Business Eye July 2015 by Buckley Publications

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Issue 152 July 2015 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Shortlisted Magazines Ireland Awards 2011 Business To Business Magazine of the Year

KEEPING IT LOCAL SPAR RAISES ITS GAME Features: 07

Small Business Champions Crowned

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Contents

titanicbelfast.com July 2015 ISSUE 152

Cover Story

Keeping It Local... Spar Raises Its Game

Business Travel Made Easy

Do you spend time online booking flights and hotels for business travel? There is a better way, and a cheaper way, by tapping into the experience, and the access to cheaper fares, of corporate travel specialists. Mukesh Sharma of Selective Travel Management makes the case...

The Spar network has completed a major investment by launching 140 new Enjoy Local products in its stores across Northern Ireland, all of them sourced from local suppliers. Sales & Marketing Director Paddy Doody talks about the group’s concentrated approach to local sourcing and about how important the local approach is to Spar shoppers.

Electric Ireland Top Performer

Top Performers Northern Ireland’s Small Business Champions

Rajesh Rana is the second generation in the hot seat at Andras House, the Belfast-based hotel group which has recently completed a major investment at the city’s Ramada Plaza Hotel and announced an upgrade for Days Hotel in the city centre.

Belfast-based accountants McIlveen & Howards entertained customers and guests at a special evening reception recently to welcome the arrival of Roy Creelman as a Partner with the practice, and hear the views of Danske Bank chief economist Angela McGowan.

Commercial Property

Technology & Communications BT One Phone... A Comms Revolution

The Northern Ireland property market is on the up, says Geoff Sharpe, Corporate Banking Manager at Danske Bank. He takes a closer look at key areas of the market, highlighting the importance of a rise in development plans across the board.

Lidl & The Tall Ships Lidl has stepped up its corporate profile once again as the headline sponsor of the Tall Ships visit to Belfast this summer. Business Eye reports from Belfast’s Pollock Dock on a memorable occasion for the retail group and its guests.

BT One Phone, a system which combines mobiles with office systems and gives business customers the chance to do away with landline phone systems altogether, comes under the spotlight at a Round Table Discussion hosted by BT and Business Eye at BT Riverside Tower in Belfast.

Business Winners

Overseas Property Buying Abroad... Taking The Risk Out Of Purchase

The UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe have been launched for 2015, the ninth successive year of Northern Ireland’s top business awards. Closing date for entries is Friday, 23rd October, and the awards will be presented a little later than usual – on Thursday, 26th November, at the Culloden Estate & Spa.

Sam Butler asks if Northern Ireland’s new agri-food marketing body can learn any lessons from how the Scots do the same job, with everything from salmon to whisky.

Eye on Investment

Eye on Education

Eye on Events

Eye on Interiors

Eye on Technology

Moving On

Eye on Finance

Eye on Recruitment

Eye on Giving

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley Sales Manager Claire Dickson

Features & Promotions Manager Ciara Donnelly

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

Agri Lessons

Buying property abroad, as those who have done it will testify, can be a minefield. The team at BeckettHanlon, led by the highly experienced Drew Beckett, aim to take a lot of the risk, and all of the pain, out of the process. And they’ve got some pretty tasty properties on offer too...

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

McIlveen & Howard Celebrate...

Northern Ireland’s small businesses got their first chance to celebrate the success of the SME sector at the inaugural Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards, held at the La Mon House Hotel & Country Club. Oasis Travel took the evening’s top award, leading an impressive list of winners across 12 different categories.

Regulars

Specials

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

The news that Hastings Hotels is to invest £30 million to transform Belfast’s tallest but blandest office block, Windsor House, into a 200-bedroom hotel is another piece of good news for the city.

Comment

“It’s relatively easy, isn’t it, to bang on about how remiss the Westminster Government is about riding roughshod over the regions. It’s not quite so easy when Westminster passes the ball, and it promptly gets lost by our ever efficient politicos.”

Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

nd Sir William Hasting’s inspired decision to name it after one of Belfast’s best loved hotels of the past, the Grand Central, is a welcome move by the home-grown hotel group. It’s the latest piece of good news in a succession for the city. Just across the road from Windsor House, work will soon by underway on the boutique hotel planned for the old Scottish Widows offices on the corner of Donegall Square South and Bedford Street. The Days Hotel off Great Victoria Street is to be upgraded to become a Holiday Inn by its owners, another local firm, Andras House. And that’s without mentioning hotel plans in Titanic Quarter and elsewhere in Belfast. We need all the rooms we can get, it seems. If proof were needed, the recent incident where a United Airlines flight from Rome to New York had to land in Belfast to offload a disruptive passenger provided it. Hotel rooms, it seems, couldn’t be found on a Saturday night for the stricken passengers... most of whom had to bed down around the airport concourse. A bit embarrassing for Northern Ireland, it has to be said. So tourism is booming, and that’s great. But, as we’ve done before at this time of the year, can we express the hope that nothing happens over the summer months to dent the flow of tourists. With summer upon us, Northern Ireland falls into a traditional state of edgy torpor (….if that makes any sense) that tends to last through July and into August before things start to happen once again. Edgy because there’s always the worry that violence could erupt. That said, the season has got off to a promising and peaceful start. But we’re always reticent about getting too optimistic this early in the summer season.

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Torpor because that’s what Northern Ireland has grown used to. By the end of the first week in July the place seems to have largely emptied. It’s something that is really going to have to change as we go forward. We’re a base these days for some big international companies whose leaders elsewhere don’t understand the concept of anywhere shutting down for a couple of weeks. And, of course, our politicians also take a nice, relaxing break. This summer, it looks as though they’ll be taking that break without having made any significant decisions on budgets or welfare reforms. Nothing much changes, does it?

Now that Arlene Foster has kicked a move on corporation tax into the long grass for the next couple of years, no one seems to be getting too annoyed about it. The local business organisations, who got very exercised about calling for the devolution of corporation tax powers to Stormont, suddenly aren’t all that vocal when its the local politicians who are holding things up. It’s relatively easy, isn’t it, to bang on about how remiss the Westminster Government is about riding roughshod over the regions. It’s not quite so easy when Westminster passes the ball, and it promptly gets lost by our ever efficient politicos. Quite why that should be the case isn’t entirely clear, though. Bearing in mind all the hard work, words and statements that went before, should we not be kicking more of a fuss?

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Eye on News

Business Eye Awards Boost Childrens Charity A The recent Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards held at La Mon House Hotel & Country Club have resulted in a major boost for the NI Cancer Fund for Children, the proceeds of a charity draw held on the evening.

cheque for £8,484 was handed over at UTV Studios in Belfast prior to the launch of the 2015 UTV Business Eye Awards, which take place in late November at the Culloden Estate & Spa. Top prize in a draw held at the Small Business Awards was a family holiday in a four-star resort on the island of Mauritius, donated by Belfast firm Chaka Travel. Pictured (left to right) are Gillian Creevy, Chief Executive of the Cancer Fund for Children; Mark Marais, Managing Director of Chaka Travel; Sandra Corkin, Managing Director of Oasis Travel (who won the top award of Small Business of the Year on the night) & Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director of Business Eye.

TITANIC BELFAST AND SURVITEC LAUNCH NEW EDUCATION LINK Titanic Belfast in partnership with its education partner, the Survitec Group, has launched its newest education workshop - ‘Abandon Ship’.

he Dunmurry-based manufacturer of marine, defence and aerospace survival technology has been working with Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction, as its education partner since 2014. Together, the Survitec Group and Titanic Belfast, have developed a unique and fully interactive education workshop which aims to develop communication, problem-solving, decision-making and innovation skills amongst ‘Titanic’ thinkers. ‘Abandon Ship’ is targeted at Key Stage 2 & 3 in Northern Ireland and at upper primary and Junior Certificate in the Republic of Ireland. The workshop is designed around a

survival scenario in which 3 vessels crossing the Atlantic, along the same route as RMS Titanic, must evacuate into real, inflatable Survitec liferafts. This workshop is the newest addition to Titanic Belfast’s wide range of education programmes, which cover a variety of subjects and skills, ranging from maritime communication, marine science & exploration to 5 star customer service. Moya Johnston, Managing Director of Survitec, “Today, we are very proud to be launching our ‘Abandon Ship’ workshop with Titanic Belfast. At Survitec, we are committed to bringing marine safety awareness and survival knowledge to people of all

Titanic Belfast’s Chief Executive, Tim Husbands and Moya Johnston, Managing Director of Survitec, are pictured with Harvey Thompson (aged 10) from Victoria Park Primary School, Belfast, as they launch new Abandon Ship Workshop.

ages. The new workshop really brings learning to life for young people.” Titanic Belfast’s Chief Executive, Tim Husbands MBE, said “The tragic sinking of RMS Titanic changed maritime legislation globally, pioneering the importance of safety and survival. In honour of this, we, in partnership with the Survitec Group, are delighted to launch our unique ‘Abandon Ship’ workshop, which aims to help future generations learn lessons from the tragedy in an

innovative and interactive way.” He continued, “With over 90 years’ experience in personal survival equipment, Survitec’s involvement has been fundamental to the development of the workshop, which brings marine safety awareness and survival knowledge to the fore. It marks another step forward for Titanic Belfast’s education programme, which is recognised as a leading learning resource and has welcomed over 70,000 participants since its opening in 2012.”

