Business Eye December 2016

Issue 165 December 2016 ÂŁ2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Crowne Plaza Belfast joins Andras House hotel line-up Features: 12

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Mount Charles - New Era For Home-Grown Group

STRAIGHT TO BUSINESS Up to 40 flights a day around the UK from Belfast City. flybe.com

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Bright Future for Advanced Manufacturing

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10th Anniversary UTV Business Eye Awards

T i Ta n i c v e n u e s B e l fa s T

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CONTENTS

Dec 2016 ISSUE 165

Cover Story

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Rajesh Rana & Andras House Bring Crowne Plaza To Belfast

Specials

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Seeing business as it really is...

Ten students from The Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) recently undertook a bespoke commerce week visiting 13 high profile businesses, to experience the challenge, buzz, dynamism and energy of the workplace for themselves.

For Rajesh Rana, the re-branding of his company’s flagship hotel as Belfast’s first Crowne Plaza marks a significant achievement. It brings one of the most sought after global hotel brands to the city for the first time and it delivers a major vote of confidence for family-owned Andras House, a growing company with interests spanning hotels, serviced apartments and city centre offices.

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Productivity... How Companies Can Raise Their Game

Catering & Facilities Management

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Mount Charles... New Era For Home-Grown Group

A report produced by the London School of Economics and supported by Vodafone says that companies all over the British Isles can raise their game on the productivity front by adopting a series of simple measures.

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Uncertainty Is The Name of the Game Frances Hill, the Bank of England’s Agent for Northern Ireland, reckons that the Central Bank can play an important role by laying the foundations for prosperity despite the ongoing uncertainties around Brexit.

Mount Charles Group these days is a multi-sector services operation with well over 2,000 employees at any one time. But it’s a company which remains family-owned and one which hasn’t forgotten its roots.

Chairman Trevor Annon and CEO Cathal Geoghegan talk about the group’s new headquarters and growth plans.

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Future Proofing Against the Effects of ‘Brump’

Business Awards

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The UTV Business Eye Awards 2016 In Association with Emirates

The need to professionalise the process of decisionmaking in business has never been so crucial in the wake of ‘Brump’, according to the Head of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in Ireland, Roger Acton.

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The Ancient Art Of Curing Makes A Comeback Curing meats to preserve them was a feature here in the past. Sam Butler reports on the farm innovators now reviving the long lost technique.

The 10th anniversary UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Emirates took place in late November at a brand new venue, Belfast Waterfront. A recordbreaking 700 guests attended a spectacular evening event to see awards presented on stage across 17 different categories. Highlights included Bill Wolsey lifting the Business Personality of the Year Award and Keystone Group being named as Company of the Year.

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Spilling The Beans On Coffee

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Advanced Manufacturing

Local company Wanted.Coffee has launched an online subscription club service to allow discerning coffee connoisseurs across the UK and Ireland to receive a micro-lot of coffee direct to their door every month.

Matrix Launches Major Manufacturing & Engineering Report MATRIX, the Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel, has launched a major report into the performance and future of the advanced manufacturing, materials and engineering sector here, with the key message that it has the potential to transform the local economy.

Regulars

Eye on Law

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Eye on Communications

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Eye on Giving

Eye on Banking

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Eye on Events

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Eye on Events

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Eye on Telecomms

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Eye on Technology

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Eye on Moving On

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Eye on Finance

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Eye on Interiors

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

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley

Business Development Manager Ciara Donnelly

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

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

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When there’s no political crisis here in Northern Ireland, the mainstream media doesn’t react very well.

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

Comment

“The odds are that Arlene Foster is strong enough to be able to sit this one out... until the next one comes along!”

Sponsored by

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rustrated hacks start to root around for potential stories linked in some way to politics and our politicians......the main source, after all, of most of their stories.

So Arlene Foster finds herself being pursued by a pack of media hounds at the moment. If they’re not slavering over Charter NI and its rather dubious leadership, they’re trying to haul the First Minister over the coals on the back of the Renewable Heat Initiative.

Now, to be fair, these are no small matters. In particular, the colossal waste of public money involved in the renewable heat scandal is scandalous by any measure.

And there’s no doubt that Arlene Foster was DETI Minister when the initiative in question was being implemented.

All in all, then, it’s all well worth a bit of an outcry.

Warnings should have been heeded, action should have been taken and all of this should have been avoided.

But is it worth the resignation of a highly capable First Minister? Is it worth the kind of political instability Northern Ireland would be plunged into as a result of that?

Of course it isn’t.

Arlene Foster might have been the Minister responsible at the time. But the work on the ill-fated energy scheme will have been done, in its entirety, by the civil servants at the old Department for Enteprise Trade & Industry.

Are the media calling for their resignation?

Are Mike Nesbitt and Colum Eastwood singing a duet to demand their heads on a platter? They’re not because it’s not much of a story, is it?

So let’s get this into perspective. It’s not big and it’s not clever, but it’s really not a scandal which merits the resignation of a First Minister. And the odds are that Arlene Foster is strong enough to be able to sit this one out.....until the next one comes along!

__________________________________________ They never let us down, do our two airports?

They’re always well worth a line or two.

On the run-up to Christmas, both airport chiefs have been in the news again. Graham Keddie, the less than reserved CEO up at Belfast International, didn’t just fire a shot across the bows of Tourism Ireland. He took a shot right into their bows, ‘suggesting’ that the all-Ireland tourism body didn’t do a lot for Northern Ireland.

It’s perhaps not coincidental that the outgoing Chairman of Tourism Ireland was none other than Keddie’s counterpart at Belfast City Airport, Brian Ambrose, and Ambrose naturally thought otherwise.

It’s not for us to take sides on this one. But Keddie does have a point. There has long been a lingering suspicion that Tourism Ireland tends to concentrate its efforts on the southern part of the island. It’s probably completely untrue, but it’s a suspicion nonetheless.

What’s more, there has long been a bit of confusion over how Tourism Ireland and the separate Tourism Northern Ireland are supposed to work together. If they do, that is.

Meanwhile, whoever is doing the spadework isn’t all that important. Tourism here is doing very nicely, thank you. But, as Gerry Lennon of Visit Belfast pointed out recently, it’s probably fair to say that we have a window of opportunity to make the most of the incoming tourist boom.

So let’s do it, and not get hung up on who does the marketing.

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Eye on News

Hospitality Student of the Year Competition Launched Following a successful pilot scheme last year, the six hospitality schools of Northern Ireland’s Colleges of Further Education are partnering with Bunzl McLaughlin and the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation to find the best hospitality students in Northern Ireland.

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he competition will recognise the best chef and the best front of house student. Janice Gault, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Hotels Federation explains: “The objective is to make this an annual event bringing industry and education together to recognise the best students in Northern Ireland. Last year the judging panel commented on the exceptional talent of the students taking part with great skill and passion evident on the day. Last year’s winner of the chef student of the year, Ed Astrauvis, was spotted by head judge Noel McMeel and has since joined the brigade at the award winning Lough Erne Resort where Noel is the executive chef.” Competition judge Chef McMeel said: “Winning the competition gave Ed the drive to achieve more and broaden his experience. He is taking on a

scholarship with Kempinski Hotels in China in the next week. Everyone at Lough Erne is so proud of him and will look forward to seeing him grow into an amazing chef.

Hopefully he will be back to take on a great role as Executive Chef in the future in Northern Ireland. Giving people a chance in life is what it’s all about. A great result all round!” This year’s competition will launch with an assessment day at Southern Regional College on 1st February.

The winners will be announced that evening at an awards dinner hosted by hotel industry ambassador, James McGinn. The evening will feature a specially designed menu by the staff and students at the college with a wine selection kindly supplied by Dillon Bass.

Further details are available by contacting office@nihf.co.uk

Hospitality Student of the Year Competition Launched: Following a successful pilot scheme last year, the six hospitality schools of Northern Ireland’s Colleges of Further Education are partnering with Bunzl McLaughlin and the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation to find the best hospitality students in Northern Ireland. Noel McMeel, Executive Chef, Lough Erne Resort (right) is pictured with last year’s winner, Ed Astrauvis (left).

EXPANSION AT SIMON BRIEN RESIDENTIAL Leading estate agency Simon Brien Residential has expanded its team for the second time in a year to meet growing demand for property in Northern Ireland.

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total of nine new recruits have joined the company including two new partners. A new management board of eight has also been appointed. The award winning agency which has offices in South Belfast, East Belfast and North Down has already sold over 1,200 houses this year alone with a value of £250 million and last month enjoyed its busiest month in a decade with 222 sales.

Since Simon Brien Residential rebranded from BTW Shiells Residential over two years ago, it has won

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numerous awards including Northern Ireland Agency of the Year at the prestigious Negotiator Awards and now currently employs 52 members of staff across its three branches.

Simon Brien who has been at the forefront of the Northern Ireland Residential property market for 33 years, and has sold over 24,000 houses in Northern Ireland, together with over £½ billion in land transactions, commented: “We have an exceptional professional team, which we are continuing to grow, and

Partners Samuel Dickey, Thomas O’Doherty and Simon Brien

with the confidence in the market and increase in new home sales, we’ve strengthened our management team who have a wealth of experience in every aspect of the residential property market in Northern Ireland.

“With confidence having returned to the housing market; the new homes market having seen a

resurgence in activity; house prices in Northern Ireland representing better value than most other areas of the UK; and the lowest mortgage interest rates in decades, there is a lot to be positive about in the Northern Ireland property market.”

For further information visit www.simonbrien.com

Eye on News

EUROPEAN HIGH NOTE FOR SELECTIVE TRAVEL Selective Travel Management, Northern Ireland’s largest independent travel management company, is bringing 2016 to a successful conclusion with the announcement of a major European Tender win valued at £5.5million.

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ollowing a Europeanwide tendering process, Selective Travel has been appointed to provide and manage the £5million travel budget on behalf of the University of York plus a further £500,000 budget for York St. John’s University.

Announcing the latest business win in what has been a recordbreaking year for his business, Keith Graham, Managing Director of Selective Travel Management, commented: “Competing and winning at a European level sets the seal on our achievements in 2016 and tees us up for further growth in the year to come.

We have long been recognised as one of this region’s largest independent travel agencies and we are now also one of the fastest growing companies in our sector in the UK, particularly respected for our specialist approach to providing managed

travel to Government, B2B, Charity/NGO divisions and, notably, Higher Education.

“The University of York is a member of the elite Russell Group of Universities, made up of twenty-four leading researched-based universities, of which Selective Travel already services seven. It is a dynamic, research-intensive university committed to the development of life-saving discoveries and new technologies which will tackle some of the most pressing global challenges, while York St John’s University is well known for its academic excellence, strong community spirit and magnificent campus. Competition to secure this prestigious tender was intense and we feel enormously privileged to be working with such internationally acclaimed institutions.”

As a result of securing this

recent contract Selective Travel has appointed a highly experienced and well established Account Manager for the region with a strong background in the sector and an insightful grasp of delivering the complex travel requirements of clients with internationally focused businesses.

Keith Graham concluded: “In the last year Selective Travel has experienced almost unprecedented new business growth. Corporate increase for the financial year saw a turnover growth of 42% taking our turnover for 2016 to £42million.

Gratifyingly, as new business wins have been generated we have also underpinned our corporate strength with a 100% client retention rate, reinforcing our position as an increasingly strong and influential player in the UK.”

INNOVATIVE COMPUTING SCIENCE RESOURCE TO REACH ALL NI PRIMARY SCHOOLS The Minister for the Department of Education, Peter Weir, has launched a new BT programme to help Northern Ireland primary school teachers bring computer science to life in the classroom.

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he Barefoot Computing Programme was established in 2014 with the original aim of helping primary school teachers in England get ready for the computer science element of a new computing curriculum. It was originally funded by the DfE and run by BCS in partnership with BT and CAS. BT took over the lead and funding

for the programme in 2015, with the continued support of BCS and CAS, and has been working to enable the resources and workshops to be available to all primary school teachers throughout the UK. The resources have been tailored to the Northern Ireland curriculum by Dr Irene Bell, Head of STEM at Stranmillis University College (Chairman of CAS NI).

Pictured at the launch of the Barefoot Computing Programme at Fane Street Primary School, Belfast, are the Minister for the Department of Education, Peter Weir, P2 pupil Nicole Chrapkowski and Mairead Meyer, Managing Director of Networks at BT in Northern Ireland.

The free resource, which is available to all primary schools in Northern Ireland, aims to equip teachers with the confidence, knowledge, skills and assets to teach computer science to pupils from 5-11 years old including SEN. Pupils use computational thinking in a fun and accessible way and the skills they develop can be used across

the curriculum to help improve their maths, science and literacy.

The Barefoot Computing downloadable resources and lesson plans are available for use by over 8000 teachers in Northern Ireland, who may not have specialist computing knowledge, to help them educate almost 170,000 primary school pupils in computer science.

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Eye on Entrepreneurs

Inspiring Entrepreneurship Lynsey Cunningham, Entrepreneur Development Manager, Ulster Bank

Lynsey Cunningham, Entrepreneur Development Manager at Ulster Bank; Lord Mayor of Belfast Brian Kingston, right, and John Ferris, centre, from Entrepreneurial Spark in Belfast pictured at the Opportunity Knocks business event which was hosted at St. George’s Market by Ulster Bank, Entrepreneurial Spark and Belfast City Council

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t’s a fair bet to say that most people associate business with competition and that for someone to win, someone else has to lose. Yet there’s evidence to suggest that economies that exhibit higher levels of collaboration also generate more wealth for the people who live in them.

It’s an approach that requires us to think differently about entrepreneurship and something I always bear in mind when I’m influencing the culture in our Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery.

Recently, in conjunction with Belfast City Council, we hosted Opportunity Knocks – a day-long event for local entrepreneurs, scale-up businesses and larger corporates to come together in St George’s Market to discuss issues ranging from accessing finance and sustainably growing your

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business through to managing the effect that macroeconomic trends can have here in NI. The energy was palpable and I was left enthused about the prospects for local entrepreneurship. There is a growing ecosystem that works together in a collaborative fashion to channel the right support, at the right time, to those starting new companies.

For those businesses that don’t suit Entrepreneurial Spark, we take the opportunity to refer them to the other great public and private accelerator programmes and support that exist. We’re proud of what we do, but we also know that we can’t cater to every need, and to try would distract us from what we can do really well for those in the Hatchery.

The benefits of this kind of lateral approach are clear to me – once you stop thinking of NI

plc as a ‘winner takes all’ game, it becomes easier to listen to your peers and to think about mutual benefits, deepening supply chain links and perhaps even taking your product design in a new direction.

When our entrepreneurs heard the stories of how others dealt with adversity, managed change and personalities, and accessed the finance needed to grow, it provided meaningful insight. All of these are all skills that young businesses need to be thinking about in order to thrive. Our mission is to build the people who build businesses, and it is through more context, learning and collaboration that we will do that – meaning that they have lots of resources and experiences, other than their own, to draw on when making finely balanced judgments.

We continue to look for new ways to collaborate, whether

that’s through events that bring people together or by inviting the best of our local leaders to be mentors for those just starting out. I’ve found that people actually really enjoy telling their story to a willing audience and the people I have the opportunity to work with certainly take on board whatever they can get.

So what does success in this field look like? In my view, it means that in five years time, a man or woman on the street who is thinking of starting a business has a clear picture of all the support that they can get, and that their family and friends see starting a business as less risky and more rewarding than it is today. Is that a challenge?

Absolutely – the good thing is we don’t plan to get there on our own.

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Eye on Events

Richard Buckley, Brenda Buckley, Andrea and Jonathan Finlay.

Finlay Wealth O Management Opens New Belfast Offices

ne of Belfast’s leading wealth management specialists has opened new extended offices on Belfast’s Upper Newtownards Road.

Finlay Wealth Management is a partner practice of St. James’s Place, the London-based wealth management company.

Guests, including many of Finlay Wealth Management’s customers, were treated to a champagne

Mark Maraism, Marcella Marais, Jonathan Finlay and Keith Willett.

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reception to mark the opening of the new offices, followed by an exclusive dinner in the private dining room at James Street South restaurant in Belfast City Centre.

Jonathan Finlay, Principal of Finlay Wealth Management, hosted the occasion alongside Keith Willett, Head of Business at St. James’s Place Wealth Management’s Belfast regional office.

Jonathan Finlay, Maureen McConall and John McConall.

Eye on Events

Tim Robinson, Heather Robinson and Jonathan Finlay.

Jonathan Finlay, Judy Hunter and Neil Hunter.

Laura Weatherup and Keith Willett.

Martin Harte, Claire Harte and Jonathan Finlay.

Andrew Gordon, Desmond Girvan, Vida Girvan and Jonathan Finlay.

Jonathan Finlay, Zelda Kidd and Gary Kidd.

Dan Looney, Richard Garrett, Emma Garrett and Jonathan Finlay.

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OUT OF SITE SHREDDING IS FOR THEIR EYES TOO!

Eye on Law

Employment Law Changes: What You Need To Know

By Chris Summers, Barrister-at-Law

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orking practices have transformed over the past ten years. Whilst representing progress for some, these changes can easily cause confusion for small businesses seeking to comply with their employment law obligations.

More changes can be expected following the recent tribunal judgement against Uber and the status of their drivers, concluding that they should be considered “workers” rather than selfemployed contractors. Casual contracts are more common than ever before, ranging from factory and retail workers to professionals and management. These contracts are designed to offer flexible employment but recent media headlines have highlighted abuse and exploitation in companies like Sports Direct. As a test case, the judgement will not solely impact on Uber drivers who operate in Northern Ireland but will affect others within the labour market who query the status of their working relationship.

Uber sought to argue that the relationship between the company and their drivers was not one which granted their driver’s workers’ rights such as the national minimum wage, paid holiday

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entitlement, rest breaks and protection against unlawful discrimination.

They may also be entitled to other benefits such as statutory sick pay and maternity pay amongst others.

The case hinged upon the amount of control Uber exerted over the drivers.

Due to the nature of the company, drivers were accepted to be under no obligation to turn on the App and accept work. They would not be penalised for not doing so.

However, when the App was switched on, a driver must make themselves available to provide transport to Ubers customers. The tribunal concluded that there was such sufficient control on how the drivers operate that they could not be considered self-employed contractors.

This degree of control is often crucial in determining the nature of the relationship between a company and those working on their behalf. In light of the Uber judgement, how can you determine if your staff have a case to be treated as workers with all the rights outlined above?

This is of particular relevance to local businesses throughout the festive season. Often businesses will seek to employ seasonal workers for a short period in order to help cope with the increased demand at this busy time of year. If the recruitment of the worker is completed by the business directly and they do not seek to employ agency staff, then those hired would be considered to be workers or

employees under a temporary contract depending upon the exact nature of the relationship. As outlined in the Uber case, these relationships come with certain rights for the worker and obligations upon the employer.

Perhaps the most common of these rights is the right to holiday pay which can prove particularly challenging for small businesses who may not have the same level of human resources infrastructure as larger companies. Almost all workers under a contract of employment are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each year. This entitlement applies regardless of whether the employee or worker in question works part time or full time and is accrued on a pro rata basis if that person only works for a short period of time. Whilst to a large extent, businesses can devise internal rules as to procedures for when holidays can be taken and the manner in which they can be applied for and authorised, the entitlement still exists.

Businesses should be particularly aware when employing seasonal staff who would be less likely to take their holiday entitlement during the short period for which they are employed. As holiday pay is an entitlement, it would be necessary to pay those temporary staff for any holiday pay accrued during their period of working with the business.

Employers are obliged to know and administer the correct rules,

therefore an unawareness of holiday pay responsibilities is not an adequate defence. By ensuring the status of a worker is clear, maintaining accurate records and ensuring related entitlements are provided, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience and expense of a former employee or worker bringing a legal challenge against the business.

This turbulence in employment law is set to continue, as legislatures are traditionally been slow to update legislation and in light of the potential ramifications of Brexit. At the Conservative Party Conference in early October, the Prime Minister Theresa May promised to protect and enhance workers’ rights and further promising that the self-employed and those on zero hours contracts were ‘not left behind’.

Small business owners and HR managers need to pay particular attention to this fluctuating area of law and be mindful to the ‘control’ they have over workers, ensuring that even those working for a short time receive the necessary entitlements. If in doubt, businesses should seek advice early to avoid any unnecessary litigation.

For more information please visit www.barofni.com or follow us on twitter @TheBarofNI

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Eye on News

YOUNG BELFAST BEER COMPANY CELEBRATE SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR Craft beer producer Nightcap Beer Company celebrated their first birthday recently and what a debut 12 months it has been. The brand, founded by local entrepreneur Declan Holmes, has seen their first craft beer, Gallopers, reach the shores of France, been sampled by Northern Irelands top chefs and get showcased across the water in Derbyshire. Among this there has also been award nominations and the first export orders to the UK, Europe and USA.

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fter releasing Gallopers Golden Ale, their first offering, in October last year the company saw a busy festive period increase production and popularity grew even more with renowned chefs like Niall McKenna requesting to use the ale in their recipes, such as his beer battered cod. In fact more and more restaurants are opting to pair the beer with signature dishes.

However that isn’t the only big name to stock the ale with establishments

such as, The Duke of York, Harp Bar, Deanes, Royal Portrush Gold Club and Lough Earne Resort among 100 other stockists across Northern Ireland.

The Nightcap Beer Company has continued to go from strength to strength with Gallopers being featured at events in Cannes, France, Belfast Beer Festival and an NI themed Michelin Star event in Derbyshire, England, whilst they were also shortlisted for the Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards in

Kelan McMichael, Owner and Chef, The Bull and Ram Restaurant, Hannah McMichael, Daryl Sheilds, Manager, Bull and Ram Restaurant, Declan Holmes, Founder, Nightcap Beer Company.

the Start Up of the Year category.

The brand’s growing popularity saw the release of a second beer, Gallopers Revenge Real Pale Ale (RPA), in April which went on to receive a 3 Star Gold Award at the inaugural Beer Awards just weeks before the brand turned one.

Declan is proud of what the brand has achieved so far but says he is looking toward the future and is excited for what’s to come, “Obviously we are delighted with what we’ve

achieved in such a short space of time and are so thankful to everyone who has helped support us.”

