Business Ireland Q2 2014

Q2 2014

Attracting

Talent TripAdvisor’s Lars Holzman on securing top staff

Fit For

Funding ​ usinesses B look beyond banks for capital

Smart ThinkING Samsung’s

Gary Twohig

talks gadgets, technology and digital domination

News Lifestyle Industry Spotlight My Dublin Chamber

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Smart Thinking

Director of Samsung Ireland Gary Twohig spoke to JOSEPH O’CONNOR about gadgets, technology and digital domination.

COVER STORY

THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT WORKING IN A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

GARY TWOHIG

IS THAT

YESTERDAY IS HISTORY.

Samsung has become something of a trailblazer in consumer electronics.

Gary Twohig, Director of Samsung Ireland, sat down with JOSEPH O’CONNOR to talk gadgets, aesthetics and about the company’s plans to become a mainstay in households, high streets and business.

S

Colm McDermott

amsung and Gary Twohig appear to make the perfect fit. Twohig, who was recently appointed Director of Samsung Electronics Ireland – the company he has been employed with for the past nine years – could be described as something of a design aficionado. The other – a global electronics producer – is taking technology to imaginative new directions with slick, innovative and thought-provoking products. Meeting Twohig in person, his enthusiasm for aesthetics is apparent. Armed with the

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latest tablet designs from the Samsung Galaxy range, he appears smartly dressed in a blue open-neck shirt and navy suit, sporting a holiday tan picked up on a recent trip to Italy.

It is no coincidence that Twohig and Samsung crossed paths. While working for Virgin Mobile in the UK, he noticed the emergence of the electronics producer as a force to be reckoned with in the market and decided it was the kind of company he wanted to be part of. “I’ve always been interested in design. Whether it’s mobile phones or interior design - just design. I like things that look nice,” he says as he lays the products on the desk in front, like a salesman about to deliver his pitch. “I always liked the style of the Samsung devices that were coming through back then. It was a company I wanted to work for. I could see the opportunity with where they were in the market and where they were going. So I actively tried to get a role with them and thankfully I was successful and moved from Virgin into Samsung in the UK.”

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34 FEATURES

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Industry Spotlight:

Funding Options

VALERIE JORDAN looks at four companies providing a range of new and innovative funding options for SMEs.

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Entrepreneur

AOIFE LOY profiles Irish entrepreneur Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh who is making waves overseas with her new wonder material.

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Destination Deluxe

As Luxair resumes its direct service between Dublin and Luxembourg, DEAN VAN NGUYEN examines why Irish businesses should take a closer look at this tiny, landlocked country.

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T here’s an App for That Ten handy mobile apps that will make life a little easier in the capital.

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A Team Building Exercise

VALERIE JORDAN spoke to Lars Holzman of TripAdvisor to find out about their new Dublin office and their approach to attracting a talented team.

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I nterpreting Ideas Richard Carr of advertising agency Rothco spoke to CONOR FORREST about their recent campaigns and the importance of encouraging creativity in the company.

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Taking Centre Stage

The 55th Dublin Theatre Festival takes place this year. VALERIE JORDAN looks at why it’s worth taking in a show.

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Editor: Joseph O’Connor Commercial Editor: Valerie Jordan

Motoring | Summer Essentials | Travel Briefs | Beer | Gadgets

Managing Editor: Mary Connaughtan

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Design & Layout: Alan McArthur Front Cover Photography: Colm McDermott Production Executive: Nicole Ennis Production Manager: Mary Connaughtan Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Contributors: Conor Forrest Valerie Jordan Aoife Loy Graeme McQueen Dean Van Nguyen

The Electric

REVOLUTION BMW’s revolutionary i8 electric sports car hit Irish shores in July.

CONOR FORREST reports. | 80

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BUSINESS IRELAND MAGAZINE is published by Ashville Media Group, on behalf of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce ASHVILLE MEDIA GROUP Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7.

Tel: (01) 432 2200; Fax: (01) 672 7100 Email: info@ashville.com DUBLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 7 Clare Street. Tel: (01) 644 7200; Fax: (01) 676 6043; Email: info@dublinchamber.ie; Web: www.dublinchamber.ie Material printed in this journal is not necessarily endorsed by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce or

by Ashville Media Group.

All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © 2014

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Field of Dreams

For almost two decades Astropark has given Dubliners the opportunity to play a friendly game of football all year round.

BUSINESS IRELAND took to the field to find out more.

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Security Matters

DIY Hire

Linda Davis, Founder of Next Generation Recruitment, has advice for SMEs looking to secure top talent.

59

here Energy W Efficiency Meets Economic Gain

The Irish Security Industry Association wants you to protect your business and has outlined its top ten tips for keeping it secure.

BUSINESS IRELAND looks at how we can benefit from being a more energy efficient nation and profiles the organisations playing their part in economic and environmental success.

MY DUBLIN CHAMBER

LIFESTYLE

43 The latest news, events and members at the Chamber.

NEWS 4 8 10 12

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Briefcase SME Bites Capital Investment Movers & Shakers

80 84 85 86 87 88

Motoring Summer Essentials Travel Briefs Beer Business Tech Timeout On a Lighter Note

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BUSINESS ENERGY SAVINGS ARE ONLY A CLICK AWAY In today’s climate, all businesses are battling to cut costs. Your first step to saving your company both energy and money is to register with SEAI and arrange your free energy assessment. Whatever your business size, this can help cut your energy bills by up to 20%!

Register today for an SEAI energy assessment and start saving energy and money.

Visit www.seai.ie/business or call 01 808 2100

Briefcase

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Best Managed Company Awards launched Deloitte has announced the launch of the 2015 Best Managed Companies Awards Programme. The successful indigenous Irish companies in this year’s programme will join the growing network of almost 100 leading companies that have been recognised in the six years since the programme began.

The programme recognises companies of outstanding quality that have demonstrated superior business performance, and showcases the power of the best Irish indigenous companies. The companies recognised for the first time in year six of the programme alone employ nearly 5,000 people.

For further information and details of how to enter the awards, visit www.deloittebestmanaged.ie. The closing date for entries is August 8th 2014.

Some of the 2014 Winners

Kevin Sheehan, Partner, Deloitte; Siobhan McAleer, Head of Strategic Partnerships, IMI; Ramona Nicholas of winning company Cara Pharmacy; and Andrew Hastings, CEO, Barclays Bank Ireland.

The latest business news from Dublin

naconda Equipment A International Cliff House Hotel Donnybrook Fair Ltd Heatons enderson H Foodservice Ltd J ohnson & Perrott Motor Group KCC Architectural Modular Automation Viatel / Digiweb Ltd Zenith Technologies

Briefcase

Shine a Light for Charity Focus Ireland has announced details of its Shine a Light Night, the charity’s flagship corporate event whereby business leaders sleep out together for one night in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens or Cork’s historic city Gaol to raise funds and awareness of the issue of homelessness here in Ireland. Since 2012 over 120 business leaders have slept out and raised over a675,000 to support our work.

The 2014 sleep-outs will take place simultaneously in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens and Cork’s historic City Gaol on Friday 17th October and Shine a Light night is once again kindly supported by Aviva Ireland.

Learn more about Shine a Light Night, past participants and how to get involved by contacting Eleanor on 01 8815900 or eflew@ focusireland.ie or visit focusireland.ie

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COVER STORY

THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT WORKING IN A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

Cover Story GARY TWOHIG

IS THAT

YESTERDAY IS HISTORY.

Samsung has become something of a trailblazer in consumer electronics.

Gary Twohig, Director of Samsung Ireland, sat down with JOSEPH O’CONNOR to talk gadgets, aesthetics and about the company’s plans to become a mainstay in households, high streets and business.

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Cool Coders Recognised

Coding whizzkids came in their droves to DCU on Saturday June 7th to demo a dizzying array of cool and imaginative coding ideas at the CoderDojo Coolest Projects awards ceremony. The Coolest Projects Awards, now in their third year, are an opportunity for members of local coding clubs or dojos to showcase the application of the skills and knowledge they have gained from attending their weekly coding sessions. The event has gone from strength to strength each year with 250 projects being presented to an expert judging panel. This year, support from Liberty Global, parent company of UPC, allowed CoderDojo to increase the reach of the event to include projects from dojos in the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.

Pictured speaking at CoderDojo Coolest Projects Awards ceremony is Magnus Ternsjö, CEO of UPC Ireland.

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“I think like any consumer thinks and that puts me in a good position.”

Gary Twohig, Director of Samsung Electronics Ireland.

CoderDojo is a non profit global movement founded by James Whelton and Bill Liao. It all started in James Whelton’s school in early 2011 when James received some publicity after hacking the iPod Nano and as a result some younger students expressed an interest in learning how to code. He set up a computer club in his Cork school where he started teaching students basic HTML and CSS. Later that year he met Bill Liao, a entrepreneur and philanthropist, who was interested in growing the project into something bigger. By making the movement open source it has led to hundreds of dedicated champions setting up more Dojos around Ireland and the CoderDojo movement has grown to become a global phenomenon.>

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Briefcase

Quarterly Characters BUSINESS Ireland looks at some of the tweets of the quarter @JunckerEU

I am more confident than ever that I will be the next European Commission President

Former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker three weeks before landing the top post in Brussels.

Economist and author of best-seller Capital in the Twenty-First Century Thomas Piketty lets his book sales do the tweeting.

@IDAIRELAND

Ireland is the “goodest” country according to influential survey #WhyIreland

Ireland’s investment promotion agency shares the news that Ireland is ranked number one in the inaugural Good Country Index.

@OisinQuinn344

It has been a great honour to serve our city as its 344 Lord Mayor.

Dublin’s future is bright.

Thank you Dublin!

Oisín Quinn thanks the city as his tenure as Dublin Lord Mayor comes to an end.

@CIA

We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet

As Twitter arrivals go, the Central Intelligence Agency’s was pretty good.

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Events Venue at Mansion House Open for Business

Conference Events Venue.

Following a dramatic redesign last year, The Conference & Events Venue at The Mansion House now boasts one of Dublin’s most impressive and desirable event spaces. On May 21st a showcase lunch featuring guest speaker Ramona Nicholas of the Cara Group, welcomed representatives of over 200 of Ireland’s most influential companies and associations, including Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, LinkedIn and Pfizer.

For six years, the top architects, conversationalists, interior designers, construction experts and event industry leaders in Europe worked together on the a2.25 million redesign. The investment in the venue was built around a five-year business plan. Projected growth for this year is forecasted at 30 per cent.

The Lowdown

@Thomas_piketty

I won’t defend my book, the sales will have to do that for me

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel has been announced as a speaker at The Summit conference, which is due to take place in Dublin later this year. Thiel co-founded PayPal in 1998 and has been a prolific investor in other technology companies, including Facebook and Stripe.

Millions of commuters in Barcelona are seeing ads for Ireland on trams operating on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, Avenida Diagonal.

Tourism Ireland has teamed up with Spain’s largest online travel agent – eDreams – for a joint promotional campaign, wrapping the trams in a giant Ireland ad to boost travel here this summer.

Jurys Inn has launched a significantly enhanced online booking tool ‘Jurys Business Booker’ for business travellers which will allow them to seamlessly manage their reservations with the Hotel Group online and avail of significant benefits including promotional offers and loyalty points.

Office rents in Dublin have grown by almost one quarter in the space of a year, according to new research

by Savills. The rapid increase in the price of office space in the capital can be partially attributed to the depths to which the market sank during the recession, according to the property agency.

Briefcase

Horse Show TroTs Into Town The Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show will take place from Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th August, showcasing the best in national and international showjumping. The show has something for everyone, with top class international showjumping taking place in the Main Arena each day, over 300 retail exhibitors, the ever popular Kids Zone, RDS Arts & Crafts Exhibition, live music and entertainment daily.

Suzanne O’Brien won the prize for Most Creative Hat at last year’s event.

Ireland embraces entrepreneurial spirit Ireland has been ranked as the EU’s best performer for entrepreneurism according to the Global Entrepreneurial Report published by Oracle Capital Group.

Placed seventh overall, Ireland scored well for prior experience and for early stage business activity.

The report presents a ranking measure of entrepreneurism in 33 major industrial nations and emerging economies, measuring the opinions, attitudes, experiences and activity that contribute to entrepreneurism, by looking at factors such as “perception of entrepreneurs”, “attitude to risks involved in starting a new venture”, “fear of failure”, “willingness to risk personal finance” and “national levels of entrepreneurial activity”, amongst others.

Industry Goes Local

Marie Byrne, Dublin Whiskey Company; Eugene Ryan, Barley Farmer; Vincent Flannery, Publican; Bart Storan, Support Your Local Campaign Manager; and Tony Foley, Economist, DCU Business School.

Top 10

Bottom 10

1.......................India

24....................Spain

2.................... Turkey

25...............Portugal

3........................ USA

26..............Denmark

4......................Brazil

27..................France

5......................China

28.........................UK

6...................Iceland

29............... Hungary

7....................Ireland

30...................... Italy

8....................Russia

31.............. Germany

9...................Estonia

32............... Belgium

10.................. Austria

33.................. Japan

Entrepreneurial Countries

Entrepreneurial Countries

The drinks industry has launched a major national campaign entitled ‘Support Your Local’. The campaign is designed to highlight the significant financial and social contribution made by the Irish drinks industry, including employing 92,000 people in every corner of Ireland; buying a1.1 billion worth of Irish inputs; and offering a unique hospitality experience, renowned internationally, in the pubs of Ireland.

The report entitled Drinks Related Employment in Dail Constituencies was carried out by Tony Foley from the DCU Business School.

An industry-wide pledge clarifying the members’ position on the necessary steps that must be taken in order to address alcohol misuse was issued at the report launch. It stated that the signatories have sought to work with Government in order to play an appropriate role in addressing issues pertaining to the misuse of alcohol in this country.

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Bites

Export Growth Among SMEs A new survey has found that 65 per cent of Irish SMEs expect to increase their export sales this year with a further 40 per cent planning to hire staff to cope with this growth.

The latest Exports Outlook Report, commissioned by AIB, also found that 30 per cent of SMEs plan to export to new markets in 2014. Along with the report, AIB also announced the establishment of a specialist nationwide team to assist SME exporters as well as a a200 million fund to support exporting companies.

SME Business Ireland takes a look at the latest news and advice for SMEs operating in the capital.

Guide to Selling Online The Dublin Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Ireland, has launched an online selling guide to help Irish SMEs keep up-to-speed with new EU consumer legislation which came into force in June. The second edition of the ‘Top 10 Tips for Selling Online’ guide outlines key issues such as privacy statements, terms and conditions, withdrawal periods and product quality and will allow Irish firms to comply with the new EU Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights.

Cross-border Sales Support InterTradeIreland has launched the next phase of its sales development programme, Elevate, which aims to help small businesses develop sales opportunities through first time cross-border exports. Through Elevate, InterTradeIreland provides sector-specific sales support across a range of sectors, including food and beverage, construction, engineering, as well as many others. In the past two years, the programme has already helped 150 small businesses generate new cross-border sales of approximately £3/a3.7million.

Small businesses participating in ‘Elevate’ can choose from a list of more than 100 experienced industry specialists who can then help them to identify sales leads in the cross-border market, negotiate deals and share relevant market insights.

For more information on the Elevate programme, including eligibility criteria visit www.intertradeireland.com/elevate

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Quarterly Quote

Ann Neville, Director, European Consumer Centre, Lynnsey Delaney, Advisor, European Consumer Centre and Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber.

“I think it will help, but anyone who expects a seismic change will be disappointed.”

KBC Bank chief economist Austin Hughes responds to new measures announced by the European Central Bank which will make up to a400 billion available for banks to call on when lending to SMEs.

SME Bites

Putting SMEs in the picture @Irishbizparty

David Curtin, Chief Executive, IE Domain Registry (IEDR) and Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte at the launch of IEDR’s 2014 OPTIMISE e-commerce Fund.

Looking to raise money for your company, but not sure where to start?

Opportunity to Accelerate Bank of Ireland has announced the launch of the Bank of Ireland Accelerator Programme for start-up SMEs and talented entrepreneurs across all business sectors. This national programme offers up to ten start-ups an opportunity to join this unique initiative in what is a highly intensive three-month journey of discovery commencing September 2014. During this time, participants will receive the input and guidance of some of Ireland and Europe’s leading mentors and coaches from a network including Bill Liao and Sean O’Sullivan of SOS Ventures as well as Gavin Duffy of Dragon’s Den. The sole objective is to help develop and support viable, revenue positive, self-sustaining, high potential start-ups, whilst also creating opportunities for jobs, investment and expansion.

Accountable Financial Advice is best known as a provider of accountancy and tax advice services, but the company can also help out firms seeking to raise money. Company owner David Lafferty notes an uptick in the number of companies who have approached him over the past few years to help them to apply for funding, both through traditional bank lending and new sources such as crowd funding and peer to peer lending. “We specialise in helping start-ups, sole traders, private individuals and limited companies. We are currently offering a free consultation to businesses who are having problems with tax, a revenue audit, payroll, applying for a loan, business plan, starting a new business, closing a business or want to know how they can reduce their accountancy fees,” he says. To avail, contact David on 01 676 1777 or email david@ accountable.ie

What is it?

Established by Wexford-based entrepreneur Samantha Kelly, @Irishbizparty is an online Twitter forum for SMEs. What are its aims?

To give SMEs the opportunity to come together to offer advice on funding, marketing, etc to fellow business owners.

Is it only organised through Twitter?

No, @Irishbizparty members meet up in different locations around the country on a monthly basis allowing people to meet fellow members face to face. There is also a Facebook presence for those who don’t use Twitter.

How do I get involved?

Simply join the conversation. Each Wednesday the hashtag #Irishbizparty comes alive from 9-11pm on Twitter. All you have to do is tweet what you do and include #Irishbizparty in your tweet.

For further information go to irishbizparty.org

Over

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of businesses in Ireland believe that cash flow poses the greatest threat to their survival.

Source: The Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly poll that aims to gauge SME sentiment on a number of financial issues that affect their business.

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CaPITAL INVESTMENT

Capital

Investment Business Ireland looks at companies expanding or starting operations in Dublin and the jobs that are coming on stream.

Jobs:

Jobs:

60

Jobs:

Jobs:

Company: McDonalds Location: Carrickmines, Dublin

30

Company: Sheology Location: Dublin

20 Company: iTagged Location: Dublin

13

Company: Calor Gas Location: Dublin

The jobs will come on stream with the development of a new drive-thru at Carrickmines.

The digital publishing agency which published sites Mummypages.ie, MagicMum.com and SHEmazing.net will employ 30 new staff over the next year.

The Irish company is launching the iTagged reality app to the market with the creation of jobs in software development, R&D and marketing over the next 12 months.

Calor has announced that it will spend a10 million on a growth programme that will include the creation of 13 jobs.

Jobs:

Jobs:

Jobs:

Jobs:

200

90

15

400

The entreprise cloud applications company plans to double its workforce in Ireland over the next three years.

The company is to open an outlet store in Dublin’s Ilac Shopping Centre.

The jobs will be created as part of the Irish IT project management provider’s a15m expansion plan.

The roles will be in telesales, merchant services, cost solutions and risk operations which will be filled by 2018.

Company: Workday Inc Location: Dublin

Manpower Employment Outlook Survey:

The key findings | 10

Company: TK Maxx Location: Dublin

Staffing levels are forecast to grow in eight of 11 industry sectors and four of five regions during Q3 2014. On a year-over-year comparison hiring prospects improve in seven sectors and four regions.

The most optimistic sector, an outlook of +10% is reported by the mining and quarrying sector and the forecast for the sector is the strongest since Q3 2007.

Hiring intentions improve by 7 and 17 percentage points from Q2 2014 and Q3 2013, respectively.

Company: Saysha Location: Dublin

An outlook of +2% is reported by the construction sector ending a sequence of 10 consecutive negative forecasts.

This corresponds with the rise in building activity, noted in April, which was also the sharpest monthly rate of expansion seen since December 2004.

Company: PayPal Location: Louth

The weakest labour market is expected in the public and social sector (-8%), declining by 16 and 7 percentage points quarterover-quarter and year-over-year, respectively.

Dublin employers continue to expect the weakest regional labour market as in the previous two quarters with an outlook of -3%. Hiring plans remain relatively stable quarterover-quarter and are unchanged year-over-year.

PARTNER LED TEAMWORK YOUR LEGAL PARTNER

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Temple Chambers 3 Burlington Road Dublin 4, Ireland

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Temple Chambers 3 Burlington Road Dublin 4, Ireland

T +353 1 202 6400 F +353 1 667 5200 DX 25

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Movers & Shakers

Movers&Shakers Previous role: After Sales Manager, Skoda Ireland Seat Ireland has announced the appointment of John Cunningham as Head of After Sales. This senior appointment aims to strengthen the SEAT Ireland team and help the brand continue to grow its market share and year on year sales growth.

Cunningham has over 21 years’ experience in the motoring industry, most recently as after sales manager with Skoda Ireland. His new role will see him take responsibility for driving the growth of parts and accessories and ensuring customer satisfaction remains strong.

New title: Communications Director Employer: Merrion Vaults Previous role: CEO, TNT24.ie Merrion Vaults, Ireland’s only purpose-built safe deposit box facility, has announced the appointment of Nigel Doolin as Communications Director.

Doolin joins the company with over 20 years’ experience in the design, advertising and marketing arenas. He has a proven track record of creating high visibility for brands, and in-turn increased sales.

Having worked exclusively on an online project for the last 3 years with successful results, Merrion Vaults are looking forward to utilising the full range of Doolin’s skills.

Joe Carmody

Employer: SEAT Ireland

Nigel Doolin

John Cunningham | 12

New title: Head of After Sales

New title: Director Employer: Edelman Ireland Previous role: Head of Corporate & Financial Division Joe Carmody has been appointed as head of Edelman Ireland, having joined the international public relations firm over seven years ago. Previously with Murray Consultants and Drury Communications, Carmody will now lead a team of over 25 employees at Edelman Ireland.

Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, present in 13 markets and employing over 5,000 people across its network of 67 offices globally.

With Carmody’s leadership, the company is now looking to grow within the digital and healthcare sectors building on recent new business wins.

Movers & Shakers

New appointments in the business community nationwide.

Previous role: Account Director, Samsung Gerry Ryan joined the Chamber on May 1st with overall responsibility for membership development. His role is to develop propositions for new corporate and business members while also managing the business development team. Ryan has a wealth of business development and people management and has served in senior management positions both here in Ireland with Vodafone and Meteor and also with Digicel in The Caribbean and Central America.

Ryan is a graduate of Dublin City University where he obtained a Bachelors of Business Studies.

New title: Global CEO Employer: CoderDojo Foundation Previous role: Managing Director, Accenture Mary Moloney has been appointed Global CEO of the CoderDojo Foundation.

An experienced senior executive, Moloney has held a number of lead positions at Accenture and clients of Accenture’s including Partner, Managing Director and Multiple C-Suite positions. She is also involved in a number of non profit initiatives such as the Dublin Fringe Festival, Dress for Success, Institute of International & European Affairs and the European Women’s Network. Familiar with CoderDojo, through her nine-year old son attending the Science Gallery Dojo, she is also in the process of setting up a Dojo where she lives in Sandymount, Dublin.

Jean Hoey

Employer: Dublin Chamber

Mary Moloney

Gerry Ryan

New title: Head of Membership Development

New title: Head of Public Affairs Employer: BT Ireland Previous role: Director, Member Development Services, Dublin Chamber BT Ireland has announced the appointment of Jean Hoey as its new head of public affairs. Hoey joins the corporate services team from Dublin Chamber of Commerce and brings with her more than 10 years’ experience in relationship building, stakeholder engagements and lobbying activities.

Hoey will work with Gráinne Browne to develop and execute a public affairs plan that will incorporate policy issues and business strategy in BT Ireland and align this with a strategic engagements programme for key stakeholders both in terms of political and business influencers.

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Your Business.

It’s Our Business We are proud to be the trusted advisors to Ireland’s most successful privately owned and family businesses.

Helping you succeed is at the core of what we do.

To find out more on how we can help you contact Colin O’Brien or Olivia Lynch at 353 1 410 1000.

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Industry Spotlight

Fit for

Funding In this issue’s Industry Spotlight, Valerie Jordan takes a look at four companies providing a range of new and innovative funding options for small and medium sized enterprises.

Funding Options

Government Support

A

ccess to credit is fundamental for a business to grow and thrive. In the last number of years bank credit has become increasingly rigid and harder to come by. The media has made much of the lack of funding for businesses and its negative impact on growth. However, the real picture of finance options for businesses is more multi-dimensional: Demand for credit is lower than most would believe and the availability of funding options now goes far beyond the banks.

The SME Credit Demand Survey covering the period October 2013 – March 2014, published in June 2014, showed that trading conditions are improving for Irish SMEs. 74 per cent (up two per cent) of companies surveyed responded that turnover had increased or remained stable and the number of profit-making businesses increased from 48 per cent to 51 per cent over the survey period. Despite the improvement in conditions, demand for credit remains low with 35 per cent of the 1,500 SMEs surveyed applying for credit during the period: 65 per cent of applications were approved. The decline rate was highest for micro-enterprises at 20 per cent.

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Industry Spotlight

Interestingly many SMEs are unaware of some or all of the Government supports available to their businesses.

Awareness of the Credit Review Office has fallen from 67 per cent to 64 per cent. 52 per cent of the companies surveyed were aware of the Credit Guarantee Scheme and 26 per cent were aware of the Microfinance Loan Fund.

Funding is no longer monopolised by the banks. A number of different companies have broken away from traditional lending models to leverage business finance. In this report, Business Ireland takes a look at some of the alternative funding options available for those businesses seeking credit for growth.

Money for Micros Microfinance Ireland (MFI) was launched as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs to provide loans from a2,000 up to a25,000 to micro-businesses, with less than ten employees and a turnover of less than a2 million per annum. The fund exists to finance businesses that have been declined credit by their bank (the decline rate by banks is highest to micro-enterprises) to support businesses and jobs in local communities. Start-ups and existing businesses such as sole traders, partnerships or limited companies are all eligible to apply.