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Eye on Community

AIRPORT FUNDS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY FOR PUPILS AT LOCAL SCHOOLS Pupils at a local Belfast primary school are reaping the benefits of the most important meal of the day thanks to funding from George Best Belfast City Airport’s Community Fund.

he financial support provided by the airport ensures Primary 4 – Primary 7 pupils at Euston Street Primary School start their day with a nutritious breakfast that will maintain and sustain their energy and concentration levels until break time. Following a pupil audit in April, results have shown that 98% of Euston Street Primary school children said the Breakfast Club had helped with their levels of concentration within the classroom, with numeracy scores improving by 59% and literacy by 63%. Joanne Currie, Principal of Euston Street Primary School, said: “With schedules busier than ever, many young people are missing out on a proper meal in the morning, and are instead consuming quick, often sugary, snacks. “The funding from the airport,

which is very much appreciated by all involved, has allowed us to facilitate a Breakfast Club between 8:15 – 8:45am each day meaning parents can rest assured their child is getting their day off to the best start with a healthy meal whilst saving the family both money and time in the morning. “Research suggests that children learn better when well-nourished and we have certainly witnessed improved concentration and motivation levels within the pupils since launching the initiative.” Ten year old Lakota has been availing of the service provided by the Breakfast Club and her mother is delighted with its introduction. “A parent’s main concern is always the wellbeing of their child and as a busy mum, I am very grateful to the school and the airport for ensuring the pupils

are well set up for the day and ready to maximise their learning potential. “With a choice of cereals, fresh fruit, toast, pancakes and fruit juice, there is plenty of choice and sets a fantastic example for the kids, not only in making sure they get the most important meal of the day, but also in choosing the healthy option. “With Lakota going to the Breakfast Club I know that she is having a good start to her school day, whilst giving me time to organise her younger brother. It’s a win, win all round!” Since 2009, the Airport Community Fund has donated over £180,000 to charitable causes throughout Northern Ireland to help promote

positive wellbeing within the community and environment. Stephen Patton, Human Resources Manager at George Best Belfast City Airport, said: “Supporting young people within our community and enhancing their wellbeing is a key objective of the airport and I am delighted that the funding we provided to the Breakfast Club has had such a positive impact on the pupils at Euston Street Primary School.” For more information on how your school, group or project can apply to the Belfast City Airport Community Fund, please visit www.belfastcityairport.com

and reputation for quality service, I’m really pleased to be part of this next chapter for the firm. “Our goal over the next five years is to expand our garden machinery division across the UK and into international markets.

“We want to develop the Cyril Johnston brand and a big part of that will be the new B2B website we’ll be launching later this year, as it will give our customers unique access to our products, technical drawings and information anywhere in the world.

NEW MD FOR MACHINERY FIRM Cyril Johnston Ltd, Ireland’s largest machinery hire, grounds maintenance, and garden care specialist, has announced the appointment of David Beck as Managing Director.

avid, who originally joined the company as General Manager in July 2014, has been promoted to the role with immediate effect. Prior to joining Cyril Johnston, he spent 15 years in the telecoms and media industries, with marketing and consultancy roles at Orange, BT and his own business, Green Ink Consulting. Most recently, he was Managing Director of UTV Connect, the

broadcaster’s Internet service provider across Ireland. In this new role with Cyril Johnston, David will manage the company’s wide range of products and services, from the Cyril Johnston Showroom and Cyril Johnston Groundscare, to sales of their innovative Jumping Jack portable power chargers. David said: “Cyril Johnston is a family business with a great history

Eye on News

MOUNT CHARLES AND RMS GROUP LAUNCH JOINT SECURITY VENTURE The Mount Charles Group and RMS Group Services have joined forces to create a new company, RMS Security Services, in a move to further diversify their offering.

he Mount Charles Group, Ireland’s largest locally owned business support solutions provider and RMS Group Services, a market leader in security systems, have jointly invested over £250,000 to create the new company. To date, 35 jobs have been created. Belfast-headquartered, RMS Security Services offers state of the art services that include man guarding, key holding, response and patrol, high value property escorts, close protection and CCTV monitoring. The company, which aims to achieve £1m in annualised revenue by the end of 2015, has already secured a number of important contracts,

including Titanic Belfast and global outsourcing company Teleperformance. Speaking at a launch event in Titanic Belfast, Chairman of the Mount Charles Group Trevor Annon said: “I am delighted to announce this joint venture, for which we have ambitions to become the number one security services firm in Ireland. “The project came about in response to a rapidly increasing demand from our clients for multi or ‘bundled’ service contracts. We already deliver catering, cleaning, retail and vending contracts to a vast range of public and private sector clients across Ireland. The one thing we couldn’t supply, until now, was security services,

Trevor Annon of Mount Charles with RMS Chief Executive Terry Hughes.

hence the new venture. “It was an easy decision to partner with RMS Group – as another locally owned company, they have a similar ethos of excellence and integrity, and crucially, they have significant expertise in the security field. Combining our expertise in this way will undoubtedly enable us to better compete in a very competitive market and will support the ongoing growth and expansion of both businesses.” Terry Hughes added: “This decision was an obvious one for RMS Group Services as it blends seamlessly with our core and well

established services. Although it was not one we rushed into, before bringing it into the market we have invested not only in state of the art systems but more importantly in our people. “RMS has worked hard to meet and exceed our customers’ requirements, earning a deserved reputation for quality, competiveness, and delivering innovative tailored solutions. It was imperative that our existing and new customers would continue to experience these key performance standards which are the cornerstone of RMS’s commitment to its customers.”

KINGSBRIDGE AND DEANES SERVE UP EXCELLENCE ON A PLATE FOR PATIENTS Northern Ireland’s top private hospital is partnering with one of Belfast’s finest restaurants to put excellence on a plate for patients.

ingsbridge Private Hospital is adding to its 5* facilities by serving up a mouth-watering dinner menu created by award-winning restaurant group Deanes. The ‘patient perks’ provided by Kingsbridge, part of the 3fivetwo Group, already include private ensuite rooms, Wifi, TV and luxury complimentary toiletries. “We offer excellent clinical services in state-of-the-art theatres matched by an unrivalled level of patient comfort,” said Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge. “It is important that patients

are supported back on the road to recovery with the highest quality of nutritious, tempting dishes and Deanes is just what the doctor ordered!” The Deanes menu features fresh fish cooked in coconut oil, local free range chicken, grass-fed Northern Irish beef, home-made pasta and market vegetables. Dishes include Pan Seared Cod with roasted pepper, lentils and lemon gremolata; Roast Chicken with parmesan & bacon risotto, leeks and Madeira; and Slow Cooked Rib of Beef with buttered cabbage and sautéed potatoes.

Michael Deane serves up health on a plate to a Kingsbridge Private Hospital ‘patient’ with approval from CEO Mark Regan.

The dessert menu offers tempting items like Lemon Possett, raspberries and Amaretti biscuits and Tiramisu. “Deanes embraces this opportunity to work with Kingsbridge by creating a seasonal, locally sourced menu which uses only the highest

quality and most nutritious ingredients,” said Michael Deane. “All the dishes are designed to tempt taste buds, build appetite and get people back on their feet – and they are a million miles away from the traditional view of hospital food!” Do they take bookings.....??

Eye on Banking

Bank of Ireland UK calls on local businesses to connect for growth Enterprise Week - helping business to connect with new customers, new markets and new opportunities

ank of Ireland UK’s Enterprise Week is the bank’s unique approach to connecting with and supporting local companies through the provision of expertise, practical advice, and, most importantly, support as they focus on developing strong, vibrant and growing businesses. ‘Let’s Connect for Growth’ was the theme of the latest week which took place from May 15 – 22, 2015 with a wide-ranging programme of more than 40 events that included inspirational seminars from global business leaders, networking opportunities and business clinics. More than 1,500 local businesses seized the opportunity to take part in these activities. Sean Sheehan, Regional Director NI Consumer and Small Business for Bank of Ireland UK said: “Making connections is what Enterprise Week is all about - connecting businesses to new markets, to new customers and new opportunities.” The latest Meet the Buyer event run in partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Armagh, marked the start of May ’15 Enterprise Week. Encouraging cross-border trade, developing business relationships and winning new business was the focus for all those that attended with 15 buying companies, 220 participants and over 160 buyer meetings taking place. Ian Sheppard, Head of Business & Corporate Banking Northern Ireland revealed the bank’s approved lending to local businesses in 2014 was £600m, an increase of 20% on the previous year and, he noted that the momentum was continuing into 2015 with lending approvals of more than £200m in the first quarter. He said: “Enterprise Week took place at a time when we are seeing strong signs of economic growth, particularly in the small and medium sized business sectors. Growth in our lending

Bank of Ireland UK Enterprise Week Let’s connect for growth through social media event at Omagh Enterprise Company. (L-R) Hilary Nelson, Commercial Branch Manager, Omagh Bank of Ireland UK, Bill McCartney, Social Media Specialist, Shauna McCarney Blair, Heavenly Tasty Organics and Bernard Rooney, Head of Branches, Bank of Ireland UK.

figures indicate rising demand for credit and we’re pleased to be approving 95% of all applications.” Finance aside, the bank is well resourced with its extensive network of business managers and advisers – more than 100 across the bank’s branch network in Northern Ireland - to support the growth ambitions of local companies. Finn Lough Ltd, a holiday village situated in the Fermanagh Lakelands, is one local business the bank is supporting as they push forward their plans for growth. Brother and sister Michael and Gillian Beare returned to Northern Ireland three years ago after enjoying careers and travel overseas to take on the running of the family business, that was established by their parents, more than thirty years ago. Gillian as guest speaker at the Enniskilen event shared a vision for their unique Lakeland Resort and how they set about realising its potential as a world class holiday

destination. After completing a renovation of the holiday cottages and establishing a new restaurant, they’re now turning their attentions to phase two of their investment which will include the development of an outdoor forest spa; glass domed ‘Sleep under the Stars’ accommodation – a first for Northern Ireland; and a state-of-the-art activity centre. Michael said: “The team at Bank of Ireland UK have been brilliant to work with. As well as providing the funds to re-develop and extend the holiday village, they were, by far, the most pro-active bank we spoke to, and, crucially they had local decision makers on the ground who could provide us with the speedy decision making we needed. They share our passion and enthusiasm for the business and we couldn’t be in better hands as we build our business both in the home market and for visitors from across the UK, Europe and Asia.” Enterprise Week’s enduringly

popular Show Your Business initiative returned and more than 200 local enterprises took advantage. With 36 branches across Northern Ireland and 286 branches across Ireland, the bank put them all at the disposal of businesses interested in promoting their products and services to potential customers. For companies with ambitions to increase their footprint in a new market, this also gave local businesses the opportunity to use branches in the south to promote their company. Peter Dunlop, managing director of online bathroom store Bathshack, was among the bank’s customers to take advantage of this rare opportunity and as well as showcasing in two branches in Northern Ireland, he also set up shop in the bank’s Cork branch. Having founded the business in 2009 in shared premises, he now employs 15 people across his website and the four showrooms he has across Ballymena,

Eye on Banking

(L-R) Eugene Kearney, Commercial Branch Manager, Bank of Ireland UK Strand Road, Peter Casey, RTE Dragon, CEO Claddagh Resources, James Huey, owner / proprietor Walled City Brewery, Sean Sheehan, Regional Director, NI Consumer & Small Business, Bank of Ireland UK.