“But our aims for the future are even more exciting with plans to increase NI market share, develop our export market, introduce new core & seasonal beers, but most importantly continuing loving what we do.”

“The last dozen months has seen over 20,000 miles driven, 15,000 bottles sold, 20 flights taken and 2 different ales, but there’s only one Gallopers.”

Irish FA Scores With Top UEFA Marketing Award The Irish Football Association has fought off competition from 24 other national football associations to win first prize for ‘Best Fan Engagement Campaign’ at the prestigious 2016 UEFA KISS marketing awards.

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he awards, held every two years, recognise and reward creativity in marketing across the European football family.

The Irish FA’s application highlighted its work engaging Northern Ireland supporters before, during and after the country’s historic participation at EURO 2016.

The independent panel of judges voted the Irish FA number one ahead of three other shortlisted nations -

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Germany, Romania and Israel - and paid tribute to the association for putting Northern Ireland fans at the centre of its marketing and communications activity around the tournament.

The judges also praised the Irish FA’s efforts in using creative content to help unite the country behind the team.

Oonagh O’Reilly, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Irish FA, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Irish FA

Guy-Laurent Epstein (right), Marketing Director of UEFA Events, presents the KISS award to Oonagh O’Reilly, the Irish FA’s Director of Sales and Marketing, and Neil Brittain, the association’s Head of Communications.

marketing and communications team has won this prestigious award and through it our fans have once again been recognised as the best in Europe.

“This shows that although we are a small association our work in this area is world class. Our aim is to continue to inspire every young boy and girl

across Northern Ireland to be part of our football family and to dare to dream of wearing the green shirt.”

There was double celebration at the Irish FA this week as the association was also named Best Digital/Online Company of the Year at the annual UTV/Business Eye Awards.

Eye on Technology

Cybercrime...

A risk you can’t ignore SME’s bearing the Brunt of Cyber-Crime According to The PSNI, in Northern Ireland alone, it is estimated that over £13m was lost to online fraud in 2015. With lower security defences, outdated software and lack of awareness, small businesses are bearing the brunt of cyber-crime.

Patrick Leggett, Director at Xperience IT Solutions comments “Cyber criminals are employing increasingly sophisticated means of stealing data, so there is no option but for SME’s to do more to protect themselves. We urge all organisations to understand the risks, educate staff, introduce policies and develop a strategic action plan to address any security concerns”.

Take Steps to CyberResilience Cyber security preparedness starts with having a complete understanding of the internal and external vulnerabilities that can affect your business.

As a business, you must insure that positive steps are taken to manage cyber threats, minimise risk and become cyber resilient.

Patrick Leggett, Director at Xperience IT Solutions

Reports by the Annual Fraud Indicator highlight that cybercrime is costing businesses around £193billion per annum.

In Northern Ireland alone, an astonishing 9 out of 10 businesses have suffered a cyber breach this year.

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ybercrime is a real threat to organisations, resulting in business downtime, data loss, dented pockets and a diminished reputation.

Surprisingly, many businesses still do not have preventative measures in place to deal with this.

With the frequency and severity of cyber incidents on the rise, it’s a risk you simply can’t afford to take. It’s essential to be vigilant, form a strategic plan of action and ensure your business is protected.

To tackle this issue head on, Xperience IT Solutions recommend using the following steps as a guide: 1. Review your internal skills and knowledge, determine if external help is needed.

2. Once a skillset has been sourced, (whether internal or external) create a strategic action plan which includes measures to prevent, detect and respond to potential security threats.

3. It’s all about education, so ensure that all staff are aware of any preventative security plans and trained

where necessary. It is a good idea to include such information within your HR policies and procedures.

4. Take extra precautions when handling emails with attachments, before opening ensure it is from a trusted source.

5. Ensure that important business data is being backedup. In the event that backups aren’t in place or functioning correctly, seek advice from a trusted IT provider.

6. Create a knowledge sharing hub, so that when new strains of ransomware come into circulation all members of the organisation know what to look out for.

The harsh reality is; the longer the recovery time, the higher the cost is to your business.

Ultimately, it is the prevention methods in place that will determine the impact of the attack, and reduce the risk of mass data loss. At this stage, the question is not “if” a cyberattack will take place, it’s “when”.

About Xperience IT Solutions Xperience IT Solutions, an Xperience Group business, is a leading IT Solutions provider in Northern Ireland. Xperience IT Solutions has worked with hundreds of SME’s across the province to devise security strategies and recovery measures for those who have experienced attacks, and is well positioned to help organisations devise action plans.

To speak to an Xperience Consultant about your IT security. Email: Enquiries@xperience-group.com Visit www.xperienceitsolutions.co.uk

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Eye on Cover Story

Rajesh Rana & The Andras Jewel In The Crowne For Rajesh Rana, the re-branding of his company’s flagship hotel as Belfast’s first Crowne Plaza marks a significant achievement.

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t brings one of the most sought after global hotel brands to the city for the first time and it delivers a major vote of confidence for family-owned Andras House, a growing company with interests spanning hotels, serviced apartments and city centre offices.

Crowne Plaza is the new name above the door of what used to be the Ramada Plaza at Shaw’s Bridge on the southern outskirts of the city. Built in 2001 as a Ramada and later upgraded to the premium Ramada Plaza level, it’s now been brought by Andras House into the IHG (Intercontinental Hotel Group) fold.

Andras, the Belfast-based company established

by Rajesh Rana’s father Lord (Diljit) Rana, already works with IHG through the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands that it operates in Belfast.

IHG owns both of the Holiday Inn brands along with the newer Indigo and Kimpton hotel brands and, of course, the 5-star InterContinental properties.

“But Crowne Plaza is IHG’s established, business-orientated four-star hotel brand.

It’s one that the Group is currently focusing on in terms of development, and it’s great for us to be able to bring the brand name to Northern Ireland,” says Rajesh Rana.

Andras doesn’t just operate IHG brand hotels.

It also has two Ibis properties (part of the French-owned Accor Group) in Belfast and it’s currently building a brand new 178-bedroom Hampton by Hilton property in the city centre.

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The Hampton by Hilton, Andras’ first venture with the Hilton brand, is one of a number of hotels currently being developed as Belfast goes through a major hotel boom. Others include the new Maldron Hotel in Brunswick Street, the Grand Central at the former Windsor House on Bedford Street and the Marriott being built at Donegall Quay.

With a distinct emphasis on business travellers and on business events, the Crowne Plaza represents a significant investment for Andras House. Rajesh Rana estimates that it cost more than half a million pounds to bring the former Ramada Plaza up to the exacting standards required for the Crowne Plaza brand name, and that’s before the next phasa or refurbishment starts in 2017.

That meant everything from new bedroom amenities, including bathrobes, through to changes in the lobby area and a much larger choice of self-service items at breakfast. The hotel also boasts brand new Club Rooms, with upgraded amenities and access to a Club Lounge offering drinks, newspapers & magazines and continental breakfast.

“For the team here, it meant a big change operation, from transporting in hundreds of new mattresses to making sure that we had a daily supply of smoked salmon for the breakfast buffet,” Rajesh Rana says.

Once a full bedroom refurbishment takes place in the New Year, the total bill for the transition of the 120-bedroom property will be well over £2.5 million.

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Eye on Cover Story

Crowne Plaza’s focus on business customers will sit well with the existing hotel. The Shaw’s Bridge property already boasts Belfast’s biggest complex of meeting rooms outside of the new Waterfront Hall complex.

“Under the Crowne Plaza name, businesses using our conference facilities get immediate access to a Meeting Director who will look after all of their requirements.

So we’re confidently expecting a busness centre that’s already very busy to get even busier.”

Elsewhere within the Andras House group, the Holiday Inn at Hope Street (re-branded from its former Days Inn identity) is performing well, as are the group’s three budget level properties. The Holiday Inn Express on University Street is well established as one of the city’s lower-priced options, and

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the two Ibis hotels – one further along University Street, the other at Castle Street – have been busier than ever, largely thanks to the city’s tourist boom.

The group also owns and operates the Cordia serviced apartments on Belfast’s Lisburn Road. Less known is the fact that it is also a significant player in the Belfast office market.

Andras owns one of Belfast’s largest buildings, the 60,000 sq.ft. Lincoln House on Great Victoria Street, as well as Andras House across the road, where its headquarters operation is based.

Rasjesh Rana will be watching the city’s new hotel development with more than just a passing interest. “There’s no doubt at all that we needed more hotel rooms, but we’re getting them now and it will be fascinating to see how the market shapes up.

The success of Titanic Belfast and the opening of the Belfast Waterfront, with the conference business that it can bring, is making a difference already.

“For our part, we’re confident that we’re in the right place to service customers from budget level up to four-star and that we’ve got a great range of hotels to allow us to do just that.”

Rajesh Rana has been at the helm of the family business for some years now. Andras House was set up by his father in 1981 and Diljit Rana built the business doggedly through the years of violence in Belfast... never losing faith in the city’s potential.

These days, Lord Rana spends a lot of his time on a major charity project in his native Punjab, but he must look at what’s happened to his beloved adopted city with no small measure of pride.

“ For our part, we’re confident that we’re in the right place to service customers from budget level up to four-star and that we’ve got a great range of hotels to allow us to do just that.”

Eye on Law

Demand Fuels Growth For A&L Goodbody Team Corporate law firm A&L Goodbody tells Business Eye how a growing demand from the public and private sectors for its Public & Regulatory legal expertise has seen an expansion of the team in recent years…

“P

ublic & Regulatory law is of ever increasing importance in today’s commercial world, with businesses facing increasing levels of regulation and serious fines for failure to comply,” explains Micaela Diver, Head of the Public & Regulatory practice at A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office.

The firm’s Public & Regulatory team advises a wide portfolio of public bodies and commercial organisations on regulatory, disciplinary and public law matters which, according to Diver, brings about a need for a wide ranging skillset within the team.

“With such a breadth of work undertaken in this area, we made the conscious decision to grow our team strategically over the past number of years with specialist practitioners advising clients on Competition and EU, Litigation, Planning, Bribery/AntiCorruption and Financial Services.

“We often find ourselves advising clients on issues that they perceive to be routine parts of their day-to-day business operations, but perhaps have not realised the special considerations from a regulatory perspective. This can be from something as simple as a conversation with a competitor, through to trade and export arrangements into a territory that is subject to particular sanctions.

“The impact of any breaches potentially has both civil and criminal law ramifications, so businesses can’t afford to wait whilst their lawyers consider the issues relevant to their queries – this is where our specialist knowledge function really comes to the fore and sets us apart in the local market,” Diver continues.

Diver explains that a lawyer in

this sector must be able to prioritise and summarise vast amounts of information quickly and accurately – often working to very urgent timescales. “A regulatory lawyer needs to maintain an up-to-date knowledge of the wide range of legislative and disciplinary regimes relevant to their clients. We have a large team of professional support lawyers across the firm who work closely with our Public & Regulatory team to ensure we are fully aware of all relevant changes across the plethora of legal disciplines that could affect our clients.

“Furthermore, our foothold in all the key export jurisdictions through our office locations in Belfast, Dublin, London and the US – and through our various programmes in China, Germany and India – provides us with realtime, ‘on-the-ground’ insight into anticipated regulatory or legislative changes internationally. This enables us to advise our exporting clients on how they should prepare for, and react to, changes to legislation that are relevant to their business outside of Northern Ireland.”

Growing Regulation “Coming out of the recession there was a definite drive to regulate more business sectors by way of increased compliance controls administered through legislative reform, or through the reform of powers given to regulators themselves.

We provided advice to our clients during this change period to ensure that they continued to conduct their business activity in a manner that remained compliant,” Diver explains.

She predicts that demand for

the firm’s regulatory expertise will continue to grow in the coming months and years due to market uncertainty and inevitable legislative changes associated with Brexit.

“Once again, we have seen increased scrutiny in this area of the law throughout the Brexit campaign. When the UK’s exit from the EU is implemented there will inevitably be further change to regulation and compliance controls.

“We expect certain sectors to change more than others and are already working closely with clients in those sectors to assist them in understanding how their business should adapt in order to stay on the right side of the law.”

Competition Law However, Diver says that the increased demand for the firm’s expertise in Public & Regulatory law in the Northern Irish context predates the build-up of the Brexit campaign and the EU Referendum result in June.

“One of the interesting aspects of advising clients on their regulation and compliance requirements is sometimes the lack of awareness of the rules that apply to their day-to-day business activities,” she explains.

“Many companies can be so focused on the day-to-day running of their business and winning new work that sometimes they don’t appreciate how even the most subtle of changes in the law impact on them.

Meanwhile, some fail to see that their business growth means that they are at greater risk of competition law breaches – which is applicable to all businesses whether or not they operate within a regulated sector.

“Every business in Northern Ireland should at least have a basic understanding of competition law since, in the worst case scenario, breaches of the law can see companies hit with large fines or even prison sentences for individual directors. We are advising a wide range of clients across the province at Board-level to help their senior management teams and directors understand these implications and are working with them to update their business practices and protocols accordingly.”

The Future Diver predicts that the spotlight on the regulatory impact of Brexit, together with a continued focus on all aspects of Public & Regulatory law, will drive more demand from clients for the team’s expertise in the coming months.

“We have invested in building a strong, specialist team which offers great depth and breadth of knowledge and experience across the various specialist areas. Our multidisciplinary approach ensures that we can work seamlessly with our clients to advise them on all legal aspects of their business and operational requirements.

With significant economic, political and constitutional changes on the horizon for Northern Ireland, the need for this service is only going to continue to grow and we will ensure that our team grows in line with that demand.”

To contact a member of the Public & Regulatory team at A&L Goodbody, please email mdiver@algoodbody.com or call 028 9031 4466.

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Eye on CSR

Padraig McCartney, Corpus Christi College, David Meade, Vishwas Kumar, Malone College & Nigel Sloan, Lockton Belfast show off the ‘Oscar’ awards given to outstanding students who took place in the 2016 ‘Locked-On’ programme sponsored by Lockton Insurance.

Lockton Belfast Helps Students Get ‘Locked-On’ For Future Success Showing their dedication to inspiring the next generation of Northern Ireland’s business leaders, leading commercial insurance broker Lockton recently celebrated the conclusion of its ‘Locked-On’ project held in conjunction with the Grand Opera House and supported by Arts & Business Northern Ireland.

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s a global company Lockton is committed to playing a meaningful role in local communities. To celebrate their 50th birthday David Lockton has challenged all Lockton Associates to participate in the “50 for 50 challenge”, during the coming year to globally volunteer in 50,000 hours of activities focussed on helping and developing children and young people.

This project was an arts-based mentoring programme to help a group of GCSE boys develop an awareness of their essential skill sets and how these would apply to future career paths. The programme paired up twelve Year 11 students from Belfast’s Malone and Corpus Christi Colleges with mentors from Lockton’s growing Belfast office for an 8 week series which included creative arts

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workshops, hands-on coaching and mentorship and a mock interview.

“The partnership forged between Lockton’s team and the students of Malone and Corpus Christi Colleges has been a mutually beneficial one which we hope continues to inspire both the mentors and mentees for years to come,” said Nigel Sloan, VP, Lockton Belfast. “While Lockton’s team members have developed essential skills for coaching and mentoring young people, which can be applied to future team members on our graduate schemes or indeed young students in coming years, the students have also developed the tools required to make positive decisions as they progress toward GCSEs and their desired careers, whether they choose to navigate down an academic route or if they choose a vocational or trade-focused career.”

“We have been delighted by the dedication shown by the Lockton team to this programme throughout its execution” said Áine Dolan, Partnership & Development Manager, Grand Opera House Belfast. “The success of the LockedOn Initiative demonstrates how the arts can work in partnership with local business for the benefit of the community.”

It has been fantastic to observe how the young people involved in the programme have grown in confidence and emerged better equipped for the world of work.”

Joining students and staff at the final session of Locked-On, renowned mentalist, business mentor and motivational speaker David Meade, added anecdotes of his own personal career path and the importance of skills such as decision making and problem solving to his inspirational talk for students and mentors alike before presenting students with miniature ‘Oscar’ awards for their excellence while on the ‘Locked-On’ programme.

At the culmination of the LockedOn project held at Belfast’s Grand Opera House Kate Livingston, Arts & Business NI added, “Arts &

Business NI were delighted to be involved in this project. ‘Locked-On’ is a prime example of how arts can positively impact on professional development and the students of Malone and Corpus Christi Colleges obviously had a lot fun taking part and learning new skills which will be beneficial throughout their school and professional career paths.”

For more information on Lockton and the company’s wide range of unique CSR initiatives held across Northern Ireland and around the world visit www.lockton.com.

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Eye on News

NEW PRESIDENT FOR LAW SOCIETY Ian Huddleston has taken over as President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

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riginally from Downpatrick he studied Law at Queens University in Belfast before undertaking a Master’s Degree in Commercial Law at Bristol University.

After completing his apprenticeship with Murlands Solicitors in Downpatrick he was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Northern Ireland in 1991 and subsequently to the Roll of solicitors in England and Wales in 2010.

Following his apprenticeship Ian began working for L ‘Estrange & Brett and was heavily involved with the management of that firm prior to its mergers. Ian advises in

relation to all aspects of real estate law but with a particular emphasis on complex development work and the development of strategic property solutions for both public and private sector clients.

Ian also advises private clients and business owners on the structuring of their assets and the use of corporates, trusts and partnerships as part of that and to deal with succession issues.

He is also actively involved in the area of charity law and philanthropy.

He has been named in Chambers UK Guide to the Legal Profession for a number of years as a “leader in the field”

for both for his real estate and private client practice where he is described as “a pragmatic lawyer who is great at keeping on top of loose ends and getting a deal across the finishing line”.

He is a member of the Global Council of the Society of Trust and

Estate Practitioners and a Committee Member of the Northern Ireland Branch. He is a board member of a number of large companies and charities and is on the Board of Giving NI – a body set up to encourage philanthropy in Northern Ireland.

Queen’s Student Managed Fund up 5.65% Students and staff at Queen’s University Belfast were celebrating this month at the inaugural Annual General Meeting of the Queen’s Student Managed Fund (QSMF) held at Riddel Hall.

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he AGM marks a successful period of investment following the launch of the real money QSMF in April 2016, with a return on investment of 5.65%. The Queen’s Student Managed Fund is the second largest fund in the UK and Ireland with philanthropic donations of over £25,000 provided by employers and alumni for this project in just under a year.

Queen’s University Belfast is one of less than 10 universities in the UK to have its own Trading Room equipped with Bloomberg terminals, and is one of even a smaller number of universities to provide their students with the opportunity to manage a real money fund which develops their understanding of financial markets and the investment process.

The goal of QSMF is to achieve consistent long term positive returns by optimally managing downside risk.

The QSMF provides students with a unique learning experience of managing a real investment portfolio. The primary

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aim is to increase student ambition and to enhance employability through exposure to industry professionals, authentic practice and dynamic markets.

QSMF is structured as a professional investment fund with students from a range of backgrounds and degree programmes taking up roles as analysts, sector heads and members of the executive committee. There are opportunities for personal development as students progress through the various roles and benefit from peer learning within the fund.

Students make all investment decisions provided they adhere to the Fund’s investment policy as determined by an Oversight Committee of academic staff. The Fund can invest in equities (UK only); OEICs; Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs); and cash.

Barry Quinn, Programme Director at Queen’s Management School said, “The fund provides students with the opportunity to collaborate and learn through experience, with

Mohamad Musa and Joanna Singleton, students at Queen’s Management School and CEO and Chief Risk Officer respectively of the Queen’s Managed Fund pictured with Alan Werlau, Senior Strategist from Davys at the inaugural Annual General Meeting held at Riddel Hall.

insights drawn from academia and industry best practice. QSMF has been carefully developed to allow students to manage an investment portfolio in an authentic setting and develop industry relevant skills and experience.”

QSMF enhances student employability with Alan Werlau, Senior Strategist from Davys and keynote speaker, noting, “The fact that these students have learnt to speak a language that is less academic and more “real world” shows that they can bridge and translate concepts into real life changes. I have hired students who have got involved with Student Managed Funds directly

from university and they’re just as good as candidates with 10 years of experience in the marketplace. I would urge all students who want to work in Finance to avail of this experience at Queen’s University. ” Mohamad Musa, Student Chief Executive Officer commented, “The SMF was the real talking point in interviews; as soon as I had explained the concept I found that interviewers really focused in on it.

The SMF helped me further build my understanding of investing but also taught me key management and organisational skills.”

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Eye on News

BBC Sport Executive Jonny Bramley named First Trust Bank Queen’s Graduate of the Year Jonny Bramley, Bafta-winning BBC Sport Executive Producer and 1987 BSc Computer Science graduate has received the annual First Trust Bank Queen’s Graduate of the Year award at the Queen’s Graduates’ Association Charter Day Dinner.

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r Bramley, who was responsible for the BBC’s output across all media for the 2012 Olympics, was chosen for his major contribution to broadcast sport over 25 years.

The Graduate of the Year Award, which is now in its 18th year, recognises an ‘exceptional graduate who has made a substantial contribution to the arts, sciences or business or to sporting, public or academic life’.

Delivering the citation for this year’s

award winner, Mark McKeown, Manager, First Trust Bank, said: “We have been supporting these important awards since their inception and are very proud to be associated with such a standout event in the University calendar.

“The 2016 Graduate of the Year – Jonathan Bramley – is an executive producer for the BBC, specialising in major sporting events. He was born in West Sussex but moved to Holywood, County Down in 1968 where he attended Holywood Primary

(L-R): Feargus McCauley, President of the Queen’s Graduates’ Association with guest speaker TV presenter Jonathan Scott, 2016 Graduate of the Year Jonny Bramley and Mark McKeown, First Trust Bank.

and later Sullivan Upper schools. His mother, Jan, still lives in Holywood and is an avid bowls player who has represented Ireland internationally.

Feargus McCauley, President of the QGA believes that the First Trust Award acknowledges all that is best about a Queen’s education. He said: “This year’s Graduate of the Year Award recognises the impact of a gifted, highly motivated individual, someone who has set the benchmark for sports broadcasters around the world to emulate.”

Jonny received a perpetual trophy from the University’s Pro-ViceChancellor, Professor James McElnay.

