Business Eye December 2020 by Buckley Publications

Bank of Ireland Recognising local enterprise Issue 202 Nov/Dec 2020 ÂŁ2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Features:

Hinch Distillery A New Star On The Food & Drink Scene

Be Prepared - Secretary Of State Urges NI Companies To Get Brexit Ready

Halifax Foundation Helping Communities For 35 Years

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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Contents

Nov/Dec 2020 ISSUE 202

Reassurance 10 AtCovid Kingsbridge

Taxing Times For 45 Local Businesses

Northern Ireland’s leading private hospital is offering a drivethrough Covid testing service with results within 24 hours. It’s ideal for corporate use or for the increasing numbers travelling to destinations which require Covid travel certificates.

One of the mainstays of the governments package of measures to help businesses through the Covid pandemic has been the application of tax concessions and holidays by HMRC. But all businesses know that the honeymoon period is going to end. We take a look forward to what 2021 is likely to hold in terms of tax.

Hinch Distillery – 18 NI’s Rising Star Developed and built from scratch by Northern Ireland entrepreneur Dr. Terry Cross, County Down’s Hinch Distillery is carving out a strong reputation for itself, both for its established gin brand and for its brand new range of Irish whiskeys.

Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards 2020

Earlier this year, Bank of Ireland launched the Begin Together Awards for the first time in Northern Ireland. In recognition of the spirit of enterprise and with a prize fund of £180,000, the Awards are designed to bring business and community groups together right across the country.

– We’ll Be Stronger 24 &Ardmore Closer In 2021 Mark Irwin, Managing Director of Ardmore, one of the country’s leading marketing and communications businesses, talks to Business Eye about how his team adapted to COVID-19 and how the organisation will use the experience moving forward into 2021.

Brexit – Northern Ireland Faces 27 Up To New Challenges The Brexit negotiations are heading right to the wire. With only days to go to the official end of the Brexit transition period, Northern Ireland companies are none the wiser about the new customs regimes and border regulations they’re likely to have to face. Business Eye takes a closer look with the help of experts in their fields.

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

Timekeeping... Belfast Style

Not many people know that it’s possible to buy a new watch assembled by Belfast’s very own watchmaking company. Enoksen, a range of eye-catching chronograph watches, is the brainchild of Dane Hans Enoksen, who’s been based right here in Belfast for ten years. We catch up with Hans at his Stranmillis showroom.

Tech Eye

Business Eye’s regular Tech Eye section, sponsored by technology specialists NITEC, delves into the latest developments in technology from around the world. The worldwide pandemic has heightened and accentuated our reliance on robust technology, but what’s likely to change?

Halifax Foundation – Making A 60 Difference In The Community One of Northern Ireland’s leading charity foundations looks back on the past 35 years, revealing that it has contributed £39m to more than 11,000 projects improving the lives of many Northern Ireland people since its start in 1985.

AIB Business Eye Awards 2021

Hopes are rising that the AIB Business Eye Awards 2021, due to be staged on Thursday 13th May, could become a living, breathing reality. We take a look at the awards categories and how companies and individuals can enter.

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

News of the approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could hardly have been better news for all of us.

Comment

“The effect of the vaccination move and real light at the end of the tunnel can’t be under estimated in economic terms. It gives real hope where there was none before.”

ong-suffering businesses here in Northern Ireland, devastated in some sectors by the pandemic and its resultant restrictions, will be no exception to that. What is particularly encouraging is that even the scientists, medics and others who have stayed on the cautious side of the fence throughout the crisis are saying that the end game is now in sight. It doesn’t stop some of them, mind you, from being overly gloomy...but that’s another story and not one worth dwelling on now. We all understand that it will take some months for the vaccine to be administered to everyone who wants it and needs it. And we all understand that means that Covid restrictions can’t be tossed aside with gay abandon, the doors of pubs thrown open and everyone encouraged to party. As we head towards Christmas, it is important the we’re given the chance to have as normal a Christmas as possible. Everything can’t revolve around a virus which has cost the lives of something like 0.05% of the population here in Northern Ireland. It’s also important that some businesses are given the chance to trade and generate some revenue during the winter months and not just on the run-up to Christmas. There’s no doubt that heavy-handed restrictions are very easy to impose. Even easier to recommend when you’re on a secure public sector salary. But they’re much less easy to remove. Recent weeks have fallen into a familiar pattern. Some of our political leaders favour relaxation of restrictions. Others don’t. Then the scientific advisers enter the fray, more often than not with dire warnings of what will happen to the NHS if the general public is allowed to enjoy itself too much. And the game is up.

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

But it’s important to be realistic here. Restrictions will no doubt be relaxed for a period over Christmas. But the pre-Christmas lockdown, almost inevitably, isn’t the last one we’ll have to suffer. More will follow in the new year. However, as the vaccination programme gets into gear, and as some of the other new vaccines gain approval, there is real hope on the horizon. And, whilst the dyed in the wool medical pessimists seem to think that we can’t move on until the last man standing is jabbed in the arm, most of us know that that’s not the case. Make progress with vaccinations, do it as quickly as possible, and we can get back to normality sooner rather than later. The effect of the vaccination move and real light at the end of the tunnel can’t be under estimated in economic terms. It gives real hope where there was none before and the early months of 2021 promise to be very different from the autumn months of 2020. What kind of working life will we return to? There’s been a sea change on that front. Back in the early days of the pandemic, there were many willing to predict the demise of offices, the end of 9-5 working in city centres, and a wholesale move towards working from home. Now that a lot of us have done it for a prolonged period, we’re not so sure. Any takers for a return to normality, hook, line and sinker?

FIND THE LATEST COVID-19 INFORMATION MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS CHALLENGES GET THE SUPPORT YOU NEED Help is on hand with the advice and support your business needs in one place.

BUILDING BUSINESS FOR A STRONGER ECONOMY Learn more at nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Helping Northern Ireland grow again danskebank.co.uk/business 9467 Business Eye Profit 200 Strip 210x20mm PRINT.indd 1

10/08/2020 16:22

Eye on News

GenoME Diagnostics Lifts Top Title At Seedcorn Awards

Northern Ireland company GenoME Diagnostics has been named the Best New Start winner of the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition, pocketing a cash prize of €50,000 at an online ceremony.

eedcorn is the island’s biggest business competition for innovative new start and early stage businesses in any sector. Since its inception in 2003, more than 3,100 companies have been through the programme and finalists have raised in excess of €256m in equity funding. Its aim is to support innovative new starts as well as early stage businesses from any sector or part of the island to become investor-ready. Participants also have the chance to benefit from business planning workshops and mentorship support throughout the competition. Established in Belfast in 2020, GenoME Diagnostics are currently developing a novel blood test to detect an earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Their technology can be applied to biomarker discovery and development in a wide range of diseases and applications.

Commenting on their win, Shannon Beattie, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at GenoME Diagnostics said; “We are thrilled to be announced as the ‘New Start’ category winner this year as we were up against very stiff competition. The prize money will allow us to validate our ovarian cancer diagnostic and get it into clinics as quickly as possible. It will also provide us with the opportunity to increase our business visibility internationally through networking at tradeshows and conferences.” The prestigious event also had a second victory for Northern Ireland with Sonrai Analytics winning a Special Award of €10,000 for the ‘Best Company stemming from a university spin-out or support programme’. Belfast-based Sonrai Analytics is an innovative AI enabled technology company. Their dataintegration platform revolutionises

Shannon Beattie, Chief Operating Officer, GenoME Diagnostics.

precision medicine for Biotech and Pharma to accelerate discovery in diseases impacting lives today. CEO and founder of Sonrai Analytics, Darragh McArt said: “We’re so grateful to have won the special award. The prize money will help to support new developments and bolster existing projects. We entered Seedcorn to gain constructive feedback on our business as well as raising our profile. Writing the business plan really helped us to refine our unique selling points and clarify our key product messages that we’re now using throughout our marketing. It has served as a great reminder of how far we’ve come in a short space of time.” The Overall Winner of the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Competition was NUA Surgical, who took home a notable prize of €100,000. The medical start-up from Galway developed SteriCISION, a novel C-Section retractor that tackles the major unmet needs of the Caesarean Section (C-section). Congratulating the winners, Ken Nelson MBE, InterTradeIreland Chairman said:

“Seedcorn aims to nurture and promote the growth of new enterprises across the island of Ireland. After a difficult year, it’s extremely encouraging to see the wealth of enthusiasm, innovative thinking and ambition that these businesses – both North and South - bring to the table. “On behalf of InterTradeIreland, I would like to congratulate NUA Surgical and GenoME Diagnostics on their overall win and Sonrai Analytics as the special award winner. We wish them success and prosperity in all of their future endeavours, I have no doubt that they are destined for greatness and look forward to following their journey.”

The Seedcorn competition will open again next March. For further information on the Investor Readiness Competition visit www.intertradeireland.com/ seedcorn and follow on twitter @ Inter_Trade #ITISeedcorn.

Helping Northern Ireland grow again danskebank.co.uk/business 9467 Business Eye Profit 200 Strip 210x20mm PRINT.indd 1

10/08/2020 16:22

Eye on News

Support Local Retailers This Christmas Looking for the ideal Christmas gift for staff or corporate clients? Then, look no further than the Belfast City Centre Gift Card.

his perfect, versatile gift solution offers the cardholder the choice to spend in over 155 businesses, across a wide variety of places ranging from retail, health and beauty, bars, restaurants and hotels. The card holder can choose to spend whenever and wherever! There’s also a special gift for businesses. Get 10% ‘cash back’ (via Belfast City Centre Gift Card) on all orders of £1000 or more between now and 20th December 2020. The Belfast City Centre Gift Card is a Mastercard-based gift card that works in the same way as department store or shopping centre gift cards. To purchase a card visit www. belfastcitycentregiftcard.co.uk choose the amount, load it onto the card, and #GiftTheCity. Cards are valid for a year and can only be used at the participating business location.

Purchasing a Belfast City Centre Gift Card not only means that you #GiftTheCity to your staff or client but you have the comfort of knowing that you are giving the gift of support to our local economy this Christmas. Details of all the businesses taking part and full terms and conditions are available on the website. Follow the Belfast City Centre Gift Card story on Facebook and Instagram and join in the conversation using #GiftTheCity.

This initiative was launched and funded by the Belfast Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) Belfast One, Linen Quarter BID and Destination CQ and features businesses from across the BIDs locations.

Sixty new jobs created at Innovation Factory Companies based at Innovation Factory in West Belfast have created more than 60 new jobs since April.

anagement at the Springfield Road business hub carried out a tenant survey which revealed that 63 new jobs have been created, 59% of companies have seen an increase in business, 68% have innovated to adapt to the new economic circumstances and 63% predict an increase in business over the next six months. Majella Barkley, Centre Director at Innovation Factory said: “We have seen really promising levels of job creation among small businesses with many reporting an increase in demand for their products and services. It’s been a difficult time for businesses around the world, but we are encouraged that companies in Innovation Factory are looking to the future.” One of the companies based at Innovation Factory is TriMedika, which produces the TRITEMP™ non-contact thermometer. It has seen demand

increase substantially during the pandemic. The company has recruited five new sales and marketing staff and is planning to add two more to its International sales team in 2021. It is also creating another post to assist the company’s project engineer, who is developing a new connected smart thermometer. Chief Operating Officer, Julie Brien said there has been a considerable rise in demand from healthcare organisations for the non-contact thermometer which reduces the risk of cross contamination and helps keep patients and healthcare staff safe. There has also been an increased interest from other businesses wanting to reduce the risk of infection on their premises. She added: ‘‘TriMedika has supplied hospital and clinics with TRITEMP ™ for years as it is the most accurate and robust non-contact thermometer on the market. Its recognition as best in class has generated interest from many other sectors including prisons, schools, manufacturing and leisure as they want to use a quality device to ensure safety of their staff. “During the early lockdown, we found companies were trying to plan for when things would open again. The feedback we received was that people wanted

Pictured are (front) Majella Barkley, Centre Director at Innovation Factory with (left to right) Julie Brien and Roisin Molloy of Trimedika.

to be able to go back to work. A lot of people value having a routine and having a dividing line between office and home.” Innovation Factory has reacted to the pandemic by supporting businesses, offering flexible workspaces and providing detailed and effective safety measures that have allowed them to operate as normally as possible. Innovation Factory is owned by Belfast

City Council and operated on their behalf by Oxford Innovation. The £9.1m business hub was funded by Belfast City Council and Invest NI with support from the European Regional Development Fund. Customers include a range of start-ups and growing businesses in a variety of sectors including digital services, creative industries, business services, financial services and research and development.

Eye on Cloud Communications

Our tech bloopers made some of the best ‘human’ moments of 2020 Another year down and one that will be hard to forget.

es, while tech has been a real bacon-saver, an essential business continuity tool and an incredible communications conduit, few would have imagined that it would also be used for a Friday night drink-in with friends or a hug-free catch-up with family members from near and far. Pretty soon, I hope to have a good measure of both the virtual and human versions of both. Though video calling – and FaceTime – has been slowly creeping into our lives for a decade, this year’s events has ensured its future as an everyday way to do business and to stay in touch. And given that many of us are now spending up to eight hours a day online, if MS Teams and Microsoft 365 was not on your radar this time last year, they must surely be now. And while the group quiz novelty ran its course relatively quickly, our collective adaption to working from home with only video conferencing connecting us did give us some of the most human, funnier moments of 2020. Everyone will remember “BBC Dad”, or Professor Robert Kelly as he is actually known, who, in March of 2017, was speaking live from his home office about the ousting of South Korean president Park Geun-hye when all hell broke loose behind him. His daughter, Marion, who was four at the time, burst into his office with a ‘Hear I am!’ strut that has since become internet shorthand for confidently entering a room. Baby brother James rolled in behind her before Kelly’s wife, scrambled to corral the toddlers and hustle

Stuart Carson is Sales and Marketing Director at Rainbow Communications, 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

“Far from being awkward or making work more challenging, it’s our human elements and individual quirks that lighten the mood.” them out of the room. Somehow, Kelly kept his composure through the whole scene. Or remember when Westfield’s managing director Scott Parsons found himself unceremoniously cut off live on air? He was being interviewed from his home about what could happen to his business in the next stages of lockdown being lifted, but disappeared midsentence, having apparently run out of free meeting time on Zoom. No doubt some of us have had our own funny video moments this year, but in a way the combination of tech advancement and the need to work from home has enabled us to show more of ourselves and who we are as people than we might have done in a formal

work environment. And in many ways, it has made us more human in the eyes of people outside of our immediate circle of friends or family. Far from being awkward or making work more challenging, it’s our human elements and individual quirks that lighten the mood. Where we must redouble our efforts as technology continues to change every aspect of our lives is in ensuring it is doing so inclusively. Whether it is co-promoting initiatives such as Get Online Week hosted by Advice NI or the One Digital campaign organised by Age NI, it is vitally important that we ensure that older people and anyone else who faces barriers to participating online is supported to do so.