“For some time there has been considerable disquiet about the availability of funding opportunities for the micro-business sector. As part of the wider SME community they face even greater challenges when it comes to finance and credit. We

Small businesses that are refused credit should avail of the services of the Credit Review Office, which is overturning approximately 55 per cent of cases referred to them.” | 16

MFI have approved €543m in loans to 245 micro-enterprises, resulting in about 560 jobs.”

Michael Johnson, CEO Microfinance.

were established to fill that gap,” says Michael Johnson, CEO. “The Government kicked off the MFI initiative by investing an initial figure of a10m. We then had to go out and use that a10m in leveraging funding that we can lend on to the microbusiness community.”

MFI offers one product for both working capital and capital expenditure with the same interest rate of 8.8 per cent APR fixed. There are no other fees or charges connected with their loans.

Repayments may be increased or repaid earlier with no extra charges and applications are welcomed from all sectors.

“The reason banks are not willing to advance loans in some of these cases is because they consider the risk too great,” says Johnson. “Banks are in business to make money, they must engage in profitable business activities that bring in a return on investment.

We’re a not-for-profit so we’re looking to break even. We have focused on trying to fill the gap by providing a solution which takes on a higher level of risk than the banks are willing to take.”

Currently, to apply for this type of funding businesses must have been refused bank credit, though this is something Johnson sees as an unnecessary hurdle and will look to eliminate as MFI evolves. “Our main assessment is the potential viability of the business applying for the loan – we look at their business plan, their own capabilities and make a judgement as to whether the business justifies us

taking the risk in an unsecured manner.”

He continues: “We’re starting to see much higher levels of business activity and we’re very confident that we are establishing ourselves in a visible way with the market we wish to serve.

We have found people doing normal business activities in every town the length and breadth of the country and these are the lifeblood of employment and local economic activity. We’re focused on doing a lot more and driving this business up to around a6m in loan approvals by the end of this year. That would represent us doing about three times what we’ve done in previous periods. We’re very serious about growing our business activity and leaving a much stronger footprint on the micro-enterprise community.”

For more information or to apply visit www.microfinanceireland.ie

Brothers In Arms Close Brothers Commercial Finance entered the Irish market in 2008 offering bespoke asset finance solutions to small and medium sized businesses across a variety of sectors. Asset finance assists businesses to fund purchases with limited capital where repayments match income. Businesses can also use asset finance to refinance their business by unlocking the value of their assets.

“The benefits of asset finance are clear. In contrast to bank loans and overdrafts this form of funding is a flexible, cost-effective method that allows the purchase of vital assets with a low capital outlay. It enables businesses to invest and prepare for any challenges that may come their way, such as seasonal fluctuations in the business, or maintaining a steady cashflow,” says Adrian Madden, Head of Sales.

Close Brothers’ finance services include hire purchasing, tailored to

Industry Spotlight

suit different budgets and seasonality of income. They also provide a leasing service, which gives businesses the benefits of ownership without the potential financial burden. “Despite economic recovery looking more positive than it has done for years, we have noticed that businesses continue to be conservative in their purchases, with a lot of firms choosing to hire products rather than buy them to reduce their financial commitments,” reveals Madden.

Close Brothers provide refinance packages to businesses based on the value of the equity in their existing assets. The company buys the asset at a percentage of its value and leases it back to the company over an agreed period: The company can still use the asset and inject part of its value as cash into the business. “This releases vital working capital back into the business and supports cashflow. Our capability to refinance is a unique offering in the market today,” advises Madden.

Close Brothers also offer invoice financing packages, allowing companies to raise cash against up to 85 per cent of their sales ledger. Where businesses normally have to wait between 60 and 90 days for an invoice to be paid, invoice finance unlocks that capital immediately. This option is designed to equip businesses with working capital and is suitable for any company that

The March 2014 Close Brothers Business Barometer found that 40 per cent of respondents in Ireland said that restricted cash flow was their main barrier to growth.” provides a product or service on credit.

“We recognised that there was a gap in the market for someone to take a different approach and that’s just what we do,” says Madden, who’s buoyant about the business outlook after several years of austerity. “Business confidence appears to be rising,” he says. “The Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly survey of SMEs, showed that a third of firms believe their business will expand in the next year. Those in the SME sector seem to be growing increasingly optimistic about their opportunities to prosper, which makes it an ideal time to think about funding growth. It’s crucial to have appropriate funding in place to allow business objectives to be met.”

To find out how Close Brothers Commercial Finance can help your business visit www.closecommercialfinance.ie

The Missing Link Crowdfunding, or peer-to-peer lending, is becoming a worldwide phenomenon, emerging as a real alternative for businesses looking to raise money to grow and expand. Linked Finance was established in March 2013 by Peter O’Mahony, the man behind Dublin’s Laughter Lounge comedy club. With banks’ refusal to lend money seen as no laughing matter, Linked Finance now match small businesses with individuals who are willing to lend money through this model.

Businesses can request loans of between a5,000 to a50,000, repayable over three years. The criteria for borrowing is that the business has to be trading for at least two years, be tax compliant, have a turnover of a100,000 and be able to supply independent account records. “We’re not for startups,” advises O’Mahony. “There’s quite a lot of money available for start-ups in Ireland but there’s very little money for a business in its growth stage.”

Loan capital is generated from a number of small lenders through the Linked Finance website. Investors are ordinary people with small amounts of money to lend to businesses and typically businesses borrow from 180 of these small time investors. Lenders select their own interest rate and Linked Finance run a real-time 14-day auction. While lower rates are given

Close Brothers Commercial Finance Asset (Ireland).

17 |

Industry Spotlight

Peter O’Mahony, founder, Linked Finance.

The reason we’re called Linked Finance is because we have a channel open where the borrower can communicate directly with their lenders.“ priority, to get the loan for the business at the best possible rates they are generally preferable to those of the banks for both borrower and lender.

The other benefits of this type of funding include fixed rates on repayments for the term of the loan, a quick application process and quick decision, where auctions run for just 14 days. There are no penalties for early repayments. Businesses also have the option of keeping their identity confidential or using it as a promotion tool.

For lenders the process is similarly straightforward: Investors must be over 18, have a valid passport or driver’s license and an Irish bank account to lend money through Linked Finance.

“The reason we’re called Linked Finance is because we have a channel open where the borrower can communicate directly with their lenders. They can also use that channel to give updates like if they’ve opened a new shop or they’ve got a new range of something – to create the community,” says O’Mahony. “Hopefully

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the lenders get really attached to the company. The reverse also happens – the business is seeing the whites of the eyes of their investors – they feel indebted to them and they’ll make sure that they get their payments back on time.”

Renowned philanthropist Kingsley Aikins is the chairman of Linked Finance.

“One of his reasons for being involved is he’s very interested in attracting the Irish diaspora to lend money,” says O’Mahony. “All you need is an Irish bank account to lend. We find that when we have a Tipp’ or Cork business, it tends to be reallyn heavily supported by locals.

“I think the most exciting thing is the growth of the market. In the early days we were providing one loan a week – now we’re nearly doing a loan a day, five a week. The momentum is good.”

To lend or apply for a loan with Linked Finance go to www.linkedfinance.com

The Exchange Experts Since mid-2013, more than a10m of working capital has been provided to numerous Irish micro-medium sized businesses trading on Debtors Exchange® web based exchange.

Business owners need absolute certainty on the availability of working capital to ensure continued operational success, particularly within the micromedium sized business sector. An alternative to the traditional overdraft or invoice financing facility quietly

entered the Irish market last year: Debtors Exchange® non-bank finance replaces the overdraft seamlessly by providing equitable, low cost capital with certainty, using a selling model to provide liquidity and funding.

Following three years in development, Debtors Exchange® completed its first trade on July 4th 2013. From a standing start the company has recruited more than 75 Irish retail investors and is on target to meet trading of a35m by year end. It’s also at the advanced stages of receiving further funding from institutional investors in both Dublin and London.

Buyers on Debtors Exchange® are investors with excess capital seeking a yield. Business owners, as the originators of invoices, are the sellers. Debtors Exchange® negotiates and strikes deals on a daily basis by matching investors’ buy to originators’ sell orders. To manage an orderly market, originator sell offers are filled according to specific funding allocation dates that are published on the dedicated Debtors Exchange® website.

On each allocation date the exchange agrees to provide the originator’s total annual working capital requirement and thereby funding certainty.

Unlike traditional lending models, the originator is not required to sell their ‘whole book’ and nor do they provide any liens or personal guarantees. They simply select the debtors whose invoices they wish to sell and Debtors Exchange® buys them on behalf of investors on the exchange. As a percentage of turnover, funding costs tend to be low at 0.5 – 5.0 per cent per annum.

Any micro, small or medium sized business owner in need of working capital could consider this finance option – providing equitable, low cost capital in today’s market without the need for liens or guarantees is a welcome alternative for many businesses. The Debtors Exchange® management team believe that in time this company will become an effective alternative for providing working capital in the micro-medium sized business sector in Ireland and, over time, further afield.

Further information is available on the Debtors Exchange® website: www.debtorsxchange.com

PUT A ROOF OVER YOUR PENSION. A key feature of Independent Trustee Company Limited (ITC) self-administered pension arrangements is your ability to identify and acquire specific property investments.

WHY SELF-ADMINISTERED? Income tax relief on employee and employer contributions remains at the higher rate of tax.* All income and gains within pension schemes remain exempt from income tax and capital gains tax.** You control every aspect of your pension affairs including all investment and contribution decisions.

Broad range of investment types in a transparent, flexible, secure, cost efficient environment.

WHY ITC? With a view to making property purchases easier, we have developed Propertyline, a service that ensures the process is as smooth and as straightforward as possible. * Subject to your marginal rate of tax being at the higher rate **Subject to the pensions levy as part of the value of the overall pension scheme

For more information on any of the above points please contact: Sarah Harkin 01 603 5151 / sarah.harkin@independent-trustee.com www.independent-trustee.com Independent Trustee Company Limited, as part of the ITC Group, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Registered Address: Harmony Court, Harmony Row, Dublin 2, Ireland.

20 Years In Business.

Cover Story

The interesting is that thing about working in a technology company

yesterday is history.

Samsung has become something of a trailblazer in consumer electronics.

Gary Twohig, Director of Samsung Ireland, sat down with Joseph O’Connor to talk gadgets, aesthetics and about the company’s plans to become a mainstay in households, high streets and business.

S

amsung and Gary Twohig appear to make the perfect fit. Twohig, who was recently appointed Director of Samsung Electronics Ireland – the company he has been employed with for the past nine years – could be described as something of a design aficionado. The other – a global electronics producer – is taking technology to imaginative new directions with slick, innovative and thought-provoking products. Meeting Twohig in person, his enthusiasm for aesthetics is apparent. Armed with the

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Colm McDermott

Gary Twohig

latest tablet designs from the Samsung Galaxy range, he appears smartly dressed in a blue open-neck shirt and navy suit, sporting a holiday tan picked up on a recent trip to Italy.

It is no coincidence that Twohig and Samsung crossed paths. While working for Virgin Mobile in the UK, he noticed the emergence of the electronics producer as a force to be reckoned with in the market and decided it was the kind of company he wanted to be part of. “I’ve always been interested in design. Whether it’s mobile phones or interior design - just design. I like things that look nice,” he says as he lays the products on the desk in front, like a salesman about to deliver his pitch. “I always liked the style of the Samsung devices that were coming through back then. It was a company I wanted to work for. I could see the opportunity with where they were in the market and where they were going. So I actively tried to get a role with them and thankfully I was successful and moved from Virgin into Samsung in the UK.”

21 |

Cover Story

Gary Twohig on...

Visiting the Samsung headquarters in South Korea

The chances of Ireland creating its own Samsung some day

It’s 100 per cent possible. I think the willingness is there and the ability is there with the people we have. You see younger generations coming through and the way they are thinking in an open way, looking outside and hungry to learn. There’s absolutely no reason why that couldn’t be achieved.

Technology and aesthetics

I’m really into products. I love our TVs, in particular the recently launched curved UHD TV. Before you switch them on and before you do anything with them, they look beautiful. Then you start interacting with them and it takes you to the next level. That’s the thing about Samsung. It’s not good enough anymore to just have technology. Things have to look stylish, they have to look beautiful, they have to stand out from the crowd.

What we can expect in the next five years

One area I see growing massively is more integration with home appliances. There will be a lot more expectation as to what those products do for you or how smart they are. It’s a lot of fun to look at some of the appliances in your kitchen and think about how they could do more or operate more efficiently.

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Colm McDermott

I really enjoy going out to Seoul. It’s a real eye-opener because technology is just adored there. They really embrace it. There’s a real desire to be always one step ahead and to be driving the market and that’s what Samsung are all about. They are always really useful trips for us and our partners.

Products and Presence One thing that might surprise people is the range of products that Samsung manufacture. Often associated with mobile devices, cameras, televisions and audio equipment, the South Korean multinational also produces microwaves, fridges, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, printers, air conditioners as well as healthcare products. Many of these are state-of-the-art designs made to seamlessly work with other products around the home or office and with so many new ones coming on stream, Twohig believes Samsung is uniqely placed in the market. “There’s no company in the world making and competing in as many segments within consumer electronics and IT and mobile as Samsung are,” he says. “We’re making all these products ourselves. We don’t have other companies making them on our behalf. We’re operating in so many different areas. In that sense, we’re uniquely positioned for the future.”

Managing these market segments falls under Twohig’s remit as Director of Samsung Electronics Ireland. He says at times it has been challenging for Samsung in Ireland to work collectively with so many retail partners and it is his job to keep the multiple operations functioning smoothly. “Previously, we didn’t have anyone joining the dots between consumer electronics and IT mobile within the Irish market,” he explains. “So that’s where I come in.”

One of the means by which Twohig and his team are achieving this is through

There’s no company in the world making and competing in as many segments within consumer electronics and IT and mobile as Samsung are.”

their new Samsung Experience stores at Carphone Warehouse outlets. These stores give consumers a sleek and premium retail experience in a minimal space, helping customers get the most from a range of devices with on-hand Samsung service technicians. The three Irish Samsung Experience stores (located in Dundrum Town Centre, Pavillions in Swords and Mahon Point in Cork) are part of a larger strategy to launch 60 Samsung retail units throughout the UK, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, The Netherlands and during 2014, further cement Carphone Warehouse as Samsung’s preferred partner across Europe. “It has been difficult for Samsung to showcase what we actually do in one environment,” says Twohig. “The Samsung Experience stores are there to really give the experience of Samsung to Irish consumers. That’s extremely important for us and I would recommend anyone to visit one and get a real flavour for Samsung and what we’re all about.”

Gary Twohig

A Bite of the Apple A store presence is something which Samsung’s competitors Apple have had for many years and for a long time Samsung played second fiddle to the American multinational. But in a highly competitive mobile phone and tablet market, Samsung has been winning this battle in recent times. The volume of smartphones the Korean company shipped in the first quarter of 2014 is staggering. According to figures compiled by the International Data Corporation, Samsung’s total shipment volume for the first quarter of the year came to 85 million smartphone units, more than the next four competitors — Apple, Huawei, Lenovo and LG — combined. The company’s handsets have managed to make the iPhone look quite ordinary in terms of power, speed and camera specs, not to mention how the Android operating system, which Samsung use, finally edged out Apple in early 2012, nabbing approximately 48 per cent market share.

Nonetheless, Twohig is quick to play down reports of his company overshadowing its rival. “The interesting thing about working in a technology company is that yesterday is history,” he says. “In Samsung we never really look back. If we were winning yesterday or last year it’s still pretty irrelevant because it’s all about tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. You never get to relax in terms of where you’re at.” Twohig is also reluctant to focus on Apple as Samsung’s main competitor. “With the range of products we have, we’ve so many competitors. But you have to drive your own agenda. Rather than looking at what everyone else is doing, you have to focus on what you think is the right thing to do.

You’re only as good as the next product you launch, not so much what you have launched before.”

A major opportunity in the market which Samsung has identified and now aims to build on is its service to business customers. Historically, the company has focused on the consumer market here with any growth in the B2B area developing organically. Now Samsung Ireland is building a team dedicated to this market which will provide anything from tablets to AV screens to air conditioning to print solutions for all types of companies

Gary’s Gadgets

nationwide. “We’ve already done it in many other countries but in Ireland we are recruiting an enterprise B2B arm for Samsung Electronics Ireland,” says Twohig excited at the prospect. “When you look at big companies – whether they are finance, banks or in the health sector – they are not looking for one product. They are looking for a range of different devices to fit their needs. Because of the breadth of the devices we offer we can have those conversations. They don’t have to go to different customers to get different things.

They can talk to Samsung about all of their needs. That’s a really big area for us and we will be working hard with Dublin Chamber to really build that.”

Gadgets On The Go The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S – which comes in an 8.4 or 10.5-inch screen – borrows design features from Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone, and offers impressive specs such as its superior screen quality.

The Samsung Gear Fit is a fancy looking device – considerably more attractive than the Galaxy Gear. It allows you to measure your steps, exercise and sleep each day. It also synchronises with your smartphone.

The Galaxy S5 has been out for a few months now and it really has lived up to expectations, having sold more than 10 million units in its first month.

So for a guy at the heart of a global technology company developing cuttingedge products, what apps and gadgets are essential in his everyday life? As a running enthusiast, businessman and music lover, Twohig likes things on the go. He pulls back his shirt sleeve and reveals one of Samsung’s latest offerings in wearable technology. “My Gear Fit is always on my arm,” he says. “The only time I don’t have it on is when I’m charging it. It’s fully waterproof so you don’t have to worry about taking it on and off.” The Gear Fit is a smartwatch which can measure your steps and exercise each day. It also synchronises with your smartphone to allow you to get notifications of calls, texts, instant messages and emails on your wrist.

“I’m a mad Spotify fan too,” he says. “I don’t know where I’d be without Spotify.”

He shows me some of the apps he uses on a daily basis including Shazam, thejournal and Gear Fit Manager, and then we’re back to the desk again and looking at the latest tablet designs. He plays for me an impressive promo video on the new Galaxy Tab S and then we compare smartphones, with him unveiling the inevitable Samsung Galaxy S5.

Technology clearly excites Twohig and it’s no wonder given some of the products Samsung are bringing to the market. “I wouldn’t consider myself an absolute tech expert but I love the benefits that you get from technology. I think like any consumer thinks and that puts me in a good position.” A smart way of thinking you could say.

23 |

Entrepreneur

The

Girl

Who’s

Fixing The

Future In the first of our entrepreneur series, Aoife Loy profiles Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh, an Irish girl making big waves overseas with her new wonder material.

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C

EO of FormFormForm and inventor of sugru, Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh is an Irish entrepreneur based in the UK. In 2003 Ní Dhulchaointigh left Ireland to study for her MA in Product Design at the Royal College of Art in London.

The potential she envisaged for a silicone-based material, along with six years of hard work and determination, has resulted in a community of sugru users which has now grown to over 500,000 worldwide. Not bad for an idea born out of a thesis project in art college.

The Idea What Ní Dhulchaointigh imagined was a multi-purpose material that would enable the user to make their posessions more sustainable and more suited to their needs. To empower the user and promote a lifestyle of creativity and resourcefulness became her mission. “I had in mind this culture of people feeling empowered to improve their stuff, to fix it and that is the most difficult thing and the most exciting thing,” she said.

Having presented the refined prototype to an interested public at her final exhibition in 2004, Ní

I had in mind this culture of people feeling empowered to improve their stuff, to fix it and that is the most difficult thing and the most exciting thing.”

Entrepreneur

So What Can You Do with sugru?

Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh with sugru.

in just six hours. Another 2,000 packs were put up for pre-order and sold out in ten hours. This success attracted further investors and sales were relaunched in June 2010. In September of that year, the London Design Museum became the first retailer to stock sugru.

Make your camera child-friendly

A Play on Words

Dhulchaointigh spent the next few years gathering a team of specialists and developing the material. In 2005, FormFormForm was awarded a £35,000 Creative Pioneer grant from Nesta, an innovation charity in the UK. She also set up a small laboratory to begin two arduous years of formulation work, largely alone.

Ní Dhulchaointigh and her team initially pursued partnerships with some of the world’s leading glue companies, but eventually, they made the decision to launch themselves. In 2009, 8,000 lab hours later, the product was launched with the first 1,000 selling out

By combining silicone caulk with waste wood dust, Ní Dhulchaointigh came up with the first, albeit unpleasant, version of the material. Speaking in an interview last March, she said: “It was just a surprising moment. I made something that looked like wood and it bounced.” sugru is a self-setting, silicone-based rubber that the can be moulded by hand, stuck to almost anything, and will cure at room temperature into a strong, flexible rubber. Ní Dhulchaointigh derived the name from the Irish word for ‘play’. It has thousands of uses, varying from customising cameras and kitchen cutlery, to repairing dishwashers and items that need to be movable such as textiles, shoes and cables. It also has the ability to resist temperatures ranging from -50°C to +180°C. Its usefulness has been compared to the invention of duct tape.

In 2010, TIME Magazine listed sugru alongside the iPad as one of its top 50 inventions of the year. It is now being used by people in 153 countries around the world. In North America, the feedback was so positive that the company set up a US subsidary in 2011 to supply American retailers. It is no surprise that in 2012, Ní Dhulchaointigh became the winner of the inaugural London Design Festival ‘Design Entrepreneur’ award, in recognition of her creative vision and accomplishments.

Refresh the design of your old Converse

Fix your drill trigger

Improve your PS3 controller

Secure your iPhone and cable

25 |

Feature

Destination

deluxe Due to the success of the relaunch of their Dublin service last spring, Luxembourg-based airline Luxair will maintain its route to the Irish capital throughout this winter.

Dean Van Nguyen examines why Irish businesses should take a closer look at the country known as the Green Heart of Europe.

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F

or Irish people over the age of 45, Luxembourg is probably most famous for its former English language radio station – one of the world’s first ever pirate stations. But the tiny landlocked country offers much more than powerful transmitters to those curious enough to investigate, and it is now becoming an increasingly popular port of call for Irish businesses and tourists.

Today, people from more than 160 different nationalities live together in Luxembourg, something which marks every aspect of public life. Forty per cent of its residents are expatriate foreign nationals who have come to work for the numerous institutions of the European Union, the 200 plus multinational financial services firms and many other multinational businesses. It adds a real multicultural flavour and vibrancy to the country.

Its location sees it act as the perfect gateway to the rest of Europe in terms of both business and travel, but do your homework and you might just find what you’re looking for in Luxembourg.

After all, 160 different nationalities can’t be wrong.

Servicing Dublin Airport Luxair resumed their direct DublinLuxembourg flights last March having previously ended the service in 2011.

The move came after calls from the Dublin Airport Authority, who made a case to the company, asserting that there was a demand for the route to be resurrected. For Luxair, the decision to resume operating a Dublin service was part of a strategy to serve its customers better, building an improved European route network to go along with a more attractive fare structure.

“We are delighted to welcome Luxair back to Dublin Airport, said Vincent Harrison, DAA Strategy Director, upon the announcement. “We were convinced there was a market for a direct service between Luxembourg and Dublin and have been in contact with Luxair regularly over the past two years to show them the benefits of operating to and from Ireland.”

Flights were due to be suspended this October – when the airport’s summer season ends – as was the case during Luxair’s operation in Dublin prior to 2010. However, the decision has been made to maintain the same flight

Feature

scheduled for the upcoming winter season. Much of this has to do with demand from professionals with business interests in Luxembourg, notably in the financial sector and fund industry with many large companies operating in both nations. “I think at the moment that’s the reason why we extended the flights to the winter season,” says Benoit Berger, Luxair’s VP Sales and Revenue Manager. “There is also an existing business community between here and Luxemborg due to the financial activities between both countries and cities. They are the two most important financial centres in Europe so that’s why there are many exchanges between the two markets, mainly focused for the financial services.”

In addition, Luxair have identified Dublin Airport’s programme of flights to the US as a benefit to their passengers.

“We also work for improving the connectivity of Dublin with the rest of the world. That means we want to feed Dublin Airport for connecting transit passengers to the US,” explains Berger.

Leisure Opportunities Luxair currently schedule four flights a week from Dublin to Luxembourg Findel Airport – located just outside Luxembourg city – and four more in the

opposite direction. The route is operated by a Bombardier Q400 aircraft with a capacity of 76 seats (compared to the 49-seat Embraer ERJ145 aircraft that Luxair used on the Dublin route in the past) and the flight takes approximately two hours. While it’s primarily utilised by business passengers, the route also carries leisure passengers and Irish nationals living in Luxembourg.

According to Berger, it’s a demographic the airline is keen to appeal to.

“Luxembourg is not really well known in Ireland for its leisure. Like in every European country, people mostly think of Luxembourg for its financial institutions and don’t really associate it with a place to visit. Despite the fact that there are many things to see, it’s not really well known. So from a leisure perspective, it’s quite limited, but we now want to improve the impression of Luxembourg in the foreign market.”

While the potential of both business relations and vacation opportunities between Ireland and Luxembourg has yet to be fully realised, Luxair’s services bring the countries to within touching distance of each other. And as its country’s most prominent airline servicing its only international airport, the company will prove key in fostering ties moving forward.

Luxembourg: The Stats Borders:

Area:

2,586

Belgium, France, Germany

Capital:

Luxembourg

sq km

Language:

Luxembourgish, French and German

Population:

520,672

Ethnic Groups: Luxembourger

Portuguese

French

Italian

German

other EU

63.1% 13.3% 4.5% 4.3%

2.3% 7.3%

Government: Constitutional monarchy

Currency:

Euro

The Emerald City Luxembourg City doesn’t immediately spring to the minds of most holidaymakers when planning their weekend breaks, but for those interested the capital has much to offer.

Known as The Green Heart of Europe, about one third of Luxembourg is covered in green, offering plenty of scenery for visitors to take in on a cycling tour or a walk.