Previous winners of the prestigious Graduate of the Year Award include John Leckey, former Senior Coroner for Northern Ireland, broadcaster and wildlife photographer Jonathan Scott (who was a Special Guest at this year’s Charter Day Dinner) and Ramona Nicholas, entrepreneur and RTÉ Dragons’ Den panel member.

important that they created not only a range of bags that women would want to own but a business that they could be proud to run. Through taylor yates they want to help ensure that women and girls across the UK are able enjoy the same freedom of choice that they did.

Ellen is currently studying for her degree in Fashion with Marketing in Manchester, she said; “We are so excited to be able to share these bags, which have been thoughtfully designed here in

Northern Ireland and handmade in England. We have stayed true to our beliefs and created a collection that is understated and stylish, but has the looks, the practicality and in a range of colours that will compliment most women’s wardrobes.”

There are only ten of each bag in the first collection so you can be sure that the chances of bumping into another this season are pretty slim. The collection of bags are available just in time for Christmas at tayloryates.com.

A Beautiful Bag – A Beautiful Purpose Growing up in Lancashire, Karen Yates, was inspired by her Nana Alice – a hardworking, independent woman who set up and ran multiple businesses from her home.

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passion for design, a strong belief in businesses working for a social good and gratitude for the strong, independent women in her life led Karen, in partnership with her daughter, Ellen, to create taylor yates - an exclusive line of affordable luxury leather handbags.

Made in England, the bags are made from beautiful soft leather, normally saved for gloves, it is also resistant to water with a finish that dries soft.

The lining, Alacantara from Italy, is also unique with a feeling of suede but that has all the durability and stain resistance required for practical use.

There are five styles of bag that make up the first collection, each available in 4 colours, ranging from

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a clutch – Doris (£145) to a large, hobo style bag – Alice (£595).

The bags are each named after women who played an instrumental role in Karen and Ellen’s lives. Karen reflects; “Tilly was my Dad’s special name for my Mum, she was glamorous, fiercely loyal, kind and worked hard like her mother, Alice. She also loved her signature pink lipstick and her handbag. It makes it even more special knowing that my mum can still be included in taylor yates in this way because I know how proud she would be of what we have created.”

Growing up with the freedom of choice and support meant a lot to Karen and is something she felt lucky to be able to give her daughter Ellen. It was

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Eye on Entrepreneurship

Bank of Ireland UK Enterprise Week

Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

In partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry through their Connecting for Growth Programme, the bank hosted Meet the Buyer in the Europa Belfast.

‘C

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Minister of Finance addresses the audience at Meet the Minister in Belfast City Centre

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onnecting for Growth’ was the theme of Bank of Ireland UK’s latest Enterprise Week which took place from November 11-18 with a wideranging programme of engaging, informative and practical events that offered valuable networking opportunities and exciting new ideas for local businesses.

Launching the week, the bank called for local businesses to focus on the fundamentals of business to take advantage of new markets and new opportunities.

Gavin Kennedy, Director of Business Banking NI, Bank of Ireland UK said: “The key for all businesses facing competitive pressures remains unchanged providing leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, investment and above all a focus on customer needs. Getting the fundamentals of business right is the best way for Northern

Ireland to cope with change and take advantage of new opportunities and new markets.

“Enterprise Week is an initiative demonstrating that as a leading business bank we provide much more than finance to local companies who want to develop new products and explore different markets.” The week’s extensive programme of more than 40 events provided opportunities for 1,600 businesses to share experiences of managing change and to learn of the range of support available from their local business managers as they navigate through the challenges of growing their businesses.

From Meet the Minister to social media insights and from Show Your Business to hearing from one of Europe’s most sought after keynote speakers, there was plenty to excite, stimulate and challenge local businesses.

David Meade, who has worked with some of world’s most successful organisations, delivered an interactive and highly engaging seminar entitled ‘Growing your business through change.’ Drawing on acclaimed management research, David showed attendees how some very simple techniques can be used in business to arrest the impact of change, drive growth, and get results. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Delegates left buoyed by the session and equipped with a toolkit they can use to improve their own productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency.

In partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry for their pioneering Connecting for Growth Programme, the bank hosted Meet the Buyer, a major cross-border trade initiative, designed to facilitate increased business between companies from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Eye on Entrepreneurship More than a dozen buyers from a range of sectors attended, each with wide ranging procurement needs. Participants had one to one appointments and the opportunity to speed network and develop skills and knowledge through the Expert Panel session which was themed Maximising Sales. A highlight of the panel was hearing from David Monaghan of Pro Stainless Designs whose involvement in the Programme over the last 18 months has resulted in £850k of new business.

Meet the Minister took place in Belfast as business men and women took the opportunity to meet Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Minister of Finance as he networked the event and reiterated his departments’ commitment to investment in infrastructure through partnership with industry.

Over 100 local businesses seized the opportunity to Show Your Business, the unique opportunity the bank provides to small businesses to showcase their goods and services in Bank of Ireland UK branches across Northern Ireland.

For the very first time, the bank offered 20 SMEs the opportunity to trade at the award-winning Twilight Market in Belfast City Centre. Nick Turkington, Director at JumpingClay Ltd., the educational franchise that allows children to learn new skills through the use of clay, took a stall after successfully taking part in Show Your Business last year which provided strong profile raising and sales opportunities. The business has seen substantial growth in the past 18 months and has extended its trading to Ireland, and the bank’s Global Markets Team is continuing to support the business with managing its currency risk.

Over the last five years, more than 10,000 small and medium sized businesses across Northern Ireland have been involved in more than 375 Enterprise Week events to help SMEs make vital connections with local expertise, professional advice and relevant support.

Gavin Kennedy concludes: “Our objective during Enterprise Week and indeed throughout the year is to provide local, relevant, tangible support to businesses of all sizes across Northern Ireland as they work hard to seize new opportunities to grow and succeed.”

Pictured at the seminar entitled ‘Growing your business through change’ is keynote speaker David Meade with Gavin Kennedy, Director of Business Banking NI, Bank of Ireland UK

Pictured (L-R) is David Ramsey, Bank of Ireland UK Business Adviser with Nick Turkington, Director at JumpingClay Ltd. at the Twilight Market in Belfast Pictured at the bank’s seminar entitled ‘Grow Your Business Safely’ held at Riddell Hall which was designed to help SMEs trading in the Construction, Engineering and Manufacturing sectors to manage commercial and contractual risks and maximise potential growth opportunities were guest speakers Nigel Birney, Head of Trade Credit and Political Risks, Trade Credit Brokers, Northern Ireland; Fred Smyth, Head of Commercial Finance, Bank of Ireland UK; Tony Gordon, Senior Risk Manager, Atradius; Mark Cunningham, Regional Business Development Manager, Bank of Ireland UK; and Jonathan Hawkswell, Partner, Hawksbill Kilvington.

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Eye on Education

Seeing Business As It Really Is… Ten students from The Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) recently undertook a bespoke commerce week visiting 13 high profile businesses, to experience the challenge, buzz, dynamism and energy of the workplace for themselves.

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he programme was the brainchild of local businessman and entrepreneur Colin Johnston, founder of the Clear Group of Companies, and it’s a concept that he’d love to see developed beyong the confines of his own alma mater.

Like many in business, Johnston is a firm believer that school students at some of our leading educational establishments continue to be driven towards careers in medicine, law and other traditional areas..... with business and commerce all too often left out in the cold.

“The students aren’t told much about what opportunities there are in the world of business, and with respect to the teachers and careers staff, they’re not too well informed either.

This was one way of doing something about it,” says Colin Johnston.

The boys had to compete to win a place on the programme, interviewing and demonstrating transferrable skills as well as a clear desire to work in business.

That RBAI was the beneficiary of the innovative new programme is no surprise. Colin Johnston is an Instonian and a current members of the Board of Governors at the city centre school.

The students pictured with Colin Johnston, MD Clear Group and Karen Reid, Head of Business Studies, RBAI.

“This was an opportunity for ambitious students to meet business leaders, ask questions, and gain real insight into how their companies and sectors operate. The students came out of the week with a much clearer idea which career paths they wished to pursue.”

And this was no easy week for the Inst students. It kicks off on the Monday morning with an 8.30 am session at Invest Northern Ireland and concluded with a Friday afternoon site visit to Moy Park’as facility at Craigavon.

In between, the group had a number of visits each and host organisations included Bombardier, Osborne King, Deloitte, Catalyst Inc, Danske Bank, Agnew Group, Hastings Hotels, Carson McDowell and Almac. Belfast Lord Mayor Brian Kingston also hosted the students at the Lord Mayor’s Parlour in City Hall.

“We tried to give them as broad a

Learning about the journey from the laboratory to the pharmacy shelf at Almac

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range of experiences as we could gather, so they had a chance to look at everything from banking to hospitality and from manufacturing through to commercial property and even cyber security,” adds Johnston.

The visit to Deloitte’s Financial Services & Cyber Security operation at Belfast Gasworks caught the imagination of participant Simon McMaster; “I’ve always been interested in technology, but had no idea that Northern Ireland was the global leader in cyber security. It was fascinating to hear Stephen Wray talk about how his career has progressed from University to his current role.”

Emphasis was put on participation throughout the week, and during an afternoon at Carson McDowell, the boys were split into two teams and pitted against each other to negotiate

Gaining insight into aeronautical engineering at Bombardier Aerospace

a resolution in a mock case. The same concept applied at Osborne King, where teams got the opportunity to invest in commercial real estate....virtually at least!

“The legal negotiation was the highlight of the week for me” explained participant Luke Greenaway, “We all had to adopt our roles and think creatively. It was very tense as nobody wanted to lose!”

For Colin, who sacrificed a full week of his own time to accompany the boys on the school minibus around all of the visits, it was a very rewarding experience.

“It was refreshing to experience this week through the eyes of a group of 17 year old students. There is a big gap between the classroom and the workplace, and they will each be making career defining decisions very soon.

Without doubt this process has deepened their understanding and given them confidence to pursue their career goals.”

Stephen Wray, Director Cyber Risk Services at Deloitte Belfast talked about the lead N. Ireland is taking in cyber security.

Eye on Productivity

Productivity... Local Companies Can Make Gains Of Up To 20%

David Armstrong, Head of Business, Vodafone Northern Ireland

Tony Bailey, Head of Business, Vodafone UK.

A new report backed by communications giants Vodafone reckons that businesses all over the UK, including Northern Ireland, have the potential to unlock business productivity by as much as 20% by adopting a set of fairly simple measures.

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he report, commissioned by Vodafone UK and written

by Dr. Alexander Grous from London School of Economics, identifies management best practice, technology and flexible working as the three key levers which can boost productivity.

And this is no small scale survey. It draws upon a range of industry research worldwide as well as LSE interviews with more than 20,000 businesses.

Amongst the highlights were:- t hat while an organisation’s location can have an influence on business performance, a more granular assessment of the organisation itself can unlock productivity gains regardless of where it is based.

-m any small and medium-sized enterprises are unware of the options available or where to go for support to help them unlock productivity - the ability of firms to periodically re-structute and re-aling to respond to market change is critical in order to survive future scenarios.

The Vodafone research comes at a time when recent Office of National Statistics figures show low productivity rates across the UK. Internationally, the UK is currently in sixth place amongst its G7 counterparts.

“There are plenty of really good

companies out there engaged in best practice on the productivity front, but what our research is showing very clearly is that even organisations already very good at what they do can make further improvements.

“Getting the technology right is a fundamental. It might seem like an obvious thing to say, but it can make such a difference to an organisation’s overall productivity. And, when we talk about technology, mobile technology is a crucial part of it.”

Flexible working practices are a trend close to Vodafone’s heart.

Tony Bailey, Head of Business Services at Vodafone UK, is a firm believer that flexible working can vastly improve any organisation’s productivity ‘bottom line’.

“What we’ve found and what this report is finding quite clearly is that flexible working and home working using the latest available technology can add considerably to any

company’s total productivity level.

It’s been proven time and time again.

“It’s all part of how the UK workplace has been revolutionised over recent years. We are working much smarter these days, and it’s showing.”

And David Armstrong, Head of Business for Vodafone here in Northern Ireland, reckons that the report’s findings are just as relevant here as they are in any other region of the UK. “We’ve got a local economy which is dominated by smaller business units, and the report’s finding on productivity and how it can be improved are very pertinent to a wide range of local companies and organisations.”

How do companies here start to look at productivity?

“It’s fairly simple,” says report author Dr. Alexander Grous.

“Companies can only start down this route by taking a careful look at how they operate, right across the board. Only then can they start trying to do things differently.”

Copies of the full report are available from LSE on www.lse.ac.uk/consultancy

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Eye on Economics

Tackling Uncertainty...

We Live In Interesting Times

By Frances Hill

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ne word that crops up often in discussions I’ve been having with businesses in Northern Ireland over recent months is ‘uncertainty’.

Indeed, evidence from a range of measures that the Bank looks at suggests uncertainty has been higher than normal since June’s referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union.

Yet, despite that, the economy has continued to perform more strongly than many – including the Bank of England – had expected.

For some contacts I talk to – especially at smaller companies – this will come as little surprise: many of them are simply getting on with doing business for the time being.

The same can be said of many households. After all, unemployment levels are low across the UK – and unemployment in Northern Ireland is now the lowest it has been since October-December 2008 - and wages are growing modestly, but faster than inflation.

For many of those looking to borrow, credit is readily available and competitively priced.

Recent growth has been supported by a package of measures introduced by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in August, including a small cut in interest rates which has reduced mortgage repayments for many households.

The low cost and good availability of mortgages has also supported activity in the housing market, which has proved more resilient than expected, especially outside London.

Businesses have also seen the cost of borrowing fall. But they will typically only invest if they are confident about the outlook. And, as I mentioned earlier, some tell

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Frances Hill, Bank of England’s Agent for Northern Ireland.

us they remain quite cautious.

A survey of our contacts published with our latest Agents’ Summary of Business Conditions, suggests investment spending will likely be broadly stable or slightly lower in the year ahead, after quite a significant increase over the past 12 months.

And the uncertainty word figures prominently in our report.

Uncertainty about the demand outlook was the biggest drag on investment plans, particularly in manufacturing and construction.

And uncertainty about future trading arrangements was the other main negative factor, especially for manufacturers.

The drop in the value of the pound over recent months at least partly reflects concerns in financial markets about the same issue.

It was a key theme of the MPC’s latest Inflation Report, which was published last week.

The MPC’s growth forecast for next year is stronger than

that set out back in August, reflecting the economy’s robust recent performance.

But the outlook for 2017 and 2018 is weaker, partly because the lower value of the pound will make imports more expensive.

This is expected to push up prices, which will weigh on consumer spending growth.

Faced with a period of inflation above its 2% target, the Bank might be expected to increase interest rates. But that period will be temporary. And it is expected to happen alongside modest growth and rising unemployment.

The Bank has therefore decided to leave its interest rate unchanged at 0.25%. But it has said that policy could respond in either direction, depending on how inflation and growth prospects develop.

As this story unfolds, the reports the MPC hear from our Agency contacts are vital.

We are delighted, therefore, that we recently hosted a two day

visit for one of the Bank’s senior policymakers, Ian McCafferty, who talked to a number of businesses in Ballymena, Coleraine and Derry/ Londonderry. He found this visit extremely valuable in terms of informing his decision on how Bank policy should evolve in the coming weeks and months.

In uncertain times, what can the Bank of England do? It is true that our policies alone can’t deliver prosperity, but we can lay the foundations for it.

By targeting sustainable, low inflation, we aim to smooth the process of adjustment, stabilising growth and supporting jobs in the wake of much larger forces.

Eye on Management

WAYS TO MITIGATE THE RISK OF ‘BRUMP’

The need to professionalise the process of decision-making in business has never been so crucial in the wake of ‘Brump’, according to the Head of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in Ireland, Roger Acton. Here he explains why Management Accounting Principles and membership of the world’s largest body of management accountants can help business leaders steer a course through the turbulent times ahead…

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ociety now creates as much new information every two days, as it did from the dawn of civilization to 2003 and the average consumer is faced with making more than 70 decisions a day. Information has never been more plentiful, complex, unstructured or more difficult to interpret. Aligned to this are prevailing concerns about the impact of Brexit and the Trump effect on business and trade. These are creating huge uncertainty, both globally and locally”, explains Roger Acton.

“Many businesses are grappling with the need to future-proof for long term sustainability against this backdrop of uncertainty and volatility. To achieve success, particularly when uncertainty is

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high, organisations must develop an effective management accounting function that complements their financial accounting system to provide informed analysis”, he continues.

He agrees that financial accounting information is essential. However, he points out that financial accounting alone will not provide a sufficient knowledge base for making decisions about the future.

“Financial accounting really only tells you how a business has previously performed but is limited in application as to how the company needs to behave in the future. Management accounting on the other hand, provides forecasts which can be based on an extensive range

of information and facilitates continued improvements through integrated thinking for structured solutions to unstructured problems. Specifically, it provides people with decisionrelevant data, rigorous analysis and informed judgement to make better decisions and to communicate them with impact”.

In the context of relevance and certainty, being a member of one of the world’s largest professional accounting bodies brings distinct advantages both for CIMA members and for businesses operating locally in NI or further afield in GB, Europe and the USA. “Our joint venture with the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) has created a new global designation, Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

We formally join forces in January 2017 to create a new Association with 600,000 members and students worldwide, and this reinforces the global recognition of our skills, training and qualifications”, said Roger Acton.

“Moreover under the joint

venture”, he continues “we have created the Global Management Accounting Principles (GMAP) which have at their core the delivery of value. The principles comprise the provision of decision relevant information; analysis of impact on value; ensuring good stewardship that builds trust and communication to provide insight that is influential in shaping the future. They are designed specifically for this era and their purpose is to help both the public and private sectors make better decisions, respond appropriately to the risks they face and protect the value they generate.

Therefore, not only do members benefit from international mobility and a global business card but equally businesses and organisations know that as CIMA professionals we are business relevant, that we understand their business whether they are located here or internationally and that they will have access to a best in class competency framework to help steer their business”, concludes Roger Acton.

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This highly interactive programme is designed to equip you with the tools and skills you need to be an impactful and effective leader capable of leading and developing a high performing team.

Seize the opportunity: To find out more about our March 2017 Programme and to book your place: 028 9097 4394 leadershipinstitute@qub.co.uk www.leadershipinstitute.co.uk

Eye on Retail

£200K Investment By Henderson Wholesale Into New, Local, Fresh Food Range Henderson Wholesale, part of the Henderson Group, has invested over £200k in supporting a new “Tonights Tea” food brand for customers visiting SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO stores across Northern Ireland. The exciting new range of fresh meal solutions, for quick and easy dinners, is produced by the very best of local suppliers right here in Northern Ireland.

“T

he Kitchen” brand is the latest range development from the Henderson’s business.

The 39 strong line of products is a collaboration between Henderson Wholesale and local award winning producers and food suppliers, which include mains, sides, desserts, family tubs and meals for one.

Further developing the innovative “Meals Made Delicious” range which launched in 2015, it is already creating sales of almost £2m pa. The new locally produced meal range perfectly compliments the award winning SPAR “Enjoy Local” range which provides shoppers with great value local products, whether it’s milk, mash potato or oven ready chickens.

Regular suppliers to the company, Armagh’s Daily Bake, Willowbrook Foods in Killinchy, Big Pot Co. in Cookstown and Quinfresh from Dungannon, ensure only the best home-grown produce is used for each product.

The products come in at attractive price points for customers who want to pick up a quick lunch or easy dinner for the family. Each main meal is £3.49 each, any two sides for £3.50 or a main plus two sides for £6.99. The new line of meal for one options

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come in at £2.99 each. And the ‘family pots’ provide great value at £5 each for 1kg. Key party food lines will also be available over the festive period,with two vol-au-vent options at £2.79 each, and two types of canapés at £3.49 each.

Neal Kelly, Fresh Foods Director at Henderson Wholesale commented; “We launched this particular line of products in 2015 as the Meals Made Delicious brand. Since then, we have seen sales of £2million per annum, however we knew we could meet the demand of the consumer more effectively by evolving with the market. As the consumer market moves so quickly we have reacted– this has now grown into ‘The Kitchen’ range.”

“The Kitchen was redeveloped with four of our award-winning local suppliers, and we invested £200k into the rebrand to match the quality of the food we’re offering. This is a whole new take on convenience and ready meals; everything is freshly made with the

consumer’s convenience in mind.

We want to be the consumers’ first port of call for a fresh and valuable solution for tonight’s tea.”

To help them create products that were given the stamp of approval by consumers, Hendersons worked with the Ulster University Business School’s Food and Consumer Testing Suite (FACTS) to help test, develop and define the new range.

Various mains and sides were tested including the potato and cheese bake and the green vegetable medley, which all of the panellists said they would buy.

The chicken and broccoli bake proved to be a winner, with 97% of panellists saying they would buy it.

Neal continued; “This research has become invaluable to shaping the fresh products we produce for the company. These are blind taste tests with participants only being told where the products come from once they have finished the tasting.

It gives us great insight into what consumers think about a product,

uncovering their preferences and ultimately helping us make a better product with our suppliers.”

Paddy Doody, Sales & Marketing Director at Henderson Group commented; “We are always working to improve our offering to our customers and investing in products and services that meet the needs of our customers. The investment of over £200k into The Kitchen range is testament to our dedication to leading the market for tonight’s tea. The range brings high quality, locally produced products to shelves at an attractive price and I hope our customers enjoy the range.”

This is just one example of our dedication to this. The investment of over £200k into this range shows how committed we are to bringing high quality, locally produced products to store.

The Kitchen is available now in SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXTRA and ViVO Essentials outlets across Northern Ireland.

Eye on Finance

Finance: What To Know Before You Grow Harry Parkinson, CEO at Capitalflow Commercial Finance explains how forward-looking SMEs can seize opportunities and reach their growth potential with the support of a blended financial portfolio.

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usinesses are constantly asked to explore avenues for growth, to export more, to consider new markets and to innovate.

Sound advice but it’s not as easy as you might think and somewhat ignores the huge challenge that business owners come to me every day with – accessing the finance they need to activate their growth plans.

Many opportunities come with a small window within which to grasp them, and when the money you need to seize the opportunity isn’t there, growth potential quickly becomes stunted.

