.”

20% of women and 10% of men suffer from antenatal or post-natal depression or anxieties. We can help safeguard the mental health of your workplace by offering tools that support early intervention to mental health illness at any stage.

Moment Health is an evidence based platform that supports diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Doing something practical and effective pays tremendous dividends for every business. Get in touch and get past the stigma.

momenthealth.io

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Nuala Murphy, founder and chief executive of Moment Health, with chairman Noel Brady

Moment Health empowers everyone to act.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PROFILE

Entrepreneur of the month PETER KEELING, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND FOUNDER, DIACEUTICS How are things?

Diaceutics is really getting into its stride.

Our mission is to connect the patient to the precisely right medication, by revolutionising patient testing and bridging the gap between doctors, labs and pharmaceutical companies, that prevents patients getting the right medicine first time.

Over the last 12 years, we have improved the lives of more than half a million, mainly cancer patients, who know that they are on the correct treatment because of Diaceutics.

We give them the best possible chance of getting better.

As a company, we are enjoying continued business growth. The organisation has achieved revenue growth of 60% year-onyear for the last three years and achieved an annual revenue of $10m (£7.5m) in 2017.

How did you get started in the industry?

I graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 1982. I then started my first job at GlaxoSmithKline and worked there for 11 years.

I knew that precision medicine was going to become the predominant model, not just for pharmaceutical companies developing drugs, but also for improving patient outcomes.

I presented this vision to 50 people at a conference in Miami 13 years ago; only seven people were left in the room by the end.

However, two pharmaceutical companies liked what they heard, and they became our first clients. From there, my vision for Diaceutics took off.

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Typically, who are your clients or customers?

Currently, we help 31 out of the world’s top 35 pharmaceutical companies to accelerate the market penetration of their new precision drugs. They include GSK, Celgene and AstraZeneca. We also cover the top 10 markets including the US, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Brazil, China, Russia and Australia. To date, we have been involved in more than 300 diagnostic test projects to date.

an equal passion for disrupting healthcare and precision medicine.

Do you enjoy what you do, and what areas in particular?

Watching something grow from an idea into a successful organisation that is transforming a global industry model and changing people’s lives for the better is especially rewarding. I have always said that the most important thing is to make a difference.

What are the challenges facing your sector, and the economy in general?

It is widely accepted that precision medicine will become the predominant way in which we manage our health. Patients will have an increased understanding of what tests and treatments are available to them and when, giving them greater ownership of their wellness. Our role will be to make the all-important testing part of the equation seamless on a global basis. However, in order to achieve this, there needs to be a reformation in how healthcare is delivered and paid for. ■

I am a firm believer that every company is ultimately built on the strength of its team, and I am fortunate to have an amazing group of individuals alongside me who have

What is the most difficult part of your job?

As a leader, I have had to adapt my focus on numerous occasions over the years, from building the team to determining a strategic direction to expanding our customer base.

The organisation has also evolved since its inception.

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AUGUST 2018

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ROUND-TABLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH CIMA

Automation: still some way to go?

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and Ulster Business brought together some experts to discuss the future of automation across Northern Ireland business and industry Steve Swientozielskyj and Sinead Dillon

ATTENDEES Andrew Harding (CIMA chief executive) Steve Swientozielskyj (CIMA global president) Kevin Gormley, (Acting head of CIMA in Ireland) Sinead Dillon, (Principal consultant, Fujitsu) Billy Moore, (Finance director, Henderson Food Service) Chris Maylin, (Managing partner, Amplifi Solutions) David Haydock, (Finance manager for General Accounting Shared Service, Caterpillar) David McHugh, (Finance director, Seagate Technology) Will Foley, (Associate director, IT business consulting, Grant Thornton) John Mulgrew (Editor, Ulster Business)

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John Mulgrew: How much and what form of automation is already happening in Ireland, particularly within accountancy and professional services?

Andrew Harding: What we’re seeing globally is automation is patchy, we’ve got some early adopters, we’ve got some late adopters and not always the companies you’d expect them to be. We’re actually seeing some major corporations who are a long way behind.

Steve Swientozielskyj: I have difficulty

conceptualising, when we talk about automation intelligence, robotics, but actually what is the definition of that? So, for example, the cloud - people have been on the cloud for years. Scanning technology, that’s robotics. So these are the things that I’m trying to get my head around. There is a general conversation about what artificial intelligence and robotics are.

John Mulgrew: How would you explain what robotics means to the layman?

Will Foley: The main thing is looking at

ROUND-TABLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH CIMA

Our round-table panel

then scanned, and recognises the difference between an o and a zero. It would learn how to do that and put that in the accounts and then it would automatically go into your accounts system, then it would be pushed to you for you to authorise. And all you had to do to authorise that invoice was press that button.

you think of simple tasks like inputting the standard cost into an ERP system, it’s a pretty straightforward activity. However, there are many points, through the supplier setting up, or the purchasing setting up the supplier, to engineering giving the cost, going through, as the controls have to happen to reach the right people inputting the right place.

David Haydock: We’ve got high-tech ERP systems at the moment which you press the buttons and the things work separately, but

John Mulgrew: Can you give us a realworld example of the type of automation we are talking about?

Chris Maylin: If you look at the tools that are available to the SME sector, they are far advanced in my opinion, to the tools available to the corporate sector. You’ve got things like Xero which is a cloud-based accounting, then you’ve got a whole eco-system of very clever software that sits around it like, such as Receipt Bank. You get the invoice into your business, you fire it off into Receipt Bank, it codes everything, it does the tax for you, and you bring it through to Xero and you reconcile it, and it’s a one-click transaction.

Steve Swientozielskyj: In layman’s terms, for example if we talk about manual systems, think of a purchase invoice. We can get it through post, somebody opens the envelope, somebody then codes it, then somebody keys it in, or writes in a ledger, and then somebody might do the accounts, so it’s all paper based.

Now, for example with scanning technology, there’s no paper, and it’s emailed to you. It is

Kevin Gormley: To me, a lot of this is just a new sales game by software companies - this word ‘robotics’. Some people imagine actual physical robots when they hear that and I think there’s a lot of confusion in the market, particularly in Ireland. So I think we’ve been very slow to adopt this technology primarily because of that confusion... a lot of this is not new stuff. >

those necessary, very important backoffice administrative jobs, which are highly repetitive. It needs to be done. It’s very, very important, it has to get done, it has to get done well, you need a high quality in it, you need it done in a timely fashion, but for your staff, it’s the most boring work they do. It’s not the stuff that gets them out of bed in the morning. It’s not the reason that they’d arrive in.

Sinead Dillon: There are different areas.

There’s the automation for the data collection and the actual assimilation and processing of it and then there’s the more advanced areas, which are about machine-learning and the deep learning.

AUGUST 2018

Chris Maylin

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ROUND-TABLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH CIMA Kevin Gormley

David Haydock

technologies as they get deployed, they will be deployed locally within business units and within areas, and the processes will still be there.