The capital itself is a hub of contemporary architecture, including the Philharmonie

by Christian de Portzamparc and the Mudam (Museum of Modern Art). Other cultural institutes include the National Museum of History and Art and the Neumünster Abbey. While for the shoppers, the GrandRue and Rue Philippe II are part of the pedestrian zone where all the top brands can be browsed.

For visitors more interested in the nightlife, they can take a seat on one of Luxembourg City’s numerous cosy terraces and enjoy glass of wine from the Moselle region or a beer from a local brewery. As a multicultural society, there is a wide range of dining options, and the country currently has 11 restaurants with at least one Michelin star in the famous Michelin guide, three of which are in the city itself with the others within a short car journey.

Source: www.visitluxembourg.com

27 |

Feature

There’s an

APP

For That Business Ireland looks at ten handy mobile apps that will make life a little easier in the capital.

Real Time Ireland The free Real Time Ireland app integrates all real time arrival information services from Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Dart, Iarnród Éireann and Luas. A handy function allows users to set up alerts to tell them when their bus is 10, 20 or 30 minutes from their stop. Available for iPhone and Android.

Cycle Ireland The Cycle Ireland app for iPhone and Android helps cyclists to explore Ireland by bike. The free version of the app includes four routes, while the full-blown version costs a4.99 and features 100 of the most scenic routes in the country. The app includes information such as local attractions, places to have lunch and nearby services, and kilometre markers let you quickly check distances while offline.

Pumps.ie Ensure you never get caught short without fuel with the free Pumps.ie app, which uses your phone’s location to pin-point fuel stations near you. The app also displays up-to-date fuel prices and stations can also be searched for manually. Available for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

Dublin Airport Available for iPhone and Android, the free Dublin Airport app is very handy for live information on departures, arrivals and airport layout. Other functions include live security queue times for both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and an option for car park booking.

Dublin Bus Many smartphone users in Dublin will already have this one, but the Dublin Bus app is essential for even in-frequent bus users. The app offers real time information for all 5,000 bus stops and shelters in the Dublin Bus network. Users can search by bus stop number, by route or address and the app will show when your bus is due to arrive. Available for iPhone and Android.

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Last Minute Golfer The Last Minute Golfer app lists discounted tee-times available at nearby courses over the next 48 hour period. Users enter their current location and and can select to search courses up to 50 miles away. The quality of courses is good with the likes of Carton House and The Island available for less than a45. Available free for iPhone and Android users.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce The Dublin Chamber of Commerce app, developed with the support of Vodafone Ireland, allows users to view upcoming Chamber events, read the latest Chamber news and view video content from recent events. The app is available for both iPhone and Android users.

Journey Planner The National Journey Planner app lets you plan a journey between any two places in Ireland. Type in your current location and favoured destination and the app will work out your best way to get you door-to-door using public and private transport and on foot.

Available free for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone users.

Taxi Driver Check The Taxi Driver Check app allows the user to check the licence details of the vehicle and driver as well as view a photo of them. You are then able to forward these details (minus the photo) to a friend.

The free app covers licensed taxis, hackneys, limos and PSVs throughout Ireland. Available for iPhone and Android users.

Parking Tag No coins to feed the parking meter?

Payzone’s Parking Tag mobile app lets you pay for parking via the tap of a few buttons. Simply sync your credit or debit card to your account and you can park in Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, South Dublin County Council and a host of other places too. Available on iPhone and Android.

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Feature

A Team Building

Exercise

In September last year TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, announced it was setting up its first European hub in Dublin.

Business Ireland caught up with Director of Engineering in Ireland, Lars Holzman, to find out about the new office and the TripAdvisor approach to attracting a talented team.

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j

ust over six months into setting up TripAdvisor’s first European operation Lars Holzman is enjoying the challenge. So far he’s on track, having recruited over ten highly skilled engineers, the goal being to hire 50 over the next two years. Predictably, but because we’re always eager to hear the positives, we asked Holzman why TripAdvisor chose Dublin as their European base. “All the reasons you hear: The good amount of IT grads, the business-friendly atmosphere,” he answers.

“Third party resources like recruitment agencies are quite mature in Dublin especially in the tech space. We’re in for really high end roles so there is a certain amount of maturity needed.

“We’re looking to carry out some really difficult stuff here and we want people at various points in their career, with various skill sets. In our research, we thought Dublin to be, and have since found it to be, a place that has a really good concentration of talent,” he continues. “So as you’re looking to fill these roles you generally can in Dublin or by people around the world who view Dublin as a preferential location to get a tech job because of

the industry, the vibrance and the other employers.

“Then just pragmatism, we’re Boston-based so if you’re going to go somewhere else, Dublin is basically the nearest you can be.”

Company Culture Holzman joined TripAdvisor as a software engineer in Boston almost four years ago, where he oversaw several interesting projects from profile search to hotel display and map display. Over a year and a half ago TripAdvisor embarked on a new project to display real prices live on the site: “I suppose we pivoted a little bit our commerce experience,” explains Holzman. “The key to TripAdvisor has always been in research, those 150 million user reviews. People do all their research on TripAdvisor, that’s what we’re good at, but then when they’re reasonably motivated to book they have to go somewhere else.

“We had to figure out how to make it work, how to get perfect prices in real time, verify them and then monetise it in a way that was equivalent to popping six windows. Now you’re popping one, how do you make it work?

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“We’ve put a lot of effort into our price comparison. We work very closely with our partners and those pre-existing relationships have really helped. We’re confident that our product is industry leading in that sense,” he says.

As a company TripAdvisor are focused on the user experience to drive change and innovation: “When we moved into price comparison the number one priority was consumers. There were tonnes of people coming to our site to do their research and then they had to leave the site, which was silly. So it’s better for the user and that’s why we did it,” explains Holzman.

TripAdvisor are also committed to maintaining a start-up culture as the company grows, understanding that the things that have worked continue to be strong and focal points of the business. For that reason the Irish operation has been established within incubator offices surrounded by start-ups to gain from and conserve that quick and responsive start-up feel.

“TripAdvisor is a company that moves fast and has an ownership culture. When you start you get a project that you own, that you’re responsible for, but on a huge stage. You get to do it in front of billions of people and travel is something that you can explain to other people. I don’t think my parents ever understood what I did at my previous company but now they ask me questions about TripAdvisor, things I don’t even know about!”

This is one of the key incentives for attracting top talent for these high-end engineering roles: “The number one question when you’re talking to engineers specifically is ‘what’s the work?’ At TripAdvisor we’re dealing with billions of users, we see a lot of traffic. We typically get individual projects done in a week or less – the challenges are really there for engineers. Secondly, we offer a huge stage. Millions of people are seeing this cool thing that you did and that brings another level of fun to the job. How we motivate people to take a job at TripAdvisor? When you solve a problem people will see what you’re doing. It has a meaningful effect on a large number of people.

“The last bit is getting the company culture right. For us that’s small teams, keeping the startup feel, being realistic about the fact that the company’s growing but understanding the things that have worked for the company up until this point continue to be strong and supported.”

There are clear incentives, but just how difficult is it to attract these highly skilled professionals in Dublin? “It’s quite difficult everywhere. It’s difficult in Dublin, it’s also difficult in Boston. We’ve an office in Silicon Valley and it’s insanely difficult to do it there. But we’re seeing great promise out of Dublin, we have access to a larger talent

Numbers on trip Advisor

TripAdvisor has more than

260

million unique monthly visitors

150 million+ user reviews

Lars Holzman, Director of Engineering, TripAdvisor Ireland.

pool. We’re committed; we’re never going to compromise on quality so the fact that we’re on plan is fantastic.”

Still Coding More than

100

new contributions are posted on TripAdvisor every minute

100 million people have downloaded the various TripAdvisor apps.

On his Twitter profile Holzman describes himself as ‘Coder turned manager (but still a coder)’. We asked him which aspect of his job appeals more to him: “I’ve finally figured this out. When I went to grad school I was interested in solving problems and I left because I didn’t feel like I was building anything. I started software engineering to build things and I’ve been having so much fun in Dublin building this office, so I think the key to it is I like to build.

“In everything I’ve done in TripAdvisor it’s very clear to me that it has an impact on the business. One of the key things to the company is that everyone who comes in will actually be building something. We don’t have ‘ivory tower thinkers’, we have people who come in and apply themselves to big problems and that’s what I’ve been doing here. It’s weird and it’s different but it’s all the same in another sense.”

For more information on the positions TripAdvisor Ireland is recruiting for visit www.tripadvisor.ie/jobs Lars Holzman was in conversation with Valerie Jordan.

31 |

Feature

nterpreting

Richard Carr of advertising agency Rothco spoke to Conor Forrest about their recent successful campaigns and the importance of encouraging creativity within the company.

T

he provision of creative ideas which grow business is what Dublin-based advertising agency Rothco is all about.

Creativity is encouraged amongst every person working at Rothco – everyone at the agency was asked, for example, to contribute a piece of art on any topic. Today, a large piece of art hangs in Rothco’s office – a daily reminder for the company’s staff to keep their ideas coming. “What makes us so attractive to prospective clients is our end product – our ideas,” explains Richard Carr, one of the partners at Rothco. “We are very much, and always have been, an ideas company. Whether that ends up being a digital campaign, a YouTube video, a TV ad or whatever else, for us I think the inherent value is the idea. There’s a great idea focus here, and a real passion surrounding ideas.”

Success

Heineken’s ‘The Kick’ campaign.

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The past few years have seen Rothco’s success continue to build, as the company moved its view solely from Ireland to the wider world. “We’ve had a very strong last few years,” Carr explains.

“About 33 per cent of our turnover comes from developing work outside Ireland. While we have very important Irish clients like AIB, for example, equally we have clients that we work with internationally, like Heineken. Having that mix of clients is very important from a revenue point for Rothco. It has given us a good last few years, and this year looks like it will be a positive year for us as well. We will continue to grow.”

The company’s success has revolved around the development of several successful and memorable campaigns which had resonance with the public.

“We’ve managed, over the years, to recruit a good bunch of people and build it up that way,” Carr continues.

“We have a mantra – the reason we get out of bed in the morning and work hours that are relentless is to produce game-changing ideas. It’s not just about creating ideas for ideas’ sake, it’s about things that are going to change the direction of a brand or a company.

What we’ve done over the years is attract clients who are looking for that.” The clients which call on Rothco’s doorstep are, for the most part, those who are seeking a change in direction for their brand or for their organisation.

“People with Quinn rapidly changed to Liberty. AIB has obviously been through a tumultuous period, and you can see where it wants to go now. You have people who want to change their brand and gain more customers or whatever the challenge might be.”

Campaigns Creating material which will really make a difference is the bread and butter of the work carried out each day at Rothco. So which campaigns in particular stand out for Carr? “The O2 rugby sponsorship with Brian O’Driscoll and the guys knocking on doors in Clontarf – that was a very particularly successful sponsorship because it got people very involved with the brand, as did a lot of the things we did like the

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We are very much, and always have been, an ideas company.

Whether that ends up being a digital campaign, a YouTube video, a TV ad or whatever else, for us I think the inherent value is the idea.”

Hailo ad campaign in Spain.

Richard Carr, Partner at Rothco.

‘Bring Back the Roar’ campaign, where people could upload their own roar.

More recently you can see the Colm Cooper piece and the surrounding campaign for AIB’s GAA sponsorship, which ended up getting nearly 300,000 views.” Celebrities appearing on ads has become almost commonplace, and you could be forgiven for wondering if they are genuinely interested or believe in the product, or if they are simply providing a well-known face. So, Rothco organised a companion piece where Cooper was filmed with hidden cameras in a taxi on route to the TV shoot. The Dublin taxi driver proceeded to ask him if he really believed in the campaign. Luckily for all involved he responded favourably.

“That’s been particularly good,” Carr notes. Other campaigns the agency have undertaken include the recent ‘Danger Zone’ advertisement on behalf of Meteor, and ‘Lyons puts the Talk into Tea’, a well-thought out advertisement campaign which improved Lyons’ brand platform in Ireland, added a phrase or two to the national vernacular, and has since been applied by Unilever to other brands across the globe. “Recently we did ‘Stage Fright’ for Heineken, a nice piece, while for Liberty, using the American actor for their advertisement was another campaign which was hugely successful. Those are the ones which would spring to mind.”

Global Stage With several years’ continued success under their belt, Carr and Rothco remain confident that the company can

Tiger Chinese New Year campaign.

continue to move forward, and continue to compete on the global stage. “We have been,” Carr stresses. “For example, we’re right in the middle of another pitch for an Asian brand, a brand which will only advertise in Asia. It’s nice that we’re an Irish agency creating campaigns that won’t even be seen in Ireland, and will work in other parts of the world.”

Carr provides the example of a recent campaign undertaken on behalf of Tiger Beer, for Chinese New Year. Local publications recognised it as one of the best advertising campaigns for a time of year which holds massive significance on that continent, and further afield. “For an Irish agency to produce the campaign in Ireland, export it to another market and have millions of people see it as one of the best examples of Chinese New Year is a nice achievement for us. Our ambition is that we want to be the best little advertising agency in the world.

That’s what we want to be, and though we haven’t done it yet, we firmly believe that our best work is ahead of us.”

Some of the organisations that have chosen to work with Rothco Heineken AIB Liberty Insurance Meteor The Irish Times OpenTable Pfizer Cuisine de France Dublin Bus Unilever Hailo Opel

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Feature

The 55th Dublin Theatre Festival takes place this year bringing together actors, artists, theatre professionals and eager audiences.

Business Ireland’s Valerie Jordan takes a look back at previous events and looks forward to this year’s instalment.

Taking

centre

stage Dublin Theatre Festival: What is it?

The annual theatre festival has become an institution of Dublin’s dramatics, presenting both classic plays by renowned companies and artists alongside contemporary work by new, emerging theatre-makers.

Our fair city is at the heart of the event – Dublin’s artists, Dublin’s stories and a commitment to contributing to the culture of our capital.

Performances take place in venues across the city and suburbs incorporating theatre, music, dance.

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Should I attend?

Why not? The programme is chock-a-block with culture and in addition to that audiences will have a chance to immerse themselves in a series of artist talks, public discussions, family events and artist development programmes.

It’s also a chance to support our national theatre industry. Since its inception Dublin Theatre Festival has supported Irish artists in creating work of calibre, brought world-class theatre to Dublin audiences and provided a platform to showcase the best of Irish theatre to the world.

Okay... What should I attend?

Keep an eye on the festival’s website and social media updates for the full programme of events to be released this summer. But don’t miss your chance to see Hamlet, a production by one of Europe’s premier production houses – the Schaubühne, Berlin. It’s a stunning spectacle that’s taking place in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and has already received rave reviews and seen audiences rise to their feet in ovation.

It promises to be one of this year’s biggest hitters. From 25 – 27 September, 2014.

Where can I get more information?

The Dublin Theatre Festival takes place from 25 September to 12 October 2014. The full programme of events is scheduled for release 21 July 2014.

Tel.: 01 677 8439 Email: info@dublintheatrefestival.com Web: www.dublintheatrefestival.com F acebook.com/ DublinTheatreFestival @DubTheatreFest

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Hamlet Photo: Arno Declair

Hamlet

Photo: Arno Declair

The Corn Exchange and Dublin Theatre Festival co production of Dubliners by James Joyce.

Photo by Richard Gilligan

Recent Hits

The Threepenny Opera

Talk of the Town

In 2013 The Gate Theatre, in association with Dublin Theatre Festival, presented The Threepenny Opera, an epic spectacle of 20th century musical theatre, telling the tale of the roguish and lovable, Mack the Knife. Brecht’s tableau of beggars, thieves and prostitutes entertained audiences with recognisable musical numbers, a live orchestra and well known Irish performers.

Photo by Matthew Thompson

Dubliners

Testament

Author of the worldwide bestseller Room, Emma Donoghue marked a return to the theatre in 2012 with the world première of Talk of the Town, inspired by the life and work of a remarkable writer and journalist, Maeve Brennan. The play was co-produced by Hatch Theatre Company, Landmark Productions and Dublin Theatre Festival.

Another world première for the festival, The Corn Exchange’s adaptation of James Joyce’s Dubliners, co-produced with Dublin Theatre Festival, was a complete sell-out in 2012. This adaptation proved a solid, inventive and relevant adaptation of a classic.

Dublin Theatre Festival and Landmark Productions presented the world première of Colm Tóibín’s Testament in 2011. This work asked big questions about what we believe, who we believe, and why we believe.

Directed by the internationally-renowned Irish theatre director Garry Hynes, and starring Marie Mullen, this searing honesty of the extraordinary play stunned audiences and asked questions of them.

Photo by Patrick Redmond

Photo by Richard Gilligan

Photo by Patrick Redmond

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Feature

Field

of Dreams

For almost two decades Astropark has given Dubliners the opportunity to play a friendly game of football all year round.

But, as Business Ireland found out, their corporate offerings can also provide valuable employee engagement tools.

S

ince opening their first site in Tallaght back in 1996, Astropark has provided football lovers with the facilities to enjoy their five-a-side kickabout regardless of rain, wind, sleet or whatever else the fickle Irish weather patterns throw at them. With their modern Astroturf pitches – a brand of artificial turf that simulates natural grass but without the high levels of maintenance – as well as floodlights, qualified referees, event organisation and other services, they’ve filled an important role in their local communities and beyond.

But at the heart of Astropark is a successful business – one that in the mid-90s identified a demand for non-natural sports fields and has since held firm against the economic downturn by expanding the business to target customers from a wide variety of demographics. “It’s like everything else, there’s an economic principle called supply and demand,” says James Coughlan, Astropark’s Managing Director.

| 36

“There has been a huge investment in all-weather services in Ireland – in Dublin in particular – over the last number of years. So I would suggest that there’s plenty of capacity. It’s about how that capacity is managed.”

All Mod Cons The first Astropark site opened on the Greenhills Road in Tallaght back in 1996. The complex currently has 11 five-a-side pitches, as well as a clubhouse with changing rooms and shower facilities. The company’s Coolock branch followed in 2003. A slightly bigger outfit, the site boasts 14 pitches, all the same mod cons as its sister site, plus a sports bar equipped with 15 screens to watch live sport and restaurant services. Astropark call their facilities, “the best five-a-side pitches in the country” citing their “unique synthetic grass design and complete cover with roof nets and side nets” as evidence. Matches take place on their fields day and night, from casual games to organised leagues.

Despite the growth of the business and the extension of their facilities since inception, Astropark, like many small to medium sized business, has needed to be resourceful since the onset of the recession. With young people traditionally making up the core of their customer base, Coughlan believes an increase in emigration numbers has also taken a bite out of their business. “Like all SMEs, there’s been no expansion in recent years.

There’s been contraction which is mirrored by the amount of emigration of our target market, which are young people,” bemoans Coughlan. “We hope to begin a process of growth to try to get back to where we were, and that can come from reaching out to various target markets. One of them, of course, is the corporate event market and in particular larger companies who perhaps have not been as affected by the recession as our small to medium sized [clients].”

Corporate Offerings Acknowledging the need to identify alternative customer bases to survive, the company has pushed to increase their appeal to different groups such as young children, offering birthday parties and summer soccer camps to pre-teens, as well as corporate events and leagues.

Indeed, in recent years Astropark has made targeting corporate clients a priority, running a variety of company events, including leagues, tournaments and charity fundraisers. In that time the company has built an impressive

We hope to begin a process of growth to try to get back to where we were, and that can come from reaching out to various target markets.”

Bubble Bobble One of the more eye-catching games you might see played on an Astropark pitch is Bubble Football. Not dissimilar to the rules of regular football, it adds the extra angle of dimension by covering players with huge plastic bubbles, allowing them to freely collide with other opponents without risk of injury. Technically, the team who scores the most goals is declared the winner, though unofficially, whoever can bash the opposition over the most can claim a moral victory of sorts.

client list which includes PayPal, Heineken, Tesco, eBay, DHL, Deutsche Bank and Pfizer.

Astropark’s corporate offerings include a variety of one-off events, whether it’s a team building exercise during the day aimed at improving employee relationships, or a late night staff social that can move from the field to the bar. Astropark also hosts exclusive employee leagues for firms that can field six teams or more. These leagues often take place once a week and are funded in a variety of ways, whether it be by staff themselves, by a member company’s social committee, or the company itself. While popular, Coughlan notes that even large scale corporations have felt the pinch when it comes to financing such exercises.

“Even if you are a large company, budgets have been under pressure and corporate events and leagues have in recent years become quite difficult to market no matter what the size of the company,” he explains before adding that the future is beginning to look a little brighter. “We certainly have seen some evidence of growth in that sector this year.”

For those who engage in their facilities and services, there are many benefits Astropark can provide companies. As well as improving staff’s physical fitness, sport can help relieve their stress. It additionally has the potential to strengthen employee relationships and encourage teamwork.

“For example, we have Vodafone who has a corporate league which it runs throughout the year, where they have around ten of their own company teams involved,” says Coughlan.

Football may not necessarily come to the mind of most HR managers when generating ideas about how best to engage with staff, but its inclusive nature and broad appeal, coupled with the relative ease of utilising Astropark’s facilities, may make it an attractive option. While company leagues and other established packages work for the clients who utilise them, Coughlan affirms that whatever a company’s needs, Astropark is keen to accommodate them.

“If companies want to engage with their staff and engage in team building work we can certainly come up with a package to suit.”

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Feature

The Irish Security Industry Association wants you to protect your business and has outlined its top ten tips for keeping it secure.

Security Matters

Control 5. Access within the Building

It is important to consider the security risks within your premises. If someone does gain entry to the building are there specific areas within that you feel are necessary to control access to? If the answer is yes, access to these areas should be controlled by further security.

S

ecurity forms an important part of any business.

It is a tool used to manage risks to your people, your assets, your premises and often risks to your customers and other stakeholders. However, have you taken the most effective approach to your security solution? Below are some of the key areas for consideration when reviewing your business approach to security solutions.

1. Alarms

The first and obvious solution is to ensure that you have an alarm system installed. Ideally this system should be monitored to ensure that you and other key holders are notified should there be a breach of entry. There is also the option to have your key holding managed by a security contractor.

6. Security Guards and Patrols

For many businesses, the human element of security cannot be replaced. A security guard can often respond in a more practical way than any technological solution can. Allowing for greater flexibility and real time security management, this option should be considered.

7. Cash

If you are storing cash on your premises you should be using the correct cash rated safe. If carrying more than the safe is rated for you will not be covered by insurance. If you are regularly moving cash from your premises it is critical that this is managed in the most secure way possible. Procuring the services of a licensed cash-in-transit contractor should be considered to manage risk.

8. Personal and Home Security

Having external lighting installed on approach to your premises can be an excellent deterrent and this should be considered. Simply activating external lights on approach to a building can often be enough to deter a burglar.

The security applied to your business should be extended to your journey home. Becoming more security aware is critical, particularly if you are a business owner or senior manager who could be viewed as a potential target. It is worth considering the security risks to your home and building a culture of security in both your professional and personal life.

3. Doors and Windows

9. Culture

4.

10. Legislation

2.

Security Lighting

Consideration should be given to upgrading any windows and doors which may be particularly vulnerable due to their design. There are a wide range of products available which will allow you to upgrade locks, install security grilles or for glazing reinforcement.

CCTV

CCTV is becoming a popular security option with costs coming down and technology improving. This provides the option to log in remotely and monitor security at your business. Your security provider can also provide you with options to have your CCTV remotely monitored.

You should allow the security culture you create for yourself to be part of your business culture. Educating your staff about security risks and why certain security solutions are in place will allow them to become more security aware.

Private security in Ireland is a regulated industry. This is critical for the security contractor as they must be licensed.

However, it is also a requirement by law to only source security services from a licensed contractor.

For further information on any of the above visit www.isia.ie

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Feature

DIY

Hire Linda Davis, Founder of Next Generation Recruitment, has recruitment advice for SMEs looking to secure top talent.

F

or many small and medium companies, without a dedicated HR or personnel resource, recruitment can be seen as a chore, and rarely meets the expectation that finding a good person for the job should be easy these days.

With the focus sometimes more on operations, sales, finance, and the

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general day-to-day running of the business, the temptation to simply bring someone on board, hoping they will work out, or intending to ‘train them up’ is a dangerous one.

People are often our biggest overhead, certainly our greatest asset. They are ambassadors for our business, and key elements in its success or otherwise.

Recruiting the right people is a serious business and even if your budget doesn’t stretch to paying a recruitment consultant, if you invest time and effort in planning recruitment, your employee is more likely to land in the assets column of the books rather than in the liabilities.

Next Generation Recruitment is a Dublin-based consultancy with national and international recruitment divisions, working with a cross-section of global multinationals and Irish corporates and organisations, including SMEs.

Linda Davis, the MD, says that clients work with them largely because their people resource is something they cannot afford to get wrong. “The ability to do the job is most significant, along with the potential to add value and skills to the company,” she says.

“However, similarly important is the extent to which the candidate will fit in with the company culture and work well with those around them.

Selecting the wrong candidate can be an expensive mistake, so it pays to take a measured approach to recruitment.”

For those approaching recruitment and resource planning themselves, Linda Davis of Next Generation Recruitment has the following advice:

Mind the Gap Have a good look at the business; understand where the skills gaps and

operational needs are in the organisation, and work from there. Because someone leaves a role doesn’t automatically mean they need to be replaced. Their role can be divided, giving existing staff more challenges and opportunity.

Establish the skills your business will most benefit from and define a clear recruitment strategy, working from there and looking to the future. Map the job requirement precisely to meet the skills gap.

Go to Market Select your method of advertising; consider conventional newspaper advertising or a trade journal, but also look at newer options like LinkedIn and jobs boards. A recruitment consultancy will know exactly where to target, depending on the role. Advertise internally and invite employees to suggest contacts in the business they believe might be suitable. Use contacts in your business sector; we all compete, but we probably collaborate just as much. If a similar business has recruited in the same area recently, do they know of candidates worth talking to? At industry events, always network with a view to assessing talent; you never know when you might need it.

interviews with planned questions so you can analyse hard and soft skills and easily compare candidates based on the priorities of the role.