When a business needs to raise funds for any strategic reason, whether it’s an MBO/ MBI, merger, acquisition or product/service diversification, it can be difficult to access via traditional routes, with high street banks often slower to come to a lending decision and remaining risk averse.

Despite post-Brexit concerns I believe there remains cause for economic optimism, and would urge SMEs to continue with their plans for future development without unnecessary delay to business investment.

We all know how easy it is to get so completely caught

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up in the daily running of a business that we neglect to think enough about tomorrow.

Growing a business requires vision and dedicated focus, whatever the eventual aim.

That growth doesn’t have to mean grand, global expansion.

Every business is unique and for many it will mean increased profits, improved efficiencies or growing your customer base or market share in your current territory.

Whatever the aspiration, the million dollar question is how to finance it. Having the ambition to expand is just one, albeit very important, part of the puzzle.

Having the means to activate your expansion strategy is what makes or breaks it.

The bottom line is that no matter how optimistic your plans are on paper, without suitable funding they may never materialise.

The solution may be as simple as thinking differently about what kind of finance you use.

While overdrafts and loans still have their place, other types of finance have become increasingly relevant and popular, playing a key part in creating a more balanced and three dimensional

funding portfolio for finance-savvy businesses.

I think that while overall awareness and understanding of alternative finance is certainly growing in Northern Ireland, arguably it is still too low.

The asset based lending (ABL) industry, for instance, is still considered an emerging finance product in the UK, and one which perhaps causes some confusion.

To explain it as simply as I can, ABL leverages your sales ledger plus assets including inventory, plant and machinery, vehicles or bricks and mortar.

When combined, these assets are used as collateral to raise funding, releasing either longterm working capital or finance for a specific phase within a company’s lifecycle, such as expansion or recruitment.

It’s a strategic way to unlock greater levels of funding to support business growth and I’d go as far as to say that this product’s flexibility and scalability are probably unmatched by any other financial product on the market.

ABL isn’t yet always the first port of call for firms seeking financial support due to a lack of awareness, but as a sustainable and highly bespoke

means of raising funds it will increasingly become so.

Capitalflow is one of the only NI-based commercial lenders that is writing ABL deals, as well as straight invoice finance and asset finance. What’s unique about us is our ability to make quick credit decisions – often within three or four days – very competitive loan to value ratios and the ability to tailor a deal to suit each client.

And if you’re a business with a serious appetite for growth and wondering where to go for the support, I urge you to think differently about the type of finance you seek.

Since our launch back in April we’ve been working with businesses of all sizes and ages across a wide range of sectors and it is incredibly exciting to see the positive impact that the right funding at the right time can have.

To find out more about Capitalflow Commercial Finance and it’s £300m fund for businesses across Ireland please call 028 7187 9245 or visit www.capitalflow.ie

Eye on Communications

Most traditional business telephone services are delivered via an Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) and analogue lines for the provision of its voice systems...

Business telephony heads for the cloud H

owever, with the provision of the sale of these lines coming to an end in 2020, all Northern Ireland companies should now be thinking and planning to have Hosted Telephony as part of their strategic communications plans.

Hosted Telephony is a telephone system that lives in a data centre hosted within the cloud. Calls are made as usual via IP handsets and delivered over a broadband connection to the TISP (Telephony Internet Service Provider) network and from there they get routed out as necessary.

According to recent research from phone provider, Polycom, businesses see average savings of between 50% and 75% after switching to hosted telephony.

It is due to these savings that we are seeing more and more companies of all shapes and sizes moving their communication requirements to the cloud.

As well as the cost implication, companies will also save office space as they will no longer require PBX (Private Branch Exchange) hardware to run the telephone service.

Other key benefits include a simpler implementation of disaster recovery. As your phone system is off the premises it allows calls to be routed so that your operations can continue from another site within a matter of minutes; hosted systems integrate both mobile and fixed line services, and can be scaled up and down depending on the individual requirements

and business strategies. New offices can be connected almost instantaneously to the central system, meaning that growth is not hindered by delayed roll-out dates for new infrastructure; with most hosted solutions, the capital outlay is removed so you pay a monthly set cost which is easy to plan for and is kept within an agreed budget and what’s more, it enables employees to work remotely by providing them with an in-office experience regardless of location.

In addition to these benefits, providers of hosted telephony can offer reassurance in the form of many levels of antifraud measures, call encryption and voice date encryption to name but a few examples.

With hosted telephony being the main provision of business communications by 2020, companies should be aware that making the move is not as daunting as they may think. They are easy to set up, scalable and saves organisations on their telecommunications bills without managing and maintaining an in-house business phone system. So in future, calling the cloud may not sound quite so far-fetched!

Rainbow Communications info@rainbowcomms.com 0800 018 8082 www.rainbowcomms.com.

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Eye on Law

ARTHUR COX ADVISES EMPLOYERS ON RISK MANAGEMENT Leading law firm hosts risk management seminar focusing on employment law, litigation and health and safety

Matthew Howse, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Partner, Emma-Jane Flannery, Employment Law Partner, and Chris Ritchie, Dispute Resolution Partner, were the speakers at Arthur Cox’s ‘Risk Management – legal considerations’ seminar.

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eading law firm Arthur Cox has hosted a major risk management seminar at which some of Northern Ireland’s highest-profile employers were advised on how best to manage risk in the areas of litigation, employment and health and safety.

The innovative seminar was delivered by Matthew Howse,

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Litigation and Dispute Resolution Partner, Emma-Jane Flannery, Employment Law Partner, and Chris Ritchie, Dispute Resolution Partner. It was attended by over 50 representatives from some of Northern Ireland’s most prominent businesses and public sector organisations.

Delegates were advised on

how Brexit will potentially impact areas such as cybercrime and cross-border litigation, as well as hearing about key changes to holiday pay, the importance of social media strategies and training, and the practical steps which companies and their directors can take to mitigate the risk of health and safety liabilities.

The rules regarding the use of covert surveillance to obtain evidence regarding employee behaviour was another key topic at the event, entitled ‘Risk Management – legal considerations’, which took place at Belfast’s Merchant Hotel.

The advice provided about covert surveillance follows a recent

Eye on Law 1.

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Pictured at Arthur Cox’s ‘Risk Management – legal considerations’ seminar are: 1. Matthew Howse, Arthur Cox, and Gerard McIlroy, Mutual Energy Ltd 2. Charlotte Chestnutt, Arthur Cox, and Paul Gleghorne, KPMG 3. Emma-Jane Flannery, Arthur Cox, and Eleanor Starritt, Viable Corporate Services 4. Mark Archibald, Ernst & Young, William Curry, Arthur Cox, and Phil Goodwin, Ernst & Young 5. Carley Chapman, Arthur Cox, Anne McMillan, Bank of Ireland, and Chris Ritchie, Arthur Cox

NI Tribunal ruling in an unfair dismissal claim brought by an employee regarding the use of covert surveillance by his employer.

Speaking at the event, EmmaJane Flannery, Employment Law Partner at Arthur Cox, commented: “The recent case is an interesting example of when it is justifiable, and indeed legal, for employers to record the activities of their employees whom they suspect of criminal or fraudulent activity. There are times when one of the only ways to obtain evidence is by covert surveillance.

“However, we would urge employers to be extremely cautious as they run the risk of falling foul of the Information Commissioner’s Code of Practice on Employment Practices. Covert monitoring is only likely to be lawful if there are grounds for suspecting criminal activity or serious misconduct.”

Looking at other areas of employment law risk, Emma-Jane added: “Holiday pay is another key employment law issue for which employers need to manage risk effectively, especially following a spate of cases which have been brought on the back of the Working Time Directive. It’s vital that employers carry out an in-depth audit of holiday patterns, the different payments made to staff, such as commission and overtime, and review contracts.”

Advising delegates on how best to manage litigation risks, Matthew Howse, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Partner at Arthur Cox, said: “The importance of risk analysis in a generally litigious environment, and the uncertainty created by the Brexit vote, cannot be stressed strongly enough. Cybercrime is a very topical example, following

recent reports that £13m was stolen from people in Northern Ireland through different forms of electronic deception and theft over the last year.

“The law often struggles to keep pace with technological developments, leading to the patchwork of laws and regulations that we currently have. Firms must also address the issue of cyber bullying and must look closely at where their potential liabilities lie in this sphere. In addition, it should be noted that a failure to comply with data protection legislation could lead to a fine of up to £500,000.”

Closing the seminar with an examination of key issues surrounding health and safety risk management, Chris Ritchie, Dispute Resolution Partner at Arthur Cox, said: “Directors must ensure that they are kept informed on a regular basis of the company’s health

and safety risks and performance.

To achieve this, companies may choose to appoint a new health and safety director, or allocate health and safety responsibilities to a senior manager, an existing director, the chief executive, or a specially formed health and safety committee.

“Ultimately, however, companies must remember that responsibility for health and safety does not stop with a health and safety director or a computer system. A collective effort and constant vigilance is required to manage the health and safety of a company and comply with the letter and spirit of the law.”

The Regulatory, Employment Law and Dispute Resolution Teams at Arthur Cox are well positioned to advise organisations on how best to manage risks. Call +44 28 9023 0007 for further information from Chris, Emma-Jane or Matthew, or your regular Arthur Cox contact.

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Eye on News

New William Wright Technology Centre for Queen’s University Belfast As the Wrights Group marks its 70th anniversary year, a new centre named after one of the company’s founders has been established at Queen’s University Belfast, the William Wright Technology Centre.

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he new facility at Queen’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has been named after Dr William Wright CBE, not only in recognition of his contribution to industry in Northern Ireland, but also his relentless drive in the promotion and development of new innovation and technology to reduce fossil fuel usage and emissions that are harmful to the environment.

The project is a joint venture between the Wrights Group, which has currently invested £300,000 in the centre - a figure which is also being matched by Queen’s University - and an upward potential investment figure of more than £6m. The key aim of the centre is to promote research and advanced engineering to facilitate the creation and development of technologies suitable for today’s bus industry, particularly as these needs become increasingly complex.

Currently housed in temporary accommodation, a new permanent premises for the centre has been identified within Queen’s campus and is scheduled to open in Summer 2017. A team of seven employees are already working on a range of research projects including drive cycle modelling,

thermal modelling, vibration related fatigue and lifecycle analysis, including topics such as cost of manufacturing, maintenance and operation. Future steering and suspension based research and development are also covered.

Welcoming the announcement the Economy Minister Simon Hamilton, MLA said, “This Executive’s ambition is to transform the Northern Ireland economy into one underpinned by innovation and creativity. The evidence shows that businesses are more productive when they innovate and collaborate. Those businesses are more inclined to export and employ more highly qualified people.

Wrightbus has a proven track record in innovation and creativity and is a familiar sight on the streets across the world.

Queen’s University has a commitment to excellence in research and innovation and making a positive global impact. I commend this venture, which will build on and further promote our history of innovation and entrepreneurship and assist in transforming our economy.”

Queen’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Patrick Johnston, said: “We are delighted and honoured to name our technology centre after Dr Wright, a well-respected

DELOITTE BEST MANAGED COMPANIES

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ictured at the Deloitte Best Managed Companies networking event at Queen’s University’ Riddell Hall are Glenn Roberts, Senior Partner at Deloitte and business psychology expert Tim Brown.

Speaking to an audience of finalists

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from Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies programme, Mr Brown said Northern Ireland’s small and medium sized companies should be hiring people based on their attitude as much as their qualifications if they want to grow into world beating businesses.

Economy Minister Simon Hamilton, Dr William Wright CBE and Queen’s University ViceChancellor Professor Patrick Johnston.

figure in the Northern Ireland business community and the global bus industry.

“Queen’s partnership with Wrightbus is one of our longest standing industry collaborations. Together we are leading the way in the development of some of the world’s most advanced hybrid engines. The new William Wright Technology Centre will ensure continued development of even better and cleaner environmental technology for advanced passenger transport in the UK and around the world. It will also give our students the opportunity to work closely with Wrightbus to develop their technical, research and employability skills.

“Queen’s is the UK’s leading institution for research commercialisation. Our people work with businesses and industry groups around the world on the research, development and commercialisation of new technologies in areas as diverse as healthcare, food and cyber security. Like our partnership with Wrightbus, these collaborations deliver world-class research that brings commercial, economic and societal benefits to Northern Ireland and further afield.”

Dr William Wright CBE founded the

original company with his father in 1946 and in 2017 will celebrate his 90th birthday. He also heads up the alternative driveline division at Wrightbus and he said: “We have a long established relationship with Queen’s University and are pleased to be involved in the further expansion of the technology centre. This is a new and exciting facility that will continue to stimulate fresh thinking and encourage innovation “At Wrightbus we believe our ‘special relationship’ with Queen’s University sets us apart from many other manufacturers within our industry. This is important work that helps us to not only attract and nurture the best engineering talent, it will also lead to the identification of cutting edge projects that will ultimately become viable commercial developments. This applies not only for the bus sector but also for the wider transport industry.

“Over the years we have demonstrated our commitment to the design and build of cleaner and greener buses and are increasingly at the forefront of electric technology in today’s bus industry and as such, we are very well placed to work with the team on this important initiative.”

Building futures that help shape tomorrow Finding and developing problem solvers and trailblazers isn’t an easy task. It takes a special kind of insight, education and training to prepare graduates for careers with the world’s leading derivatives marketplace.

CME Group values Ulster University Business School’s expertise and the talent pool it provides to help the company build its team and grow global markets.

Creating innovators made for your workplace ulster.ac.uk/shapingbusiness

Luke Watson Technical Operations Engineering Manager, CME Group

Eye on Growth

Mount Charles...

New Era For Home-Grown Group Mount Charles Group these days is a multi-sector services operation with well over 2,000 employees at any one time. But it’s a company which remains family-owned and one which hasn’t forgotten its roots.

First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Arlene Foster, and Junior Minister, Megan Fearon officially open Annon House, the new 10,000 square foot £1.6million headquarters for Mount Charles, along with the company’s Chairman Trevor Annon (right) and Managing Director Cathal Geoghegan.

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visit to its brand new headquarters on Belfast’s Ormeau Road provides graphic evidence of that. Starting on the ground floor and continuing up the stairway to the top floor executive offices, a specially-commissioned cartoon timeline charts the firm’s history from founder Trevor Annon’s early days in the catering business through to the present day.

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Trevor Annon remains at the helm of the business as chairman and two of his sons, Gavin & Chris, are on a new-look management team led by Managing Director, Cathal Geoghegan.

The group, with its roots in catering but with divisions spanning cleaning, security and vending, has just moved into its new Belfast headquarters from its longestablished base at Shaftesbury Square in the city centre.

Eye on Growth “It’s the culmination of a few years of planning,” says Trevor Annon. “We initially looked for a base that would combine both offices and warehousing but then decided to split the two. Our corporate base is here on the Ormeau Road and we have a large warehouse at Montgomery Road with office space for our vending and cleaning divisions.”

The company initially bought Wilton House on College Square North with a view to restoring the Georgian building there, but bureaucratic delays meant that a Plan B was needed.

With an open plan format, colourful break-out areas and high-tech finishings, the new Annon House on the Ormeau Road is home to a complement of some 50 people, and it represents an investment of £1.6 million spanning both purchase and refurbishment.

Mount Charles is a company which has posted steady growth over recent years. Current turnover is £31 million and the target for the 2016-17 is £35 million. That’s quite a jump from 2008, when the company’s sales totalled £14.9 million.

“Our objective is to hit £50 million by 2020.

That’s our 2020 vision. We’ve called it ‘The Road To 50’ and we’ve opened our mission up to all of the staff here. Bringing them on the journey with us is paramount” says Cathal Geoghegan.

Catering, both contract catering on site for public and private sector clients, and retail catering, such as that provided under various brands as locations ranging from Belfast International Airport to Ulster University, still makes up the bulk of Mount Charles’ operations.

But it’s cleaning and support services division has grown from a standing start to a £6 million turnover.

It recently won one of its biggest ever contracts, an annual £3.5 million deal to provide cleaning services to a major Government department. The company has now moved into security, offering CCTV monitoring and manned guarding, and other business activities include an events beverage and catering service.

Mount Charles is currently into its fourth year with Ulster Rugby, providing the beverage service at all of the bars in the Kingspan Stadium, and it recently added a similar events contracts for Down Royal Racecourse, the North West 200 and for the Titanic Exhibition Centre.

And, on the vending front, the customer base includes Bombardier’s Belfast manufacturing base and Translink’s stations and facilities Northern Ireland-wide.

It’s an organisation with substantial reach across a number of sectors here in Northern Ireland. So where does it see further growth coming from?

Cathal Geoghegan is clear on that one. “On the catering front, and that’s still our core business, there isn’t a lot of room to grow here in Northern Ireland. So we want to look at the Dublin corridor, at the Republic of Ireland as a whole and at GB. “We already have a successful catering contract at Exeter International Airport and there are definitely opportunities in GB,” he says. “As for the Republic, we’ve only really begun to dabble in Dublin, but we know that we can do things well there, we know that there is plenty of potential in the Irish marketplace and that’s where we’re looking.”

As it progresses towards its £50 million turnover target, headcount at the organisation is set to grow towards 3,500 people and above. Most businesses can claim to be people businesses but in Mount Charles’ case, that’s not in doubt.

The company has restructured its senior management team with the £50 million turnover target firmly in mind.

Both contract catering and retail catering are now under the wing of Leanne Duffy, a former Marks & Spencer senior executive who is now Group Director of Catering. She has been joined on the catering side of the business by ex-Deane’s chef Simon Toye, who comes in as Mount Charles’s first ever Group Development Chef.

Simon, who even has his own fully-specified kitchen at the new group headquarters, works with the group’s on-site chefs to come up with new menus and menu items.

“ We already have a successful catering contract at Exeter International Airport and there are definitely opportunities in GB. As for the Republic, we’ve only really begun to dabble in Dublin, but we know that we can do things well there, we know that there is plenty of potential in the Irish marketplace and that’s where we’re looking.”

A third addition to the top management team is Ian Todd who has taken over Cathal Geoghegan’s former role as Financial Director coupled with the IT Director’s function. Ian is now in the midst of change projects including the forthcoming implementation of new CRM and HR/payroll systems.

“We’re moving towards a paperless reporting system linking all of our many sites with headquarters and that’s a major challenge for an organisation of this scale,” explains Cathal Geoghegan.

Completing the senior management changes at Mount Charles is the appointment of Margaret Allen as Director of Procurement & Capital Projects. She’s one of the company’s longest-serving members of staff, having joined as a chef back in 1990, and she’ll be in charge of a series of forthcoming capital projects, including substantial investments out at some of Mount Charles’ largest and busiest customer sites.

By way of validation, the company recently added the ISO 18001 Occupational Health & Safety standard to its existing collection of standard qualifications covering other areas.

The future is an exciting place for the dynamic foodservice and business support services organisation.

As Trevor Annon says, “We’ve grown rapidly over the past few years and with our new senior team in place, we’re very positive about where the next decade will take us.

“Having sought out the best and brightest talent in the industry, our plan now is to drive forward on the Road to £50m, and in doing so, consolidate our position as both a business partner and employer of choice throughout Ireland and the UK.”

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Eye on Manufacturing

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Eye on Manufacturing

MATRIX LAUNCHES ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, MATERIALS & ENGINEERING REPORT Matrix, the Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel, has launched a major report into the performance and future of the advanced manufacturing, materials and engineering sector here, with the key message that it has the potential to transform the local economy.

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he AMME sector includes specialist areas such as polymers, aerospace and materials handling and including some of our most successful specialist companies, each one with a focus on advanced manufacturing technology, materials and engineering. As a sector, it is also export and R&D intensive.

According to the new report, there are now more than 2,000 such businesses in Northern Ireland, employing over 40,000 people, paying salaries 26% above the Northern Ireland average and generating sales worth £7.2bn in 2014. The sector also creates a steady demand for skilled workers, particularly those with STEM qualifications.

Among the leading edge companies profiled in the AMME Report are Greiner Packacing, Whale, Creative Composites, Seagate, Terex and Sphere Global.

One clear message coming out of the MATRIX report is that Northern Ireland has a strong manufacturing heritage and that there is still a higher concentration of manufacturing businesses here than in the UK as a whole.

During the economic downturn, the manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland kept on track better than other UK regions. For example, since the 2012 recession the NI manufacturing sector has created 6,500 new jobs – nearly three times the UK growth rate.

The report, which was launched recently at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast, was produced by a panel of experts selected from industry, government and academia.

Speaking at the launch, MATRIX Vice Chair Dr. Rob Hardeman said: “The contribution that AMME companies make to the Northern Ireland economy is truly impressive and a testament to the quality of our advanced engineers. Northern Ireland’s AMME capability should not be understated – it is a powerful force.

“Yes, manufacturing has faced some difficult times in recent years, and it will continue to do so. But by and large, NI’s AMME businesses have survived the recession – they have emerged more confident than before and are once again investing in growth.

“The challenges they have identified to us in this study should be considered in the context of a sector that can see enormous development opportunity and the MATRIX panel wants to impress upon government the need to respond to the recommendations within this report, so that NI’s full AMME potential can be realised.”

The study drew on insights from AMME business leaders, academic partners, representative associations and government bodies, both locally and nationally. This, combined with the use of data from a wide range of sources, revealed a surprisingly high level of sustained R&D activity and export achievement.

The MATRIX study revealed several diverse subsectors – aerospace, polymers, materials handling, agri engineering, automotive and construction products – as well as a significant number (around a third of the top 300 companies) which are highly specialized individual companies.

But despite the diversity, when these companies were asked what mattered most to them, there were three consistent themes – skills, costs and sectoral development.

Welcoming the report, Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said: “AMME businesses need to become more visible – both in terms of its broad appeal as a desirable career choice and in terms of showcasing the contribution the highly innovative sector makes to the regional and national economies.

Skills challenges aren’t unique to AMME, nor indeed to Northern Ireland. Concerns relating to quality and quantity of skills are universal across advanced manufacturing and other technology-rich sectors and economies around the world.

“Given the rapid rate of change manufacturing faces today, whether as a result of increasing levels of automation, customization, personalization, servitisation or re-manufacturing, it is almost inevitable that our skills base will face consistent and increasing pressures.

Our response to these pressures should be both creative and robust – and always informed by industry.”

