Business Eye April 2021

Issue 205 April 2021 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Barclay CommunicationsTackling Rolling Contracts Issue Head-On Features:

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Simon Brien - Unprecedented Times For Housing Market

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Woodgate Aviation - Through Pandemic And Beyond

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New Wheels - How We’ve Changed Our Car Buying Habits

Electric & Hybrid vehicles can bring a lot of benefits to your business. Find out more about our emotive offering... fleetfinancial.co.uk/emotive

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April 2021 ISSUE 205

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Office Or Home - The Future Of Working

Alpha Group - Preparing For A New Workplace Future

Economy Minister Diane Dodds says that reports of the demise of office working are premature. More and more organisations here, she reckons, will adapt to a hybrid working model combining the best of home and office based working.

Alpha Group, from its Belfast roots, has grown into one of the UK and Ireland’s leading office design and office furniture specialists, responsible for a wide range of workplace environments across the islands. With workplaces undergoing the kind of change no one could have envisaged just over a year ago, the Group is well placed to reap the benefits.

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Barclay Communications Tackling Contracts Issue Head On

Balmoral Furniture - Ready For The Post-Covid Era

Barclay Communications Managing Director Britt Megahey explains how many business customers are being ripped off by the practice of automatically rolling contracts in the world of phones, and how his own company is taking a stand.

Now that it has successfully weathered the Covid storm, Dunmurrybased Balmoral Furniture is set to see its order book swell as its customers in sectors like hotels, hospitality and retail swing back into action. We talk to Joint MDs Paul Moffett and Stephen Shaw.

Building A 24 Greener Future

Woodgate Aviation - Flying 48 Without The Hassle

Nothing will drive green growth better than low-cost green energy, says Sara Venning, CEO of Northern Ireland Water. And, as we emerge from the pandemic, she argues that we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to reset our economy to green.

Established by Mike Woodgate 52 years ago, Woodgate Aviation ranks as the longest-established operator at Belfast International Airport. The company offers a bespoke and tailored approach to travel by private aircraft, an increasingly popular and practical option for many in business.

Simon Brien - Unprecedented 26 Times For The Housing Market In his 30+ years as an estate agent, Simon Brien reckons that’s never seen a market quite as buoyant as it is now.

Fuelled by pandemic-driven lifestyle changes, returnees from GB and beyond and the stamp duty holiday, houses are flying off the proverbial shelf around Northern Ireland.

Technologies - A Breath 32 OfOktoFresh Air For Workplaces Leading into our feature on the future of the office, we catch up with Philip Dowds, Managing Director of Lisburn and Londonbased Okto Technologies, pioneers of an air purification solution certain to be a big seller in the post-pandemic environment.

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

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New Wheels - How We’ve Changed Our Car Buying Habits

It’s a lesser known fact that Northern Ireland has more second-hand car dealers per head of population than anywhere else on these islands. But is wandering around a yard full of cars kicking tyres and gazing into engine compartments a thing of the past? Richard Buckley talks to Stephen Kelly, the new MD at leading website UsedCarsNI.com

New Halifax Foundation 54 Chair Looks To The Future The Halifax Foundation is one of our leading funders of community-based projects it rose to the challenge of Covid by awarding more than £893,000 in grants to 234 local projects.

We catch up with the Foundation’s new Chair, Paula Leathem.

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley

Design Hexagon Tel: (028) 9047 2210 www.hexagondesign.com

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

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The Northern Ireland Executive certainly can’t be accused of rushing our region out of lockdown measures and other restrictions.

As things stand, we’re lagging behind England, Wales and Scotland but not – significantly – the Republic as it continues to lag behind in a very different way on the vaccination front.

Comment

“During the height of the pandemic, not one politician around the Executive table spoke up for business and the economy.

Not one political party sets out to appeal to business owners, business leaders and business people.”

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ut, with spring and summer in the air and some restrictions already lifted, there’s a distinct feeling in the business air that we’re on the right road. It would be hard not to be given the outstanding success of our own vaccination effort, now well down the age scale and involving mass vaccination venues.

But, as we move into the post-pandemic recovery phase (hopefully for the last time this time), it’s hard to understate the challenges facing many businesses.

Some have yet to be allowed to even open their doors. Ordinary mortals in England and Wales could have enjoyed a drink and a meal in the fresh air from 12th April. Here, we’ve still no idea when that’s going to happen.

So our hospitality industry and our crucial tourism sector face a deeply uncertain future, as do the people who work in its thousands of jobs. Even when they can re-open, with restrictions, they’ll embark on a path which will see them trying to restore as many jobs as they can and starting to make up the losses incurred to Covid.

The same goes for a lot of businesses across many sectors. They face a future which will be dominated by the repayment of loans taken out, often, at the very start of the pandemic journey.

As business starts to recover, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a local administration which puts the economy right at the top of its list of priorities. Unfortunately, we most definitely don’t. In fact, during the height of the pandemic, not one politician around the Executive table spoke up for business and the economy. Not one political party sets out to appeal to business owners, business leaders and business people.

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

If they’re not driven by orange or green flag waving, they’re a cloudy shade of beige with their middle of the road appeal defined only by little of substance. The parties and the politicians are missing a trick. They have been for many years but it’s come into stark focus now. There are votes out here for those who put the economy first.

Another key challenge faces our city centres, Belfast in particular. A number of companies have jumped on the populist bandwagon by offering to allow their people to work from home ad infinitum if they wish. More worryingly for the city, the NI Civil Service appears to be doing the same, despite the clearly contradictory views of the Economy Minister and others.

But the odds are that most companies, most big employers here, will shift to what’s become known as a hybrid way of working. Loosely speaking, that means a few days in the office and a couple of days working from home, Mondays and Fridays being the optimum choice.

It makes sense and the city centre can not just survive but prosper, especially if initiatives to increase the number of people actually living centrally come to fruition. Working from home (or WFH as it has become known) served its purpose during the worst of the pandemic, but it’s not a healthy option, nor is it an economically beneficial option, going forward.

Let’s get back to work and let’s start the uphill climb of recovery. If the NI Executive manages to survive once Covid is taken away from them, maybe they’ll even get behind business and those who drive our economy.

Let’s not hold our collective breath though.

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BUILDING BUSINESS FOR A STRONGER ECONOMY

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Eye on News

Patrick McAliskey To Chair Decision Time One of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing technology companies has appointed Patrick McAliskey as its new chairman.

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ecision Time, which recently appeared in the Deloitte Fast 50 Ireland for the third year in a row, has secured the services of the highly regarded entrepreneur to help guide it to further growth and success.

Patrick McAliskey founded and developed Novosco into one of Northern Ireland’s best known tech businesses and one of the leading IT service providers in the UK before selling the company to the multi-national CANCOM Group in October 2019.

Under Patrick’s leadership, Novosco won a £107million contract with Cambridge University Hospitals Trust and grew its revenues to more than £50m.

In his role with Decision Time, Patrick will chair the company’s board of directors and provide strategic direction as it seeks to expand its already impressive list of customers across the UK and Ireland.

Antrim-headquartered Decision Time provides software that makes it easier for organisations to practice good governance by running effective meetings, managing risk and monitoring their strategic performance. It enables CEOs, directors and leaders across any organisation to manage all of these essential requirements in one place.

Decision Time’s customers include NHS Trusts, some of the UK and Ireland’s largest universities, over 60 housing associations, non-departmental public bodies, a large number of the Republic of Ireland’s public sector bodies, and major Northern Ireland organisations such as Tourism NI, Translink and Invest NI. In the last two years, the company has more than doubled its customer-base including continuing to win business from large global competitors. And its

projections are for revenues to more than double from £2.4million per annum in 2020 to beyond £5m in 2023.

Commenting on his appointment as Decision Time Chairman, Patrick McAliskey said: “Decision Time has a pedigree of nearly 20 years, and it is now at the point where it is growing rapidly and has an incredibly impressive market share in key sectors across the UK and Ireland. I fully expect the company to move to the next level over the next few years in terms of its customer-base, employee numbers and revenues and I’m really excited to work with Geoff, David, Sinead and the team to help them on that journey.”

Geoff Higgins, CEO of Decision Time, said: “Patrick’s track record speaks for itself and we’re really pleased to welcome Patrick as Chairman of Decision Time. He is one of Northern Ireland’s most skilled entrepreneurs and business leaders, and as we seek to continue to make Decision Time one of the best places to work in Northern Ireland and one of the leading software companies in Europe, I have no doubt Patrick’s input and guidance will be absolutely invaluable to us.”

Decision Time is run by Directors Geoff and Sinead Higgins and David Braziel.

Online sales are in fashion for Northern Irish retailers Two leading fashion retailers that use the IRP e-commerce platform to sell their collections online have seen a combined increase in sales of almost 400% in the past six weeks.

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V8 Fashion, who has 50 stores on the island of Ireland and offers a portfolio of the world’s best fashion retail brands, as well as family run womenswear retailer Jonzara, whose anchor store is in Lisburn’s Bow Street, have seen an explosion in online sales since the latest lockdown restrictions temporarily closed retail outlets across Ireland.

Selling mainly to customers in the UK and Ireland, the IRP platform also shows through data from its Insights Terminal, that shoppers in the Republic of Ireland are

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Philip Macartney from IRP Commerce, the e-commerce platform that has transacted over £1 billion in online sales for Irish companies puts the increase in clothing sales for its customers DV8 and Jonzara down to several factors including the new regulations introduced for online retail on the back of Brexit.

seemingly at the front of the queue when it comes to purchasing a new wardrobe, with combined sales for DV8 and Jonzara increasing by 500% over the same period in 2020.

Philip Macartney from IRP Commerce, the e-commerce platform that has transacted over £1 billion in online sales for Irish companies puts the increase in clothing sales

down to several factors including the new regulations introduced for online retailers on the back of Brexit.

“A percentage of sales are down to seasonal changes as we move from winter into spring and also because many of us have more disposable income as we aren’t going on holiday this year. However, after closely studying data from the IRP Insights Terminal, we believe the uplift is because shoppers in the Republic, when purchasing from Northern Irish retailers, do not incur the VAT and excise duty costs they currently face when shopping from online retailers in Great Britain.

“Ultimately our IRP Insights show that our Irish customers, such as DV8 and Jonzara have an excellent opportunity to sell to their domestic market and outperform significantly in terms of online growth. Our team and technology and the IRP ecosystem as a whole, have delivered in very challenging circumstances and proved yet again that our profit focussed approach is the best road to success for Irish retailers in online selling.”

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Eye on News

Wylie Ruddell Celebrates 10 Years In Business

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rmagh based accountancy firm, Wylie Ruddell, is celebrating its tenth year in business which continues to grow despite the challenging economic climate.

The firm, which was founded by Alan Wylie, started with a team of four to now employing 14 members of staff, has experienced substantial growth over the decade.

Wylie Ruddell has ambitious plans for further growth including the expansion of its auditing division offering larger corporate businesses a cost-effective, quality alternative to the big four tier audit firms and ongoing investment in digital accounting solutions to help clients get ready for the new digital tax era.

Alan Wylie, Founder of Wylie Ruddell said: “We are delighted to have reached the milestone of a decade in business. Over the last ten years both our number of employees and office space have more than trebled in size. We have enjoyed steady growth and are proud that this has been achieved the best way – through client retention and word of mouth recommendations.

It has been our mission since 2010 to deliver a quality service in the first instance and ensuring value for money to our clients. Put simply, all clients want best quality at a fair price and that is what we deliver.

The last 12 months have been hugely challenging for local businesses with many fighting for survival. 2021 will continue to present hurdles for them to overcome, not least on profitability and sustaining cashflow during the recovery phase we are about to enter post lockdown. A lot of businesses will have to relearn how to run efficiently again in order to be fit to compete, not just after the pandemic but in the new post-Brexit marketplace where competition will be no less hungry than before. Put simply, the biggest challenge will be having the ability to adapt.”

David Ruddell, Principal of Wylie Ruddell added: “We don’t just work with our clients on compliance and figures but we provide vital support to help them navigate the challenges and achieve their business goals. As lockdown starts to ease and businesses reopen, this type of support is needed more than ever.

Our highly qualified team, which comprises of Chartered Accountants, Trainee Chartered Accountants, Accounting Technicians and a fully qualified tax professional, sets us apart from other similar sized practices and has been purposely shaped to enable us to provide the help our current, and future clients, need. We have the right team in place and ambitious plans for further growth in the months and years ahead so it is an exciting time for Wylie Ruddell.”

Alan Wylie and David Ruddell

Wylie Ruddell was established in 2010 and employs 14 staff in its Armagh office. The firm provides a wide range of services to support all aspects of business including a range of Compliance Services; Support Services, Consultancy and Systems Advice, Investments, Pensions and business start-up.

Morrow Communications Strikes Gold Leading creative communications agency Morrow Communications has been awarded the Public Relations & Communications Association (PRCA) ‘Gold’ badge standard, the only consultancy in Northern Ireland to hold the top accreditation.

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he gold standard has been awarded to a small group of elite agencies in the UK who have maintained the Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation - the internationally recognised hallmark of excellence - for five years or more.

Holywood-based Morrow Communications has held the CMS standard for over a decade.

Peter Morrow, Managing Director of the 30-strong team at Morrows, says the achievement is down to the company’s steadfast commitment

Morrow Communications Strikes Gold! Director Claire Bonner is pictured with recent recruits Orlaith Strong, Sinead Armour and Dominic Lyttle as the company celebrates being awarded the PRCA ‘Gold’ badge standard.

to quality and creativity. “This gold standard achievement is testament to the service and professionalism we bring to our clients. The past year has thrown into sharp focus just how important these attributes are. From hosting all-

island virtual conferences and filming videos remotely, to delivering innovative digital strategies and providing crisis support, our team has continued to deliver award winning service and campaigns for clients throughout the

island of Ireland, GB and beyond.”

“We are an incredibly talented and innovative team and are proud to be the only Northern Ireland based consultancy to reach the PRCA gold standard.”

Congratulating the company, PRCA Director General, Francis Ingham MPRCA said; “The CMS is recognised globally as the benchmark of professional practice in public relations. The fact that Morrow Communications have held CMS accreditation for more than ten years is testament to the organisation’s commitment to ethics and professional standards.

“In conjunction with the new standard, the PRCA has launched our #HireaPRCAMember campaign.

This emphasises the importance of professional standards and ethics, and how working with accredited PRCA members is the best way to ensure a business’s reputation is in safe hands.”

With offices in Holywood and Dublin, Morrow Communications represents some of Ireland and the UK’s leading brands and organisations including ASDA, Moy Park, Translink, Dale Farm, InterTradeIreland, Devenish, Fujitsu, Mutual Energy and Safefood.

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Eye on Opinion

Taking The Hybrid Approach To Our Working Future

By Economy Minister Diane Dodds

Working from home has been the norm for many people during the past year as restrictions and lockdowns forced the closure of many offices across Northern Ireland.

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or many people over the past twelve months working from home was somewhat of a novelty; it provided a more flexible way of working, a chance to see more of family, avoid the morning commute, dress a little less formally and of course an opportunity to show off impressive bookshelves in the background of zoom calls!

Indeed this time last year many companies told me how well video conferencing was working for them and how they were reconsidering whether or not they actually needed their city centre offices. Many large firms have already announced that they won’t be bringing all their staff back to the office, or certainly not asking their workforce to work in the office five days a week.

Only a few weeks ago I announced 300 new jobs were being created by a company called Sensee, but unusually for call centre jobs all of them were home based, meaning a greater spread across Northern Ireland and politicians being starved of the usual photo call outside an office block somewhere.

WFH has also impacted our towns and cities; Belfast City Centre is eerily quiet during the week, which if continued will have a major impact on retail and hospitality businesses who typically benefit from the footfall of the thousands of people who travel in to the City for work every day. Conversely, local villages and towns have seen a greater number of people shopping local as a result of working closer to where they live.

Given these trends, accelerated dramatically over the past year, it is understandable that some people are

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predicting an ‘exodus’ from city centres, the end of the traditional office and 9-5 routine. Yet whilst this was a typical conversation last summer, by Christmas I sensed a change of attitude as employers and employees alike bemoaned the lack of office interaction, how they missed the comradery they had with colleagues, and missed the new ideas that come from organic conversations in the canteen or around the water cooler.

We are social creatures. We need to spend time together. Relationship building or networking can only really happen in person; in politics, just as it is in business, it is often the chat before or after a meeting starts that can pave the way for agreement and trust building.

Home working has created a great strain on many people too. It might work well for people with young families and a strong support network at home, but for younger people who are starting out on their

career path their reality may look more like spending most of their day on a laptop in the bedroom of their parents’ house. The lack of a clear dividing line between home and work spaces and the lack of interaction is, for some, resulting in isolation and loneliness, restricting the ability to get to know colleagues in the workplace and having a negative impact on the ‘culture’ which is so important to many companies.

We need to adopt a sensible approach; open offices and bring back staff yet also recognise the need to facilitate flexible working and offer people a choice in how they structure their week. The concept of split weeks and hubs will undoubtedly play a much greater role in the economy moving forward, particularly if companies see productivity levels improve as a result.

Work-life balance and how we work will continue to evolve, but I wouldn’t declare the end of the traditional office just yet.

Eye on Cloud Communications

Why change is good for business The pace of integration between technologies and business is getting faster and few businesses remain unimpacted by the drive to be better and the demands to deliver the very best for their clients in an increasingly competitive environment.

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or more than two decades, Rainbow Communications has been at the forefront of providing innovative IT and telecoms solutions to thousands of local businesses, enabling them to work better, be more productive, save money and, ultimately, help them secure more business wins to support growth and expansion.

Recently, Rainbow Communications was delighted to confirm that it is creating a new and exciting force for change with Radius Payment Solutions, a Sunday Times Top Track 100 company.

The Radius Group are a strategically-focused and innovative growth company. Our new, transformative alliance will bring even more choice and an even broader range of tech solutions to customers across Northern Ireland and Ireland. We have the same ethos, a culture of building talent and excelling and leading in what we do. Our strong, existing local team is relishing this new era of collective growth and opportunity.

With a solid background in the provision of an extensive range of mobile and connectivity solutions to businesses of all sizes through its Radius Connect division, Radius Connect provides a perfect fit for Rainbow Communications and strengthens our shared vision of delivering the best technical expertise across security, compliance and unified communications.

Our new strength, capacity and shared vision also means we can also

An accredited Microsoft Silver Status partner, Rainbow Communications is Northern Ireland’s leading cloud telecom and IT provider. For more information on its full range of services, including bespoke solutions, visit www.rainbowcomms.com

further invest in improving how we deliver our services by using web and app-based platforms to provide real time management information.

With a committed leadership team, spearheaded by new managing director Colin Dowds, Rainbow Communications will continue to leverage the unrivalled strength and experience of its Belfastbased team in delivering a quality suite of products and solutions that give businesses the edge.

This new and exciting chapter comes as one big chapter closes.

Eric Carson and Martin Hamill, who created Northern Ireland’s largest independent IT and telecoms provider, have now stepped back after more than two decades focusing on the transformative powers which new technologies could bring to businesses right across Northern Ireland, and I’m heartedly proud of their outstanding achievements.

Their departure – and welldeserved retirement – paves the way for an invigorated and experienced leadership team to take Rainbow Communications on a path of growth and expansion and I’m really excited for the future.