The need for many nonmillennial communities to up their digital prowess due to the pandemic presents an opportunity to push on with supporting the same people with digitalisation across a range of other services, whether its online shopping, banking or the payment of utility bills. The pandemic has created the space to level the playing field when it comes to the benefits of being a digital consumer. For many of us, we’ll still roll our eyes when we get an invite for yet another Zoom quiz, but the need to connect with others from our homes has given us some wonderful tech bloopers this year and an opportunity to show more of ourselves as people to the outside world in a way which encourages more empathy and understanding. Despite the challenges this year has posed, perhaps we’ll all be better off for that.

Eye on News

DWF Raises the Bar through ‘Next Generation’ Appointments The Belfast office of global legal business DWF is continuing to invest in its future growth through the recruitment of a team of eight trainee and newly qualified solicitors.

he move, which is part of DWF’s wider commitment to developing legal talent also reflects the strength of the company’s positioning in the local market. Although the majority of its staff have been working from home due to Covid19, the company’s workload has been intense, driven largely by the needs of its clients in key sectors including real estate, construction and insurance. Ranked by the Financial Times as the 7th most innovative law firm in Europe and as a Top 10 Employer for Working Families, Ken Rutherford, executive

partner of DWF’s Belfast office said: “The development of fresh talent is part of the culture and ethos of DWF and we are delighted to be able to welcome these new recruits to support the highly specialised teams in our Belfast office. “Through ongoing training, development and mentoring we are confident these committed and ambitious professionals will only enhance our skillsets and support us in our commitment to offer the highest level of service and expertise to our growing client base.

Pictured outside DWF’s office in Belfast’s Queen Street are (from l-r): Ben Palmer (Trainee Solicitor), Kerry Murphy (Trainee Solicitor), Rebecca Polley (Newly Qualified Solicitor), Beth Garrett (Newly Qualified Solicitor), Paul Stelges (Trainee Solicitor), Emma McCammon (Trainee Solicitor) and James McKittrick (Trainee Solicitor)

Par Equity extends investment ambitions with Belfast venture

ar Equity, the venture capitalist, is extending its successful investor network by setting up a regional network in Belfast. Chaired by Ronnie Geddis, former Sales and Marketing Director with Consilium Technologies/Totalmobile, the network will seek new investors, and to invest in early stage disruptive technology companies from Belfast and the surrounding area. As chair of the new venture, Ronnie brings unparalleled business and investment knowledge amassed over 30 years in sales and business development at Belfast’s Consilium Technologies, latterly Totalmobile. Ronnie said: “Belfast has a strong tech scene, it’s like a little Silicon Valley. We have a lot of support in place for start-ups, with investment available for the research and development stage, but there is a real gap in the market for a VC like Par to fuel the growth of young SMEs, once they are past the seed investment stage. “Par Equity is keen to open up opportunities for those early stage

companies by offering not only investment, but the right support and guidance to help them succeed. “Becoming part of the Par network of is an excellent opportunity for investors in the area, as it exposes us to a wide variety of investment options, and fellow investors, here in Northern Ireland and also further afield.” The Par Equity Belfast network is supported by Tughans Solicitors, transaction advisory boutique HNH Group, and executive search firm Narratology. Together they will join Ronnie as the eyes and ears of the initiative, spotting potential investors to join the network, highlighting early stage opportunities, and undertaking due diligence on potential investments. Although anchored in Scotland, Par Equity already has a track record in Northern Ireland that it hopes to build on. Par Equity’s first investment in Northern Ireland was in PathXL Limited in 2012, a digital pathology spin-out from Queen’s University, which was successfully sold to Philips Healthcare, yielding a 2.7x return for Par investors.

Par Equity’s current portfolio of high tech, fast growth companies in Northern Ireland includes BrainWaveBank, Datactics and Plotbox, and there are 115 people currently employed across Par Equity’s portfolio of high tech, fast growth companies in Northern Ireland. To date, the firm has invested more than £80m in 61 companies, with investor returns across the 21 realisations sitting at £89m - an average investment return multiple of 3.8x and an impressive 27% IRR (source: Par Fund Management Limited as at 6th November 2020). Operating a distinctive hybrid investment model, Par Equity combines its discretionary managed EIS Fund with the skills, expertise and contacts of its 200-strong investor network, who add value throughout the investment life cycle. Seventy-five per cent (75%) of investee companies have appointed a member of Par’s investment network to their boards. Paul Atkinson, Partner at Par Equity said: “We see huge potential in the Belfast market for investors to be part

of some of the UK’s most exciting innovative firms. At Par we are handson investors, providing experience and knowledge, as well as financial support. “Following our success with PathXL Limited, we are looking forward to discovering more opportunities among Belfast’s young companies. Ronnie will be key to our success in the region, and his unrivalled knowledge of the local business landscape, as well as his breadth of contacts, makes Belfast an excellent place to expand our regional network strategy.”

Eye on Healthcare

Kingsbridge Christmas Fundraiser Remembers A Much-Loved Colleague This festive season Kingsbridge Health Group want to wish everyone the very best of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Elfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with their handy drive-through Covid-19 rapid testing service.

nd Kingsbridge are sprinkling a little magic dust onto what has, admittedly, not been the merriest of years by combining testing with a Christmas fundraiser for a cause thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s close to their hearts. Accurate testing, along with social distancing and hand hygiene, remains the most efficient way of stopping the spread of coronavirus and giving peace of mind to those suffering from flu-like symptoms. With the ever-increasing pressure on companies to maintain performance and deliver customer service despite lockdown restrictions, a quick and easily accessible test is a godsend for busy staff. It also offers peace of mind for anyone who needs a test certificate for essential foreign travel, medical screening or to confirm whether you need to self-isolate from your family. Kingsbridge Private Hospital, Belfast, is one of Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading providers of a rapid, drive-through Covid testing service which guarantees results within 24 hours. â&#x20AC;? It couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be easierâ&#x20AC;?, said Mark Regan, CEO at Kingsbridge Private Hospitals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You simply book your test by calling our dedicated Covid testing line and one of our call team will get you slotted in for a time that suits best. Then you can motor on up to Kingsbridge Private Hospital, where a trained clinician will carry out a PCR test to determine if you have active disease on that day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Swabs are taken from the nose and throat while you sit in your car â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there is no need to leave the vehicle at any stage and the whole process takes less than a minute. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Covid rapid test package includes a telephone consultation with one of Kingsbridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialist GPs to ensure you are suitable for a test and an official lab report confirming your status,â&#x20AC;? said Mark. Kingsbridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas fundraising campaign, which pays tribute to a fondly remembered member of staff, Carol Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley, will see them donate ÂŁ5 from every Covid test undertaken to the Northern Ireland Hospice. Test-takers will be given an opportunity to

The late Carol Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley (centre) celebrates 3FiveTwo Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success at the 2013 UTV Business Eye Awards with other members of the team.

donate a further ÂŁ5 to obtain an official â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Elfwe are supporting via social media, posters and Isolationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; certification. Any member of the public a radio advert, so please like, share and make who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need or want a test can make a donation. We think Carol would approve!â&#x20AC;? a ÂŁ5 donation and request an Elf certificate The campaign which commences for the 6 weeks in via Covid Testing number 02890 776777 the run up to Christmas aims to put some Christmas Carol, who was Kingsbridge Healthcare Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spirit back into what has been a tough year for many. Corporate Director, passed away last year in Even if they are not availing of a test, any member the Northern Ireland Hospice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a cause which of the public can request a certificate for their elf for she supported passionately for many years. ÂŁ5. These will be emailed or handed out at reception. As a former Chair, she is credited for playing a Kingsbridge Healthcare Group is Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier key role in the growth and development of this provider of private healthcare with Kingsbridge ground-breaking service for over a decade. Belfast, Kingsbridge Sligo and an Outpatient Clinic Mark said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Christmas was Carolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite time at Letterkenny serving the North West region. of year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it is an exaggeration to say Patients are given direct access to over 200 that she was obsessed with the festive season. Consultants and a pathway to further treatment in She spread great joy and fun over the holidays and urology, gynaecology, plastic and cosmetic surgery, the decorations at her home were legendary! physiotherapy, audiology services, hips and knees, â&#x20AC;&#x153;So it is fitting, as well as poignant, that we cataracts, urology, back pain and rheumatology. remember a much loved and missed colleague at this time of year in a unique, light-hearted HOW TO GET PRIVATE ELFCARE TREATMENT way that also raises funds for an t 3JOH UP CPPL ZPVS UFTU outstanding local charity where t &NBJM 1SJWBUFRVFSJFT!LJOHTCSJEHFQSJWBUFIPTQJUBM DPN she played a key role for so long. t 4JNQMZ EPOBUF PO PVS (P 'VOE .F QBHF â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the Kingsbridge staff All proceeds go to NI Hospice are putting their weight behind the campaign, which

Does your Elf on the Shelf need to ‘Elf-Isolate’? At Kingsbridge Private Hospital, we offer a rapid Covid testing service for you and your elf with results within 24hrs. Call us now on 028 9077 6777 to book your test. Off

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Kingsbridge will donate £5 for every test taken at our drive-through Covid testing clinic. If you donate a further £5 you will receive an official elf-isolation certificate. All proceeds will go towards raising money for the Northern Ireland Hospice.

Eye on News

RAPID GROWTH FOR TYRONE FIBRE TECHNOLOGY FIRM Viberoptix, Northern Ireland’s leading fibre infrastructure firm who are helping to bring the fastest broadband to homes, has recruited more than 100 employees in record time. Less than a year since the company was formed, Viberoptix have welcomed their 125th member to the team.

he significant milestone was reached less than four months after Viberoptix launched a major recruitment drive which tripled their workforce, forcing the company to move to a larger premises earlier this month. Speaking from the new Viberoptix headquarters in Coalisland, Managing Director Naomhan McCrory said: “Full fibre has finally been recognised as the key to unlocking digital imbalance in Northern Ireland and demand for fibre networks is growing rapidly. The pandemic has accelerated the need for effective, high speed broadband, as more and more people are now working, schooling and staying connected with friends and family from home. Throughout this challenging period, our teams have continued to work to install this vital service to ensure home and business owners have access to full fibre networks. “We build the network infrastructure to enable full fibre broadband providers to reach their customers, so the demand for our services has increased and

our team has grown exponentially. In bringing the fastest broadband to your home, we’ve had to expand and grow our expert team at a rapid rate. “This is a really exciting time for Viberoptix, particularly because we are creating new jobs for local people in the areas in which we operate - some who had been made redundant due to the pandemic.” The company’s growth is also connected to the recent awarding of Project Stratum to full fibre broadband provider, Fibrus, as Viberoptix is the main provider of fibre build resources for their network. Along with their partners Charles Brand, they are building the key infrastructure to connect rural Northern Ireland. Naomhan continued: “We’re proud to play a leading part in this sector, with people who are as passionate about digital transformation. Connectivity will soon be revolutionised for rural and regional parts of Northern Ireland and the Viberoptix team is delighted to be part of that journey.”

Naomhan McCrory, Viberoptix Managing Director at the company’s new premises in Coalisland with Aidan Kennedy, Splicer and Emma McAliskey, Financial Controller.

MILLS SELIG APPOINTS NEW MANAGING AND SENIOR PARTNERS Mills Selig has announced that Chris Guy (pictured right) will become the firm’s Managing Partner and John Kearns will take on the new role of Senior Partner from 1 December 2020.

n a joint statement, Chris Guy and John Kearns said: “We are delighted to be taking on our new roles within the firm and the focus is very much ‘business as usual’ at Mills Selig. We will continue to support our clients with exceptional legal services to ensure that Mills Selig remains the go-to law firm in Northern Ireland for high value, complex work.” Chris Guy is one of the leading corporate lawyers in Northern Ireland, specialising in highvalue and complex M&A and private equity transactions. As head of the Corporate team at Mills Selig, he brings significant value by managing major projects and problem solving to resolve issues and deliver the right outcome for clients. Chris’ recent landmark

transactions include; advising shareholders of Novosco Group on the sale of the company to CANCOM Ltd and advising Bamford Bus Company on the acquisition of the Wrightbus business out of administration. John Kearns has an extensive corporate law and restructuring practice, acting in company receiverships, liquidations, voluntary arrangements and administrations. Over his 20 years in this field John has been involved in landmark cases that are fundamental to Insolvency Law in the jurisdiction. John also has a substantial corporate law practice including acting for First Derivatives PLC in the acquisition of KX Systems Inc. (California based software company) for an aggregate consideration in excess of $100 million.

Eye on Marketing

Business Intelligence – Stacking The Deck In Your Favour. The benefit of analytics for on-line business are widely recognised. What’s less known is the myriad of ‘real-world’ data that is available to be harnessed & transformed into meaningful insights, that inform commercial decisions. Business Eye found out more about Business Intelligence from John Pierce of Belfast & Dublin specialists RW Pierce...

e’ve been working with BI for about 18 months now, after recognising that B2C clients in the Insurance Broker and Credit Union sectors didn’t have the time or resources to unlock the potential of BI themselves. Having an understanding of the business model in these sectors allowed us to build our portfolio of software tools & data sources. With our background in address management and mail production, it is perhaps no surprise that we analyse data based on geolocation. We do not require Personally Identifiable Information, so avoid any Data Protection issues.

This geolocation serves another important purpose. Ireland (North & South) is split into 23,178 ‘Small Areas’. Each ‘Small Area’ is a geographical area containing approximately 100

Geolocation tools enable us to identify and visualise: - Each customer address point (i.e. residential address) - Each Non-customer address point (i.e. residential address) The results are simple and striking. Customer saturation levels are explained in a way that is just not possible with graphs and tables. And it could be printed onto a wall-poster if required. For one customer, the visual below explained why they weren’t able to grow business any more within a given area.

buildings. These ‘Small Areas’ are the basis for a wide range of statistical analysis and through geolocation we merge external data from multiple sources with client data to create a

John Pierce of RW Pierce

large data-set for subsequent analysis. It’s virtually impossible to identify data trends on large data-sets, so we use Machine Learning & Predictive Modelling software to find trends and attributes that lead to desired (or sometimes undesired) known outcomes. This stage is the most interesting, because Predictive Modelling software generates ‘decision trees’ (i.e. sequences of multiple factors that contribute to desired business outcomes) containing results that are way beyond capability of mere mortals. By identifing the factors that have previously delivered business in the best performing Small Areas, we effectively identify the profile of ‘ideal customer households’. It follows that to find more of the same, we identify other Small Areas with similar profiles. And the message from all of this? That it makes sense to use this information to influence marketing activity.