The MATRIX report makes several recommendations based on its findings, including:

• STEM subjects should be taught to school children through practical, hands on learning to allow them to develop problem solving skills.

Vocational training for youth and continuing education for employees should be supported seamlessly through schools, FE and HE colleges.

• Industry-university engagement needs to become more flexible and dynamic and businesses should be encouraged to seek out collaborative opportunities based purely on expertise, with funding for collaborative research directed to best meet the needs and growth of the business. Better development and support of sub sectoral clusters within AMME who want to work together - a pilot around the application of Aerospace initiatives to polymer manufacturers is suggested.

• The development of a tailored AMME package of support (similar to Liverpool’s LEP advanced manufacturing initiative), covering R&D&I, skills, trade, etc. and incentivising collaboration.

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Eye on People

X FACTOR ESSENTIALS

Christina Walsh

In any organisation you need to know your business, know your competition and know your people.

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hese are all interlinked, but what is the biggest driver in the success or failure of a business?

PEOPLE. When a business is in the process of buying, selling or merging the questions beyond the financials are always around who the key people are within the business and why?

We recognise talent as those individuals that are of particular value to a business either in view of their high performance, high potential for the future or because they are fulfilling business or operationally critical roles. It is people that drive innovation, develop technology, provide strong leadership, spot opportunities and have a vision of tomorrow’s world. This raises challenges for businesses today in maintaining talent levels, filling leadership gaps and engaging with employees. Although there are many HR critical activities, managing the talent of the biggest asset in any business can provide the X factor.

One Direction There are three practices that positively impact on the success of an effective talent management plan.

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Firstly, linkage to the business strategy, which is compromised of the mission, vision, values and goals.

This gives the platform to the talent management plan that fits with the culture and values of the business, which is becoming increasing important to our talent pool. It also enables every employee to see where they fit within the organisation, what they are working towards and to feel part of something bigger.

Secondly, engagement with the right people which means gaining support from the top down, involving the change agents and having one person who has overall accountability for the talent management plan.

Finally, consistently identifying and selecting the target groups or individuals, taking not only high performance into account but the competencies of high potential. When performance is the only criteria you are focusing on, high performance will move up and high potential will move out.

Talent Promotion 8 key activities to promote talent management: 1. Job descriptions – develop these to match the skills, experience, values and competencies needed. This will also have the added benefit of setting and managing potential employee expectations around the role;

2. Profile – review the behaviours of employees who fit the culture of the organisation, are high performance and/or have high potential. You want employees who have pride in what they are doing and have a passion for the job that can feed into high performance teams.

Use this information to filtrate into your selection process; 3. Continuous reviews – adapt a blended approach to performance management through formal reviews, 1:1 monthly check-in meetings and real time feedback (daily/weekly). Changes in technology through social media have created instant gratification expectations that have been transferred to work based feedback.

4. Training and development – provide ongoing training and development opportunities that reflect both the employee’s and the organisation’s needs; 5. Increased compensation and recognition - design effective compensation and recognition systems that reward people for their contributions. Employers of choice aim to reward above market rate for top performing employees; 6. Opportunities – provide promotional and career development paths that include succession planning, secondments, ‘acting-up’ and on-thejob training opportunities, convey these on a regular basis through 1:1s;

7. A whole career focus – when you focus on a top performer, career-long retention is not always a realistic goal. Be open and honest, developing a plan to guide and mentor top performers for the next step in their career; 8. Exit interview – these can help to understand why a valued employee decided to leave the organisation.

If the reasons provide information about systems that you can improve, make the changes that will better retain talented employees.

Better talent will generate better business performance; every business needs to focus on bringing the best out of their talent for today and tomorrow.

Christina provides HR Consultancy services for a client base across various sectors. If you wish to avail of these services please contact: Christina Walsh, HR Manager T: 028 8775 2990 F: 028 8775 2909 E: christina.walsh@cavanaghkelly.com W: www.cavanaghkelly.com

Eye on Cyber-Crime

Online Threats…

Avoiding The Scams In light of recent high profile cyber scams such as the wellpublicised US election allegations, the HMRC tax refund hoax, and the Queen’s University ‘ransomware’ attack, it seems timely to provide advice which businesses can use to avoid scams and help customers to do the same.

By Gareth McAlister, Managing Director of Nimbus CS

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016 research by the Federation of Small Business (FSB) showed that 42% of their members had been victims of cybercrime in the last 12 months, these crimes costing an average of £4000 per crime.

Cyber-crime and online scams are now considered to be the fastest-growing area of fraud, with the UK & Ireland both particular hotbeds.

This has culminated in Police chiefs in England and Wales recently calling for a national campaign against online fraud and other cyber-crime.

So what steps can businesses take to avoid this ever growing trend of online scam and cyber-crime, thus ensuring their brand, finance and employees are protected when conducting day to day work?

• Secure your IT Infrastructure – Every business owner/ manager should invest in a firewall as well as robust anti-virus, malware and spyware detection software.

• One of the key methods used as bait to create an online scam is through viruses attached to emails.

If you receive an email from an unknown or suspicious source we strongly advise that the email is not opened, and that you refer the email to your manager or IT provider. If an email is considered unsafe then it can be reported to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

• Another key method for scamming and conducting online crime is through the integration of ransomware which can be hiding in the back of many websites through malicious code. If (upon visitation of a particular site), the server crashes and messages showing payment methods for retrieving files appear, we advise that you inform your IT provider or system administrator and disconnect your computers and servers from the network and powering them down. This is important as ransomware threats similar to Cryptolocker work their way through each machine on the network and encrypt all files on the machines. Therefore disconnecting an infected machine from the network may just stop the virus in its tracks as all important company information may not be fully encrypted at this point.

• We strongly recommend that businesses, large or small have a back-up plan in place for the restoration of data so that, in the event of being hacked or falling victim to a scam, you will not have to pay to retrieve your files.

• Backing up data is a must and will make it a lot easier for you to continue working in the event of a cyber-attack. Having an onsite backup routine of changing backup disks on a daily basis has been in place for years, but more recently cloud based systems (which are not permanently attached to your

computer) provide a highly effective means for backing up information. Packages such as Acronis Cloud Backup, Amazon Cloud Backup, Microsoft Azure are all trustworthy products and have multiple live replication patterns. It should be noted there is a considerable difference between cloud backup and cloud storage as cloud storage (similar to dropbox) allows you to store files and folders in a container, but this type of service does not include a backup but it is highly available.

• Another easy step you can take to protect your IT systems is to implement a password policy. Make sure you and your employees change them regularly (every 60 to 90 days is a good rule). Set rules that ensure passwords are complex (i.e. contain one upper case letter, one number and must be a minimum of eight characters). Use different passwords for different online and system accounts.

Employees are perhaps your biggest point of vulnerability when it comes to fraud, but they are also your first line of defence. Holding regular training sessions on basic security threats (online and off) and prevention measures – is a sensible form of staff development for both new hires and seasoned staff.

In conclusion, fraud and cybercrime do unfortunately happen in the modern, digital age, however, you can still seek to cover your damages by purchasing an insurance policy that protects you against any losses that you may incur from crime or fraud.

For any further information on any issues pertaining to cyber-crime or online scams, please don’t’ hesitate contact myself or one of the Nimbus CS team for confidential advice.

Email: Gareth.mcalister@ nimbuscs.com

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Eye on Communications

Haldane Fisher Builds Success With Rainbow Communications Despite the ups and downs of the local building and construction industry, Haldane Fisher continues to maintain and extend its position as the go to supplier for the building trade and the increasing self-build and DIY markets.

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aldane Fisher is one of the leading independent suppliers to the construction industry in the UK and Ireland, serving both trade customers and the general public. Haldane Fisher is part of the Haldane Shiells Group, with 16 branches located throughout Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and North West England. Founded in 1946 by Bob Haldane the business has grown organically and through acquisition, yet still retains the high levels of personal service expected from a family run business.

Product Knowledge Haldane Fisher and its plumbing division Plumbmaster is a national builders and plumber’s merchants supplying a huge range of products, the Group is also a leading manufacturer of machined timber, engineered roofing and flooring solutions.

Haldane Fisher aims to provide the highest levels of customer service, product knowledge and sound advice with the ultimate goal of supporting their customers across a range of projects, big or small.

For the last three years, Rainbow Communications has

delivered telecoms support across Haldane Fisher’s fixed and mobile networks, providing the company with a seamless communications solution ensuring its 16 branches and almost 500 staff remain in constant contact with each other and their expanding customer base.

A critical element of the bespoke telecoms package which Rainbow Communications devised for Haldane Fisher was ensuring best in class mobile connectivity into the main communications platform.

With over 50 000 deliveries a year, Haldane Fisher needs to be in real time contact and in control of its fleet to not only maintain its high level of customer service but also improve its logistical efficiency.

Rainbow Communications is Northern Ireland’s largest independent business telecoms provider and currently supplies and manages the telecoms and communications requirements of over 10,000 businesses throughout the UK and Ireland, including over 45% of Northern Ireland Top 200 companies.

Connectivity and Capacity Stuart Carson, Sales and Marketing Director at Rainbow Communications commented: “Haldane Fisher is a great example of a local company with its eyes firmly fixed on

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expanding beyond the shores of Northern Ireland. The construction and wider building industry has had it challenges in recent years but through its comprehensive choice of quality products across so many sectors backed by expert advice and customer support, Haldane Fisher has positioned itself as a worthy market leader. We are delighted that we have an opportunity to help Haldane Fisher enhance its customer service provision by ensuring its telecoms platform across fixed line and mobile network works to the optimum providing the connectivity and capacity they need for their expanding business.

Our operational specialism is

Eye on Communications

scoping out and delivering a range of services which work seamlessly together to provide our customers with a robust, end to end telecoms solution which can grow and adapt to the demands placed on it by ever challenging marketplaces.”

Gary Cranney, Associate Director Haldane Fisher said: “With 16 branches and almost 500 staff, having an efficient and effective integrated telecoms system is absolutely crucial to the success of our business. Keeping connected to our customers and having a unified telecoms platform for our staff to communicate both in and out of the office, has helped us maintain

the very high levels of customer service we have set ourselves, just like ourselves Rainbow has grown significantly over the years, yet retains the benefits and flexibility of being a family run business, enabling us to have the necessary support and communication tools to deliver the service levels our customers have come to expect from us. Over the last three years Rainbow Communication has consistently gone the extra mile to help us keep connected.

Real Time Communication “With the help and expertise of Rainbow we moved 153 mobile connections to EE, improving our

external sales team and delivery drivers’ ability to remain connected with our branches and customers.

Then in 2015 we installed a new telecoms system integrating our fixed line and mobile telecoms, this has delivered significant benefits including a reduction in missed customer calls and greater staff efficiency through better real time communication.”

Mr Cranney concluded: “Just as our customers benefit from our industry expertise when planning their projects, having direct access to Rainbow’s knowledgeable and highly experienced team has proved invaluable advice and support in

maintaining our continuity of service, especially on the odd occasion when we run into difficulties.

Rainbow Communications are always there to help us, day or night, and their personal touch puts our working relationship on a level more akin to a partnership as opposed to a traditional client/supplier relationship.”

Rainbow Communications info@rainbowcomms.com 0800 018 8082 www.rainbowcomms.com.

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BILL WOLSEY TAKES TOP AWARD AT UTV BUSINESS EYE AWARDS Business Personality of the Year Bill Wolsey

Pictured receiving the Business Personality of the year Award from Enda Corneille, Emirates Country Manager and Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director, Business Eye is leading Belfast hotelier Bill Wolsey. Also pictured are Emirates cabin crew members Liane Santos Pereira & Enya Barry.

LEADING Northern Ireland hotelier Bill Wolsey has been named as Business Personality of the Year at the 10th anniversary UTV Business Eye Awards in association with new lead sponsors Emirates

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he awards were presented at Belfast Waterfront last night (Thursday, 24th November) in front of a record-breaking audience of more than 700 business guests.

Bill Wolsey opened his latest hotel venture, Bullitt, in Belfast city centre recently. He’s also the driving force behind the 5-star Merchant Hotel and also owns a number of pubs around Northern Ireland as well as the Little Wing Pizzeria group.

Cookstown-based building materials manufacturers Keystone Group took the coveted Company of the Year title recognising its growth from a manufacturer of roof lintels to a major manufacturer

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employing more than 1,000 people.

Meanwhile, a unique double Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to County Tyrone brothers Jack and Jim Dobson, the founders of Dunbia, the giant meat processing group based in Dungannon but with locations all over the UK and Ireland.

Other key winners on a glittering night of awards at Belfast Waterfront were Chris Martin of Belfast-based online retailer Ozaroo, who won Young Business Personality of the Year, and dynamic Portadown company The Deluxe Group, a specialist company responsible for highprofile design and fit projects worldwide.

The Employer of the Year title went to one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, US-owned Allstate, Brookvent, Dunmurry-based ventilation specialists Brookvent lifted the International Award while WIS Group from Mallusk was named as Fast Growth Company of the Year.

The judging for the 2016 UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Emirates took place recently at tallest dedicated hotel in the world, the JW Mariott Marquis Hotel in Dubai.

“These awards are a great partnership for Emirates and help demonsrate our commitment to the Northern Irish market,” said Enda Corneille, Country Manager for Emirates in Ireland.

“Emirates operates two flights daily from Dublin direct to Dubai and onwards to a wide range of worldwide destinations and Northern Ireland-based business passengers are an important part of our growing customer base.”

Michael Wilson, Managing Director of

UTV Television, said that the UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Emirates are an important part of the business calendar here in Northern Ireland.

“UTV has had the opportunity to support the Business Eye Awards since their inception ten years ago and once again businesses across Northern Ireland have showcased their innovation, strengths and credibility not only at a local level but as international players also.

“UTV strives to give the business sector the voice and strong platform to not only bring about change and investment where needed, but most importantly to recognise and celebrate all that has been achieved by the Northern Ireland business community over the last year.”

The UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Emirates were televised for the second time this year and a special programme on the awards will be broadcast on UTV on Tuesday, 6th Devember, at 22.40.

Full List of Winners – UTV Business Eye Awards with Emirates Agri Food Innovation Award

Business Marketing award

Research & Development Project

Young Business Personality

Sponsored by ACB&C Borough Council

Sponsored by Wilsons Auctions

Sponsored by U105.8FM

Sponsor: Ulster University Business School

Musgrave NI/Supervalu

Danske Bank

Sphere Global

Chris Martin, Ozaroo

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kestrel Foods

HIGHLY COMMENDED: We Are Vertigo

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kestrel Foods

FDI Project of the Year

Outstanding Leadership & Management

Employer of the Year

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Gareth Chambers, Around Noon

Sponsored by A&L Goodbody

Sponsored by CMI

Sponsored by UTV

Thales UK

Gareth Loye, M&M Contractors

Allstate NI

Fast Growth Business of the Year

Most Innovative Company of the Year

Sponsor: Charles Hurst Fleet Financial

Business Personality of the Year Sponsored by Emirates

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Baker & McKenzie

Bill Wolsey

Sponsored by Innov8

Tourism/Hospitality Project

Company of the Year

WIS Group

Bloc Blinds

Sponsored by Visit Belfast

HIGHLY COMMENDED: AES Global

HIGHLY COMMENDED: MultiShower GB

The MAC Belfast

International Award

Digital/Online Company of the Year

SME of the Year

Sponsored by Mills Selig

Sponsored by TLT

Sponsored by First Trust Bank

Brookvent

Irish FA

The Deluxe Group

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sphere Global

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ozaroo

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Upstream Lifetime Achievement Award

Sponsored by Legacy Wealth Keystone Group HIGHLY COMMENDED: Novosco Waste Reduction Project of the Year Sponsored by ISL Henderson Wholesale HIGHLY COMMENDED: CastleCourt

Jack and Jim Dobson, Dunbia

Lifetime Achievement Award Jack and Jim Dobson

Michael Wilson addresses the audience.

Richard Buckley addresses the audience.

Jack and Jim Dobson, founders of Dunbia receive a unique double Lifetime Achievement Award at the 10th anniversary UTV Business Eye Awards from Barry Smyth from category sponsors MCS Group. Also pictured are Brenda Buckley, Business Eye and Enda Corneille, Country Manager, Emirates.

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Highly Commended

Best Digital/Online Company of the Year The Irish FA

Chris Martin from Ozaroo receives a highly commended award in the Best Digital/Online Company of the Year from Frances Thompson of sponsors TLT. Also pictured are Emirates cabin crew members Liane Santos Pereira & Enya Barry.

Performance by the Open Arts Community Choir.

Heather Wright and Jonny Brown, Irish Football Association receive the Best Digital/Online Company of the Year award from Frances Thompson of sponsors TLT.

Business Marketing Award

Highly Commended

Danske Bank

Peter Johnston, Wilsons Auctions, presents a highly commended certificate in the Business Marketing category to Gareth Murphy & Lorna Murphy and Jim McGaw from We Are Vertigo.

Nicola Mc Cleary and Roberta Miura receive the Business Marketing Award on behalf of Danske Bank from Peter Johnston, Group Operations Director, Wilsons Auctions (category sponsor).

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Paul Malone, Siobhan Watson, Sarah Pannasch and Cathal Tunney at the UTV Business Eye Awards.

Research and Development Project of the Year

Highly Commended

Sphere Global

Peter McVerry, U105 presents a highly commended certificate in the Research & Development Project of the Year category to Lorraine McAfee and David Jones of Kestrel Foods. Also pictured are Emirates cabin crew members Liane Santos Pereira & Enya Barry.

Sean McNicholl from Sphere Global receives the Research and Development Project of the Year category from Peter McVerry from sponsors U105.

Highly Commended

Jamie Delargy, Elvena Graham and Gary McDonald at the UTV Business Eye Awards.

International Award Brookvent

John Kearns, Managing Director of category sponsors Mills Selig presents a highly commended award in the Research & Development Project of the Year category to Sean McNicholl, Sphere Global.

Aislinn McGuckin, Gemma Owens, Sara Ewing, Anna Vangrove and Frances Thompson at the UTV Business Eye Awards.

Stephen O’Reilly & Declan Gormley, Brookvent receive the International Award from John Kearns, Mills Selig (category sponsor).

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Foreign Direct Investment Project of the Year Thales UK

Mark Thompson, Orla Hanna, Jill Gracey, Aisling Owens, Kirsty Blair and Ciaran McAliney.

Martin Murphy, Pierre Leonetti, Dougie Davidson, Arlene Lyle, David Crone from Thales UK receive the Foreign Direct Investment Project of the Year from Mark Thompson of category sponsors A&L Goodbody.

Highly Commended

Simon Edwards, Claire Trainor, Peter McVerry, Siofra Healy and Michael Corcoran.

Most Innovative Company of the Year Bloc Blinds

Stephen Cairns, Innov8 (sponsor) presents a highly commended award in the Most Innovative Company of the Year category to James Clarke & Christie Allen of Multishower GB.

Michael Taylor, Shelly Taylor, Amba Taylor and David Pauley.

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Marc Wilson, Cormac Diamond, Kevin McCullough & Kiera Sullivan from Bloc Blinds receive the Most Innovative Company of the Year award from category sponsor, Stephen Cairns, Innov8.

Highly Commended

Fast Growth Business of the Year WIS Group

Maria & Paul Creighton from AES Global receive a highly commended award in the Fast Growth Business of the Year category from Jeff McCartney, Charles Hurst Group & Fleet Financial (category sponsor).

Simon Harrison, Danielle Morrison, Sarah Dobson, Jonathan Dobson, Oliver Gayle and Cheryl Gayle.

Jeff McCartney, Charles Hurst & Fleet Financial (sponsor), presents the Fast Growth Business of the Year Award to Nichola Clarke & John Toner, WIS Group.

Outstanding Leadership & Management Award Gareth Loye

Justin Allen, Helen Crilly, Greta Coulter and Raymond Coulter.

Dorothy McIlwee, Chartered Management Institute (sponsor) presents the Outstanding Leadership & Management Award to Gareth Loye, M&M Contractors. Also pictured are Emirates cabin crew members Liane Santos Pereira & Enya Barry.

Lesley Delaney and Tracey Schofield.

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Highly Commended

Waste Reduction Project Of The Year Henderson Wholesale

Paul Relph of CastleCourt Shopping Centre picks up the Highly Commended Award in the Waste Reduction Project of the Year category from Celine McLarnon of ISL Waste Management.

Enda Corneille, County Manager (Ireland), Emirates.

Justin Allen and Helen Crilly of Henderson Wholesale receive the Waste Reduction Project of the Year Award from Celine McLarnon of sponsors ISL Waste Management.

Employer of the Year

Highly Commended

Allstate

John Healy, Managing Director of Allstate NI, picks up the Employer of the Year Award from Michael Wilson, Managing Director of UTV and UTV Ireland.

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Jason Marty & Helen Woodward from Baker & McKenzie collect the Highly Commended Award in the Employer of the Year category from Michael Wilson of UTV.

Agri Food Innovation Award

Highly Commended

Musgrave/Supervalu

Lorraine Hall of Kestrel Foods picks up a Highly Commended certificate in the Agri Food Innovation category from Alderman Garath Keating.

Kate Ferguson & Desi Derby from Musgrave Northern Ireland receive the Agri Food Innovation Award from Alderman Garath Quinn, Lord Mayor of Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon, sponsors of the category.

The group from the Northern Ireland Assembly & Business Trust.

Tourism & Hospitality Project of the Year The MAC

Jim Megaw, former of Stewarts & Crazy Prices and now starring in We Are Vertigo’s advertising campaign, acknowledges the audience.

Dance group Innova.

Gerry Lennon of Visit Belfast (second left) presents the Tourism & Hospitality Project of the Year Award to Anne McReynolds and Hugh Mulholland of The MAC, Belfast.

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Highly Commended

SME of the Year The Deluxe Group

Judith Totten of Upstream Finance collects a Highly Commended certificate in the SME of the Year category from Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank.

Christine Whelan, Eva McElroy and Deirdre Burns.

Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank, presents the SME of the Year Award to Portadown-based The Deluxe Group, from left Colm Connolly, Colm O’Carroll, Colm O’Carroll (senior) & Paul Mackle.

Young Business Personality of the Year

Highly Commended

Chris Martin, Ozaroo

Gareth Chamber from Around Noon collects the Young Business Personality of the Year Highly Commended Award from Professor Marie McHugh.