John Mulgrew: For some, the words automation and robotics confuses and worries workers. Should people be concerned?

Andrew Harding: There are some people who should be concerned. If your job is around preparing spreadsheets to move data from one place to the next, that is going to be automated. And if that’s your special skill you are going to have to think very hard about how you’re going to add value to a business in the future.

David Haydock: But that’s not just today.

That has been happening for the last 15-20 years. When I started, a lot of my job was taking information from one report and keying it into an Excel spreadsheet. The way I see, like Excel, I think will eventually disappear as an accountant’s tool, it will be in the background.

Andrew Harding: The abacus lasted several thousand years, the comptometer lasted about 120, the pocket calculator lasted 40, the spreadsheet is going to last 25.

Will Foley: Yes, we were all told in school that you had to know your sums because you wouldn’t have a calculator in your pocket at all times, and now everybody does. So technology moves forward.

Sinead Dillon: But skills are so important.

How do people know that they need to go

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and upskill themselves and to be aware, they have to have creativity. I mean problemsolving, decision-making – opportunity comes with that. So, while they can be concerned, again it’s back to that education piece, showing them what they can do and how they can become more productive with more challenges.

John Mulgrew: Will that mean new jobs being created, that don’t exist now?

Will Foley: It’s not necessarily new jobs, it’s probably reskilling. I think the jobs will still be called what they’re called, but the skill-set required to complete that job will have changed, even from the point of view of I think back to the kind of cottage industry point nearly, you know a lot of these David McHugh

Sinead Dillon: To use automation they need to have skilled workers who can run the machines as well, but there are fewer people required to do that. But they need to be taken on that journey to be able to have, so where we used to have accounting and computing it’s more of the new terms like accounting and data scientist and machine learning.

John Mulgrew: Can the automation be responsible for more complex tasks?

Andrew Harding: I think the way you need to look at it, anything which can be defined by rules can be automated. And that can take you quite a long way up the value chain.

Things like the medical profession, the legal profession, they are highly susceptible to change through this.

Kevin Gormley: I think a big concern is around exceptions management in processes.

So everything’s fine until you have a particular requirement or you have a niche requirement from an organisation and then all hell breaks loose. Probably 60%-70% of a company’s business is the thing they do in a certain way, and it’s very repeatable and predictable.

However, the worst experiences people have of many companies is because they want something different or they don’t fit within that criteria.

Billy Moore: The level of data that’s being generated is increasing. The reality is that we’re behind the curve. How do we stay competitive, how do we find the magic in

ROUND-TABLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH CIMA that and how do we train people to go and to find it, and give them space to find it, rather than doing the transactional stuff?

Billy Moore

Chris Maylin: Thinking about CIMA and the future of CIMA, I think there has to be a focus through the exam structure around data, because we were at a couple of software companies who started out with a dream of creating software platforms that are completely different, different things. Five years down the line they’re now being offered serious money and it’s nothing to do with the software platform - it’s to do with the data they’ve captured.

John Mulgrew: In Northern Ireland, are there still a lot of companies relying on traditional input methods?

Kevin Gormley: You’d be amazed. Some of the larger organisations, who will remain anonymous, literally still run their business by Excel.

David McHugh: I think the social thing is a huge thing, but it’s something, that I think that there’s very little focus on education and starting to prepare to change for the future. Because we’re still using the same examinations and interviews for the last 20 years. The world is going to be very different in 20 years’ time but we are not preparing our children for that at all and I think that is something that we really to need look at.

John Mulgrew: Where do you see the main changes coming down the line in the next five or 10 years for companies, in particular within accountancy?

Andrew Harding: If we’re looking at it, we see digitisation being at the centre of everything, and it’s not at the moment.

And everything sits on top of that. If you don’t have the digital skills and the ability to manage digital, and to develop digital, then you are going to be left behind.

David McHugh: Data is the new oil. You

to see the proof. They want to see what you’ve actually done, even if it’s small.

know it is where your competitive advantage will be.

John Mulgrew: If you are a business reading this, what advice would you give them?

John Mulgrew: Is there a cut-off for firms when it becomes just to late to embrace technology and automation?

Steve Swientozielskyj: If you take the professional side, the first thing is we’re actually doing a new syllabus, we’re trying to keep up with it, and keeping up with the progress in technology.

Billy Moore: The end of this is what the customer’s demand of the business is, and how they engage. So, once they start changing their approach, and they have done over recent years, saying I don’t want to engage with you on the phone I want to engage with you through technology, then all of a sudden that just drives things through the business in terms of how you have to change.

Andrew Harding: If you think that this is something that you can give to your IT department, forget about it. They would be really interested in how it all works but they won’t implement it. You can hire people in who will do that, but you can’t just give it to them to do, it has to be owned by the business, it has to be led by the business.

Will Foley: People, from my experience, are looking for real-world examples. They don’t want to hear about the potential, they want

Will Foley: You still need the specialist knowledge, that doesn’t go away. The specialist work still needs to get done, so you still the need the people who have that specialist knowledge.

Will Foley and Andrew Harding

Sinead Dillon: The risk factor to some firms, is there’s a concern about how much it can affect the bottom-line because there isn’t that spirit or capacity there to do that and then in the light of the current climate that’s what impacts the level of investment.

Will Foley: I think younger people probably a better understanding of technology, because they have grown up with it in a way that people who are mid-career haven’t, who’ve had to deal with it. I still think there’s a journey there, as we’re talking about the education process and stuff like that it’s not that they’re getting a lot of specific education on it, but I think they probably see the value in technology more. ■

AUGUST 2018

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies NEWS

Belfast ramping up wing production as Bombardier lands deal worth up to £8bn

By Ryan McAleer in Toulouse

B

ombardier has landed a potential £8bn deal for up to 120 of its newly rebranded A220 passenger planes after its tie-up with Airbus.

US low-cost carrier JetBlue has now placed a firm order for 60 A220-300s, formerly the CS300. It’s a deal worth £4bn ($5.4bn), according to the list price.

But it says it could purchase a further 60 planes, part-made in Belfast, from 2025 onwards.

Wing production at Belfast’s Bombardier plant is expected to ramp up to meet demand for the rebranded A220 aircraft under Airbus.

Formerly the C Series, the single aisle jet with new livery was unveiled by its majority owner at Airbus’ Toulouse headquarters.

The CS100 and CS300 have been rechristened the A220-100 and A220-300 respectively, slotting in along the familiar Airbus product line, still led by the massively successful A320.

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But while the mood in France was a celebratory one, the hard work now begins to push sales of the rebranded aircraft around the world.

Senior figures in the C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership (CSALP) claimed that the global market for 100-150 seater aircraft will demand around 6,000 planes over the next 20 years. Just 38 A220s have been delivered to date.