It’s hard to believe just how much has changed in my own 20 years at Rainbow Communications.

We’re now living in a highly technological world where all of us can be continually connected to the internet anytime, anywhere. We can save our data to the ‘cloud’, work from anywhere we choose and we can see and talk with our family, friends and colleagues at the touch of a button.

Moreover, never before has digital, integrated communications been so vital for business.

At its core, it’s about adapting your business operations, processes, models, methodologies, and competencies to take full advantage

of the digital landscape. It’s also an opportunity to create new pathways to future growth using technology that’s built to unlock new proficiencies and opportunities.

When Rainbow Communications was established in 1998, we knew digital transformation was happening, but few of us predicted we would be where we are now. Make no mistake, the digital age is upon us and it’s vital that everyone is ready to capitalise on the opportunities it brings.

With Radius, we look forward to playing our part in ensuring that every business has the tools to play theirs.

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Eye on News

Major Investment For Glenarm Castle

Lady Dunluce from Glenarm Castle with Tourism NI CEO John McGrillen

One of Northern Ireland’s leading tourist attractions Glenarm Castle, located in the village of Glenarm Co. Antrim, has announced a £500k investment, including support from Tourism NI’s experience development programme.

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his investment will significantly enhance their current visitor portfolio, create up to 20 full and part time jobs and provide a safe destination for everyone to enjoy this summer, subject to government guidelines.

Already well-known for its historic Castle, Walled Garden, Tea Room, Tulip Festival and Dalriada Festival, this investment has enabled Glenarm Castle to develop a range of brand new visitor experiences including: a Heritage Centre, Museum, Woodland Walk, Ireland’s first Mini Land Rover Experience, E-Bike Hire, a Castle Shop and The Milk Parlour featuring

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ice cream using milk from N.Ireland’s only remaining Shorthorn dairy herd. The Walled Garden will reopen safely to the public, in accordance with government guidelines and subject to lifting of restrictions, on 28th April along with some of these new experiences.

In addition, and due to demand, 3 new stylish holiday pods with sea views will be added to the existing 6 pods.

A new immersive visitor experience with audio guides will enhance tours and a new progressive web app is currently in development.

Like many in the tourism sector, the impact of the pandemic has had a detrimental effect on Glenarm Castle. During the first lockdown, they pivoted to focus on food provision along the Antrim Coast and Glens as well as providing a weekly click and collect food box service. The lockdowns also presented an opportunity for a re-evaluation of their visitor offering which resulted in the current product development funding support from Tourism NI. Announcing the new and enhanced visitor experiences Lady Dunluce, resident of Glenarm Castle, said:

“It has been an incredibly difficult and challenging year for all of us in the tourism sector. While we adapted to the challenges presented by the pandemic, it did provide us with the opportunity to review our current visitor offering. Our own investment, alongside support from Tourism NI has helped us to create new jobs and develop a range of wonderful new visitor experiences. We are very much looking forward to reopening as well as providing a safe and fun experience for everyone, especially families, to enjoy this summer.”

Tourism Northern Ireland Chief Executive John McGrillen, commented: “I welcome the very positive news of the new visitor experiences and employment at Glenarm Castle and look forward to working with the team to safely reopen and welcome back visitors. Despite the ongoing challenges we are hopeful of a gradual reopening of the tourism and hospitality sector in the near future and remain committed to working with the industry across Northern Ireland to support on recovery plans.”

Eye on News

Danske Bank announces new 95% LTV mortgage Danske Bank has announced it is introducing a 95% loan-to-value (LTV) cashback mortgage product for the Northern Ireland market.

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n line with Danske Bank’s commitment to be a responsible lender the loan comes with its own set qualifying criteria. It will be available as an option for applicants in permanent contracted employment, with an individual or combined income over £40,000.

The new mortgage offers a 2-year or 5-year fixed rate of 4.40% with no product fee, and is available through intermediaries or directly from Danske Bank.

The product is available to firsttime buyers and home movers.

Aisling Press, Managing Director of Personal Banking at Danske Bank, said:

“As one of the biggest mortgage lenders in Northern Ireland we are very pleased to now be offering mortgages with as little as a 5% deposit. Danske Bank is committed to helping Northern Ireland grow again by supporting both businesses and our personal customers as they seek to achieve their ambitions.

“Despite the unprecedented economic challenges facing our economy, the housing market has remained robust with demand from prospective buyers at healthy levels.

This new 95% loan-to-value mortgage product brings forward another option for those seeking to realise their aspiration of home ownership.”

Product details include: term with no product fee

up to 4.25 Loan to Income

contracted employment

residential dwelling (not available for second homes or holiday homes)

income of £40,000 and available

Further information can be found at https://danskebank.co.uk/ personal/products/mortgages/ fixed-rate-mortgage

Public Consultation – EU PEACE PLUS Programme Share your view!

We are seeking your views on the draft content of the European Union funded PEACE PLUS Programme (2021-2027), worth approximately €1bn. It is a new funding Programme designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, building upon the work of the previous PEACE and INTERREG Programmes.

The design reflects the importance of peace-building activity, but also the importance of actions that will contribute positively to the economy, building prosperity and adjusting to the new environment and challenges we face.

Empowering communities is a central theme, as is supporting the personal development, mental health and well-being of our young people; reskilling and upskilling; improving access to healthcare and the protection of our natural environment. The Programme will also invest in cross border transport infrastructure and will encourage cross border cooperation and partnership building.

The consultation started on Wednesday 10 March 2021 and will end at 5pm on Wednesday 12 May 2021.

For full details on the draft content of the new PEACE PLUS Programme and how to respond please go to, www.seupb.eu/PEACEPLUS Alternatively you can Text: 07841 367052 to request these details be posted to you, if required.

The Programme is supported by both the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland.

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Eye on News

Belfast Eats: Food Ordering App For Local Restaurants Launches

Pictured (L-R) are: Patrick McCafferty and John Kearns.

A new online ordering app, focusing solely on selling food and drink for independent Belfast businesses, has launched with over 50 restaurants signed up already.

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elfast Eats is an app modelled in a similar style to other food delivery platforms such as Just Eat, however unlike these nationwide firms who work with large food chains including McDonald’s, Subway and Greggs, Belfast Eats will be for independent Belfast businesses only.

After seeing the impact that the pandemic has had on the hospitality sector, Belfast locals Robyn Butler, John Kearns and Patrick McCafferty decided to start the business to provide better solutions for independent food and drink businesses across the city who may be suffering financially.

The group of friends came across the franchise opportunity during lockdown and jumped at the chance

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to unlock benefits for their local takeaways and customers.

With the ‘support local’ sentiment on the rise, the trio launched the Belfastbased food ordering app on 22 March 2021, with a view to making it Belfast’s number one food ordering platform.

Explaining what Belfast Eats can offer smaller businesses over its competitors, John Kearns said: “We want to support local, independent businesses who may be struggling to compete with bigger chains who can afford a position on nationwide platforms which are often expensive and take commission of anything between 15 and 40 percent.

“Belfast Eats creates an accessible ordering service for smaller businesses

by charging a flat rate commission of just 7.5 percent + VAT.” As well as supporting local businesses and the economy with their savvy new offering, Robyn, Patrick and John also want to contribute to the local community and will be making sure to donate to local charities and youth groups.

With over 50 restaurants and food businesses already signed up and more in the pipeline, Patrick is confident this venture will support the local food industry in Belfast: “The local element is the most important thing to us. Belfast is a small city but with so many fantastic businesses. We hope that this app will bring a community of local businesses together to improve their offering and attract more customers.”

Robyn added: “The devastating impact of the pandemic on the hospitality industry has been clear for some time now, but we are confident that Belfast Eats will provide support

to businesses in the industry. There is a nominal set up fee but there are no additional monthly charges, just an extremely competitive commission rate of 7.5% + VAT, so it is a fantastic risk-free and straightforward option for businesses to sign up to.”

The app will service Belfast and the surrounding area with businesses signed up from the city centre right through to the North, South, East and West of the city.

From pizza to milkshakes and everything in between there is a wide range of food outlets signed up to the app already including: Love Pizza, Love Treats and Shakes, Loaded Street Food, Brown’s Fish and Chips, Hatch & Wolf, Oui Poutine and Blue Duck Off Licence.

With the launch date just around the corner, the founders are eager to have as many businesses sign up as possible. If you would like to know more or are interested in signing up, please contact info@belfast-eats.co.uk or check out Facebook and Instagram.

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Eye on News

BARCLAYS HELPS FUND NEW GAME OF THRONES STUDIO TOUR Barclays has announced that it has been appointed as the new Corporate Banking partner for Linen Mill Studios, the foremost location for the filming of the HBO globally acclaimed and award-winning TV series, Game of Thrones.

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oinciding with the 10th anniversary of Game of Thrones, the new landmark tourist attraction, which is being developed under licence with WarnerMedia, will transform the 10,000 square metre film studio into an interactive visitor attraction which will house iconic and authentic set pieces, props and costumes from the multi-award winning TV series. The official tour will also highlight and promote the creative industries behind Game of Thrones including design, art, make-up, prosthetics and CGI technology.

The deal sees Barclays agreeing

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a £10m Term Loan to part fund the £36.5m development of a stateof-the-art visitor attraction – the official Game of Throne Studio Tour – at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland.

Linen Mill Studios is owned by two family-run businesses, Northern Ireland group John Hogg and Company and US-based Stephens family of the eponymous, Stephens Inc. The development is due to complete in summer and will provide a significant boost to the local economy and the Northern Ireland tourism industry.

Barclays Relationship Director,

Pictured are (l-r) Gavin Campbell, Barclays Relationship Director; Mark Johnston, Linen Mill Studios Group Finance Director and Andrew Webb, Director at Linen Mill Studios.

Gavin Campbell, said: “Given our international footprint we have always believed that Barclays was the ideal banking partner for this global project and we are delighted that we could support Linen Mill Studios in this exciting development.

“Our relationship model, which brings industry expertise, has already added value to the project and we will continue to provide operational accounts and industry support as the team continues to build out its processes.

“We have been impressed by the management team’s dedication and foresight to deliver an eco-friendly, world-class attraction which will celebrate the impact Game of Thrones has had on Northern Ireland, and are delighted to have played our part in this iconic venture.”

Andrew Webb, Director, Linen Mill Studios, said: “We are delighted to have secured funding from Barclays.

On behalf of my fellow Directors, I would like to thank Gavin and the wider Barclays team for their support and professional approach during these unprecedented times. Given the global interest in this project, it was imperative that our choice of banking partner has the international presence and infrastructure to support our ambitious plans.

“With Barclays’ support, we are now gathering momentum towards opening one of the most exciting visitor attractions in Northern Ireland’s history later this year. Just the prospect of a Game of Thrones Studio Tour has already generated huge excitement and interest among fans around the world and we expect our opening to play a significant part in underpinning Northern Ireland’s economy and rejuvenating the tourism sector on the island of Ireland in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.”

Eye on News

Belfast City Airport Announces Covid Testing Centre with Randox

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elfast City Airport has announced an onsite covid testing centre in partnership with leading global diagnostics firm, Randox, in preparation for the return of its international flights in the coming months.

The centre will offer both PCR tests and antigen (lateral flow) tests and will give passengers access to quick and safe testing.

Judith Davis, Airport Operations Manager at Belfast City Airport, said: “The PCR and antigen tests are a current requirement for passengers heading to the Netherlands, and with our KLM flights due to recommence over the next month, it is imperative that we have the testing facilities in place to enable those travelling for essential reasons to be able to do so in a convenient manner.

“The testing facilities will also help with forward planning for those who are connecting through major hub airports, such as Manchester and London Heathrow, or travelling to sunshine destinations with our new airline partner, Ryanair, allowing them to take the test

before they leave Northern Ireland.”

Belfast City Airport was recently the first airport in Northern Ireland to achieve the ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation for its extensive and thorough health and safety measures, such as sanitising stations throughout the terminal and requiring anyone entering to wear a face covering.

“The safety of our passengers and staff is at the forefront of our operations and those travelling to the Airport can be reassured that stringent measures are in place” Judith concluded.

David Adamson, Regional Manager at Randox Laboratories, said: “Along the roadmap out of lockdown, testing will remain a key part of the response to COVID-19 – not only to identify cases and prevent further spread, but also to assist with a return to social and economic normality. The Randox Health Travel Centre at Belfast City Airport, providing accurate and cost-effective antigen and gold standard PCR testing, is another positive step towards the normalization of travel.

“We are pleased to be working with

George Best Belfast City Airport’s Operations Manager, Judith Davis, is joined by David Adamson, Regional Manager at Randox Laboratories, to announce the creation of a new in-terminal, COVID-19 testing centre.

the airport to support their enormous efforts to restore public confidence in international travel and to get people back in the air again if and when they are required to do so.”

Work for the test centre is already

underway, with H&J Martin Asset Management Services completing the fit out to include a resting area for passengers who have taken their test, and is expected to be completed over the coming weeks.

Crafting Exceptional THE

dittointeriors.com

residential interiors commercial fitouts structural joinery management consultancy 15

Eye on News

Economy Minister officially opens Hinch Distillery and visitor centre

Economy Minister Diane Dodds today officially opened the new Hinch Distillery and visitor centre located just outside Ballynahinch.

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he £15million investment in the new 30,000sq ft distillery and local tourist attraction will lead to the creation of 42 new jobs Speaking after performing the official opening of the new facility, Economy Minister Diane Dodds said: “Since establishing in 2016, Hinch Distillery has experienced impressive growth.

Through sheer hard work and determination, it has moved from idea stage to develop a range of products and grown to export its products to over 25 countries around the world.

“Invest Northern Ireland is helping the company achieve this ambitious growth strategy and is continuing to support and share its expertise with the opening of the distillery and immersive visitor centre. The creation of 42 new jobs as a result of this investment will contribute

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an additional £1.3million in additional annual salaries for the Northern Ireland economy.

“The visitor centre is an impressive new tourist attraction where visitors can learn about the distillation process used to produce the company’s products. Northern Ireland is known globally for our great hospitality along with the pure natural quality of our produce.

“Investments like these will help us sow the seeds of recovery and rebuild our economy following the impact of the pandemic. The hospitality and tourism industry has been especially impacted so I am delighted to be here today to be able to celebrate this investment, and I want to congratulate Terry and his team and wish them every success.”

Speaking about the completion of the project, owner Dr Terry Cross OBE said: “Today marks a very proud moment for myself and the team who have finally realised a blueprint that is set to make its mark on the Northern Ireland tourism map and the global drinks industry. We would like to thank Invest Northern Ireland for its support and guidance so far. Its financial support and marketing assistance has been instrumental in our success to date.

“Our Hinch range of Irish whiskies and Ninth Wave Irish Gin brand are already leaving an

imprint on the international drinks market.

In just one year since launch, we’ve secured distribution deals in more than 25 countries including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, the US, France and Germany, while many more partnerships with renowned drinks distributors elsewhere are in the pipeline.

“And despite being relative newcomers to the market we are making waves at revered awards events globally including a Double Gold and ‘Gin of the Year’ trophy for our Ninth Wave Irish Gin at the China Wine and Spirit Awards (CWSA). Being able to commence operations is just the beginning of our story.

We look forward to celebrating our successful products at home, where they are made, and invite Northern Ireland to be part of that.”

Kevin Holland, CEO of Invest NI, said: “We are working with Hinch Distillery to help it grow its business, create jobs and rapidly grow its exports, and have offered it over £1.9million of support to date. Today’s opening is testament to our strong working relationship with the company in action. The distillery and visitor centre adds to Northern Ireland’s growing drinks tourism industry with its distinct product offering and guest experience. This is something that Terry and his team should all be proud of.”

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Eye on Cover Story

Barclay CommunicationsTackling Rolling Contracts Issue Head-On Belfast-based communications specialist Barclay Communications has launched a campaign to highlight the problem of auto-rolling contracts in the landline telephone marketplace.

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he company is appealing to regulators, Ofcom, to challenge firms, that it says are forcing their clients to recommit to a new renewed contract for up to five years without any negotiation. A practice which is estimated to have cost Northern Ireland companies a cool £22.5million over the past five years.

“A considerable cost for businesses on a yearly basis. It is now, more than ever, that controlling these costs are paramount,” says Britt Megahey, Barclay Communications Managing Director. “And it goes on all the time, despite the fact that Ofcom’s obligations instruct telecom firms that they must notify clients of an impending renewal, best available rate and termination instructions in a timely manner, in advance of the committed period end date.”

Barclay believes most telecom providers don’t follow these regulations, which is allowing these firms to automatically renew businesses into a rolled contract, without issuing any warning or notice, for anything up to five years.

Barclay Communication’s ‘Protect UK Businesses: Hang up on Auto-Rolling Contracts’ campaign, comes as many businesses operate in survival mode during the pandemic. It hopes to support those businesses in maximising

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efficiencies and prevent them from paying out unnecessary, out of date, uncompetitive tariffs and rates.

“Our campaign will highlight an issue which many businesses may not be aware of,” adds Britt Megahey. He is encouraging businesses affected, to lend their support by signing a petition to ban the restrictive practice.

Mr Megahey whose business supplies landline, mobile and software technology services to over 100,000 business end users around the UK and Ireland, said: “Currently, the auto-rolling of landline contracts is estimated to be costing businesses in Northern Ireland millions of pounds in overspend annually. It’s exploitative.

For thousands of businesses in Northern Ireland, auto-rolling is a very real concern. Not only does this practice cost businesses money, it also restricts flexibility with regards to users and having the ability to reduce numbers if needed.

“For anyone who may not be familiar with auto-rolling, it’s when telecom providers enter into a contract with their client for a fixed period. Within the small print of the contract the client must give anything from 30 to 90 days-notice, if they want to end, alter or review their contract arrangements for a new period. This clause is rarely

informed and can be difficult to spot.

The below contract clause, is by way of an example, a customer shared from a large landline provider in Northern Ireland: 7.TERMINATION OF SERVICES 7.1 At the end of the Contract Term the Agreement will automatically continue for successive periods equal in length to the Contract Term (each such period a “Further Contract Term”).

7.2 The Customer may terminate this Agreement at any time provided that: 7.2.1 the Customer must give 30 days’ written notice.

“When the customer, unaware of the procedures, fails to give such notice, they are automatically rolled into an extended contract, which could be for another five years. This is obviously depending on the supplier and their terms and conditions.

Right now, many feel there is no way for the client to get out of this contract and no way to appeal the renewal. As a result, there are a lot of unhappy customers out there.”

Britt continues: “At Barclay Communications we are totally opposed to auto-rolling of fixed landline contracts, because it’s not in the interests of clients. Quite frankly, it stops them saving money and sourcing the best solutions on the market. Quite often these rollovers can last for up to five years and in that period the comms sector is prone to many changes. The price many companies are paying in their rollover period is no longer indicative in the current market.

Barclay believes most telecom providers don’t follow these regulations, which is allowing these firms to automatically renew businesses into a rolled contract, without issuing any warning or notice, for anything up to five years.

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Eye on Cover Story

Ofcom has highlighted in its Helping Consumers Get Better Deals Statement, “We have decided to implement the objectives of the EECC for business customers by giving providers more flexibility in how they communicate end-of-contract and annual best information to these customers.”

“In many cases we have saved up to 50% versus old contracted rates.