For some clients, we go back to our geolocation tools for each Small Area, to identify existing customer households, and non-customers. This level of precision beings a new level of communication possibilities, and for some our Mailsync facility provides an easy way to communicate by letterpost. Others have used the findings to make operational decisions. For one Credit Union, we confirmed that branch opening hours were a barrier to desirable members – their simple solution was to open on Saturday mornings!

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ‘stack the deck in your favour’. And if you don’t have the time or resources to unlock the potential of BI in your business, give RW Pierce a call. (TEL:

Sending 1-10,000 letters? You sendâ&#x20AC;Ś. from anywhere (office / home) We print & post. Confidential & GDPR Compliant

028 9037 2504 www.rwpierce.com

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Eye on Infrastructure

NIE Networks poised to underpin green recovery NIE Networks will play a central role in the green economic recovery as Northern Ireland emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

s owner and developer of Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electricity network, NIE Networks recently presented its vision to hasten the journey to net zero, while at the same time unleashing economic potential in the aftermath of the pandemic, to the Northern Ireland Economy Committee. Built around renewable energy policy, funding, planning, innovation and efficiency, NIE Networks said it is committed to playing its part in creating a sustainable future which works in the interest of all citizens, including the most vulnerable in society. To do that, it said collaboration with government, business, regulators, industry peers and other jurisdictions is needed, so that the

net zero carbon target of 2050 can be reached. And it said there are opportunities to accelerate some aspects of government policy now to make progress in both economic and sustainability objectives in the short term, in advance of finalising a longer term Energy Strategy. As such, it has set out a number of areas of opportunity to support the economy by unlocking investment in low carbon infrastructure and fast-tracking decarbonisation of heat and transport. The first, joining up policy and regulation to encourage investment, would allow NIE Networks to broaden the mandate for capital investment and consider the

need for decarbonisation and economic development. The second, accelerating investment in renewables, recommends the introduction of formal targets for new renewable generation. Many renewable technologies no longer need substantial subsidies but they do need a mechanism to provide some certainty around market access and income streams to enable the investments to be bankable. Bringing forward network infrastructure investment, meanwhile, could mean NIE Networks could scale up to deliver an additional ÂŁ50m of work annually, supporting a significant local supply chain by working proactively to accelerate

investment alongside other industry bodies. Accelerating low carbon transport, with initial emphasis on the delivery of EV charging infrastructure, is another area which can be transformative, NIE Networks said, not just for the environment but for the economy, creating jobs and helping revitalise areas which have suffered from poor transport infrastructure. Similarly, digitalisation of the energy system is a central tenant of the journey to net zero carbon with the data generated key to supporting climate change ambitions. Preventing the loss of energy is also a key focus by supporting energy efficiency through modernisation of building regulations. Significant

Eye on Infrastructure

“Accelerating low carbon transport, with initial emphasis on the delivery of EV charging infrastructure, is another area which can be transformative, NIE Networks said, not just for the environment but for the economy, creating jobs and helping revitalise areas which have suffered from poor transport infrastructure.”

gains in this area can be made by aligning Northern Ireland’s building regulations with those in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland where progress is already being made toward zero carbon buildings. The final aspect of the vision is seeing the sector optimising innovation for Northern Ireland around low carbon technologies such as heat pumps, hybrid heating systems, intelligent metering and electrolysis to produce green

hydrogen from renewable electricity. Developing the skills and local knowledge around such technologies can ensure consumers save money in the long run and the adoption of new technologies encouraged. Paul Stapleton, Managing Director of NIE Networks, said the areas of focus could be transformational. “We have focused on the areas in which we are confident swift action will maximise the economic opportunities

for Northern Ireland as we manage our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside progressing towards our net-zero ambitions,” he said, adding that a sense of urgency is needed to generate momentum. “We are putting forward practical suggestions that we believe will generate momentum in delivering against environmental targets, and could also contribute to providing employment for

both existing and new skills in the industry, creating higher paying jobs; developing a highly skilled and agile workforce; and delivering a more regionally balanced economy, as part of a Green Recovery. “We have a once-in-alifetime opportunity to create a greener, yet strong, economy for future generations and believe that we as NIE Networks can play a central role in reaching that aim with the help of all other stakeholders.”

Eye on Whiskey

Hinch Distillery Launches Unique Whiskey Cask Release The An Chead DĂşn cask release from Hinch Distillery contains their first ever distillation of Irish Single Malt spirit, using traditional Irish distilling methods combined with Hinchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bespoke distilling techniques.

hrough maturation in the finest American Bourbon Oak Casks, this spirit will develop into an Irish whiskey over a number of years and will be sought after by some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most ardent whiskey collectors and connoisseurs. An Chead DĂşn, which translates from Gaelic as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The First Downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, is the first single malt spirit and ultimately whiskey, to be released by Hinch Distillery. It will perfectly represent the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core values and align with the distillery motto: â&#x20AC;&#x153;DISTILLED BY THE BOLD. CHARACTER IS EVERYTHING.â&#x20AC;? Only 161 casks will be made available in recognition of the origins of the 161-year-old Killaney Estate on which the distillery sits. Each cask can be secured for a price tag that reflects the very limited number of casks being filled and the exclusivity

of becoming a member of a club with a maximum of 161 members. Each cask owner will receive a rare, limited-edition gift presentation box containing a bottle of Hinch 18-YearOld Single Malt and ChĂ˘teau de la Ligne Grande Reserve wine, in addition to a small â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;memento bottleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the original spirit before it enters the cask. Speaking about the unique opportunity to own part of the collection, Head Distiller at Hinch Distillery, Aaron Flaherty says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What makes each whiskey unique is its individual interaction with the oak cask. Traditionally, Irish whiskeys are often matured in oak casks that previously held other wines or spirits, in order to add new layers of flavour to the maturing spirit. Those casks may be reused many times but An Chead DĂşn whiskey will only be placed in

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;First Fillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; casks. This means the wood will ultimately have a much greater influence on the final Irish whiskey in terms of both flavour and colour. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Chead DĂşn Cask presents a unique opportunity for enthusiasts to be a part of the very start of Hinchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whiskey journey, one that is shaped by the past but building for the future, here in the heart of County Downâ&#x20AC;?. Distilling has now commenced at Hinch Distillery which is a ÂŁ15M project by local businessman, Dr Terry Cross OBE. Terry adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;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, securing distribution deals in more than 20 countries including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, the US and many European

countries while many more partnerships with renowned drinks distributors elsewhere are in the pipeline. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And despite being relative newcomers to the market we are making waves at revered awards events globally including a Double Gold and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gin of the Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trophy for our Ninth Wave Irish Gin at the China Wine and Spirit Awards (CWSA).â&#x20AC;? Hinch whiskeys are inspired by the distilling traditions and skills exchanged over the centuries during the ebb and flow of Gaelic peoples across the Irish Sea.

The An Chead DĂşn cask is priced BU b 'PS NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO on this distinctive and very limited cask offer, visit the website at hinchdistillery.com

Eye on Cover Story

Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards 2020 Recognising the spirit of enterprise It’s all about community, partnership, passion and ambition Niall Devlin, Head of Business Banking Northern Ireland

arlier this year, Bank of Ireland launched The Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards, for the first time in Northern Ireland. In recognition of the spirit of enterprise and with a prize fund of £180,000, the Awards were designed to bring business and community groups together and to support towns locally and across the island of Ireland as they reboot and recover from the impact of COVID-19. The enormity of the challenge has been met with incredible tenacity, stoicism, innovation and as many of our proud award recipients will testify – a unity of purpose with people giving generously of their time and their talent for the wider good and benefit of those most in need. Here we share three Northern Ireland Begin Together Award success stories. Excellent collaboration, exceptional endeavour and a consistency of approach were among the qualities that impressed the judges about Newry, winner of the City Award and a prize of £9,000. Eamonn Connolly, Manager, Newry Business Improvement District (BID), which leads and coordinates the activity, says: “We’re a private company that in five years has secured 600 members who range in size from sole traders to multi-million pound businesses. “To do what we do, we collaborate with a broad church

of organisations including community groups, charities, local and central government, the education and private sectors. We’re united in our determination to solve problems, leverage investment and create a safe, friendly and enjoyable city in which to live, work and do business.” Their business plan is the result of considerable research and consultation with members to ensure their needs are being met. Notable successes to date include regenerating civic pride with cleaner streets; securing a reduction in business rates; retaining CCTV in public spaces and providing 300 car parking spaces in the city centre. The city responded swiftly to the onset of the CV19 pandemic with a range of initiatives to ensure the public could shop safely and with confidence – measures included virtual training for members around safety, additional cleansing, bio-fogging and signage. Now, as they prepare to meet pent up retail demand in the approach to the festive season, once again the city will come together and work to deliver a safe and managed but wholly enjoyable experience for shoppers. The judges also liked Newry’s Smart VIP Fob, an innovative, loyalty-based system developed in partnership with a local IT company as a way to encourage footfall into the city. The free fob gives local shoppers discounts

and offers directly to their phone. The project was well received at launch and provides valuable data back to members. Eamonn concludes: “We were delighted to be given the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Award. It’s welcome validation of what we have been doing, it raises the profile of our work and it gives us the impetus to continue to speak with one voice for the continuous development and improvement of Newry city.” Dromore-based organisation Via Wings is the winner of this year’s special ‘Local Community Enterprise Initiative’ category, and a prize of £9,000. The sign outside their premises says ‘Meeting Needs, Changing Lives,’ and that is exactly what it has been doing since it was founded by Gail Redmond in 2009 with the aim of breaking the cycle of poverty in the local community. An early focus on the needs of single mums via their Food Bag Project provided caring, non-judgmental, practical help and the blueprint for their organisations way forward. More than a decade on, Via Wings provides a ‘wrap-around’ service for people of all ages in the community, including fresh food and essentials to those in need, childcare, after schools club; a pensioners supper club; teaching adults with learning difficulties; and counselling to help with mental health issues, crisis or addiction.

Much of what Via Wings does is enabled by the relationships they have forged and support they receive from others in the area including local churches, schools, food retailers and the wider community. The team also works closely with local politicians, health professionals, businesses and crucially local people, many of whom have been helped by Via Wings and now volunteer there. As Lynda Surgenor, Via Wings PR & Marketing Administrator says: “We couldn’t do what we do without them.” During the pandemic, Via Wings became a vital food distribution centre for Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. CV19 also stopped ‘business as usual’ but vital services were kept alive by doing things differently, such as providing care to the elderly over the phone rather than in person, and socially distanced chats for adults with learning difficulties – to battle the isolation that CV19 threatened so many with. Fundraising also stopped. The Bank of Ireland Begin Together Award has provided a much-needed financial cushion for Via Wings’ work. It has also raised their profile which has helped to strengthen and build connections with people and organisations across NI who can help and support their work in some way and give them a platform to talk about their vision and ambition for the organization and the people it supports. The award also provided a timely morale boost for the team after months of extraordinary long hours and hard work.

Eye on Cover Story Pictured with the award (L-R) are: Gavin Kennedy, Bank of Ireland UK; Eamonn Connolly, Newry BID MD; Peter Murray, Newry BID Board Chair and Centre Manager, Buttercrane Shopping Centre and Paul Slevin, Bank of Ireland UK Newry branch manager.

Via Wings’ vision includes creating a new Wellbeing Centre, that will provide a safe space to journey alongside those suffering with mental health issues in our local community. The group’s target is to raise £250,000 to complete a renovation of a newly acquired property and to date they have raised more than £40,000. There is some way to go but Gail and her team are passionate advocates of the project and want to continue helping people who need their help.

Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, was recognised at the Begin Together Awards as runnerup in the 7,001-14,000 population category, coming in second to Ballina, Co Mayo, to win £4,500 cash prize. As ‘the island town’, Enniskillen is known for its beautiful landscapes beside Lough Erne and popular attractions like Enniskillen Castle. In addition to its famous sites, Enniskillen’s leaders in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council are proud of the town’s

community spirit and how local groups and businesses are constantly working together for the betterment of the town. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Chairman, Cllr Chris Smyth said: “We pride ourselves on working with a vast array of local stakeholders. We feel it gives an element of empowerment and brings people along with us.” The Council works closely with local industry bodies such as Enniskillen Town Centre Forum, Fermanagh

Enterprise and the Business Improvement District (BID). These relationships became critical when Covid-19 hit, particularly because of the impact on the local economy as Enniskillen has a strong retail sector. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Council has given out £340k towards revitalisation and recovery grants to help local retailers adapt and make adjustments to current premises so businesses could operate in a safe way.

Eye on Cover Story

Pictured with the award (L-R) is: Colleen Casey, Bank of Ireland UK Banbridge branch manager, Donna Harrison, Via Wings General Manager, Lynda Surgenor, Via Wings PR & Marketing Administrator, Kate Anderson, Via Wings Support Worker and Niall Devlin, Head of Business Banking Northern Ireland, Bank of Ireland UK.

Pictured with the award (L-R) is: Pat Blake, Interim Chair of Enniskillen BID and local business owner, Andy Palmer, Bank of Ireland UK Enniskillen branch manager, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Chair, Cllr Chris Smyth, Linda Walsh, Bank of Ireland UK business manager and Tracey McCallan, Town Centre Recovery for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

The council also introduced the ‘Confidence Mark’, an initiative to reassure customers that local businesses were safe to visit when lockdown eased. Businesses received a Confidence Mark shop window sticker if they followed a number of key steps including increased cleaning and sanitation, provision of hand sanitiser for customer use and implementation of social distancing measures. “We had nearly 100% uptake,” Cllr Smyth said. “It was great to see such a response from businesses and we know people felt more confident shopping.” In addition to grants and the Confidence Mark, the Council also hosted online workshops designed to give businesses across different sectors the knowledge they needed to navigate new guidance for Covid-19. The dedication to working together across sectors was among the reasons the judges chose Enniskillen for the all-Ireland recognition in this year’s Begin Together Awards. The judges were also impressed with the Council’s commitment to using data and insights to make evidence-based decisions for town improvements. The Council plans to put the prize fund towards capturing more insights about the town centre. Cllr Smyth said he and the local community were delighted to receive the recognition from the Begin Together Awards and the attention the Enniskillen community has received since has been ‘invaluable’. He added: “The spotlight has been the most important aspect of it. It’s also been an opportunity to validate all the partners we’re working with. This award is not recognition for the Council but recognition for our town’s collaborative approach and that we’re doing it to a high standard.” Niall concludes by sharing that “These stories are proof of how, by working together, we can achieve quite extraordinary things. I am proud that through our inaugural Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards we have been able to support them in their endeavours.”