Pictured from left is Sean Sheehan, Regional Director, NI Consumer & Small Business, Bank of Ireland UK and Peter Dunlop, Managing Director of Bath Shack, the online bathroom store.

Pictured at the Bank of Ireland UK Economic Breakfast Briefing in Kingspan Stadium are L-R: Gavin Kennedy, Director of Business Banking, Bank of Ireland UK in Northern Ireland; Cara Macklin, Malone Lodge Hotel and Alan Bridle, Economist, Bank of Ireland UK.

Belfast and two in Cork. Peter said: “We’re a young business with showrooms in both Northern Ireland and the Republic and we want to grow our business on both sides of the border. Show Your Business was a fantastic opportunity to drive the promotion of our product in each respective market.” Other highlights from the week included an Economic Breakfast briefing at the Kingspan Stadium with UK Economist Alan Bridle providing more than 50 attendees with useful commentary and insight on the local economic landscape following the May General Election. Omagh’s event focused on the use of social media to support

growth, with Shauna McCarney Blair of Heavenly Tasty Organics talking about how social media has been a critical factor in the success of her business. In Derry /Londonderry, the bank chose the beautiful setting of the newly launched Walled City Brewery to hear from two entrepreneurs with deep roots in the city. Peter Casey, RTE Dragon and CEO of Claddagh Resources set aside his planned speech on how to become an entrepreneur and instead spoke about how entrepreneurs can learn so much from their mistakes, particularly encouraging would-be entrepreneurs to think big, trade ethically and be realistic in early business plans. Peter shared the platform with James Huey, owner of the Walled City Brewery who described his journey over the last eighteen months from business vision to reality through ambition, determination, courage and the unswerving support of Bank of Ireland UK. Sean Sheehan concluded: “Bank of Ireland UK has been in Northern Ireland for more than 150 years, we know the market, we understand business and we have the people and the passion to help businesses to prosper. “Enterprise Week delivers real and tangible benefits to all those businesses that take part. We have connected with 1,500 businesses across the week but as Northern Ireland’s Enterprise Bank we have ambitions to do more and we look forward to November’s event to once again demonstrate the value of this inspiring initiative.”

Pictured are Michael Beare of Finn Lough Ltd with Ian Sheppard, Regional Director of Business & Corporate Banking, Northern Ireland, Bank of Ireland UK.

Eye on News DREAMLINER TOUCHES DOWN

aptain John Murphy, Managing Director of Thomson Airways with Chris Browne, Chief Operations Officer TUI Aviation and Chris’s niece’s Charlotte Grieves, age 7 and Victoria Grieves, age 5 pictured outside the Thomson

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

rchitectural technology students from Ulster University have been showcasing their skills to leading employers in Northern Ireland’s construction sector. At the End of Year Show, students including those who will graduate this month demonstrated their talent in building information

modelling and exhibited their innovative building concepts of domestic and commercial projects. Employers in attendance including WDR & RT Taggart and Keystone confirmed the demand for qualified, highly-skilled graduates in the growing construction industry. Pictured is architectural technology students Erin O’Kane.

TONY’S CANCER MESSAGE

rish rugby legend Tony Ward, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, was a guest speaker at the Cancer Focus NI Men and Cancer Conference as part of Men’s Health Month, June. The conference theme was ‘Time to write a new script’, looking at how to create change

70 YEARS MILESTONE FOR FOOD FIRM

isburn based Andrew Ingredients is celebrating 70 years in business. Specialising in supplying the food and baking industry Andrew Ingredients, as part of their landmark celebrations, will officially open an extended warehouse facility and a new test bakery and kitchen at its Ferguson Drive site, Lisburn. The new facilities, which represent

787 Dreamliner as the aircraft touched down on Irish soil for the very first time to celebrate the launch of two long-haul routes to Cancun, Mexico and Montego Bay, Jamaica direct from Dublin Airport during summer 2016.

a £750k investment will support the company as they continue to grow their business throughout Ireland as well as focus on continuing to drive excellence in the industry for another 70 years. Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell is pictured with Tim and Mairead Andrew from Andrew Ingredients during a visit to the Lisburn site.

to improve the health and wellbeing of men. The annual event was attended by more than 100 health professionals and representatives from Translink, BT, Huhtamaki Paper Recycling, Michelin and Royal Mail. Tony Ward is pictured with Cancer Focus NI’s Gerry McElwee.

Eye on Travel

Time For Change For Business Travel If time is money, why is it that so many otherwise savvy businesspeople are prepared to spend hours surfing the net in the hope of securing best value corporate travel? To me, it’s the perfect example of false economy – and it presents a significant opportunity for many organisations to do better, cheaper.

hile there can be little debate about the huge benefits in doing business with customers and suppliers on their home turf, corporate travel comes at a cost that goes beyond air fares, hotels and taxi bills. It takes senior staff out of the immediate workplace and adds yet more layers of stress to their working lives: corporate travellers may devote their executive time to working out their own itineraries or rely on support from (largely inexperienced) admin staff; some even employ in-house staff to handle the work. None of which is an ideal solution. In my experience, if your business is scheduling ten or more journeys per month, there are both cost and efficiency advantages to using a reputable corporate travel management company. The modest fees that such a relationship entails will be recouped through keener prices, better deals, improved planning and an injection of travel sector expertise. You will also benefit by releasing your staff from time-intensive web searches and the complex task of juggling flight times, road and rail links and accommodation provision … keep them on the productive work and leave the

Mukesh Sharma, MD Selective Travel Management Twitter: @selectivetm @mukeshji147

travel arrangements, and the inevitable hassles, to the experts. The benefits of being able to tap into preferential aggregate rates are self-evident and the best corporate travel management companies will have the critical mass to secure keen rates on behalf of their client portfolios. Their specialist expertise means that they will also have information and insight into options which you may never have considered unprompted – but the advantages don’t stop there. At Selective Travel Management we start off client relationships by first understanding clients’ travel-related policies. What level of staff travel? Who (if anyone) is entitled to travel first or business class? Does the employer allow staff to benefit personally from loyalty schemes such as air miles or should benefits be returned to the company? How much discretion should apply in choice of airline,

airport or hotel? Do your business requirements dictate flexible travel? If you don’t already have a policy, we’ll help you devise and implement one that’s best suited to your business needs. The big plus lies in us taking the hassle and responsibility off your shoulders. At its most basic that means that our experts will handle every detail of the booking complexities on your behalf, presenting you with a professionally drawn up itinerary which will ensure that you or your nominee can simply turn up ready to do business. Cost, convenience and common sense are the key factors in our sector, but so too is availability. At Selective Travel Management we have a 24/7 service that means whenever and wherever in the world you or your staff may be, help is immediately at hand. It’s good to know that you can easily make an adjustment to a business itinerary, but it is absolutely vital to know we are

in a position to look after the welfare of your staff even when they are half a world away. You and they need to feel reassured that, in the face of a family emergency, you’ll move heaven and earth to get them home quickly. In today’s unpredictable world, it also pays to have the professional support to facilitate changes to international travel arrangements in the face of civil or natural disruption. Even when nothing dramatic has happened, we all know that business travel arrangements are notoriously susceptible to last minute alteration … with changes usually coming out of the woodwork when the person who made the booking is away from his or her desk. For us, that’s just part of the day’s work and, because we’re here 24/7, help is always on hand. Change, as they say, is inevitable, except of course from a vending machine, but that’s a whole new business direction.

Eye on Awards

Martine Mulhern of St Cecillia’s College collecting the Career Inspiration Award for the Education Sector with sponsor Deirdre Heenan of Ulster University and comedian Patrick Kielty.

Workplace & Employment Awards 2015 An indigenous financial technology firm and the regional division of a global insurance giant, each employing staff numbers in the thousands, and a modestly-sized architectural practice were among the big winners at last night’s Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards in Titanic Belfast.

irst Derivatives, AllstateNI and White Ink Architects each claimed two category victories at the lavish bash attended by more than 550 people, including Dr Stephen Farry, Minister at the Department for Learning and Employment, a long-time supporter of the initiative. Newry-based First Derivatives, whose client list included a who’s

who of leading investment banks and hedge funds, was named Best Place to Work and also shared the top award for Managing Talent. Allstate, which has picked up a number of accolades during the nine years of the Workplace & Employment Awards, won the Career Inspiration Award and also added the Global Team Award, a new category introduced this year to reflect the sterling work companies in Northern Ireland are doing overseas. And White Ink, formed in 2001 by its three current directors and which has grown to become a practice employing 20 staff and with a turnover of around £1 million, secured both the Innovative Employer and Best Place to Work Awards. The prize list featured a number of new names to the Workplace & Employment Awards, including Action Cancer NI and the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Other victors included Autoline Insurance Group, Devenish Nutrition, Enterprise NI, CDEnviro, Henderson Group, Eircom, Little Wing Pizzeria, Total Mobile and Homecare Independent Living, while three of the categories went to educational establishments - South West College, St Cecilia’s College and St Colm’s High School in Draperstown. They were among 20 main category and eight highly commended winners on a recordbreaking night for the Irish News initiative. “It’s been another tremendous year not only for the numbers entering and attending the dinner, but for the range of sectors represented, and we’re delighted that this year’s Workplace & Employment Awards have been yet another runaway success,” Irish News editor Noel Doran said. DEL Minister Dr Farry said: “The aims of the Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards go hand in

hand with the direction set out in my Department’s Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland, and I’m delighted to be continuing our long association with this initiative.” The awards were supported by Tughans Solicitors, the Department for Employment & Learning, PowerNI, Liberty IT, H3 Health Insurance, Ulster University and Titanic Belfast. Last night’s ceremony was compered by BBC presented Karen Patterson, with input from Dundrum-born comedian Paddy Kielty, who later regaled the audience with an irreverent stand-up routine. The afterdinner speaker was Fintan Drury, chief executive of sports management business Platinum One, who has worked with a raft of internationally-known stars in the world of golf, rugby and football. Full gallery of photographs on www.irishnews.com/WEA