With a backlog of 384 aircraft, production in the Belfast wing factory which remains a Bombardier operation with around 1,000 staff - will need to significantly increase to meet the aspirations of Airbus.

Rob Dewar, the head of customer support and engineering at CSALP, said that the production line in Belfast could escalate to produce more than 100 sets of wings annually.

He said the joint Airbus-Bombardier venture remains committed to the city.

The main fuselage for the A220 is constructed at Bombardier’s Mirabel plant near Montreal.

Another production line is to be introduced in Mobile, Alabama.

Mr Dewar said Belfast would be the sole production line for the wing - for now at least.

“The Belfast facility is designed and can ramp up to 110-120 aircraft, so it’s going to be serving both lines in the beginning,” he said.

“Of course, based on the demand, we’ll be looking at increasing capacity with them and other suppliers.”

Senior figures from CSALP deflected questions on whether a second wing production line could be added elsewhere in Europe to meet their ambitions and provide a contingency in the event of a hard Brexit affecting the Belfast operation.

“To be honest, moving a wing is very complicated and takes quite a bit of time,” said Mr Dewar.

“We are following the situation closely, but we are very committed to the line in Belfast.”

Airbus chief executive Tom Enders has been outspoken in his criticism of the UK’s Government’s handling of Brexit. ■

Motoring Sponsored by

By Pat Burns

The Largest Family Owned Motor Retailer in N.Ireland www.donnellygroup.co.uk

MOTORING

Diesel delight new benchmark

T

he all new diesel engined Honda Civic sets new benchmarks for emissions and fuel economy.

This Civic diesel is the first of the manufacturer’s models to go through the new worldwide harmonized light vehicles test procedure (WLTP), providing more realistic data on emissions and fuel economy. The vehicle’s CO2 emissions are unrivalled in its class, at just at 93g/km. This figure represents a 1g/km drop compared to the previous 1.6 i-DTEC engine, which was tested under NEDC. In addition, the Honda Civic diesel offers a clear benefit to running costs, with 80.7mpg achievable in this, the tenth generation model.

Building on its 40-year heritage, the car stays true to the original Civic concept of

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“a car for all people, a car for the world”.

It is a combination of distinctive design, sporty styling and versatile practicality – with a renewed focus on rewarding driving dynamics.

The new wider, longer body results in class-leading interior space. The entirely new interior features a simple, uncluttered layout, new technologies, exceptional refinement and high-grade materials. The seating position is a major change against the previous model, sited lower to give the driver a greater feeling of connection with the car, enhanced by greatly improved visibility to the front of new Civic.

The four-cylinder 1,597cc i-DTEC diesel engine provides maximum power of 120 PS at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 221 lb ft at 2,000 rpm, powering the Civic from zero to 62 mph in 10.5 seconds.

Honda’s new 1.6 i-DTEC is one of the first engines to be officially tested through the real driving emission (RDE) procedure to validate NOx and particulate emission levels.

The diesel powertrain has a new NOx storage converter (NSC) system. Real driving emission (RDE) tests measure the pollutants such as NOx emitted by cars while driven on the road.

A nine-speed automatic transmission will bolster the Civic’s powertrain options from mid-2018, representing its first ever application in a two-wheel drive car.

The entry-level S model with manual transmission starts from £20,120 OTR. PCP pricing has also been confirmed for the new car, which is built at Honda’s UK manufacturing plant in Swindon; with monthly payments starting at £249 a month on a three year 5.9% APR contract for a Civic 1.6 i-DTEC SE Manual. ■

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Fuel consumption fi gures for the 17YM Civic range in mpg (l/100km): Urban Cycle 35.8 – 51.4 (7.9 – 5.5), Extra Urban 56.5 – 68.9 (5.0 – 4.1), Combined 46.3 – 60.1 (6.1 – 4.7). CO2 emissions: 139 – 106g/km. Fuel consumption fi gures sourced from offi cial EU-regulated laboratory test results, are provided for comparison purposes and may not refl ect real-life driving experiences. Important information: *Contract Hire available to Business Users only, subject to status. Information correct at July 2018. Vehicles must be ordered between 1st July 2018 and 30th September 2018 with registration and delivery by 31st December 2018. Rentals exclude optional maintenance. Excess mileage and other charges may apply dependent on the mileage and return condition of the vehicle at the end of the contract. Contract Hire is provided by Arval UK Limited trading as Honda Contract Hire, Whitehill House, Windmill Hill, Swindon, SN5 6PE. Vehicle for illustration purposes only.

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MOTORING

Effortless executive express

S

ales of Volvo’s XC ranges have been a massive success over the past year with a new XC40 joining the existing XC70 and XC90 ranges. But if you are more of a traditionalist and like an executive saloon car, the S90 offers space, comfort, driving appeal and technology all in abundance. This super Swede is more than capable of taking on Germany’s finest.

The S90 along with the V90 estate are built on Volvo’s all-new scalable product architecture (SPA) platform and benefit from Volvo’s ground-breaking Drive-E powertrains.

S90 models are available in petrol, hybrid and diesel formats. There is the choice of two 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engines – the tax-efficient D4 and the powerful and refined D5 PowerPulse – and in two trim levels, Momentum and Inscription.

The front-wheel-drive 190 hp D4 comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and offers combined fuel consumption of 64.2 mpg and

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CO2 emissions of just 116 g/km in the S90.

The 235 hp D5 uses an innovative technology called PowerPulse to boost responsiveness.

This uses compressed air, which is stored in a tank in the engine bay and refilled automatically, to spool up the turbo at low revs. This helps to overcome turbo lag, which is the short delay in the power delivery you experience in traditional turbocharged engines. The D5 PowerPulse comes with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Every version of the S90 is luxuriously equipped. As standard, even entry-level Momentum cars come with leather upholstery, LED headlights with active high beam, two-zone climate control with ‘CleanZone’ air-filtration system, keyless engine starting and heated front seats.

Pilot Assist, Volvo’s innovative semiautonomous drive feature, is standard on every S90. It automatically keeps you at a set speed or distance from the vehicle in

front, braking and accelerating with the flow of traffic, and gives gentle steering inputs to keep the car within lane markings at motorway speeds up to 80 mph.

Volvo’s residual values are also worth mentioning. In the executive saloon segment, the S90 D4 Momentum, which has marked a giant step forward for Volvo in this area of the market, fares competitively against models that have previously dominated the sector.

CAP HPI forecasts that the model will be worth 39.8% of its original price after three years and 60,000 miles, putting it right in the heart of its segment, with respective values of 41.8%, 40.9% and 36.2% for the equivalent Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6.

The news will be welcome for companies looking to run a new S90, with strong residuals translating into highly competitive monthly lease costs.