If auto-rolling didn’t exist, they could switch to an alternative contract or supplier to benefit from reduced rates and the latest technology “At Barclay Communications we’re committed to helping businesses save, benefit from market leading support and futureproofed solutions.

We believe that through our ‘Protect UK Businesses: Hang up on AutoRolling Contracts’ campaign we can lobby for the change that is needed.

“We’re encouraging businesses to

Geoff McCrory, Easability Showers:

“Automatic contract renewal was not only frustrating but it also caused us a lot of time and cost. It was never made clear to us nor was it ever even discussed when our contract was coming close to its end. ”

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stand with us and make a difference by signing our online petition and by sharing their experience of autorolling. We will use this information to showcase the severity of the problem across the business community. We will then present all the information to the industry regulator: The Office of Communications (Ofcom) and seek a ban.

“We are positive that our campaign can make a real difference. We are confident Ofcom will take our suggestions and findings seriously.

They have shown an appetite for

Declan Molloy, Molloy Fuels:

“Our system was dated and costs in the market were lower - so our disappointment to have been entered into this against our will by a company we trusted with the business originally is understandable. ”

change on auto-rolling, implementing a ban on the practice eight years ago for consumer and some smaller businesses. We now believe it is time for Ofcom to protect all organisations who are falling victim to this practice.”

If you would like to sign the petition or share your business experience of auto-rolling, visit https://www.barclaycomms.com/ help-stop-auto-renewal/ Since the start of this campaign, we have already received hundreds of calls and emails from unhappy business owners voicing their frustrations:

Stephen Elliot, ESL Engineering:

Britt continues, “It really is something we are passionate about. If the pandemic has proven anything it is that businesses and communities should support each other, and this type of sharp practice should be stopped.”

To sign the petition go to https://www.barclaycomms.com/ help-stop-auto-renewal/

“I have unfortunately fallen foul to this practice.

My current supplier has rolled me into a 24 month contract as I had missed the correct notification period. I was shocked that any company can legally get away with this practice and equally that they should want to. I have bluntly stated that is it the last business they will see from us.”

Eye on News

Translink marks 25th anniversary with green recovery commitment Translink is marking its 25th anniversary this year, since it brought together Ulsterbus, NI Railways and Metro (then Citybus) under the one company in 1996.

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here have been numerous highlights along the way: infrastructure developments including construction of many new facilities with the current Belfast Transport Hub a major flagship project now underway; the launch of new services such as the Enterprise cross-border train in 1997, Metro in 2004 and Glider rapid transport in 2018; and technological advances with a digital Journey Planner in 1999, the introduction of the ‘mLink’ mobile ticketing app in 2011 and the first off-vehicle ticketing system launched in 2018.

In more recent times, not only has Translink swiftly responded to the Covid-19 emergency, delivering essential services during lockdown, it’s also committed to building a better, more sustainable future.

Responding to the climate emergency with the launch of its Climate Positive Strategy and a commitment to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2040, Translink is supporting a Green Recovery with the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell buses in 2020 a key part of this vision.

Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive, said: “Translink has kept Northern Ireland moving and made the region a more connected, greener and healthier place for everyone over the past 25 years. We’ve enjoyed huge achievements attracting record-breaking passenger numbers before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s our employees who make the difference; they continuously strive to improve our service, delivering the highest standards in

Marking the milestone, Group Chief Executive Chris Conway is pictured alongside a bus that was in service in 1996 and a brand new hydrogen powered bus that forms part of the fleet today, a reflection of Translink’s commitment to a greener future.

safety, comfort, convenience in the cleanest, greenest way possible, to build a more sustainable future for generations to come.

“As one of NI’s largest businesses, we’ve worked with many stakeholders, suppliers and partners over the years to deliver major projects and grow public transport. I’d like to thank everyone for their support and efforts to make the bus and train your first choice for travel.

“Looking ahead, there’s real opportunity to build back better with many exciting

transport and technology advancements planned so we look forward to more successful collaborations to make this a region renowned for sustainable transport,” said Chris.

For more details on Translink’s Silver Anniversary follow the conversation online @Translink_NI #Translink25.

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Eye on Infrastructure

Nothing Will Drive Green Growth Better Than Low-Cost Green Energy “Cherish the natural world because you’re a part of it and you depend on it” Sir David Attenborough

Sara Venning, CEO NI Water

for energy and water. This presents a huge opportunity.

One of the ways NI Water is already contributing to reducing carbon is planting trees.

NI Water CEO Sara Venning says “Trees being planted near our rivers and streams helps reduce the effect of climate change by capturing carbon and slowing river flow. Using NI Water land to plant trees, offsets the carbon emissions from NI Water’s electricity consumption. Tree roots also act as a natural water filter.

“As the second biggest landowner in Northern Ireland after the Forest Service, NI Water’s ambition is to plant 1 million trees over the next 10 years to improve

water quality, capture carbon, mitigate floods and enhance the natural environment. This NI Water initiative, supports the NI Executive’s Green Growth strategy by improving the landscape and environment and moving towards a net zero carbon economy.”

As we decarbonise, most of our future energy requirement will be for green electricity. In the next ten years we will need to double our renewable generating capacity, just as our nearest neighbours plan to do. Most of this renewable capacity will be from cost competitive wind generation.

This shift to high percentages of renewable generation will bring challenges that NI Water can play a pivotal role in addressing by acting as a pathfinder in establishing practical decarbonised infrastructure solutions.

NI Water’s Director of Business

Services, Alistair Jinks says, “Our existing electricity system infrastructure is not currently capable of accommodating the level of renewable generation we’ll require in the future. As the cost-competitiveness of Electric Vehicles (EVs) versus internal combustion engine vehicles approaches, NIE Networks have confirmed that they will need much greater flexibility in their network solutions to reduce the need for traditional reinforcement and higher costs for customers.”

NI Water already has generators connected to the electricity system services to help manage intermittency, provide resilience and system flexibility but there is significant scope to harness further resources.

NI Water’s large number of electricity consuming assets hold remarkable potential. For example the major pumps in our

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s we emerge from the health pandemic and address recovery we have a once in a life time opportunity to reset our economy for Green Growth. In this endeavour NI Water’s extensive and largely unseen assets have significant potential to help Northern Ireland become self-sufficient in low-cost green energy.

It is worth pausing to reflect on the phrase “self-sufficient in low-cost green energy” and how critical this is to a successful Green Growth economic strategy.

Northern Ireland is extremely well placed to achieve a Net Zero carbon energy transition across all sectors. It has an abundance of wind energy resource, is geographically compact, and has a single Utility Regulator

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Planting 1 Million trees for a greener future. L-R John Joe O’Boyle Forest Service, Minister Edwin Poots DAERA, Ian McCurley Woodland Trust, Alistair Jinks NI Water.

Eye on Infrastructure

Ballykelly Wastewater Treatment Works Upgrade under Construction

water and waste water systems are well placed to play a part.

In the near future batteries will be required to provide the quality of electricity service on which modern economies rely. There is a strong case for these to be deployed to key sites that provide water services whilst also enabling electricity network flexibility.

NI Water’s fleet of 650 vehicles could also be significant. As it converts to run on electricity the batteries and their interaction with the grid could provide further flexibility. Deploying electrolysis to produce oxygen and hydrogen at an NI Water site could increase waste water processing capacity, lower operating costs and prove critical in providing a way to address lulls in renewable generation and we need an alternative energy source to bridge the gap.

Modest reductions to water consumption could also help deliver significant reductions

in greenhouse gas emissions.

Research by Waterwise has revealed that around 6 percent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions are from household water supply and use. Approximately 90 percent of these emissions relate to household water use; the rest are emissions from water companies supplying water and treating wastewater.

NI Water CEO Sara Venning says, “If everyone in Northern Ireland used a little bit less water we could make a difference.

There are simple things that we can all do that can make a huge difference to being water efficient such as taking shorter showers or collecting water to reuse in a waterbutt.

Although our planet is covered in water, only 1% of it is actually drinkable so it is important we conserve water now for our future generations.”

Clearly it will not be for NI Water alone to enable Northern Ireland

Alistair Jinks, Director of Business Services and Damien O’Mullan Head of Energy at NI Water with a small-scale electrolyser on site at Kinnegar Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW). This small-scale electrolyser is part of a pilot trial which will be used to inform the innovative Oxygen and Hydrogen Demonstrator Project that will deploy a state-of-the-art, 1 Megawatt (MW) electrolyser at a major WwTW. This ground-breaking initiative awarded £5m of funding from the Department for the Economy (DfE), is the first in the UK and Ireland to demonstrate how electrolysis can help to increase processing capacity, reduce carbon emissions and improve flexibility in the electricity grid.

to become self-sufficient in lowcost green energy and carbon reduction, and there will be some that say NI Water should just limit itself to its traditional role but we believe that by working

closely with our stakeholders, Government and the Regulator, NI Water’s extensive and largely unseen assets can play a pivotal role in our society’s journey to Net Zero and sustainable prosperity.

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Eye on Residential Property

Simon Brien – Unprecedented Times For The Housing Market It says something for the buoyancy of the current housing market here that Simon Brien, who has been in the business for close to 35 years, can’t remember a time when his team was much busier. In one week recently, the agency which bears his name sold 60 properties across its four offices in Belfast and North Down.

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e puts it down to a combination of pent-up demand caused by the first Covid lockdown period, a definite shift in priorities towards home and lifestyle factors, locals returning home from GB

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and beyond and the financial carrot of the government’s current stamp duty holiday.

Like everyone else, the Simon Brien estate agency business was shut down just over a year ago. “All of our offices

had to close, most staff were furloughed and while the partners were able to take calls and handle emails from home, we weren’t allowed to conduct any house viewings.

So it was a difficult and challenging period,” he says.

“But the enquiries didn’t stop and nor did transactions. In fact, very few customers pulled out of transactions because of the pandemic. By June, when we were allowed to show houses again, there was a heck of a lot of pent-up demand out there and we had to start dealing with the backlog.

“We thought it might have been a temporary blip, but it

turned out to be the kind of demand that I haven’t seen in 35 years in this business.”

Simon Brien thinks that it’s easy to explain. “People had never spent as much time in their homes was they were spending suddenly. They realised the importance of those homes and the value of them.

Lockdown had given them time and space to focus on what they wanted out of life. So people started to think about extra space, a better garden perhaps, or somewhere out of town.

“Plenty of others wanted somewhere proper to be able to work, somewhere better than a laptop on the kitchen table.

Eye on Residential Property What we were quickly finding was that people knew exactly what they wanted. That hasn’t always been the case in the past.

“And money, for a lot of people, wasn’t a problem. They weren’t spending on holidays or eating out during the pandemic so there were a lot of savings just waiting to be spent on home improvements or moving house.”

The pandemic, of course, has also transformed home working from a distinct minority activity into something essential and something which looks likely to outlast the pandemic itself.

“We’ve had a few customers moving back to Northern Ireland from London and elsewhere who’ll be doing their GB-based jobs from here. In fact, those returnees account for a decent slice of the marketplace recently. Not only can they work from here, but they can expect a better quality of life and a better education for their children,” he says.

Northern Ireland, at £147,000, continues to have the lowest average house price of any of the UK regions, making it all the more affordable for those selling up elsewhere on these islands and purchasing a house here.

The stamp duty holiday, extended until the end of June in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s March budget, has also helped to fuel the fast-paced market.

It offers a £15,000 saving for those buying properties at £500,000 and above.

“November, December and January would usually be our quieter months. They’re months when homeowners are preparing for winter and Christmas, and then recovering from Christmas.

But, this year, they’ve been unusually busy for us.

“We’re currently seeing a bit of rush to get transactions into place for completion between now and the end of June for that very reason,” he notes.

“But low interest rates also help. Interest rates simply cannot go up in the current climate so there are some really good mortgage deals around and that’s another boost for the housing market.”

Simon Brien agrees that the market will level off as the pandemic recedes and once stamp duty returns to normal levels. But he doesn’t foresee any dramatic decline. “I think we’ll see a return to the kind of sustainable marketplace we’d expect in the summer months in any normal year,” he says.

“If anything, we have an under supply of housing stock

at the moment. There are a lot of customers and potential customers out there and not enough houses, especially in certain areas,” he adds. The areas his agency serves - South & East Belfast, Holywood & Newtownards - are all current hot spots but he also gives an honourable mention to areas like Donaghadee, the Ards Peninsula.

He also notes a distinct

rise in demand for second homes along the North Coast area including Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock.

“We’re in for a busy spring and I think we’re in for a busy summer too,” he says. “There is a real appetite out there amongst the public for finding the right place to live now that everyone knows just how important it is to have the right space around you.”

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Eye on News

1,600 new Chartered Accountants admitted to profession in virtual ceremony

1,600 newly qualified chartered accountants have been admitted to membership of Chartered Accountants Ireland in a virtual ceremony, a first in the Institute’s 130-year history.

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he Institute is the largest professional accounting body on the island of Ireland, with almost 30,000 members, 5,000 of these spread all around the world.

The newly admitted members are the first cohort of students to have sat their Final Admitting Exams (FAEs) entirely online, in a year in which all aspects of life were adapted in response to COVID-19. Chartered Accountants Ireland’s education delivery

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across its entire 7,000-strong student body at first year (CAP1), second year (CAP2) and final year (FAE) levels was immediately moved online in March 2020.

Commenting, president of Chartered Accountants Ireland Paul Henry said, “I want to congratulate students on their admission to membership.

In response to the pandemic, the Institute moved almost overnight to entirely online education delivery last March, building on an

already existing hybrid model of in-person and virtual instruction.

“While maintaining continuity in education, we were equally determined from the outset that the challenges of the pandemic were not going to unduly delay examinations and the onward progression of our students, particularly final year students seeking to progress their careers.”

From the early days of the pandemic, Chartered Accountants Ireland worked to expedite the development of an e-assessment platform, with remote invigilation, to ensure that examinations at all levels could go ahead in accordance with public health measures.

The 2020/2021 academic year saw over 15,000 individual exams taken on the Institute’s online assessment platform.

The overall grade achievements

were similar to previous years and reflect students’ efforts in a very challenging environment.

Mr Henry continued “It is a testament to students’ own dedication and resilience that they so quickly and competently adapt to an entirely new way of working. Exams are a challenge at the best of times but coupled with the uncertainty and stresses of the pandemic, we are particularly proud of their achievement and admission to the profession.”

New members have been admitted to Chartered Accountants Ireland from every county on the island. Please find below a breakdown of new members by county.

Eye on News

Hospitality and Tourism Recovery Training Programme announced

A Hospitality and Tourism Recovery Programme has been announced designed to provide a skills-led approach to supporting managers in the industry as they move through the pandemic restrictions into recovery ahead.

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anagement and staff across the Hospitality and Tourism sector have been under huge strain, as the industry has dealt with lockdowns and unable to resume full operations for the past year.

As identified by industry representatives, funded by the Department for the Economy and delivered in partnership across the six Further Education Colleges

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in Northern Ireland, the free programme will help address the key challenges this sector faces.

The bespoke training is aimed at Hospitality and Tourism industry managers and technical specialists of all levels, with an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) / Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 3 accredited qualification also on offer to eligible businesses.

Roisin McKee, Project Director for the HATS Network, confirmed: “As the Tourism and Hospitality industry builds back from the disruption caused by Covid-19, it is imperative that the workforce hold the skills, knowledge and behaviours to be productive and

help businesses emerge stronger from the crisis and flourish.

“I urge businesses to act now and take up the opportunities offered in this recovery skills support series to develop and refresh the skills of their workforce. Building back with a better skilled workforce will provide the much-needed reinforcement to deliver a tourism product that attracts visitors and encourages repeat business.”

The series of masterclasses are designed to meet the needs of the sector and will be delivered in partnership across all six FE Colleges.

The online series starting in April and May will be fully contextualised, bite-size learning sessions.

Economy Minister, Diane Dodds, said: “The tourism and hospitality sector has been hit incredibly hard by the pandemic. This training programme, funded by my Department, will provide significant skills support for the industry as it seeks to prepare for recovery, offering recognised, accredited qualifications and help make our unique tourism and hospitality offering even more appealing to both local and external visitors when the time for reopening comes.”

The series will include Management webinars and Technical masterclasses. The Management Spotlight series, which will commence from 14th April, will focus on Skills Support; Attraction and Retention of Staff; Building Resilience; and the Changing Customer Service Needs. From May, the Technical Skills Series of masterclasses will promote skills development in areas such as AR and VR Technologies, and Podcasting for the Tourism industry, as well as interactive specialist Hospitality masterclasses in Butchery, Baking and Patisserie, Poultry, Chocolatier and Cocktail Making.

Further supporting this skills intervention initiative is the delivery of an ILM/CMI Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management that will have a specific focus on the required skills to boost recovery, as identified by sector representatives within the Hospitality and Tourism industry. The ILM/CMI Level 3 Leadership and Management courses will be available across all NI Colleges from April - June.

Managers of all levels are encouraged to choose from the menu of free virtual support programmes on offer. To find out more, and to register, go to www.belfastmet.ac.uk/supportfor-business/hospitality-andtourism-recovery-programme

Eye onFuture Of The Office

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Eye on Future Of The Office

OKTO Technologies – A Breath Of Fresh Air For Workplaces One of Northern Ireland’s most innovative companies has developed a range of air purifying and air quality management solutions for any office, school, workplace, business or home setting which is able to effectively eliminate the risk of ultra-fine airborne particles, much smaller than Covid.

OKTO Technologies, based in Lisburn but with a major design and sales operation in Central London and a new upcoming office in Dublin, is the driving force behind the new OKTOair range of air quality management solutions.

The Lisburn company has its roots back in 1992 when Managing Director Philip Dowds set up a firm specialising in analogue television aerials.

“Our first sale was worth £28.50. I remember it well,” he says. “Since then, we worked out recently, our sales have grown by 155,000%.”

The company moved from TV aerials into the wider audio-visual technology marketplace before moving on to specialise in smart building solutions right across the board. Philip Dowds recalls that when the company first came to seek work in London, its ‘office’ was a branch of Starbucks on Brompton Road.

“We talked to our clients in construction about what their problem areas were, and what solutions they wanted,” says Philip. “They talked about contractors taking less time on site and about making technology simpler.

“We came up with a method that saw us build solutions in Lisburn and testing them there before

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sending them over to London or elsewhere. So it takes one third of the time that other suppliers might take and it also requires less people on site, which is hugely important at the moment.”

Modern methods of construction, he says, mean that the industry is moving towards the kind of lean principles already adopted by many in manufacturing.

Since then, OKTO has provided full automation solutions in multi-million pound apartments from London’s Knightsbridge and Belgravia to the South of France; at Claridge’s in London and Nobu restaurant in Monaco and – closer to home – at the headquarters of local law firms Pinsent Masons and Arthur Cox. “We are the only company able to provide a full End-to-End solution for buildings right across functions like heating, lighting control, AV, IT, security, BMS, Wellness and air quality. It is unique to OKTO and we take end to end responsibility” The business is split down the middle geographically, with approximately half of OKTO’s staff in London and the other half in Lisburn. It has a team of project managers, designers and engineers based in London, where the majority of the firm’s work is based. Lisburn hosts a second team of

designers and engineers but is also home to OKTO’s administration base and off-site production facilities.

Emerging technologies and innovation are central to everything OKTO does. The company, for instance, is pioneering the use of software to test software. It’s also developing ways of commissioning off-site using what’s known as a ‘digital twin’.