Eye on Awards

1 Small Organisation Business Sector Career Inspiration Award WINNER Young Enterprise NI 2 Medium Organisation Business Sector Career Inspiration Award HIGHLY COMMENDED PKF-FPM Accountants WINNER Autoline Insurance Group 3 Large Organisation Business Sector Career Inspiration Award WINNER Allstate Northern Ireland 4 Education Sector Career Inspiration Award HIGHLY COMMENDED Belfast Metropolitan College with Deloitte WINNER St Cecillia’s College 5 Green Award HIGHLY COMMENDED Little Wing Pizzeria WINNER St Colm’s High School 6 Small Organisation Innovative Employer Award WINNER White Ink Architects Ltd 7 Medium/Large Organisation Innovative Employer Award WINNER Devenish Nutrition 8 Small Organisation Right Place to work HIGHLY COMMENDED Formula Karting WINNER Eircom Business Solutions NI 9 Medium Organisation Right Place to Work WINNER Little Wing Pizzeria 10 Large Organisation Right Place to Work WINNER Henderson Group 11 Small Organisation Managing Talent HIGHLY COMMENDED Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce & Industry WINNER CD Enviro 12 Medium Organisation -

Lorraine Mason of Eircom Solutions NI collecting the Right Place to Work- Small Business Award with sponsor Mark Regan of H3 Health insurance and Comedian Patrick Kielty.

13 Large Organisation Managing Talent HIGHLY COMMENDED O’Neills Sportswear WINNER Lagan Construction Group Ltd WINNER First Derivatives PLC 14 Public Sector Work-life, health & Wellbeing WINNER South West College 15 Private Sector Work-life, Health & Wellbeing WINNER GE Energy 16 Workplace Excellence Award WINNER Homecare Independent Living 17 Small Organisation Best Place to Work WINNER White Ink Architects Ltd

Mairead Mackle of Homecare Independent Living collecting the Workplace Excellence Award, with sponsor Dr William Hamilton of Liberty IT.

18 Medium Organisation Best Place to work HIGHLY COMMENDED PKF-FPM Accountants HIGHLY COMMENDED GE Energy HIGHLY COMMENDED Ashton Community Trust WINNER Action Cancer 19 Large Organisation Best Place to work HIGHLY COMMENDED Irwin’s Bakery WINNER First Derivatives PLC 20 Global Team Award WINNER Allstate Northern Ireland

Managing Talent HIGHLY COMMENDED St Mary’s College WINNER Total Mobile

Liz O’Hanlon collecting the Best Place to Work- large business Award on behalf of First Derivatives PLC with sponsor Anna Beggan of Tughans.

New thinking about energy

www.electricireland.com LoCall 0845 309 8138

Eye on Electric Ireland Top Performer Of The Month

Rajesh Rana (right) with his Top Performer trophy. Looking on are Alan Cunningham from Electric Ireland and Ciara Donnelly of Business Eye.

Rajesh Rana maintains Andras House momentum L ooking out over Belfast from an upper floor of the Days Hotel, Rajesh Rana is delighted to be accepting an accolade in recognition of his work as a leading figure within Belfast’s hospitality industry. The 46-year-old hotelier has further reason to be optimistic. As Director of the Andras House Group, he is responsible for five major hotels, along with serviced apartments and commercial properties. He has more plans in the pipeline, too. “The £2.5m refurbishment and rebrand that we’ve undertaken at Days which will see us reopen as Holiday Inn (in mid-August) will see an utter transformation of the property,” he enthuses. “At 250 bedrooms, the quality and size of the remodeled hotel, along with its international recognition, will be a real benefit to Visit Belfast when they’re selling the city as a conference venue.” Rajesh’s enthusiasm for Belfast’s potential -with its accompanying

sense of civic responsibility - was cultivated early. He spent his adolescence watching his father, Lord Rana, build up his hotel group through sheer hard work and very turbulent political conditions. “My father launched the Andras Group in 1981,” says Rana. “I was at his side as he rebuilt our property portfolio 25 times or more after it suffered damage during the Troubles. He never once lost his belief in the city. Right from those early days, I’ve shared his appreciation of Belfast’s energy and spirit of hard work.” It must have been tempting for Rajesh to roll up his sleeves and pitch in, but he wanted to gain a perspective on the UK economy as a whole, and to learn more about the mechanics of property development. “I studied architecture at Oxford and went on to practice as an architect,” he says. “Learning about and then actually making buildings gave me a broader

sense of how a project integrates with the built environment, and with the local economy.” That perspective would help Rajesh plot Andras Group’s path through the recession after his return to the city in 2008. Rajesh’s return as director brought a new infusion of energy to the Andras group. In rapid order, he oversaw the construction of two new Ibis Hotels in 2009 and the 2010 renovation of Belfast’s Holiday Inn Express. But he has particular affection for the work he undertook recently at the Ramada Plaza at Shaws Bridge. Originally built in 2001, the 120-bedroom hotel was conceived as the Andras House Group’s flagship. The £1.5m refurbishment which was completed earlier this year delivered a revamped banqueting

space and brand new contemporary lobby and wedding suite, bringing the hotel firmly into line with up-to-the minute trends. “We did a lot of work on the Ramada Plaza to upgrade it in terms of conference facilities and meeting space,” he says. “In our experience, that’s the best way to maintain a close engagement with the local business community.” That connection was fully recognized earlier this year when Rajesh was awarded a highly coveted President’s Recognition from the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce. “I was delighted to accept the award and am deeply appreciative of the recognition that myself, family and the wider Andras team have been given as leaders in Belfast’s hospitality industry. But we don’t intend to rest on our laurels.” Indeed, earlier this year, Andras Group lodged planning permission for a new 179-bedroom £12m hotel development in the heart of the city centre. It seems that Rajesh Rana won’t be hanging up that hard hat any time soon...

Serving clients across the UK & Ireland • • • • • • •

We will always find the perfect travel solution Complete travel management service Efficient friendly trained staff Online booking tool, tailored for your company Meetings, incentives, conferencing and events 24/7 service based in Northern Ireland Experienced and dedicated leisure travel team to manage your personal holidays

Business Line : +44 (0) 28 9096 2000 Leisure Line : +44 (0) 28 9038 9038 Email: corporate@selective-travel.co.uk www.selective-travel.co.uk

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Eye on Management

HOW ARE YOU MANAGING? Deloitte Best Managed Companies 2015 Open For Entries

here are plenty of awards for businesses in Northern Ireland giving large and smaller enterprises their chance for a moment or two in the spotlight... as well as a trophy for the reception desk or boardroom cabinet. Few awards offer the kudos and business benefits of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards, which have been launched for 2015, the eighth successive year of the all-island initiative. But the closing date for initial applications from Northern Ireland companies is fast approaching. Those wishing to enter must complete a short application online by Friday, 7th August. And that’s where similarities with any other business awards end. In Phase 2 of the Deloitte application process in September, entrants must complete a more detailed submission on how their companies are managed. These submissions are evaluated by a panel under four main headings:• Strategy • Capability • Commitment • Financials “In a nutshell, we ask them to prepare a draft submission in which they have to demonstrate how their organisation is meeting and mastering its growth strategy,” says Glenn Roberts of Deloitte’s Belfast office. It might require a bit of time and effort to prepare those detailed submissions, but the next stage of the competition brings significant benefits to those who take the trouble to enter. “A key part of the process is that we sit down – both ourselves and our co-sponsors Barclays Bank – with each company and we review and evaluate their business strategies. But we can also assist with the future development path for the organisation,” adds Glenn Roberts. The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Programme is open to

Pictured launching the awards programme is Adrian Doran, Head of Corporate Banking for Barclays in Northern Ireland and Glenn Roberts, Head of Private Markets for Deloitte in Northern Ireland.

NI or ROI based private companies with a turnover in excess of £4 million and which have been established for at least five years. The Programme has its roots in Canada back in the early 1990’s when Deloitte’s Canadian operation decided to launch a new scheme to recognise best business practice. Over the years, it grew steadily to become the biggest business scheme of its kind in Canada and a sought-after badge of quality for Canadian companies. “We launched it here in Ireland in 2008, which wasn’t the best time in terms of the economic backdrop,” says Roberts. “But the initial interest and the entry level was much higher than we expected. “The important thing, we think, is that we look at the whole company.....not aspects of company performance or personalities. It’s all about strategy and how companies are run. And it is a programme that brings real benefits to the companies themselves in terms of having their businesses evaluated and working with Deloitte and Barclays professionals. “It’s not just about numbers. It’s about strategy and it’s about engagement with the organisations.”

And, when it comes to the Awards themselves, learning and development is part of the agenda.....it’s not just a trophy presentation ceremony (although that does come later in the day). “We run structured professional development sessions throughout the day and we bring in some top international speakers,” Roberts adds. “And that all happens before the awards are handed out in traditional fashion come the evening time.” And it doesn’t end there. Winners can re-qualify as a Deloitte Best Managed Company for a further two years after winning the award, with the process leading up to a Gold Standard Award in the 4th year and Platinum Club in the 7th year. “So we are building an alumni community around these awards,” says Glenn Roberts. “That’s something that can be added to the other advantages that the programme brings to those who take part.” Amongst those are the chance to use the Deloitte Best Managed

Company official designation, an important potential marketing tool as well as extensive media coverage and networking opportunities.