A two person interview can be helpful, with each focused on testing specific knowledge and experience, so that one interviewer is always listening and noting relevant information while the other is engaged with the candidate.

Where more depth of assessment is needed, conduct psychometric testing and/or technical tests or business presentations. Conduct second and third round interviews with additional company members to ensure suitability.

To Reference or not to Reference Apart from the fact that speaking to a candidate’s employer will reveal their desire to move on, and may lose you your potential hire, a reference from a current boss can be a doubleedged sword. They may talk down abilities if they want to hold on to their employee, or build them up if they’re okay seeing them go! Also, what is perceived as good performance in one environment may not collate with your expectation or needs. There will always be subjectivity and bias.

Linda Davis, Next Generation Recruitment.

Be Specific

The Offer

Make sure the job specification is clear in order to encourage the most suitable candidates to apply and to ensure you are getting the individual with the best fit for the job. Vague job specs create confusion and time-wasting - both yours and the candidate’s.

Have a fixed job package in mind, including salary, bonuses or other rewards such as share options, pension contribution, car allowances, gift vouchers or company goods. Be clear on other benefits such as maternity leave, holidays, health insurance, flexitime and working from home options too. Be prepared to use these to incentivise the right candidate.

Recession has largely dampened the ability to offer excessive packages, but be prepared to address what is available, and leave some negotiating room.

Remember too that non-monetary rewards like training, increased responsibility, input in decision-making, or the option to buy into a business can also be very motivating.

success of the hire will generally reflect the level of planning that went into the hiring process.

On top of the practical process advice from Next Generation Recruitment, the consultancy also advises that companies look to their own reputation, and how it is projected when embarking on expansion and recruitment.

Companies looking to secure top talent must be conscious of what we call their ‘employer brand’. Treat all applicants with respect as you would employees and clients. Be honest and open about your business and how it is carried out, and take any opportunity presented – whether via a PR or HR initiative – to promote the company culture and the benefits of working for the group.

Plan the Process Create timelines for the recruitment process in line with the business objectives. Identify each stage, from advertising, reviewing and shortlisting applicants, pre-screening applicants with a phone interview, and the actual formal interview process, which can have 3-4 stages depending on the type of role it is.

The Interview Interview top candidates based on the perceived fit of their experience and the job specification. Have structured

Importance of Planning Like most business processes, planning is everything with recruitment, and the

Linda Davis, BBS, is a veteran in the recruitment industry who founded Next Generation Recruitment in 2007 when she saw a gap in the market to supply exceptional recruitment services to clients and candidates across finance, IT, marketing, sales and supply chain. Davis has over 13 years’ people management and senior level recruitment experience, in local and international markets.

Her strengths lie in mapping talent strategies with business strategies; to ensure both the client and candidate’s needs are met, by placing individuals with the right skills set, as well as the right personality and goals, into positions where their abilities and approach match the current and anticipated needs of the business or organisation.

Next Generation Recruitment can be contacted on 01 662 9120 or www.nextgeneration.ie

41 |

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London Calling A recent trade mission to London provided delegates with insightful presentations and a valuable networking opportunity.

T

he Dublin Chamber brought a delegation of 38 companies to London as part of a two day trade and investment mission. Early indications from the follow-up survey of participants give very favourable feedback, with particular emphasis on the quality of the presentations and the options for networking.

Highlights of the mission included the presentation by The Irish Times London Editor, Mark Hennessy; the reception in the Irish Embassy with Ambassador of Ireland Dan Mulhall, and guest speaker, Breon Corcoran, CEO, Betfair; and the site visit to the Crystal, hosted by Siemens.

Supported by Siemens and the Doyle Collection, the aim of the London visit was to enhance business opportunities and relationships in the UK for Irish companies and to provide networking and specific business introductions for members. The busy two day schedule included a number of presentations from local development agencies and professional service firms on doing business in the UK, as well as a case study from Realex, who have expanded their operations located in the UK. Mark Hennessy, London Editor, The Irish Times, gave some very frank insights into UK political life, predicting the landslide wins of UKIP in the elections and his views on the Scottish independence referendum in 2014. The delegates at the networking reception in the Irish Embassy were

Martin Murphy, Dublin Chamber President, Ambassador of Ireland Dan Mulhall, Gina Quin, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive.

joined by over 50 members of the London Chamber of Commerce and other invited guests. Philip Shaw, Chief Economist, Investec, highlighted concerns about the price and supply of housing in London, noting the large imbalance between house building and demographics, with prices already 20 per cent above the 2007 peak.

Colm Lyon, Realex provided a frank insight into his company’s growth and expansion since it was founded in 2000. The company employs over 160 staff, supporting 13,000 online retailers in 30 countries. The Crystal, a Siemens facility, hosts the world’s largest exhibition on the future of cities. It serves as a state-of-the-art meeting place for city decision-makers and influencers, urban planners, architects, and public infrastructure operators. Other speakers included Gavin McWhirter, UK Manager, Enterprise Ireland; Paul Caplis, Head of Inward Investment, UK Trade and Investment; Maria Palgaard,

Breon Corcoran, Betfair.

Business Development Manager at London & Partners; David Kern, Chief Economist, British Chamber of Commerce; Bernardine Maloney, Manager, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, ESB. Dublin Chamber’s next business mission, to Brussels, will take place between 5-6 November 2014. For details contact marion@dublinchamber.ie

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chambernews Startup Awards The Bank of Ireland Startup Awards 2014 have been opened to start-up companies across Ireland. This year’s awards include regional finals, which will take place across Dublin, the rest of Leinster, Munster and Connacht/Ulster. Regional winners will be shortlisted for the national final taking place in autumn 2014 in Dublin. The closing date for entries into the awards is Friday, 15 August.

Entrepreneur and Startup Awards judge Gavin Duffy, Stephen Dillon, Founder of Startups.ie, Damien English TD and Gerry Prizeman, Head of Enterprise Development at Bank of Ireland.

Eircom Boost

Bitcoin Security Safety deposit box provider Merrion Vaults has formed a partnership with Bitcoin ATM provider BitVendo to provide a secure cold storage service for the digital currency. The partnership will allow Bitcoin owners to store Bitcoin certificates and back up material in a high-quality and secure safe deposit vault in Dublin. Merrion Vaults has also confirmed rugby pundit and TV presenter Brent Pope as their brand ambassador.

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eircom continues to invest in its fibre footprint and is on track to pass 1,000,000 premises during summer 2014 and 1,400,000 premises by 2016, the company said. eircom added that some 103,000 customers had opted to take up its high speed broadband services at the end of March, representing a 13 per cent penetration of the 800,000 premises passed. The firm’s 4G roll-out is said to be ahead of schedule and now covers 50 per cent of the population in Ireland.

Museum Purchase The National Museum of Ireland is acquiring a rare work of art for their permanent collection, a forensic facial reconstruction sculpture depicting a World War One soldier. The portrait bust is of the Irish born Canadian soldier Pte. Thomas Lawless who fell in battle in Avion near Vimy, France in 1915. Lawless’s remains were not discovered until 2003; a positive identification was made in 2011.

Newmarket Expansion Accountancy company Newmarket Partnership has become part of Crowe Horwath. Gerry O’Reilly, who founded Newmarket Partnership 25 years ago with the late David Manley, joins Crowe Horwath as a partner and will be part of the corporate finance and audit team. Newmarket’s Michael O’Scathaill and Nigel Kavanagh also join Crowe Horwath’s audit and tax services.

Laya Expansion

Fujitsu Appointment

Laya Healthcare, Ireland’s second largest healthcare insurance provider, opened its official headquarters in Dublin recently with the announcement of 50 new jobs.

This follows a period of consistent growth that has seen membership in Dublin grow by more than 16 per cent in the past two years, the company said. Laya currently employs more than 440 people between its headquarters in Cork and Dublin. The new Laya Healthcare Dublin office is located on 1 Hume Street in Dublin City Centre.

Fujitsu has appointed Michael Keegan as Head of its £1.8 billion business in the UK & Ireland. Keegan’s new role sees him take the reins from Duncan Tait, who was recently promoted to Head of EMEIA, Corporate Senior Vice President, Fujitsu. Keegan has worked at Fujitsu for a number of years and has spent the last three and a half years leading Fujitsu’s Technology Products Group for the UK & Ireland.

RTÉ Appoints Controller RTÉ has appointed Adrian Lynch as Channel Controller of RTÉ One television. For the past 11 years, Lynch has been the Managing Director of Animo Television. Lynch will step down as MD of Animo in November to take up the new position.

Stewart Joins Diageo Diageo has appointed Alan Stewart to its Board as a Non-Executive Director, effective September 1st 2014. Stewart will also join the Audit, the Nomination and the Remuneration Committees on appointment. Stewart is currently Chief Financial Officer of Marks & Spencer and also has responsibility for IT, supply chain and logistics.

Code Wizards Google was joined by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore recently to announce the winners of its inaugural ‘Call to Code’ online coding competition for post-primary students. More than half of all secondary schools in Ireland took part in the contest, with over 2,500 students registered to represent their school. The final ‘live’ round of the competition was held at Google’s EMEA Headquarters with prizes awarded to two teachers for their role promoting computer science among their students and to six students who successfully completed coding challenges.

Irish Times Award Wayne Byrne and Eoin Casey of OxyMem were named as the overall winners in the recent Irish Times InterTradeIreland Innovation Awards. The Athlonebased firm has developed a revolutionary new system for waste-water plants that’s up to four times more energy efficient than other similar solutions.

Other category winners were Foldeaze in the manufacturing category; Richard Keenan & Co in the Agrifood category; APC Ltd in Bioscience; Viddyad in Creative Industries; and Shimmer in the IT and Telecoms category.

FCm Buys Travelplan FCm Travel Solutions, the corporate travel management division of Flight Centre Travel Group, has acquired its partner company in Ireland, Travelplan Corporate Ltd, from the Abbey Travel Group for an undisclosed amount. FCm said there will be no change in the management and staff of the Dublin office, which currently employs 50 people. Valerie Metcalfe will continue as Managing Director and all staff of the Dublin office will retain their jobs.

Bewley’s barista Arvind Viswarnath.

Coffee Capsules Coffee company Bewley’s have unveiled new single-serve fresh coffee espresso capsules suitable for use in Nespresso coffee machines. The capsules come in two espresso style coffee blends and come in packs of ten, costing a3.59. Bewley’s has also launched a new type of coffee which is brewed without heat over a long duration and served with ice. Originally invented in Japan, it is made using a slow drip laboratory glass called a tower brewer and involves steeping freshly roasted coffee in room temperature water for over 12 hours. Bewley’s Cold Brew is available in Bewley’s George’s Street Café.

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Trade and Investment Promotion Section Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dublin 4 The Vicarage St. John’s Road Dublin 4 Ireland T: +353 1 269 1370 F: +353 1 269 7662 E: dublin@trade.gov.pl W: www.dublin.trade.gov.pl

With the big domestic market, highly skilled and motivated workforce, an economy that is one of the fastest growing in the EU and the business friendly environment...

POLAND is just the place.

Trade and Investment Promotion Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dublin is a point of first contact for potential investors and companies looking for business partners in Poland.

Use our free and comprehensive advice to learn more about Poland, business and investment opportunities, administrative regulations, macroeconomic factors, legal support and business incentives available for new companies setting up in Poland.

Agua-Clean Services comprehensive cleaning & maintenance solution to suit your business needs and tailored to your requirements. Our experience, quality management and constant strive to exceed customer satisfaction assures that Agua-Clean continues to be one of the leaders in the industry.

Our Industrial Cleaning division employs fully trained and equipped Rope Access teams to enable us to efficiently clean in places that are beyond the capabilities of other industrial cleaning companies.

We are a family run business and we take pride in our staff and in our commitment to provide a top quality service.

We provide Commercial Window Cleaning, Rope Access/Abseiling Services, Commercial Office Cleaning, Apartment Block Cleaning, and Janitorial. Our typical client base are Commercial businesses, multinationals, Schools, Shopping Centers, Facility and Property Management companies.

Tel: (+353 1) 4016970 Fax: (+353 1) 2573427 Email: info@aquaclean.ie www.aquaclean.ie

Member Profiles My Dublin Chamber ‘My Dublin Chamber’ is a new initiative which aims to help members to connect and grow their business. Central to My Dublin Chamber is a new section on the Dublin Chamber website dedicated to you, our members, which includes exclusive member-to-member deals, the latest news from member companies and details about upcoming member events. All members can be profiled in the My Dublin Chamber portal. Profiling opportunities are also available in this magazine, as well as our monthly eZine and via our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn feeds. Getting featured will ensure that your message is received by more than 10,000 of your business peers. To get listed on My Dublin Chamber or to avail of our other profiling opportunities, please email paul@dublinchamber.ie.

Acuvest Limited www.acuvest.ie T: 01 634 4510 Acuvest is a specialist advisory firm set up to help our clients to more effectively manage pensions and investments. We have worked with many of the country’s leading organisations as well as internationally known companies over our ten years in business. Acuvest comprises a team of professionals spanning the accounting, actuarial and investment disciplines. As many of our people have managed financial services businesses at the highest level in Ireland, and abroad, we understand the ins and outs of pensions, insurance and investment at a level that few firms can rival. We actively use this experience to deliver value to our clients.

AddItOut www.additout.com T: 087 917 3362 AddItOut is a smart young company located in Bilbao and has been active in the Irish market since November 2013.

We offer you the power of a very experienced IT professional team, developing the projects you need as if it were your own team, just when you need it.

Our development teams have experience with: Microsoft.

Net, PHP, Microsoft SharePoint, HTML5, and iOS.

Agua-Clean Services www.aguaclean.ie T: 01 890 0422 Agua-Clean Services offers comprehensive cleaning and maintenance solution to suit your business needs and tailored to your requirements. Our experience, quality management and constant strive to exceed customer satisfaction ensures that Agua-Clean continues to be one of the leaders in the industry. We are a family run business and we take pride in our staff and in our commitment to provide a top quality service.

We provide commercial window cleaning, rope access/abseiling services, commercial office cleaning, apartment block cleaning, and janitorial.

Aile Business Strategy Consulting Ltd www.ailestrategy.com T: 087 721 84772 Aile Business Strategy Consulting’s core businesses and services are business

development, product development and strategic consulting within the EU market.

Business fields and know-how acquired with manufacturers at international level have been: ecommerce, exhibitions, faucet technology in bathroom field, green building and related energy technologies, energy saving field and ultimately involved in enterprise software platform and IoT. The company’s mission has always been to attract and develop new innovative technologies within Ireland. The company is currently looking for the right business partners to deploy know-how and to develop the business especially in energy efficiency and Internet of Things.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals International Trading www.alxn.com Alexion Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering life-transforming therapies for patients with severe and life-threatening rare diseases. Patients with these devastating diseases often have no effective treatment options, and they and their families suffer

with little hope. Alexion has operations in nearly 50 countries around the world, including a global supply chain and quality function in Ireland.

Atlas Language School www.atlaslanguage school.com T: 01 478 2845 Atlas Language School was established in Dublin in 2003 and has grown from a one room operation to one of the largest language schools in Ireland.

Today we teach over 3,000 students a year across a range of courses and programmes, including University Pathway, Teacher Training, Internship, and Executive English. We feel this rapid growth is a testament to the excellence of our programmes, the dedication of our staff and our commitment to providing an extremely high level of quality to each of our students.

Aware www.aware.ie T: 01 661 7211 Aware is the national organisation providing support, information and education around depression to individuals,

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Brooks: Opening new doors Brooks is a brand that has been in existence in Ireland since 1789 and is part and parcel of the Irish construction and building materials industries, servicing shop fitters and flooring contractors; builders and landscapers; plumbers; joinery companies and furniture manufacturers; and of course the public.

Brooks has branches nationwide and trades on the enduring strengths of quality, value and range.

We use these strengths to continuously broaden our customer base and product portfolio. Brooks (or ‘Brooks Thomas’ as it was known in the past) has always been centrally involved in its sector but it has also been a noticeable contributor to the Dublin business community.

It makes perfect sense that we be part of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and we look forward to building new relationships with Dublin businesses. We are excited about being part of the movement that will bring Dublin into a period of reasonable but sustainable growth. Brooks’ branches are based in: Dublin (Glasnevin, Naas Road, Sandyford); Cork (Puladuff Industrial Centre); Galway (Race Course, Ballybritt); Sligo (Finisklin Road); Tullamore (Church Road). www.brooksgroup.ie

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families and communities nationwide. It is estimated that about one in ten people in Ireland experience depression at any one time. Aware’s support services use a proactive approach to help people acknowledge their thoughts and feelings, and to identify, and focus on, positive actions available to them.

Big Red Cloud www.bigredcloud.com T: 01 204 8300 Big Red Cloud helps small businesses prepare their accounts with unlimited, easy to use accounting software.

Without any limits on invoices or transactions we’re not putting any limits on your business. We want to grow with you. As our accounting software solution is based in the cloud you can have anywhere, anytime access to your records. We offer free accountant access and a support team always ready to take your call. Make your best business decision yet and get in touch with Big Red Cloud.

BKRM Ltd www.bkrm.ie T: 01 836 5522 The practice of BKRM was established in 1981 as Bastow Keane. In 1994 it merged with Francis McLean & Co to form Bastow Keane McLean. In 2001 it incorporated the practice of McGrath, Comerford and Rehill Chartered Accountants to form BKRM. As a combined practice we have a vast wealth of experience that allows the firm and its staff to provide comprehensive advisory, audit and tax services to both existing and potential new clients. The practice consists of a staff of 14, comprising three partners, nine professionals and two support staff. The practice is located at 81/82 North Strand Road, Dublin 3. Our Mayo office was opened in 2006.

Brooks Group www.brooksgroup.ie T: 01 419 0000 Brooks Timber and Building Supplies Ltd is one of the leading timber and building merchants in the Republic of Ireland. Brooks has been an institution in the Irish construction industry since its inception in the late 1700s. Brooks has seven branch locations throughout Ireland.

Brooks offers expert advice and a wide range of quality products to both the building professionals and those doing DIY jobs at home.

CHQ Dublin Limited www.chq.ie T: 01 673 6054 The chq building is a Grade One listed building situated within the highly successful IFSC in the Dublin Docklands.

The chq building is home to a number of excellent shops, bars and restaurants and also has a dedicated state-of-the-art event and exhibition space within the building. The two spaces, the galleria and the vaults, can accommodate guests for a range of dynamic events from exhibitions of contemporary interior design, visual art, photography and fashion to product launches, lectures and seminars, corporate events, seasonal themed events and much more.

Cuckoo Events www.cuckoo.ie T: 01 640 1575 Cuckoo Events is an event management company with particular in-house expertise in event safety, management and staffing. Uniquely positioned in the market, thanks to the complementary skills and vast experience of the team, Cuckoo works on everything from mother and baby festivals to large outdoor concerts, from college events to corporate team

building days and from large charity events through to the London Olympics 2012. With a focus on developing genuine partnerships with clients, Cuckoo works largely on repeat business and referrals. We’re straighttalkers and nice people, and that makes a difference.

David Lloyd Riverview www.davidlloyd.ie T: 01 218 9600 David Lloyd Riverview offers unrivalled sports, fitness and relaxation facilities with firstclass professional expertise on hand for every member. Play tennis on match-quality courts, swim in the indoor or outdoor pool, or relax in the wet spa.

Choose from 100 classes a week, enjoy a DLicious meal as your family explores our exciting DL Kids centre or hit your fitness goals in the gym with help from expert personal trainers. Improve fitness, enjoy quality family time together or simply relax after a long day - whatever you need from your club, you’ll find it at Dublin Riverview.

Debtors Exchange www.debtorsxchange.com T: 01 685 3600 Debtors Exchange is a webbased exchange that enables invoices to be offered as Exchange Traded Receivables (ETR) for sale in volume. ETR are invoices for goods and services supplied to investment grade companies.

DHR Communications www.dhr.ie T: 01 420 0580 DHR Communications is a boutique PR firm based on Francis Street, in the heart of Dublin’s creative quarter.

Public relations, public affairs, crisis communications, online communications,

strategy consultation and event management are at the core of our work. At DHR Communications, we are dedicated to delivering results on time and within budget. We listen to the needs of our clients and tailor our services according to each individual situation.

Digital Hub Development Agency www.thedigitalhub.com T: 01 488 5804 The Digital Hub is a cluster of fast-growing and award winning digital content and technology enterprises located on a campus in the Liberties area of Dublin City. The Digital Hub fosters innovation, technological development and creativity.

Our members – technology leaders of today and tomorrow – enjoy excellent infrastructure, support and opportunities for collaboration and networking.

The Digital Hub is managed by the Digital Hub Development Agency, established by the Irish government in 2003.

Estates Gazette www.estatesgazette.com T: +44 20 7911 1801 Estates Gazette includes essential market intelligence every week. Our award winning magazine offers you: In-depth commercial property information including financial deals and advice, funds information, economic commentary, commercial property jobs and more.

Special commercial property supplements and in-depth features delving deeper into the issues that affect your profits, from retail to finance. Detailed analysis of the people, firms and legal cases driving change in commercial property - so you always know what’s happening, why, and what that means for your property business.

F.L. Brunell Art www.iconicdateart.com T: +44 283 0268 688 Fiona Brunell is an artist who produces fine art paintings and prints.

Hamble Corporate Services www.hamblegroup.com T: 01 283 0080 Hamble Corporate Services Ireland Ltd are specialists in tax planning for companies and individuals providing a range of wealth management structures. We offer a full range of company formation, accounting, bookkeeping, payroll and tax services. The company has 15 branches globally providing a host of professional services, such as tax, accounting, business and corporate strategy advice, asset management, fund management, property, legal, immigration, marine and aviation services, PR and digital media.

Hayden Brown Chartered Accountants www.haydenbrown.ie T: 01 677 1951 Hayden Brown is a long established medium sized chartered accountancy practice based in Dublin’s Grafton Street and environs in its present form since the mid 1970s. Although the roots can be traced back to the 1800s, the firm’s modern format is derived from the merger of two long established practices.

Since that time, Hayden Brown has evolved and changed into the modern and dynamic medium sized practice of today. With four partners and twenty staff, Hayden Brown is one of the larger medium sized firms in Ireland.

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd www.huawei.com/en/ T: 01 234 3100 Huawei is a leading global information and communications

The Cuckoo team: Mark Breen, Marian Kelleher and Martin Cullen

Cuckoo Events: Do it right. Do it well.

Nice people who love working events. That’s how Dublin company Cuckoo Events bills itself. The firm handles all aspects of event management, including themed events, foam and snow events, act booking and tour management, as well as event production and event safety. According to Managing Director Mark Breen: “We do it right and we do it well. That’s the bottom line. We work with the best. We train the best. We travel abroad to train with the best people and share knowledge and experience. We’re committed to being the best at everything we do. We don’t take chances and we don’t do things by halves. We make sure our clients understand that about us and, that way, we ensure they’re happy with what we do for them. We’re busy based on reputation and referral business. This business is a people business and events work well when good people are running them.”

To find out more, see www.cuckoo.ie or email martin@cuckoo.ie.

technology (ICT) solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end solution advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing.

We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, devices and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services. Our products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world’s population.

Intalex International www.intalex.com T: 01 400 4400 Launched in February 2014 by two serial and successful entrepreneurs, Jason Kennedy

and Ray Nolan, Intalex is a proprietary, online trading exchange enabling recruitment firms to trade directly with each other in a new and private market place. It also allows employers to access an aggregated supply chain of the best recruiters in the world and conversely recruiters can deal directly with employers whom they could not reach previously.

Integrated Electronic Solutions & Security (IESS) www.intess.ie T: 01 403 8466 IESS specialise in integrated electronic security systems.

With over 20 years’ experience in system design and support, we offer a quality service at

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competitive rates for CCTV, intruder alarm systems, access control and intercom systems.

We provide client specific designs to meet the risks and potential losses of sensitive high risk products and sites. On completion we provide CCTV and intruder monitoring of these sites. Our comprehensive service covers: system specification and design, installation, commissioning, technical support, and maintenance and service.

Irish Accounts www.irishaccounts.ie T: 01 805 8839 Irish Accounts is a progressive practice specialising in providing high quality audit and accountancy services to our clients in the business community. We are authorised

by The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to carry out audit and accountancy services in both Ireland and the UK in accordance with international auditing standards and have been awarded ACCA Quality Checked Status.

Services that we provide include: Bookkeeping, VAT, PAYE and RCT calculations; preparation of sole trader and company accounts and statutory audits; and income tax returns.

Leaf Consultancy www.leafconsultancy.com T: +44 028 9089 7650 Leaf are Microsoft Ireland’s award winning cloud partner and IT managed service provider.

Founded in 2003, Leaf this year expanded operations, adding to its Belfast office an additional office on Dublin’s Harcourt Road to meet the needs and demands of our greater Dublin clients.

We are Ireland’s number one Microsoft Cloud deployment partner-winning Microsoft Ireland’s Cloud Partner of the Year Award 2012 and Microsoft Ireland’s SMB Partner of the Year 2013 award as well as being ranked in Deloitte’s Fast 50 Awards the last four years running from 2010-2013.

Leaf are expert technology providers of Microsoft Cloud solutions and Office 365 as

well as IT infrastructure experts to both the private and public sector. By now you’ve heard a lot about the Microsoft Cloud and may be still unsure if its right for your business. Perhaps you’re struggling to understand the business benefits and where Office 365 fits in?

We’ve been providing solutions that meet and address business processes for over 10 years.