“At the minute, we still need to have someone standing in the room to see how systems react to a window being opened or heating turned up. The digital twin system will allow us to do that remotely.”

Covid has impacted on OKTO and its work but Philip Dowds reckons that they’ve been fortunate. “There was a lot of uncertainty at the very start of the pandemic but most of our sites have kept working throughout.

The market has become a bit more aggressive though, with quite a few companies desperate for cashflow.

“OK, we do work at the top end of the market. But our customers can afford the best cost consultants and they’re very good at driving a hard bargain.”

The company’s move into air quality management wasn’t entirely driven by Covid. “We’ve always been interested in environmental control,” says Philip.

“But there’s no doubt that Covid accelerated our

And breathe...

Eye on Future Of The Office plans. Everyone wants to talk about it these days.

But it’s important to note that our wellness and air quality management solutions can deliver long term health benefits well beyond the pandemic.”

OKTOair wellness can offer a full range of solutions from domestic and small business up to large-scale office spaces, from 500 square feet up to one million square feet, and from portable units right up to fully-engineered, integrated systems with artificial intelligence built in.

The product range is still in its relative infancy in this country. In the US, similar systems have been installed in some 70,000 schools and by major financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan as well as a number of major airports.

OKTO is well aware that the potential opportunity is huge. “We talked to a global insurance company just recently about their Return To Office programme. We know that employers have to build confidence and trust amongst their employees.”

The company’s solutions will play their part in a new breed of offices, different in many ways to the ones we populated pre-Covid. It’s even working on broader office management systems which can, for example, monitor hot desk usage and ensure that each desk is cleaned before and after each use.

“There is no one else in the world doing precisely what we are doing,” says Philip Dowds.

“In bigger buildings, our systems can constantly read both the indoor and outdoor air quality. So it can bring in good quality air from outside but, if that’s not up to standards, it will filtrate and disinfect the indoor air, all the time re-measuring, re-monitoring and keeping the staff informed.

Nothing else on the planet is doing that at the moment.”

Whether it’s a new building or an existing building of any age, OKTO’s specialists say that they can find a solution. “Our systems can go into a cabinet, into the ceiling, behind walls. We take a bespoke approach to every commission.”

The company’s eye to detail is reflected in the fact that it’s also working hard on the acoustics of its systems, ensuring that only minimal amounts of noise are generated while air quality management is in operation.

An OKTO solution won’t be costly on the energy front, either. The systems are designed to be energy efficient, over 50% more energy efficient, in fact, than standard air filtration systems.

At the smaller scale end of the market, the OKTOair systems are effectively plug and play, cost starts from £499 per unit covering up to 500 sq.ft and use less energy than a single light bulb... a fact which will go a long way to reassuring potential buyers.

The company has also calculated that the investment of one its units in a typical school classroom would cost 17p per day per child.

Looking to the future, Philip Dowds is excited about what fast-moving technology can achieve. “We’re looking at ways in which AI can be built into our smaller solutions and there is a lot of potential there,” he says. “And we see a future where air filtration systems and controls can be built into existing furniture. We know that not everyone wants a stand-alone unit sitting in the corner of their room.”

How does he view the short-term future?

“Put it this way, I doubt if we’re going to meet all

the deadlines we have for new proposals... and that’s a brilliant sign. There is definitely pent-up demand out there, so we’re very optimistic.

OKTO is accredited to the International Well Building Institute, a global body which sets out to apply standards and ratings to building based on their ‘wellness’ for employees. A number of its employees have studied for the Institute’s professional qualifications and they look to have the most WELL AP staff accredited in the country.

The company’s specialists have become evangelists about air quality. Indoor air quality in most offices is poor, they say. Quality air, on the other hand, can increase activity levels, improve cognitive functions and productivity, reduce sick days and help to

counter anxiety and workplace stress. For every 1000 workers, a US study estimated, poor air quality can account for 600 sick days. It’s become such a problem that the World Health Organisation has described poor indoor air quality as the ‘new tobacco’.

And those statistics date back to the pre-Covid era. Add that in and air quality management is likely to be a no-brainer for many organisations.

Email: info@oktoair.com Tel: 028 9266 7030 www.oktoair.com

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Artificial Intelligence for Air Quality Management

Eye on Future Of The Office

Nationwide Makes The Move To Home Working Post-Covid...But Who Will Follow?

H

ere in Northern Ireland, Newtownards-based insurace group Hughes Insurance became the first organisation to offers its staff home working on a permanent basis post-Covid.

Now Nationwide has become the biggest national

organisation to make the move to home working on a permanent basis. The bank/building society is to tell 13,000 of its staff, although not those based in branches, to work where they want when the coronavirus pandemic restrictions are lifted.

The UK’s biggest building society, which has called the initiative Work Anywhere, is to introduce the plan after more than half of employees (57%) said they wanted to work from home full time. More than third (36%) said they wanted a blend of home and office work, while just 6% opted for a return to a five-day week in the office.

“The last year has taught many of us that ‘how’ we do our jobs is much more important than ‘where’ we do them from,” said Joe Garner, the building society’s chief executive. “We have listened and learned, and we are now deciding to move forward, not back. We are putting our employees in control of where they work from.”

The company said that as a result of a reduced need for space, it would shut three GB offices where about 3,000 staff are based. Affected employees have the option of taking up the new flexible home-working policy or transferring to Nationwide’s nearby headquarters.

The building society said that while the 6,000 staff based at its branches were not able to take up the flexible option, the company was “working with employees to understand what would help them better manage their working day around their home lives”.

As part of a “work, meet, recruit, live anywhere” initiative, Nationwide is also trialling a scheme where traditionally office-based employees can work in branches with colleagues.

Nationwide said the staff survey, which was conducted with Ipsos MORI , also found that 43% of remote workers said they still needed some face-toface time with colleagues to do their jobs effectively.

The company said its offices would now become “hubs” and it was investing in more collaboration spaces and a range of wellbeing measures such as quiet areas.

The finding appear in its Future of Work report.

But will others now follow suit?

It’s by no means certain. A number of other organisations have signalled that, while a hybrid model will be adopted, offices will remain important to how they run their businesses.

Global Bank Opts For Hub & Spoke Option T he offices versus working from home conundrum is being tackled all over the world.

Take the case of global bank Standard Chartered. It says it will be offering employees the option of heading to a “near home” location, which it will rent from an office-sharing company.

Workers will also have the permanent choice of working from home more.

Chief Executive Officer Bill Winters plans to roll out a “hub-and-spoke” model for his offices that few big companies have ever even tested. It’s a good thing StanChart hasn’t committed to any firm targets on how many people will work in the new fashion, or for how many days of the week. Once reality kicks in, it may have to dial back its aspirations.

Those who find WFH too stifling might see the appeal of a satellite office in their nearest town, and it might be appropriate in countries where StanChart has big support functions such as Poland,

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Malaysia, China and India. Rather than commute into a big city, workers get the option of recreating the community aspects of office life closer to home.

It would also help address technology deficiencies in some places. For example, some banks halted operations in India at the onset of the pandemic because employees lacked basic tools for remote working, including laptops.

But the organizational challenges of managing all of these new locations cannot be underestimated. Will it work as well for frontline bankers as for back-office staff? And there’s no mention yet of the impact on cost.

Renting desks from a WeWork-type company would be cheaper — and more flexible — than the decades-long leases that downtown commercial property commands, especially in prime cities such as London and New York. Co-working spaces offer pay-per-use models that help keep costs in check. This might

explain StanChart’s eagerness: The bank’s profitability targets are slipping amid the pandemic recession.

The company’s chief financial officer, Andy Halford, believes “the word ‘office’ will become a bit of a thing of the past.”

Fair enough, but the “hub and spoke” idea does create worrying new levels of complexity. Why not just stick with the model being developed at other banks, which balances WFH with coming to

the main offices? Italy’s UniCredit SpA has recently offered staff the choice of permanently homeworking for two days a week, after one day proved popular — and manageable. A step-bystep approach seems more sensible.

Some firms that operate across many offices to accommodate staff from further afield are finding they no longer need all that real estate because WFH has proved so successful during the pandemic.

And breathe...

Eye on Future Of The Office

Chancellor Backs A Return To Office Working

C

hancellor Rishi Sunak has told a British newspaper that workers must be allowed to return to the office or they may “vote with their feet” and move elsewhere.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Sunak commented: “You can’t beat the spontaneity, the team building, the culture that you create in a firm or an organisation from people actually spending physical time together.”

He also suggested that employees may “vote with their feet” and quit in favour of bricks-and-mortar based rivals if these opportunities aren’t provided.

When Will Offices Reopen in 2021?

It’s been just over a whole year of working from home for many of us, however 54 per cent of us are apparently happy to continue working from home for as long as necessary.

However, the mental strain of a radically changed working life can’t be underestimated. Our working social

lives are all but reliant on online gettogethers, creative and collaborative work faces additional barriers and our work-life balance is suffering.

This uncertainty is leading many to predict when exactly will we return to our offices, if at all.

More Than a Third of Companies Will Move to Smaller Offices in 2021

flexible working scheme, serviced office agent FreeOfficeFinder has reported that 35 per cent of firms are planning on taking smaller offices.

The average desk rates in London and the UK decreased by more than 7 per cent from January 2020 to January 2021. Almost two-thirds cite employee demand for flexible working as a factor, with an average reduction of space at 20 per cent per company.

This echoes other recent research that shows that UK office workers value their new norm of working from home so much that many would forsake career progression, company benefits and even a pay rise to maintain it.

Ezra, a provider of digital coaching, has also found from their research of 1,976 UK office workers that just a quarter of workers plan to return to the office full time.

Following reports that Nationwide is to allow 13,000 office staff to choose where they work under a new

Covid & Our Sleep...A Workplace Problem In yet another net effect of the Covid crisis, 75 per cent of people say that they have experienced a change to their sleep patterns since March 2020.

I

t’s now well over a year since the UK, including Northern Ireland, crashed into its first lockdown as a response to coronavirus.

In that time, research indicates that the stress and uncertainty of multiple lockdowns and the threat of the virus has caused more people sleepless nights, including increased levels of insomnia and other sleep-related problems.

Findings indicate that in the UK, roughly 75 per cent of people have experienced a change to their sleep patterns since March 2020.

Research by IT company Insight based on a recent Kantar survey (of 1,250 working adults) calculated that nearly 9 million sick days are taken because employees can’t cope with the pressure of work – and disrupted sleep is one of

the most common effects of stress.

As people prepare for their “new normal”, the latest research from Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) a science-based workplace consultancy that provides expert training and research in cognitive fitness, human performance and new ways of working - in partnership with the Center for Evidence-Based Management, has

identified sleep as one of the major factors behind cognitive performance.

Cognitive performance research studies conclude that sleep deprivation has a negative impact upon almost all brain functions, including decisionmaking, problem-solving, memory, controlling emotions / behaviour and coping with change. Reaction times may be slower, more mistakes may be made, and tasks often take longer. All of these will impact mental performance and employee relationships at work.

This was a topic addressed at ThisWeekinFM’s Workplace Excellence channel at RE:Connect, with Dr. Jo offering practical strategies to sustain concentration, focus, and stamina in order to improve productivity and prevent burnout.

35

Artificial Intelligence for Air Quality Management

Eye on Future Of The Office

Flexibility is Key for the Future of Office Working Over the past 12 months, every aspect of life, including working life, has changed exponentially.

As restrictions slowly begin to ease and as we creep closer to the end of lockdown, many questions are being asked regarding the future of office working and what that might look like for businesses.

A

ccording to Donna Linehan, Client Services Director at VenYou, the flexibility provided by the serviced office sector could be the way forward.

Donna writes…With hybrid working arrangements set to likely become the norm in a post-COVID world, the serviced office sector could offer some businesses a lifeline in terms of the flexibility that will be required.

Over the next few months, and indeed years, we could see a greater dependence on the serviced office sector as more and more companies begin to move away from the conventional office set-up and the trappings that can sometimes be associated with them.

We understand that every business is different and therefore facing different challenges in this current climate, however flexibility is of utmost importance if hybrid working is to be a success. Flexibility is something that VenYou prides itself on and something we have been providing for our tenants at the Scottish Provident

Building since our inception.

Contrary to many traditional office set-ups, VenYou offers flexible, shortterm lease contracts and predictable monthly payments which includes rent, broadband, electricity, cleaning and phone bills. Our flexible leases mean that our tenants only pay for what they need, making the blend between office and home working easier, as well as being more cost effective for business owners.

In terms of space, we’re acutely aware that this will be a top priority for many businesses going forward.

Built in the early 20th century, the Scottish Provident Building boasts a traditional layout, which means there’s plenty of space for companies to grow and expand. Most of our offices can comfortably house between three and eight members of staff, whereas some of our larger offices can accommodate for up to 20 desks. In addition, the layout of the offices also ensures that the current social distancing guidelines can be adhered to amongst employees.

Furthermore, technology has always been a tool heavily relied upon by businesses but no more so than over the last 12 months as practically all meetings were hosted virtually. The Scottish Provident Building has a number of conference and meeting rooms that are fully equipped with the latest stateof-the-art technology. In fact, we recently purchased and installed Display Note Launchers in two of our conference rooms, which will allow our tenants to connect to calls and apps quickly and more securely.

As well as more businesses considering hybrid working in the future, some have already made the decision to have their staff work from home on a permanent basis, even when the lockdown is fully lifted. Whilst decisions like these have been made by business owners in a bid to save money, VenYou also provides an affordable

virtual package which may prove advantageous to these companies.

Virtual tenants at the Scottish Provident Building can avail of a city centre address, reception services as well as being able to book conference rooms if a venue is required to host a meeting or a client.

Having worked closely with countless businesses over the years, I can fully appreciate how difficult it is for companies to plan for the future when it remains quite uncertain.

However, one thing I can say with certainty is that VenYou has the ability to cater for every business regardless of how complex their needs may be.

Contact the VenYou team today for more information by calling; 028 9091 8500 or visit the website: www.venyou.co.uk.

LET US REDESIGN YOUR WORKSPACE FOR YOUR COLLEAGUES’ SAFE RETURN TO WORK

Eye on Future Of The Office

Paul Black & Alpha Group– Preparing For A New Workplace Future As we all embark on a gradual return to normality postpandemic, Paul Black can afford himself the luxury of being optimistic that his teams in Northern Ireland and across the British Isles are likely to be busier and busier.

P

aul’s Alpha Group, from its Belfast roots, has grown into one of the UK and Ireland’s leading office design and office furniture specialists, responsible for a wide range of workplace environments across the islands.

With workplaces undergoing the kind of change no one could have envisaged just over a year ago, the Group is well placed to reap the benefits.

“It’s going to be a slow return to

38

office working and there’s no doubt that it is going to be different,” says Paul Black. “Like almost everyone else, I don’t think we’ll ever see a 100% return to office working.

“We have all seen, ourselves included, that home working does work. So going forward it will be about proactively managing the space that we have, making it safer for employees and for visitors. We’re on site in Belfast now re-purposing workplaces

on behalf of clients. They are creating a destination for their people, with the expectation that they’ll come in two or maybe three days a week. With a third or half occupancy at most, they take all the pressure off the available space.

“If you had asked me 15 or 20 years ago what we did, I’d have said that we sell desks. Five years ago, it became more about assisting our clients to retain staff by creating vibrant and welcoming workplaces.

Now it is about re working these spaces to make sure that people feel comfortable coming back.”

Alpha’s teams, he says, have been working on open plan office spaces with an increased emphasis on the best use of space – a

distinct move away from old style operations involved banks of desks.

“I hear lots of people say that productivity isn’t affected by home working, and that’s true.

But, in a company like our’s and I suspect many others, the best ideas come from people meeting and collaborating.

There are some things you can’t achieve on Teams or Zoom.

“So I really do think that there’s an appetite to get back to the office, even if it is for two or three days a week. I think that the vast majority of organisations will be able to move towards hybrid working models. It can be done and it’s definitely nothing to be worried about.”

Eye on Future Of The Office

Like many in business, Paul Black welcomes the success and speed of Northern Ireland’s vaccination programme, another factor which should facilitate a gradual return to workplaces over the coming months.

“It’s so important,” he says.

“The city has lost its soul and it needs to get it back. It’s been a very sad place to walk around over the past few months.”

The question of when city centre offices will start to come alive is a bit more difficult. “I do think that once anyone of any size and scale returns, there will be lot of other following their lead.

There are a few significant fit outs going on in Belfast at the moment and, once they’re completed and restrictions allow, there will be an increased appetite to return.

“I think we’ll see quite a few people back in by August with another increase in the early autumn,” he predicts.

The company has clients as far afield as Australia where workplaces are pretty much back to normal. “We’re hearing

that they’re delighted to be back, and that absenteeism is running close to zero.”

Alpha has continued to work throughout the pandemic, even during the early days of the first lockdown. “We were lucky to have a few big contracts which started before the pandemic and continued on. One of those was a major Boeing/MoD contract at the big Lossiemouth base in the very north of Scotland.

So we got through the year pretty much unscathed.”

Alpha has its main base in Belfast but has an office and factory in Dublin as well as a busy operation in Glasgow and a number of sales executives covering the English market. The group has a total workforce of 92.

Travel to and from bases and customer sites hasn’t been easy during the pandemic, but Alpha’s teams have managed to continue to travel when necessary and to maintain a physical presence on site.

“I made 47 return trips between here and Glasgow

in the year before Covid and precisely none in the last 12 months. So it hasn’t been easy, but it’s a question of adapting.

“I do think that there is going to be bounce, a more positive times, coming as we move out of lockdown this time. There will be spin offs all around.”

Paul Black is optimistic on the post-Brexit situation. “Some companies and sectors are clearly having problems, but we’re looking at the positives and I do think there are positives. Northern Ireland has a unique position and we have to exploit that.”

But his focus is firmly on workplaces here, in GB and across Ireland, and on how they can be re-engineered to work in the post-Covid era.

“It’s about thinking outside the box, or the box at it used to be,” he says. “Communal areas like office cafes are a bit of an issue and need to be re-thought and re-planned. And there are other issues – like common access areas for shared office buildings. But all of the problems areas can be

solved. There are lot of solutions.

“You can think about increasing the use of all available space, one-way systems, lifts going up and stairs to go down....that kind of thing. Back at the very start, we had a deluge or orders for perspex screens and that kind of solution.

Now we’ve moved on from that to planning space effectively.”

He’s optimistic about the coming months. “I think we’ll see a big lift, and I’m hoping that it’s a lift that will help create a new normal rather than the current normal...that no one really likes.”

“I think that what Covid has shown us is that we’ve been doing a pretty good job creating workplaces for our clients over recent years. Collaborative space, for instance, is now very relevant.

Mental wellbeing is a huge issue. Like a lot of others, I found the lockdown from Christmas really hard to accept. It’s been really tough on a lot of people.

“Even the prospect of buying a cup of coffee and sitting down in the place you bought it to chat to someone is an exciting one...”

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Eye on Future Of The Office

Balmoral Furniture – Ready For The Post-Covid Era

Paul Moffett (left) and Stephen Shaw, Joint Managing Directors at Balmoral Furniture.

Like most management teams here in Northern Ireland, the team at Balmoral Furniture were left staring into the abyss just over a year ago when we were all plunged into a deeply frightening lockdown. But, like most, they thought it would be for a fairly short period of time.