Chris Martin of Ozaroo accepts the Young Business Personality of the Year Award from Professor Marie McHugh of the Ulster University Business School.

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Angela Hunter and Julie McCartney.

Company Of The Year The Keystone Group

Keith Liggett of sponsors Legacy Wealth presents the 2016 Company of the Year Award to Eithne Kelly of Keystone Group. Also pictured are (from left): Roseanna Weech, James Kelly, Sean og Coyle, Sean Coyle, Peter Johnson, Brenda Buckley & Enda Corneille.

Highly Commended

Richard Buckley, Vicki Maguire and Bobby Willis.

Una Fearon of Novosco accepts a Highly Commended certificate in the Company of the Year category from Keith Liggett of Legacy Wealth. Also included are Patrick McAliskey, Helen Malone, Dominic O’Neill, Brenda Buckley & Enda Corneille.

Keith Willett, Jonathan Finlay, Brenda Buckley, Adrienne McGill and Gary McDonald.

Brenda Buckley and Adrienne McGill.

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Back (from left): Garry Matthewson, Richard Buckley, Siobhan Matthewson, Sam Buckley, Ciara Tunney & Michael Wilson.

Front (from left): Rosie Caldwell, Martin Caldwell, Brenda Buckley, George Caldwell & Ciara Donnelly.

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Petra Wolsey, Lynsey Lamont and Jane Masterson.

Marc Mallett and Jonathan Bell.

Wendy McKnight and Nicola McLaughlin at the UTV Business Eye Awards.

Karen Kane and Harry Parkinson.

Tracey Hamilton and guests at the UTV Business Eye Awards.

Petra Wolsey, Gerry Lennon and Bill Wolsey.

Judith Hamilton and Victoria Logan.

Michael Wilson of UTV with presents Marc Mallett & Vicki Hawthorne.

Peter Corry.

Ciara Donnelly & Brenda Buckley Business Eye with Jamie Delargy.

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Aston Martin DB11 courtesy of Charles Hurst.

Brenda Buckley and David Mackey.

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Michael Corcoran and Sharon Jamieson.

Eye on Awards

Innovation: The Key to Commercial Success Tim McVicker, Commercial Director at Kestrel Foods, talks exporting, e-commerce and the award-winning formula that has made the premium snacking company a success.

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elebrating two decades of business excellence, Kestrel Foods is one of Northern Ireland’s agri-food success stories, evidenced by our recent Highly Commended award wins at the UTV Business Eye Awards in the R&D Project of the Year and Agri-food Innovation categories.

From humble beginnings back in 1996 at our Craigavon headquarters, continued product innovation through investment in our facilities and people has transformed us from a local packing company to a leading global food manufacturer and a trailblazer for the international snacking market.

This year, sales totals have reached their highest to date, equating to £14.4m, with 54% sales growth in the past three years.

Exports, outside of Northern Ireland, now account for 93% of our business, boasting customers in 36 international markets.

We have a long and successful track record of developing Kestrel’s brands – Forest Feast and Acti-Snack –throughout the UK and Irish marketplaces, including multiple & independent retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators & on line providers.

In our 20 years, we believe we have played a significant role in developing the overall dried fruit and nut category within these marketplaces.

From securing our first retail listing outside of Northern Ireland soon after our launch in 1996, we now sell more than 22m packets per annum via our partnerships with customers such as Tesco, Waitrose, Costco & Spar in GB and Musgraves and Dunnes in ROI, as well as being part of the exciting

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and fast-moving e-commerce world through online retailers such as Ocado and Amazon.

Our business is based on innovation and we work continually to ensure we are reviewing market trends, identifying category gaps and leading the way in developing new product ranges. We believe it’s this pioneering world class innovation and product development that has made our brands so successful & has led to many new business opportunities & facilitated our entry into new marketplaces.

“ Our signature product, Forest Feast Exotic Dried Mango, was recently revealed as the nation’s favourite by an AC Nielson report.”

From our conversations with our retail partners, we know we have established a solid reputation for premium quality products, unique flavour mixes and hitting the mark with our nutritional know-how, tapping into the latest consumer behaviours and capitalising on the trend for healthy snacking. Deciding to stock our products is a risk free strategy for retail buyers owing to the loyal consumer following.

From the traditional to the contemporary, our products are all designed with consumer lifestyle and behaviours in mind.

Our signature product, Forest

Feast Exotic Dried Mango, was recently revealed as the nation’s favourite by an AC Nielson report.

Launched when the company was fledgling ( in 1998) Forest Feast Exotic Dried Mango has offered consistently premium quality and an outstanding rate of sale since day one.

Given our fast paced lifestyles, snacks which tick both the healthy yet indulgent boxes are becoming increasingly in demand. To reflect this, we created a limited edition Dark and Milk Chocolate Dried Mango as part of our 20th year celebrations.

At the other end of the spectrum, one of our most recent product developments – the Smart and Hearty range – reflects the current trend for zero-sugar diets and so, has a strong emphasis on No Added Sugar.

It’s our steadfast commitment to ongoing Research & Development that has allowed us to conquer new flavours, new markets and even launch a new brand – Acti-Snack – in the highly competitive sports nutrition category. And it is this, we believe, that will help us stay on track to meet our ambitious growth targets of £20m by 2020.

Kestrel Foods is undoubtedly a pioneer of world class innovation and has cemented Northern Ireland’s position as a serious business entity on a global stage.

Pick of the bunch

Thank you for picking our Exotic Dried Mango as the UK’s favourite!

Pick up a pack in store or online now.

Kestrel Foods Ltd. Unit 8, Carn Drive, Carn Industrial Estate, Portadown, Co. Armagh, BT63 5WJ. enquiries@forestfeast.com

www.forestfeast.com

Source: AC Nielsen, 27th August 2016, 52 weeks

Eye on Awards

SuperValu’s Beef is A Cut Above The Rest SuperValu’s recent win in the ‘AgriFood Innovation’ category at the UTV/ Business Eye awards comes on the back of a very successful year for the leading foodmarket convenience retailer.

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uperValu’s beef has already been named No.1 for quality and taste in Northern Ireland, coming out on top in research conducted by the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), with 100% of its beef sourced locally and 100% also Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured.

SuperValu’s beef leads the way not only in quality but in flavour, as an independent consumer taste audit conducted

by Loughry College found that SuperValu’s new and improved beef was the best ahead of a number of key competitors.

The retailer’s ‘Best Beef Ever’ campaign, which was supported

by SuperValu Ambassador and renowned celebrity Chef Noel McMeel, ran in August as part of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink’s ‘Love NI Meat’ theme.

SuperValu steaks and joints are now matured for a minimum of 21 days to give a fuller flavour and improved tenderness. All butchers within SuperValu stores have also been trained on the quality of the meat, increased range, improving maturation and new cuts of meat, to be able to offer ‘expert’ advice to customers.

The UTV/Business Eye awards judging panel commented on SuperValu’s win:

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“The Musgrave/SuperValu ‘Best Beef Ever’ campaign was a highly effective means to promote both local beef and the quality of the supply chain. The judges noted the successful use of chef Noel McMeel as an important part of the strategy, as well as the fact that the retail group clearly had faith in the products on sale to consumers.”

Michael McCormack, Managing Director of Musgrave NI, which owns the SuperValu brand said: “We’re delighted to be recognised in the business community for SuperValu’s Best Beef Ever campaign.

“At Musgrave, we aim to lead in food innovation with both our SuperValu and Centra brands and this accolade is testament to the incredible work of SuperValu staff and retailers to develop an awardwinning campaign which delivers for our customers.

“SuperValu beef has always been 100% Northern Ireland farm quality assured and now we’re leading the way in taste and quality. With our ‘Best Beef Ever’ campaign, we have provided customers with choice, range and we’ve invested in training to provide in-store expertise with our local butcher.”

“ The Musgrave/SuperValu ‘Best Beef Ever’ campaign was a highly effective means to promote both local beef and the quality of the supply chain. The judges noted the successful use of chef Noel McMeel as an important part of the strategy, as well as the fact that the retail group clearly had faith in the products on sale to consumers.”

SuperValu is a leading foodmarket convenience brand for independent retailers in Northern Ireland providing real food from the heart of Northern Ireland. SuperValu believes in quality local food that is from

here and for here, which is why, every year, SuperValu sells in excess of £105 million worth of products from Northern Ireland in its stores; this helps to sustain jobs in local communities across the province.

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BEST BEEF EVER

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SuperValu’s Best Beef Ever campaign, winner of the Agri-Food Innovation Award.

All SuperValu meat comes with 100% quality guarantee and is Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured.

LAND

SOURCE

Northern Irish ‘soft-day’ weather means luscious green grass, perfect for unbeatable beef.

We only source from trusted famers with quality herds, from across Northern Ireland.

TECHNIQUE

TASTE

We age our beef on the bone for longer and all of our prime steaks and roasts are matured for at least 21 days.

Our new and improved beef was voted no.1 in a blind taste trial conducted at Loughry College.

.

Eye on Communication

Cloud Telephony: What is it and how can it help you?

Telephone communication is critical to business but when it comes to IT spending it is often the Cinderella technology mainly due to the fact that it usually works without drama.

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s a result, many telephony systems operate for 10 years or more, the box in the corner with the light on, a much longer lifespan than other IT hardware and software.

Times change, however, and so does technology. Cloud telephony is becoming more popular for businesses of all sizes. With everything else in IT moving to the Cloud, it was only a matter of time before telephone systems went with it. But what is it and why would a business benefit from it?

Cloud telephony is a virtually hosted telephone system delivered over a high speed Internet connection. It removes the need for a traditional on-site telephone system.

In the past companies could only go down the route of traditional telephone system because at that point nothing else was possible. As Internet speeds, central to all cloud

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based technology, were not quite up to standard it took time for hosted telephony to be a viable option. With faster internet speeds now available, the ability for businesses to move more daily functions, including telephony, to the Cloud has increased.

Cloud telephony has a range of benefits for businesses of all sizes and is most popular for small or growing businesses. This is mainly to do with the lower initial capital associated with cloud telephony compared to that of a traditional phone system. Cloud telephony reduces hardware costs as it does not require anything on-site except for the handsets being used.

It also has lower installation costs which cuts the initial capital outlay.

Lifecycle costs are also simplified.

Cloud telephony tends to be priced per user with platform costs and line rental built in. Your system will always have the latest technology. System

upgrades are part of the package so there is no need for you to pay extra for upgrades to the system.

Scalability and flexibility is another huge benefit of cloud telephony for all businesses. More users and features can be added and removed whenever it is required, which allows businesses to cover any changes in staffing both temporarily and permanently. This means you don’t pay for features and users that are no longer active or useful to your business.

Standard functions essential for businesses that you would expect are available such as voicemail but other additional features are available with cloud telephony that otherwise have a capital cost. Teleworking from home, call recording or call centre capabilities can all be made available on a per user rental basis.

If you have multiple locations, cloud offers a great way to link the

telephony of your sites without investing in a complex infrastructure.

All of your sites can be linked to the one cloud telephony system and added to the system at a with minimal disruption or cost. Calls between sites are also often free which is beneficial to the multi-site business.

Cloud telephony is an easy way for you to manage what is still the most immediate medium for business communication. As long as your business has the Internet speeds and quality to ensure that the system will function correctly, then cloud telephony is with considering when your current telephony system is reaching retirement.

Richard Simpson, Managing Director of Atlas Communications. Atlas provides in-premises and hosted data, network and telephony solutions to businesses across Northern Ireland and can be contacted on 028 9078 6868.

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Eye on News

Brexit And National Living Wage Together Present Unique Challenges For NI Hospitality Sector Representatives from across Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector gathered to discuss new challenges and new opportunities for growth as part of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) annual conference and exhibition, the ‘Hospitality Exchange’.

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t a special business breakfast hosted by BBC NI presenter Mark Simpson and supported

by First Trust Bank, STR Global and Savills Ireland, experts discussed the current business climate, latest market trends and issues including Brexit, immigration, National Living Wage, skills, VAT rates and future performance.

Speaking at the event Brian Gillan, Head of Business and Corporate Banking at First Trust Bank said; “The Hospitality Sector in NI is facing a unique set of challenges as it comes to terms with the introduction of the National Living Wage and the implications of Brexit, where on both fronts it is particularly susceptible. Initial research from the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre suggests the sector will experience a very significant impact from the National Living Wage. The forecast wage rate of approximately £9 per hour is 15% higher than the median wage in the sector in

contrast with an economy average where the £9 rate is approximately 30% below the median wage. At the same time the fact that the industry relies on immigration as a source of labour, running at three times the average across all sectors, any restrictions on the free movement of people will present significant difficulties.

Despite these unique challenges and the ongoing battle to reduce VAT levels and improve skills in the industry, the view in the room was very much one of optimism as we discussed how to overcome these challenges, embrace change and champion the industry. It’s clear from events like today the industry is looking to work together to address these concerns and that had to be welcomed.

“With a range of hospitality and tourism clients, we are directly aware of the issues faced by the sector but also the collaborative spirit that is being increasingly embraced to help Northern Ireland reach its growth potential. At

Pictured at the Hospitality Exchange Business Breakfast is; President of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, Ciaran O’Neill, Brian Gillan, First Trust Bank, Naureen Ahmed, STR Global and Tom Barrett from Savills Ireland.

First Trust Bank, we too are aware of our role to encourage economic growth and our commitment to this is reinforced by our lending figures which show we have approved over £1 billon new lending applications across a range of sectors including hospitality in the past two years.”

Also speaking at the Hospitality Exchange, Gareth Hetherington, Associate Director, Ulster University Economic Policy Centre said; “The hospitality sector has experienced excellent growth in recent years, external visitors have increased 6% year on year, and total spend in the sector has increased by 20% to £764 million in the last four years. Reflecting the strong increase in demand, hospitality is also one of the fastest growing

employers in the local economy, creating 10,000 new jobs since 2012.

“Like many sectors it also faces a number of challenges, including the EU referendum result and the introduction of the National Living Wage both of which will have a greater impact on hospitality than other parts of the economy.

However, the sector is meeting these challenges from a position of strength and is seen as one of our key industries to support continued economic growth.

“We would encourage the industry to use events like today to shape the policy debate and to speak with one voice on the key issues affecting the sector to ensure their needs are heard in the negotiations around the withdrawal from the EU.”

Top Award For Praxis Praxis Care recently won the Health and Social Care Social Enterprise of the Year 2016 at the Social Enterprise Awards at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast.

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he awards, presented by UTV’s Paul Clark, recognised and celebrated the excellence in social enterprise and the outstanding achievements of social entrepreneurs to deliver social impact.

Paul Collins Praxis Care Assistant Director Communications said: “Praxis Care is absolutely delighted to be named as “Health and Social Care Social Enterprise of the Year”. The award is great acknowledgment for the hard work and commitment of our 1,355 staff and volunteers. Praxis Care provides care and support to 1,720 adults and children with

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learning disability, mental ill health and acquired brain injury in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, and England. This award is great recognition for the professionalism and dedication of staff and volunteers” Colin Jess, Director of Social Enterprise said “This has been our biggest and best awards to date, with over 250 guests attending.

It is great to see the commitment, energy and enthusiasm within the room and also the increased interest in the sector.”

A social enterprise is a business that trades for principally a social purpose and reinvests its profits back for the benefit of the community.

Paul Collins Assistant Director Communications Praxis Care receives the Health and Social Care Social Enterprise of the Year 2016 from Patrick Minne of Charity Bank.

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Eye on Agri Food

Year Of Food And Drink A Resounding Success Sam Butler talked to Michele Shirlow, Food NI’s chief executive, about the outstanding success of Northern Ireland’s first-ever Year of Food and Drink.

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t’s been quite a year for Food NI’s hard working and dedicated chief executive Michele Shirlow. She took some welldeserved time out over the festive period to catch her breath and to reflect of the many achievements of Northern Ireland’s first-ever Year of Food and Drink.

Her work in support of the imaginative initiative by the Northern Ireland Executive to accelerate the growth in tourism by showcasing the food and drink experience particularly outside Northern Ireland took her to virtually every part of the province and involved engaging with local councils, chefs, retailers and producers in developing measures to showcase food and drink for visitors as well as local people.

“The year really has flown by so swiftly,” she says. “It’s been a truly memorable 12 months and a resoundingly successful one especially for dozens of smaller companies which are now benefiting from the heightened interest in their products from retailers, shoppers and chefs here. As a result, there are now more local products on shelves of food stores here than ever before.

“Opportunities for smaller companies to win business have grown substantially as a result of the many new food events, including farmers’ markets, during the year. Consumers now have greater knowledge of the quality food and drink being produced here, and more chefs are sourcing local produce for their dishes and menus,” she adds.

She attributes the success of the initiative to the strength of the multi-faceted collaboration between stakeholders in both private and public sectors.

“Every relevant organisation bought into the initiative with tremendous enthusiasm,” she continues. “The support from the departments of the Economy and Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs, bodies such as Tourism NI and Invest NI, local councils, businesses, large and small, and the hospitality sector has been inspirational.

“The strength of this collaboration led to one of the most important developments of Year of Food and Drink, which is the

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reconnection between local people and food and drink producers here. Consumers and chefs have had a host of opportunities to hear the stories at first hand from producers and to sample their products.

Among the many opportunities were the bigger than ever Food Pavilion at the RUAS in Balmoral Park, the BBC Good Food Show in Belfast, the LegenDerry and other food festivals in Derry and initiatives such as Food Heartland from Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, and Enniskillen Festival.”

While acknowledging that compiling and analysing statistics of the year’s achievements will take some time, Mrs Shirlow says substantial anecdotal evidence indicates that suppliers of all sizes and across every category have won new business.

“This has also provided encouragement to many to come up with original food and drink products for consumers. For instance, we now have a thriving charcuterie industry that has developed from a revival of traditional curing techniques during the year.

“And then there has been the amazing track record of the industry in securing awards. Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats brought the Supreme Champion title back to Northern Ireland in the prestigious UK Great Taste Awards with roast Glenarm Shorthorn meat aged in his amazing complex of Himalayan Salt Chambers in Moira. And Comber’s Mash Direct won the coveted Food Manufacture Excellence Award, the industry’s most important recognition. There were awards too for bigger producers such as Moy Park in Craigavon and Dungannon’s Dunbia. A unique goat taco snack created

by Broughgammon Farm in Ballycastle won the Best Snack Food Award in the UK Street Food Awards. And Echlinville Distillery in Kircubbin lifted the Irish Whiskies Award for its 12-year-old Dunville Single Malt.

Shortcross Gin also collected accolades.

Local chefs had also made a huge contribution by taking part in culinary demonstrations on how best to cook with products from suppliers here. A new Northern Ireland Signature Dish had

Michele Shirlow, Chief Executive, Food NI

been created by the ‘cooking collective’ of Niall McKenna, Ian Orr, Kelan McMichael and Chris McGowan, she continues.

“Several of our leading chefs have also supported the tourism drive by showcasing their skills abroad. Michael Deane held an immensely successful week-long event in Bangkok using local food on the menu of one of Asia’s most important hotels. Niall McKenna enjoyed tremendous success at the big Taste of London food show, Emmett McCourt and Noel McMeel cooked for VIPs in the US and Stephen Jeffers gained a major award at the Royal Agricultural Show in Toronto. It’s essential that such activities be further developed is the year ahead.

Sean Owens and Paula McIntyre have also cooked local produce abroad – Sean at SIAL in Paris and Paula at Terra Madre in Turin.

“While I am convinced that a huge amount has been achieved during the past year, we are only at the start of our journey towards the creation of a globally acclaimed food culture that will boost tourism and also lead to greater export success. We have to build on these achievements in the years ahead especially in key areas such as new product development, sales outside Northern Ireland, particularly in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, and to go from being a good food region to a genuinely great one.”

Eye on Agri Food

Smart Ideas Cure Farm Headaches Curing meats to preserve them was a feature here in the past. Sam Butler reports on the farm innovators now reviving the long lost technique

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lastair Crown, a part-time pig farmer in Limavady, Co. Derry recently introduced the first free-range chorizo produced here in generations. And Jonny Cuddy, a full-time farmer who raises pigs on the family farm near Aughnacloy in Co. Tyrone, has launched a range of salamis and other cured meats. The Cole family at Broughgammon Farm on the rugged terrain above Ballycastle, Co Antrim, in addition, have developed a range of cured goat meat (cabrito) and veal.

They are at the forefront of a charcuterie revolution led by start-up and smaller enterprises here. Their endeavours are in line with developments in charcuterie in Britain that are being encouraged and promoted by gourmet food bodies such as the UK Guild of Fine Food and the School of Artisan Foods at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire.

The three are further examples of market-led innovation from farms in Northern Ireland that’s broadening the

base of agri-food, Northern Ireland’s biggest manufacturer, an industry that already generates over £5 billion a year to the local economy and employs upwards of 100,000 people across an extensive supply chain.

Charcuterie came about as a result of restrictive legislation that included a ban on selling raw pork and was born out of necessity to preserve meat The emergence of smaller firms like Crown’s Corndale Farm Charcuterie, Cuddy’s Ispini Charcuterie - Ispini is the Irish for sausage – and Broughgammon Farm are giving chefs and delis here alternative and delicious cured meats to those which they’ve had to important from suppliers in France, Spain and Italy over many years. The weakness of sterling post-Brexit has also made imported charcuterie meats more expensive. It’s hardly surprising then that many top restaurants are now including local charcuterie meats on their menus. And top delis in

Jonny Cuddy of Ispini Charcuterie in Aughnacloy has launched salamis and chorizo

Alastair Crown of Corndale Farm Charcuterie in Limavady launched a range of free range chorizo

Belfast and Derry have been quick to place orders. There’s also a growing recognition of the outstanding quality of the grass-fed meat farmed here.

All three enterprising businesses have mastered curing technology and developed individual recipes suited to the market here. They share a commitment to expand their expertise and to develop sales outside Northern Ireland.

The interest here in charcuterie is also being driven by the rapid expansion in cheap flights to Europe and the opportunities for holidaymakers to sample cured meats including chorizo, salami, and pancetta.