Prices for the S90 start at £32,555. ■

A 292 lightbulb moment The new Audi A7 Sportback

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Official fuel consumption figures for the new Audi A7 Sportback range in mpg (l/100km) from: Urban 30.4 (9.3) – 45.6 (6.2), Extra Urban 47.9 (5.9) – 54.3 (5.2), Combined 39.2 (7.2) – 50.4 (5.6). CO2 emissions 163 – 147g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures are obtained under standardised EU test conditions (or, in cases of vehicles with WLTP type approval, are the NEDC figures provided pursuant to Government guidance until further notice). These figures facilitate direct comparison between different models from different manufacturers, but may not represent the actual fuel consumption achieved in ‘real world’ driving conditions.

More information is available at beta.audi.co.uk/wltp Choice of wheels and other options may affect fuel consumption and emissions data.

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MOTORING

My Arona S

eat’s new Arona is the fourth new model from the Barcelona-based brand in just 18 months and is its first foray into the compact crossover class.

Named after a town in Tenerife, the Arona is the baby brother to the Ateca SUV and will be looking to replicate the success which its larger sibling has had in its own class in recent months.

The Arona is the first compact crossover in the Volkswagen Group to use the new top-end platform, MQB A0, the same as the new Ibiza, majoring on stylish design, flexible practicality, alongside top quality and technology.

One of the key aspects to the launch of the Arona is Seat’s bold approach to making the car buying process as easy as possible.

Whether it’s online or in the showroom, potential buyers will be heartened to see that the forward-thinking brand has introduced a stress-free range line-up. In short, to find their ideal model, customers simply choose from three elements: trim level, engine and

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colour. It’s that easy, there are no options or packs to weigh up.

touchscreen, six-speaker audio with DAB radio, Bluetooth and aux-in/USB connections.

To accommodate this thinking, the Arona is being offered in six trims, each equipped with features today’s customers want and which will help the vehicle retain its value.

At launch, the new Arona will be available with a choice of five powertrains that represent the best of modern engine technology, all featuring direct injection, turbocharging and an automatic stop-start function.

The grades dovetail with other Seat models, with SE, FR and Xcellence, but, with each level expanded into additional versions that add in more equipment: SE Technology, FR Sport and Xcellence Lux. The SE grade may be ‘step one’ in the new Arona range, but it’s several rungs up the specification ladder compared to many entrylevel models.

The exterior features include 17-inch alloy wheels, bi-colour roof, power-adjustable door mirrors, LED daytime running lights and tail lights, front cornering fog lights and automatic headlights. Inside, there’s air conditioning, height-adjustable front seats, split-folding rear seat, handy double boot floor and electric windows front and rear.

Seat’s Media System provides a five-inch

There are three petrol units, each with an aluminium block. In order of output, they start with the 1.0 TSI 95 PS, matched to a five-speed manual gearbox; this is also available in 115 PS with a six-speed box.

Combined fuel economy is up to 57.6 miles per gallon with 111 g/km of CO2 emissions.

The more powerful version of this threecylinder unit will also be offered with DSG automatic transmission. FR and FR Sport models will live up to their dynamic looks with the use of the 1.5 TSI 150 EVO engine.

The Arona will also feature a 1.6 TDI engine, with 95 or 115 PS – the former optionally available with DSG. Prices for the new Arona start at £16,555 for the SE 1.0 TSI 95. ■

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AUGUST 2018

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The Largest Family Owned Motor Retailer in N.Ireland www.donnellygroup.co.uk

MOTORING

It takes two...

M

azda’s sharp-handling, stylish and high-quality supermini has just received a number of upgrades and revisions.

Priced from £13,295 to £17,095, the new Mazda2 range features five revised trim levels: SE+, SE-L+, SE-L Nav+, Sport Nav+ and GT Sport Nav+. Exclusively powered by Mazda’s 1.5-litre petrol engine, which is offered in 75, 90 and 115ps outputs, the updated range benefits from improved equipment to deliver extra value for money regardless of which model you choose.

range topping GT Sport Nav+ can be ordered with either the 90 or 115ps engine. All GT sports now get a reversing camera, while as before, the flagship 115ps engine is matched to a six-speed manual gearbox.

The first Mazda model homologated under worldwide harmonised light-vehicle testing procedure (WLTP) regulations, the 2018 Mazda2 retains the same mechanical updates Mazda’s supermini received in June 2017.

Matched to the 75ps engine, the £13,295 SE+ features 15-inch alloy wheels, heated power fold mirrors, 60:40 split rear seats and electric rear windows – all items previously absent from the entry-point model in the range.

The host of updates added to this highly acclaimed supermini last summer included the introduction of Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control technology and detailed improvements to the suspension and steering to deliver improved ride comfort and steering response. In addition, interior upgrades included new seat fabrics, a new steering wheel and enhanced sound insulation.

Powered by the 90ps engine, the popular Sport Nav trim sees 2018 model year cars marked out by a rear roof spoiler, while the

Noise-insulating glass in the windscreen and additional under bonnet sound proofing ensure excellent refinement, while sound

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absorbing material inside of the tailgate, on the parcel shelf and in the spare wheel well reduce high-frequency noise entering the cabin.

This impressive sophistication is matched to the driver-focused dynamics and fun-to-drive ethos you’d expect of a Mazda. Thanks to last year’s technical updates, revised front and rear damper settings improve ride quality, while the modified front anti-roll bar bushing enhances body control. Additionally, a small recalibration of the electric power steering has resulted in improved steering feel.

Fitted as standard across the 2018 Mazda2 range, G-Vectoring Control (GVC) varies engine torque to optimise loading on the wheels when cornering to an indiscernible increase handling precision and improve comfort. As before, the Mazda2 features excellent active safety equipment with all 90ps and 115ps powered cars featuring smart city brake support and lane departure warning system. ■

The New Continental GT

Discover unmatched design, craftsmanship and technology at Charles Hurst Bentley REPRESENTATIVE PCP EXAMPLE* Finance example based on new Continental GT CPE 6.0 W12 AU, 48 Monthly Payments of £1,499.

Duration Cash Price

49 Months £158,824.96

Customer Deposit

£33,882.99

Total Amount of Credit

£124,941.97

Optional Final Payment

£76,831.43

Acceptance Fee (included in first payment)

£0.00

Option To Purchase Fee (included in final payment)

Total Amount Payable Representative APR

Based on Excess Mileage Charge:

6,000 Miles Per Annum 69.24p per mile

£0.00 £182,666.42 5.9%

To speak to a member of the team, contact us on 0844 659 9482 62 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6LR. Visit: charleshurst.com/bentley Continental GT fuel consumption: EU Drive Cycle in mpg (l/100 km): Urban 16.0 (17.7); Extra Urban 31.7 (8.9); Combined 23.2 (12.2). CO₂ Emissions 278 g/km.