Whether it’s increasing staff productivity, lowering infrastructure costs or providing more scalability as your business grows, we don’t complicate things with IT jargon, we’re all about Keeping IT Simple. With new offices in Dublin, we look forward to welcoming your enquiries. For a friendly chat call us on 01 477 3153, e-mail sales@leaf365.ie or visit us at www.leaf365.ie

Luxair Group www.luxairgroup.lu T: +352 2456 4131 Luxair Group is the owner of Luxair Airlines, a regional airline offering fast air service to most of Europe’s largest cities, business centres and international hubs. Luxair prides itself upon providing maximum flexibility to its business clients and quality travel at affordable prices to its leisure customers.

Luxair operates flights from Luxembourg to Dublin, a route which is widely used by business passengers, notably in the financial sector and fund industry, and also leisure passengers and Irish nationals living in Luxembourg.

M.J. Flood (Ireland) Ltd www.mjf.ie T: 01 466 3500

Steven Goldblatt, Managing Director, Leaf Consultancy.

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M.J. Flood (Ireland) is the largest privately owned Irish business equipment company, established in 1935. We are one of the leading suppliers of

digital technology and office furniture for the modern office environment. The company specialises in the following areas: Konica Minolta business machines, managed print services, IT and consultancy services, systems furniture, interior contracting, office supplies, lighting and Parklex.

Periploi Aviation Limited www.periploigroup.com T: 01 443 3746 Founded by Brian Stapleton, Periploi Aviation is a boutique consulting practice that offers services to: Aviation asset owners; airlines; airports; ground handling operators; cargo/3PL operators; MROs; and aviation training providers.

PJ Carroll and Company www.pjcarroll.ie T: 01 205 2330 PJ Carroll and Company was founded in 1824 by Patrick James Carroll in Dundalk, Co. Louth. It is Ireland’s oldest tobacco company. PJ Carroll provides a wide range of quality brands to adult consumers such as Ireland’s best known local cigarette brands, Carrolls Number One and Major, alongside internationally recognised flagship brands such as Pall Mall, Rothmans and Dunhill. Now a subsidiary of British American Tobacco, PJ Carroll is based in Leopardstown, Dublin and employs 37 staff working in sales, supply chain, retail engagement and finance.

Press Play Presentations www.pressplay presentations.com T: 087 929 6575 Lottie Hearn is the video coach with Press Play Presentations, empowering your ‘Confidence on Camera’. With the exponential

growth of online video it’s easy for your presenting to get lost behind the camera lens.

Whether you hire a pro or DIY your videos, Lottie helps you overcome video or camera fears to discover how you can present the best you can, to make the impact you want. PPP trains a multitude of industries and presenter levels for: Corporate and individual video, webcam, webinar and video conference presenting; Video Voice-Over (VO) presenter coaching and speaker self-promotion; DIY video planning, production and promotion advice.

Pro Staff www.prostaff.ie T: 087 286 7692 Formerly known as Sales Appointments, recruitment firm Pro Staff fills a range of positions for clients, including: Sales and marketing management, business developers, account managers, inside sales, technical sales, channel sales, online marketing, digital marketing, trade marketing, social media, direct marketing, product / brand management and research methodology. At Pro Staff, we rely on a custom built 10,000 plus live database of experienced personnel.

Securitas Security Services Ireland Limited www.securitas.ie T: 01 801 5572 Securitas is a global knowledge leader in security. From a broad range of services of specialised guarding, technology solutions and consulting and investigations, we customise offerings that are suited to the individual customer’s needs, in order to deliver the most effective security solutions.

Everywhere from small stores to airports, our 310,000 employees are making a difference.

Superior Express www.trans.ie T: 01 408 1888 Superior Express is a family run business and was established in 1987 and has become one of Ireland’s leading freight carriers.

We operate from a state of the art warehouse based on the new Naas road which is just off the M50 Red Cow interchange, which is also the gateway to Dublin and to all major road networks thoughtout Ireland.

We have a fully dedicated and skilled team with over 50 years’ experience. We have one of the most modern fleet of vehicles on the road comprising from: car vans; large vans; curtainside trucks; and 45-foot articulated trucks.

Tom Armstrong Executive Coaching www.armstrong executivecoaching.ie T: 086 822 8400 Tom Armstrong Executive Coaching works with people in business who wish to clarify and achieve their goals, increase their effectiveness and develop both personally and professionally. Tom provides a safe and independent space. He has operated at a senior level in the commercial world for over 15 years, has an MSc in Business and Executive Coaching from UCD and is a chartered accountant.

VisionID Ltd www.visionid.ie T: 01 524 1586 VisionID was founded in 2000 and has grown to be one of the most successful AutoID and Data Capture companies in Ireland. Serving a broad spectrum of verticals such as retail, manufacturing, healthcare, transport and pharmaceutical, VisionID offers tailored solutions to streamline

processes, increase operational efficiencies while reducing operational costs, errors, production time and waste. Our key solutions cover enterprise mobility with products such as rugged handheld computers/ tablets, WLAN and software solutions such as mobile device management and track and trace technologies which include barcode label printing solutions, barcode scanning – both fixed position and handheld – vision inspection systems, RFID technology and mobile carts.

Simplify the way you run your business with Wandsoft

Walterstown Investments Ltd www.walterstown investments.ie T: 01 631 4444

• Focus on adding value, provided by today’s innovation - rather than the technology behind it.

Walterstown Investments was set up in mid-2012 to specialise in sourcing and introducing asset backed alternative investment opportunities to private investors (and SIPPs). Since then we have sourced student and key worker accommodation and hotel investments in the UK which provide high income and potential capital growth.

We are currently looking at the Irish market too for investment opportunities.

• Use IT to its full potential and be more efficient.

It will bring you key indicators and work performance to make your business more profitable.

Wandsoft www.wandsoft.com T: 01 905 9010 Whether you’re a startup or an established business, an SME, NGO, charity or sole-trader, our software solution can help you simplify the way you do business. Wandsoft lets you manage your files, contacts, time sheets, invoicing and credit control, while integrating your online presence: web enquiries, ecommerce, newsletters and support, all from a simple web browser.

Wandsoft works on PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones meaning that you can access your data anywhere.

Whether you’re a start-up or an established business, a small or medium company, NGO, charity or a sole trader, we can help you simplify the way you do business.

With a simple management information system, your organisation will:

Wandsoft lets you: Manage your files, contacts, time sheets, invoicing and credit control, while integrating your online presence; web enquiries, ecommerce, newsletters and support, all from a simple web browser.

Full contact details for all member companies are available at www.members. dublinchamber.ie

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I.P.I.A.

Events Gallery

Property Guide Launch SCSI President Pauline Daly and Dublin Chamber CEO Gina Quin.

Launch of Dublin Chamber’s Top 10 Tips for Selling Online guide Lynnsey Delaney, Advisor, European Consumer Centre, Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber, Ann Neville, Director, at European Consumer Centre.

Ann Neville, Director, at European Consumer Centre, Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber.

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Events Gallery

Smart Series

Kindly Sponsored By

with John Bruton, President, IFSC Ireland

Greg Clarke, Vice President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, John Bruton, President, IFSC Ireland, Regina Moran, CEO, Fujitsu.

John Bruton, President, IFSC Ireland.

Aebhric McGibney, Director of Public & International Affairs, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Jason Lalor, Country Head, MasterCard, John Bruton, President, IFSC Ireland, Regina Moran, CEO, Fujitsu, Greg Clarke, Vice President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Tom Glynn, CEO, Depfa Bank plc.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce Dinner in Camera

Kindly Sponsored By

with Kevin Toland, CEO, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA)

Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

Kevin Toland, CEO, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).

Kevin Toland, CEO, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Martin Murphy, President, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner, Deloitte.

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Events Gallery

Leaders Series with Michael Cawley, former Chief Operating Officer & former Deputy Chief Executive, Ryanair

Michael Cawley, former Chief Operating Officer & former Deputy Chief Executive, Ryanair.

Alan Murphy, Managing Partner, Eversheds, Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Michael Cawley, former Chief Operating Officer & former Deputy Chief Executive, Ryanair.

Leaders Series with Mike Maloney, CEO, Payzone

Kindly Sponsored By

Mike Maloney, CEO, Payzone.

Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

Sean Ryan, Partner, Eversheds, Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Mike Maloney, CEO, Payzone.

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An executive night with a difference. You could call it a networking event for Ireland’s business leaders. Except that instead of dinner and speeches, it’s sleeping bags and conviviality in the unique surroundings of the Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens or Cork’s historic City Gaol. It’s a night to raise funds and awareness of homelessness.

Since 2012, over 120 business leaders have slept out and raised over €675,000. Past participants include business leaders from Aviva, Deloitte, PayPal, Glanbia, Google, The Irish Times, KBC, BOI and Toyota. Please join us on Friday 17th October 2014 and give one night to change a lifetime. See focusireland.ie

SPONSORED BY

Call 01 881 5900 Visit focusireland.ie Find us on

Events Gallery

Ouzel Galley Past Presidents’ Dinner The Chamber’s first bi-annual Past Presidents’ Dinner took place on 30 April. Kindly sponsored by AIB Private Banking, this prestigious event was held in the Old Jameson Distillery, aptly linking the longstanding relationship between the Ouzel Galley Society and the Jameson family.

The 2014 Ouzel Galley Captain, Ronan King was joined by guest speakers Professor Juergen Barkhoff, Trinity College, and Terry Neill, former Head of Arthur Anderson Worldwide.

Guests were treated to a tour of the superb Old Jameson Distillery ahead of a business dinner during which topics such as The President’s Ethics Initiative and a Post-Troika Ireland were discussed.

Kindly Sponsored By

Past Presidents and Ouzel Galley

Liam Kavanagh, Gina Quin, Ronan King, Margaret Sweeney and Kieran Tobin.

Patrick Farrell, Sponsor Kieran Tobin, Ronan King and Terry Neill.

Upcoming Chamber Events What?

Networking Evening @ Dublin Citi Hotel When?

Thursday 31 July at 5.30pm Where?

Dublin Citi Hotel, 46/49 Dame Street, Dublin 2

What?

Networking Breakfast When?

Tuesday 9 September at 8am Where?

Dublin Chamber of Commerce, 7 Clare Street, Dublin 2

What?

Business Owners Network When?

Friday 19 September at 7.30am Where?

Dublin Chamber of Commerce, 7 Clare St, Dublin 2

What?

Business Owners Network When?

Friday 5 September at 7.30am Where?

Dublin Chamber of Commerce, 7 Clare St, Dublin 2

What?

Business Breakfast: The Built Environment, Ireland’s success & failings When?

Wednesday 10 September at 8am Where?

Dublin Chamber of Commerce, 7 Clare St, Dublin 2

What?

Networking @ Mason Hayes & Curran When?

Thursday 25 September at 5.30pm Where?

Mason Hayes & Curran, South Bank House, Barrow St., Dublin 4

What?

Dublin Chamber Annual Dinner 2014 When?

Thursday 9 October at 6pm Where?

The Convention Centre Dublin

57 |

BI SURVEY > ESRI Ireland

Maps make sense for the irish economy > Paul Synnott, Country Manager, Esri Ireland talks to Business Ireland about the latest Government report on the economic

value of geographic information.

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or the past two years I have been writing in Business Ireland, of the benefits and value of geospatial information (maps) to both public and private sector organisations. Much of what I have written has been informed by the work that we do with our public and private sector customers, experiencing first-hand the valuable contribution and power of ‘location’ in helping organisations and companies make better and smarter business decisions.

This month further evidence of the value of location based products and services has been published in an independent report, an ‘Assessment of the Economic Value of the Geospatial Information Industry in Ireland’. This report was commissioned by the Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi), and carried out by Indecon Economic Consultants. The report, which can be downloaded from the OSi’s website (www.osi.ie), finds that the use of geospatial information is estimated to accrue annual savings of a82 million in the public sector alone.

The report also reveals that the industry contributes a69.3m in terms of Gross Added Value to the Irish economy, and has an economy-wide impact of a126.4m. The sector directly employs an estimated 1,677 people, supports the employment of a total of 3,000 people and spends a total of a84.4m on wages and salaries.

Export sales of geospatial products and services amount to a18.9m.

In the context of the private sector, the report estimates that the use of geospatial information accrues time savings (efficiency and productivity) with an economic value of a279m, and competition benefits (reduction in

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In my opinion the OSi/ Indecon report needs to explore more of these commercial business examples so we can get a truer reflection of the value of maps and location to the private sector.”

Paul Synnott, Country Manager, Esri Ireland.

consumer search costs) of a104m.

In the absence of any other formal studies in this area there is little doubt that this report is a solid foundation for ongoing discussion and debate about the impacts of ‘location’ to government, business and the citizen. I concur fully with Colin Bray, CEO of OSi, when he says that “this report is a stepping stone for the geospatial industry in Ireland”.

However, from the engagements we have had with both our public and private sector customers, I believe that while rigorous in its approach and solid in its findings, the overall estimate of economic value is still somewhat conservative, particularly with reference to private sector use and application.

For example, we are working with one private sector company that has a a36bn business issue for which they

are now looking to location intelligence to help address. Through the efficient and effective use and application of mapping and location information they have already resolved r1.5bn in their first 14 months of using such information. This is just one example from one customer in one particular industry and we know of many more such examples. In my opinion the OSi/ Indecon report needs to explore more of these commercial business examples so we can get a truer reflection of the value of maps and location to the private sector. I would encourage the OSi and Indecon to progress further our collective understanding of the benefits and value of geospatial information to commercial businesses by taking a deeper dive into the private sector use and application.

Where energy efficiency meets economic gain Sponsored by

In the past new energies launched industrial revolutions and seemingly unlimited resources powered economies.

But according to the Global Footprint Report 2012, humanity now demands over 50 per cent more energy than the planet can regenerate. In current times managing energy resources efficiently is key for economic success.

In this special report, Business Ireland takes a look at Ireland’s progress in reaching its energy targets; the potential of energy savings for businesses and profiles those organisations that are paving the way for energy efficiency, economic and environmental success.

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Energy Efficiency Report > AIB

The Iceberg of

Energy Efficiency > SMEs are feeling the pinch when it comes to rising energy

prices with AIB’s research showing the average retailer spends a50,000 and the average manufacturer a114,000 per year respectively on energy. AIB’s Energy & Clean Technology team tells Business Ireland about the many benefits for businesses of reducing energy bills.

A

ccounting for an average of 11 per cent of a company’s operational costs, tackling energy bills can be seen as a key opportunity for business owners, energy efficiency solution suppliers and the finance community. For a long time the industry has been aware of the potential, but to date that potential has failed to be unlocked: “The right conditions need to be in place for the energy efficiency iceberg to be seen in its entirety,” says Ray O’Neill, Head of Energy and Clean Technologies, AIB. “Right now we only see the bit above sea level, a small level of activity relative to the potential. The challenge is to bring awareness, solutions, finance and incentives together in a cohesive way. We want businesses to see the potential below the surface.”

In the SME’s Shoes The rubber hits the road when utility bills come through the letter box. The reality is most SMEs in Ireland are ill-equipped to understand their energy bill, challenge the figures and to take the first steps to drive down their consumption. According to market research firm Amárach, 33 per cent of SMEs claim they don’t

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understand their electricity bills and 45 per cent don’t understand their gas bills.

With increased levels of competition within the energy provider market over the past five years, SMEs have expressed sensitivity to cost by switching to a cheaper energy provider. This offers short term savings but is not a sustainable strategy for SMEs to reduce energy costs in the long term. Energy pricing can be volatile, subject to the global market, and pricing discounts can disappear quite quickly. This shopping around approach does not tackle the issue of reducing consumption, critical to cost reduction and sustainability.

“Alarmingly SMEs who see that energy prices are hurting them can’t see how to avoid them in the long term.

They don’t consider energy as a waste.

It’s intangible. Instead of tackling the issue head on, SMEs are thinking of reducing margins, increasing prices, reducing wage or operating hours which negatively impacts their ability to compete. This is not good for AIB, our customers or Ireland. But it’s not the energy supplier’s fault. Energy inefficiency is a waste and solutions are available to reduce costs. Some of these solutions do not require financial

investment, others do. AIB is in the business of financing the outlay in order for cost efficiencies to be made.

We take the projected energy savings from an energy efficiency project into account when making our credit assessment. We want SMEs to focus on life time operating costs and to keep those costs under control,” says O’Neill.

Different Ways of Delivering At least three models of finance are emerging in the energy efficiency market. Larger projects are now being constructed using special purpose vehicles (SPVs). SPVs take the project off balance sheet, while contracts are put in place between the company availing of heat, electricity or lighting and the company providing the technology and services. Hotels, food companies and semi-state organisations are now availing of these structures. Performance of the solution relative to its ability to reduce businesses’ energy costs is paramount and significant effort goes into measuring the before and after performance.

However, for most businesses SPV is too complex, with too many overheads:

Energy Efficiency Report > AIB

Typical spend for SMEs taking on an energy efficiency project is in the region of a50,000 according to the AIB Amarach research.

Alternative options for SMEs are to fund the capital costs from their cash reserves or to seek finance. Many SMEs do not have such reserves and demonstrating cash flows to take on lending can be difficult. Demonstrating savings, however, is easier and in many cases the savings are greater than the cost of finance. AIB’s Energy Efficiency Finance offering may be the solution: “AIB launched a a100m fund late last year to support our Energy Efficiency Finance proposition. We’re moving towards a pay-as-you-save model by taking the savings into account when assessing the repayment capacity of our SME customers. Details are on our website www.aib.ie/energy,” advises O’Neill.

Lending Activity AIB has held breakfast seminars around the country for over 750 SMEs, with the support of local Chambers of Commerce and the SEAI. We have also trained over 300 staff to handle energy efficiency finance queries and will continue to make our customers aware of the benefits of understanding energy costs and reducing bills. We are seeing an uplift in lending for energy efficiency projects. “We see a big shift in the retail sector with significant numbers changing their lighting, installing energy efficient fridges, and control systems.

We also see larger businesses in the hotel and manufacturing sector taking on significant retrofits. Most importantly they are increasing margins and protecting their businesses during periods of stagnant revenue,” says O’Neill.

Role of the Solution Providers Recently we have seen energy suppliers getting more involved in energy efficiency projects, which seems counterintuitive until you understand their motives. New legislation has created hard targets for energy suppliers to reduce the energy consumption of business, residential and fuel-poor customers.

The currency of energy credit is now starting to develop in the Irish market and energy efficiency projects can be supported by selling on the credits to an energy supplier.

However, credibility in the market needs to be restored. Regulation is required to protect against the import of inefficient, untested products. This will stop substandard product entering the market and remove the temptation to purchase cheap but ultimately expensive product. We also need to enforce higher standards and provide an environment where quality suppliers, providing quality solutions, can thrive.

Complementary Funds Minister Rabbitte recently announced the launch of the new a70m National Energy Efficiency Fund. The fund, to be managed

by Sustainable Development Capital LLP, will seek to invest equity in energy efficiency projects across the commercial and public sector. It recently signed its first deal worth a2m to retrofit lighting in a number of Tesco stores in Ireland. The fund, a combination of public and private funding, is another example of the growing number of finance sources available for energy efficiency in Ireland.

Key Research Findings • Over half of the buildings SMEs operate in are ten to 15 years old which has implications for energy efficiency including heating, cooling and lighting.

• Many SMEs are unable to distinguish between different sources of energy costs with only 21 per cent able to fully quantify lighting costs.

• Only 21 per cent of SMEs understand their electricity bills very well. Just over half are satisfied with the information provided on their bill.

• The majority of SMEs have switched electricity provider in the last five years for cost savings.

• Almost one in four don’t know how they compare to their competitors on energy consumption.

• One in seven SMEs expect to look for bank finance to fund an energy project in the next 12 months.

The majority expect to need less than a25,000.

• Nine per cent of SMEs plan to change/ upgrade machinery in the next two years.

• 59 per cent of all SMEs would consider an energy efficiency solution if they could access finance.

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Energy Efficiency Report > Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources

Energising

the Economy > Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte

outlines the importance of developing Ireland’s renewable energy sector and how businesses can benefit from greater energy efficiency.

Q: Do you see a growing awareness among businesses about the opportunities being generated through energy efficiency?

A: Yes. Energy efficiency is an established services sector in Ireland which is contributing to our recovery and growth particularly given its labour intensive nature. The contribution of energy efficiency to sustainable employment is demonstrated by the inclusion of “transforming Ireland into one of the most energy efficient economies in Europe by 2020” as one of six high level reforms in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013. Put simply, reducing energy consumption facilitates business to reduce costs, improve productivity and competitiveness.

Q: How can the development of Ireland’s renewable energy sector present enterprise development opportunities, support jobs and contribute to rural development?

A: Realising the abundant potential for our renewable energy resources provides an important and sustainable economic opportunity for Ireland, both in terms of developing a secure, indigenous energy resource

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and creating jobs in the green economy. Ireland possesses excellent renewable energy resources, both onshore and offshore, which, as well as being sufficient to meet our own energy and climate needs, also hold export potential in the period beyond 2020. Thus there is significant economic potential in the renewable energy sector. This potential is already recognised by the IDA and Enterprise Ireland in their clean technologies strategies.

Realising the potential of the renewable energy sector for job creation in construction, maintenance (which would be located in rural areas in the main), as well as research and development of emerging technologies, is central to renewable energy policy. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) estimates that the sector could create 30,000 jobs by 2020.

As we look beyond 2020 to the forthcoming EU Energy & Climate Framework for 2030 and beyond that towards the goal of a minimum 80 per cent carbon free energy system by 2050, the need to further develop the renewable generation portfolio becomes apparent. This will include technologies currently at the pre-commercial stage such as wave and tidal. The framework for the sustainable development of our offshore

resources is set out in the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP), published in February. The economic potential of offshore energy is particularly important for coastal communities, where job creation faces particular challenges.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the renewable energy sector in Ireland?

A: Our energy policy objectives can only be realised if the infrastructure necessary to transport renewable electricity from site of generation to site of demand is delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Delivering the necessary renewal and expansion of the electricity transmission system is not only critical to achieve the goal of increasing the sustainability of the power system, it is also a prerequisite for economic growth and job creation. However, the concerns of local communities must be at the heart of the move to renewable energy. The environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy are real.

Early ongoing and transparent communication is critical if we are to deliver vital energy infrastructure and ensure that these benefits are realised for all citizens.

Q: What are the best ways businesses can become more energy efficient and help Ireland become less dependent on fossil fuels?

A: In relation to reducing energy use and running more efficiently, businesses can start by undertaking simple steps such as going through their energy bills with their supplier to understand how much energy is being used and how you can reduce or avoid it; ensuring heating and ventilation only operate in the spaces required; ensuring office equipment is switched off overnight; undertaking staff training/awareness programmes for saving energy.

More significant steps might involve an audit of a facility or office to establish what retrofit measures (lighting upgrade, boiler management system, heat recovery systems) might be suitable to result in significant cost reductions right up to a more complex arrangement involving an energy performance contract, whereby an energy services company is engaged to guarantee an agreed level of savings based on retrofit measures and verified energy management processes.

Furthermore, the SEAI offer a number of dedicated SME supports from advice and mentoring up to energy management training.

Q: What other sources of support are out there for companies seeking a more energy efficient approach?

A: There are a range of supports for businesses that are looking to become more efficient. In addition to the National Energy Services Framework and Energy Efficiency Fund, which are designed to support client organisations

Energy Efficiency Report > Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources

who wish to procure an energy performance contract arrangement, there are several supports offered through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to both large industry and SMEs. More details can be found at ww.seai.ie/ Your_Business

SME Programmes SEAI has engaged with over 3,000 SMEs, providing strategic support, training, funding, and advice for energy projects. 1,295 SMEs, with a combined energy spend of a171,923,759 formally availed of SEAI’s Advice and Mentoring assessments between 2009 and 2013.

Industry Programmes The Large Industry Energy Network (LIEN) is a voluntary group – facilitated by the SEAI – of companies that work together to develop and maintain robust energy management. They provide annual data reports to SEAI on their energy use and actions taken to reduce their consumption. 163 of Ireland’s largest energy users are members of the LIEN. Q: Ireland has been given a target of 16 per cent of consumption to come from renewables by 2020 under the last EU Climate Change package which runs until 2020. Is it likely we will achieve these targets?

A: In order to meet the 16 per cent target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40 per cent of electricity demand from renewable generation by 2020 and significant progress is being made in this regard with provisional figures suggesting that 20.5 per cent of electricity demand

was met by renewables.

To date, wind energy has proved to be the most commercial technology in the Irish market and provisional figures for 2013 indicate that it accounted for 16.4 per cent of energy demand in the electricity sector.

There is now over 2,300 MW of renewable generation connected to the grid. It is estimated that we will need about 4,000 MW to meet the 40 per cent target. Currently, over 3,000 MW of renewable generation has accepted grid connection offers under the Gate 3 process.

The penetration of renewable energy in transport will be developed mainly through the increased use of sustainable biofuels which is supported by way of the Biofuel Obligation Scheme.

The obligation currently stands at six per cent by volume.

The increased deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) is also expected to make a contribution to achieving the ten per cent target for the transport sector and grant supports and VRT reliefs are in place to incentivise the

Pat Rabbitte, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources.

Ireland possesses excellent renewable energy resources, both onshore and offshore, which, as well as being sufficient to meet our own energy and climate needs, also hold export potential in the period beyond 2020.”

purchase of these vehicles.

As car manufacturers increase the number of different models available and as consumer confidence returns to the Irish economy, demand for these vehicles will increase. This is evidenced through a dramatic increase in demand for electric vehicles in the year to date.

It is expected that the use of biomass technologies will account for the majority of heat from renewable sources. The uptake of the Combined Heat and Power capacity under REFIT 3, launched in early 2012, will make a contribution to achieving this along with migration to renewable heat in response to market forces.

The requirements of Part L of the building regulations are also expected to make a contribution to increasing the uptake of renewable heat. Additionally, subject to Government approval, it is expected that the forthcoming Bioenergy strategy will incorporate targeted and cost effective measures to stimulate demand for biomass-fuelled heat.

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Energy Efficiency Report > Bord Gáis Energy

Helping SMEs

keep their cool and cut costs > Bord Gáis Energy has launched a range of new products to help businesses make savings on energy.