To find out more about all of this year’s Begin Together Awards prize winners visit https://businessbanking. bankofireland.com/campaigns/begintogether-awards/

Eye on News

McCue Continues their Craft with Completion of Local Contracts

Project management and fit-out company, McCue has made their mark on Northern Ireland this year, with the completion of a number of local contracts with many of the region’s most prestigious organisations, in spite of the ongoing challenges.

he Carrickfergus-based company, known for its work with luxurious five-star hotels in Central London, has seen an increase in projects closer to home throughout 2020. These included McAtamney’s Butchers new flagship store in Lisnagelvin Shopping Centre; Holiday Inn Express Belfast’s ‘New Generation Concept’ lobby; health and beauty retailer, Superdrug’s refurbished 755m2 CastleCourt store, Shu Restaurant, as well as Danske Bank’s branch refreshes in Banbridge, Abbey Centre and Ballymena, in addition to the internal refurbishment of its Donegall Square West Headquarters. Award-winning McCue also completed the fit-out of the spa and wellness facilities at Culloden Estate and Spa, Co Down following its £750k investment. The fit-out at the luxury five-star hotel included the installation of a new linear vitality pool and Tylarium – an innovative combination of sauna and steam bath. A larger steam room, including a feature shower – one of the newest amenities of modern spa design, was also fitted, as well as a new couples’ treatment room and two bespoke pedicure rooms. Showcasing the intricate, bespoke and high-quality joinery skills that they

are renowned for, McCue also crafted a new external timber façade, which helps create a ‘Nordic’ look and feel throughout. Speaking about working with McCue, Managing Director of Hastings Hotels, Howard Hastings said, “With our recent investment in our spa and wellness facilities, we wanted to maintain the high level of luxury that we are known for and with McCue overseeing and executing the project, this is exactly what we got. We are delighted with the end result from McCue’s team and thank them for their expertise and professionalism, as well as their exceptional craftsmanship throughout this project.” Gary Purdy, Managing Director at McCue said, “The onset of the current pandemic has had a serious impact on many businesses and organisations throughout the UK and Ireland, and McCue is not exempt from that. One of the silver linings for us though is that it has allowed us to conduct work closer to home, which is always great for our team. We love having the opportunity to leave our mark on prestigious projects such as The Spa at The Culloden Estate and Shu Restaurant.” McCue’s team completed an extensive overhaul of SHU restaurant, transforming

the existing restaurant into three different dining experiences: SHU, The Upper House and Jul’s, each with their own style. The restaurant, which reopened in October, was forced to close a mere one week after opening due to the current restrictions. Co-owner and Head Chef of SHU, Brian McCann commented, “Whilst it has been an extremely difficult time for our team and the hospitality sector in general, our refurbishment was made a lot easier by the fantastic team at McCue whose professionalism and dedication got us to where we needed to be prior to opening.” A large volume of the woodwork throughout the three spaces, including the interwoven wicker and woven fabric inset wall panels, was created bespoke

for the project at McCue’s 5,500m2 manufacturing facility. Reinforcing their commitment to sustainability practices, reclaimed and existing wood flooring was also used by the team, where possible. McCue has recently been recognised for their sustainability practices through their participation in the Northern Ireland Benchmarking survey, where they achieved gold. The survey, organised by Business in the Community, recognises companies that are committed to improving their environmental impacts and performance, ensuring a sustainable future. With a renewed emphasis being placed on supporting local in recent times, it’s reassuring that to see this messaging being extended throughout sectors.

Eye on Marketing

We’ll emerge stronger, closer and better in 2021 Ardmore’s Mark Irwin talks to Business Eye about how its team adapted to COVID-19 and how the organisation will use the experience moving forward into 2021.

ark Irwin is the Managing Director of Ardmore, one of the country’s leading marketing and communications businesses. When coronavirus hit earlier this year, the organisation, which thrives on the creative interaction between team members, had to change very quickly. “This past year, we were forced to ask ourselves some of the most difficult questions we have ever encountered as a business, and as people.” But Irwin is firmly of the view that the team at Ardmore were well equipped to adapt to the challenges presented by the pandemic. “The nature of what we do means we are very used to having to change quickly. Dealing with external influences beyond your control on a regular basis means you become nimble and solutions-focused by necessity.

But this was something that none of us had ever faced before.” “However, we know there is significant evidence that shows that organisations that maintain and enhance their share of voice during a crisis, and don’t recoil, are the ones that emerge strongest on the far-side.” He quickly returns to the role of the team. “The absolute key is doing whatever you need to do to help your people continue to perform at their best under very difficult circumstances. We gave our team the space, trust and flexibility to ensure they could look after themselves and their families as well as perform at the highest possible standard.” “Creativity, adaptability and resilience are absolutely central to how we hire and develop our people here. So you know, even when you’re presented with what feels like an insurmountable

challenge, you can look over your shoulder and you’ve got the most talented people with you. In many ways, it was the opportunity that many of our people had been waiting for to step up and lead. And that’s exactly what they did.” Irwin insisted the experience of the pandemic has changed Ardmore forever. “We understand that we are what we do consistently - our business is the accumulation of the small things we do every day. But we had to ask much more from each

Eye on Marketing

other. The challenges facing the organisations we work with were existential – it was about their very survival and the survival of the things important to them. We had to listen, not so that we could respond but so that we could really understand. In the face of that shared existential threat, we have developed relationships with the people we work for that have reached a depth that wasn’t previously possible. That trust and those relationships will endure long past this collective challenge.”

“Our real-time insights driven approach means we can help organisations understand how their customers are likely to behave. When faced with the extremely fine judgements and questions that uncertainty on this scale presents, it’s this insight that is completely pivotal to giving the right counsel at the right time, and this will continue to be important over the coming months. Our involvement in a global network of independent firms means that we are also able

to gather insights from other markets around the world which might soon be applicable to us here in the UK and Ireland.” The team at Ardmore is feeling positive about 2021 and has ambitious growth plans for the next five years. “The experience of this year has changed us as people and as a business forever. In the face of the most challenging test in our personal and professional lifetimes, our people were not found wanting. People may not

remember much of the detail, but they remember how you behave – how you make them feel – during a difficult time. I think our team here and the people we work for will feel that we stepped up when they needed it most.” “We’ll emerge stronger, closer and better from the experience of this year and, in a way, we’ve become even more determined in our ambition to be truly world-class in what we do.”

Eye on News

LOCAL DEVELOPER INVESTS £4.5M In One Of NI’s First “Smart” Home Developments Dunadry Gate Site Manager Clive Backus with Simpson Developments Director David Simpson.

Simpson Developments new Dunadry residential site will be one of the first to boast the smartest home technology in the UK including provision for electrical car charging points, smart doorbell technology and more.

allyclare-based Simpson Developments is pioneering smart housing in Northern Ireland during the construction of its high-end exclusive development in Dunadry, County Antrim. Dunadry Gate, which will be home to a selection of 13 four and sixbed detached and semi-detached homes, will flaunt some of the most advanced smart home technology, as well as provision for EV charging points for electric cars, greatly contributing to the UK’s target of zero net emissions by 2050. Among the other smart features on offer to those interested in the new development are smart video

doorbells that allow homeowners to tap into an app anywhere reaching directly to their doorstep. A smart heating setup will also allow customers to have complete control over their energy expenditure, using the same app format from their smart devices while an alarm system/ CCTV setup, that also employs smart technology, will give buyers peace of mind that their homes remain secure at all times. The new high spec homes are illustrative of Simpson Developments dedication to being a leader in the housing market, but they also reflect the firm’s environmental conscience.

Dunadry Gate, which is currently under construction, will support 50 jobs during the building phase. Speaking about the one-of-akind development, David Simpson said: “After many years we have finally started our high-end exclusive development in Dunadry. These homes will, like all of our developments, be built to a high spec but what is unique about this site is the holistic smart home technology each build has. “We believe we are one of the first in Northern Ireland to fully integrate all the modern smart technology that is available to homes and this development, we hope, will be a pioneer that influences the future of homebuilding in Northern Ireland for many years to come. “Our decision to marry construction with smart technology means homeowners can rest assured that their homes not only look smart but act it.

“The environment has always been at the forefront of our decisions when planning and realising our developments. Green energy has been a major focal point for the UK Government and while recent events have overshadowed that drive, it’s always at the forefront of what we do. “The electrical charging provision further future proofs our homes making it future ready for the rise of electrical car sales, which have been growing year on year. It also helps contribute to the Government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050. “We are very excited to unveil our new smart homes to the public and we are confident interest will be high.” Every Dunadry Gate homebuyer will also receive a free virtual assistant to further complement their smart home.

Eye onBrexit

Eye on Brexit

Brexit – Northern Ireland Companies Must Prepare

Robin Swann, NI Health Minister with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and NI Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis MP.

With the Brexit transition period just about to end, Northern Ireland companies must prepare...despite the uncertainties. And Brexit transition doesn’t have to be all about doubts, uncertainties and challenges. It can also deliver real opportunities for the NI economy. In an exclusive interview, Business Eye’s Richard Buckley talks to Secretary of State, the Rt. Hon. Brandon Lewis MP. 28

randon Lewis is clear that Brexit is one of the key challenges, of his role as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. “Of course I’m determined that Northern Ireland businesses aren’t adversely affected by the out workings of Brexit,” he says. “It’s a major priority for me and has been since I took over this job.” He also says that he’s all too aware of the very real concerns that local businesses have, particularly as the clock has continued to tick towards the end of the transition period without a deal having been agreed with the EU. “We’ve been engaged with businesses and business organisations for some time now,” he says. “I do understand their frustration and

I absolutely accept there is not complete information as we have not completed negotiations and the Joint Committee process. There is, he adds, an important rider to all of this. “There are some crucial steps that businesses really should be taking right now... regardless of whatever comes out or doesn’t come out of these discussions. These are relatively simple, easy things that every business should be doing immediately.” The Secretary of State is urging any business trading between Northern Ireland and Great Britain to sign up immediately to the government-backed Trader Support Service, which provides practical advice and help for any firm moving goods between GB and NI. It’s

Eye on Brexit a free to use, government funded service and some 17,000 business have already signed up. “I understand what it means to run a small business,” says Brandon Lewis. “You’re focused on day to day issues and it’s been even more challenging during the Covid pandemic. But signing up to the Trader Support Service is something that they really should find the time to do.” The challenges and its opportunities flowing from the end of the transition period will apply just as much to SME’s and smaller businesses as it will to much larger-scale exporters and importers and that’s a point the Secretary of State is keen to underline. “One of the really exciting things about the Northern Ireland economy is its breadth and scope and the really wide variety of smaller entrepreneurial companies,” he adds. “We’ve tried to engage widely, from the big supermarket groups right through to smaller companies operating across a range of sectors. “Businesses like that can often be the heartbeat of their community. They provide employment and they play a really important role. But I understand how companies like this work. They can’t afford to have a team of people looking at Brexit transition preparations. “Through the Trader Support Service, we’ve tried to strip away a lot of the bureaucracy. Businesses can check what if anything they need to be doing and access the advice that they need. It’s as simple as that.” He remains confident that some form of deal can yet be reached. “If we do get a free trade deal then it’s good for us and it’s also good for the EU. There should be a way through but I can’t under estimate the challenge, particularly around fishing, where real gaps exist between the UK and the EU. “What’s very important is that we’re able to strike our own trade deals, and these could be extremely beneficial for Northern Irish businesses going forward,” says the Secretary of State. “The Northern Ireland Protocol means that NI businesses are an integral part of the UK economy but they also have the ability to

First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill meet with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and NI Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis MP at Hillsborough Castle

trade with the EU in a way that mainland GB businesses won’t be able to do. “I firmly believe that new opportunities will open up for local businesses. The UK has already secured a number of trade deals and more are coming down the track. There will be opportunities, for example, in regions like the Gulf. They’re interested in the areas that Northern Ireland is strong on, sectors like aerospace, renewable energy and hydrogen technology.” Brandon Lewis quotes the case of Tyronebased Mallaghan Engineering, a company supplying passenger handling equipment to airports and airlines worldwide. “Now might not be the best time for the global aerospace industry, but this company continues to prosper. Why? Because it has found and developed new markets in China, where air travel and aerospace is growing and developing once again post-Covid. “I asked the question...why don’t the Chinese

simply replicate your products and do it their own way? The answer was simple – innovation and investment in innovation. What we do with innovation in the Northern Ireland economy means that we’re always a step ahead. “Mallaghan is a great example of excellence in engineering, something Northern Ireland is really good at. That level of expertise brings real opportunities. Another sector that I would highlight is cyber security and software engineering. We already have world leaders in that area and the sector has the potential to develop and grow even more. “Northern Ireland’s leading edge businesses are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the end of transition period, but they must prepare now to ensure this happens.” For guidance on how NI businesses can take action now, go to bit.ly/3q3zE1f

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

2020

How do you assess the threats (or opportunities) to Northern Ireland businesses and the local economy post-December 31, when the Brexit transition period comes to an end?

Richard Buckley Editor, Business Eye

t’s not easy to speculate on what’s going to happen on the Brexit front when, at the time of writing, talks have been going on through evenings and weekends in both London and Brussels with any amount of sniping and backbiting happening in the background and in the media. But one thing is for sure. Northern Ireland plays a central role in all of this.

Whatever happens, we’re looking at major changes to how we can trade. If a deal emerges, those changes could be manageable. If it doesn’t, we could be staring into a very difficult 2021 dominated by the perfect storm of Covid and Brexit. Are we a pawn in the game? Probably rather than possibly. Are there opportunities as well as threats? Possibly rather than probably.

Richard Buckley Editor, Business Eye

Gillian Morris Head of Corporate Banking in NI, HSBC UK

s the end of the transition period fast approaches our latest Navigator research found that more than two thirds (71%) of businesses in Northern Ireland are optimistic about the outlook for international trade in the next two years. “That’s really encouraging and shows that businesses have faith in the quality of their goods and services and are eager to take opportunities to grow in new markets despite the challenging economic climate they are operating in. “In contrast we found that 62% of businesses expect trade to get more difficult next year and there is a significant challenge to prepare for the changes that will be brought by the end of the transition period. My biggest concern is that some businesses haven’t taken time to plan and assume they won’t be impacted in January. Whether or not a deal is agreed there will be changes for companies to cope with and, with just weeks to go, now is the time to put contingency plans in place. “Supply chains are of paramount importance. COVID-19 has tested these like never before

and businesses need to spend time to get really close to their supply chains and have transparency through each layer of their suppliers. That will help them to identify possible pinch points and understand how their day to day operations could be impacted. “Another essential consideration is tariffs. While we don’t have specific answers yet, firms need to consider the tariffs that could be applied to their imports from the EU and what the resulting cost impact would be to their working capital cycle. And there’s the issue of increased administration, particularly connected to customs procedures and documentation. For those that already export or import from outside the EU these may be familiar, but those who don’t need to take time to understand the technicalities.”