BENTLEY BELFAST

*Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) offer for Retail customers only. Not for Business Users. Representative 5.9% APR available on New Continental GT Models, registered before 30th September 2018 and proposed for finance through Volkswagen Financial Services trading as Bentley Financial Services. This promotion cannot be used together with other manufacturers promotions and is subject to availability. All details are correct at time of publication and are subject to change without notice. Offer may be varied, withdrawn or extended at any time. At the end of the personal contract there are 3 options available: (1) Part exchange the vehicle, where equity is available;(2) Pay the GFV or Optional Final Payment; or (3) return the vehicle subject to it being in good condition. In the event that you choose to return your vehicle to us at the end of the agreement, there will be nothing further to pay (subject to your vehicle meeting our fair wear and tear standards, is within the agreed mileage and your account is up-to-date). If you choose option 1 or 2 at the end of the agreement, you’ll need to pay the Optional Final Payment plus the option to purchase fee. Optional final payment and option to purchase fee not payable if you opt to return the vehicle at the end of the agreement (vehicle condition, excess mileage and other charges may be payable). Failure to make payments may affect credit rating. Other finance offers are available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. Indemnities may be required.

Finance is subject to status and only available to applicants aged 18 and over resident in Mainland UK and N.Ireland. Cash price is based on manufacturer’s recommended retail price and includes 3 year warranty, 12 months’ road fund licence, vehicle first registration fee, delivery, and VAT. Charles Hurst Limited and Charles Hurst Motors Limited are the advertisers and will act as introducing brokers on behalf of the lender who may pay us for introducing you. Offer ends 30th September 2018. The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2018 Bentley Motors Limited. Model shown: New Continental GT.

APPOINTMENTS

Moy Park has appointed Mark Ford as intake operative. He is responsible for monitoring loads on arrival from suppliers, updating the intake management system and overseeing distribution to relevant facilities.

Almac Group has appointed David Taylor as head of manufacturing operations. He will have responsibility for small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and peptide manufacturing in Craigavon.

Grainne Hughes is now vice-president of business support operations at Almac Group.

She will support functions across pharma services including client services, planning, business projects and business systems.

Mark English has been appointed as vicepresident of packaging and logistics operations at Almac Group. He will have responsibility for all packaging and logistics operations within the UK and Ireland sites.

Stephen Watkins has been appointed senior manager of information security at Fscom. He will be responsible for mitigating network security vulnerabilities, GDPR gap analysis and compliance delivery.

Catherine Cooney is now partner at Worthingtons Solicitors. She advises in all aspects of charity, corporate and commercial law and represents businesses, charities, housing associations, social enterprises and schools.

Lindsey McCracken has been appointed head of HR at Fscom. She will be responsible for developing and implementing the HR and recruitment strategy for the firm.

Martin Ellis has been promoted to associate at White Ink Architects in Belfast. In his new role hewill be integral to the management and strategic development of the practice.

Sarah McGonigle has been promoted to associate at White Ink Architects in Belfast. She specialises in complex residential schemes and also has particular expertise in executing peer reviews on prospective projects for clients.

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APPOINTMENTS

Law firm Arthur Cox has further strengthened its fiinance practice in Northern Ireland with the appointment of Colm McElroy as partner.

Ulster University has appointed Mark Latuske as deputy director of talent and performance.

Mark is a human resources specialist and has both consultancy and in-house experience.

Professor Louise Dubras is now professor and foundation dean of the School of Medicine at Ulster University. She will oversee all aspects of the implementation and delivery of the Graduate Entry Medical School project.

Enterprise NI has announced Michael McQuillan as its new chief executive. Prior to his appointment he was the director of the Business Institute at the Ulster University Business School.

David Clark has been appointed as head of manufacturing and innovation at McAvoy Group. In his new role he will lead manufacturing excellence across the group’s two offsite production centres.

Chris Kirke is taking over as president of poultry giant Moy Park. He’s taken over from Janet McCollum, who has headed the business since 2014.

Catriona Henry has been appointed business support executive at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Richard Crawford has been appointed in a sales position with Donnelly Group’s Land Rover business. He has been an employee of the firm for over 10 years, having started his career with Land Rover before taking on a sales manager role at Donnelly Honda.

Gareth Stewart is now sales executive with Donnelly Group’s Land Rover business. He has been in the industry for almost 25 years, and joined the Donnelly Vauxhall team in Dungannon six years ago.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PHOTOCALL 1. Brian McConville is pictured with James O’Kane following the announcement that the McConville family has purchased Topglass in Toomebridge.

2. Lisa McIlvenna, Business in the Community with Joe McDonald and George Rankin of Asda NI, after the company was awarded gold level CORE accreditation at the Responsible Business Awards.

3. Moy Park grower Mark Singleton and Shane McDonald of Moy Park after it’s revealed the company is now producing six million birds a week for the first time in its 75 year history.

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4. AWARE, the depression charity for Northern Ireland, is aiming to enhance and expand its support group network as part of a new partnership with Ulster Bank.

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5. Arthur Cox managing partner Catriona Gibson welcomes new finance partner Colm McElroy to his new senior role. Mr McElroy joined the Belfast firm in 2010.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PHOTOCALL

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6. Paul Martin, partner, Mammoth, Klass Fremaut, chief executive of Focus Advertising and president of Confrad with Jeremy Poots of Partner outside the Merchant Hotel.

7. Enterprise NI outgoing chief Gordon Gough with Nicholas O’Shiel, chairman, and the newly appointed chief executive of Enterprise NI, Michael McQuillan.

8. H&J Martin has been awarded the contract to fit out the World Duty Free shop at Belfast City Airport. Pictured is David Lister, World Duty Free along with Joanne Deighan, Belfast City Airport, Kevin O’Reilly, business development manager, H&J Martin and managing director Nick Fletcher.

9. Steve Harper, executive director of international business, Invest NI with Jason Ordway of Slice. The US firm is creating 50 new jobs in Belfast.

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10. Student Carla Harkin joins Professor Alastair Adair, deputy vice-chancellor Ulster University, Dr Peter FitzGerald, founder of Randox, and Professor Tara Moore after the organisations launched a £5m skills development initiative.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PHOTOCALL 11. Billy Clelland, quality manage at Asda NI and Danielle Mitchell, Gilfresh. The Armagh company is expected to sell around 300,000 bunches of scallions across Asda stores this summer.

12. Joan McCoy is named the new president of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, following Paul Crowe’s time at the helm of the organisation.

13. Derry Refrigerated Transport brand ambassador and boxer, Paddy Barnes, with managing director, Patrick Derry as it reveals a new £9m facility in Co Armagh and is creating 50 jobs.

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14. Balloo Hire general manager Mark Grundy, second front left, with his senior management team after announcing its creating 20 new jobs as part of a £10m investment.

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15. Pictured at the launch of The Irish Farmers’ Journal/KPMG Agribusiness report are Ian Proudfoot, global head of agribusiness at KPMG, Trevor Lockhart, chief executive officer of Fane Valley, Stuart Irwin, partner and head of agribusiness at KPMG in Northern Ireland, and Eoin Lowry, agribusiness editor at Irish Farmers Journal.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PHOTOCALL 16. Ian Gordon, Action Renewables with Ross McConnell with Mary Rossiter of Vayu Energy, along with James McKay, Action Renewables, pictured at their latest workshop held at Edenmore Golf and Country Club, Magheralin.