“I

remember going around the factory telling everyone that we were hitting the pause button, but that we’d be hitting the play button in three weeks time,” says Joint MD Stephen Shaw. “That’s what

40

we were all led to believe.”

It didn’t work out that way, of course. Balmoral’s head office and production facilities at Dunmurry shut down completely for nine weeks before resuming on a very limited basis at first.

“We had a small group of staff who volunteered to work to service our Health Service contracts, but that was about it at that stage,” adds Paul Moffett, the other half of the Joint MD team at the helm at Balmoral.

The company, still owned by the Moffett family and run by its fourth generation, celebrated its centenary in 2020. “To say that we celebrated our centenary is a bit misleading,” smiles Paul Moffett. “We were just putting plans in place around what we’d

do to celebrate when Covid came in and put a stop to all of that.”

But this is still a company with a long and proud history of manufacturing and supplying furniture to a wide range of customers. It no longer has its own retail outlets, as it once did, but it’s a leading supplier of furniture to the retail trade and on a contract basis, notably to hotels, offices, schools and colleges and to hospitals and health centres.

Balmoral manufactures a range of office, school/college

Eye on Future Of The Office

and hotel furniture items at its Dunmurry plant where it has busy furniture production and upholstery operations. But a second – and important – part of its business is its bedding division.

It is one of few companies on the island of Ireland manufacturing own brand beds and mattresses as well as branded lines on behalf of a number of the leading bedding and furniture retail groups.

“We re-opened gradually last June with a small group of employees and business picked up fairly quickly back then.” says Stephen Shaw. “Like everyone else, we were really thankful for the furlough scheme and we started to slowly bring our production staff and others back as the summer progressed and we resumed our supply lines to hotels and the retail sector.”

The most recent lockdown period has been different.

Largely, Balmoral has continued to work almost as normal, but with a small number of its 109 employees still on furlough and some working limited hours.

“We’re very proud of the

fact that we haven’t had to make any redundancies during the Covid period.

“We’ve had hotel clients who’ve used the lockdown period to plan new properties and re-equip existing ones,” says Paul Moffett.

don’t apply to commercial traffic.

The re-opening of the hospitality sector across the British Isles is imminent – although dates will differ – and that’s likely to provide a further boost to the company’s operations. While some hotels have

“I really do think that most people want to get back to the office, at least for part of the time. We’re social animals, after all, and most of us have learnt a lot of our working knowledge by being around the office, watching, listening and talking to others through the years. It’s essential.”

“And we’ve continued to supply some of our retail customers who’ve been able to adapt and sell furniture online to customers.”

The Dunmurry company supplies customers the length and breadth of Ireland and across the Irish Sea in GB. And it has continued to send goods across the border despite travel restrictions imposed by the Irish Government, which

used their downtime to re-equip, the majority have yet to spring back into any kind of action.

Both Paul Moffett and Stephen Shaw are no big fans of the working from home concept. And it’s in their interests, of course, that most offices return to some element of normal working.

“I really do think that most people want to get back to the office, at

least for part of the time.” says Shaw. “We’re social animals, after all, and most of us have learnt a lot of our working knowledge by being around the office, watching, listening and talking to others through the years. It’s essential.”

Meanwhile, the company’s operations haven’t been adversely affected by Brexit and its outworkings. “We do bring in furniture and components from the likes of Germany and Italy, and we’ve had some issues, but nothing that we haven’t been able to get around,” says Paul Moffett.

“The transport companies – we work with Allen Logistics and Maxwell Freight amongst others – have done a great job.

Effectively, they take all of the logistics headaches, and the bureaucracy, away from us as customers. So we can’t complain.”

Both MD’s say that they’re optimistic about future prospects post-pandemic. “We’re a positive management team with a positive outlook. As things recover, I think we’re all in for bit of a boost in the coming months,” says Stephen Shaw.

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Eye on Viewpoint

Business Is Being Failed By The NI Executive

By Michael Stewart – President, Belfast Chamber

It has become all too apparent to businesses over the past few years that some within the world of politics do not view industry in the best of lights.

I

t’s more than just our current Prime Minister’s apparent reply of “f*** business” back in 2018 when asked about business worries over Brexit. More substantially, his Government’s choice of an exit from the European Union which prioritised sovereignty over ease of doing business has added cost and complexity to trade which is detrimental to both companies and consumers.

Locally, we’ve, bizarrely, witnessed business organisations being blamed for the outworkings of Brexit and, perhaps less appreciated, is how, last January, the new Executive de-prioritised jobs and the economy, unlike its predecessors who had explicitly made it their number one priority.

That sense that the economy has slipped down the political pecking order has been compounded during the crisis created by COVID-19. In my role as President of Belfast Chamber, I engage with businesses from all over our city. At a time like this, when businesses are struggling and fearing for the future of the firms they’ve started and grown, they look towards the Executive for help and hope. Increasingly, I am finding that business owners feel abandoned and ignored by what they see as an out of touch Executive.

Businesses that have been closed since Boxing Day have absolutely no idea when they will be able to open their doors again. That gives shopkeepers, publicans, restaurateurs and others no ability to properly plan for reopening. And they are looking enviously at counterparts in Great Britain who have dates in early April when they can start trading again. On 12 April a person in England will be able go

shopping, get their hair cut or have a drink in a beer garden. In Belfast, on the same date, we will only be able to use click and collect in ‘non-essential retail’, barbers and hairdressers will stay shut and we’ll still have no idea when we can have a drink or a meal inside or outside a pub.

The Executive’s abject failure to offer businesses here even indicative dates is not simply frustrating, it is extinguishing a sense of hope that was growing as we started to see infection rates drop and the vaccine roll out exceed all expectations.

So much so, that without the kind of certainty that businesses in England, Scotland and Wales are increasingly getting from their governments, many businesses will call it quits. As they see debt mounting and they incur continued costs just to stay closed, with not even the hint of a timeframe for reopening or clarity on where the health data needs to be to allow them to reopen, can anyone blame them after enduring one of the toughest years ever to run a business?

As I listen to business owners, I get an abiding feeling from them that they think that Ministers aren’t listening, that they don’t understand how business operates and even that they don’t care what fate befalls their businesses or their employees. They don’t believe that the Executive is engaging with them and that decision after decision feels almost designed to make life more difficult for them.

No doubt, some within the Executive will seek to defend how they’ve supported business throughout this crisis. They will point to millions of pounds worth of grants and rates holidays for retailers

and hospitality businesses. Let’s set to one side the fact that the Executive has merely been responsible for the onward transmission of money that has flowed from London, it has often done so in ways that are complex, been slow to materialise and left gaps that have totally excluded some businesses from accessing any support. The rates holidays have undoubtedly been helpful, but we should not ignore the fact that the Executive stood little chance of collecting rates from businesses that have not been trading at all or properly for a year now. In effect, the rates holiday has been like the writing off of a debt that in lots of instances was unlikely to have been paid. Indeed, had rates bills landed on the door mats of many businesses, there is a fair chance that would have been the thing that would have forced many to close forever and make staff redundant. At the risk of sounding ungrateful for the support that businesses in Belfast and right across our region have received, it is compensation that they are more than entitled to given that it was Executive decisions that forced them to close, depriving them of income, and accessing support shouldn’t have been as difficult as it has been for some.

The Executive has a job to do to restore trust with large sections of our business community. The Executive’s own Programme for Government consultation states repeatedly that it is only through collaboration across sectors

that we can achieve the targets that are set. Belfast Chamber has been at pains throughout this crisis in saying that our response should not be characterised as health versus the economy. We have watched as the private sector helped the government fix its PPE supply problems, how retailers and agri-food factories have remained open to help keep shelved stocked and people fed and how, in a public-private partnership that will go down in history, a vaccine was developed and approved in record time.

As we start to edge towards recovery, it will be business that will create the jobs that generates the tax revenue that the Executive relies on to deliver public services. This is too small a place with too many challenges for elements of business to be made feel like it’s the enemy.

On 18 March 2020, as this crisis was commencing, the deputy First Minister said that “Covid-19 is not just a public health issue; it’s a societal and economic crisis without precedent in our time”.

Our path out of the challenges we face and towards recovery requires a proper partnership approach that should begin with treating businesses with some respect and fairness by giving them a proper, timetabled plan for reopening.

Visit www.belfastchamber.com

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Eye on News

Galgorm Collection set to open The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat this summer Pictured launching the new hotel are (L-R) Lesley Gordon, General Manager at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection Managing Director and Abby Dunlop, Wedding & Events Manager at The Loft.

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algorm Collection has announced the opening of Northern Ireland’s newest luxury hotel in an investment worth £10 million that will create an additional 26 hospitality jobs, taking its total workforce to almost 100 team members, and provide an exciting welcome break for visitors from this summer.

The 33-bedroom boutique hotel and spa The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat – will open on 18 June and follows the purchase and dramatic transformation of the former Templeton Hotel in Templepatrick, a picturesque Co Antrim village located only 20 minutes from Belfast and 10 minutes from Belfast International Airport.

The property was acquired by Galgorm Collection in 2018 and now offers stylish accommodation, a luxury outdoor spa and lakeside walk, an onsite bar and restaurant and an exclusive-use events space for weddings and conferences.

Galgorm Collection Managing Director, Colin Johnston, said: “After more than 18 months of extensive redevelopment and a challenging year for the hospitality industry we’re thrilled to throw open our doors and welcome guests to enjoy this unmatched new experience.

Not only does this represent a significant investment in the local economy and cements our longstanding commitment to support and grow our tourism industry, but it comes with 26 new hospitality roles which we are currently recruiting for.”

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Extensive refurbishment work has been undertaken to upgrade the hotel’s 33 guestrooms which come equipped with all the latest mod cons.

Additionally, a £2 million outdoor spa area offers guests a lakeside tranquil space for relaxation, with unique attractions including Swedish saunas, aromatherapy steam room, halotherapy salt chamber and Roman inspired baths and hot tubs.

Exclusive to The Rabbit is a lakeside beach complete with heated sand, a Lake Bar, sunken lounge and plush cabanas for a laid back, luxurious experience.

The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat will safely welcome its first guests from Friday 18th June 2021 and stays can be booked online at rabbithotel.com.

“We’re all about good times at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat and guests can expect a truly unique experience; from relaxing on our brandnew heated beach with lakeside views, the only attraction of its kind in the island of Ireland, to enjoying a personal cocktail turndown service from the comfort of our stylish rooms.

With full safety measures in place and a fresh new offering, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat is the perfect place for reuniting with loved ones and enjoying memorable new experiences and we look forward to welcoming guests this summer,” said Colin Johnston.

Following an extensive £2.5 million refurbishment, The Rabbit Restaurant and Hunter’s Bar first opened to diners in July 2020, seating up to 180 guests and boasting a large outdoor terrace for al fresco dining. Internally, the restaurant is home to

an extensive wine cellar featuring the finest labels from around the world, whilst a showstopping bar adorned in glistening bronze takes centre stage along with its extensive cocktail menu.

In addition to the accommodation, spa and bar and restaurant offering, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat has also opened the doors to its brand-new banqueting suite and wedding venue The Loft, offering unabridged luxury in a magical setting.

With high vaulted ceilings, chandeliers adorned with foliage, marble dining tables, dramatic fireplaces and a stunning romantic lake view from the spacious outdoor terrace, the fairy-tale setting is the ideal backdrop for a picture-perfect wedding day. Operating a one wedding a day policy, The Loft is available for up to 140 guests.

Galgorm is renowned for creating world-class hospitality experiences throughout their awardwinning properties in Northern Ireland. Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort has received numerous awards and accolades for their stellar service and offering, including receiving the Four AA Red Star Award for excellence in quality and hospitality last year, as well as previously holding the coveted title of Global Luxury Spa Hotel of the Year.

For more information visit www.rabbithotel.com

Eye on Business Recovery

ASM Chartered Accountants Announce Office Move into the Heart of Newry One of Northern Ireland’s leading Chartered Accountancy firms - ASM Chartered Accountants – are excited to announce the relocation of their office into the heart of Newry City.

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or the last eighteen years the firm has been located at Wyncroft on the Rathfriland Road. Work on the new city-centre office is now complete, and the firm officially took up residence on 22 March 2021.

The popular accountancy firm says the decision to move comes amid a period of significant growth. ASM’s new office is 30 Monaghan Street, Newry.

Before moving to the Rathfriland Road office in 2003, the accountancy firm had offices in Merchants Quay and John Mitchel Place.

Ian Finnegan, Director at ASM, spoke of his excitement at the move back to the city centre.

“It’s been a challenging twelve months for us all, and we’re delighted with this bit of positive news amidst the pandemic and Brexit.

“Plans for the relocation have been ongoing for quite a while.

“But Covid-19 has meant that the move has unsurprisingly suffered some delays.”

Ian says he and the Newry team are excited to be moving back to the heart of the city.

“Monaghan Street and the surrounding area has been undergoing a transformation in recent years.

“And there’s a lot of optimism in the local business community.

“Southern Regional College recently announced the purchase of the old Sports Centre, which will be a

Ian Finnegan, Director at ASM

welcome addition to the area.

“There are plans for significant development of Railway Avenue, and there’s also a new whiskey distillery - Matt D’Arcy & Co - opening soon. “Monaghan Street is a real hive of activity, with restaurants, take-aways and coffee shops, so we’ve been looking forward to moving in and saying hello to all of our new neighbours,” he continues.

Ian says the firm looked at other places to move their office to, but they felt drawn to the city centre.

“Newry is a young, vibrant city, and we want to be amongst the hustle and bustle to serve our clients best.”

The new site is an ideal location for clients to visit, and there are several free car parking spaces available.

Ian continues, “The beauty about Newry is that everything is within

walking distance, so it makes sense for us to be close to our clients.”

The new office is bigger than the Rathfriland Road site, Ian says.

“Our new office will give us room to grow as a company,” he adds.

The firm also has offices in Belfast, Dundalk,Dungannon and Magherafelt.

For the latest updates, follow ASM on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Eye on News

New report finds youth jobs crisis set to cost UK economy almost £7 billion next year A new report from The Prince’s Trust and the Learning and Work Institute warns that young people will increasingly bear the brunt of the unemployment crisis, at a growing cost to the UK economy.

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he major study, supported by HSBC UK, shows how, while some areas of the economy might begin on the road to recovery, young workers are under-represented in these sectors, and the industries that typically employ young people will be hardest hit in the long term.

The report, based on new labour market analysis and surveys with employers and young people1, also warns that the pandemic will continue to exacerbate pre-existing inequalities.

Key findings: Long-lasting damage from youth unemployment: New economic forecasting reveals that, while young people’s employment has been worst affected by the pandemic with under 25s accounting for three in five jobs lost, youth unemployment is due to climb further still, even as the economy recovers.

The outlook for young people’s employment is worse compared to the outlook for older workers. In addition to being over-represented in the sectors hit hardest by the pandemic to date, young people tend to be overrepresented in the sectors that are

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forecast to see lower employment in the long term and under-represented in occupations which are likely to see the strongest job growth.

This suggests that, in addition to the greater risk of unemployment for young people during the pandemic, the longer-term structural changes in the labour market are likely to reduce future employment opportunities for young people without support to improve skills for the jobs available.

For the first time, the report cautions of the financial hit to the economy of higher youth unemployment due to the pandemic:

youth unemployment in terms of lost national output is forecast to be £5.9 billion in 2021, rising to £6.9 billion in 2022 unemployment, in the form of lower tax revenue and higher benefit spending, is forecast to be £2.5 billion in 2021, rising to £2.9 billion in 2022 for young people entering the labour market in 2021 alone is forecast to be £14.4bn over the next seven years. This relates to the impact on employment and earnings they are likely to suffer for at least seven years, due to entering the labour market at a time of higher unemployment.

Pandemic exacerbating preexisting inequalities: The report finds disparities in the impact of the crisis on different groups of young people, raising concerns that the pandemic has, and will continue to,

exacerbate pre-existing inequalities.

Analysis shows that the decline in working hours for young people with no qualifications (34%) has been five times higher than the decline for those with a degree level qualification (7%).

Demand for employees with lowerlevel qualifications is projected to fall in the short, medium and long-term, raising concerns that the employment prospects of young people who lack higher level qualifications will be further negatively affected.

The report also finds the decline in hours worked for black young people (49%) has been three times higher than for white young people (16%).

New data surveying UK employers finds two in five (41%) feel the pandemic will have a negative impact on young people’s prospects in their sector in five years’ time. A survey of young people finds one in four (26%) expect their employment prospects will still be impacted in five years’ time.

The impact on young people in Northern Ireland: Ireland have seen a 19% drop in working hours, compared to before the pandemic in Northern Ireland think it’s “very” or “fairly” likely that the pandemic will continue to impact their employment over the next year, and 34% say it will impact their employment over the next 2-3 years Ireland, 45% say they are “very” or “fairly” likely to consider working in a different sector or profession (to their current job) in the next 6 months, rising to 52% considering it in the next year their plan to move jobs is because they work in a sector that has been badly affected by the pandemic Mark Dougan, Northern Ireland Director of The Prince’s Trust, said: “This report is a stark warning of how

the current economic crisis will have a scarring effect on young people, their earnings and prospects. We also know from 45 years’ experience of working with young people that youth joblessness can impact self-esteem and mental health for years to come, if we fail to act.

“Government, employers and charities must work together to ensure that the young people who need the most support in Northern Ireland are not forgotten. They need the opportunities to upskill, retrain and access job opportunities, or we risk harming not only our young people’s futures but the recovery of our economy.”

The Prince’s Trust helps young people to build confidence and skills for work, education and training.

The employability courses offered

by The Trust are run both in person and online and give young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives.

Ian Stuart, Chief Executive of HSBC UK, said: “This research highlights the important role the private sector can play in ensuring young people have the opportunity to thrive in the UK’s recovery.

“It’s crucial that we back the job creators – the UK businesses of all sizes up and down to the country – to ensure they have the confidence to invest, grow and create the jobs of tomorrow, as well as help young people develop the skills and experience needed to step into these roles.

“Together with the Prince’s Trust, we’re proud to have helped more than 50,000 young people access skillstraining and employment opportunities that will help them succeed going forward, including in key sectors such as digital and the green economy.”

The Prince’s Trust has helped one million young people across the UK since 1976 and focuses on supporting disadvantaged young people into jobs, education and training.

Eye on Banking & Finance

Spring is the time of Plans & Projects* As we move into the Spring– it is hard to believe that it is more than a year since we were asked to stay at home to “flatten the curve.” For the first time the mood music in the market seems to be changing and business owners are looking once more to the future.

Upstream Founder and Managing Director Judith Totten MBE.

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e are not out of the woods yet, and there might be more bumps in the road, but with these twists comes opportunity – whether to grow your business, restructure, diversify or look at the global landscape beyond our shores, the chance to excel is within your grasp. Sadly, there will be corporate casualties – but that too opens a world of possibilities for acquisition, merger and ultimately, renewal.

Within Upstream, in the last twelve months, through lockdown, we have supported significantly larger and more complex transactions than ever before. As a result of the vision and drive of our new funding partners we have brought to life several transformational plans for local businesses, and we thought this month that we would share just two examples: Firstly, we were approached by an NI founder in April 2020.