Broughgammon, for example, has created of a pancetta from kid goat belly, as well as carpaccio and a pastrami from free range rose veal. The business run by Charlie Cole and other family members produces meat from its own herds and processes it in a modern unit, ensuring total traceability.

The new free-range pastrami is cured in brine, partially dried, seasoned with herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed for a distinctive flavour.

The pancetta is cured for three weeks in juniper, black pepper, and garlic. All three are now bringing their original cured meats to market.

Cole says: “Innovation is the lifeblood of our business. Our focus is on maximising the potential of our animals

through the creation of new products which will encourage consumers to try cabrito and rose veal, meats which don’t usually feature on dinner tables here.”

Crown, a specialist in solar technology, is a part-time farmer who runs a freerange herd of saddleback pigs on a small holding outside Limavady. He explains: “I developed a taste for chorizo during my time at university in Glasgow. I’d always had an interest in pigs and subsequently saw a gap in the market here for my chorizo and salami.”

He set up the small business in 2015 and launched two chorizo products last year including a recently introduced chilli chorizo from pork shoulder cured with cayenne pepper, oregano, and fennel for a hot spicy flavour. He has since developed his own pork salami using garlic and fennel.

Cuddy’s decision to move into cured meats was shaped by research into how best to secure the long-term future of the family farm. “I was looking around for ways to increase the return from our pigs,” he says. “Turning any sort of reasonable profit in farming has become very challenging. I was keen to find something other than bacon because there are just too many people here already producing great bacon and gammon. I needed niche products that would be capable of commanding a premium,” he adds.

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Eye on Interiors

Millennials:

What are they and how do we motivate them?

For a number of years now, the term ‘Millennials’ has been used more and more in the workplace, especially within recruitment and HR. It’s almost as if this new breed of human being is somehow more elusive and wild than the previous iterations.

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ut, what exactly is a Millennial? Well, the millennial generation is defined as being born between 1980 and 2000.

They have never really known a world without the internet, and were finding jobs within a few years either side of the financial crisis in 2008. They already account for 25% of the workforce in the US and are expected to form 50% by 2020.

Millennials typically tend

not to subscribe to the traditional corporate norms, and so it is important we put in the groundwork now to integrate this generation into the workplace. Here are 5 useful tips to help motivate and inspire them; 1. Make an Impact – One of the largest values that the millennial generation has, is the aspiration to have an impact, whether that is

in their communities, the environment, or even the workplace. Rather than drown out this activism, we should create opportunities for it.

Communicate an effective vision to everyone and help them understand their role within it. Part of this impact is the desire to help people, allowing time and resources for social projects will meet their desire for social consciousness.

Eye on Interiors

2. Develop Interim Progression – Millennials are keen to progress through the career ladder, and want to do it now. They are known to job hop every 4-5 years due to lack of opportunity.

Why not create in-between steps and achievable titles? This will satisfy the desire to progress!

3. Encourage – This generation respond extremely well to encouragement and immediate feedback.

Make it obvious that you reward good work!

4. Offer More Flexibility – Work-life balance is one of the most significant drivers of employee retention

among this generation.

This generation has had technology at their fingertips for a long time, and are able to work anywhere, at any time, and so seemingly arbitrary work hours or fixed desking can make an environment less appealing.

For more information on how to future proof your office, why not get in touch with Innov8 Office Interiors, on 02890238180, or visit them at www.innov8office.com

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Eye on Entrepreneurs

SPILLING THE BEANS ON WANTED. COFFEE Wanted.Coffee has launched an online subscription club service to allow discerning coffee connoisseurs across the UK and Ireland to receive a micro-lot of coffee direct to their door every month.

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artin Symington, local entrepreneur and Master Roaster at Wanted.Coffee, talks about the development and the increase in demand for the brand’s unique offering: “Every month, we roast a variety of coffee beans. Subscription customers can receive microlots, which are essentially very small batches of the best of the best coffee beans, roasted by the team at Wanted.Coffee. Our roasting expertise enhances the natural characteristics and flavours of these rare beans, creating a truly unique coffee that is unseen anywhere else.”

Martin adds: “Education is a big part of the subscription and coffee club business. We tell our customers about our coffee, how it’s grown and how it has been roasted. We teach them different ways to brew it. Also, to ensure customers are aware of the flavours they’re sampling, we’ve created a short tasting card for every single one of our unique roasts. Customers can also opt to have their selection delivered as whole bean or in ground format.”

Martin is also the owner of Pure Roast coffee which has supplied a number of distinguished global brands, including airlines and coffee houses, for over a

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decade. The coffee market is growing globally with markets such as China only starting to embrace the coffee club phenomenon. Martin discusses: “Over the last decade coffee has occupied a psychic-cultural space known collectively as ‘the third wave of coffee’, which is useful in thinking about coffee’s development into something culinary and revered. The surge in the wave is now happening in directly sourced coffee. As more and more people fall in love with coffee every day, they want the option to choose new flavours. We’re calling this the New Wave of coffee.”

Frank McGrady, Director, Marks Design shares his insights into how the brand proposition was created and the rationale behind the e-commerce and social media engagement strategies: “In the e-commerce business, success is built on building a relationship with the customer – it’s not just about the sale.

The key is to create loyalty by providing a valuable experience that they can’t get elsewhere.”

“Wanted.Coffee provides coffee club members with a portfolio of pricing plans, tailored to their unique needs. Every month we line up three of the most exclusive coffees we can find. You take a

shot on the one you think you’ll like the most, and then start a new round next month. It’s unique, it’s exclusive and it’s for people who are serious about coffee. In a world overflowing with average, the most unusual, most unique, is always the most wanted.”

The Wanted.Coffee marketing proposition is based on a 4 step customer journey: We Source - It’s not easy finding the best beans in the world.

That’s why we spend a lot of time searching, travelling and tasting.

We Choose - Every month we select a range of coffees and roast them to perfection. All you have to do is pick one from the line up.

We Deliver - Every month our coffees are packed into a post-friendly box delivered directly to your door.

You Enjoy - Cafetiere, Stove Pot, Chemex: however you like to brew. For us, there is no wrong way, just enjoy it.

“ In the e-commerce business, success is built on building a relationship with the customer – it’s not just about the sale. The key is to create loyalty by providing a valuable experience that they can’t get elsewhere.”

UTV Live

Weekdays 6pm

Eye on Events

PRINCE’S TRUST ‘LUNCH WITH AN OLD BAG’ EVENT SERVES UP OVER £50,000 FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN NI Northern Ireland’s most influential and ‘absolutely fabulous’ women came together for The Prince’s Trust’s annual ‘Lunch with an Old Bag’ event at The Belfast Harbour Commissioners Office. They raised a staggering total of over £50K for disadvantaged young people in Northern Ireland.

Donations, fundraising and volunteering are essential to allow The Prince’s Trust to support local young people into education, training and employment. To find out more, or to make a donation, please contact Ruth Cooper, Head of Business Development on 02890 895000.

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Eye on News

BT Innovations To Benefit NI Public Sector Belfast, Wednesday 30 November, 2016: A new Public Sector Shared Data Centre was today opened at BT in Belfast by the Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir.

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he leading communications provider, which signed a major £15 million deal with the Department of Finance, will now house much of the IT services, not only for the Northern Ireland Civil Service but also for the wider public sector.

Phase one of the roll-out was today opened and anchor tenants for the new Data Centres will include IT Assist, Business Services Organisation, NI Water and Translink. BT will manage the centres operations including business continuity while the public sector will continue to manage the IT systems within them.

Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director for BT Business in Northern Ireland

said: “We are delighted to welcome the Minister to BT today to officially open these new public sector shared service data centre facilities.

“We are proud to have been trusted to host public sector data for the next 10-16 years as part of our long established strategic partnership with our public sector colleagues. These cutting edge data centre facilities will significantly reduce their costs and provide them with enhanced services to benefit their organisations.”

Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir added: “I am keen to see change in the public sector which not only saves the public purse, but also helps us ensure that the public

sector is at the cutting edge of the latest technology, driving forward efficiency. These very impressive new data centres will centralise a range of smaller service teams under one roof. The data centres will produce significant savings on running costs in the region of £0.5 million each year and annual savings are projected to grow to around

£7.5m for the public sector over the course of the next decade.

“Our citizens deserve and indeed demand high quality digital services and to this end I want to see the public sector speed up the pace of this delivery. The new data facilities will provide a welcome boost towards our efforts and also offer high levels of security and operational stability.”

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Eye on Giving

ANGILA CHADA & A PASSION FOR POTENTIAL Name: Angila Chada Company: Springboard Opportunities Limited Title: Executive Director

1. What are your thoughts, in general, on charitable giving?

My charitable giving was nurtured and shaped by the life lessons of my parents and also by my own experiences as a member of the minority ethnic community and that feeling of being an ‘outsider’.

My parents instilled a belief everyone had equal worth, of living life with integrity and that each of us have a responsibility to make things better and ‘give back’. Growing up feeling judged as an ‘outsider’ largely due to the colour of my skin, also shaped my character and moral framework in wanting to reach out and given back to those disenfranchised or marginalised in society, in a way that was non-judgemental and inclusive. The combination of both influences have driven my giving whether on a monetary basis or through my time.

2. Is your giving personal or corporate or a combination of both?

My giving involves both. In 2011 I set up the Raj Darshna Foundation, named for my parents in thanks for their life lessons. ‘A small foundation with a big heart’ it’s Northern Ireland’s first ever gradual growth endowment fund and gives me the opportunity to have a direct say in how money is spent and be a positive catalyst in areas and with constituencies I feel passionately about. In my day job, in the charity Springboard, we work with young people

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who face incredibly difficult life challenges and circumstances and we are keenly aware of the difference support can make.

3. How do you give to charity: monetarily, your own time as a volunteer or your specialist skills?

In addition to giving funds regularly to the Raj Darshna Foundation, I also contribute financially to a range of local and international charities – many of whom work with children and young people who face high levels of disadvantage and hardship.

I also volunteer with Giving NI as a Board member and also with Terra Nova Productions a professional theatre company which champions diversity and mutual understanding – a cause which triggers resonance with my early life experiences.

4. What types of causes do you favour and why?

I give to a range of causes but the Foundation’s giving is focused on three areas very close to my heart. Young people as the pioneers of the future, the elderly in recognition of their on-going value and contribution to keeping communities and society together and activities that champion difference and diversity as the cornerstone in building a peaceful future. There is nothing better than knowing you give a ‘helping hand’ and make that slight, small difference for an individual or organisation that can have massive, far reaching positive impacts – what a joy – to know you have been part of that.

5. Are there specific charities or causes that you give to regularly? How do you choose which to support?

I tend to give to causes that I care passionately about. Usually it’s around young people and supporting the latent potential they all possess; elderly people who have become largely marginalised in today’s society and yet they hold such a wealth of experience and wisdom and activities that transform difference from a tool of conflict to an agent for positive change.

6. Do you believe that companies and individuals have a duty to help others? If yes, why?

My experience has taught me that you don’t have to be on the ‘rich list’ to help others and give back and I also know through working with Springboard of the powerful impact ‘giving’ can have on peoples’ lives. I believe passionately humanity is interconnected, whether by visible or invisible means and that each and every act can have an impact on someone or somewhere else.

7. What is your message to business people who may be thinking about becoming more involved in strategic philanthropy?

Do it! Anyone can get involved in strategic philanthropy. I think

many see the word ‘ philanthropy and immediately think of Bill Gates or Richard Branson, but anyone can give and it’s not just money. It can be their valuable time, skills or experience. There are individuals and organisations that can do with your support and you in turn can be connected to causes that you feel passionately about and want to make a difference. It’s really a win-win.

8. Giving Northern Ireland was set up to champion Philanthropy. Why do you think it is important that there is an organisation that helps businesses and individuals think more strategically about giving?

I think Giving NI has a critical job key in championing and supporting the culture of giving.

They can not only connect individuals and businesses to worthy causes but also shine a ‘spotlight’ on the power of giving and potentially inspire others into starting their own philanthropic journey. Times are tough at present and everyone needs to pull together. Giving NI’s work in this context is needed more than ever.

Eye on News

NEW FRANCHISE PUTS MERVYN STEWART IN THE DRIVING SEAT Car dealership, Mervyn Stewart, is set to open a new Skoda franchise between Bangor and Newtownards along the main dual carriageway.

The £2m investment will create an initial 20 jobs and was supported by Danske Bank.

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stablished more than 50 years ago, Mervyn Stewart is the largest Skoda dealership in the Province and the new outlet will complement the existing facilities at Boucher Crescent, Belfast. The new dealership will be based on a two acre site at a prominent location near Conlig, where a 12,000 sq ft building is being renovated and the site developed.

Stephen Stewart, Managing Director at Mervyn Stewart said: “We have represented Skoda in

Ellen Matthews, Business Banking Manager at Danske Bank; Stephen Stewart, Managing Director at Mervyn Stewart and Karen Bickerstaff, General Manager at Mervyn Stewart.

Belfast for 15 years and were delighted when we were given the opportunity to represent the brand in North Down. The success of the award winning Skoda range has increased the market share and it makes North Down an important territory for the brand and a great opportunity for further growth for Mervyn Stewart.

“We will initially create 20 new jobs with a further ten projected over the first three years of trading. The jobs will be across a number of roles including sales, finance and after sales.

“We have worked with Danske Bank for many years and greatly value the relationship as we grow the business and implement our plan.

The team at the Business Centre are excellent and were able to provide us with a competitive finance package and we look forward to opening our new showroom in mid-December.”

Looking ahead, Mr Stewart commented: “We are looking forward to a positive market in 2017, new car sales have been very strong in recent years and we expect this to continue with high demand for the Skoda brand.”

Ellen Matthews, Business Banking Manager, Danske Bank, commented: “Mervyn Stewart is one of the best-known family run businesses in Northern Ireland. It is a trusted dealership with a wealth of experience in the car market and the company’s commitment to improving their customer service and reach across the country is something we are keen to support.

“This latest addition to the business will give customers in County Down a greater choice when purchasing a car and will help cement the company’s place as one of the top car dealerships in Northern Ireland.”

NEW RANGE NOW IN STORES! All produced locally in N. Ireland

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Eye on Events

HOUSE OF FRASER SPARKLES AS CHAMPAGNE BAR OPENS

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ouse of Fraser’s top floor restaurant, The Ivory, has launched its new champagne bar after a £100,000 investment creating 10 full and part-time jobs. The expansion by independent restaurant operator, father and son Brian and Adam Stockman (pictured) completes House of Fraser’s extensive refurbishment.

Nestled – inevitably - in the heart of the womenswear floor, the curved champagne bar has a French luxe inspired feel. It boasts extensive marble and mirrored features

throughout and offers stunning panoramic views under the Victoria Square dome.

A glamorous pit-stop could include Atlantic Ocean lobster salad, chicken liver parfait, smoked salmon benedict or a selection of cured meats and cheeses alongside decadent individual fruit tarts, cakes and macarons in classic flavours and seasonal colours.

As for the booze, patrons can choose from three varietals by the glass or from six bottles including a 12-year-old vintage Moet and Chandon Dom Perignon.

MEDIA LAW IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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he Honourable Mr Justice Ben Stephens was the keynote speaker at a recent event in the NI Law Society entitled ‘Libel, Privacy, Data Protection and Online legal Action: A Practitioners Guide’.

The event was hosted by the Belfast Solicitors Association in partnership with the NI Bar Council, represented

by Chairman of BSA Olivia O’Kane and Head of the Media Team at Carson McDowell LLP and David Ringland

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QC who ask spoke at the event.

Over 70 attended the half day seminar and speakers included Dr Ansgar Koene, Digital Economy Research Institute University of Nottingham, Paul Birch BDO LLP and Ronan Lavery QC. Pictured left to right are: Paul Birch BDO LLP, Olivia O’Kane, Chairman of BSA and Head of the Media Team at Carson McDowell LLP, Honourable Mr Justice Ben Stephens and Dr Ansgar Koene, Digital Economy.

Eye on Events

WILSONS AUCTIONS HITS 80

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ilsons Auctions Managing Director Ian Wilson and Group Operations Director, Peter Johnston are celebrating as the company reaches its 80th Anniversary. Starting in 1936 as a single branch in Northern Ireland,

Wilsons Auctions has grown to become the largest independent auction company in the UK and Ireland with sixteen sites including branches in Belfast, Dublin, Portadown, Dalry, Queensferry, Telford, NewcastleUpon-Tyne and Maidstone.

LADIES WHO LUNCH

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aria McAllister, Bank of Ireland UK and Laura Jackson, BDO Northern Ireland are joined by Q Radio Breakfast Show Host, Cate Conway and local mum of four, yoga teaching and online entrepreneur, Kim Constable as they launch the 4th Annual Ladies Business Lunch event aimed at local high profile female business women. A panel of guests including Gloria Hunniford, will

share their personal experiences, whilst exploring how having good nutritional, mental and physical health all contribute to a successful business model and positive outcomes. The event takes place at the Europa Hotel, Belfast on the 26th January and focus on how Fit Leaders Drive Fit Business. To book your place contact Action Cancer on 028 9080 3347 or gthomson@actioncancer.org

AUCTION FIRM LANDS MARKETING AWARD

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ilsons Auctions has picked up the Independent Marketer of the Year Award sponsored by Ulster Business School, Ulster University at the

17th Annual CIM Ireland Marketing Awards. Pictured are Kate Umphray from Ulster University, Amy McCourt from Wilsons Auctions and Lauren Crosby, Ulster Business School

BUDGET BREAKFAST

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he drive to improve the UK’s productivity, announced in Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement, matters more in Northern Ireland than other parts of the UK because of the region’s low productivity per head and high levels of economic inactivity, a business event has heard.

Richard Johnston, associate director of Ulster University’s NI Centre for Economic

Policy (NICEP), told Deloitte’s Autumn Statement breakfast that Northern Ireland has tough policy choices to make over how it should invest in productivity boosters, what welfare choices will work for NI and whether the incentives, reliefs and supports it offers are required.

Pictured at the event at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast are Deloitte partner Glenn Roberts and Richard Johnston of NICEP.

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PARTNERSHIP.EXPERIENCE.IMPACT.

Banking & Finance | Technology

32 years connecting talent and opportunity

Engineering & Manufacturing | HR

www.graftonrecruitment.com

Sales & Marketing

Eye on Moving On Danske Bank has announced the appointment of a new economist to replace Angela McGowan, 1 now with CBI Northern Ireland. Conor Lambe joins the leading local bank from PwC in London, where he also worked as an economist.

The 27-year old, originally from Carrowdore in County Down, is a past pupil of Regent House School in Newtownards. He holds a first-class honours degree in Economics from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

1 Conor Lambe

4 Nathan Campbell

2 Jonathan Gallagher

5 Rachel Lewis

3 Lorraine Keown

6 Jade Gabriel

2 Jonathan Gallagher has been appointed Director of Marketing at the five star Lough Erne Resort in Fermanagh. Ulster University graduate Jonathan has a Masters with distinction in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, is Co-Founder HenorStag.com and previously held the role of Marketing Manager at Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel.

Belfast law firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin has 3 made four recent appointments. Lorraine Keown joins as an Associate Solicitor in the Family and Matrimonial Department. Lorraine has significant experience across all areas of family law, and is a qualified Advanced 4 Advocate. Nathan Campbell becomes a Solicitor in the Employment & Corporate Department. Nathan joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a Trainee Solicitor in September 5 2014. Rachel Lewis becomes a Solicitor in the Corporate, Banking and Finance Department She studied Law with French at Queen’s 6 University Belfast. And Jade Gabriel becomes a Solicitor in the Private Client Department. She studied Law at Queen’s University Belfast. Nathan, Rachel & Jade all joined CFR as trainees in September 2014.

The umbrella group representing 18 different professional bodies within the construction industry has appointed 7 Martin Hare as its new Chairman. Martin is a Chartered Architect and a Director in McAdam Design. The Construction Industry Group Professionals Council represents the interests of construction industry professionals with government and policy-makers.

7 Martin Hare

8 Jennifer Lee

9 Catherine Mallon

At leading Belfast law firm Pinsent Masons, 8 Jennifer Lee has been promoted to Associate 9 Solicitor (Litigation & Regulatory); Catherine Mallon has been promoted to Associate Solicitor 10 (Litigation & Regulatory); David Poots has been promoted to Associate Solicitor (Corporate) 11 while Craig Patterson has joined the firm as Solicitor (Employment) at Pinsent Masons.

12 Earl Harrison has been appointed to the role of Senior SAP Business One Consultant at FUEL. Earl is a highly skilled SAP Business One consultant and was part of the team to implement the second if not the first installation of SAP Business One in the UK. He has been involved with the implementation of SAP Business One throughout the UK, USA and Africa. Earl has worked on the design and implementation of the Customer Care System for the Sony PlayStation 1 covering the UK and Ireland customer base.

With his experience and systems implementation knowledge, he will help FUEL to maintain its position as one of the successful SAP Business One Partners throughout the UK and Ireland.

10 David Poots

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11 Craig Patterson

12 Earl Harrison

PARTNERSHIP.EXPERIENCE.IMPACT.

Banking & Finance | Technology

32 years connecting talent and opportunity

Engineering & Manufacturing | HR

www.graftonrecruitment.com

Sales & Marketing

Eye on Moving xxx On The SHS Group have announced the 13 appointment of Chris Lillie to the newly created role of HR Director. With 20 years’ professional HR experience, Chris has worked in the retail and manufacturing sectors and is currently HR Director for Coca-Cola Hellenic in Ireland.

13 Chris Lillie

14 Sarah-Jayne Hunniford

15 John Stewart

14 Also at SHS, Sarah-Jayne Hunniford is appointed as Divisional Financial Controller at SHS Drinks. She joins the company from 15 Moy Park. John Stewart is promoted to Logistics & Customer Services Director at SHS Sales & Marketing from his previous role 16 as Supply Chain Director. And Alan Neill becomes Business Process & Improvement Director at the company, moving from the role of Divisional Financial Controller at both SHS Sales & Marketing and SHS Drinks.

17 Ciaran Rafferty has joined Danske Bank as Corporate Acquisition Manager. Ciaran is a Chartered Accountant with 20 years’ experience. After training in practice he worked in an investment bank in Asia for 5 years, before returning to Northern Ireland.

He has spent the last 15 years in Corporate Finance, Restructuring and Private Equity.