’s Head of Corporate Gillian Morris, HSBC UK land Banking in Northern Ire

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Mark Thompson Partner, A&L Goodbody

hroughout the pandemic, at ALG we have continued to advise domestic and international clients on a wide range of Brexit-related legal matters – be it country of origin and the labelling of goods, supply chain review, immigration or considerations around the movement of people. At the time of writing, one of the greatest challenges for businesses remains the continued lack of clarity around Brexit issues – be it how data will be handled between the UK and Europe from 2021 onwards, or the validity of professional qualifications and regulatory certificates in the services sector, for example. We anticipate the initial implementation period in the first six months of 2021 to be something of a ‘game of two halves’ as businesses begin to adapt to the new trading environment. In the first three months – the ‘how do

we do this?’ phase – we expect to see companies in Northern Ireland seeking guidance on the interpretation of new regulation and legislation. Matters such as the paying of customs duties and tariffs, and the labelling of goods for Europe and GB markets will feature highly on the agenda as business continue to trade across EU borders. The three months which follow are likely to see clients move onto a ‘let’s make this work for our business’ phase. We expect to be advising clients on the renegotiation of their supply chains and changes to supply terms as the first quarter results in operations and financial performance will show where issues are emerging. In this phase we may also see the beginning of companies or sectors wishing to challenge contractual terms or new legislation through the courts or via judicial review or litigation.

r, A&L Goodbody

Mark Thompson, Partne

Stephen Kelly Chief Executive, Manufacturing NI

o longer measured in months or weeks, Brexit is now just hours away and how businesses who make, move or merchandise good fundamentally changes. But, what should businesses do today to mitigate any downsides and grasp any opportunities, particularly from our new status provided by the Northern Ireland Protocol? First, get yourself an XI EORI number and sign up for the Trader Support Service, the £355m investment from the UK Government to support businesses who move goods from Britain to Northern Ireland. Run through the Invest NI’s free EU Exit Resilience Tool and apply for InterTradeIreland’s £2,000 Brexit Planning Voucher to assess your exposure and put a plan in

place. This can also help you find the relevant commodity codes for the goods you buy or sell. You should speak to your haulier and if appropriate engage a customs agent to smooth the process of your supplies passing through GB or Irish ports. Engage with your suppliers and agree Incoterms with them. It would be useful having them register with the TSS too. Porting any conformity assessments to an EU body will provide a competitive advantage over GB firms as your products will enjoy unfettered access to GB, whilst your GB competitor to have both the CE and the new UKCA marking. You should also make sure your supplier’s products meet any EU requirements. Finally, apply for the EU Settlement Scheme if you have staff from

Stephen Kelly, Chief Ex

ecutive, Manufacturing

the EEA and if you wish to hire foreign nationals apply for an Immigration Sponsorship Licence. Things are changing, detail remains

scant and time is tight, but taking action now will protect your business and position it to benefit from our unique position come 1 January.

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Richard Kennedy Richard Kennedy, Chief Executive, Devenish

020 has been a year like no other. While Covid-19 has had a more devastating impact on some companies and sectors than others, it has implications for the entire economy. Its effects will be felt for years to come. Nevertheless, there are real opportunities out there for businesses to capitalise on, both in the short and long term. The pandemic has raised awareness of the importance of health and nutrition, including having a better understanding of where our food comes from, and there is an ever-increasing demand for food that is produced with minimal environmental impact. The UK, the EU and indeed governments globally, are shaping their food policies increasingly around sustainability and health. This means that in the coming

decades, there are huge opportunities for companies that are delivering sustainable solutions for food production and responding to the demand for authentic and transparent supply chains. This is in our DNA at Devenish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from day one, we have been focused on creating solutions for the food and feed industries that have longterm benefit, from soil to society. With the Brexit transition period coming to an end, the coming years will certainly be a challenge for all of us. But as we have demonstrated this year, our industry is renowned for its ability to adapt, innovate and face any challenge that comes its way. I am confident we can continue to grow and seize the opportunities within our grasp.

Richard Kennedy, Chief

Executive, Devenish

Neil Gibson Chief Economist, Ernst & Young

s is always the case with times of change, Brexit will bring will opportunities as well as challenges. It is difficult to be clear about what these might be without being sure what final deal may, or may not, be reached. NI could be the most attractive investment location within the UK given its unique relationship with the EU and its existing strengths, assuming tariffs are avoided and access to GB remains truly unfettered. Global firms looking to serve EU and UK markets surely will have the island of Ireland at the top of their location list, perhaps utilising dual locations to maximise the respective benefits. Investment in new IT systems and a drive to seek out new export markets are also potentially positive impacts. The challenges are rather

more obvious, even if tariffs are avoided - with additional paperwork costs, potential State Aid restrictions, loss of EU funding streams and a perceived complexity as a place to do business all well documented. The biggest threat, perhaps, is that Brexit can become an excuse for a wide range of economic and social ills. The data shows that strong European economies exist both inside and outside the EU. In the longer term, the performance of the economy is determined by a range of well-known factors e.g. skills, infrastructure, R&D, innovation and competition. It is worth remembering that economic growth in NI was somewhat disappointing whilst the UK was in the EU, perhaps the disruption can be a driver of positive change despite the undeniably significant challenges.

Neil Gibson, Chief Econ

omist, Ernst & Young

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Roli Shaw General Counsel and Head of FinTrU Legal

“D

espite servicing a global client base, we have historically been very Northern Ireland centric as we provide those services largely from our delivery centres based here in Northern Ireland. Therefore, from a company operations perspective, we have been relatively Brexit neutral. We have always had a multinational workforce with internal HR structures to support this which will help with hiring EU nationals post-Brexit. On the commercial side, FinTrU has grown to over 700 staff in recent years and Brexit definitely played a role in that expansion. Brexit provided opportunity for us to assist global banks operationally prepare for Brexit. This transition preparation has been ongoing for a number of years as it was clear early on that the financial services industry was

not a priority in the UK/EU negotiations and banks had to take ownership. The opportunity created by Brexit allowed us to further strengthen our client relationships, move up the value chain and open up more opportunities in regulatory compliance which is definitely a growth area locally. Northern Ireland is becoming a go to location for global banks whether they use captives or third party providers like ourselves and Brexit has probably been positive in that local growth. The ongoing uncertainty with Covid-19 possibly offers a bigger opportunity as our clients are reassessing the need for resource in high cost locations London, New York & Hong Kong. I believe Northern Ireland is well placed to capitalise on that with its growing reputation, high levels of internet connectivity and talent.”

Roli Shaw, General Co

unsel and Head of FinTr

U Legal

Chris Ross Managing Partner, McKees

ith many NI businesses still reeling from the ongoing impact of Covid19, there appears to be a serious lack of appreciation for what is coming down the tracks when we leave the EU on 31 December 2020. Whilst our business in the legal sector isn’t likely to be immediately affected, it’s the knock-on effect for our clients in the agrifood, transport and financial services sectors who will feel the immediate impact of new customs rules, regulatory changes and issues surrounding GDPR. Failing to prepare will no doubt have detrimental effects for a lot of businesses. There has been a lot of uncertainty and speculation as to the extent of the likely threats and concerns. Our advice to clients has been to stay vigilant, remain agile and responsive and carefully monitor and adapt existing plans to ensure their businesses are as prepared as possible

for the new regime. The uncertainty, however, remains even at this late stage, which is very worrying as negotiations continue between the UK and Europe. One major opportunity for local businesses is the competitive advantage for Northern Ireland being the only UK country with an EU land border that means companies and firms may relocate to the North so they are operating under single-market rules but would then have tariff-free access to the entire UK market. Indeed, what we have seen are some businesses relocating and building warehouses and offices close to the Border and I expect this trend to continue over the coming months. Whilst significant disruption seems inevitable, I firmly believe there will be some fantastic opportunities for those businesses which are brave and agile enough to embrace this new era.

rtner, McKees

Chris Ross, Managing Pa

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Brian Gillan Head of Retail & NI, AIB UK

e have been producing an AIB Brexit Sentiment Index since late 2017, which focuses on the sentiment in key sectors including Retail, Tourism and Manufacturing. This Index revealed that over 50% of local businesses haven’t planned for Brexit and worryingly that 66% of businesses that had planned to expand or invest have cancelled or postponed planned investment due to Brexit. “What is currently clear is that most businesses won’t be ready by 1st January to comply with new arrangements, which are as yet

undefined. After the transition period, processes will be more complex and that will mean more costs for businesses and consumers, and we need to plan for that. “We’ve been working with businesses for the last four years, encouraging them to evaluate the impact of Brexit on their supply chains. We’ve developed a Brexit Ready checklist on our website which helps businesses prepare by understanding the potential impacts from Brexit. We are also encouraging businesses that will require extra working capital to deal with the impacts of Brexit to get in touch.”

Brian Gillan, Head of Re

tail & NI, AIB UK

Feargal McCormack Managing Director, PKF-FPM Accountants

nder the Protocol, NI businesses are in a unique position, in that they will have unfettered access to both EU and GB markets, and if exploited effectively, has the potential to give rise to competitive advantages from 1 January 2021. However, before such opportunities can be exploited, businesses in NI must prepare for the significant changes for trading with GB, with customs declarations required on the movement of goods from GB to Northern Ireland, together with additional regulatory obligations, and the inability to avail of EU Free Trade Agreements. At PKF-FPM, our team is providing practical assistance to clients across many different sectors, stressing the importance of clear communication with suppliers, consumers and staff, as clients analyse their supply chains, map international trade routes and develop their understanding of the future regulatory environment.

Through our membership of the international PKF network, and with a 29-year track record of successfully helping businesses to achieve results and stay one step ahead of their peers, PKF-FPM has valuable experience and has developed strategic alliances with customs experts to help clients design and implement new processes. While the continued uncertainty surrounding the future EU-UK trading relationship increases the complexity of planning, the challenges that lie ahead need not be insurmountable if businesses are proactive in identifying different risk scenarios and the steps that they need to take without delay. Ultimately, it will be their agility in adapting to the new trading environment, overcoming barriers and seizing opportunities, that will determine Brexit’s impact on the NI economy.

Managing Director, PK

F-FPM Accountants

Keep your goods moving into Northern Ireland with the new Trader Support Service. Register for all the latest information and updates. Sign up for the Trader Support Service now. Visit gov.uk/trader support service

Eye on Brexit

A Perfect Storm For Our Logistics Companies By Seamus Leheny, Policy Manager – Northern Ireland, Logistics UK

When we finally get to look back at 2020, in terms of logistics it will have been a year of upheaval and reacting caused by Covid. There has also been significant anxiety when looking towards the end of the year with the end of Brexit transition period on the horizon.

t perhaps the worst possible timing, logistics operators have had to deal with the impacts of covid lockdowns and peak Christmas trade flows while also having to plan for the changes to how we move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1st January 2021. Because the NI Protocol has been a source of contention and negotiation between the UK and EU, clarity has been lacking around the new procedures that will be required. The lack of preparation can be seen at our three Ports where the Border Control Posts, that are due to be operational for the start of the NI Protocol for the management of SPS goods (plant and animal origin) into NI from GB, were only awarded tender for construction in October 2020 with no commencement of construction to date. Logistics UK has consistently requested from both the UK and EU that a period of grace or implementation period is agreed for the start of 2021 to enable the continuity of vital retail trade and that a Retail Movement System is enabled and implemented. This would reduce the formalities and costs for such trusted traders thus ensuring our retail supply chains between GB and NI are uninterrupted as much as possible. The importance of getting such a derogation is reflected in the fact that 65% of all trade by value from GB to NI is destined for retail and wholesale with the vast majority being food products, if we can ease the movement of these supply chains, then the remaining 35% can be more efficiently managed. On top of this we have operators in the parcel sector moving up to 5,000 parcels per trailer, the government IT systems that will be used to process freight movements across the Irish Sea need updated to accommodate these loads because at present they were not

designed to do so. At present each of those individual consignments would require a Safety & Security declaration and an import declaration creating mountains of admin and red tape. We need a facilitation to make such journeys consolidated otherwise we risk some online retailers either having to impose surcharges on NI deliveries or withdrawing from the NI market The issue of transit is also an ongoing matter and we have been busy in recent months highlighting the importance of the Dublin – Holyhead route for NI trade. In 2019, a total number of 1,834,230 freight units shipped RoRo across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland with the three NI ports handling 46% of those units (851,940). The NI Department for Economy recently concluded from its own research that 20% of trade shipped RoRo through Dublin is NI trade which isn’t a surprise to many of us who understand its importance due to quick transit times to the South of England. That means that although

NI only represents 37% of the population on the Island, we accounted for 57% of the RoRo freight traffic between Ireland and Great Britain. Using evidence like this has demonstrated to UK officials on the need to ensure any friction and checks at Ports like Holyhead is kept to a minimum because quite simply, the NI trade that uses that route would struggle to meet delivery KPI’s if using other routes. At the time of writing this the UK and EU are nearing the end of intense negotiations so I really hope that by the time you are reading this with your mince pie and coffee in hand, that we don’t just have the clarity we require, but that we also have agreed derogations and mitigations between the UK and EU. It’s vital that any outcome for long-term sustainability delivers unique solutions that respects the NI Protocol and our dependence on GB to NI supply chains. If 2020 was the year of reacting, 2021 looks to be the year for adapting due to involuntary changes that Covid and Brexit have brought us.

Prepare for EU Exit Complete our EU Exit Resilience Tool to assess your business’s exposure. Assess your exposure to the upcoming changes in just 15 minutes. The tool will: • • •

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FinTrU listed in the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 League Table 2020 FinTrU has been named in this year’s Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 as the 42nd fastest growing company across the whole of the UK. The league table features the UK’s 100 private companies with the fastest growth over the last three years.

FinTrU Founder & CEO Darragh McCarthy

inTrU Founder & CEO, Darragh McCarthy, said “This is a fantastic achievement and something that all our employees should be immensely proud of. Each and every

member of the team has played a crucial role in FinTrU’s success so far and this national recognition is testament to their hard work and dedication during their FinTrU careers.” The league table ranks businesses across the whole of the UK and FinTrU is the only company from Northern Ireland featured in the list. FinTrU Chief of Staff, Katrien Roppe, also added “We are delighted that FinTrU has received this accolade. This is not only recognition for this year but for the past number of years in FinTrU’s short history. During this time, our employees have excelled professionally and demonstrated ambition with humility, whilst our company has undergone rapid growth. We recently opened our first US premises in New York, which demonstrates our commitment to expand our global footprint.”