CASE STUDY Newry firm, Hill Engineering was recognised as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies last year. “We found the application and mentoring process very rewarding in that it provided a framework for us to critically review our strategy and to strengthen the communication channels throughout the company. We had to work hard to earn our place as a Deloitte Best Managed Company but it was well worth the effort - we see it as a badge of honour to be shared by our entire workforce.” Ian Hill, Hill Engineering Limited

How to apply - visit www.deloittebestmanaged.ie to fill in the online phase 1 application form. Remember, the closing date for phase 1 applications is Friday, 7th August, 2015.

Eye on Communications

Barclay Link Since the recession started most businesses have avoided investing in new phone systems. As a result their aging phone systems are impacting upon and limiting their communications. Barclay Telecomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Link hosted phone system is currently revolutionising the phone system market and an expanding number of UK businesses are enjoying the benefits. Brief Overview Barclay Link is a virtual phone system hosted in the cloud. All calls are made over the internet, so there is no need for any hardware or maintenance, just a simple internet connection. It offers all the features of a traditional phone system and more, including the ability to work from any location using any device along with powerful reporting tools. As well as offering lots of features and more flexibility, call quality is excellent.

Features of Barclay Link Opex not Capex Services are subscribed to on a per user basis and it works much like a mobile phone contract, avoiding the need for expensive upfront payments.

Remote Working Remote workers can be connected to the internal phone network anywhere that there is a reasonable internet connection. Workers can log a device into the system and make, receive and transfer calls just as they would do if they were physically located in the main office. Multi-Site Multiple sites can connect efficiently under one receptionist or calling plan, giving an organisation the ability to operate as one coherent unit instead of separate entities. Mobile Integration You can link your mobile to your desk phone and easily divert office calls to your work or personal mobile, ensuring calls are never missed when

Regional and International Phone Numbers A wide range of international and regional numbers is available. You can add international telephone numbers to your account from over 70 countries worldwide. Calls to your international virtual number can be answered from anywhere or be used with an automated attendant to direct callers to specific employees or departments.

The Bottom Line Many local businesses are hit with cost and knowledge barriers when trying to manage their communications. Barclay Link enables organisations to harness the latest communications technology at a small monthly cost. This flexible phone system will probably cost less than you are currently paying and will greatly improve your organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efficiency.

outside the office environment. Support There is no need for maintenance contracts and any system changes can be done quickly without the need for an engineering visit. There is an expert support team who provide ongoing 24/7 support.

Disaster Recovery There is a built in disaster recovery plan. In the event of a line fault, the system will divert calls to alternative sites and office mobiles so that you avoid missing any calls.

Call Recording Inbound and outbound calls can be recorded for compliance and customer service purposes and found with ease using the on-line search engine.

For more information about Barclay Link contact Barclay Telecom on 029 9027 0055 or email support@barclaytelecom.co.uk

Eye on Cover Story

KEEPING IT LOCAL...

SPAR RAISES ITS GAME Shoppers in any one of the 330 SPAR or EUROSPAR outlets spread across Northern Ireland can’t have failed to notice the retail group’s new enjoy local products and fresh branding... on everything from bread and butter to potatoes and pork chops.

t’s a bold new move by Henderson Wholesale , the local company that owns and operates the SPAR network here, and it’s one which puts a seal on its long-standing policy and up holds the company’s strong local ethos of buying from Northern Ireland-based suppliers where possible. “We’re unique in this space in that we’re a local company through and through,” says Hendersons

Sales and Marketing Director Paddy Doody. “We’re family-owned (by the Agnew Family) and every part of our operation is based here in Northern Ireland.” But what also helps to make Henderson Group and SPAR unique is its level of investment. The company is due to report an operating profit of some £22 million for 2014/15, but it’s investment over recent years is running at between £23 million and £24 million. “For me, that’s one of the big factors about this company,” Doody adds. “We’re re-investing everything we make, and we’ve been doing that for quite a while. If that doesn’t show commitment, I’m not sure what would.” The investments are a continual process, from small to large. Amongst the biggest at the moment is the demolition and re-build of one of the main office blocks on Henderson Group’s giant site at Mallusk, a project costing more than £3 million in itself. And the company is also due to spread its wings to a neighbouring site currently occupied by Marks & Spencer, with an 18-month build programme lying ahead.

“In total, we’ll have spent around £10 million on the site alone by the time we’ve finished the current projects which will take approximatively five years,” says Paddy Doody. “Since I came here 11 years ago, I’ve often felt that we’re one of the best-kept secrets in the business community. Martin & Geoffrey Agnew (the brothers who are joint Managing Directors) remain modest about the significant achievements the company has made in recent years. “It’s a great organisation and a great place to work.” The Henderson Wholesale team took a group of 250 people – 125 independent retailers, 60 suppliers and Henderson employees – to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon recently for the group’s annual sales conference. Leading the conference, Paddy Doody’s focus was to encourage retailers to embrace new ideas, company support and communicate the key messages around their new product launch

enjoy local. The conference was set to inspire retailers, showing positive growth within the company whilst other competitors continued to struggle in what is a difficult economic climate. Like for like sales increased in 2014 by 1.9% in Retail and 1.7% in Wholesale and this year to date, those two key statistics are up to 2.3% and 2.6% respectively. By comparison, Sainsburys recently recorded a like for like sales drop of -2.2% while Morrisons came in at -1.9%. “It shows how well we are doing in a very challenging marketplace,” says Doody. “A key message at our recent conference was to ensure every action we take supports our ultimate aim of setting out to be the most compelling and competitive convenience store in Northern Ireland.” And there’s evidence that that’s exactly where we are. A piece of recent market research on consideration – where shoppers would consider shopping – produced a 51% score for SPAR, not too far behind Tesco at 57%. Third-placed Lidl came in at 40% and some of the

Eye on Cover Story

more comparable convenience brand names were down at the 20-30% level. The fact that fresh food now accounts for 40% of our sales is another key figure, given SPAR’s new marketing emphasis, as is the fact that the average turnover right across the SPAR and EUROSPAR network has risen to above £34,000. “Our retailers tell us that SPAR is a really important linkage for them. The vast majority see us as a close partner and a brand name that brings a lot more than wholesale delivery to their individual businesses.” The Group is also widely acknowledged for what it brings to the community, and to local communities in particular. “Our stores tend to be integral parts of the communities they serve,” says Paddy Doody. “It’s a message we continued to communicate at the Balmoral Show which took place in May. It’s a huge event for us, SPAR has a proud and long standing association with the agri-food industry throughout Northern Ireland. The Balmoral Show, as heart and soul of the agri-community, is a key event in our annual calendar. The show gives us the opportunity to connect with our suppliers... and of course with our rural communities.”

SPAR held its annual supplier awards at the recent Balmoral Show, recognising top local suppliers across a range of categories. “We work with over 200 local producers and farmers and are fortunate to have developed excellent relationships with them to ensure that we bring the very best fresh food to our shoppers at our stores across Northern Ireland each day. Initiatives at the Show like the Local Suppliers Awards, our sponsorship of the SPAR arena and our ‘enjoy local’ marquee help to strengthen our links with the agri-food industry as we encourage our shoppers to enjoy local produce as well as enjoying key local events.” The new enjoy local range comprises 126 different lines so it’s a comprehensive exercise by anyone’s book. The range includes fresh and chilled products including dairy, baked goods, fruit, vegetables, freshly baked savoury pies, and a 100% Northern Irish barbeque range including burgers, chicken wings and sausages. Every product in the range has a stamp which lets the shopper know exactly where their product was sourced or produced. Suppliers include Dungannon firm Dunbia, which sources beef from Northern Ireland farms,

Rockvale Poultry, based in Richhill, and pork processor Fred C Robinson in Ballyclare as well as companies including Clandeboye Estate Yogurt and Genesis Bakery. They are among six companies supplying to Henderson’s own brand for the first time, under a £3.5M deal. “We did a lot of research into the enjoy local concept and the reaction has been very positive,” adds Doody. “Shoppers associate local products with freshness and with a better taste but they also recognise that they’re helping the local economy and local jobs at the same time. And there’s even an environmental benefit. Local goods do not require a lot of transporting. “The whole process started for us about two years ago with initial consumer research and then design and branding concepts.” But Paddy Doody goes on to emphasise that local produce is only part of the picture. “To this we have to add great customer service, value for money and the range of goods that our shoppers want and need.” SPAR faces an increased level of competition these days from discount groups like Lidl. “The economic downturn helped to make it permissible, even trendy, for everyone to shop at the discount

stores,” says Paddy Doody. “I remember being over at a conference in Austria and taking photos of a Lidl car park full of BMW’s, Merc’s and a few Porsches. The point was that everyone shopped there, and that’s the way it is here now. “But we’re prepared to take on any competition. It’s a fact of life in the market we’re operating in. “What has definitely changed is that fewer people go for the big weekly shop any more. That’s fast becoming a thing of the past. “What we do best is to provide convenient store locations with good car parking and the right goods on offer. It’s not rocket science. If we get the basics right, we’re doing our job well.” And communicating SPAR’s values and its local ethos are all part of the marketing role that comes under Paddy Doody’s wider job description, a marketing role with a hefty £3.7 million budget in 2015. “We invest in a wide range of activities, from showpieces like the Balmoral Show through to TV advertising, radio advertising, outdoor and regular door-to-door leaflets direct to the shoppers.” It’s a marketing effort that, judging by the statistics, seems to be working...

Eye on Awards

TRAVEL AGENCY TAKES SMALL BUSINESS CROWN “At First Trust Bank, we’re committed to supporting the small business sector here in Northern Ireland because we know that those businesses are critically important to driving the economy forward. We believe that we need to do more to celebrate business success here and wanted to shine a light on our many excellent small businesses to hold them up as role models for their peers. The standard, diversity, innovation and entrepreneurial drive were not only exciting but really encouraging for the local economy and we want to congratulate all of the entrants and winners.”