Keep your cool • Heating and air-conditioning use lots of energy so regularly review your temperature and timer settings. Reducing the thermostat by 1° can save you up to 10 per cent on your heating bill.

• Placing photocopiers and other equipment that emits heat in well ventilated areas can also reduce the strain on air conditioning units in the vicinity.

I

n light of global energy cost volatility, Bord Gáis Energy has reaffirmed its support for the SME sector by launching a range of new products to help businesses reduce their energy costs.

Alongside the new products Bord Gáis Energy is also helping SMEs with extensive but simple tips on energy use, energy saving and environmental efficiency.

Speaking about the importance of the SME sector, Dave Kirwan, Managing Director of Bord Gáis Energy commented: “While the multinational and tech sectors get a lot of focus, Ireland’s SME community is the bedrock of our recovery and should be helped in every way possible. That’s why we created a purpose built range of products to help SMEs reduce energy costs.

These plans are another building block in our campaign to help Irish businesses get the best value for money on their energy requirements.”

Businesses have audits for all sorts of functions and a helpful starting point to manage energy costs is an energy audit. It can be a simple and smart way to reduce costs and help in achieving IS393, which is the ultimate accolade for energy management in the workplace.

Tools to help, such as an Energy

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Management Action Plan, are also available from SEI. The Bord Gáis Energy website, businessenergy.ie, has lots of information but here are some simple tips that will be surprisingly helpful in reducing your energy bill.

A light bulb moment • Fluorescent tube lighting can use over 500 times more energy in just 15 minutes than it takes to restart so if the light is not needed switch it off.

• A CFL light bulb can last up to ten times longer than your old traditional bulbs. In addition they use 75 per cent less energy than the old versions.

• If your business has multiple floors, ensure that any after-hours cleaning or maintenance service work is undertaken one floor at a time, lighting each floor as needed rather than having the lights on across multiple floors simultaneously.

• Installing motion sensors in conference rooms, toilets and break rooms can reduce lighting costs by up to 40 per cent in these areas.

• Keep all exterior doors and windows closed when the heating or air conditioning is on and keep internal doors closed between areas set at different temperatures.

• Setting PCs, monitors and photocopiers to sleep mode when not in use can help cut energy costs by up to 50 per cent.

• A poorly maintained boiler can often use ten per cent more energy than necessary and may also be less reliable.* • Install inexpensive programmable thermostats to help optimise your building’s heating and air conditioning needs. That way you won’t need to remember to change thermostat settings every time you open your doors.

The Business Direct team at Bord Gáis Energy are solely focused on our business customers and are highly trained to help businesses manage their energy requirements, so give them a call and they will be more than helpful. *Statistics quoted in this guide are sourced from the Sustainable Energy Ireland website www.sei.ie as of January 22nd 2010.

Energy Efficiency Report > SEAI

Energy savings benefit

the bottom line

> “Energy efficiency makes good business sense. Every time you cut a euro off your energy

bill it goes directly to your bottom line,” says Majella Kelleher, head of Energy Demand Management with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

S

EAI has worked with thousands of businesses to help them reduce their energy costs and save money. In fact, SEAI estimates that small businesses in Ireland could collectively save up to a300m annually if they implemented energy saving measures.

In terms of competitiveness, no matter how small your business, you can make savings by following simple energy savings steps. In most cases individual companies reduce energy bills by ten to 20 per cent and directly benefit their bottom line.

measurement and management Kelleher encourages firms to measure their energy use and take steps to reduce it.

“Look at your bills, learn how to read them and examine what you are spending,” she says. “Once high energy usage areas are identified the company can examine how best to lower their use. This is usually achieved with small changes in procedure or behaviour. You do need to commit some resources, whether a small amount of money or a commitment of time.”

The good news is energy budgets can be managed. You can reduce your energy use by taking a range of steps, ranging from implementing heating controls to improving insulation in your building. Many firms continue to heat their buildings at night when they are unoccupied, but by implementing heating controls, a firm can achieve 15 to 20 per cent in savings alone, according to Kelleher.

“Efficient lighting and LEDs can save anywhere between 30 and 50 per cent

Majella Kelleher, head of Energy Demand Management, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

on electricity savings,” she adds.

Many firms overlook the tariff on their energy bill. Something as small as consulting your electricity provider about the tariffs can reduce bills significantly.

How SEAI can help?

SEAI offers businesses a range of services, including a step-by-step programme for companies of all sizes, as well as specific tips on a range of energy technologies and ideas. SEAI also offers free energy assessments, to analyse the current energy use of firms and identify immediate opportunities for savings.

Firms can register online at www.seai.ie/business, and are then matched with an energy advisor who will provide assistance by phone. If appropriate, experts may visit sites of larger energy users to conduct an assessment of savings opportunities.

Energy management training is also provided by SEAI. Courses are themed on specific sectors so

that participants can learn about key energy using areas and technologies of relevance to them. Content is tailored to the audience’s needs, and many of the courses also include on-site assessments for participating companies.

For companies looking to invest in energy efficient products, SEAI operates the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) scheme, which provides tax incentives for businesses upgrading to efficient technologies. Companies can reduce their tax bill by 100 per cent of the cost of qualifying equipment in the year of purchase. Further details including the list of product categories can be found on www.seai.ie/aca.

Getting started SEAI advocates companies adopt a structured approach to managing energy. Kelleher explains: “Businesses should start with the low-hanging fruit, usually achieved with small changes in procedures or behaviours. Once these ‘quick wins’ are achieved the business can look at further energy saving measures which may involve upgrading controls or equipment.

“Staff engagement is essential. When energy efficiency becomes something that everyone in the business is aware of, it can be built into the business culture.

“The message is that this helps in terms of competitiveness: There is a genuine business reason to reduce energy usage, not only for cost savings but also for corporate social responsibility.”

For more information visit www.seai.ie/business

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Energy Efficiency Report > Matheson

Renewable Energy in 2020 > Garret Farrelly of Matheson tells Business Ireland what needs to be done to meet the 2020 renewable energy targets.

T

he RES Directive 2009/28/EC sets mandatory national targets for the share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of energy – a target of 16 per cent for Ireland. In the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), Ireland set a target of 40 per cent of electricity consumption to come from renewable sources by 2020.

According to the Irish Wind Energy Association, on March 10th 2014, 2.08GW of wind capacity has been installed in Ireland. However, Ireland will need a total installed wind capacity of between 3.5GW and 4GW to meet its 2020 renewables target. Ireland is currently behind where the NREAP had outlined we should be. The target will not be met without a significant increase in our wind energy build rate.

Ensuring the 2020 targets are met is significant for Ireland because failure to reach them could lead to noncompliance costs of up to a150 million per year, for each percentage shortfall in renewable energy, and a further a250m in emission permit purchases. Therefore, the development of a healthy pipeline of wind projects is essential to achieve Ireland’s 2020 targets.

The RES Directive sets out the framework for three co-operation mechanisms which member states may use to achieve their own 2020 targets or assist other member states in achieving theirs.

The Irish and UK Governments had been working together to create the framework and conditions for renewable energy export, to be set out in an inter-governmental agreement, using co-operation mechanisms under the RES Directive. However, in April this year, Minister Rabbitte said examination of the renewable energy export project

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arising from the March London summit, had “failed to conclude an intergovernmental agreement to facilitate green energy export from the midlands within the EU’s 2020 timeframe.” It therefore seems likely that the renewable energy export projects will not proceed.

Ireland is now faced with significant challenges in meeting the 2020 targets.

Social Acceptability Opposition to windfarm projects resulting in unsuccessful planning applications and/or significant delays to development programmes is increasingly common.

Grid25 This is EirGrid’s plan to upgrade the electricity transmission network from now until 2025. This major undertaking, which according to EirGrid represents an investment of a3.2 billion, will take several years. It involves extensive work throughout the country, which includes building 800km of new power lines and upgrading 2,000km of existing lines to double the size of today’s electricity grid.

There has been heated debate about whether transmission cabling should be undergrounded which may result in delays to Grid25.

DS3 EirGrid and SONI have to date successfully managed the integration of very high levels of instantaneous renewable penetration on the island.

The 2020 targets are described by EirGrid and SONI as being “the highest for any synchronous system in Europe.” To achieve this objective, EirGrid and SONI have established a programme of work entitled ‘Delivering a Secure Sustainable Electricity System

Garret Farrelly, Associate, Matheson’s Projects, Energy and Construction Group.

(DS3)’, which includes enhancing the portfolio performance, developing new operational policies and system tools to use the plant portfolio to the best of its capabilities, and regularly reviewing the needs of the system.

Target Model It remains to be seen whether the interconnection of European electricity markets will herald new opportunities for Irish wind farms and what impact interconnection will have on thermal generation.

The recent publication in May 2014 of the Green Paper on Energy Policy will no doubt be scrutinised carefully

by Ireland’s energy industry to see what policies the Government is proposing to ensure the 2020 targets are met.

Energy Efficiency Report > ENPROVA

ENPROVA for energy savings > Ireland’s biggest oil

industry players have joined forces to deliver ENPROVA, a ground breaking new scheme which they say will generate millions of euros in energy savings across local industry.

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s part of a ramped-up drive to boost their share of the energy savings being made under the Government’s Better Energy programme, established by the recent Europe Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU) the country’s oil industry has created a new organisation and brand called ENPROVA. This new company has teamed up with an established nationwide network of trusted, independent contractors and consultants, to assist thousands of customers of all sizes, across every sector to make vital reductions to their energy bills.

Backed by the Irish Petroleum Industry Association (IPIA), ENPROVA’s work with local contractors has already directly generated more than f15 million in energy savings in the commercial, industrial, farming and transport sectors during 2013. By the end of 2015, ENPROVA said it intends to achieve combined savings of around f50m.

The new energy-saving initiative and unique collaboration will be promoted under the new name ENPROVA. Oil companies Esso, Inver, Maxol, Phillips 66, Top Oil, Topaz and Valero have all put their weight behind the new scheme, to target energy savings worth up to f50m by 2015. All are members of the IPIA, which represents the majority of the Irish oil industry currently engaged in the importation, distribution and marketing of oil products.

Based on our work with large industrial companies and multinationals, ENPROVA have now developed a programme that can be rolled out to the SME sector, and should aid in delivering energy savings no matter the size of your company.

Paddy Sweeney manager of the ENPROVA scheme says: “Our research tells us that the biggest single block to SME participation in energy efficiency schemes, is receiving independent, non biased advice that they can rely on” As part of their obligation under the European directive all energy savings must be verified by an independent verifier once complete. “The requirement for independent verification of each project means that we have vested interest in ensuring a successful outcome of your project,” says Sweeney.

Partnership Approach Energy savings are most effectively delivered through a structured conservation programme carried out over a number of stages. ENPROVA

have developed their programme by working with such clients as National University of Ireland, Galway. It can be adapted for both commercial and manufacturing enterprises. The programme will be made available to all members of the Chamber of Commerce who commit to the partnership.

Introductory Offer The first ten applicants will receive • professional input into establishing their specific programme • training for facilitators • identification of opportunities to make real financial savings ENPROVA will fully fund this service which will be provided by one of their approved installers.

In order to get involved in the scheme ENPROVA or for more information please call 01-8010140. Mairead Malone will be able to talk you through the next phase of the process. www.enprova.ie

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Energy Efficiency Report > Blackbourne Energy Solutions

The experts in

energy solutions > Is your business suffering from spiralling energy costs and tightening margins? How do

you choose which energy efficiency products are suitable for your business? Blackbourne’s expertise in energy solutions can help you reduce your heating, lighting and cooling costs.

E

nergy costs are expected to remain high and likely to rise. And with a vast range of energy saving products on the market, selecting the right equipment for your business can be daunting: Payback period, life cycle costs, lower maintenance costs? This is where Blackbourne Energy Solutions comes in.

Blackbourne combines over 55 years’ experience in M&E contracting, facilities management and energy solutions. We offer the most advanced energy saving technologies available in today’s market and can create a bespoke energy saving solution for your business.

Proactive energy management Lighting is one of the greatest consumers of energy, using around 20 per cent of electricity generated each year. It’s an essential component of business for most industries.

Blackbourne offer LED lighting solutions that are up to 90 per cent more energy efficient than conventional lighting. When teamed with our unique wireless energy management system (WEMS), which allows you to regulate different levels of lighting, heating and cooling in any area of your business, you will see your utility costs drop dramatically.

Oliver Phelan, Head of Energy Solutions at Blackbourne explains: “With the combination of the correct lowenergy lighting for your environment and our WEMS system you could save up to 30 per cent in electricity consumption. This is a slice off your bottom line costs. Not only do we offer this service, we can also manage your sites for you from our 24/7 energy centre, giving you ongoing savings and

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data for analysis and reporting.”

Blackbourne have extensive experience in voltage optimisation, which in the correct environment can save up to 20 per cent on energy bills and reduce a buildings’ CO2. The system comes with a 50-year life cycle and could have a return on investment of between two and four years. With no moving parts this technology requires no maintenance – a ‘fit and forget’ solution that can yield excellent results.

In this climate no business can afford to ignore potential savings. Our energy generation solutions include solar, wind and biomass to help your business prepare for the future effects of dwindling resources.

Each energy saving strategy begins with a detailed site survey, to learn about your energy consumption and specific needs and to enable us to develop a plan that’s custom-made for your business. We provide a report on where savings can be achieved, expected ROI’s and possible funding

opportunities.

Blackbourne are a true energy partner with a long term commitment to helping your business be more sustainable and profitable through proactive energy management.

Blackbourne’s clients

Tesco, Musgrave Group, Boots, Maldron Hotels, PSNI and Queen’s University Belfast are just a few of Blackbourne’s clients that have taken the steps to reduce their carbon footprint, energy expenditure and maintenance costs through the installation of Blackbourne’s technologies.

If you would like more information on our product ranges and applications visit www.blackbourne. co.uk/ technologies or email energysolutions@blackbourne.co.uk

Follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/ BlackbourneME for up to date industry news and product developments.

BI Survey

> RPS

Ensuring our cities have a

sustainable future M

ore than two thirds of Europeans live in an urban setting. Their numbers are increasing and so too is the credibility of the European Green Capital Award. This is the competition run by the EU Commission since 2010 to reward the most environmentally sustainable city in terms of past performance and future ambition.

Since 2010 RPS has had the role of EU Commission Secretariat for the European Green Capital Award and in 2013 were reappointed for another rolling four years.

RPS is responsible for the management of both technical and communications aspects of the award including managing the website and social media.

The winning cities to date are Stockholm

(2010), Hamburg (2011), Vitoria Gasteiz (2012), Nantes (2013) and Copenhagen (2014). Bristol has been appointed the 2015 EGCA winner and the 2016 winner will be announced at an award ceremony in Copenhagen at the end of June 2014.

Cities are assessed under twelve environmental indicators: climate change; mitigation and adaptation; local transport; green urban areas incorporating sustainable land use; nature and biodiversity; ambient air quality; quality of the acoustic environment; waste production and management; water management; waste water treatment; eco innovation and sustainable employment; energy performance and integrated environmental management.

EU Environment Commissioner Dr Janez

Potocnik stated that “the European Green Capital Award has been very successful in attracting a wide range of interest throughout Europe. It is a celebration of cities that are rising to the challenge of successfully combining respect for the environment, excellent quality of life and economic growth”.

RPS Director of the European Green Capital Secretariat P J Rudden is greatly encouraged by the increasing interest and visibility of the EGCA: “It is encouraging to see that two of the cities that have been shortlisted for the 2016 Award were able to apply due to the change in eligibility criteria made last year, reducing the population threshold from 200,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.”

RPS is one of Ireland’s leading multidisciplinary, all island consultancies providing services in Planning, Engineering, Environment, Communications and Project Management.

Our success is based on our commitment to excellence, innovation and the expertise and dedication of our staff.

Our range of projects include:

Water Resources & Services Environment Waste Management Sustainability Energy Planning & Urban Design Buildings & Structures Transport

Project Communications Health & Safety Food Marine Pharma Mechanical & Electrical

visit rpsgroup.com/ireland for more information and contact details

Pensions > Friends First

The changing face

of pensions

> Pensions & Investments Director of Friends First, Simon Hoffman, tells Business Ireland why we should review our pension funding.

A

lot has been made of the Government’s decision to push the state pension age out to 68 by 2028. However, the state are simply acknowledging that as we are all living longer, the cost of providing life-long pensions is increasing. Also as we get older as a nation, the ratio of younger working tax payers to older pension recipients will decrease and we will have more pensioners relative to taxpayers.

Most smaller and newer pension schemes are defined contribution. This means that they are effectively tax incentivised savings schemes and the benefits you get at retirement are based on how much your savings have grown and the cost of benefits at that time. Defined contribution schemes are flexible in when you can take your benefits, but as benefits are not guaranteed you need to plan well in advance to make sure there is a sufficient fund available to you when you want to retire.

Your private pension fund is likely to be your single largest asset and is something you should review on an ongoing basis to ensure it’s on track to provide you with the benefits you expect.”

It may seem that we are going to have to work longer than our parents and grandparents, and enjoy a shorter time in retirement, but this is not actually the case. Previous generations tended to enter the workforce at an earlier age than we do now (third level education not being as prevalent), and even though we might be starting retirement a little later, we’re living longer into retirement.

It’s not just those tasked with looking after the state pension that have to be aware of these demographic changes.

Most of us realise the state pension isn’t going to be enough so we supplement it with a private pension.

The same dynamics apply with a private pension. The cost of providing annuities are increasing and this, coupled with severe funding regulations, are forcing many defined benefit schemes (those which promise to pay members a specific pension amount) to wind up.

| 70

If you are saving through your own personal or company pension you should review your plan and funding in light of the increased state pension age.

• How reliant are you on the state pension as the catalyst to retiring ? If you had intended on working until 65 will you still do so or will you continue working until 68?

• What sort of pension can you expect with your current pension funding?

Most defined contribution pensions are severely underfunded. If you intend working for longer it will help your funding as you will have longer to accumulate your fund, but even then will it still be sufficient?

• Do you need to change your investment strategy? Pensions are long term investments and tend to have

Simon Hoffman, Pensions & Investments Director, Friends First.

quite aggressive investment strategies.

However, to protect the fund from sharp falls close to retirement some will de-risk over a planned schedule in the years leading up to retirement age. If the age you intend on retiring at changes, you will need to review this de-risking plan to ensure it coincides with your revised target retirement age?

Your private pension fund is likely to be your single largest asset and is something you should review on an ongoing basis to ensure it’s on track to provide you with the benefits you expect. You should also review if there is a significant change in your personal or financial circumstances.

The change in the state pension age is significant in all our personal financial circumstances. As such, reviewing your pension funding with a good financial broker makes sense.

Pensions > Independent Trustee Company

Put a roof over

your pension

> Solicitor Fiona Conroy talks to Business Ireland about the

advantages of purchasing property through a pension.

A

key feature of Independent Trustee Company Limited (ITC) selfadministered pension arrangements is the member’s ability to acquire specific property investments. Provided pension rules are satisfied, the member can use their own market knowledge and contacts to access opportunities and potentially enhance their retirement assets.

Purchasing property through a pension Many pension investors have large cash funds available either in their pension or their company that could be contributed to their pension scheme. With interest rates so low, returns are minimal, however according to property website Daft.ie, average rental rates in Ireland have increased by nine per cent in the last year alone.

The flexibility of a self-administered pension arrangement means that, provided pension rules are satisfied, the pension investor can choose the property they wish to purchase, either residential or commercial. Where a property is acquired through a pension vehicle, the rental income is not subject to income tax nor will Capital Gains Tax be payable on the sale of the property. Borrowing can be utilised if available and the property fund can also be registered for VAT. On retirement, the property can be transferred in specie to an Approved Retirement Fund (ARF) and can continue to generate income. It can ultimately form part of the ARF holder’s estate on death which means it can be passed on to the ARF holder’s family.

Why self-administered?

• Subject to your marginal rate being at the higher rate, income tax relief on employee and employer contributions remains at the higher rate of tax

• All income and gains within pension schemes remain exempt from income tax and capital gains tax* • On retirement, an individual may take 25 per cent of the value of the pension fund as a lump sum, of which a200,000 is tax free • The individual has control over every aspect of their pension affairs including investment and contribution decisions • The individual has access to a broad range of investment types in a transparent, flexible, secure, cost efficient environment *subject to the pensions levy as part of the value of the overall pension scheme

Why ITC? With a view to making property purchases easier, ITC has developed a series of arrangements and procedures, known as Propertyline, to ensure the process is as smooth and as straightforward as possible.

The key feature of Propertyline is the comprehensive service through all stages of the purchase. The transaction is handled by ITC which means the pension investor is free to focus on strategy. ITC can facilitate purchases in Ireland and the UK using Propertyline.

Purchasing property outside Ireland and the UK can be complicated, however ITC has the knowledge and expertise required to facilitate this.

Property purchases are facilitated through ITC’s exempt unit trust structure and a specific sub-fund is established to hold each property. As a result, when borrowing to purchase a property, the other assets of the pension scheme are protected as the bank’s only recourse is the assets of the sub-fund and not the pension itself. Where VAT arises on a purchase, the sub fund can be registered

Fiona Conroy.

Provided pension rules are satisfied, the member can use their own market knowledge and contacts to access opportunities and potentially enhance their retirement assets.”

for VAT without having to register the entire pension fund for VAT. Because ITC’s exempt unit trust structure is used, the property can be transferred to an ARF on retirement without legal fees, Stamp Duty or Capital Gains Tax. With 20 years’ experience, ITC is one of Ireland’s largest providers of selfadministered pension structures. For more information please contact Fiona Conroy on 01 6611022 or email fiona. conroy@independent-trustee.com Independent Trustee Company Limited, as part of the ITC Group, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

71 |

Pensions > The Pensions Authority

10 things to do when saving for retirement > The Pensions Authority outlines what you should consider when planning for retirement.

1.

4.

2.

5.

3.

6.

Engage: Plan for the lifestyle you want in retirement and work out how to save for it. The Pensions Calculator at www.pensionsauthority.ie can help you work out the figures.

Understand: What type of pension are you contributing to? Visit Understanding Your Pension on www.pensionsauthority.ie for more information.

Review: Review the adequacy of your pension contributions regularly.

Check if you are contributing enough to have the income you want in retirement.

Keep a pensions file: Start a pension folder, after reading your annual pension benefit statement and report, file them away for reference.

Information: If you don’t receive the relevant information or you don’t understand it contact those looking after your pension such as the trustees, pension provider or financial advisor and request the information.

Ask: Ask that your pension information and the charges against your pension fund be explained to you in plain language.

7.

Risk: Understand how your pension savings are being invested, the type of strategy and the level of risk involved.

Relief: Government supports you to save for retirement, with tax relief on pension contributions at your higher rate of tax. It’s important to understand the tax relief to receive your full entitlement.

Approaching retirement: Review any investment decision taken in the years before retirement.

Research your choices regarding how to draw down your pension.

State Pension Age: The qualifying age for the State pension is being increased, under the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011. In January 2014 the standard State pension age increased to 66 years. State pension age will increase to 67 in 2021 and to 68 in 2028.

8.

9.

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Visit www.pensionsauthority.ie for more information.

“I’ve got my pension” www.pensionsauthority.ie

Pension calculator

Information booklets

Pension checklists

An Bord Pinsean

The Pensions Authority

Profiles, views and news from some of Ireland’s premier law firms

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms Brian O’Neill, Marketing Director of Friends First with Myra Garrett, Managing Partner of William Fry, the 2014 Law Firm of the Year.

About Us: William Fry is Ireland’s corporate law firm of choice. We are one of the largest firms and firmly established in the top tier for many decades. Our clients include many of the leading global and domestic companies operating in Ireland, Irish government bodies, financial institutions and entrepreneurs.

We offer unrivalled corporate and commercial expertise and experience across the full breadth of the business sector. We back that reputation with a results-focused and innovative team of more than 270 high calibre lawyers and tax professionals and 110 support staff, who have worked on the highest profile corporate and commercial transactions and legal challenges of recent years.

2

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

Eversheds Eversheds is one of the world’s leading law firms with 52 offices in 30 countries, staffed by over 4,000 people. Here in Ireland, we are the only international law firm with the ability to offer our clients a seamless service across multiple jurisdictions, managed by a single point of contact here in Dublin. We believe the international nature of our business helps give us a bird’s eye view of the global business world. Our partners and solicitors strive to work in a collaborative partnership with our clients to deliver premium legal advice on time and within budget through our innovative project management structure which is unique among the legal profession.We work with some of Ireland’s largest, most successful and progressive companies as well as many exciting and innovative smaller companies.

It is really important to us is that every client receives personal attention,

dedicated service and the most appropriate integrated advice.

As service providers to the business community and public sector, we believe we can add greatest value where our advice is grounded in a business view. At local or international level, we aim to help all our clients in achieving their commercial objectives. The service areas we offer include banking and finance, construction, projects and PPP, corporate, dispute resolution and litigation, employment and pensions, energy and natural resources, health and safety, insolvency and corporate recovery, insurance and regulatory, intellectual property, life sciences, M&A, property, SMEs, taxation and technology and telecoms.

If you want to experience a top quality law firm that is committed to unlocking the full potential of your organisation, we would be delighted to hear from you.

About Us: Location:

Dublin One Earlsfort Centre, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 t: +353 1 6644 200 f: +353 1 6644 300 e: info@eversheds.ie

Years In Practice: 47 Years

Founded: 1967

Website: www.eversheds.ie

Our People

Name: Norman Fitzgerald Title: Partner Practice Area: Head of our Dispute Resolution and Litigation Department Office: Dublin Norman handles complex large-scale commercial litigation, acting for large corporate clients and public bodies, including the State. He has in-depth knowledge of insurance and professional indemnity, specialising in advising liquidators and companies.