Despite the pandemic, FinTrU has proven to very resilient during 2020 with a growth rate of 75% driven by operational excellence. The company has secured eight new client contracts and two additional Tier 1 Investment Bank clients during this period. Founded in December 2013, FinTrU is a multiaward winning RegTech company in the Financial Services sector that is committed to giving local talent the opportunity to work on the global stage with the largest International Investment Banks. FinTrU works with Tier 1 Investment Bank clients to find solutions to help them meet with their regulations in areas such as; Legal, Risk, Compliance, KYC, Operations, Consultancy and Technology. FinTrU employs over 700 people across Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, London and New York.

Ulster Weavers Goes Digital With Launch of New Ecommerce Site Northern Ireland’s leading home textiles company, Ulster Weavers, has launched a new ecommerce website to boost its direct-to-consumer sales as it adapts to changing consumer shopping trends and the impact of Covid-19.

stablished in 1880, Ulster Weavers is a home textiles company based in Lisburn producing an extensive range of giftware, homeware, and textiles for a wide range of prestigious clients in both domestic and international markets. The launch of its new ecommerce site forms part of a wider growth strategy which aims to double turnover in the next decade. Ulster Weavers Managing Director Gillian McLean says the new website, which is now live, will support the business to maximise its B2C sales while allowing customers to shop safely throughout the Christmas trading season. “The local high street has been significantly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic as many high street stores contend with considerable reductions in footfall. “Among the challenges,” she explained, “there are opportunities, as shown by the growth in

the share of online retail sales this year. “The launch of the new Ulster Weavers website allows customers to explore our extensive range of giftware and homeware products safely in the run up to Christmas. It also provides Ulster Weavers with a platform to reach new and existing customers locally and internationally.” She adds local high street and independent retailers remain a key focus Ulster Weavers. “Our new online offering is part of a wider growth strategy to grow the business in new market sectors and regions. However, we recognise the importance and value of our local high street and independent retailers, and we are committed to supporting them.

“As part of our strategy, we plan to grow the Ulster Weavers offering with the development of new products and ranges that will be available to high street retailers.” One of its newest products, Ulster Weavers recently launched a range of 100% Irish linen face coverings. Available in several colours, the face coverings feature adjustable toggles on the ear loops to ensure a comfortable fit and have been carefully designed to allow wearers to insert a disposable filter for added protection. For more information about Ulster Weavers and to shop, visit shop.ulsterweavers.com.

Eye on News

Lidl Northern Ireland Opens New Holywood Exchange Store Lidl Northern Ireland has officially opened the doors of its brand-new store in Holywood Exchange Retail Park, creating 30 new local jobs and marking the retailer’s 40th store since establishing in Northern Ireland in 1999.

he store was opened by representatives from local sporting club, Queens Gymnastics, who officially cut the ribbon and welcomed customers to the new store. Based in Queens Leisure Complex in Holywood, the gymnastics club were named winners of Lidl Northern Ireland’s Sport for Good competition last year and received a £4,000 boost from the retailer to support the club. The Holywood Exchange store represents an investment of £3 million and creates 30 new jobs for the local area. Occupying a 1,400 sq metre sales floor and a total internal area of 2,050 square metres, the new store boasts a high-quality shopping environment with more space, wider aisles, longer tills, restrooms and baby-changing facilities. Customers can also avail of a new ‘Lidl-to-Go’ coffee machine and a larger

bakery area offering a wider range of freshly baked goods. The store also includes improved facilities for store staff such as a larger canteen, welfare area and shower facilities. Holywood Exchange occupies a landmark position around three miles east of Belfast City Centre and eight miles from Bangor and is situated close to the town of Holywood. The site is also located at the primary gateway into Belfast Harbour Estate. With a strong local road network and extensive parking of around 700 spaces in an established, growing retail location, the retail park is already home to Harvey Norman, Next Home, Decathlon, EZ Living Interiors, Costa Coffee and Subway, and is located next to Northern Ireland’s only IKEA store. Eoin Doherty, Holywood Exchange Store Manager said: “Lidl is committed to delivering

Sophie Kingston, Queens Gymnastics, Eoin Doherty, Holywood Exchange Store Manager and Isla Parkes, Queens Gymnastics.

high quality, locally-produced products at market-leading prices and it has long been our ambition to bring this winning formula to the local area. We’re thrilled to open the store just in time for the festive season and, with enhanced and established safety measures in place, customers can enjoy all that Lidl has to offer in a welcoming and safe environment. We look forward to welcoming all of our customers to Lidl Holywood Exchange soon.” The new store at Holywood Exchange Retail Park is part of a wider plan by the retailer to dramatically enhance its service provision across Northern Ireland and forms part of a multi-millionpound investment programme to expand its presence in the region. “After much anticipation, we’re thrilled to open the doors of our new store in Holywood Exchange. The retail park is renowned for its fantastic location and collection of big store names who we are delighted to now count as neighbours. It really is a momentous day as the new store opening at Holywood Exchange

marks our fortieth store in Northern Ireland in just over 20 years.” Lidl also welcomed representatives from nearby Mitchell Special School and local homeless charity Walk Inn to the new store who each received £500 worth of vouchers, as part of the retailer’s commitment to positively contributing to its local community. Earlier this year, Lidl Northern Ireland opened new stores in Ballymoney and Limavady, whilst plans for five new stores in the Belfast City Region were welcomed last week by Economy Minister Diane Dodds. The line-up of new stores includes Castlereagh Road, Hillview Retail Park on Crumlin Road, Boucher Road, Holywood Exchange and Shore Road. Plans for new stores in Newtownards, Newcastle, High Street Mall in Portadown and at Crescent Link and Buncrana Road in the North West of the region are also progressing. Lidl Northern Ireland contributes around £180 million a year to the local economy, sustaining 3,500 jobs while buying and exporting as much as £290 million worth of local goods and products.

Eye on News

MARITIME BELFAST TRUST SETS SAIL On A New Chapter In The City’s Vibrant Maritime Heritage

Joe O’Neill with Marie-Therese McGivern and Kerrie Sweeney

A new chapter will begin for Titanic Foundation Ltd, the charity responsible for promoting and preserving Belfast’s maritime heritage, as it becomes known as Maritime Belfast Trust.

or over 10 years the charity has been building a commitment and responsibility for Belfast’s internationally renowned maritime heritage. Maritime Belfast Trust will broaden its remit to help deliver Belfast’s waterfront as a vibrant, accessible heritage destination and will work alongside key partners to support with the delivery of the city’s Covid-19 recovery plans. Set up to deliver the visitor attraction Titanic Belfast, Titanic Foundation’s other achievements include the restoration of the former Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices - now Titanic Hotel

Belfast, the acquisition of the SS Nomadic, and the relocation of The Great Light. As Maritime Belfast Trust their commitment and responsibility for these iconic maritime assets will remain unchanged as they build on the importance of Belfast’s maritime heritage for the city and its people. With the recent challenges presented by Covid-19, the work of Maritime Belfast Trust will be vital in supporting Belfast’s recovery. In conjunction with strategic partners including Belfast Harbour and Belfast City Council, the charity’s plans to help support Belfast’s Covid recovery strategy include the development of the Maritime Mile,

an exciting Blueway for the city, which represents one navigational mile of water and 10 kilometres of accessible, connected waterfront. Maritime Belfast Trust will focus on five key themes to enable it to deliver on its mission ‘to preserve and promote Belfast’s rich maritime heritage for the enjoyment of current and future generations and in doing so contribute to sustainable social and economic development’. The themes: Connect, Energise, Enrich, Influence, Thrive, will help with the delivery of Belfast’s waterfront as a vibrant, accessible heritage destination with a focus on the Maritime Mile. Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of Maritime Belfast Trust, said: “ This is a very exciting time in our history as Titanic Foundation Ltd becomes known as Maritime Belfast Trust. Over the past ten

years, it has been a privilege to work alongside our strategic partners, funders as well as the many local communities and volunteers as we delivered a range of significant projects that have helped to shape, transform and make accessible our amazing waterfront and maritime assets. We are very much looking forward to continuing to work with everyone as we look to the future to deliver, promote and protect Belfast’s magnificent maritime heritage; especially within the city’s Covid19 recovery plans, and ensure that Belfast’s historic waterfront plays an integral part of the Belfast experience; a destination that is alive with people and where businesses thrive.”

Eye on News

Stena Embla Joins Irish Sea Ferry Fleet Swedish ferry company Stena Line has officially taken ownership of its newest ferry, Stena Embla, following a handover ceremony in Weihai, China.

he vessel is the third of five new nextgeneration E-Flexer RoPax vessels that are being constructed at the CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard, as part of an extensive modernisation of the company’s fleet. It is the last of three new vessels due for the Irish Sea, which marks the end of a 7-year development programme totalling a £400m investment in new ferries and port infrastructure in the region. The vessel will now embark on a six-week journey to the UK and Ireland, where it will begin service in January 2021, joining its sister vessels, the other two new E-Flexer ferries built in Weihai, Stena Estrid and Stena Edda, which started in operation in earlier this year. Due to the pandemic the handover was a lower key affair than previous vessels with Stena Embla’s Senior Master Neil Whittaker, and his team, taking delivery in China. While Stena Line’s CEO Niclas Mårtensson joined remotely from the firm’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. “Today marks the end of 7 years hard work,” said the company’s COO Peter Arvidsson, “so we are delighted to take ownership of the third new ship on

schedule. With the new crew in place they can start the long journey to the Irish Sea, where Stena Embla will begin serving customers in the UK and Ireland.” Niclas Mårtensson said the delivery of Stena Embla marks the end of a very difficult year for the firm: “Taking ownership of Stena Embla is a major milestone for Stena Line, as we look forward to better times ahead,” said Mr Mårtensson “While delivery of the vessel marks the end of a very tough period for us, it also marks the completion of a very significant investment in our Irish Sea operations. It reflects our strong support for the region that will see three of the world’s most modern ferries operating between Britain and Ireland. We recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the relocation of our Northern Ireland operations to Belfast and 25 years since we commenced the Holyhead to Dublin route. Our three new ferries in the region are a sign of our strong commitment to another 25 years on the Irish Sea,” he added. The new Stena Line E-Flexer ships are amongst the most advanced and fuel-efficient vessels in operation and are much larger than today’s standard RoPax vessels (*details below). At 215 metres in length, Stena Embla

will provide freight capacity of 3,100 lane metres, meaning a 40% increase in freight tonnage, and the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers and crew. The remaining two E-Flexer vessels under construction in China are even larger versions with a total length of 240 metres. The destination of the as-yet-un-named ferries has not yet been revealed.

Free online training for young people in screen industry Young people are being encouraged to consider careers in the screen industry as 2021 looks set to be massive for the film and television industry in Northern Ireland.

ilm set designer Shane Bunting, who is celebrating 30 years in the screen industry, said there are an increasing number of opportunities for exciting careers in this vibrant growing sector. Mr Bunting is one of a number of industry professionals offering free online specialist training through the ScreenWorks platform funded by NI Screen and run by education charity Into Film. Now as part of ScreenWorks Online he’s sharing the knowledge he’s learned on an endless list of film and television projects. “ScreenWorks has been invaluable in making young people aware of the wide variety of jobs that are needed on a film set. When most people think of a film set, they think of jobs like director, actor or cameraman but there’s a huge range of skilled jobs like painters, plasterers,

graphic designers, costume makers, food stylists, caterers and many more,” he said. Shane originally trained in furniture design at Art College before going off to travel and teach. When he returned home in 1990, he applied for a job in BBC’s design department and worked there for eight months before going freelance. “I love furniture design and what I’m doing now is really designing sets in 3D,” he explained. The process involves meeting the production team to get the brief and reading the script. He then creates a 3D model that helps the film makers understand what the final set will look like. A construction team will then take his plans and build the set on site. Shane is currently working on a number of projects including Paddy Raff’s Christmas Special and the CBBC show Almost Never.

Shane (left) is pictured with Sean Boyle, Into Film’s ScreenWorks Delivery Co-ordinator.

“I love this job for the variety; One week you could be designing a set for a battle scene and the next working on Proms in the Park. There’s always a new challenge and that’s what I love,” he said. He has recorded a special 35 minute video tutorial for ScreenWorks Online, aimed at young people aged 14-19 keen to learn about the exciting career opportunities here in Northern Ireland. ScreenWorks Online co-ordinator

Sean Boyle said: “The young people have responded so enthusiastically to the Set Design unit and the quality of the projects that they’ve submitted for Shane to review has been extraordinary. It shows the wealth of talent out there that we can bring into the industry over the coming years.” ScreenWorks Online is being hosted on Into Film’s new learning platform at www.intofilm.org/screenworksonline.

Eye on Infrastructure

NI Water A Climate Emergency Game Changer NI Water’s immediate focus continues to be on securing adequate funding to allow critical investment in its water and wastewater infrastructure; the issues around constraints to residential and commercial development connecting to the wastewater network are well documented, but CEO Sara Venning is also determined to harness the huge and largely unseen potential for NI Water to help address the climate crisis. Northern Ireland, NI Water has stretching goals to switch to 100% renewable electricity for its own day to day operations by 2027, but Sara also believes that the company is ideally placed to play a pivotal role in enabling Northern Ireland to significantly reduce harmful CO2 emissions. Could NI Water really be an important building block in Northern Ireland’s Road Map to Net Zero? To see the opportunity requires us to view NI Water through a different lens. Sara outlines some of the opportunities:

Generation and supply of more Renewable Energy

Sara Venning, CEO NI Water

ara, comments, “Everyone is thinking and talking about the Climate Emergency. Now people want to see more happening to address the threat.” Most people do not know that NI Water is Northern Ireland’s second biggest landowner with some 11k hectares. As the largest electricity consumer in

Sara explains, “Northern Ireland needs to double the amount of renewable electricity generated, especially as we all make the switch to low carbon solutions such as electric vehicles. NI Water can help by opening up our land to work with investment partners in solar and wind generation thereby helping Northern Ireland reduce its requirement for fossil fuel power. We’re already talking to key stakeholders such as the electricity System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI), NIE Networks and major players in the Renewables Development Industry.”

Generating more green electricity is just the start. Northern Ireland’s electricity system will need to change in other ways as well. For example, there will be a need to address the increasing levels of intermittency that will accompany an expansion in renewables. This can be done by strategically deploying large scale batteries across the province. The locations selected will need to have major electricity grid connections. These are hard to obtain and expensive to create but the good news is that NI Water already owns over 3,000 widely distributed grid connected sites.

Dunore Solar farm

Sara can see how new thinking could enable NI Water help both water and electricity customers to keep their costs down. “Our major sites could be used to deploy batteries. The income from their operation would not only help to reduce the costs for water services but also ensure that electricity customers will not have to pay an energy company to replicate these existing assets. Electricity and water customers are the same people and might be asking themselves why they should have to pay twice for the same assets.”