Brenda Buckley, Publisher of Business Eye, said: “We’ve always been aware of a high level of interest in other awards that we manage from the small business community, so we decided that it was high time they had awards of their own....dedicated to Northern Ireland’s many small businesses. “And the interest these new awards have received from small businesses across every sector and from every part of Northern Ireland has been exceptional. We’re confident that they’ll become an integral part of the business calendar.”

Sandra Corkin, Managing Director of Oasis Travel, receives the Small Business of the Year Award at the Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards from Des Moore (left), Head of First Trust Bank, and the evening’s special guest, former X Factor star Jay James.

A travel agency business with five branches in Northern Ireland has been named Northern Ireland’s Small Business of the Year at the inaugural Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards.

asis Travel took the top award at the brand new event on the Northern Ireland business calendar which took place at La Mon House Hotel & Country Club. The Awards, organised by Business Eye magazine and sponsored by First Trust Bank, awarded top small business performers across 12 different categories. They were open

to all businesses in Northern Ireland with less than 50 employees. The Manufacturing Business of the Year Award went to Bangorbased personalised garment makers The Signature Works, while Atlas Communications came out on top in the Technology Business of the Year category. Squeeze Wheatgrass lifted the AgriFood Business Award with Newry-based online specialists The Rug House adding the Exporter of the Year title to its growing collection of awards. The award for Customer Focus went to Fusion Heating while Employers for Childcare took the Community Contribution title. Head of First Trust Bank, Des Moore, said that both the quantity and quality of the entries had surpassed expectations in the very first year of the Small Business Awards.

Richard Buckley & Brenda Buckley, Business Eye with Des Moore, First Trust at the Business Eye First Trust Small Business Awards at the La Mon Hotel, Belfast.

Richard Buckley addresses the audience.

Eye on Awards

HIGHLY COMMENDED AGRI FOOD BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Nigel Briggs, Commercial Director of sponsors Supervalu presents a highly commended award in the Agri Food Business of the Year category to John McCann from Willowbrook Fine Foods.

WINNER AGRI FOOD BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Jacquelyn Stewart from Squeeze Wheatgrass receives the Agri Food Business of the Year from Nigel Briggs, Commercial Director of sponsors Supervalu.

HIGHLY COMMENDED MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Dr Maria Magee of Marble Hill Soaps collects a highly commended award from Stephen Cairns of sponsors Innov8 Office Interiors.

WINNER MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Peter McConvey from The Signature Works receives the Manufacturing Business of the Year Award from category sponsor Stephen Cairns of Innov8 Office Interiors.

HIGHLY COMMENDED HOSPITALITY & TOURISM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Emma McCully from The Secret Garden Restaurant receives a highly commended certificate in the Hospitality & Tourism Business of the Year category from Ciara Donnelly of Business Eye.

HIGHLY COMMENDED HOSPITALITY & TOURISM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Ciara Donnelly of sponsors Business Eye presents a highly commended award in the Hospitality & Tourism Business of the Year category to Conleth and Phelim Quinn of Quinn Coaches.

Eye on Awards

WINNER HOSPITALITY & TOURISM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Andrew Porter and William Der Kells of Winterfell Tours receive the Hospitality & Tourism Business of the Year Award from Ciara Donnelly of sponsors Business Eye.

HIGHLY COMMENDED HEALTHCARE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Anne Fitzpatrick of sponsors Baker Tilly Mooney Moore presents Jennifer McLaughlin from Origin Fertility the highly commended award in the Healthcare Business of The Year Category.

WINNER HEALTHCARE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Philip and Debbie McLorinan from Dunmurry Dental receive the Healthcare Business of the Year Award from Anne Fitzpatrick from Baker Tilly Mooney Moore (sponsor).

HIGHLY COMMENDED TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Barry Smyth of category sponsors MCS Group Intelligent Recruitment Solutions presents a highly commended award in the Technology Business of the Year category to Ken Roulston and Stephen Gillespie of CMI.

HIGHLY COMMENDED TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Eamonn Connolly and Adrian Bradley from i3 Digital receive a highly commended award in the Technology Business of the Year category from MCS Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Managing Director Barry Smyth (sponsor).

WINNER TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Barry Smyth from MCS Group (sponsor) presents the Technology Business of the Year Award to Richard Simpson from Atlas Communications.

Eye on Awards

WINNER SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING AWARD Stuart John and Damian Farrell from Abacus Professional Recruitment collect the Small Business Marketing Award from John Friel, Chairman of category sponsors FSB NI.

HIGHLY COMMENDED START-UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Chris Johnston of sponsors Scottish Provident Building presents the highly commended award in Start-up Business of the Year category to Daniel Crawford from Axial 3D.

WINNER START-UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Ian Laverty from Ingenuity collects the Start-Up Business of the Year Award from from Chris Johnston of Scottish Provident Building (sponsor).

HIGHLY COMMENDED CUSTOMER FOCUS AWARD Sandra Corkin from Oasis Travel receives a highly commended award in the Customer Focus category from Keith Liggett of sponsors Legacy Wealth.

WINNER CUSTOMER FOCUS AWARD Keith Liggett from category sponsors Legacy Wealth presents Bill Cherry from Fusion Heating with the Customer Focus Award.

HIGHLY COMMENDED COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD Connor McGreevy and Serena Hylands from CTS Projects receive a highly commended award in the Community Contribution category from Jonathan Martindale of sponsors Phoenix Natural Gas.

Eye on Awards

WINNER COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD Jonathan Martindale, Business Development Manager of sponsors Phoenix Natural Gas presents the Community Contribution Award to Marie Marin, Clare Greenwood and Diane Hill from Employers in Childcare.

HIGHLY COMMENDED EXPORTER OF THE YEAR AWARD Edel McCooe, Regional Manager of First Trust Bank presents a highly commended certificate in the Exporter of the Year category to Ciaran McMenamin from Lignum Interiors.

WINNER EXPORTER OF THE YEAR AWARD Claire and Paul Valleley from the Rug House receive the Exporter of the Year Award from Edel McCooe, Regional Manager of sponsors First Trust Bank.

WINNER INNOVATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Emer Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Kane and Katie Brown from Core Systems receive the Innovative Business of the Year award from category sponsor Philip Miley of Fleet Financial.

WINNER INNOVATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Philip Miley, Sales and Marketing Director of sponsors Fleet Financial presents one of the the Innovative Business of the Year Awards to Stephen Cairns from Innov8 Office Interiors.

HIGHLY COMMENDED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank presents a highly commended certificate in the Small Business of the Year category Claire and Paul Valleley from Rug House.

Eye on Awards

HIGHLY COMMENDED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank presents a highly commended certificate in the Small Business of the Year category to Philip and Debbie McLorinan of Dunmurry Dental.

Michael Blackwood, Karen Newton, Scarlett Jeffers and Sean Devlin from MCS Group.

HIGHLY COMMENDED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Louise Smyth from MCS Group receives a highly commended award in the Small Business of the Year category from Des Moore of headline sponsors First Trust Bank.

WINNER SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Sandra Corkin from Oasis Travel receives the coveted Small Business of the Year Award from Des Moore, First Trust Bank.

Mairaid McMahon from FSB NI and Diane Hill from Employers for Childcare.

Eye on Awards

Helen Dumigan, Stephen Dumigan and Donna Armstrong from First Trust Bank.

Roisin Hackett (left) and Una Quinn from First Trust Bank with Marc Mallett.

Mathew McRobert, Louise Smyth, Julie Allen and Barry Smyth from MCS Group.

Richard Creane, Keith Liggett, and Gillian Rea from Legacy Wealth.

Orla Fennell, Seaneen McKee, Tina Doherty and Kathryn Quinn from Antrim Road Dental Clinic.

Eye on Awards

The staff from Dunmurry Dental Practice at the Business Eye First Trust Small Business Awards at La Mon Hotel, Belfast.

Peter Hannan, Hannon Meats, Edel McCooe, First Trust Bank, Naomi McMullan, The Profit Margin and Richard Ennis, First Trust Bank.

Leo Callow, Fab Events, Ciara Donnelly, Business Eye, Peter Hannon, Hannon Meats and John McCann, Willowbrook Fine Foods.

Stephen Comer from First Trust with Fiona McGivern, Alison Esler and Judith Gill.

John Funston, Philip Miley and Stephen Hollinger.

Eye on Awards

MCS Group at the Business Eye First Trust Small Business Awards at La Mon Hotel, Belfast.

Marc Mallett interviews Peter Hannon.

Sandra Corkin from Oasis Travel making her way to the stage to receive the Small Business of the Year Award.

Former X Factor star Jay James entertains the audience.

Jay James cheers as Brenda Buckley slam dunks in the charity basketball challenge.

Eye on News

ROSS TAKES OVER AT JOHN McKEE John McKee Solicitors has appointed Chris Ross as its new Managing Partner and Angus Creed as its new Chairman.

oth have undertaken their new roles with immediate effect. Chris Ross joined John McKee Solicitors in 1998 and became a partner in the firm in 2003. Chris acts for a number of large commercial clients in the construction, transport, finance and insurance industries. Chris is a former Chairman of the Belfast Solicitors’ Association. Commenting on his appointment as Managing Partner, Chris said: “It is a huge honour to be appointed Managing Partner of this firm. I am looking forward to working with Angus and all of the John McKee team to help build and develop our business. We will work hard to strengthen John McKee’s position as one of Northern Ireland’s leading commercial law firms and

we have big plans for the future.” Angus joined John McKee Solicitors in June 2012 having previously been Managing Partner and Chairman at another large Belfast firm. Angus practices in a wide range of corporate, commercial and financial services work. Angus added “I’m delighted and excited to take on this new role and challenge. Managing the firm through the current challenges facing the legal sector and all the change that is happening in the wider legal industry, with Chris at the helm as Managing Partner, I plan to start by building on the good work carried out to date. A big part of John McKee’s future strategy will be based around structured growth. We have a great team here, with a great knowledge base and experience to help us grow our business.”