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17. Sydney Pentland, managing director Agnew Belfast Volvo pictured outside the car dealer’s new £2.7m showroom on the Boucher Road in south Belfast.

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18. Max Mason and Wendy Langham, head of social affairs at The Odyssey Trust pictured at the new W5 gift shop and Lego Zone.

19. Lidl’s NI Conor Boyle and Stephen Cameron, Dale Farm Group commercial director, after the supermarket secured a lead contract to supply cheddar cheese to its stores.

20. Translink boss Chris Conway with Northern Ireland Secretary of State Karen Bradley during a visit to see Belfast’s new Glider buses.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PHOTOCALL 21. Terry Robb of Ulster Bank and Lynda Bryans, AWARE ambassador, marking the finale of Ulster Bank’s One Week in June staff charity campaign, which raised £105,227 for the depression charity.

22. Pictured at the official launch of the AC Hotel Belfast is general manager Lisa Steele, Belfast Harbour chairman, Dr David Dobbin and Deirdre O’Brien of Marriott International.

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23. Upstream managing director Judith Totten and Serious PR founder David McCavery after the businesswoman was appointed to the PR firm’s board.

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24. Chipmongers Ballymena owners Gareth Montgomery and Katrina Fox, centre, are joined by staff Josephine Mark and Rachel Holmes, to celebrate National Burger Day and the creation of 12 new jobs.

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25. Following a series of new appointments at JComms, pictured is new chairman Joris Minne along with events and PR director Jane Wells, managing director Chris Harrison and Jane Williams, brand communications director.

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Supporting Northern Ireland’s leading companies PHOTOCALL

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26. Journalist Jamie Delargy and Michael Doran, managing director, Action Renewables launch the organisation’s policy document for a ‘renewable future’.

27. Mark McElroy, director, Marcon and Ross Oliver, NI Open event manager announced the fit-out firm’s sponsorship of the golf tournament at Galgorm Castle Golf Club.

28. Pictured at the innagural Inspire Workplace Wellbeing Awards is chief executive Professor Peter McBride along with broadcaster Stephen Watson, former Ulster Rugby player Stephen Ferris and director of Inspire Professional Services, John Conaghan.

29. Belfast Lord Mayor Deirdre Hargey with Belfast Met director of development Damian Duffy and Russell Gunson, director of Institute for Public Policy Research in Scotland at the launch of the college’s Centre for Economic Development and Social Inclusion.

30. Mike Smith, chairman of Lighthouse Communications with director Alyson English and founder Stephen Smith outside the PR firm’s Holywood offices following a £400,000 investment.

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CHAIRMAN

The firm has also welcomed former Titanic Quarter managing director Mike Smith OBE as a non-executive chairman.

And while the Grand Central may now be the largest, the new AC Hotel in Belfast, had a lavish official unveiling, which included celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and was hosted by former BBC journalist and now media-trainer Sarah Travers.

The Chairman Whether it’s basking in the baking summer sun or a posh soiree indoors, The Chairman has been out and about as usual...

A

ll work and no play makes The Chairman a dull boy.

But it’s been another busy summer, this time with only a handful of indoor black ties on the agenda.

Now, the grand backdrop of Holywood is both the work and playground of a number of businesses involved in the world of PR.

Joining the hotel’s general manager Lisa Steele, it was a bit of a who’s who of the Northern Ireland business landscape, including current Belfast Harbour boss Joe O’Neill, predecessor Roy Adair, chairman Dr David Dobbin, property director Graeme Johnston and Jenni Barkley.

Others making the trip included Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill, Glyn Roberts of Retail NI and Tourism NI chairman, Terence Brannigan.

Meanwhile, for a casual post-work tipple on Friday, the Ormeau Baths – normally reserved for the great and the good of Northern Ireland’s burgeoning tech and start-up sector – played host to accountancy firm Harbinson Mulholland’s bash.

Several hundred people from the business community across Northern Ireland gathered to celebrate two decades of doing business, while bidding farewell to founding partners Jeremy Harbinson and Paul Mulholland, who are retiring.

But it was the turn of Stephen Smith’s Lighthouse Communications to welcome the great and good of business, journalism and elsewhere.

The Lighthouse team was there to host guests, including director Alyson English, Mark Sterling, Simon Cunningham, Naomi McAleer, Molly Cullen, Carly Rodgers and Alastair Luke.

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Elsewhere, on a bright, and scorching sunny morning, global insurance giant Allstate unveiled its new headquarters close to Central Station (sorry, Lanyon Place).

It’s an impressive structure, sitting just

behind the former Maysfield Leisure Centre (now Concentrix headquarters) and complete with all the mod cons you’d expect with top-end office space these days.

Among those turning out for the grand launch was, of course, Allstate’s boss here, John Healy, Suren Gupta, executive vice-president and Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton.

And also paying a visit to the new city digs was Secretary of State Karen Bradley.

She joined a host of business leaders, including IoD’s director in Northern Ireland, Kirsty McManus and the IoD’s Lisa Maltman, Among the political heavyweights was Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill and former Economy Minister Simon Hamilton.

It was also the turn of Northern Ireland’s largest hotel to open its doors for the first time this summer.

With 300 bedrooms, the £53m Grand Central from Hastings Hotels managed to turn what was one of Belfast city centre’s biggest eyesores (Windsor House) into a fitting tribute to the late Sir William Hastings, who passed away during the build.

Helping unveil the hotel was Howard Hastings, Allyson McKimm, Edward Carson, Julie Hastings and Aileen Martin.

Finally, the Ulster Business team and the rest of the magazine family at Belfast Telegraph House made their way to the latest top-end doughnut shop to hit the city centre – for a curated coffee tasting.

And from the clean and fruity brews, to the unwashed tang of natural coffee, Oh Donut provided a few sweet treats for everyone. ■

CHAIRMAN

Terence Brannigan, Tourism NI, and Sarah Travers

Naomi McAleer and Molly Cullen from Lighthouse Communications with Lauren Brown from Donnelly Group Maurice Bullick, Jenni Barkley, Diana Fitzsimons and Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour

Jean-Christophe Novelli with Jacqui Martin at the AC Hotel launch

Howard Hastings, Allyson McKimm, Edward Carson, Julie Hastings and Aileen Martin pictured outside the Grand Central hotel

Michelle Denver and John Toner at the launch of the AC Hotel Johnny Forrester, Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Joan Rice, Harbinson Mulholland, Moria McNulty, and Jeanette Donohoe

At the launch of the new Allstate offices is John Healy, managing director, with Secretary of State, Karen Bradley, Suren Gupta, executive vice-president, Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI

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James Fair, Fusion Antibodies and Sophie McNeice, Harbinson Mulholland

At the launch of the AC Hotel Belfast are Nuala Meenehan, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Keith Hamilton, Jacqui Martin and Michael Cunningham

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EVENT

Justin Rush, Abacus Group

Darragh McCarthy, FinTrU, Roger Eigenhneer, EY

Inaugural recruitment event showcases top NI talent

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undreds of top delegates turned out at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall this summer for the inaugural Powered by Talent event.