Name: Steve Rogers

Name: Joseph Stanley

Name: David O’Beirne

Title: Partner Practice Area: Head of Banking and Financial Services Office: Dublin

Title: Partner

Title: Partner

Practice Area: Head of Real Estate

Practice Area: Head of Corporate and Commercial

Office: Dublin

Office: Dublin

Joe has an extensive real estate practice advising a variety of property companies, institutions and investors on the acquisition, disposal and management of Irish property portfolios.

He has negotiated and led many complex real estate transactions.

David is a highly experienced corporate and commercial partner specialising in mergers and acquisitions.

His practice includes advising listed companies and subsidiaries of overseas multinationals, often across multiple jurisdictions.

Steve has extensive experience in both the Irish and UK markets, advising both lenders and borrowers on a full range of secured and unsecured finance transactions. He has extensive experience in reviewing loan and security packages for high profile financial institutions.

3

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Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

Dillon Eustace Dillon Eustace is one of Ireland’s leading law firms focusing on financial services, banking and capital markets, corporate and M&A, litigation and dispute resolution, commercial property and taxation. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the firm’s international practice has seen it establish offices in Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands.

In tandem with Ireland’s development as a leading country for inward investment, Dillon Eustace has developed a dynamic team of lawyers representing international and domestic companies, big and small.

We strive to develop our teams, to provide a sophisticated proactive service to clients and to deepen our understanding of each client’s business and needs. Our Corporate Department advises both domestic and international clients on all aspects of corporate and commercial law including mergers and acquisitions, reorganisations and restructurings, corporate and other business structures, intellectual property rights, EU and competition law providing clients with innovative but practical solutions throughout the lifecycle of the client’s business.

About Us: Location:

Dublin 33 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay Dublin 2, Ireland t: +1 667 0022

Cayman Islands Landmark Square, West Bay Road, PO Box 775, Grand Cayman KY1-9006, Cayman Islands t: +1 345 949 0022

Tokyo

Our People

12th Floor, Yurakucho Itocia Building 2-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan t: +813 6860 4885

New York 245 Park Avenue, 39th Floor, New York, NY 10167, United States t: +1 212 792 4166

Hong Kong Name: Mark Thorne

604 6F Printing House, 6 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong t: +852 3521 0352

Name: Matt Mulry

Email: mark.thorne@ dilloneustace.ie

Name: Lorcan Tiernan Title: Partner, Head of Corporate Office: Dublin Email: lorcan.tiernan@ dilloneustace.ie

Name: Derbhil O’Riordan

Name: Paul Moloney

Name: Daniel Forbes

Name: Brian Dillon

Title: Partner

Title: Partner

Title: Associate

Title: Partner

Office: Cayman

Office: Hong Kong

Office: New York

Office: Dublin / Tokyo

Email: derbhil.o’riordan@ dilloneustace.ie

Email: paul.moloney@ dilloneustace.ie

Email: daniel.forbes@ dilloneustace.ie

Email: brian.dillon@ dilloneustace.ie

Title: Managing Partner Office: Dublin

Title: Partner Office: Cayman

Website: www.dilloneustace.ie

Email: matt.mulry@ dilloneustace.ie

5

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

Eugene F. Collins

Corporate Advisors

Our People

Name: David Hackett

Name: Gerard Coll

Title: Partner and Head of Corporate

Title: Partner and Head of M&A

Practice Area: • Corporate

Practice Area: • Corporate

• Information Technology

• M&A • Commercial

• Intellectual Property

6

Email: dhackett@efc.ie

Email: gcoll@efc.ie

David heads up the Corporate department and has particular expertise in the areas of Information Technology & Intellectual Property law.

Gerard has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, commercial contracts and general corporate law.

Our advices are partner-led. We provide a comprehensive legal service which is focused on delivering commercial solutions to clients to enable them to run their business more effectively. We have an expert team of people who have gained wide experience in diverse areas of law. This allows us to offer clients a specifically tailored service to deliver the commercially-focused results they require from a legal partner.

Our corporate practice handles a full range of corporate transactional and advisory work for public and private companies and individuals across a broad spectrum of industry sectors.

Our specialist areas include: • Acquisitions & disposals • Charity law • Commercial contracts • Company formation & secretarial services • Corporate governance & compliance • Corporate finance • Distribution • Agency & franchising • EU competition & regulated markets • Financial services & regulatory law • Joint ventures • Management buyouts • Mergers & acquisitions • Private equity • Re-organisations • Venture capital • Shareholders agreements & rights • Stock exchange regulatory issues • General corporate advice

About Us: Location:

Dublin Temple Chambers, 3 Burlington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 t: +353 1 202 6400 f: +353 1 667 5200 e: lawyer@efc.ie

Founded: 1893

Website: www.efc.ie

We have built our reputation on solid relationships with

our clients.

Corporate transactions are complemented by specialisations in other areas in the firm, such as Corporate Recovery, EU & Competition, Banking & Finance, Employment, Insurance and Property & Construction.

What they have said “Recognised for topquality advice..” “..The lawyers are diligent and responsive.”

Chambers Europe, 2014 Eugene F. Collins’ commercial team “provides very pragmatic and timely advice.”

Legal 500 EMEA, 2014

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

LKG Solicitors LKG Solicitors are a commercially focused law firm based in South Dublin. LKG is client focused, expert led, innovative and service driven. Its ethos is to take a practical, commercially focused approach to the legal issues which its clients face to achieve the optimum results, in the shortest possible timeframe and for a fair fee. LKG ensures that its service is partner led and driven. LKG is divided into four specialist areas: Corporate and commercial, property, litigation and private client.

About Us: Location:

Dublin The Forum, 29-31 Glasthule Road, Glasthule, Co. Dublin, t: + 353 1 231 14 30

Website: www.lkgsolicitors.ie

Leading commercial lawyers LKG’s managing partner is Neil Keenan who was a former partner with a Top 5 commercial law firm. LKG has a long and impressive track record in corporate and commercial transactions with a particular interest and focus in the renewable energy sector, the firm having acted for Airtricity when it was originally founded in the late 1990s and it has advised on the development and project finance of many of Ireland’s largest wind farm projects. LKG has also advised on significant equity and debt fundraising transactions for renewable energy companies. Additionally, LKG has experience in acting for clients in other sectors such as ICT and the healthcare and medical devices sectors. Its clients range from large multinational companies to small family businesses. LKG’s track record and experience is on a par with much larger commercial law firms and the company’s corporate specialists advised on over a130 million in corporate transactions in 2013 alone.

Name: Neil Keenan Title: Managing Partner Practice Area: company and commercial law

7

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

Banking on a Recovery Peter O’Brien, Partner in the Banking & Financial Services Department at Matheson tells Business Ireland about the revival of the country’s banking sector.

8

Those of us involved in the Irish banking and finance sector during the past decade have witnessed truly historic events. From 2004-2007, we saw a dramatic boom in the banking industry. Then, from 2007, we witnessed one of the biggest banking sector collapses the world has ever seen.

These dramatic events called for unprecedented policy responses, including the government’s 2008 bank guarantee, bank recapitalisation, nationalisation and, ultimately, the EU-IMF bailout. These were not merely once-in-a-lifetime events, but were once-in-a-century events. Future historians may well refer to these events as, “The Irish banking crisis: 2008-2013”. Finally, we can now refer to the banking crisis in the past tense.

After these turbulent years, in 2014, we can confidently say that the Irish banking crisis is over.

Ireland has exited the EU-IMF bailout and all our economic indicators are pointing in the right direction. As the Irish property market steadily improves, so too does the banking sector’s confidence. We are now beginning a positive new chapter for the Irish banking sector. Deutsche

Bank’s announcement of 700 new jobs shows that growth is already underway and underlines the fact that Dublin is now a major global financial services hub.

International Reaction International admiration for Ireland’s stoic and effective response to the crisis has been effusive. ECB president Mario Draghi recently said that Ireland has “improved on all fronts … it has shown [a] rate of growth higher than in most countries in the euro area last year … the right things have been done. Structural reforms have been undertaken and financial stability risks have consistently, continuously and significantly been reduced in Ireland.”

Similarly, the broader international reaction to Ireland’s return to the markets has been one of admiration. Even those most unsentimental of organisations, the ratings agencies, all now reaffirm Ireland’s fundamental credibility.

When Moody’s recently upgraded Irish sovereign debt in line with the other ratings agencies with a “positive outlook”, it cited an acceleration in Irish economic growth “which indicates an increased likelihood of securing the sustained long-term growth needed to achieve a turnaround in Ireland’s public finances”. It also noted that the Irish government had “regularly outperformed quantitative fiscal goals, which helped it regain and retain market confidence” and that Irish bond yields had proven “impervious” to international shocks.

A New-found confidence Just a couple of years ago, Irish banking lawyers were grappling with issues such as sovereign risk and the potential consequences of euro default. These concerns have been replaced with a new-

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

found sense of confidence. In terms of future trends, I see a return to equilibrium in the ratios of lending to re-financing by Irish banks, a continuing maturation of NAMA in its role and an increase in market entrants seizing opportunities, especially in loan book acquisitions.

As with any country, Ireland’s international reputation is crucial in its ability to do business globally.

With that robust shape, we are now seeing international property investment funds invest in the Irish property market.

NAMA has proven itself well able to gain solid returns, while actively enhancing market growth and stability.

Ireland’s robust defence of its competitive tax regime, as well as increased domestic competitiveness means that Ireland is well placed to grow as an international financial services hub. Ireland’s globally leading asset finance sector also continues to thrive.

Banking is now becoming more international in nature, particularly as regulation becomes increasingly centralised at an EU level. Many Irish banks already have very substantial overseas operations and the internationalisation of the banking industry is set to continue.

Recent Irish legislation, The Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Act 2013, included an intriguing provision allowing credit institutions operating outside the EU/EEA to operate branches in Ireland. Such credit institutions will

now be able to apply to the Central Bank for a bank licence. Until now, it had been the policy of the Central Bank not to accept such applications. This change will facilitate the further development of internationallytraded financial services.

Growth on the Horizon Now that the crisis has passed, and new opportunities for expansion are on the horizon, there is increasing talk of the State divesting some of the shares it took in major Irish banks during the crisis. As these banks return to profitability in a positive macroeconomic environment, the appetite for such shares could be significant.

Simultaneously, we are seeing significant international interest in Irish property, bonds and shares while foreign direct investments in the country achieves record levels.

Forbes magazine recently voted Ireland the best country in the world in which to do business. Forbes measured 11 different factors such as investor protection, tax burden and red tape and found that Ireland was the only one to rank in the top 15 per cent in each category. Forbes noted that Ireland’s well-educated, flexible and English-speaking workforce and accommodating tax system were the main draws for international investors.

What all this points to is that not only is the financial crisis over, but a period of remarkably strong growth is on the horizon for Ireland, and consequently for its banking sector.

As the Irish property market steadily improves, so too does the banking

About Us: Location:

Dublin 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay Dublin 2, Ireland e: dublin@matheson.com

London 16th Floor, 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY, England e: london@matheson.com

New York 200 Park Avenue, New York NY 10166, United States e: newyork@matheson.com

Palo Alto 530 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States e: paloalto@matheson.com

Website: www.matheson.com

sector’s confidence.

Name: Peter O’Brien Title: Partner Practice Area: Banking and Financial Services Office: Dublin Peter O’Brien’s main focus is on banking and structured finance transactions. He acts for a range of international and domestic financial institutions and has more than fifteen years’ experience in the field.

9

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

Leaders in Law Legal professionals in Ireland were recognised at this year’s Irish Law Awards.

Maurice Gaffney, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, with Miriam O’Callaghan at the Irish Law Awards in the Four Seasons.

10

Legal professionals from across the country were recognised at the third annual Irish Law Awards on May 2nd 2014. The awards commend excellence in Irish law and recognise the outstanding achievements and exemplary practices of leading law firms, legal practitioners and inhouse legal teams.

Cork based firm Ernest J Cantillon received the Special Merit Award for its work on the Louise O’Keeffe case. The award was presented in recognition of the landmark lawsuit against the Irish State, which saw Corkwoman Louise O’Keeffe take Ireland to the European Court of Human Rights for failing to protect her as a child.

A lifetime achievement award was presented to Maurice Gaffney, SC, who has practised law for almost 60 years. Known as ‘The Father of the Bar’, the 97-year old was recognised for his outstanding and continuous contribution to the legal sector in Ireland.

The Bar Council’s Human Rights Award was presented to the barristers who voluntarily represented the victims of the Magdalene Laundries. The award was given in recognition of their fight for justice for the women of

the laundries who were mistreated to such an extent that their human rights were violated.

Law Firm of the Year was awarded to William Fry and Sole Practitioner/Principal Law Firm of the Year was presented to Marion Campbell Solicitors. Legal Website of the Year was awarded to McCarthy & Co and Litigation Case of the Year was presented to ByrneWallace. The Pro Bono/Public Interest Lawyer/Team of the Year was awarded to KOD Lyons.

The finalists were selected by an esteemed adjudication panel comprised of 20 leading national and international legal experts, headed

by Dr Eamonn G Hall, Solicitor & Notary Public and Chairman of the judging panel of The Irish Law Awards.

Dr. Hall said: “Lawyers of all hues play an influential role in the lives of all who live on the island of Ireland. In the complex web of legal relationships, society needs lawyers.

“Of course lawyers do not exist for their own sake; lawyers must remember they serve their fellow man and woman. That is why we celebrate the service of the dedicated law firms and individual lawyers who have been acclaimed as having demonstrated in an exemplary manner exceptional achievements in the law during 2013.”

Hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan, the awards took place in The Four Seasons Hotel Dublin. The event is a unique opportunity for those working at the forefront of the Irish legal profession to be recognised alongside their European and international peers. This year’s awards received a total of 360 nominations across 25 categories, which marks a 20 per cent increase on last year.

For the full list of winners go to www. irishlawawards.ie/recipients-2014

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

VP McMullin scores legal awards hat-trick

The VP McMullin Team

To win an award once shows quality. To win twice shows quality and consistency. However, to win an award three years in a row, a feat which was accomplished by VP McMullin Solicitors at the 2014 Irish Law Awards, shows a commitment to excellence that goes above and beyond the ordinary.

Indeed, the Donegal-headquartered multi-disciplinary law firm’s perennially strong showing means that the Ulster Law Firm of the Year has gone to VP McMullin every year since the inaugural Awards in 2012. However, this should not come as a surprise to anybody who is familiar with the upward trajectory of one of the Northwest’s largest and most pre-eminent law firms.

Founded in 1921 by Vincent P McMullin, the firm has expanded over the years, and now boasts offices in Letterkenny, Ballybofey, Ballyshannon and a recently opened office in Dublin. It currenty provides legal advice and legal services across a number of areas and to a number of client types, including public bodies, large private companies,

SMEs and private individuals.

However, it is not merely the size and the scope of VP McMullin that led the judging panel to select it for its Regional Award for the third year running; rather, it is the firm’s ability to demonstrate continual improvement both in terms of its processes and its practices that once again tipped the scales in its favour.

“Whilst the firm is based in different locations a significant investment in communication and computer systems has allowed us to deliver a comprehensive range of legal services to clients right across the country,” said Brian McMullin, partner at VP McMullin. “It’s one thing to win an award for one year, but in a constantly changing environment, unless you are adapting and upgrading all the time, you won’t be successful for a second year.”

Or a third in the exceptional case of VP McMullin Solicitors. For further details see www.vpmullindublin.ie The full version of this article of this article was first published in the Sunday Business Post 18/05/14.

11

Michael O’Connor Michael O’Connor

Partner of Energy andand PartnerHead Head of Energy Natural Resources Group Natural Resources Group

The first rule of success The first ruleyourself of success Surround with the best Surround yourself with the best Financial Times 2012-2013 Financial Times 2012-2013 Matheson is the only Irish law firm commended by the Financial in corporate Matheson is the onlyTimes Irish for lawinnovation firm commended law,Financial finance law andfor corporate strategy. by the Times innovation in corporate law, finance law and corporate strategy.

Irish Tax Firm of the Year 2013 IrishInternational Tax Firm ofTax theReview Year 2013 International Tax Review Client Choice 2013 International Law Office Client Choice 2013

in and through Ireland.

Contact Michael at michael.oconnor@matheson.com or your usual contact Contact MichaelatatMatheson. michael.oconnor@matheson.com or your usual contact at Matheson.

International Law Office

Dublin

Dublin

London

London

New York

New York

The success of any law firm can be measured by the quality of The of any law firmWe can be the measured the quality of its success people and its clients. have best ofby both. its people and its clients. We have the best of both.

Michael O’Connor, Head of our Energy and Natural Resources Michael Head of our Energy and Natural Resources Group, O’Connor, leads a team of dedicated practitioners, drawn from Group, leads a team of dedicated practitioners, drawn from international and industry backgrounds. Michael’s team is international industry backgrounds.

Michael’s team is consistentlyand chosen by the largest international and domestic consistently chosen by the and domestic clients to advise across thelargest entireinternational life-cycle of complex energy clients to advise across the entire life-cycle of complex energy projects. projects.

Matheson. The law firm of choice for international Matheson. firm ofinstitutions choice for international companiesThe andlaw financial doing business in and through Ireland. institutions doing business companies and financial

Palo Alto

Palo Alto

www.matheson.com www.matheson.com

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

Irish Law Awards 2014

Bernie Smith and Brian McMullin, V.P McMullin Solicitors, receive the Ulster Law Firm over 3 Award.

Brian Sweeney, Keyhouse, presents Cian O’ Carroll and Catherine Feeney of Cian O’Carroll Solicitors with the Law Firm Innovation Award.

Brian O’Neill, Friends First, presents the Law Firm of the Year Award to Sarah Twohig, Myra Garrett, Laura Murdock and Alvin Price of William Fry.

Justice Quirke presents the Bar Council Human Rights Award to Patricia Sheehy Skeffington.

Flor McCarthy and John McCarthy of McCarthy Solicitors, winners of the Legal Website of the Year Award.

Our Partners Your Partners are

Corporate & Commercial Corporate Recovery Commercial Disputes & Litigation

Intellectual Property Employment Law Private Client Property

Contact: Stephen Walker, Therese Rochford or Mark Ryan Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland T: +353 1 611 0000 F: +353 1 611 0090 E: ecomms@whitneymoore.ie W: www.whitneymoore.ie

13

Business Ireland: Guide to Law Firms

LIST OF MEMBER COMPANIES OFFERING LEGAL SERVICES A&L Goodbody Solicitors 01 6492000 www.algoodbody.com

DAC Beachcroft Dublin 01 2319600 www.dacbeachcroft.com

Adams Corporate Solicitors 01 6115100 www.adamssolicitors.com

Desmond Ryan B.L. 01 8172378

Arthur Cox 01 6180000 www.arthurcox.com Aylmer Co. Solicitors 01 2342552 www.aylmerco.com Beauchamps Solicitors 01 4180600 www.beauchamps.ie

Dillon Eustace 01 6670022 www.dilloneustace.ie Dublin Dispute Resolution Centre (DDRC) 01 8175277 www.dublinarbitration.com

Berrymans Lace Mawer 01 2612150 www.blm-law.com

EP Keane & Company Solicitors 01 7078236 www.keanesolicitors.ie

ByrneWallace 01 6915000 www.byrnewallace.com

Eugene F. Collins 01 2026400 www.efc.ie

CB Robinson Co. Solicitors 01 8044117 www.cbrobinson.ie

Eversheds 01 6644200 www.eversheds.ie

Clerkin Lynch 01 6114400 www.clerkinlynch.com

Flynn O’Driscoll Business Lawyers 01 6424220 www.fod.ie

Corplaw 1800 331 155 www.corplaw.ie

14

DFMG Solicitors 01 6376600 www.dfmgsolicitors.ie

Gore & Grimes Solicitors 01 8729299 www.goregrimes.ie

Hugh J Ward & Co. Solicitors 01 8197010 www.wardlawyers.eu

McCann FitzGerald Solicitors 01 8290000 www.mccannfitzgerald.ie

Kent Carty Solicitors 01 8658800 www.kentcarty.com

McDowell Purcell Solicitors 01 8280600 www.mcdowellpurcell.ie

Kerman & Co. Solicitors 01 9011115 www.kermanco.ie Kevin Murphy & Associates 01 6130800 LK Shields Solicitors 01 6610866 www.lkshields.ie Madden and Co. Solicitors 01 6770050 www.maddensolicitors.com Maples and Calder 01 6192000 www.maplesandcalder.com

McKeever Rowan Solicitors 01 6702990 www.mckr.ie O’Connor Solicitors 6764488 www.oclegal.ie O’Gradys Solicitors 01 6613960 www.ogradysolicitors.ie Sheehan and Company 01 6616922 www.sheehanandco.ie Tomkins & Co. Intellectual Property Attorneys 01 2026700 www.tomkins.com

Maree Gallagher Associates 01 6787700 www.mga.ie

W & E Bradshaw 01 6762811 www.webradshawsolicitors.com

Martin E. Marren 01 6686266 www.memarren.ie

Walkers Ireland 01 4706600 www.walkersireland.com

Cristina Stamatescu Solicitors 01 4773935 www.cssolicitors.com

Hayes Solicitors 01 6624747 www.hayes-solicitors.ie

Mason Hayes & Curran 01 6145000 www.mhc.ie

Whitney Moore Solicitors 01 6110000 www.whitneymoore.ie

Croskerrys 01 6620099 www.crosskerrys.com

Holmes O’Malley Sexton 01 6768928 www.homs.ie

Matheson 01 2322000 www.matheson.com

William Fry 01 6395000 www.williamfry.ie

We cut through the red tape

At William Fry we work hard for your business.

We focus on the detail for you and work through it, so that you can stay focused on your goals.

williamfry.ie Law Firm of the Year 2014 (Irish Law Awards) $UBLIN s ,ONDON s .EW 9ORK s 3ILICON 6ALLEY

The natural choice

An Irish law firm with global reach Not all law firms are the same.

In Ireland, Eversheds offers a real difference through a full service offering, seamless international capability with 49 offices in 29 jurisdictions and services that go beyond legal advice.

Our roots are in Ireland. But our reach is global.

We deliver local expertise coupled with access to a worldwide resource. Our range of products and unique project management approach enable you to control time, costs and risk.

If you want to experience a top quality law firm that is committed to unlocking the full potential of your organisation, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

Alan Murphy Managing Partner and Chairman – Eversheds International +353 1 6644 289 alanmurphy@eversheds.ie

“Strategic high quality legal advice, pragmatic commercial advice and real value for money.”

The criteria which saw Eversheds voted the overall leading firm in the Legal Business, in-house counsel survey 2013.

www.eversheds.ie

BI Survey > KPMG

Keeping it in

the family > Family business transfers continue to be a major tax challenge, Olivia Lynch tells Business Ireland.

E

ncouraging entrepreneurship and strengthening the domestic economy are national policy objectives for obvious reasons. One of the greatest challenges is ensuring sufficient motivation for owners to build a business worth passing on to the next generation.

Not surprisingly, the role of tax and its impact on business is usually on the agenda of family owned concerns.

According to the European Family Business / KPMG Monitor, a survey of 23 European countries that assesses the impact tax can have on the transfer of a business to family members upon inheritance and retirements, family businesses in Ireland need to take note of and prepare for the potential heavy tax implications associated with the transfer of business ownership through inheritance or retirement.

The impact of tax on a family business can vary dramatically from country to country. The report ranks Ireland fourth highest in terms of the headline rate of tax due on succession through inheritance and third highest in terms of the headline rate of tax due on succession on retirement. However, when Irish exemptions and reliefs are applied to these headline rates of tax, Ireland ranks seventh highest and fifth highest respectively – still a comparatively high level of tax for Irish private and family owned businesses.

Taxes are charged on retirement or inheritance, which means no cash has been generated by the individuals or the business as a result of the business transfer. Funds to meet the tax levy must be found from other sources, which can hinder the future growth and investment capacity of a business. This is why it is important for Irish privately and family

owned businesses who want to transfer ownership to the next generation to fully understand the tax implications of their objectives. Given the complexities and conditions attached to the various tax reliefs in Ireland it is also important the family business owner seeks early advice on the tax implications so they can plan ahead.

Olivia Lynch, Family Business Partner with KPMG in Ireland.

As of January 1st 2014 further restrictions apply to the capital gains tax relief afforded to an owner of a family business transferring their business to other family members. While no cap on the relief applies where the owner is aged between 55 and 66, a new a3 million consideration cap will apply for individuals aged 66 or over. This change will inevitably impact the timing when family business leaders transfer ownership to the next generation.

While imposing this age related cap might encourage earlier involvement of the next generation, the timing forced

by these age limits may be damaging to the business. For example, the next generation may not yet have the necessary skills and experience to take over the business.

The tax treatment of inheritance and retirement can also have the reverse effect on a family’s behaviour whereby the leader of the family business may

it is important for Irish privately and family owned businesses who want to transfer ownership to the next generation to fully understand the tax implications of their objectives.”

hold on to control of the business for tax reasons, which can be frustrating for the next generation and act as a constraint on business growth.

The private and family owned business sector is vital to Ireland’s economic recovery and job creation.

While it is encouraging that countries, including Ireland, have reliefs for this sector, more needs to be done. Family owned businesses will be hoping that future tax policy doesn’t act as constraint on them realising their potential for growth and the economic benefits that this can deliver.

73 |

BI Survey > Agua-Clean Services

Clear as crystal > Agua-Clean Services provide businesses with a complete range of cleaning solutions for any location from office cleaning to industrial cleaning, in full compliance with all health and safety legislation.

A

gua-Clean Services offer a comprehensive cleaning and maintenance solution to suit your business needs. Our experience, quality management and constant drive to exceed

customer satisfaction assures that AguaClean continues to be one of the leaders in the industry. We continue to develop and evolve our range of services, always looking for ways to increase our productivity and

seeking new solutions to bring our costs in line with our client’s budgets.