BARCLAY COMMUNICATIONS SCOOPS TOP AWARD IN LONDON Local business communications specialist, Barclay Communications picked up a much coveted Comms Business Award at a glittering ceremony hosted by David Walliams and attended by 800 industry peers in London last Thursday.

he Awards, recognised for their integrity are the comms, IT and mobile channel industries’ most prestigious and sought after accolades. Barclay Communications beat off stiff industry competition to win the SMB Convergence Solution Award for businesses with up to 250 employees. This accolade comes just weeks after the company’s B2B Dealer win in the Mobile News Awards. In its winning submission Barclay Communications showcased the demonstrable business benefits received by client, DB McLarnon as a result of the customised communications

package they created for them. This included WorkPal, its £350,000 in-house developed mobile workflow management solution, a 30% saving on the company’s mobile line rental, powerful new Android LG G2 handsets and control over their mobile spending with a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. Speaking at the event, Managing Director, Britt Megahey said: “We are delighted to receive this award and I am extremely proud of the entire Barclay Communications team. Strong client endorsements and a record of high quality customer service have led to

David Walliams presents the award to Ian Megahey, Barclay Communications, alonside Matthew Dykes of O2.

these recent recognitions.” He went on to say: “This latest accolade is further evidence that we have a first-class product in WorkPal and we will continue to ensure that more businesses benefit from this software.”

Barclay Communications impressed judges with its investment in innovative customer service and with its unique development of WorkPal, which is clearly delivering outstanding business benefits.

Eye on News

HALF A MILLION POUND INVESTMENT MARKS A GOLDEN ERA FOR LINWOODS Linwoods, one of Northern Ireland’s most successful and highly respected manufacturers and distributors of Premium Bakery, Fresh Diary and Healthy Super Foods, is this year celebrating gold, marking 50 years in business with a half million pound investment.

ew, state of the art technology, re-designed packaging and an extended product range for the bakery division are reinforcing the company’s commitment to meeting consumers’ changing needs, keeping the family-owned business ahead in its sector. Linwoods, based in Armagh, was founded in 1965 by John Woods who still heads the family-owned company. Since then it has grown into a multimillion pound manufacturing and distribution business, with an extensive and developing international customer base. Joanne Hayden, Marketing and Sales Manager Linwoods said: “The Linwoods brand is very much a household name, and our breads and baked goods have been pivotal to that positioning. However we

are mindful that the bakery sector is highly competitive and we recognise the importance of continuous improvement and investment. Investing over £½million in new bakery technology has enabled us not only to extend our bakery range, but also to refresh its image with a major rebrand. “Under the banner ‘Linwoods Bakery – Brand new look, same great taste!’ we have updated our packaging with a contemporary feel, while echoing our great heritage. We were very conscious that our brand enjoys high recall and approval amongst consumers who we worked hard with to achieve the balance between ‘old’ and ‘new’ - and already reaction from both retailers and consumers has been hugely positive. The launch of the new look bakery range is also being backed by a substantial investment

LEADING BARCLAYS STRATEGIST HOSTS GLOBAL INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

arclays Wealth and Investment Management has hosted a conference in Belfast on global investment trends and opportunities available to local investors in the year ahead. Speaking to a gathering of local clients at The Merchant Hotel,

Belfast, Henk Potts, Director of Global Investment Strategy for Barclays Wealth and Investment Management, provided an overview of the market outlook for 2015. Henk is pictured with Jonathan Dobbin, Head of Barclays Wealth Management in Northern Ireland.

John Woods, Managing Director Linwoods celebrates gold, marking 50 years in business with a half million pound investment in state of the art technology, and re-designed packaging on their new extended bakery product range.

in marketing support at retail and consumer level including a 50th Anniversary promotion offering 50 Family Passes for weareVertigo, the Belfast-based adventure, ski and trampoline centre: a fun reminder of the healthful vitality which bread brings to the family table.” “Marking fifty years in business is a fantastic achievement, “

says Joanne, “and we would like to thank all our staff, suppliers and- above all – our customers who have supported us along the way. We believe that we have all the ingredients to make the next fifty years even better and we look forward to continued growth and development as Linwoods reveals its recipe for success.”

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Eye on Events

MHL Chartered Accountants Celebrate Expansion

L-R: Alison Esler, Renee Dawson and Jackie Fennell.

L-R: David Logan, Conal Kennedy and Francis Carville.

L-R: Kerry McCaughan and Renee Dawson.

elfast chartered accountants McIlveen Howard celebrated their recent expansion at a recent wine and canapĂŠs reception in their Belfast office for clients and business associates, introducing new partner Mr Roy Creelman. MHL have also recently opened a new office in Newtownards adding to their existing offices on the Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast and in Cookstown. Guest speakers at the event were Angela McGowan, Chief Economist of Danske Bank, who updated guests on the Economic Outlook for 2015, and Conal Kennedy, Head of Practice Consulting from Chartered Accountants Ireland, who spoke about the important role of chartered accountants to businesses. Pianist Siobhan Flanagan from Music for Moments provided musical entertainment for guests on the evening.

Angela Magowan.

L-R: Leanne Cahill, Larry Thompson and Pauline McDonnell.

L-R: Linda Brown, Gareth Paden and Frances Lawther.

Eye on Events

L-R: Laurence Crockford, Paula Gibson, Roy Creelman, Ian Anderson and Scott Kennedy. L-R: John McCreery, Carole Hewson, Dr Lida Fartash and Michael Dow.

L-R: Conal Kennedy, Roy Creelman Angela Magowan and David Logan.

L-R: Gavin Norton, John Keir, Roy Creelman and John Barclay.

L-R: Roger Dunlop, Heather Crawford and Jonathon Dunlop.

L-R: Jim Johnston, Dianne Grimason, Ian Smyth and Bill Miscampbell.

L-R: David Logan, Oonagh Murtagh and Conal Kennedy.

L-R: Gareth Paden, Darren Stronge and David Stronge.

Eye on Property

DANSKE... WE’RE BACKING PROPERTY INVESTMENT Says Geoff Sharpe, Corporate Banking Manager, Danske Bank

t seems clear that the Northern Ireland property market is on the up. Confidence and transaction volumes have returned in key areas of the market and we are starting to see development plans for new hotels, residential housing and prime offices making headlines. Both indigenous companies and FDI occupiers are seeking space and that has accelerated the debate on the lack of Grade A office development, with current requirements in Belfast reported to be well in excess of 500,000 sq ft. It is encouraging to see Invest NI has offered to fund up to 40 per cent of costs for suitable projects and as a result, a number of interested parties have been in touch with Danske Bank regarding projects that require senior funding. Having recently co-sponsored the Insider NI Property Conference at Titanic Quarter it is also clear NI has a more diverse profile of ownership in , with local investors now joined by an increasing number GB-based funds and institutional investors who have been active in the last 12-18 months. The market saw in the region of £500m of transactional investment volume in 2014 and there has been over £125m so far in 2015, with a strong pipeline of assets due to come to market in the second half of the year. Notable transactions in 2015 include Erneside Shopping Centre in Enniskillen, Boots (Donegall Place), The Linen Green (Moygashel), Richmond Centre (Derry-Londonderry) and the sale of Windsor House in Belfast. A number of these transactions have been supported with finance from Danske Bank.

The NI investment market continues to offer a yield discount against GB equivalent investments, reflecting the less liquid nature of the market, and whilst this continues to be a core driver of activity levels, our discussions with funds and institutions also indicate their attraction to NI is driven by positive rental growth forecasts and asset management opportunities. In addition, we are also seeing an increased level of appetite and transactional activity from the local investor base, particularly in the sub £10m market. That said, supply of quality product in this space has been, and continues to be, limited. Danske Bank has been active in the market, with approximately £150m of new facilities committed in the last 18 months. Primarily this interest has been in retail and office assets but we’ve also provided support for industrial, warehousing, hotels and student accommodation assets. We’re prepared to finance both new acquisition funding and refinancing of existing debt from other banks and institutions. Our activity has supported both local investors and GB based investors/ funds. When assessing a proposal, there a number of core financial risks that we must consider. These include the promoter’s track record and experience, the level of equity contribution they are prepared to make, the certainty of the cash flow – or the strength of the covenant profile – and business risks such as location, diversification of tenants and rental analysis. The traditional assessment of interest and debt service cover can also be artificially higher in the current low interest rate environment, so

further focus is applied to sensitivity analysis and debt yield as a means to assessing debt serviceability. The financing market is becoming more competitive, as not only incumbent NI banks return to the market, but we are also seeing a number of UK banks financing transactions as they follow their clients. Liquidity in the market has also been helped by a number of non-bank funders being active, including insurance company funds and private equity. Our customers tell us that Danske Bank is flexible, has extensive market knowledge and an ability to deliver promptly. In the coming months, we anticipate seeing an improved supply of stock to the market from a number of loan books, and the opportunity to refinance borrowers. Given the imbalance between demand and supply, we also anticipate seeing investors move further along the risk curve. That may help address a number of the key challenges still facing the commercial property market. Office rents at £15 per square foot remain below the level of £18 -£20 per square foot needed for development appraisals to work, particularly given rising construction costs. This is limiting the appetite of developers to progress, particularly on speculative schemes. The market is indicating an increased rental tone during 2015 due to the demand and supply imbalance but our view is we need to see a deal committed to deliver confidence. The market cycle will also create

a challenge. Low interest rates and attractive yields compared to other asset classes such as bonds have resulted in a flow of capital into property. But we know that at some point in the cycle other asset classes will appear more attractive to investors. Danske Bank is therefore focused on longer term investments and projects with sustainable cashflows and debt profiles to withstand the market cycles. I believe one of the key opportunities the NI economy must now maximize, and which is intrinsically linked to the property market is the successful promotion of NI as a truly international destination. NI offers some of the best opportunities for inward investors and office occupiers, including a leading education system, high quality workforce/ talent pool, good transport links and a low cost base for people intensive operations. Coupled with the prospect of devolved corporation tax powers, NI has a unique window of opportunity if uncertainties over welfare, the budget and corporation tax powers can be resolved. It will only be with clarity on corporation tax that NI will truly maximise its FDI potential – particularly in the office occupiers market, where rents compare favorably with Dublin. Belfast has been ranked second only to London for FDI activity in the UK and with a joined up approach and collaboration between public and private sector, there is potential to achieve even more.