With a background in logistics and technology, he had designed and launched a platform to streamline the movement of goods across the world. The missing piece in his offering was funding. Could Upstream overlay that platform with a funding option for his users? Yes, we could – but in sitting down with a blank sheet of paper we found we could do a lot more. Alan Wardlow our Sales Director comments, “I asked him what he could really do with the business if we plugged it into an existing platform in the US, owned by our partners, added unlimited growth capital and wrapped it all up with a funding programme for users to both move their goods and release working capital as they transacted. Long story short, he has now scaled the business exponentially, and is currently in the process of acquiring a warehousing business to store goods before they move into

‘the last mile’ of their journey.”

This client now has a global footprint where last year he was simply planning modest UK growth. He now has the fire power to acquire complementary businesses, and he has completely reprofiled his future aspirations.

Then we were approached by a long-established business, looking to growth in the US through a number of groundbreaking projects. We sat down and discussed how we could augment their working capital funding through Supply Chain and Invoice Finance, but again, we introduced the concept of “… how far could you go with unlimited capital for growth?”

Their ambitious answer has now resulted in a full equity, debt and working capital restructure through Upstream.

This business now has a laser focus on scaling, and they expect to increase their revenue by 400% in the next 3 years.

These are only two examples of several exciting projects we have structured this year.

Sometimes all it takes is that one question, “with unlimited growth capital, what could you achieve?”

So, what have you got to lose in asking us to review your plans and projects? You might be very pleasantly surprised with the answer you get. *quote from ‘Anna Karenina’

by Leo Tolstoy

Contact us for more information: Upstream Judith Totten MBE or Alan Wardlow 02890 999450 www.upstreampositive.co.uk

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Eye on Executive Travel

Through Pandemics And Beyond – Woodgate Aviation Plans For A HighFlying Future

The simple fact that Woodgate Aviation ranks as the longest-established operator at Belfast International Airport says something about the longevity of the company Mike Woodgate established 52 years ago...as well as something about the tough nature of the aviation business.

“W David Shaw, Accountable Manager at Woodgate

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e’ve seen a lot of different airlines come and go here at Aldergrove,” says David Shaw, Accountable Manager at Woodgate.

“But we’ve kept going throughout.”

In fact, today’s company is thriving and has been left relatively unscathed by the Covid pandemic. There’s every chance that it can reap the benefits of a change in business travel habits as a result of the crisis.

Today’s Woodgate operates from a vast hangar and ultramodern operations base at the north western end of Belfast International’s main runway.

From there, it flies air ambulance (Medevac) trips to and from other UK airports. It also operates regular air survey flights, and true to its roots, it runs a busy private charter business.

It was as an air taxi operation that Woodgate began way back in

1969 with Captain Mike Woodgate offering private flights to GB and beyond in a twin-engined Piper Aztec or single-engine Cherokee.

“Air charter still forms the mainstay of our operation,” says David Shaw. “We’re able to get our passengers to their destination and back cost effectively and without any of the hassle of modern day airports and airlines.”

Passengers can simply park outside the private Woodgate base or be dropped off there and be on board and ready to take off within minutes. But, if there is any waiting involved, there’s a comfortable and fully-equipped

departure lounge on site.

“The big advantage is speed and convenience but it’s also a very discreet service,” adds Keith McKay, Woodgate’s Operations Manager. “Our customers travel well away from the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal.”

Woodgate’s larger King Air aircraft (the company has two on its fleet) operate regularly in air ambulance configuration, bringing seriously ill patients to GB hospitals for transplants and other lifesaving operations and transporting local patients home from Britain or overseas. Patients are cared for on board by specialist medical teams

Eye on Executive Travel

Keith McKay, Woodgate’s Operations Manager

provided by Dr. Jeremy Lyons and the team at NI-based Aero Medics.

But they can also operate as eight-seater passenger aircraft offering air charters from both Belfast and Isle of Man bases. The company has an additional maintenance operation at Newtownards Airfield which primarily supports the Ulster Flying Club.

“Our own aircraft fly largely within the British Isles,” says Keith McKay. “But distance isn’t an object. For longer flights, we act as brokers and we’ll bring in whatever aircraft and crew is best for the job, whether it’s a flight to a European destination or worldwide.”

A further string to Woodgate’s bow is its maintenance and aircraft management base at the Aldergrove hangar. The company’s highly experienced staff look after a number of aircraft on behalf of private owners based in Northern Ireland, including a number of large executive jets.

“We’ve worked hard to develop the avionics and engineering side of our business,” adds David Shaw.

“We’re now capable of carrying out a wide range of maintenance and upgrade commissions across a broad spectrum of aircraft, including the supply and installation of the latest Garmin equipment under our dealership.”

While the company’s own aircraft are turbo props, private jets are no strangers to the apron outside Woodgate’s operating base.

The company provides aircraft management and a VIP handling

facility for a wide range of visiting aircraft from private helicopters through to large private jets.

“At the time of the British Open at Portrush a couple of summers ago, we had 17 movements on the final day of the event, jets were parked up on every available piece of space around here” says Keith McKay. With airline timetables trimmed to the bone during Covid, and travel much less convenient, demand has increased amongst business customers for Woodgate’s flexible air charter services. And, even as travel returns to something approaching normality, the increase in demand is likely to continue.

“People see the benefits, especially at the moment,” says David Shaw. “The customer decides the destination and they also decide the timetable.

We do the planning and the flying and we can even help with onward travel at the other end.

“We’ve had enquiries from companies trying to get key

people to destinations from the very north of Scotland to the southern end of England.”

Woodgate Aviation has a staff of 45 – including pilots, engineers and support staff – across its operations at Belfast International, the Isle of Man and Newtownards.

Its impressive hangar and operations base at Aldergrove was the vision of Director John Keen. “This inspiration was in the planning for many years and was necessary to secure the company’s future and demonstrate our commitment within aviation.”

It’s impressive enough, in fact, to have been chosen as a location for a couple of TV and movie productions. The final scene of Marcella, the crime drama starring Anna Friel, was shot at Woodgate’s base and the building also featured in The Journey, Nick Hamm’s film about the friendship between Rev. Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness.

In fact, there have been countless celebrities and familiar

faces on board Woodgate aircraft over the years, ranging from sportsmen and women to politicians to stars of stage and screen. Allan Keen, who took over the company from Mike Woodgate in the later 1980’s and whose family involved, used to fly John De Lorean from Belfast to Heathrow, from where he’d catch Concorde back to the United States.

More often than not, though, Woodgate’s aircraft and crew will be busy transporting specialist workers to remote Scottish airports, business executives to Birmingham, or flying urgent medical missions. The only thing that can halt operations is extreme weather, particularly fog.

“When we arrive to pick up a patient and fly them back to Northern Ireland, we’re a part of home for them. They’re delighted to hear a Northern Ireland accent,” smiles David Shaw. “More seriously, we provide a service that is vital to the wider health service here.”

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Eye on Motor Trade

New Wheels– How We’ve Changed Our Car Buying Habits

It’s a lesser known fact that Northern Ireland has more second-hand car dealers per head of population than anywhere else on these islands. But is wandering around a yard full of cars kicking tyres and gazing into engine compartments a thing of the past?

Richard Buckley talks to Stephen Kelly, the new Managing Director at UsedCarsNI.com

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tephen Kelly reckons that our car-buying habits started to change as far back as ten years ago but it’s a change process that has been accelerated by the Covid pandemic.

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He took over recently as Managing Director of UsedCarsNI.com, the leading marketplace website for used vehicles in Northern Ireland.

UsedCarsNI.com was formed by web developers Cecil

Hetherington and Anthony Kieran back in 2006. The pair noticed that there were any number of car dealer websites but no single depository for all – or most – of the vehicles for sale in the region at any given time.

“I joined in 2010. Back then, we had 13,000 cars from about 300 subscribing dealers.

Today, we’ll have 22,000 cars, 640 dealers and anywhere between 55,000 and 60,000 visitors per day on the site.

Over that time, we’ve worked hard on the functionality and capabilities of the site, improving it all the time for our customers, whether they’re dealers, private sellers or buyers,” says Stephen.

In addition, the team at UsedCarsNI.com hosts

and manages some 270 different dealer websites.

“We use the site every day as if we’re looking to buy a car.

That’s the most effective way for us to keep improving it.”

Stephen Kelly took over as Managing Director a couple of months ago, with Cecil Hetherington moving into a chairman’s role. Kelly’s previous job as Business Development Director was filled by Colin Quigg.

The company has a team of account managers as well as a business support function.

Back in the day, Northern Ireland’s second hand car sales worked very differently.

The Belfast Telegraph’s ad pages once ruled the roost and then Auto Trader became

Eye on Motor Trade

the ‘go to’ publication, with dealers clambering to get their car stocks into the magazine every Thursday.

“Then they did their selling on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and the whole cycle started again the following week,” says Stephen. “But, when everything started to go digital, everything started to change.”

“Every year, there’s a new batch of 17-year olds, so we have to keep on our game. Just recently, we’ve added WhatsApp and SMS to the LiveChat facility that we already have on the site.

Footfall in dealership has gone down significantly. There’s just no doubt about that. Customers are using other channels.”

That trend, he reckons, started some years ago but it’s been accelerated by the Covid pandemic which has forced the closure of car sales outlets for a couple of lengthy lockdown periods and has driven more and more buyers online.

Should marketplace websites get involved in sales to a larger extent? Stephen Kelly thinks

not, at least when a dealer is involved. But there’s an argument for more assistance when it comes to private sellers.

“We have a lot of private sales and we have to remember that these people aren’t professional sales people. So we’ll try to help as much as we can.”

The very thought, several years ago, of buying a car online – without physically seeing it or driving it – and then having it delivered to your door on the back of a lorry would have seemed preposterous. But not now.

“Traditionally, everyone thought they they had to have a test drive but, more often than not, it was a 10-minute jaunt up the M1 or something like that. So I think attitudes are changing.”

Northern Ireland is different from other parts of the UK in that the landscape is dominated by independent car dealers rather than big franchise groups. The big three locally – Hursts, Agnews & Donnellys – account for around a quarter of the second hand car stock here at any given time.

Stephen Kelly says that

UsedCarsNI welcomes and encourages reviews – of cars bought on the site and of the site itself. “We’ve even added a dealer review function to allow customers to provide feedback on any of our sellers.

It’s transparency...and that’s what the site is all about.

The site has also added a vehicle configuration tool – enabling buyers to configure the new car they’re looking for and allow dealers to come to them.

“The economics of classifieds marketplaces are such that there tend to be only one or two dominant players in each market.”

Another unique feature of the local marketplace is the number of used cars brought over from GB to be sold. It’s essential given the relative lack of used car stock generated by our big franchise dealers.

“Go to a car auction in Glasgow or Manchester and you’ll almost certainly hear a Northern Ireland accent,” Stephen Kelly smiles. “Our local dealers are always looking for more cars, for more stock.”

The pandemic, he agrees, has

also led to more demand for cars.

A little like the housing market, the car market is benefiting from the amount of money available to customers unable to spend it on holidays and other items during the Covid crisis.

But the automotive industry has plenty of challenges to face – not least the advent of electric vehicles and optimistic government targets.

“I’m a bit sceptical,” says Stephen Kelly. “This is a rural country and we love our diesel engines. There’s a fair amount of suspicion outside of Belfast around electric cars and their range. Then there’s the amount of charge points needed and the price.

“If you have £30,000 to spend right now, would you go for a German saloon car with a diesel engine or a small French hatchback with an electric one?”

Here at Business Eye, we wouldn’t need to think too long about that one.....

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Eye on News

Rainbow Communications embarks on new plan for growth with Radius

Pictured (L-R) are Stuart Carson, Eric Carson and Martin Hamill.

Leading Northern Ireland IT and telecoms solutions provider Rainbow Communications is on new path for renewed growth after being acquired by Sunday Times Top Track 100 company Radius Payment Solutions.

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ainbow, founded in 1998

by Eric Carson and Martin Hamill, and which has more than 10,000 customers across Britain and Ireland, is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest tech successes.

The acquisition by Radius Payment Solutions provides Belfast-based Rainbow Communications with a new and solid platform for grow its brand across the island of Ireland and an expansion of the range of innovative services on offer for a wider range of companies.

With Rainbow’s experienced and committed delivery team, it delivers and implements vital communications, including cloud computing, mobile networking and high tech telecoms services for many of the region’s Top 100 companies and SMEs of all sizes.

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Rainbow Communications founder Eric Carson said: “For more than two decades, Rainbow has been at the forefront of tech innovation, driving digital connectivity for businesses right across the region and beyond, making it easier to communicate, to do business better and to compete effectively.

“For 2021 and beyond, I’m also excited to be passing the reins to a invigorated team who will lead a new and successful period of growth for the company.”

The Rainbow Communications brand and delivery team remains intact following the acquisition.

Rainbow Communications’ Stuart Carson added:

“We are delighted that by working alongside our new Radius team and our own long-established staff, Rainbow’s future growth and ambition is secured with a company which has the same forward ambition and ethos as we have always had and we look forward to the benefits of such a compelling integration will bring for new and existing clients in the weeks and months ahead.”

Earlier this year, Rainbow was accredited as a global Microsoft Silver partner, putting it in the top five percent of companies in the world which holds the award. It followed a rigorous audit of its operations

by Microsoft which determined its top ranking for providing the best solutions for its customers.

Its newly-acquired silver status puts Rainbow Communications ahead of its competition, demonstrating a specific, proven skill set to clients alongside high quality, consistent delivery. It also means its staff are now part of Microsoft’s global network and support hub, sharing resources, training, and best practice advice.

Ray Ferris, Managing Director, Telecoms, Radius Payment Solutions, said: “The acquisition of Rainbow Communications gives us a greater platform to provide non-mobile services to our growing customer base in Ireland. Rainbow has an excellent reputation in the local market and compliments our growing mobile business to give customers more choice with their transition from legacy technology to cloud services.

We are really looking forward to working with the teams and integrating the business with our Radius Connect team in Belfast.”

Radius Payment Solutions features in the 2020 Sunday Times Top Track 100 list, which is sponsored by HSBC and Linklaters.

Having achieved a turnover of £2.6 billion last year, Radius ranked 24th in the list. This is the ninth consecutive year that Radius has received this accolade, which recognises the contribution to the economy made by Britain’s largest 100 private companies.

Eye on Public Relations

PR’s power in a postpandemic media landscape The way we consume news has changed beyond all recognition, creating new challenges but limitless opportunities for the public relations industry and organisations in every sector.

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one is the term ‘traditional’ PR normally associated with press releases or statements used in ‘traditional’ news print brands - because everything now is effectively ‘digital’.

The impact of Covid-19, and even more so, the related restrictions on our lives, has accelerated the pace of digital transformation and the way we consume news and information.

Our biggest print news outlets have been busily accelerating their digital offer, combining highly sophisticated online and app technology with social media to share content more widely than ever before, arresting a steady decade-long annual decline in print sales to stabilise themselves on a more sound financial footing.

Those implementing paywalls are also those investing more in good paid-for

journalism, with better premium news, subscriber content, features and analysis.

Though TV and radio lead in delivering our overall news consumption, according to Ofcom, the daily use of online and social media sources has exploded since the start of the pandemic.

Of course, many of us consume them all, at various points in the day, including digital radio, streamed news, YouTube and podcasts to keep us up to date via our mobile phones.

awareness, builds reputations and drives genuine interest and impact.

Digital PR builds SEO and rankings, boosts website and social media traffic, reinvigorates brand trust, generates leads and increases enquiries. When someone searches for information about you, your product or service, just think about what information you’d like them to find.

The acceleration of digital transformation, powered by the restrictions imposed because of

“The acceleration of digital transformation, powered by the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19, is also powering new opportunities for local businesses, opening up huge potential to work for clients anywhere in the world.”

The positive impact for the PR industry is that the demand for news and information has never been greater.

However, what’s important now for PR practitioners is that the approach taken to reach the right audience is more strategically focused to the appropriate channel and that messaging, news value, content and imagery are carefully aligned.

In 2021, the role of public relations in the marketing mix has never been more important, and a carefully executed PR strategy adds real, credible brand

Covid-19, is also powering new opportunities for local businesses, opening up huge potential to work for clients anywhere in the world.

In this smaller, interconnected world where news is local, national and international, and our information sources are accessible anywhere in the world, forward-thinking, specialist PR practitioners are increasingly at ease working for clients both at home and elsewhere, increasing the depth of their strategic thinking and

knowledge in new areas. Building new, wider networks is important for growth, relevance and experience.

The rapid increase in the use of technology has also enabled the industry to reach new markets, creating opportunities to deliver strategic national and international PR campaigns.

In our own experience, we’re already working with one of the UK’s leading pension platforms and a powerful financial disrupter ready to take private share-trading to a new level, while continuing to deliver compelling B2B and B2C work for one of the biggest UK automotive retailers and one of England’s largest councils.

For organisations – local, national and global – PR is a powerful means to grow your business. The rapid integration of media and technology provides compelling reasons to capitalise on the power of PR to drive growth and expansion in an increasingly competitive, complex world.

Nikki Larkin is co-founder and managing director of leading integrated communications agency LK Communications, which specialises in corporate and consumer PR and political affairs www.lkcommunications.co.uk

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Eye on Community Funding

New Chair At Halifax Foundation Looks Forward To Post-Covid Challenge The new chair of Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland Paula Leathem is looking forward to using her skills and experience to help the third sector in a post-Covid world.

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he Senior HR Business Partner for NIE Networks predicts the challenges for the Voluntary and Community Sector post Covid will be huge but will also present an opportunity to do things differently.

“Coming out of Covid will be challenging for the sector but it has made us look at new ways of thinking and doing things. We need to be positive as we look at how we best support the communities most in need,” she said.

Paula, who has been on the board of Halifax Foundation since 2013, explained that the organisation adapted quickly to the pandemic and made it easier for grassroots groups to access vital funding.

“Our amazing team could see early on what was happening and how the Foundation could provide an emergency response.

As the pandemic hit, they quickly repurposed the Community Grants programme and awarded the first batch of grants on the day in which the first lockdown was announced,” she said.

Through this emergency Covid19 fund they provided grants for 234 projects with a total of £893,225 benefitting 193,394 people. Funding supported food parcels to the most vulnerable, resource packs, digital support

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Eye on Community Funding

New chair of Halifax Foundation for NI Paula Leathem (centre) with the team from left: Niall Corry, Cara Dixon, Executive Director Brenda McMullan, Joanne Byrne, Caroline Fulton and Richard Rogers.

both for charities to set up online and for children to access remote learning as well as much needed core funding.

As the Foundation looks to the future, she says she sees her role as encouraging the team to delve deeper into the learnings from the past year and consider whether there’s a better way to doing things.

“It’s important for all organisations to step back now and look closely at their processes to see if they need to be adapted. Some things will have changed and some won’t but we need to query that,” she said.

The Foundation’s team of six, led by Executive Director Brenda McMullan, has more than 80 years’ grant-making experience between them but it’s their energy, passion and enthusiasm that has made the organisation what it is today.

“They are all doing a job they

love and that shows. They take the time to connect with charity representatives of each grant application, ensuring they fully understand the unique issues and needs of each community and the impact our funding can make on local people,” she said.

The Foundation’s funding comes from an annual donation from Lloyds Banking Group to fund all its Grant Programmes, including its Matched Giving Scheme, which supports the fundraising and volunteering efforts of staff from Halifax and Lloyds Bank in Northern Ireland. Part of the chair’s role will be as an ambassador for the Foundation continuing to develop the excellent working relationship with the banking group.