The event saw a host of top speakers descend on the first event of its kind here, and highlighted best practice in the attraction, development and retention of employees in Northern Ireland.

Powered by Talent played host to 25 top exhibitors and more than 22 guest speakers.

Dr Laura Bradley, Ulster University, Barry Shannon, Cayan, Aine Mitchell, The Coaching Suite, Mark Dowds, Trov

It brought together representatives from the professional services sector with a focus on a company’s main asset - its people.

Hosted by broadcaster Sarah Travers, speakers included EY chief economist Neil Gibson and Darragh McCarthy, founder and chief executive of financial services from FinTrU. And while it was the inaugural event, it plans to come back bigger and stronger each year, boasting a varied array of some of the

Fergal McFerran, Stonewall, Jayne Gallagher, Legal-Island, Paul Hill, Bazaarvoice, Sarah Travers, host

industry’s top speakers and experts.

Speaking at the event, Justin Rush, founding member of Powered

By Talent and director of recruitment firm Abacus Professional Recruitment, said: “It was wonderful to see so many businesses collectively focus on our people and our talent here in Northern Ireland and in such a great setting at the Belfast Waterfront.”

The Powered by Talent summit was developed by Abacus Professional Recruitment, with lead sponsor support from EY and supported by A&L Goodbody, Belfast City Council, Legal Island, Pearson and Ulster Business.

To get involved in the next Powered by Talent event or for more information, Justin Rush, director at Abacus Group, can be contacted at justin@abacus.jobs ■

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Deirdre Hargey, Lord Mayor of Belfast

EVENT

Gareth Walls, A&L Goodbody

Steve Harper, Invest NI, Alistair Reid, Belfast City Council

Mark Dowds, Trov

Powered By Talent delegates

Neil Gibson, EY, Justin Rush, Abacus Group director and host Sarah Travers

Delegates at the exhibitor area

Sarah McKeag, EY

Powered By Talent Staging

Powered By Talent panel sessions

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TRAVEL

City luxury on the doorstep John Mulgrew takes a domestic trip to Derry to sample the cuisine, culture and the city’s emerging brewing scene... and there’s not a tobacco onion in sight

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orthern Ireland’s second city seems to be going through something of a renaissance in the last handful of years.

And while the semi-global attraction dealt to Derry through a series of flagship events – from being named UK City of Culture, to hosting the Turner Prize, Clipper festival and Fleadh – it now seems to have settled in to being something more than the north west’s peripheral populous.

It’s a compact city, as with most of Northern

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Ireland, split by the Foyle, and is becoming, for many tourists, the second spot to visit after Belfast.

There are a raft of places to stay, but the Bishop’s Gate hotel on Bishop’s Street is one of the finer spots.

Opening its doors in 2016, it’s an extremely friendly, welcoming and grand hotel.

There’s a bar and eating spot, called the Gown, on the ground floor, along with private dining and afternoon tea, which is held in

Hervey Library room upstairs.

We had the fortune of getting the penthouse suite – a grand, top-floor room with spacious bedroom, bathroom and a living space comparable to a luxury Belfast city centre apartment.

The Gown restaurant is an upmarket bistro, not rocking the boat with anything particularly unfamiliar, but executing classics well.

A generous serving of squid, followed by a well-cooked piece of ribeye, all worked well.

TRAVEL

FACTFILE For the domestic traveller, Derry is two-and-a-bit hours by train from Belfast, a shorter trip by bus, both Translink, and about 70 miles by road.

The Bishop’s Gate hotel offers up a variety of newly-fitted, comfortable and luxurious places to lay your head. Rooms start at £129, with the penthouse suite (complete with a large separate living space) beginning at £279.

There are a number of historical and tourism spots on offer across the city, including the Siege Museum and Museum of Free Derry.

And nestled in the city’s famous walls is the Tower Museum. During our trip, a mere £2 got us in the door to peruse a lengthy history of the city, dating back to its inception, going through the Troubles and ending up in postGood Friday Agreement Northern Ireland.

Now, like the rest of Northern Ireland, I can’t in any way guarantee you’ll be subjected to the deluge of baking, cloud-free sun we experienced on a day which also played host to the city’s annual marathon.

One thing Derry is playing catch-up on is the better beer scene – something Belfast has really led the way on over the last few years.

If landing into the city by rail, the Walled City Brewery at Ebrington Square, is a brewpub and restaurant, run by James Huey.

We opted for a pint of Paradise City – a strong IPA by Manchester’s ever-burgeoning Alphabet Brewing Company – one of the pub’s guest beers.

There’s a full lunch and dinner menu, but a few small plates of hummus, olives and well-smoked and, seemingly, cured pork ribs, provided a more than suitable snack.

Some other pub spots offering up something other than the usual litany of commercial lagers include the Guildhall Taphouse – where you’ll find brews from Yellow Belly, Galway Bay and Donegal’s Kinnegar – along with

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Blackbird and Sandinos.

The city has a variety of straight-forward bistros, most offering a solid range or hearty fare for very little dough. Some also still have a penchant for offers such as 30% off an entire bill (plus a somewhat unhealthy interest in serving tobacco onions with almost everything).

Also across the Foyle on the Waterside is Browns. Ian Orr’s flagship restaurant has, since opening almost a decade ago, been one of the highlights of the food scene in the city.

But despite a strong culinary reputation, it offers up very good value lunch menu as well as a regular al la carte.

While driving is an option, and the bus from Belfast the quickest form of public transport, Tranlink’s hourly link from Belfast, cutting around the coast, is a more relaxing way to travel, and offers up vistas worthy of a tourism brochure, especially when the train hits Castlerock.

But before heading back, another relaxing and luxurious food option for visitors is the Bishop’s Gate hotel’s afternoon tea.

In the intimate backdrop of an upstairs ‘library’ and wingback chairs, there’s a selection of symmetrical sandwiches, pastries, cakes and mini-desserts, with a seemingly endless supply of tea. ■

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TECHNOLOGY

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering

Seven ways that Apple may change the world as we know it Apple has made some major announcements that could herald big changes to how we use technology in the future. Adrian Weckler investigates

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Apple slapped Facebook again Apple once again used a major event to put distance between itself and Facebook as ‘Big Tech’ companies.

With disdain dripping from his voice, vicepresident Craig Federighi said that iPhones and Macs were now stepping up efforts to “shut down” Facebook’s attempts to follow you around the web with ‘likes’ and other things.

buttons, for example, Apple devices will ask users whether they want to allow the tracking to happen.