16 Alan Neill

17 Ciaran Rafferty

18 Jonny Thompson

19 Jonny Wallace

20 Kirsty Rutledge

21 Patricia Bagnall

18 Jonny Thompson joins the Innov8 Office Interiors Team as an experienced Chartered Building Engineer, heading up the interior 19 Fit Out arm of Innov8. Jonny Wallace joins the Innov8 Office Interiors Team as Sales Support for the growing Sales Team in Innov8, Jonny’s previous experience has been aiding area sales managers throughout Ireland.

20 Kirsty Rutledge joins the Innov8 Office Interiors Team as Sales Support for the growing Sales Team in Innov8, Kirsty’s previous experience has been supporting sales teams within the office supplies sector.

21 Patricia Bagnall joins the expanding Innov8 Office Interiors sales team as Business Development Manager for ROI. Patricia has years of experience in the office furniture market across the UK.

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Eye on News

CHANDLER AGENCY MOVES INTO INSURANCE MARKET Estate agents The Chandler Group has launched 360 Protection Choices - the first of its kind for personal, family, business and home insurance in Northern Ireland

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60 Protection Choices is the third business in the Chandler Group, joining Michael Chandler Estate Agents & MC Mortgage Choices.

The launch has seen the company acquire a third premises on the Ormeau Road in South East Belfast, creating instant roles for five personnel with further growth and expansion planned for 2017.

It was through setting up and running the MC Mortgage Choices division that husband and wife team Michael and Laura truly began understanding the importance of personal protection. As parents of four young children, running a household and multiple businesses, it became apparent to them that too many people were vulnerable to financial disaster should something happen to them or their partner, having witnessed first-hand the devastation it can cause to a family when the correct financial protection is not in place.

Over time it became a passion and a personal mission to introduce a specialist protection business to Northern Ireland designed to give people a true understanding of what they need to financially protect themselves, their family,

their home and their businesses.

Commenting on their journey to launching the new service, Michael Chandler said: “We were extremely moved and touched by what we discovered about families who had been looked after and cared for financially when disaster struck. It was devastating to hear of families who had no protection in place and lost their jobs, homes and life as they knew it – just because no one had taken the time to explain the importance of personal insurance, or because they thought they could not afford a small amount every month, but were happy to spend it on the less important things in life.

“We immediately knew that we wanted to make a difference to people’s lives, to ensure they have the right protection, with a quality product that was tailored to their personal circumstances and not just typical mortgage cover, or in a lot of people’s cases – no protection at all.

“Personal circumstances change all the time – people get married, divorced, have children, get promotions for example, and it is vital that their policies are reviewed constantly to coincide with their changing lifestyles and circumstances.

SEARCH STARTS FOR DIRECTORS OF THE YEAR

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he Institute of Directors has launched its annual search for Northern Ireland’s most successful directors at Riddel Hall in Belfast. The IoD First Trust Bank Director of the Year Awards recognise the outstanding achievements and leadership of directors in Northern Ireland across 10 categories.

For the past two years, winners from

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the Northern Ireland awards have gone on to claim the title of overall UK Director of the Year at the finals held in London.

Brendan McGurgan CDir, Managing Director of CDE Global who won the Overall Director of the Year title at the UK Finals this year is pictured with Ian Sheppard, Chairman of the IoD NI and Des Moore, Managing Director of First Trust Bank.

“This is why we created 360 Protection Choices – to raise awareness, to help families and people financially if disaster strikes, to do it honestly and professionally, providing quality insurance products that are tailored to suit each client.

“360 Protection Choices has highly qualified and trained advisors that will explain each product available in detail over a cup of coffee,” he continued.

“We have created a relaxing environment to put people at ease while we explain the different policies, benefits and any small print, ensuring they understand what cover they have and what they are paying for.

“Everyone should be wary of purchasing life changing products from comparison websites or based on how cheap they are. When you have to call on a policy you will want someone there to help you, and to get the money paid quickly to the right people in an efficient manner.

Where possible we will write our clients policies in Trust – ensuring the money is paid quickly, to the right person, in a tax efficient way.”

Laura Chandler, a fully qualified Protection Advisor, explained the very personal role she will play in the day-to-day running of the business: “I felt so passionate about being able to help people that I will personally be advising clients on the best products to suit their circumstances. I am a mother of four and am personally responsible for twenty staff, so I fully appreciate the importance of being financially protected if something awful happened to me or my family.

“I have witnessed the devastation to a family when something totally unexpected happens. People think it couldn’t possibly happen to them, but it can and it is not a pleasant thing to watch a family’s lifestyle change so dramatically. Michael and I want to make a difference to people’s lives, and we truly believe we can with 360 Protection Choices.”

360 Protection Choices is the sister company of Michael Chandler Estate Agents and MC Mortgage Choices, making up the Chandler Group, now a one stop shop when it comes to property, mortgages and insurance.

Eye on News

TITANIC BELFAST IS ON TOP OF THE WORLD Titanic Belfast has been crowned the ‘World’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ at the prestigious World Travel Awards held in the Maldives.

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aving already beaten the Colosseum, the Acropolis and the Eiffel Tower to become Europe’s official Leading Tourist Attraction, Titanic Belfast sailed its way to victory to become the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction.

With over 1 million votes cast from over 216 countries in the awards, known as the ‘Tourism Oscars’, Titanic Belfast was awarded the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction title. It beat off stiff competition from eight global finalists, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the Las Vegas Strip, USA, Machu Picchu, Peru and Guinness Storehouse, Ireland.

It is the first time an attraction

from Ireland, North or South, has won the prestigious accolade.

Tim Husbands MBE, Titanic Belfast’s Chief Executive, said; “Over the past few years, we have continued to go from strength to strength but to be voted the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction by both the industry and the public for excellence and for our original product, is really the jewel in our crown. We are delighted that this award firmly shines a spotlight not only on Titanic Belfast but Belfast and Northern Ireland, and celebrates our authentic insight and connection to RMS Titanic.

“The Titanic story captures hearts and minds throughout the world and at Titanic Belfast, this

First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness pictured alongside Titanic Belfast CEO Tim Husbands MBE, Vice Chairman Conal Harvey and Titanic Foundation CEO Kerrie Sweeney to celebrate Titanic Belfast being named the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction.

is no exception. Our interpretation of the story and ability to engage with visitors on many different levels has been fundamental in winning this award. With the award, we hope to attract more tourists to Northern Ireland to discover it. A huge thank you to our staff and all our supporters that voted, locally and across the world, to help us reach this iconic goal of being the World’s

Leading Tourist Attraction.”

Northern Ireland got behind Titanic Belfast in the bid to become ‘King of the World’, with the public, industry partners, wellknown personalities, politicians, sports stars and businesses providing their support to put the local landmark on par with previous winners including the Taj Mahal, Las Vegas Strip and the Pyramids of Egypt.

BANK OF IRELAND IN EXPORT FINANCE MOVE In a boost to Northern Ireland’s exports, UKEF has added Bank of Ireland to its panel of affiliated lenders for its trade finance support. The agreement comes as the UK government looks to enhance its support for exporters through the Exporting is GREAT campaign.

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ank of Ireland customers will now be able to access government-backed finance to support their export activities.

UKEF’s support will take the form of guarantees on working capital loans and contract bonds issued by the Bank, meaning that exporters can access the funds they need to fulfil export contracts.

In the past five years, UKEF has supported export contracts worth over £3bn through its trade finance products, which are designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises grow their overseas sales.

This latest Bank of Ireland initiative complements the bank’s broad suite of existing export supports

to help businesses in Northern Ireland navigate towards the unique opportunities associated with international trade.

Gordon Welsh, Director of Business Group at UK Export Finance, said on Friday at the signing ceremony: “I am delighted that Bank of Ireland and UK Export Finance will now be working together to support Northern Ireland’s exporters. With its extensive customer base of exporting and export-ready companies, Bank of Ireland will be an important partner, helping us achieve our mission to ensure that no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance.”

Fred Smyth, Head of Commercial Finance at Bank of Ireland UK added:

Fred Smyth, Head of Commercial Finance at Bank of Ireland UK, Gordon Welsh, Director of Business Group at UK Export Finance, Liz McCrory Export Finance Manager NI at UK Export Finance, Gavin Kennedy, Director of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK and Willie McCoy, Senior Manager Trade Finance Business Development, Bank of Ireland Global Markets.

International Trade is vital in growing the Northern Ireland Economy. At Bank of Ireland we find that those customers who take the step of entering a new market tend to be very successful in that market. This partnership with UKEF further strengthens our proposition in supporting local businesses as they look to take those steps to trade around the world.

Liz McCrory, Export Finance Manager for Northern Ireland, said: “Last year, UKEF provided over £770,000 in support for £4 million of exports in Northern Ireland. I am looking forward to working with Bank of Ireland to help even more Northern Ireland companies realise their export ambitions, taking advantage of the world of opportunity out there.”

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Eye on Motoring

dfcbelfast.co.uk Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

YUPPIE MINI CLUBMAN GETS FOUR PROPER DOORS AT LAST! Not many of the previous generation of MINI Clubman were sold - it was limited by its two and a half-door format and lacked the charm of the original, particularly the ‘woody’ versions.

People needing more space went for the bigger though slightly gauche Countryman version.

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MW has revisited the Clubman and done a proper job. It is now a decent size and has four full doors - plus another two at the back, one of which springs open at the touch of the remote. They should get more takers this time around, particularly with the ‘cooking’ 1.5 -litre petrol and diesel engines.

Not content with offering decent everyday versions, the ever upwardly mobile MINI people have added Cooper S and Cooper SD versions to what was originally just an estate versions of the MINI. Indeed, the diesel SD I drove also had all-wheel drive!

So we have moved a long way from the original Clubman idea.

The SD is a hot hatch with 190PS two-litre turbo diesel power. It makes for an invigorating drive with 62mph coming up in 7.4 seconds. As always, the MINI driving process is involving and reactive.

A set-piece figure of 62mpg is claimed but unlikely to be achieved as the point of this model is to enjoy the performance. Still the figures also dictate emissions of 119g/km and that translates to 23% company car tax. While workaday versions of the Clubman

are priced from just over £20K, the SD All4 starts from £26,835.

Then you get into an extensive ‘menu’ of options with which to personalise your MINI ‘bauble’!!

There are sensible things like firstaid kits (£55) and roof rails through a host of cosmetics like bonnet strips and a full glass sunroof (£800). All told, my demo car was ‘loaded’ to the tune of almost £36K! Remember the distant days when the choice was of a standard or a de luxe model?

handy. Take to the fields and it has the ground clearance to deal with humps and ruts like almost nothing else. You literally do feel that you could go anywhere.

Another practical aspect is the 3,200kg braked towing weight and 1055 maximum load.

Inside, the double cabin is more accommodating than I expected.

Controls are car-like and it runs to a good sound system and the now obligatory screen. You can even get leather seats as an option.

But the bottom line is that all

this ability will cost you in terms of company car tax. That engine offers 148bhp and reaches 62mph in just over 13 seconds.

But economy is rated at 40mpg and emissions at 185gm/km On the other hand, if you have a small business, then the double cab means you have serious work vehicle that can double as family transport. There is no boot, of course but various covers are available for the load area. The double cab models start from £21,510 when VAT is reclaimed.

DOUBLE CAB MEANS HILUX CAN DOUBLE UP FOR WORK AND PLAY! The latest version of the Toyota Hilux adds a bit of style to its iconic image as a rugged go-anywhere machine. With bright colours, deep wheel arches , a bolder grille and big alloys, it was attracting admiring glances as much as many upmarket cars.

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hile keeping it tough, Toyota has refined the Hilux making it better to use on the roads and a bit more economical. The engine has been downsized to a 2.4-litre turbo diesel and you can get a six-speed manual or an automatic gearbox.

You can switch between two and four-wheel drive.

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On the road, it has long legs and can sit comfortably and fairly quietly at the motorway limit.

The only inhibition I found was its wider turning circle and this has to be borne in mind when in a car park. I liked the way it could shrug off the speed ramps!

It sits higher than most SUVs so entry requires a little more effort and sometimes the ‘doorstep’ is

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Eye on Motoring

DFC installs RAC Telematics to deliver fleet support for Northern Ireland businesses Telematics customers report reduction in fuel cost, vehicle downtime and accidents.

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ncreasing numbers of businesses in Northern Ireland are benefitting from the cost saving features of vehicle telematics technology, according to a Belfast-based vehicle management company.

Businesses with the black box device fitted to their commercial vehicles are reporting significant savings in fuel, wear and tear and insurance, as well as fewer accidents and more efficient fleet management, says contract hire and leasing firm DFC. McCann Cabling Solutions, based in Dungannon, is one such firm which says they have seen savings in fuel of almost ten per cent since taking the telematics option with DFC. The system, provided by RAC Telematics, works by fitting a device to each vehicle to transmit real-time location data as well as driver behaviour statistics such as acceleration and braking. The data is managed on a portal by the fleet manager as well as the driver on their own smartphone app, and combined with RAC breakdown and accident management services, provides a fully connected package for customers.

Conor McCann, managing director at McCann Cabling Solutions, says: “RAC Telematics has been operating in our fleet for nearly two years now and we have really seen the benefits of having such a strong system in place.

“At McCann Cabling Solutions we work with the client to ensure the job is done correctly and without delay. Having the ability to know how long a vehicle spends on site and when it has left the

client, has really assisted us with running an efficient fleet while increasing daily productivity, and indeed customer satisfaction.

“We’ve also seen an improvement in our administration time, the processing of the timesheets, mileage reports and advising clients on site time – all done in minutes - it saves us hours of work each week.

“The safety of our drivers is very important to us and having the knowledge of how a vehicle has been driven helps us to monitor driver styles and implement improvement procedures.

“As such, we’ve seen a drop in speeding fines, an increase in MPG and an improvement on the fuel bill to the tune of about eight per cent, which all helps the bottom line.”

In addition to the driver behaviour feature, McCann says the business also relies on the crash notification alert in the telematics box, which enabled them to promptly contact a driver when he had an accident and ensure he was properly looked after.

Uel Butler is chief executive at DFC, which has been funding, supplying and managing vehicles for more than 25 years.

He said they took the decision to install RAC Telematics into its business fleet 18-monthsago, which along with RAC breakdown cover and accident management services, has enabled them to develop a powerful offering for customers.

Butler says: “We have a lot of positive feedback from customers around the use of telematics, especially as they have none of the installation costs, but all the benefits that comes with the system.

Pauline Nelmes, Sales Manager (Telematics) and CEO Uel Butler of DFC, Belfast.

“Our customers see it is a ‘no-brainer’ and we feel it is making a massive difference in terms of making those purchasing decisions easier. We feel it makes our offering more competitive when tendering for new contracts and having the backing of the RAC gives customers the reassurance that should they encounter any issues it will be dealt with in an efficient manner.

“When you consider the combination of RAC Telematics, along with breakdown and accident management, it is a powerful proposition and the brand carries a lot of weight. It means we can offer the complete package.”

RAC Telematics MD Nick Walker said: “Since partnering with DFC, we have seen a strong upturn in deployment across both Northern and Southern Ireland. More businesses are looking to utilise the latest technology with a trusted brand and deliver additional benefits to their own networks. The approach has been welcomed by so many.

“DFC and the RAC engage actively to clients interested in change, interested in making improvements and interested in better work practice. Having the support of DFC locally, and the strength of the RAC technology really is delivering a good news story to businesses and we look forward to the continuing development into the New Year.”

Committed to making the introduction of RAC Telematics a successful venture, DFC invested in the recruitment of Pauline Nelmes who had worked for a number of telematics companies spanning across a 20 year period.

She said, “I was immensely impressed with the innovation and forward thinking from the owners at DFC, which was one of a number of factors why I decided to join the team 18 months ago. Over the past year and a half I have seen the product go from strength-tostrength and have had huge success in implementing the technology into both DFC and non DFC customers.”

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Eye on Motoring

dfcbelfast.co.uk Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

JAGUAR XF GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH NEW DIESEL! The XF was the new face of Jaguar when it was launched and formed the mould for the subsequent larger XJ and smaller XE models. Now it has been revised though it still looks familiar as the most significant changes are under the skin.

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more businesslike twolitre, four-cylinder turbo diesel is now the lead engine, though there are still a couple of V6s at the top of the range. This new Ingenium i4 unit comes with either 163 or 180PS output and a choice of manual or eight-speed automatic transmission as before.

On paper, the 163PS automatic that I sampled, does an impressive

job with 0-62mph in 8.2seconds and a potential 132mph top speed.

Add to that a claimed combined mpg of 68.9 and emissions of 109g/km and the XF goes towards the top of the business car class.

The manual version is even better at 104g/km putting it in the 20% company car tax bracket.

That should keep the company accountant happy but the driver will not be smiling quite as much.

The new diesel donkey is not as refined as it might be and is a bit noisier than you would expect especially when cold and when pushed through those eight gears. Perhaps the six speed manual would be nicer to drive?

That quibble aside, the XF is still a satisfying car to drive with sharp steering and a composed stance on the bends. The car is slightly shorter and rides nicely on new

passive dampers which seem to soak up the road surfaces without disturbing the occupants much.

Most of the latest technology is there but I did notice the lack of a reversing camera on R-sport model I drove - why, many family hatches have these now.

The XF is still a fine executive saloon with a lot of the trimmings and my auto example was priced from £35,950.

cuts in. Noise and vibration are kept to a minimum.

As a company vehicle the Niro is something of a tax buster with up to 74mpg and emissions as low as 88g/km.

Prices start from a keen (for a hybrid) £21,295. There are four grades but all have lane assist, hill-start, cruise control, speed limiter, DAB radio and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

Grade 2 adds a 7-inch touch screen, satellite navigation,

reversing camera and services connected to TomTom to warn of speed cameras and traffic congestion. Move up to Grade 3 and you get an 8-inch screen, eight-speaker sound, leather, heated seats and cosmetic enhancements. The First Edition has emergency braking.

Before you ask, yes, the sophisticated Niro still carries Kia’s unique seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, subject to wear and tear conditions.

CLEVER KIA CROSSOVER FINDS A GAP IN THE MARKET! Here’s a smart move from Kia - their latest car is in the top selling compact crossover bracket and it is one of the first such machines with hybrid power. Not only that, but the price undercuts most other hybridsbyt a few thousand.

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he Niro is bigger than the c’eed hatchback but smaller than the popular Sportage cross-over. While it is not a sports car, I found it better to drive than most of the South Korean company’s other models.( Hyundai offers a very similar model called Ioniq) Power comes from a 1.6-litre petrol engine combined with an electric motor to produce a useful 139bhp. Another clever aspect is that it does not use

a CVT gearbox like most other hybrids. Instead there is a six-speed, double clutch auto that works well without the whining and whirring of a CVT box. This feels like a proper car.

The Niro uses lithium batteries which are more compact so they fit under the rear seats instead of stealing boot space. Like most hybrids it moves off silently from rest and you can barely hear the petrol engine when it

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dfcbelfast.co.uk

Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

MCLAREN EARNS ITS PLACE - AND PROFIT IN SUPERCAR LEAGUE! One of the little heralded success stories of the British motor industry is that of McLaren Automotive, the road car offshoot of the very successful Formula 1 company. They bravely set out six years ago to take on the German and Italian icons, and have actually been in profit for the last three years.

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he 570GT, at a mere £154K, is one of the ‘cheaper’ McLarens and claims to be more practical and prettier than the rest. (Just how practical a mid-engineered, gull-winged supercar can ever be is a matter for debate, of course!) It sits above the entry level 570C and 570S which cost from £128K. All McLarens are powered by a twin-

turbo, 3.8-litre V8 engine, with an output of 570PS in this model. All that power goes to the rear wheels via a sevenspeed twin clutch automatic gearbox with large paddles to let the driver take over. It can zip to 62mph in a mere 3.4 seconds and on to 204mph if you can find somewhere to safely to do this.

Once inside, I am surrounded by a glorious vision of tan leather. Pull down

the door, blip the throttle and I am off.

Despite the awesome look and power of the GT, I feel at home in a surprisingly short time. This is one of those cars that just seems to fit the driver like a glove.

Even on speed limited roads, it is still possible to enjoy the superb acceleration and dynamic handling.

The car just feels glued to the road and is very biddable even on a narrow

country road. Nor does it have the bone-shaking chassis of a racing car.

So the GT is the everyday model.

They have even added an extra luggage compartment that more than doubles the capacity of the standard under bonnet boot. Certainly it is more drivable than I expected but would it be easy to park where you work? But hey, it is a totally exhilarating drive!

NEW MOKKA X

TECHNOLOGY WHERE IT COUNTS

P11D FROM £17,400 | UP TO 72.4MPG | CO 2 FROM 103G/KM

Vauxhall OnStar* with Vehicle Diagnostics and 4G Wi-Fi**.

7-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™.

The New Mokka X. Go drive it.

SEARCH NEW MOKKA X FLEET

Fuel consumption information is official government environmental data, tested in accordance with the relevant EU directive. New Mokka X range fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km): Urban: 32.8 (8.6)-64.2 (4.4), Extra-urban: 49.6 (5.7)-78.5 (3.6), Combined: 42.2 (6.7)-72.4 (3.9).

CO2 emissions: 155-103g/km.

Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. 2016-17 tax year. General Motors UK Limited, trading as Vauxhall Motors, does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their particular tax position. New Mokka X Design Nav (non-ecoFLEX) model illustrated features Amber Orange two-coat metallic paint (£555) and premium LED Adaptive Forward Lighting (£1160), optional at extra cost. * = Includes 12 months of OnStar services from date of first registration and a 3 month/3 GB Wi-Fi free trial period (whichever comes first) effective from the date the customer accepts the nominated network operator Wi-Fi T’s&C’s. Destination download feature only operates on models fitted with Navi 900 IntelliLink satellite navigation system. The OnStar Services require activation and are subject to mobile network coverage and availability. ** = Wi-Fi Hotspot service requires account with nominated network operator. 4G is subject to mobile network coverage and availability. Charges apply after the free trial period. The OnStar subscription packages could be different from the services included in the free trial package. Check www.vauxhall.co.uk/onstar for terms and conditions, details of availability, coverage and charges. Apple CarPlay and Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (December 2016).

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