“Working with people and developing relationships are two of the things that I most enjoy,” she said.

Paula brings a wealth of experience to this role. For

the past 34 years she has worked for Northern Ireland Electricity Networks and now holds the post of Senior HR Business Partner, having worked previously in Customer Services. She is responsible for leading the company’s diversity agenda and also specializes in change management, employee engagement and personal development.

A mum of four grown-up children, she also recently joined the board of Women in Business and says she believes in the importance of supporting voluntary and community groups.

“At NIE Networks we encourage our team members to give time to voluntary boards. It’s a great experience to be sharing the skills you’ve developed over your career to help others,” she said.

Executive Director Brenda McMullan said that she believes Paula’s skills and experience will help Halifax Foundation to meet

the challenges of the future.

“We are so fortunate to be supported by such a strong board of trustees. As chair, Paula brings a depth of knowledge of the sector but also years of experience working closely with people, and that’s what the Foundation is all about,” Brenda McMullan said.

Paula takes over the chair from Imelda McMillan who served as chair for eight years.

Brenda McMullan said: “We’d like to thank Imelda for her hard work, dedication and time supporting the Foundation. She played a vital role in helping our team through the early days of the pandemic when we needed to make essential decisions quickly.”

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Eye on Leadership

When is the time right for a senior leader to exit?

Oliver Johnston, Founder, Stepping Out from the Top Team

When successful leaders are reaching the end of their full-time career, they face the dilemma of deciding if, when and how they should exit.

Then after they step out, they have to consider, what’s next for them?

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I

n the last five years, I’ve worked with over 150 senior executives as they considered their exit from the top team. After they left, I rarely remember hearing anyone say ‘I wish I had stayed longer.’ However, ‘I wish I left sooner’ is a common regret.

As we look towards a post-COVID ‘new normal’, we expect to see an increasing number of business leaders reassessing their career and considering how they want to spend the next chapter of their lives.

This is why I founded Stepping Out. Delivered by a group of 15

experienced international executive coaches, each of whom have exited leadership suites during their career, Stepping Out creates a roadmap to help senior executives proactively exit top teams at the right time, enabling them to feel fulfilled and ready to identify and embrace the next big adventure in life.

Having a well considered plan can make the journey towards the exit door smooth and positive. It should pave the way for the next stage of life, and someone else’s time in the top team, to begin.

More information on Stepping Out can be found at www.stepping-out.co.uk

Eye on Environment

Openreach Northern Ireland receives keys to its first electric vehicle Openreach Northern Ireland is driving its sustainability initiative forward with the introduction of its first electric vehicle to its fleet. Long-serving engineer, Stephen Galloway, is the first to receive keys to a new electric van.

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penreach, Northern Ireland’s largest digital infrastructure provider, has introduced its first electric vehicle to its fleet as part of a UK-wide commitment to reduce carbon emission and to move all possible vehicles to being electric by 2030.

With more than 70 electric vehicles operating across the UK already, Openreach is committed to replace older vehicles with leaner alternatives and to actively phase out diesel vehicles by upgrading

them to electric vehicles once they’re ready for retirement. This, along with the commitment to now only purchasing electric vehicles where possible, will set Openreach in good stead to achieve its goal of migrating more than a third of its fleet to EVs by the mid-2020s.

Mairead Meyer, Director of Openreach in Northern Ireland, said: “The introduction of the first electric vehicle to the fleet in Northern Ireland is an exciting

step for Openreach that’s made all the more memorable going to Stephen who has been with the business for 46 years.

“This is a great start, but it’s only the beginning of Openreach’s plans to reduce our operational impact.

We now have a dedicated project team who are focused on cutting our fleet emissions and identifying alternative, cleaner technologies, with the aim of replacing all possible diesel vehicles by 2030.

“We’re focused on upgrading the region’s digital infrastructure to connect as many homes and businesses as possible to our network, and electrifying our fleet is helping us lead the charge in achieving this goal in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.”

Stephen Galloway, a Newtownabbey-based Planner with over 46 years’ service at

Openreach, is the first to receive keys to an electric vehicle in the Northern Ireland fleet. To ensure he can remain on the go, a portable charging point has been installed at Stephen’s home, allowing him to take the first steps to help Openreach Northern Ireland achieve its sustainable fleet goals.

Stephen said: “My role is focused on building the ultrafast Full Fibre broadband network throughout Northern Ireland, helping connect homes, businesses, families and friends which means I often drive the length and breadth of the region. The roll-out of electric vehicles is a welcome one and I’m proud to be the pioneer, doing my part to minimise our impact on the environment. I’m hopeful that we’ll see a lot more electric vans on the road in the coming years.”

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Eye on News

Diversity Charter Mark For NI Water NI Water has been awarded the Bronze Diversity Charter Mark for the third year running.

T Erin Tennyson, one of NI Water’s newest apprentices.

he prestigious award recognises the company’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion and creating an environment where everyone matters.

Sara Venning, CEO at NI Water, commented: “Being awarded the Diversity Charter Mark is a proud moment for

NI Water. The Charter is recognition of how we have worked to create a culture at NI Water where everyone can fulfil their full potential.

“We were particularly delighted with the judge’s recognition of our recent apprenticeship recruitment campaign. This resulted in the recruitment of four female water apprentices (13% of this year’s cohort) which helps increase female representation within our frontline workforce.”

Christine White, Head of Diversity Mark, added: “We congratulate Northern Ireland Water on retaining the Bronze Diversity Mark for a third year which is a testament to their progress and commitment to

gender diversity. Our assessment panel were so encouraged by the progress achieved over the last year through the clear focus on improving gender diversity in a very challenging context. We look forward to further progress in 2022 and we are delighted to work with them as they continue this exciting journey.”

Ms Venning concluded: “It is fantastic to pause and reflect on the hard work completed by the team at NI Water to retain this challenging standard of best practice. We have an exciting time ahead building on the success we have enjoyed to date.”

Lidl Launches Fully Green Transport Fleet Lidl Northern Ireland has become the first retailer in the UK and Ireland to launch a fully green transport fleet powered by waste-toenergy generation, in partnership with leading local logistics company McCulla Transport.

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he new fleet of eight biomethane powered trucks marks the first significant business integration between the transport and retail sector in Northern Ireland and represents a major step forward for Northern Ireland in its move to slash carbon emissions.

In the coming weeks, using food waste collected from all 41 Lidl Northern Ireland stores, McCulla will start to create fully renewable bio-methane gas at its anaerobic digester (AD) plant in Lisburn to power a sustainable, next generation transport operation which then delivers produce to Lidl stores across Northern Ireland every day.

The new sustainable transport fleet will deliver improved efficiencies and reduce the retailer’s carbon emissions of these vehicles by up to 93%.

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Pictured with one of the new trucks are (L-R) Conor Boyle, Regional Director of Lidl Northern Ireland and Ashley McCulla, Chairman of McCulla Transport.

Conor Boyle, Regional Director of Lidl Northern Ireland said: “This partnership with McCulla underlines our commitment to developing sustainable and innovative solutions which create real impact in every area of our business. From using renewable electricity to power our stores to advancing our Plastic Pledge and introducing numerous in-store initiatives to reduce waste, Lidl Northern Ireland is leading the way.

We’re thrilled to now be the first supermarket retailer to successfully integrate the first waste-to-energy sustainable transport model. McCulla’s fleet covers more than 2,300 road miles per day, ensuring the safe and timely delivery

of fresh and chilled foods to more than 300,000 weekly customers across our regional store network. The introduction of this new ‘green fleet’ operating on fully renewable biomethane as its primary fuel source will save more than 93% in carbon emissions due per bio-methane truck.

We’re proud to work alongside McCulla to pave the way for the sector and for Northern Ireland in driving a cleaner, greener economy through responsible business practice.”

With more than 50 years’ experience in the haulage industry, McCulla is one of the leading providers of ambient, chilled and frozen logistics solutions throughout the UK and Ireland and has been working with

Lidl Northern Ireland for the last 5 years.

Remaining family-owned and operating from Lisburn and Dublin, McCulla employs 235 staff across a variety of roles, the most recent being employed to manage the company’s new customs clearance division.

Ashley McCulla, Chairman of McCulla, said: “Since 2017 we have been producing all of our own electricity from an anaerobic digester (AD) plant at our site in Lisburn but our ultimate goal was always to use energy produced by the AD plant to power our logistics fleet as well.

Working with Lidl Northern Ireland, we’ve delivered on that ambition and we’re honoured to be part of a real first for the industry, and for Northern Ireland.

For many retailers dedicated to decarbonisation, transport and logistics can be challenging. However, with our expertise and experience and dedicated partnership with Lidl Northern Ireland, this milestone initiative will deliver major environmental benefits for years to come.

Working with a likeminded and forwardthinking partner like Lidl Northern Ireland has been key in the successful delivery of this project. The circular economy nature of the partnership relies on both organisations being fully committed to integrating sustainable new business practices. After months/ years of planning and preparation, we’re proud to see our new green fleet finally roll out across the region.”

AIB Business Eye AWARDS 2021

AWARDS 2021

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Company of the Year

Covid Business Hero Award

Northern Ireland’s overall company of the year in the opinion of the judging panel. Companies can be of any size/scale, number of employees, and must be able to exhibit exceptional performance, especially but not exclusively during the 12 month period to 28th February 2021.

A new award reflecting the Covid era and recognising the outstanding contribution made by an individual on behalf of a specific sector or the wider business community during the crisis.

Sponsored by AIB

Young Business Personality of the Year

Employer of the Year This category sets out to recognise those local organisations exhibiting best practice in terms of people management. The judging panel will look for clear evidence of class-leading initiatives designed to make the organisation a better and more caring employer.

Sponsored by Lockton

Covid Response Company of the Year A second Covid era award, this time spotlighting innovation, adaptation and/or a change in business direction of leading NI companies in direct response to the challenges of the coronavirus crisis.

Research & Development Award The Research & Development (Innovation) project which, in the opinion of the judges, is the best example of how companies can harness research, development and innovation to further their business aims and objectives.

Sponsored by U105

The category is open to senior managers and leaders in businesses and organisations across the private, public and voluntary sectors, whose leadership and achievement can be clearly demonstrated.

Tourism & Hospitality Award The company or organisation making the most valuable contribution to the continued development of tourism & hospitality here in Northern Ireland. Possible entrants might include hotels/hotel groups, other forms of accommodation, tourism development organisations, restaurants, travel facilities, etc.

Sponsored by Visit Belfast

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Medium/Mid-Sized Business of the Year

Covid Era Innovative Company of the Year

This category will recognise a leading player in the 50-250 employee sector of the Northern Ireland economy, a key sector which includes a number of our leading private sector companies. As with Company of the Year, entrants must demonstrate exceptional performance across the board.

Innovation has taken on a whole new meaning during the Covid crisis. This award sets out to recognise outstanding product or service innovation by a local company as a response to the pandemic.

Sponsored by NIE Networks

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Business Personality of the Year

Community (CSR) Award

Family Business of the Year

The keynote award will honour Northern Ireland’s outstanding business personality over the past 12 months, an individual whose leadership achievements have contributed to business success and to the wider local economy.

Corporate social responsibility plays an important role for NI companies and this specialist category sets out to recognise an organisation from the private, public or voluntary sectors making a clear and impactful contribution to its local community as a whole.

Northern Ireland’s economy is built on family business success and this key category will recognise the family-owned business, of any size of scale, which can demonstrate exceptional achievement during the year to 28th February 2021.

Sponsored by Harbinson Mulholland

Sponsored by Community Foundation NI

Small Business of The Year The organisation with 50 employees or less which, in the opinion of the judges, exemplifies best practice and achievement across the board. Evidence of growth and development, clear vision and strategy to deliver growth, commitment to superior customer service, demonstration of innovation across the business.

Professional Services Firm of the Year This category sets out to honour Northern Ireland’s leading accountancy, legal or other professional services firm working with and providing key advice to clients in the local business community.

Manufacturer of the Year

Executive Support Professional of the Year This award will honour one of the ‘unsung heroes’ of the business world here, Northern Ireland’s leading Executive Support Professional, a key member of staff in any organisation providing exemplary support services to management within the organisation.

A very important category, this one is open to all manufacturing organisations, of any size and scale, operating in Northern Ireland. The judging panel will look for evidence of innovation, attention to detail, state of the art engineering and product market success.

Sponsored by RSM

Sponsored by Honeycomb

Sponsored by Davy

Full details are available online at www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

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CASHFLOW SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS Vicki O’Toole: Managing Director JJ O’Toole Ltd.

TALK TO OUR SPECIALIST TEAMS TODAY

0345 6005 925 LINES ARE OPEN 9AM TO 5PM MON-FRI OR TALK TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

Backing Brave The AIB logo and AIB (NI) are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Customer received a gratuity.

Eye on News

BeyondHR A Brand That Says It All BeyondHR is a leading provider of outsourced HR services in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Founded in 1992, the company was formerly known as Personnel & Training Services before it was acquired in May 2014 by Neil McLeese and Helen Hardy.

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eil, Managing Director, started his career in HR with a Corporate Wear manufacturer before moving to the French plc, Saint Gobain. As HR Manager with Saint Gobain, Neil was responsible for the HR function of the Company’s builders merchant business units across the Island of Ireland. In 2012 Neil moved into HR consultancy with a focus in employee relations where he worked for two years before teaming up with Helen Hardy to rebrand Personnel & Training Services as BeyondHR. Neil felt the previous business name was inhibiting business development and that rebranding was a necessary step to fulfil his goal of growing the company.

“Rebranding to BeyondHR made it easier for potential clients to understand a little bit about our business before they even engaged with us and since rebranding in 2019, we have more than doubled the number of yearly enquiries from prospective clients who are considering outsourcing some or all of their HR.” BeyondHR has enjoyed significant uplift in work across Northern Ireland and Scotland, fuelled in large part by the ongoing pandemic and the increasing demand for professional outsourced HR and Health and Safety services.

Neil believes this is due, to some degree to the raft of fresh challenges employers are facing as a result of COVID-19.

“We have always been passionate about providing a cost-effective and high quality outsourced HR and health & safety services to SMEs across Northern Ireland and Scotland and that hasn’t changed during the pandemic.

COVID-19, however, has brought a whole new range of HR challenges for professionals that we have had to adapt for and provide guidance to our clients on, such as employee rights regarding working from home, socially distanced workplaces, PPE, and vaccination rights.”

BeyondHR has always been committed to improving and increasing its business and during the Summer of 2020 it announced a major investment programme with the aim to double its workforce and number of clients in the next five years.

Neil, who is responsible for the company’s strategic planning and business development, feels they have already made some big steps towards this goal.

“Despite the very testing times the current pandemic has brought, we have had some success over the last 12 months and are lucky to have been joined by 50 new clients since lockdowns first began. In addition, we have also been able to add some great new talent to our team in the last six months.”

BeyondHR’s main and perhaps best known service is its Outsourced HR Service which apart from unlimited support includes face-to-face visits to business premises by HR consultants, HR software and Health & Safety Support. BeyondHR also offers

‘pay as you go’ HR services on a project basis, as well as recruitment. The Ballymena Headquartered company has just signed a new partnership with leading HR software provider, Breathe HR, allowing it to provide and support clients with HR Management software that makes managing staff and staying on top of basic HR issue really simple.

With more than 300 retained clients from most sectors, Neil, and his team work on a project basis with around 75 businesses every year in NI and Scotland, including well-known names like Smyths Toys, River Ridge Recycling, and Punjana.

If you would like to discuss how BeyondHR can help your business with all its HR needs, you can contact the main office on 028 2564 4110 or email Neil McLeese directly - neil@wegobeyondhr.com

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Eye on News

Law firm recruits further fresh talent with new appointments

Partner Jan Cunningham (left) with Hayley Cummings, Ross White, Roisin Cassidy, Matthew Kernohan, Roma O’Hagan, Paul Delahunt, Niamh McMonagle, Ross Carrigan

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artner at Belfast based law firm Millar McCall Wylie, Jan Cunningham, has welcomed the appointment of its most recent trainee solicitors, Roisin Cassidy

and Roma O’Hagan, highlighting the company’s ‘unwavering commitment to supporting the next generation of legal talent.’

Roisin makes the transition from

paralegal to trainee solicitor in the firm’s Litigation team and Roma has joined the Finance and Real Estate team. They are the latest in a group of eight young solicitors who are either going through, or have recently completed, their legal training process with the firm.

In their first year post qualification are Hayley Cummings (Corporate Law) and Ross White (Private Client) while Paul Delahunt and Matthew Kernohan are currently undertaking their first year of legal training with the firm.

Niamh McMonagle (Employment law) and Ross Carrigan (Residential Conveyancing) have also recently passed their final examinations at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies and are looking forward to their admission to the Roll of Solicitors later this year.

Millar McCall Wylie Chief Operating Officer, Christopher McCandless, comments: “We are delighted to confirm that both Niamh and Ross have secured permanent positions with the firm following the conclusion of their training contract.

“Currently we have eight excellent people who have completed, or are in the process of completing, their legal training with us. Each of them will bring unique skills to enrich our multi-specialist team and it is a real privilege to be part of their career journey with Millar McCall Wylie.”

Speaking about the firm’s commitment to talent development, Partner Jan Cunningham said: “We are delighted to welcome Roma and Roisin as their training contracts begin. The next two years will give them a good grounding, with time split between practical learning in the office and theoretical studies carried out in the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queens University Belfast.

“Our commitment to supporting new legal talent is unwavering.

There is huge value in identifying and nurturing the next generation of legal professionals. By encouraging ambitious young people to fulfil their potential, we are helping their careers, the future of the firm and the legal sector overall.”

Alan Stewart Appointed President of NAS A Northern Ireland man has been appointed as the 44th President of the National Association of Shopfitters (NAS).

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lan Stewart, Business Development and Marketing Manager at award-winning fit-out firm Marcon was elected at the association’s Annual General Meeting. The NAS represents over 200 companies in the interior fit-out sector throughout Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Muckamore man has been a member of the association’s Council for 5 years and will serve a two-year term.

Alan Stewart said: “It is an honour to have been elected as the President of such a time-honoured

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association. Being a long-time supporter of the NAS and having served on the Council for a number of years it is rewarding to be able to represent Marcon in this capacity.

“I look forward to working with the new Vice President, Council and the NAS team on enhancing the support the association brings to our industry.”

The NAS was formed a year after World War I to support and represent UK shopfitters. Today, NAS members offer a board range of bespoke interior fit-out solutions, from design to engineering and manufacturing.

The combined turnover of NAS members is over £1.3bn and their projects include work for the major UK retail, office and hospitality business and public institutions.

NAS supports their members and the wider industry by providing access to accurate and timely information on

new business and career opportunities, specialist products and services, subsidised training and industry advice.

In addition, NAS members gain access to broad range of corporate benefits.

Eye on News

Former BHS Building Acquired By Alterity Investmentsa

Belfast-based Alterity Investments is aiming to provide a major boost to the city’s retail sector after purchasing the former BHS store on Castle Lane.

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ne of most significant retail locations in Belfast, the 70,000 sq ft site has been vacant since August 2016 when retailer British Home Stores went into administration.