Hydrogen is a Real Game Changer But the opportunities for NI Water and indeed Northern Ireland don’t end there, Sara goes on to set out the thinking behind what could be a real game changer in addressing the Climate Emergency. “We know that NI Water’s assets are well placed to enable Northern Ireland’s switch to increased renewable generation of electricity, but there may be even bigger opportunities in oxygen and hydrogen.” Oxygen is needed to treat wastewater. NI Water’s research has established that beyond Europe, in particular in the USA, the use of elevated levels of oxygen at a Wastewater Treatment Works can substantially reduce the large amounts of electricity consumed as well as increasing processing capacity.

Eye on Infrastructure One way to provide the oxygen is to use an on-site electrolyser. Electrolysis splits water into oxygen and hydrogen and it is hydrogen that has even bigger potential for Northern Ireland to decarbonise. Sara believes green hydrogen could not only be the key to keeping the costs of electricity down but also in helping Northern Ireland to decarbonise transport. “We need to find a way to store the energy that could be generated at night by wind because it is just too expensive to waste. We could do this by converting this surplus electricity into green hydrogen by using our existing large grid connections at major wastewater sites to run electrolysers and then use the hydrogen produced to help to decarbonise NI Water’s vehicle fleet and those of others. In fact, we could open Northern Ireland’s first ‘Green Fuel Station Network’ to help kick-start the hydrogen economy. It may not be the long term answer but given that NI Water’s major works sit alongside all our major towns it just might be the key to getting us going.” Unlike cars, heavy goods vehicles such as the trucks and the buses that need to travel long distances, are likely to be well suited to hydrogen. Sara explains, “We are reaching out to others with large vehicle fleets to see if they are interested in working with us. The response has been fantastic. Belfast City Council, the Belfast Trust and importantly Translink who are leaders in the adoption of hydrogen in transport have all responded positively.” NI Water are currently deploying a small-scale electrolyser as part of a pilot that will inform the bigger test project for which £5m of funding from the Department for the Economy (DfE) has been secured. This 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. In announcing this funding Economy Minister, Diane Dodds, stated, “Hydrogen will become an increasingly important part of our future and there is a real opportunity for NI Water to lead

the way in the public sector. It is a truly ground breaking project that has the potential to completely change how we think about and use energy.”

And there’s more NI Water is also perfectly placed to help address other aspects of the climate emergency. As the second biggest landowner in Northern Ireland, much of which is used to manage water catchment areas, the company has set itself the ambition to plant 1 million trees over the next ten years to capture carbon, improve water quality, mitigate flooding and enhance biodiversity. Sara says, “We have not carried out the detailed surveys of our land and worked out all of legal constraints that may be faced in existing leases to know for certain that we can do this but that has not stopped us setting out our ambition. Sometimes in life you just have to stretch and try your best to find a way.” Sara concludes, “NI Water’s purpose is to deliver high quality water services for our customers that represent great value. What drives all of us at NI Water is being world class at delivering them. This is and will remain our passion but we also recognise the Climate Emergency threat. NI Water is owned by all of the people in Northern Ireland, we operate

Electrolyser as part of a pilot

it for our collective benefit so harnessing NI Water’s assets to help address the Climate Emergency makes absolute sense to us. We have made

a start. By working together across society, I am convinced that we can take huge strides.” “NI Water; Delivering What Matters.”

Silent Valley

Eye on News

Enjoy A Wee Taste Of Belfast From The Comfort Of Your Own Home This Christmas

Taste & Tour, the events company behind Belfast’s ever-popular food and drink tours, has pivoted to introduce its awardwinning concept in an at-home delivery format.

tarting at just £50, Belfast Food Tour in a Box, is a specially-curated selection of Belfast’s best-loved local produce, offering foodies the opportunity to experience a taste of the multiaward winning Belfast Food Tour in the comfort of their own home or to share with a fellow foodie as a thoughtful gift experience this Christmas. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taste & Tour’s portfolio of food and drink tours, which typically visit restaurants, bars and hotels across the City, have been postponed. As a result, it has innovated to create alternative immersive experiences that deliver on the same discovery, craic and comfort foodies have come to love about Taste & Tour. Each Belfast Food Tour in a Box is beautifully wrapped and includes Taste & Tour’s fantastic facts about each of the suppliers and products. Experiences include: THE WEE ONE - £50.00 With just the right

amount for one hungry foodie, this box experience includes local charcuterie,

cold-pressed rapeseed oil, hand-rolled butter, artisan chocolate, organic smoked salmon, two kinds of local cheese with fancy crackers and chutney, as well as Armagh apple juice. For a supplement of £10 this box can also include local beer, local cider and a miniature 5cl bottle of local gin with mixer and garnish. THE INBETWEEN ONE £80.00 A bountiful box packed with plenty, this size is ideal for two and includes local charcuterie, cold-pressed infused rapeseed oils, hand-rolled butter, artisan chocolate, two types of local cheeses with fancy crackers, organic smoked salmon, Armagh apple juice, a local beer, a local cider and a standard size 70cl bottle of local gin with tonic water and garnish. Orders to the Republic of Ireland cannot include alcohol and so will be subsidised with additional food produce. THE BIG’UN - £100.00 A full-on feast, this box includes an almost endless supply of local charcuterie, cold-pressed infused rapeseed oils, hand-rolled butter, handmade boozy chocolates, hot chocolate mix, a selection of three local cheeses with fancy crackers and chutney, organic smoked salmon, Armagh apple juice, two local beers, a local cider and a standard size 70cl bottle of local gin with premium tonic water and a garnish. Orders to the Republic of Ireland cannot include alcohol and so will be subsidised with additional food produce.

Co-founder of Taste & Tour, Phil Ervine, said: “Whilst there are restrictions in place we aren’t able to tour, however we still want to be able to offer a taste of the Belfast Food Tour for people at during the festive season. We can’t wait to return to hopefully return to some form of normality as soon as possible, but in the meantime we have had to pivot, just like many other businesses, into the online and delivery sector. “Christmas is usually a strong season for us with corporate and group tours and it’s as important to us, as ever, that people still have viable celebration options to mark the season together without having to scrimp on quality or safety. Caroline Wilson, Co-Founder of Taste & Tour said: “With that driving our vision, we created our Belfast Food Tour In A Box concept. The experience offers recipients a chance to discover a taste of the Belfast Food Tour – in this instance from the comfort of their own home with a few friends – and we can still connect with and support our network of suppliers. As a company, we’re driven by our passion for sharing local produce and talent and we’re thrilled that we’ve found a way to continue to bring a taste of Belfast to foodies across the island. “Everyone likes to splurge a little at Christmas time on premium quality goods they may not buy every week and our boxes offer people the chance to do just that but in a convenient and affordable way.” Taste & Tour’s Belfast Food Tour In A Box options are available to purchase online now with prices starting from just £50.00. For more information, visit tasteandtour.co.uk.

Eye onTax

Eye on Tax

Changes on the tax horizon in 2021 Leontia Doran, UK Tax Specialist with Chartered Accountants Ireland, looks at what’s on the UK tax agenda in the coming twelve months

As unprecedented as 2020 has been, 2021 will be another year of significant change in UK tax. As we move into January, the Brexit transition period will have ended, heralding an unfamiliar operating environment for most of us.

n the Brexit front, businesses should consider how the imminent changes will impact them and prepare immediately. Practical measures include registering online with HMRC for an EORI number; signing up for the trader support service; checking with suppliers and logistics providers about the continuity of goods and services; classifying the business’ import and export goods for customs duties; and deciding whether you need to engage a customs agent, or do you have sufficient experience and knowledge to complete customs declarations in-house. Filing deadlines The end of January brings the 2019/20 self-assessment (“SA”) filing deadline. At the time of writing, taxpayers and agents must still file 2019/20 SA returns by 31 January 2021, however HMRC will consider COVID-19 as a reasonable excuse for missing some tax obligations (such as payments or filing dates), with an explanation of how you were affected and an undertaking to make the return or payment as soon as possible. Many taxpayers deferred their second 2019/2020 payment on account due on 31 July 2020 until 31 January 2021. Any taxpayer unable to make full payment of tax due (which includes the deferred second payment on account, the balance due for 2019/20 and the first payment on account for 2020/21) may be able to set up a Time to Pay (“TTP”) payment plan online of up to 12 months. Taxpayers with SA tax debts up to

£30,000 who need extra time to pay can access the enhanced TTP facility and can get automatic and immediate approval. Those with SA debts over £30,000, or who need longer than 12 months to repay, may still be able to set up a TTP arrangement but will need to contact HMRC to set it up. HMRC are making it clear however that only taxpayers unable to pay their liability in full due to the pandemic can defer 2019/20 SA payments. VAT changes Turning our attention to the construction sector, from 1 March 2021, the domestic VAT reverse charge is expected to come into operation. This new measure must be used for most supplies of building and construction services and applies to standard and reduced-rate VAT services: t GPS JOEJWJEVBMT PS CVTJOFTTFT registered for UK VAT, t SFQPSUFE XJUIJO UIF $POTUSVDUJPO Industry Scheme. If the VAT reverse charge does not apply, then normal VAT rules continue to apply. Under the new rules, the customer (not the supplier) within the construction industry receiving the supply of construction services pays the relevant output VAT to HMRC rather than paying it to the supplier. The customer then reclaims the relevant amount on their VAT return via the reverse charge mechanism. Businesses who deferred VAT payable to HMRC to 30 June 2020

due to the pandemic are required to pay this liability in full on or before 31 March 2021. However, businesses have the option to further defer by paying the amount due in 11 monthly payments to the end of March 2022. The reduced rates of stamp duty land tax for residential properties, the 5 per cent VAT rate for the hospitality sector and the job retention and selfemployed income support schemes are also scheduled to end on 31 March 2021. Budget 2021 will either confirm these cliff edges or introduce new supports in their stead. IR 35 private sector rules Delayed since 1 April 2020, the offpayroll working rules or “IR35” are extended to the private sector from 6 April 2021. From this date, medium or large-sized private sector clients will be responsible for deciding the employment status of contractors which means paying tax and NIC as if they are an employee instead of a contractor where the IR35 rules apply. Broadly, an exemption from these rules is available if the private sector business has annual turnover of less than £10.2 million; balance sheet

assets of less than £5.1 million; and fewer than 50 employees. Businesses should begin the process of assessing the impact of this change by examining their contractual relationships, including those directly with personal service companies, or, with agencies or other service providers. The future Finally, turning to HMRC’s long running project Making Tax Digital (“MTD”). In July 2020, the UK Government published its vision for tax administration in “Building a trusted, modern tax administration system.” The MTD project will be extended to VAT to VAT-registered businesses with turnover below the £85,000 VAT registration threshold from April 2022. MTD for income tax will commence for selfemployed businesses and landlords with income over £10,000 from April 2023. HMRC is also consulting on MTD for corporation tax. This consultation will close on 5 March 2021. Whatever the future holds for 2021, one thing is for sure, tax is as important a consideration for businesses as it has ever been.

Eye on Family Business

COVID-19 crisis an opportunity for next generation in NIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family businesses to make their mark particularly those operating in tourism, retail and food service. All of these sectors rely heavily on cash flow for survival and as such have taken the brunt of the burden of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Ian Kelsall added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Despite their reputation for resilience, optimism and agility, most family businesses have been under significant pressure to respond to the general health, safety, and welfare challenges introduced by the pandemic, along with the operational disruptions to their business. Family businesses possess unique characteristics that may position them to thrive as we emerge from the pandemic and enable them to play a significant role in the recovery of the economy. However, in order to do that they need support. This series aims to provide family businesses with insights and actions that they can take now, so that they emerge from this crisis ready to thrive.â&#x20AC;?

Family businesses will be key to the Northern Ireland economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis could be an opportunity for younger family members in many businesses to make their mark, according to a new report by Deloitte.

s part of its Resilient Family Enterprise Series Deloitte is sharing the insights of its family enterprise consultants from around the world, taking a deeper dive into the issues unique to family businesses, the challenges and opportunities these present amidst the COVID-19 crisis, and how business owners can address these issues to recover and thrive. Deloitte believes that while family owned businesses will be some of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, these businesses will also be an essential driver for lifting Northern Ireland out of recession next year. In particular, Deloitte highlights that the crisis could be an opportunity for the next generation in family businesses to prove themselves by actively engaging

in the business when resources are scarce, to be a valuable sounding board and a source of fresh ideas. As digital natives, their active engagement could be the difference between success and failure, the research says. Ian Kelsall, partner at Deloitte in Belfast, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that many family-owned businesses of all sizes have had a difficult year because of the chaos caused by coronavirus. But it could also be the moment for the next generation of people in family businesses to step forward and make their mark with innovative thinking that takes the pressure off the founder. We have already seen many examples of this in companies which have pivoted and changed business models in response to Covid-19.â&#x20AC;? A recent Deloitte global family

business survey found that successful family businesses tend to have one quality in common: a sense of purpose beyond being profitable, which is passed down to the next generation. This sense of purpose has been evident throughout the pandemic crisis with numerous reports of family businesses nimbly adapting their operations and production lines, and redeploying staff to support the relief effortsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; from the mass production of personal protective equipment (PPE), to offering accommodation for healthcare and other key workers. These inherent values and a solid organisational purpose will help secure loyalty far beyond the crisis. The SME sector is of huge importance to the Northern Irish economy, employing a large percentage of the workforce,

The following topics are being explored by Deloitte during the series: t 1VSQPTF BOE USVTU t 1PXFS BOE QFSGPSNBODF The role of governance t #FZPOE CVTJOFTT 1IJMBOUISPQZ and strategic investing t 5IF QPTU $PWJE XPSLQMBDF t :PVS GBNJMZ CVTJOFTT 1MBOOJOH with a 100-year horizon t 8FMMCFJOH BOE IFBMUI 5IF FOUFSQSJTF the family and the individual t 8IBU T OFYU GPS GBNJMZ CVTJOFTTFT

More information on the Resilient Family Business Series can be found at www.deloitte.com/ie

Eye on Tax

BDO Tax Outlook By Maybeth Shaw, Partner BDO Northern Ireland

Operating a business during what we would deem ‘normal times’ can be challenging enough, add to this a global pandemic and the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit and you have a myriad of complexities in which to navigate.