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Mr Federighi said that they want to make it “dramatically more difficult for these companies to track you”.

Apple’s new group FaceTime feature could be a big deal for business Arguably the biggest immediate feature upgrade from the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) this year was group messaging on FaceTime. Up to 32 people can join a single FaceTime call with a really nice implementation of the feature on the phone.

When an ad tracks a user through those ‘like’

This is interesting for anyone who regularly

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does conference calls on systems such as BlueJeans. It arguably adds a greater hook to iPhones as a default company phone, on the basis that group calls among staff (or clients) can now be done as standard – as long as everyone has an iPhone or iPad. Indeed, Mr Cook suggested as much, joking that he looked forward to getting on calls with his management team every Sunday night.

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Apple is gradually reaching down to include entry-level users In previous years, it has been common for Apple to limit its new software

TECHNOLOGY

Apple boss Tim Cook at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference

upgrades to phones that are three or four years old and newer. That meant that handme-down phones and handsets that were bought second hand by those who couldn’t afford a brand new device were stuck with last year’s technology.

This time, the company isn’t excluding iPhones or iPads that were on the cusp of obsolescence. It has said that any device which can run iOS 11 (last year’s software) will also be able to run iOS 12.

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Apple’s iOS and MacOS are getting closer One of the big recurring questions that Apple has faced in recent years is: ‘Are you merging iOS and MacOS?’ “No, of course not,” Mr Federighi said. But he then went on to show how iOS apps will be easier to run on Macs.

The question is understandable. Apple’s iPhone business is a multiple of its Mac business. Arguably, phones have eaten into the overall computing market, with traditional computers starting to be used less and less for casual communication and entertainment.

So where once it seemed that phones were aping the functions and features of PCs, now

AUGUST 2018

it may actually be the other way around.

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Apple acknowledged that our screen time habits are getting out of hand While the word “addiction” is tossed around very lightly (and sometimes irresponsibly, as medical or psychological addiction can be a serious, life-threatening matter) by pseudo-experts trying to get attention, most of us know that we spend a bit too much time staring at our phones.

But we just can’t help it. So Apple is introducing new modes in iOS 12 that limit our own screen time and that of our kids.

Notifications won’t show at night if we so enable, allowing us to avoid picking our phone up and staying glued to it past midnight.

For kids, there are now controls that include time limits on specific apps or the whole phone. Once the time limit expires, the phone needs parental input to continue working.

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Apple appears to be building its own social network What do you get when you mix group FaceTime calls, expanded emoji (‘memoji’ that can make an animated emoji

from your own face) and new suggestions for sharing your phone photos with other people in your contact list? It sounds more than a little like a social network.

The new Photos suggestion feature, for example, prompts you with who it thinks is in your photo and then suggests that you share the photo with them over Messages. That same feature will then look for photos your recipient may have taken at the same time and event and suggest to them that they send those photos back to you or to others in the nascent group.

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September is going to be a giant hardware launch date for Apple Anyone expecting new hardware announcements may have been a little disappointed. While WWDC isn’t traditionally the place for new hardware announcements

by Apple, last year’s event saw a lot of new hardware announced, from the HomePod to a new iMac Pro and a new iPad Pro. The company has become so big with so many different product categories that we’d all just assumed there would be some new hardware announced, especially MacBook updates.

The absence of any hardware announcements means there will now likely be an absolute ton of them in September. ■

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MY DAY Uncovering the 9-5 Name: Miles Canning Position: Head of product and brand at BLK BOX 5.30am My day always starts early. The alarm goes off and I get ready to head in to BLK BOX HQ which is in Titanic Quarter’s Channel Commercial Park.

6.00am I begin the day in our showroom gym, stretching out muscles with a range of movement and yoga routine then hit a quick workout before kicking into a busy day.

7.30am I start work by reviewing my inbox and looking at emails which have come in overnight. We are working to grow our international footprint into new markets such as Dubai and we’ve also secured a trial contract to fit out a number of PureGym facilities so it’s a particularly busy and exciting time for the company.

8.15Aam We begin our BLK BOX daily huddle where we bring together the whole team and review our ongoing projects. Our staff numbers continue to increase on a monthly basis so our huddles are getting bigger all the time.

9.00am I spend time working with our design team, reviewing new product designs and custom equipment for our clients. We are currently working on developing a new rig system, additional storage solutions as well as a fully functional offering for PureGym. 10.00am I jump in a short taxi ride from our Titanic Quarter offices to Belfast City Airport and board a flight to England. We have a number of clients across the UK and it’s important that we are on-site with them regularly. The flight is a great time to catch up on more work.

12.00pm I attend a site meeting in London. Recently these have been with our clients Gym Box and

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PureGym. I usually try to bundle two or three meetings into one trip to maximise the time.

2.00pm I have a quick lunch on the go which for me is usually a salad with proteins of some description. I like to use this time to catch up on a podcast or audio book. At BLK BOX we’re always learning and I like to consume a healthy amount of knowledge each week that’ll improve us as a team and individuals.

3.00pm If there is a live site close by its always good to check in on an installation project or visit a newly opened gym to keep up to date with trends and innovations. Our sector is worth over £4.7bn and we have identified a gap in the market for high quality custom products so it’s important to keep on top of what else is out there.

5.00pm I board the flight back to Belfast and compile my notes and photos from the day into one central location. I use Google Drive and Trello as great project management platforms.

7.00pm I’m a level one CrossFit coach at CrossFit Berserk. At Berserk I lead the group class or take new members through the fundamentals course before they begin group classes. After, and if the weather is good, I’ll spend some time outside to get at least an hour of walking. Unless it’s a Wednesday in which case there is a tradition of wings and a burger at Bootleggers with the boys.

9.00pm By this point I’m usually on my last legs so it’s just a cup of tea then bed… very rock’n’roll.

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Outstanding connectivity with 66 offices worldwide, including 6 across the US and 11 in the UK, and full service coverage on the island of Ireland, enables our Belfast team to advise local clients from a unique perspective.

A responsive service that brings real value to the first class legal solutions we provide. We don’t just give advice: we solve problems, we help you manage risks, we open up opportunities and deliver solutions that save you time and money.

Find out how our legal team in Belfast can support your growth and development ambitions, wherever you want to be.

Peter Curran Partner +44 28 9091 8604 petercurran@eversheds-sutherland.ie

eversheds-sutherland.ie

abbeybondlovis.co.uk

Gareth Planck Partner +44 28 9568 0556 garethplanck@eversheds-sutherland.ie

Advising Northern Ireland’s leading businesses A&L Goodbody is proud to be at the forefront of domestic and international business activity in Northern Ireland.

To find out how we can assist your business, please contact: Michael Neill Head of Belfast Office +44 28 9072 7433 mneill@algoodbody.com

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www.algoodbody.com