Our industrial cleaning division employs fully trained and equipped rope access teams to enable us to efficiently clean in places and heights that are beyond the capabilities of other industrial cleaning companies. In addition to our rope access crews we operate one of the largest fleets of reach and wash window cleaning systems in Ireland. Agua-Clean was the first company to introduce this system into Ireland in 1998. The system allows windows to be cleaned from the safety of the ground using long reaching, telescopic poles. A soft bristled brush is used to scrub the dirt off the glass, while jets of pure water rinse the window. The pure water, as it has no impurities, dries to a spot-free finish leaving no marks behind.

We are a family run business and we take pride in our staff and in our commitment to provide a top quality service.

For more information on our services visit www.aguaclean.ie

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Dublin Port at the Heart of the City Port Centre, Alexandra Road, Dublin 1 Phone: +353 1 887 6000 Email: info@dublinport.ie Fax: +353 1 855 7400

Planning > Dublin City Council

Capital Planning > Dick Gleeson, Dublin City Planner at Dublin City Council, outlines the progress being made on some of the key development projects within the capital.

Q: What does your role as Dublin City Planner involve?

A: I head up the professional side of the planning department. We have around forty planners here.

Our two main functions are forward planning which is about dealing with the future of the city and the second one is development management which handles the planning application

| 76

side of the business. A lot of my work involves making sure that the six urban themes which underpin the city plan translate into livelihood and livability out there on the ground in the city. That means working on aspects of integration and working with many different professionals in the different departments of Dubin City Council to ensure we have a coherent approach.

Q: How is progress on the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017?

A: We have been achieving quite a lot considering that it has been against the backdrop of economic difficulties.

The good news is that we have completed two SDZs (Strategic Development Zones) at this stage; one for Grangegorman and one for the Docklands.

Then we have completed the

LAP (Local Area Plan) review of the North Fringe. We have also completed the one for Pelletstown. They were the two main areas where lots of development was taking place before we ran into difficulties.

We’re also commencing the review of the Framework Plan for Heuston and doing it on an LAP basis. Working with our city councillors, these projects all involved a huge amount of consultation.

Planning

Q: What are the main projects still at a development stage?

A: The National Children’s Hospital is one project being developed at the moment. There is also the City Library which is under development for Parnell Square. In the next month we will be choosing the design team from a shortlist of five and that’s a very exciting project for the area.

We’re also working there for the Rotunda Hospital in terms of urgent expansion of their facilities. Then there is some work being carried out on the ESB headquarters in the South Georgian Core and we’re very excited about the kind of design approach that is emerging there.

The port infrastructure is being planned at the moment in terms of facilitating the cruise ships arriving in the port. At the Alexandra Basin there is new infrastructure necessary to allow big cruise ships to turn around and at the moment they are coming into a very hostile environment. The port has shown a great deal of interest and co-operation in terms of the work we’ve been doing down there on the SDZ over the last eighteen months and are very much open to the idea of developing a range of soft infrastructure which would really help the city to continue to move eastwards down the river.

Q: Is the development of these projects a sign of an economic upturn?

A: I think so. Things never completely stopped. We always continued to have a fairly significant number of small applications and even in terms of when you add

up the multiples of people who just want to provide extensions to their own house rather than move up, that provides quite a lot of activity. We have been working over the last couple of years with LUAS on the cross-city route and that’s now under implementation.

We’ve taken that opportunity to combine that activity which focuses on the extension of the LUAS – from St Stephen’s Green down Dawson Street and around by College Green – to really make a very serious move on upgrading the public realm of the whole Grafton Street quarter. So we’ve most of Grafton Street done at this stage but we have up to twelve additional projects under preparation and they’ll be rolled out over a three, four or fiveyear period in the extended Grafton Street area, from Dawson Street right across to George’s Street.

Meanwhile, quite a lot of quality work has been done in the Docklands but there is a huge amount still to be done. We need to connect Docklands back to the city centre and we also need to connect Grangegorman back into the city centre. There is also significant movement again in the Heuston area.

So what you’re seeing emerging is an arc of development right across Dublin, from Grangegorman to Heuston with the National Children’s Hospital at James’ and then you have Digital Hub. In a sense, that arc has the potential to create synergy between those areas and also to constitute a very strong counterpoint to Docklands which we see as very healthy for the consolidation of

> Dublin City Council

the inner city. It is hugely strategic, it has the capacity to deliver more jobs and it’s really an inner city at the heart of a city region competing internationally.

It is hugely strategic, it has the capacity to deliver more jobs and it’s really an inner city at the heart of a city region competing internationally.”

Q: In the next five years do you see a significant rise in the number of projects being carried out in the capital?

A: I think planning is a long term exercise and perhaps there is a certain perception that areas are rolled out in a matter of years. The reality is that places like North Fringe, Pelletstown and Heuston take more than a decade to implement. So you’re going to see the re-commencement of construction activity in those areas. I think the big priority is the Docklands and the SDZ. Our SDZ is very practical, it has great clarity and it’s really a blueprint for getting the area moving again.

I think it is an exciting time for the city. The National Transport Authority are really getting stuck into the Cycling Network Plan, which will be rolled out across Dublin over the next four or five years. We are going to see an emphasis on significant public domain projects as well as activity on housing projects such as Dolphins Barn, Dominic Street and Michael’s Estate in Inchicore.

We have suffered over the past four or five years but we feel we have the kind of frameworks which can respond quickly and in a very pro-active way. I think we have a very exciting decade to look forward to with the consolidation of the projects I have outlined.

77 |

BI SURVEY

> CLdN

Ship shape > CLdN operated a successful lift-on/lift off service in Ireland

from 1999 to 2009 when they introduced a new concept of direct roll-on/roll-off freight shipping service from Dublin to the continental ports of Rotterdam and Zeebrugge.

Business Ireland looks at their growing service of shipping possibilities and transhipment solutions.

solutions to meet the customers’ supply chain requirements.

User-friendly

T

his service has not only survived the European economic challenges of recent times, but has grown by 50 per cent to date. Over the last 12 months the company has increased capacity, tonnage and frequency of service to offer importers and exporters a flexible and cost effective solution to the transport of various types of equipment ranging from containers, tanks, temperature controlled units, trailers, mobile machinery, new cars and driver accompanied units to and from mainland Europe. With accommodation facilities for up to 12 drivers on each vessel, CLdN offers a fresh alternative for transiting accompanied units via the UK to mainland Europe.

Intermodal amenities on the continent In Rotterdam, the incoming cargo can be delivered further into mainland Europe by road, rail and barge; all options are located close to the terminal. The introduction

of a new weekly lo-lo service each way between this very terminal in Rotterdam and Leixoes (Porto) in Portugal opened new opportunities to customers. To emphasise the growing market of the Iberian peninsula this service has grown recently to include a new ro-ro service.

Zeebrugge landing cargo benefits from similar modes of infrastructure to Rotterdam. With 16 on-site rail tracks the terminal in Zeebrugge is the ideal hub to the vast continental rail network. Also, with the onward services to both Gothenburg and Esbjerg – with seven sailings per week from Zeebrugge to Scandinavia – the northern European market is open for expansion to traders in Ireland.

CLdN Cargo fleet comprises of 3,200 x 45’ containers, 800 trailers and 150 temperature controlled units.

They have expanded their range of services to include the ever growing Eastern European market. The CLdN Cargo Forwarding department offers worldwide forwarding service encompassing creative and flexible

CLdN ro-ro SA have successfully launched a very user-friendly and secure online booking tool that allows their clients to create, edit, track and trace their cargo online (www.cweb. lu). Furthermore, the electronic data interchange facility (EDI) is constantly optimised allowing the computer systems of both CLdN and their customers/partners to automatically exchange booking and shipment details.

CLdN also combines a very strong door-to-door division with the experience, equipment and capabilities to expand an ever wider network to encourage clients to look beyond what is currently available and open new frontiers of commercial activity.

CLdN ro-ro 20 of the 25 company owned vessels operate about 120 sailings per week servicing eight ports (Dublin, Purfleet, Killingholme, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Esbjerg, Gothenburg, Leixoes).

Marpol In order to comply with the new maritime emission rules (coming into force on January 1 2015) all vessels are currently undergoing modifications which will enable vessels in the North West European waters to reduce the burning of sulphur to levels of 0.1 per cent and reduce their carbon footprint.

79 |

M otoring | S u m m er E s s ent ia ls | Tra v e l B rie f s | B e e r | G a dg ets

The Electric

Revolution BMW’s revolutionary i8 electric sports car hit Irish shores in July.

Conor Forrest reports. | 80

Lifestyle: Motoring

Stats To Know

T

here are some who say that driving for pleasure is a doomed concept, that vehicles should be tools; their usefulness highlighted solely through MPG figures, for example, rather than bhp and sporty looks. That’s not to say the two views are mutually exclusive, however. If the electrified Tesla Model S is an overhaul of the luxury car concept, the BMW’s new i8 represents a serious attempt at redefining what makes a sports car – one which marries driving pleasure with realism – a world in which fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions have become as important as 0-60 times, or how much bhp is on tap.

Featuring a complex drivetrain system where the petrol powertrain spins the back wheels – the electric motor doing the job up front – the i8 can run in a pure electric mode for a range of 37km. There’s also a comfort mode, where the i8 acts as a hybrid, the petrol motor helping out when the computer dictates it. If you’re feeling adventurous, the i8’s sport mode will pull power from both sources at full boost. 0-100km/h in the hybrid i8 will take you a mere 4.4 seconds, if the official figures are to be believed. The low weight, aided by the heavy battery pack in the centre of the floor, does wonders for the i8’s handling, and it takes corners with ease.

Though there’s an official claim of fuel-efficiency figures in the region of 113mpg, realistic figures will hover somewhere between 40 and 55 mpg for everyday driving.

Its carbon emissions weigh in at 49g/km, which means annual road tax is just a170. There have been some issues however, mostly in relation to inconsistent downshifting, steering which lacks bite in the front end and understeer (the i8 turns into corners as rear-drive car). But if you want a car which has flair and drama, a concept car which exists in the real world and a decent, if not truly fantastic sports car which also offers decent fuel economy, the i8 must surely be a worthwhile consideration.

The body is constructed from lightweight carbon fiber.

Two electric motors and a 1.5L turbocharged engine will propel you forward to the tune of 356bhp.

The battery and petrol range are visible on a neon display unit.

The i8 features spectacular scissor doors, emphasising the car’s sporty nature.

81 |

Lifestyle: Motoring

The Fuel of the

Future?

Toyota’s new hydrogen-fuelled car could be on European roads by 2015.

PARTS

CAR

| 82

The French Reconnection Though Mini has won the last three Dakar Rallies – which were invented by the French – it may have some competition this year, in the form of Peugeot and their 2008 DKR, designed completely in-house by Peugeot Sport. And it has nothing in common with the 2008 crossover from which it takes its name. It’s rear-wheel drive, meaning less things can go wrong, while Peugeot have developed a mid-rear-mounted V6 twin turbo diesel engine producing 340bhp, beefed up suspension and a tubular steel chassis. It’s just a pity we won’t be seeing a road-going version.

Lifestyle: Motoring

Toyota have generated a little stir recently with the final design of their production-ready Fuel Cell Sedan, due to be launched in April 2015 in Japan, and in Europe and North America in the summer of 2015. Toyota has been developing fuel cell vehicles in-house for the past 20 years, and is constantly developing and improving their fuel cell system. It’s not pretty by any means but then neither was the Prius, but that has sold more than three million units worldwide, and accounts for around 70 per cent of Toyota’s hybrid volume.

Hybrids are nothing new, though most are driven by electricity. This new model is fuelled by hydrogen. When compared to electric cars, hydrogendriven vehicles have been dismissed by many, including Tesla Motor’s Elon Musk, who said that the developing of hydrogen cars amounted to little more than a marketing exercise. Though Musk – the man behind Tesla Motors which produces two of its own electric cars – may not be the most neutral voice in the room.

Set to cost around a50,000, the Fuel Cell Sedan will take three minutes to fill, and have a range to match that of a petrol car, according to Toyota.

It sounds great, in theory, though a severe lack of hydrogen stations across Europe is a major stumbling block.

It’s a fuel source not without some concern. After all, the main issues with hydrogen have revolved around safety – despite the fact that it doesn’t produce CO2 and the only by-product is water, carrying hydrogen onboard a car in a small space requires compressed hydrogen, which can be quite dangerous. Researchers in the UK, however, believe they’ve come up with a solution to storage and cost challenges – having discovered a process which uses two simultaneous chemical reactions to produce ammonia, rather than the traditional precious metal catalysts. Ammonia is used as a source of clean and secure hydrogen-containing energy, which can be stored safely in low-pressure tanks.

“Our history with the hybrid gives us all the experience we need to bring a new technology to the market,” said Karl Schlicht, Executive Vice President Toyota Motor Europe. “In Europe we will be taking it step-by-step, gradually introducing the car in selected markets. But we are confident that hydrogen will becoming increasingly popular as a way of powering vehicles.”

Up &

Atom Several police forces around the globe – Dubai springs to mind – have taken to using confiscated supercars in their arsenal against crime. In England, they’ve tried to emulate their foreign counterparts but got a little confused – instead of simply confiscating a cool car, Avon and Somerset Constabulary have purchased an Ariel Atom, decked out in standard police colours. Unfortunately, it’s being used to promote road safety as opposed to high speed pursuits – why they need an Atom for that, we’re not quite sure. A pity, however – the Atom weighs just 612kg and gets from 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds, with a cool 350bhp on tap. Good luck getting away from that.

OneTank Trek

in Africa It’s probably rather safe to say that the new Mercedes E300 BlueTec Hybrid is quite the economical car – a British journalist recently drove it without refuelling from Africa to...the UK. Taking 27 hours, the journey saw Andrew Frankel drive from Tangier in northern Morocco to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex. The hybrid E300 has a 2.2L 204hp turbocharged diesel engine, and a 27hp electric motor. It’s not slow either – 0-60 takes just 7.5 seconds, with a top speed of 150mph. Official mpg figures are 68.9, though the trip from Africa saw an average consumption of 73.6mpg, with 109g/km CO2 emissions.

83 |

Lifestyle: Summer Essentials

Essentials Want to know what to read, hear or attend this season? Let Business Ireland be your guide.

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Most golfers can only dream of jumping in a camper van and spending a year playing every golf course in Ireland. Greystones native Kevin Markham turned the dream into a reality in 2009 when he took his leaky 20-year-old campervan on a tour of the country, stopping off for a round at every 18hole course along the way. The trip guaranteed two things: the chance to play some of the world’s best golf courses, and a bucket-load of stories to tell his golfing mates upon his return.

In Driving the Green Markham diaries his 11,000km golfing adventure around the island. The joy of the book is in Markham’s description of the people he met along the way. Avid golfers will love Driving the Green and there’s enough there for everyone else too.

I Never Learn is Lykke Li’s third and most ambitious record to date.

While it feels a world away from the pop frills and sing-along tunes that encapsulated Li’s previous offerings, it is nonetheless hugely involving. It has been reported that the album was born out of the “most painful breakup” of the Swede’s 28-year old life so the melancholy mood might not be to everyone’s taste; it’s sad, big and confessional but it is delivered in Li’s usual distinctive and endearing voice. Li says she was influenced by albums such as Blood on the Tracks, Astral Weeks, Songs of Love and Hate and Tapestry while writing the record, which can’t be a bad thing. It’s short at 33 minutes but expansive at the same time. If it feels a little dark to put on your headphones during these bright summer evenings, store it away for winter when it might be more suited to your surroundings.

Download Track: Just Like A Dream

Now the biggest comedy event in the capital, the Vodafone Comedy Festival brings the best Irish and international comedians together for four days of world class comedy.

The festival is held at the picturesque Iveagh Gardens in Dublin 2. To protect against the elements, all the performances are held in four large marquees with the traditional food and drink stalls dotted around outside the main action. The festival had over 20,000 in attendance last year and is a serious contender to Kilkenny’s more established Cat Laughs Festival as the most popular comedy festival in Ireland. Acts this year include Dara Ó Briain, Jason Byrne, David O’Doherty and Russell Howard.

Driving the Green: An Irish Golfing Adventure

By Kevin Markham

| 84

I Never Learn Lykke Li

The Vodafone Comedy Festival 24-27 July 2014

Lifestyle: Travel Briefs

Lonely Planet’s

Top 10 Cities 2014

TRAVEL

Briefs

Business Ireland looks at the latest in travel news and tips for both the business and leisure tourist.

Paris France

The world’s most beautiful city is even better since reducing car congestion with walkways and cycle lanes. The Musée Picasso has been lovingly restored and nine new bells chime from Notre Dame.

Trinidad Cuba

2014 marks the 500th anniversary of Trinidad’s foundation by Spanish conquistadors with a series of fiestas.

Cape Town

In 2014 Cape Town takes on the title of World Design Capital for 12 inspirational months, the main goal to bridge the gap between Cape Town’s disparate population.

Riga Latvia

2014’s European Capital of Culture, Riga, is reclaiming its title as the cosmopolitan cornerstone of the Baltic.

Quick guide to

Lisbon

Forego the Algarve in favour of a trip to one of Europe’s most affordable cities. Lisbon is a city full of surprises: Roman ruins, a dazzling waterfront, buzzing nightlife and nearby beaches - there’s a Lisbon for everyone.

Ramble the winding roads to discover one of the world’s oldest cities, predating London, Paris and Rome. It’s also, thankfully, relatively devoid of tourists.

Eat:

Dine at Olivier Avenida for French meets Portugese cuisine by renowned head chef Olivier da Costa.

Indulge any whim from breakfast or snacks to a nine-course degustation menu. Reservations recommended. www. restaurante-olivier.com

Aer Lingus passenger numbers on the rise

Sleep:

Stay at the stylish Internacional Design Hotel in Lisbon’s centre. The boutique hotel is just ten minutes from the Castle of São Jorge, Alfama, Bairro Alto and Chiado. idesignhotel.com

See:

Hop on one of Lisbon’s cute, clunky old trams to take in the sites. Route 28 runs from the neoclassical Basílica da Estrela to the Baixa district of grand boulevards and includes some vertigo inducing climbs.

Getting there:

Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly daily direct from Dublin to Lisbon. From the airport, AeroBus departs regularly for the city centre.

Aer Lingus has reported a 4.9 per cent increase in the number of passengers it carried in June compared with the same month last year.

The airline said it carried a total of 995,000 passengers – excluding those on its regional operations – up from 949,000 in June 2013.

However, its load factor (how many seats it fills on each flight) fell by 0.7 per cent to 85.5 per cent. Aer Lingus said that its total traffic for the first half of 2014, including its regional flights – operated by Stobart Air – rose by 3.4 per cent to 5,235,000 passengers.

Bargain Hunters A survey by Expedia shows that Irish people are the best holiday deal hunters in Europe.

30 per cent of Irish holidaymakers are likely to buy tickets for attractions in advance, compared to the EU average of 17 per cent. The Irish are also top when it comes to saving for holidays, at 77 per cent, but spend a lot on holiday clothes, haircuts, and hair removal. Unsurprisingly, baggage charges were found to be travellers’ most resented holiday expense.

Zurich,

Switzerland In August the city famous for its finances transforms as it hosts the European Athletics Championships.

Shanghai China

Shanghai recently expanded its visa-free transit quota to 72 hours for citizens of 45 nations, so if you don’t have a Chinese visa, you can still experience China’s buzziest city.

Vancouver Canada

Looking for a break that combines a city with nature – look no further.

Chicago USA

Baseball’s famous Wrigley Field celebrates its 100th birthday in 2014 with season-long festivities.

Adelaide Australia

Australia’s most underrated destination has accumulated major sporting and arts events to welcome visitors.

Auckland New Zealand

Often overlooked by travellers eager to explore New Zealand’s landscape.

Auckland’s food, arts and diverse districts are well worth a few days’ exploration.

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Lifestyle: BEER

Beer Business Business Ireland looks at all things related to good beer.

The Rascals Have Arrived There’s a new beer in town. In fact there’s three!

Rascal’s Brewing Company was founded by Emma Devlin and Cathal O’Donoghue who won a home brew competition last year, giving them the opportunity to brew at Brú Brewery in County Meath. Now operating from their very own brewery in Rathcoole, they already have three beers on offer, which were showcased at their recent launch. Keep an eye out for their Ginger Porter, Big Hop Red and Wit Woo.

Co-founders of Rascal’s Brewing Co, Emma Devlin and Cathal O’Donoghue.

World Beer Profile: Einstok

Iceland is better known as a producer of fish than beer. That’s due in no small part to the fact that the consumption of beer was banned in the country until as recently as 1989, but could all change if Einstok’s range of excellent beers gain the global success that their taste deserves.

Einstok’s beers are brewed in the fishing port of Akureyri in northern Iceland by local brewmaster, Baldur Karason, although the firm was founded and is owned by three US investors. Einstok, which means ‘unique’ in Icelandic, comes in four varieties. The firm’s Pale Ale and Toasted Porter are both excellent, but the standout in the line is their Icelandic White Ale, a refreshing 5.2% witbier. Good witbier is hard to find from nonBelgian breweries, but Einstok have pulled it off with a perfect balance of coriander and citrus peel and a hint of oats in the malt bill.

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Beer of the Quarter:

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale Produced by the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, Kentucky Bourban Barrel Ale is the brainchild of Dundalk native Dr. Pearse Lyons. Having spent his early years as an intern at both the Guinness and Harp Lager breweries, Lyons went on to become the first Irishman to achieve a formal degree in Brewing and Distilling from the British School of Malting and Brewing. Drawing on his distiller’s background, Dr. Lyons established Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company in Kentucky in 1999, which includes a line of award-winning beers. Their Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale is a unique sipping beer with the distinctive nose of a well-crafted bourbon. The ale is aged for up to six weeks in freshly decanted bourbon barrels from some of Kentucky’s finest distilleries, adding subtle yet delicious flavours of vanilla and oak to the 8.2% ale. The beer was first launched in Ireland at the 2012 Irish Craft Beer Festival. We’re big fans here at Business Ireland and so we’re claiming it as an Irish brew.

The Beer-Friendly App The free BeoirFinder app is a handy tool for fans of good beer. Available for both iPhone and Android, the app uses geo-location to highlight local pubs that sell craft beer. Click on the Beoir icon on the map and a list of the beers for sale in that pub is displayed. The lists are kept upto-date by Beoir, an independent group of consumers who aim to raise awareness of Ireland’s independent microbreweries and craft cider-makers.

Business Ireland’s

Top 10 Pubs in Dublin to get good beer

Against The Grain Wexford Street

Porterhouse Temple Bar Parliament Street

The Brew Dock Amiens Street

The Bull & Castle Lord Edward Street

JW Sweetman Burgh Quay

The Black Sheep Capel Street

L. Mulligan Grocer Stoneybatter

The Beerhouse Capel Street

Probus Wines & Spirits Fenian Street

The Purty Kitchen Monkstown

Lifestyle: Gadgets

Tech

Looking for the best handset for business?

Business Ireland looks at the pros and cons of the latest smartphones on the market.

Timeout Samsung Galaxy S5

HTC One M8

Worthy handset with an impressive screen

An excellent general purpose Android phone

Pros: Enhanced 4G broadband reception

Pros: Design and camera

Cons: Custom interface could be friendlier Price: a675 prepay, from free on operator contract

iPhone 5S

The phone to beat when it comes to corporate phone plans Pros: User-friendly, extensive choice of apps Cons: Battery life, screen size Price: a700 prepay, from free on operator contract

Cons: Lack of accessories Price: a650 prepay, from free on operator contract

Nokia Lumia 630

The updated version of the Lumia 620 for those on a budget Pros: Excellent sychronisation with Microsoft Office Cons: Lack of apps Price: a129.99 prepay, from free on operator contract

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Q&A

on a

Business Ireland caught up with Fred Karlsson, founder of DoneDeal.ie and PurpleTag.ie, to discover a Scandinavian warlord who enjoys a bit of hurling.

What business is in your diary today?

The book you couldn’t put down?

I’m meeting the DoneDeal design team to plan our new user panel. I’m having lunch with a friend, and then meeting the Wexford Arts Centre CEO to review the budget.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. A hilarious book about a seriously grumpy old man.

The business person you most admire?

A t-shirt I got one year at Chriskindl in DoneDeal. It says: “I’m not a geek.

I’m a level 9 warlord.”

The item of clothing that owes you nothing?

It’s difficult to pick one, there are so many. But maybe Steve Jobs for user focus, Feargal Quinn for customer service, and Elon Musk for ambition.

The actor that would play you in a film?

Favourite food?

Hmm, let’s see, who is bald, has chubby cheeks, and does a decent Swedish accent? Maybe Paul Giamatti?

Ideas are cheap, they are a dime a dozen. It’s all about execution, making them happen.

That has got to be scallops. Or lamb.

Irish lamb is fantastic stuff.

How do you switch off?

A start-up you’d invest in?

I use Spotify so I haven’t had to buy any music since.

Advice you wish you’d been given years ago?

Cool Beans, Ireland’s greatest baked beans. They will go far!

Your first car?

Last music purchase?

Last holiday?

A 1978 Opel Kadett. Blue. With huge speakers and lots of rust.

A long weekend in Vienna with my wife to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.

Your current car?

Last concert?

A 2008 Lexus LS. I bought it second hand in 2010 for a steal, when the market was flooded with great excompany cars.

The Cáca Milis Cabaret in Wexford Arts Centre.

Your dream holiday?

My wife. Or is that mean?

Touring Australia in a 4x4. Geraldine (my wife) and I did that in 2000, and I’d love to do it again.

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The one item you’d bring to a desert island?

The soundtrack to your life?

Thunderstruck by AC/DC.

I bring our two rescue dogs to the beach in Rosslare for a swim. That’s the dogs swimming, not me.

Favourite sports?

I have come to love hurling. It’s a great sport to watch, it’s so fast.

You’re Taoiseach for a day, what one thing would you do?

Create a school system that encourages proper learning, not repeating facts.

Something you’d like to plug?

Our new online shoe shop, PurpleTag.ie. The try-at-home service is phenomenal, we deliver and return the shoes for free by courier. It’s really handy!

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