ou would be forgiven for thinking that these challenges were enough for any business to contend with. Decisions for companies around growth, investment, recruitment and operating costs have taken on a whole new level of detail that comes with such unprecedented challenges. Add to the mix the need for businesses to adapt to the everchanging compliance environment in which they operate, and we start to see the benefits that come with proactive planning and understanding the regulatory environment that legalises your business. To look at this in more depth, the BDO network commenced global research into the regulatory and technological challenges specifically facing the business of tax and how this is impacting on

businesses right across industries. Set within the immediate pandemic, yet with a focus on the regulatory environment – the research allowed participants a unique opportunity to benchmark their business and the function of tax, against similar businesses, locally and internationally. While the global findings are interesting, a look at the regional results highlights just how difficult the tax environment has become and the risk businesses face if they do not meet the growing tax obligations. It has been a challenging period for the business community and although this has led many to rethink their investment plans it has led others to reevaluate their circumstances. Whatever decisions are made there will be tax implications. While some of these have been expediated due to Brexit and Covid-19, many

of these have been evolving for several years and businesses have been to an extent grappling with what it means for their operations. Organisations anticipate continued change in the domestic and global tax landscape with high degrees of uncertainty in national and international tax legislation and regulation. Compliance and adjusting to tax reform or new regulations dominate the tax agenda and for many companies the process of integrating tax into their strategic decision making has become a priority for the first time. Businesses need to ensure they adapt and continue to comply with any new legislation introduced. This can make it difficult for companies to manage their internal structures which are expected to evolve with the changing tax environment. Staying compliant was noted as the number one tax issue across regions with managing and avoiding potential tax disputes the second most significant tax issue. There is increased demand on organisations to submit more detailed tax information which puts further pressure on businesses who are dealing with administrative fatigue. These new expectations on businesses come as a result of additional and changing compliance and regulations, closer scrutiny, the changed public perceptions of tax planning and greater need for transparency. The challenges, and opportunities, of a remote workforce, augmented by Covid-19 and the accelerating pace of digital change means that different approaches to compliance, governance and regulation must be considered. Performing a risk assessment is vital in ensuring appropriate procedures are in

place to prevent tax non-compliance. Furthermore, evaluating the potential impact Brexit will have on your business could be the difference between success and failure. The main issue for local businesses will undoubtedly be around trading post transition, and, on trade between NI and ROI as well as NI and the rest of the UK. It is therefore unsurprising that many local businesses continue to be concerned about customs and VAT compliance as we approach the end of the transition period. The changes to both are complex and will take time to understand the implications and compliance requirements. Expert advice and guidance in these areas is vital to ensuring businesses get off to the best start when details of these arrangements become clearer. The recent pandemic conditions have forced companies to focus their attention on preserving cash and taking advantage of legislative opportunities – whether they be Covid-19 tax reliefs or other financial incentives. This, for many businesses, is the first time that tax has played a pivotal role in the strategic direction of their company. For many businesses there is a fine balancing act between managing ongoing costs and risks of compliance while trying to add greater value to their business in the most uncertain of times. Having an integrated discussion with tax professionals and business leaders has never been more important.

Maybeth and her expert team at BDO are here to discuss any tax query you may have. Contact them today on 02890439009

Eye on Tax

Northern Irish businesses at risk from HMRC move to preferential status as RSM calls for delay to change

RSM has called on the Chancellor to urgently consider a twelve-month delay to the introduction of HMRC’s preferential creditor status.

his change, due to come into effect on 1 December 2020, will have the dual effect of limiting funding and restructuring options for businesses in Northern Ireland, which RSM believe could undermine the current rescue culture and directly lead to business failures and further job losses. From the 1 December, HMRC will benefit from a priority preference which means that in any form of insolvency process, it will rank ahead of other creditors, notably funders and trade suppliers. With the current level of HMRC arrears owed by many companies, RSM is concerned that prioritising HMRC’s position will limit the funding and restructuring options available, undermine the current rescue culture, and lead to an

increase in corporate failures, with the net receipts to HMRC being substantially reduced in both the short and medium term. In an open letter to the Right Honourable Rishi Sunak MP, the leading restructuring advisory firm has highlighted the dire consequences of HMRC’s move and the risks to Northern Irish businesses, particularly SME’s. A delay in implementing this legislation will allow businesses more time to put in place restructuring and funding facilities, thereby enabling them to survive and contribute to the UK’s economic recovery, says RSM. The alternatives will be more insolvencies and administrations with higher job and financial losses. RSM has successfully used Company Voluntary Arrangements

(CVAs), combined with the injection of new funding, as a tool to successfully restructure businesses. Over the past 3 months they have worked on 8 transactions which have saved over 2,000 jobs and preserved over £50m of investment. The success of these processes has been driven by all stakeholders committing to collective compromises. David Agnew, director at RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP, comments: ‘SME businesses, which form the backbone of the Northern Ireland economy, rely on leveraging their assets to secure finance. Given the challenging trading situation and the losses brought about by lockdown, businesses might need to seek new finance or refinance. This may no longer be an option as HMRC’s planned preferential creditor status could severely limit their access to finance. Owner managed businesses rely on banks, assetbased lenders and their own limited personal resources and guarantees to stay afloat. As a direct result of

the government’s proposed change, many will be reluctant or simply unable to raise finance. This move may push them over the edge into a formal insolvency process, resulting in job losses and business closures. The manufacturing, construction and wholesale industries in Northern Ireland will be hard hit by this move, which comes at a time when there is already significant uncertainly for local businesses as a result of the ongoing Brexit negotiations and in particular the future trading arrangements with the rest of Great Britain. David Agnew continued: ‘The Chancellor’s assistance to date through the Covid 19 pandemic are to be commended, however HMRC’s proposed preferential creditor status needs to be urgently revisited. Whilst at face value it appears to be a good news story for the taxpayer in reality it is not and will lead to a restriction in the availability of liquidity for some businesses as lenders factor in HMRC’s priority.

Eye on Brexit

2020: Covid-19, Brexit, and a new US President â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next and are you ready? From 1 January 2021 a new VAT regime and a new Customs regime will exist in Northern Ireland (NI), irrespective of the outcome of any trade deal between the UK and the EU.

he full extent of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is yet to be seen and Northern Ireland remains one of the poorest performing regions in the UK in terms of GDP output but recent data shows that the NI private sector saw growth in Q3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; albeit this was accompanied by a reduction in new orders and exports, a fall in employment and continued uncertainty over Brexit. The challenge remains as tough as ever â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how do businesses show resilience, prepare for recovery and â&#x20AC;&#x153;nextâ&#x20AC;? JO B QPTU QBOEFNJD &6 FYJUFE OFX XPSME The pandemic has prompted a re-shaping and shift for many businesses from the daily routine to a need to take a strategic look forward with particular focus on the funding and finances available as this may impact on the businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to respond, recover and re-boot. For many Northern Ireland businesses, the disruption and upheaval caused by the pandemic has resulted in Brexit planning being put â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;on iceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as efforts and resources have understandably needed to be deployed elsewhere to react to the crisis. However, the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020 fast approaches and irrespective of whether a deal is reached, this will still result in fundamental changes in how business is conducted from 1 January 2021. There are still a number of unknowns with both the pandemic and Brexit and it is vitally important that NI businesses not only keep abreast of the latest developments but also that they plan and be as prepared as possible so that they can respond to the uncertainty and challenges ahead. To do this there are several key considerations for businesses:

increased timeframes for annual reporting and payment of VAT/business rates, but there will be significant changes for businesses, particularly in relation to trade and operations post Brexit, and it is important that businesses understand and comply with changes in the regulatory landscape to avoid penalties, fines or possible business interruption; 3 Examine the supply chain and speak to customers

and suppliers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this will identify where issues, costs or delays may arise and identify how these may be mitigated by realigning and reducing the cost base where possible; 4 Identify and avail of financial assistance available

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are a number of financial support mechanisms available for businesses in relation to both Covid-19 and preparing for Brexit. The Department of Finance recently announced an additional ÂŁ200 million Covid-19 business support package for NI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this includes specific support for businesses most impacted by trading restrictions including leisure, retail, hospital and importantly, new support for company directors and others who have not previously been eligible for financial support. In relation to Brexit there is Intertrade Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brexit Planning Voucher and Invest NIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brexit Preparation Grant. The support available is continuously changing as the pandemic evolves and Brexit inches closer and it is important that businesses avail of these assistance packages before they are withdrawn; 5 Focus on flexibility and the operating model â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

1 Take a revised look at where you are at and your

long term strategy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this â&#x20AC;&#x153;business health-checkâ&#x20AC;? should cover finances, talent/human resources, logistics and technology â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where is the business now and does it have the required resources to get it where it needs/wants to be going forward; 2 Understand the regulatory/legal requirements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the

pandemic has, and Brexit will, alter the economic, regulatory and societal environment in which businesses operate. Regulators have acted swiftly to try and relieve pressure on businesses, with

many organisations will have to identify ways of building agility and resilience into their businesses as this will ensure that any long term effects of Covid-19, such as a slow recovery in the wider economy, or disruption as a result of changes in trade agreements, are minimised; 6 Implement a longer term strategy and effective

leadership â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the unexpected and unwelcomed interruption of both Covid-19 and continued Brexit uncertainty has pushed many businesses to place strategy and leadership as central pillars

Adrian Patton, Director, ASM Chartered Accountants

in order to minimise business interruption and deliver success over the longer term. With many businesses today facing greater uncertainty and more disruptive factors than ever before, a clear strategy and strong leadership can assist in addressing risk and future challenges which in turn can result in preservation of profits, retention of customers, smooth transformation of processes and adoption of new technology. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Normalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;business as usualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; may be on the horizon and most businesses donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be reinvented but some need to explore fundamental questions about their future in order to deliver on the journey to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nextâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Adrian Patton is a Director at ASM Chartered Accountants and is an experienced business advisor. If you require a business health check, advice on the financial support available to your business or assistance in preparing a business plan to prepare for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nextâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; please do not hesitate to contact Adrian on 02890 249 222 or adrian.patton@ asmbelfast.com. If you have any queries in relation to how Brexit may impact your business, please contact Adrian or Richard Blakeman (Richard.blakeman@ asmbelfast.com). ASMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Covid-19 support hub and Brexit guidance can be found at www.asmaccountants.com. ASM have offices in Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk, Dungannon, Magherafelt and Newry.

Eye on Innovation

Northern Ireland’s Own Watch Company Opens Client Showroom Enoken, the Northern Ireland-based watch company, has opened its own showroom and customer centre at its Stranmillis base in Belfast.

he unit provides a customer-centred workshop in which clients can choose the individual components to make up a bespoke wristwatch which can then be assembled by Enoksen technicians and completed on site. “We’re a small company with an eye to personal customer service and we’ve been very successful in the online sales of our bespoke watches through our ecommerce site. But I still believe that many people living within reach of Belfast will want to touch and feel the items before buying,” says company founder Hans Enoksen, a Dane who has made Belfast his home. Enoksen’s watches are made from Seiko movements from Japan combined with high-quality German cases. Branding is deliberately low-key. Each watch is made from a selection of Japanese-made movements and all are made with Sapphire crystals and are water resistant to at least 100 metres. To date, Enoksen watches have been sold to customers in 60 countries around the world. “I think the time has come to move towards a more utalitarian and modest appearance but in watches of a quality that will match any of the best watch brands in the world,” says Enoksen. “Our watches reflect a lessis-more approach and the reaction from buyers has exceeded all our hopes.” The new Enoksen showroom is housed in the company’s premises at the junction of Lockview Road and Stranmillis Embankment and operates on an appointment only basis.

www.enoksenwatches.com

Eye on News

Barclay Communications Donates £20,000 To Lapland Charity Britt Megahey of Barclay Communications with Gerry Kelly, President of the NI Children To Lapland charity.

A Northern Ireland businessman has donated £20,000 to fund a festive initiative for those living with life limiting and lifethreatening conditions.

ritt Megahey, Founder and Managing Director of Belfast headquartered Barclay Communications, was moved when he read recent local press articles about the Northern Ireland Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust’s decision to cancel its annual flight to see Santa in Rovaniemi, the official hometown of Santa Claus on the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Finland, because of Covid-19. The charity, which has taken over 1200 ill and vulnerable NI children to Lapland over the past 12 years, vowed to ‘keep the magic alive’ this Christmas despite the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, it decided to swap air miles for groundwork replacing its traditional annual flight to Lapland to visit the Big Man himself, with a new, temporary initiative called “Three Steps To Christmas’”. The campaign has called on local health trusts to nominate 100 very special terminally ill, life-limited or deserving children from all over Northern Ireland to receive some extra special Christmas presents from the charity while their siblings can join in the festivities as they too receive a smaller gift. Each child will receive gifts to the value of £200,

chosen by his or her parents, as well as a detailed and touching personal letter from Santa. This will be followed up by a video greeting from the man himself, from his home in Lapland, with his trusty elves, huskies and reindeer by his side. The chosen gifts will be delivered right to each child’s doorstep, just before Christmas and, if Covid regulations allow, some of Santa’s elves will be there to help with the deliveries. Learning of the project, Britt Megahey was so moved he decided to fund the entire initiative to support the charity’s tireless work. Britt said: “Barclay Communications has been at the forefront of business-to-business mobile, hosted and fixed-line telecoms for more than 20 years. As a telecommunications firm we have seen a significant increase in the uptake of our products and services due to the increasing demand for remote working, however our growth has been bittersweet. While we have welcomed new business, we have been well aware that other sectors are struggling, with charities taking a massive hit. “We have always admired the work that the Northern Ireland Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust does and to hear they couldn’t fulfil their annual commitment of taking more than 100 vulnerable children to Lapland and how their hard efforts to raise funds had been met with many challenges, we wanted to do what we could to help. “Children have been impacted drastically by the Covid-19 pandemic. Their social and sporting activities have been halted, they lost months of education and for those children with vulnerabilities

their lives have taken a greater hit and we feel we have an obligation to give back to those who need it most and at a time when children should be enjoying what should be the most magical time of the year.” Northern Ireland Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust’s (NICLT) Chair Colin Barkley, said: “It’s hard to believe that our hopes and dreams at the turn of this new decade have been put on hold due to circumstances that no-one could have ever predicted and as Covid-19 played havoc with how we work, live and play, we at the Northern Ireland Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust were regrettably forced to make tough decisions that have seen us postpone many of our much-loved annual events. “While these are difficult and unprecedented times, we can’t and won’t allow the magic of Christmas to be diminished for these wonderful children which is why we created the Three Steps to Christmas campaign. To have that funded by Barclay Communications is a real gift for us because, like all charities our fundraising efforts have been restricted. “This generous donation from Britt Megahey will fund those 100 gifts that will go to some of Northern Ireland’s most special children. It will allow us to bring the magic of Christmas to these children without the pressure of wondering how we will fund our next endeavour. “We want to thank Barclay Communications for giving these children the magic of Christmas during one of the toughest years we have experienced in our living history and we can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces.”

TechEye