Alterity has exciting plans to refurbish and reconfigure the building, with potential to subdivide the ground floor at Castle Lane into a number of retail units and for the upper floors to be used for a variety of purposes. Subject to planning it also hopes to visually improve the exterior of the building to make it more attractive.

Terms of the deal between Alterity and previous owners M&G Real Estate were not disclosed.

Richard Faloon, Commercial Director of Alterity Investments, said: “Alterity is a local company and having predominantly invested in property throughout England and Scotland in recent years, we are delighted

to be committing to this major investment into Belfast City centre.

“We are confident about the retail sector’s ability to bounce back from the difficulties of the past year and this strategic acquisition adds to the existing holdings the company already has in the Castle Lane and Cornmarket area.”

Frazer Kidd have been retained as commercial agent for the property, which comprises three upper floors and a ground floor that opens onto Castle Lane, Castle Arcade and Cornmarket.

Brian Kidd said: “Alterity is an investor with a proven track record in urban regeneration and it is a vote of confidence in their home town that they have committed to bringing this landmark building back into use. The property is a blank canvas that can be redeveloped in a flexible way to meet the needs of modern retailers as they adapt to how

customers are now using city centres.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for any retailer who is new to the Northern Ireland market or one who is already in it who wants unique premises that are not only in a prime location but will also form a gateway between Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter and the City Centre core.”

As part of its proposed redevelopment of the building, Alterity also intends to work closely with Belfast City Council to rejuvenate Castle Arcade, a small passageway between Castle Lane and High Street, as part of

its ongoing Entries Project.

Alterity Investments was formed in 1975 and is a family-owned property and investment company.

Operating throughout the UK, it has assets in excess of £100m spread across various sectors and owns several other buildings in central Belfast, including other retail sites on Castle Lane.

Its properties are situated in prime locations across the UK, with its client portfolio including companies such as Joules, Waterstones, Lloyds Bank, Starbucks, Costa, Greggs and Cotswold.

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For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On

1 Darryl Marshall

2 John Kelly

3 Sarah Thompson 1 Darryl Marshall has been appointed a partner of Specsavers Home Visits, providing comprehensive eye care services to people who cannot get to a store unaccompanied. Alongside optometry partner Alan Myers, Darryl looks after customers in the western and northern region covering urban and rural locationsfrom Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry~Londonderry and mid-Ulster to Newtownabbey, Antrim, Ballymena and Coleraine. He joined the Specsavers team at Abbeycentre in June 2012 as an optical assistant while studying for a BSc in Business and Education at Ulster University, Coleraine. After graduating in 2014 he became a permanent employee and was promoted to store manager in 2017. Darryl qualified as a dispensing optician in 2018.

2 Belfast Distillery Company has appointed experienced industry figure John Kelly to lead the organisation. John has worked in the drinks sector for over 30 years and joins Belfast Distillery Company from Walsh Whiskey, where he was Commercial Director. John, who is from Belfast, previously worked in a variety of Sales, Marketing and General Manager roles in Ireland, Europe and Middle East, during a 22-year career with Diageo.

4 Andrew Jenkins

6 Jenni Gowdy

5 Bo Brustkern

7 Isobel Allison

3 Arthur Cox has appointed Sarah Thompson as a partner in its Finance Group. Sarah joins Arthur Cox from Kirkland & Ellis in London, where she was a partner in its Financial Services Regulatory team. Prior to this, Sarah also worked at Linklaters in its Financial Regulation Group for several years.

FinTechNI, the independent, not-for-profit industry association representing Northern Ireland’s rapidly growing financial technology community has today 4 announced the appointment of Andrew Jenkins and Bo Brustkern to its Board 5 of Directors. For over 20 years, Bo Brustkern has set himself apart as a leader in funding, building and leading cutting-edge companies focused on FinTech and financial services. In addition to co-founding and leading LendIt Fintech, Bo co-founded Arcstone Valuation (2006), Arcstone Equity Research (2010) and NSR Invest (2013). Previously, he was a venture capitalist at Rustic Canyon Partners in Silicon Valley; and a private equity investor at BACE Industries in Denver, Colorado.

Andrew Jenkins possesses over 20 years’ experience in the technology sector, including financial services. In 2019 he was appointed as UK Government FinTech Envoy for Northern Ireland, a position he has used to promote collaboration between the region’s large companies and start-ups, engaging with local Government to drive the development of the FinTech sector in Northern Ireland. Andrew is a Director at Arity, a company founded by The Allstate Corporation. Arity is a mobility data and analytics company that provides datadriven solutions to companies invested in transportation, which enables them to deliver mobility services that are smarter, safer, and more economical.

Leading food company Moy Park has announced two new appointments, bolstering the company’s management team and commitment commercial 6 excellence. Jenni Gowdy has been appointed Director of Business, Tesco, having held the role of acting Director of Business since 2019. Jenni is responsible for overseeing and further developing Moy Park’s relationship with one of its longstanding partners. With over two decades of experience in the poultry business, including 10 years with Moy Park, Jenni has a proven track record in sales and marketing and her previous roles within the company include Senior Commercial Manager and Sales and Marketing Controller.

7 Isobel Allison has been appointed HR Business Partner at Moy Park’s Craigavon site, where she will be responsible for delivering best in class HR practices to the wider Moy Park team. Isobel has a wealth of experience in both HR and operations, and was most recently HR Manager for Graham Facilities Management, Belfast.

8 Specialist Conservation Architect Ben Aston has joined Hamilton Architects LLP as the Director of Conservation. He has 22 years’ experience of working on listed buildings and producing iconic award-winning projects across the UK up to the value of £328m. Ben will be heading up important conservation projects including Newry Town Hall & Theatre and Enniskillen Workhouse.

8 Ben Aston

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honeycomb.jobs

Eye on News

BEHIND THE BUSINESS: Dream Luxury Serviced Apartments Dream Luxury Serviced Apartments are a serviced apartment provider, who welcome over 2000 guests per week and have quickly become a UK leader in the serviced apartments industry.

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ream have over 500 properties across the UK which consist of city centre locations in Belfast, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester. They have also formed strategic partnerships that allow them to offer apartment accommodation in some of the most popular cities in the world – Dubai, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna & Zurich. Their properties offer excellent city centre locations making them the perfect choice for leisure travellers seeking adventure & corporate guests carrying out business.

Dream have recently increased their portfolio in Liverpool by opening an additional 20 luxury serviced apartments on Dale Street, in the heart of the city centre. This brand-new influencer apart-hotel is one of a kind, boasting bold floor to ceiling prints, statement Fendi wallpaper and luxurious finishings and interiors. Following its recent opening on St Patricks Day 17th March 2021, the response has been tremendous.

With the close proximity to many Liverpool hotspots & lavish interiors, Dale Street is the perfect choice for a staycation.

In the second quarter of 2021, Dream Luxury Serviced Apartments will be opening additional apartments

in both Middlesbrough, Manchester and Scotland.

Dream’s continued expansion throughout a global pandemic has set them on track for great success in 2021 and 2022.

Belfast born entrepreneur Tom Smyth is the proud owner of Dream Luxury Serviced Apartments, as well as several construction companies. Amidst a global pandemic, Tom was able to rapidly expand Dream Luxury Serviced Apartments into the global success it is today. Tom states that “it’s all about mindset – if you keep a positive mindset, you will attract other positives into your life”.

Tom has decided to take his experience and use it to help others. He has recently released his brand-new book ‘Fear Less: An Antidote to Self- Doubt’, where he discusses his life story and how he has become the success he is today. Having started his career in a fish and chip shop, to becoming one of the UK’s most successful businessmen, Tom now wants to help people re-invent themselves by sharing what growing up in Belfast taught him about the business of resilience. ‘Fear Less’ has become a global success, with sales stretching from the UK and Ireland to Poland, Canada and the USA. From goals and gratitude to first-hand stories about ‘The Troubles’ in Belfast

when he was growing up, this book was written to help everyone struggling under the weight of self-generated fear.

Alongside his booming businesses, Tom has recently become a 10X coach, mentor and speaker with the Grant Cardone Licensee Program.

Tom’s high-energy success story and new book, inspired

by Belfast’s resilience and transformation journey, have been recognised by the global expert and American billionaire Grant Cardone, who had then reached out to work with him.

This association allows Tom to use the knowledge he has learnt from Grant’s renowned ‘10X Rule’ and his own life experiences, to then share it with those who are interested in becoming the best version of themselves, both professionally

and personally. Tom recognises that there is always room for improvement and is grateful to be able to help others achieve their goals, just like he has done & continues to do. With this, Tom has now launched his own mentoring programme, ‘Dream Mentoring’, where he helps people achieve both their personal and professional goals.

To follow Tom’s journey, you can find him on Instagram @ tomssmythentrepreneur where he shares snippets of his life, businesses & daily encouragement with his followers.

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Eye on News

Mallon welcomes delivery of first new train carriages as part of £60million project

Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon today welcomed the delivery of the first three of 21 new train carriages which will enhance the capacity of the existing Translink fleet.

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he delivery of the new carriages made by Spanish train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) marks a major step in the development of the local rail network, supporting Northern Ireland’s green recovery.

The project which also includes

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changes to depot infrastructure represents a total investment of over £60million from the Department for Infrastructure.

The 21 new carriages will be used to convert the capacity of seven existing Class 4000 three car trains to six car sets. The existing trains are

currently undergoing major refurbishments. The result will feel like completely new trains throughout, with the first one due to enter passenger service this autumn following intensive testing and commissioning.

Welcoming the new arrivals, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said: “My priority as Minister is to work on transport infrastructure that improves people’s lives, connects communities and tackles the climate emergency through prioritising active and sustainable transport options.

“I believe that rail has huge untapped potential to deliver multiple benefits across our island. It is therefore vital that we continue to invest in and modernise our rail network as we work to build back greener and more responsibly from Covid-19.

“This significant investment of over £60million by my Department in new rail carriages and depot infrastructure will ensure we can offer attractive rail travel for future generations, encourage more people to use public transport and in doing so tackle the climate crisis “So I am delighted to be here today to see the arrival of the first three new carriages which will come into service later this year providing passengers on some of our busiest routes with more capacity, space and comfort on their journeys.”

Chris Conway, Group Chief Executive, Translink said: “Translink is leading a transport transformation and this latest major milestone is further good news for our customers.

When all the new carriages are in operation it will mean around 1600 more train seats available on our network.

“This development is crucial as we emerge from the pandemic re-building and growing public transport use which had reached record levels pre-Covid.

“The new carriages will also be more energy efficient as we aim to tackle the climate emergency and air pollution levels alongside increasing sustainable transport use while also supporting key outcomes in the draft Programme for Government.

“We’d like to thank CAF for their ongoing hard work to deliver these trains on schedule and the Department for Infrastructure for essential project funding.

We look forward to keeping our customers informed as the carriage rollout progresses.”

The ‘walk-through’ 6-car train roll-out will be phased with all 21 of the new carriages due to enter passenger service by summer 2022.

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Eye on Motoring

Toyota’s SUV-Fest Goes From Strength To Strength

Toyota clearly thinks that the SUV boom has plenty of legs. The world’s biggest car maker already offers us the C-HR, RAV4 and the huge Land Cruiser. It’s also got its Yaris Cross version and an Aygo crossover. But now it’s adding the Toyota Highlander.

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his one isn’t actually new. In its fourth generation, it’s long been part of Toyota’s line-up in the US and other countries. To Americans, it’s a

mid-size SUV, but over here the sevenseater is very much on the large side.

It’s not exactly subtle, maybe a bit on the rural side, but the Highlander hides

its size relatively well, perhaps helped by the RAV4-esque styling bringing a sense of familiarity. It manages to strike a difficult balance of classic rugged SUV design cues with the more refined, distinctive styling that has been the mark of recent Toyota models.

The cavernous interior will be broadly familiar to Toyota drivers, too. It’s wellappointed, comfortable and both Excel and Excel Premium trim offer plenty of kit, even if it ultimately lacks the premium sheen offered by the likes of similarly sized machines from Audi and Volvo, and which Toyota hopes the Highlander might be able to pinch sales from.

That isn’t to say it’s unpleasant, though. In fact, the touchscreenaverse will welcome the fact the 7.0in infotainment screen is built into a dashboard packed with assorted switchgear. All the essential controls are within reach of the driver, who also gets a decent mix of analogue and digital displays and, in Excel Premium models, a head-up display.

The panoramic roof adds to the spacious feel – not that the Highlander really needs to feel bigger inside – while

comfort features include leather heated and ventilated seats, three-zone air conditioning. Storage compartments and cubbies dot the cabin, alongside an array of USB and other charging ports and a decent JBL sound system.

Passengers in the second row will find plenty of space, while the third row of seats is certainly usable – although with the expected caveats that adults might not enjoy extended journeys back there.

With the rear two seats folded down, the Highlander offers a cavernous 658 litres of storage, rising to 1177 litres if you also hide away the second row. The space in the back is also very versatile: the second row of seats slide 180mm to ease access, and when folded down offers a fully flat floor.

The Highlander is offered with several powertrains around the world, but for UK buyers there can be only one: a 244bhp petrol-electric hybrid. Seems odd given most premium large SUVs the Highlander is aimed at come with plug-in hybrid tech and the RAV4 has such a system. But Toyota claims a standard hybrid is more suited for longer journeys typically made by large SUVs.

End Of The Road For The Ford Mondeo

It seems to have been with us forever, but the end of the road is in sight for the everlasting Ford Mondeo.

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t has been confirmed that the saloon will be phased out of production by March 2022, with Ford citing changing customer demand as the reason for calling time on its previously big selling family car.

Since introduction in 1993 as a “world car”, Ford has sold over five million Mondeos in Europe. As many as 86,500 were sold in the UK alone in 2001, but sales have declined over a 28 year stint in the brand’s lineup, with just 2,400 sales in 2020.

It reflects a wider industry trend as family car buyers are turning to SUVs over traditional big hatchbacks and saloons. In 2020, 39 per cent of Ford’s sales were SUVs and crossovers. That’s an eight per cent increase from 2019 alone despite the Covid-19 pandemic, and 50 per cent of buyers of the latest Kuga are opting for the plug-in hybrid version of the brand’s mid-size family SUV. Ford had been hotly tipped to reinvent the Mondeo as a sleek crossover in 2022, but a statement from Ford reads: “While we do not comment on speculation concerning our product plans, we can state that we have no plans for a future Mondeo in Europe.”

The UK motoring press is predicting a next-generation Fusion, the

Mondeo’s US equivalent, but it won’t be introduced in Europe with a Mondeo badge. It would need to be a bit better than the last Fusion, mind you.

Built at Ford’s Valencia plant since 2014, the brand will use the Mondeo’s production capacity to bolster its offerings in SUV segments where popularity continues to grow, and to broaden its electrification efforts further still.

When Mondeo production stops in Valencia next March, the company will use the extra production capacity to manufacture the 2.5-litre hybrid engine used in models such as the Kuga PHEV, plus the regular hybrid Kuga, and hybrid versions of the Galaxy and S-Max people carriers - both of which will continue in production for the foreseeable future.

Also, from late 2022, Valencia will expand with increased battery manufacturing capacity. Battery assembly for the brand’s growing line-up of electrified vehicles has been taking place at the site since last September.

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Eye on Motoring

Alpina B8 Gran Coupe – A BMW On Steroids Fancy a BMW with a sporting difference? But don’t read on unless you’ve got a few hardearned pounds to spend on your new vehicle.

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lpina, the specialist in BMW conversions, has revealed the B8 Gran Coupe, its take on the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and a car that resurrects the B8 badge last used on an ultra-rare coupe from the nineties.

The B8 Gran Coupe gets a retuned version of the BMW M850i’s 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine,

now producing 613bhp and 800Nm of torque. Sending this output to all four wheels, it’s enough to take the 2.2-tonne super-saloon from 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 201mph.

As is usually the case with Alpinas, though, the B8’s performance is designed to be available through a broader spectrum than the likes of BMW’s own M8. As such, the engine’s peak torque is available from just 2,000rpm, and the four-wheel steering system and suspension have been retuned to deliver greater high-speed cruising stability and comfort.

The car is four-wheel drive only (like the M850i) and uses a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s been remapped with Alpina’s own software and parameters. The exhaust is also different from BMW’s own unit and has been designed to both reduce back pressure and give a more appealing sound.

The exhaust is an active system, switchable for a more refined sound when cruising in Comfort mode, or a racier sound in Sport.

The chassis enhancements include adaptive dampers that offer Comfort+ and Sport+ settings alongside the two regular modes. The B8’s front struts feature hydro mounts to enhance the ride comfort, stiffer suspension strut support mounts provide greater vehicle stability too. Reinforced anti-roll bars on the front axle and stiffer lower wishbone mounts should improve control, too.

Styling mods include Alpina’s own specification of lower front splitter, and a subtle rear spoiler, as is traditional for the brand. The B8 Grand Coupe’s 21-inch multi-spoke alloys are recognisably Alpina in their design too, Inside, the iDrive controller comes in crystal glass with an Alpina logo, and the standard equipment list includes heated seats and steering wheel, Merino leather upholstery and a Harman Kardon sound system.

Despite the power, weight and performance, claimed efficiency of 25.4mpg and 270g/ km of CO2 emissions isn’t too bad.

The B8 Gran Coupe is available to order now, with prices starting from £134,950. Ouch.

162 Mph Kia Sets New Standards

Korean maker Kia says it is taking electric performance to another level with its GT-badged hot version of new EV6 electric flagship.

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he new car will top out a range comprising two- and fourwheel-drive variants with a choice of different battery sizes.

The dual-motor EV6 GT sends 577bhp and 546lb ft to both axles, and is expected to get from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of

162mph, making it not only the quickest Kia yet built, but also more powerful and faster the Porsche Taycan 4S. Lower down the range, the EV6 is available in either rear-wheel-drive form with a 77.4kWh battery giving 316 miles of range, or with fourwheel-drive and a smaller 58.0kWh power pack, which will likely give a range of around 250 miles. The twowheel-drive version uses a 226bhp motor on the rear axle and is capable of 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, while the non-GT four-wheel-drive version ups power to 321bhp and packs 446lb ft for a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds.

Range-maximising features include an innovative heat pump which “scavenges waste heat from the car’s coolant system” to ensure that, at temperatures of -7degC, the EV6 offers 80% of the

range it would at 25degC. Adjustable regenerative braking is fitted across the range, too, with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel allowing drivers to choose from six different modes.

Kia has also given new details of the EV6’s headline tech features, including an augmented reality headup display which shows ADAS alerts, speed data and turn-by-turn navigation instructions. The latest iteration of Kia’s connectivity package features, too, with inbuilt EV-specific functions, as does a raft of advanced driver safety aids.

The South Korean-built EV6 will be available in the UK from October 2021, with prices starting at £40,895 for the EV6. The EV6 GT-Line starts at £43,895, while the top-of-the-line GT will come with a significant premium, of £58,295.

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Helping Northern Ireland grow again

They helped us diversify during the pandemic.

Susie and Bob, Burren Balsamics, Co Armagh

It’s daunting when most of your order book is slashed practically overnight due to coronavirus.

That was the dilemma facing Burren Balsamics.

But with cool heads, they quickly re-invented themselves with help from their Small Business Adviser at Danske Bank.

Very soon their new offshoot, Letterbox Larder, was up and running. And, happily, it’s now well on its way to making some very tasty returns.

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