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Eye on Events

LIDL Aboard For Tall Ships Adventure

idl Northern Ireland, host port sponsor at the Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival, welcomed guests aboard the Sorlandet Tall Ship on Thursday 2nd July to mark the start of the four-day event. Guests enjoyed spectacular entertainment in the form of an aerial artist who performed a routine metres above the deck, suspended from one of the ship’s masts, as well as music from Manouche Swing and the Sally Sod Trio stilt walkers. Throughout the rest of the Tall Ships event, visitors enjoyed numerous fun family activities at the Lidl marquee which hosted cookery demonstrations by chefs Dean Coppard and Ian Orr while the kids enjoyed storytelling and magic tricks. While over in Barrow Square, dozens of wooden Victorian games were set up for those with a competitive side. Talented local artists discovered through a Lidl social media competition also featued on the main stage in the Odyssey Arena. The highlight of the entertainment was on Saturday when Britain’s Got Talent sensation, JesseJane McParland, performed her famous martial arts routine. Since opening its first store in Northern Ireland in 1999, Lidl has been deep-rooted and fully engaged in its local communities and is delighted to be involved in such an iconic event. The Tall Ships brought visitors from near and far to experience the very best that Belfast can offer and there is huge enthusiasm within Lidl to be at the helm of a festival that is bringing a real sense of vibrancy to the province.

Aine McCarthy, Gerry Connolly and Alison Aylward

Leticia Alvarez and Nuala Meenahan

Robert Irwin and Suzanne McGonagle

Amanda Cummins, Jennifer Toman-O’Reilly & Aidan O’Reilly

Karen and Conor Gribbon

Julia and Pete Snodden

Donna Ross, Christine Smyth and Anita Ross

Jim and Paula Gracey

Eye on Events

Manouche Swing

Brenda Buckley, Richard Buckley and Pamela Ballantine

Ruth McCamley and Amanda Ferguson

Jane and Paul McDaid

Neil Cole and Siobhan O’Sullivan

The Sally Sod Trio

Emma & Andrew Martin

Aerial dancer Katie Lawrence

Sylvie Brando and Susan Simspon

Eimear O’Sullivan and Jasmine O’Brien

Brian and Avril Keys

Eye on Interiors

Design Happiness

If I told you that a software engineer and salesperson need the exact same skills and tools to accomplish their job, you would call me crazy. Yet, when we take a software engineer and salesperson, stick them in the exact same office environment and expect them to thrive, why are we surprised when both are disgruntled and disengaged?

esearchers are discovering that using one uniform office design to serve very different departments and individuals is at best idealistic, and at worst, extremely detrimental to productivity and wellbeing. The “open office” concept, with one space and shared tables for everyone, is a great example. People who are constantly distracted from their core work grow deeply frustrated and therefore less likely to socialize and collaborate with their co-workers. The prevalence and impact of poor office is design is astounding. In an international survey, 84% of workers reported that their work environment did not allow them to concentrate easily, express ideas freely, work in teams without interruption, or choose where to work based on the task at hand.

Here are 5 design principles that could benefit your office space; 1. Customise each space to the department and its members When an employee can’t work effectively, we try to adapt the space to the person rather than the person to the space. Design around each job function, not some ideology about how an office should be. For example, engineers need to be in constant communication, so they need a separate space, closed off by a door, where they can collaborate without distracting other departments. In finance, people who deal with sensitive materials and conversations work in personal offices, while more collaborative groups like accounts payable work in the open with their desks clustered. 2. Use lots of glass With the power to welcome natural light, unobstructed views, and freshness, glass is the single most important material we use at our office. In a real and metaphorical sense, it helps create a clear space for free thinking. 3. Open space along the windows Most companies place individual offices on the exterior and open

plan areas on the interior. While corner offices may be enviable, they block exterior light from reaching most employees. 4. Provide multiple communal areas Having areas with comfy couches where people from different departments socialize and often come up with awesome ideas, balanced with conference rooms for more formal meetings. 5. Make your walls interactive If you’re in a meeting and need to flesh out an idea, the wall’s right there. For note taking,

virtually every employee is arm’s length from a wall, why not make them interactive? Ideas become contagious and we have a tendency to be more visual, we draw out relationships and connections in ways we wouldn’t if we were stuck on paper or limited writing surfaces. FROM FUNCTION TO FASHION If you redesign your office, let function inspire fashion. Personal taste, office culture and the community surrounding your office will all influence your style. Talk with your staff and find out what helps and inhibits their work, bring a balance to the work place to make it a more efficient and harmonious environment.

Workspace Innovation

innov8 office interiors

Eye on News

DIAGEO NORTHERN IRELAND OPENS NEW OFFICES IN BELFAST Diageo, the world’s leading drinks company, today committed its ongoing support to the Northern Ireland economy with the opening of its new offices in the heart of Belfast City Centre and the announcement of a new two year £100,000 investment in Visit Belfast.

he company which produces 70% of all Baileys sold worldwide at its facility at Mallusk and will later this year celebrate 30 years of its operations at Marshalls Road, East Belfast responsible for bottling, canning and packaging of its market leading beers, had its new offices in Capital House opened by Minister Jonathan Bell, MLA and John Kennedy, President of Diageo Europe. Employing over 300 people throughout Northern Ireland, Diageo has stated its new offices will host its local sales and marketing teams as well as all of the company’s Customer Services and Credit Management team for the island of Ireland which has seen 55 new jobs coming to Belfast. According to John Kennedy, President of Diageo Europe, this is one example of the company’s ongoing

commitment to supporting economic growth within Northern Ireland. Commenting at the launch of the Belfast offices he said; “Through our employment and production, Diageo is proud of its long standing history and partnerships throughout Northern Ireland and we are committed to supporting economic growth through hospitality, increased tourism and job creation. Today we have officially opened our new state of the art offices in the City Centre and have also announced a new investment of £100k over two years with our partners Visit Belfast, supporting the great work that they do in developing and promoting Belfast. “There are now signs of a sustainable recovery with recent statistics from Hospitality Ulster stating that the industry in Northern Ireland as a whole has the potential to create up to 5,000 new jobs in

MICHAEL RECEIVES HONORARY AWARD

ichael Ryan, vice-president and general manager of Bombardier Aerospace, has been awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) for

distinguished services to business and corporate social responsibility in Northern Ireland at the recent Ulster University graduation ceremony held at Belfast Waterfront Hall.

Jorge Lopes, Diageo Country Director, Minister Jonathan Bell MLA and John Kennedy, President of Diageo Europe pictured at the opening of Diageo Northern Ireland’s new offices in Belfast City Centre.

the next 10 years. This upturn is reflected in the growth of the night-time economy not only in Belfast but throughout Northern Ireland and at Diageo we are

A new state-of-the-art physiotherapy clinic in Belfast featuring the highest quality equipment and experienced specialist practitioners delivering therapy for • Sports injuries • Back and neck pain • Arthritis • Headaches • Sciatica • Neurological conditions including Brain injury & stroke, MS, MND Located in Castlereagh Business Park off the Castlereagh Road, we offer ample free parking and easy access to our 2000 square foot ground floor facility which includes large private treatment rooms and a purpose-built gym with the latest equipment to support your treatment and recovery.

committed to supporting this growth through investment in our brands, in the wider economy and community and with our strategic partners.”

We want our clients to feel better and to lead healthy, active lives. Uniquely, all of our profits go directly to the charity Brain Injury Matters. We want to give something back to the community, to help those that need it most to rebuild their lives.

BIM Enterprises (NI) C.I.C Suite 5C, Castlereagh Business Park, 478 Castlereagh Road, Belfast, BT5 6BQ T: 028 9099 2444 www.reboundphysio.co.uk @reboundphysiocastlereagh1 reboundphysiocastlereagh NI Registration No. NI628165

ON-SITE SHREDDING IS FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.

OUT-OF-SITE SHREDDING IS FOR THEIR EYES TOO!

Eye on Round Table

BT ONE PHONE... WHAT BUSINESS HAS BEEN WAITING FOR ? N

orthern Ireland businesses will never need to miss an important call again following the launch of BT One Phone, a new service that combines the functionality of both an office desk phone system and a mobile phone into a single handset. BT One Phone offers businesses a single mobile phone device, to allow all of an individual’s numbers, whether landline or mobile to be linked to the one mobile phone – helping businesses to stay connected to their customers and employees even when they are out of the office and on the move. Hosted in the Cloud, BT One Phone provides staff with the opportunity to work seamlessly from anywhere that there is internet access as well as 4G and wi-fi hotspots, allowing employees to work productively with the same tools that they have in the office, wherever they are. But how does this work? In a nutshell, a dedicated private mobile network (a Pico cell) is installed in the customer’s office and any device with a BT One Phone SIM connects automatically. Once the user is out of range, there is a seamless handover to the BT Mobile national network. So it means complete flexibility........ BT and Business Eye joined forces to discuss BT One Phone and how it can work for businesses in Northern Ireland with a Round Table Discussion held in the top floor boardroom at BT’s Riverside Tower in Belfast.

The participants (L-R):- Paul Convery, Head of BT Business, Northern Ireland, Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye, Ann McGregor MBE, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, Mike Lockwood, Audit Manager, GLL, a social enterprise that runs leisure facilities throughout the UK including those operated by Belfast City Council. GLL has completed a major trial period operating One Phone on behalf of BT and Nick Brennan, Managing Director of estate agency group Morton Pinpoint.

RB – By way of an introduction, how important is having the right telecommunications technology in our organisations? NB – We need to be able to speak to our customers and we don’t want to miss a call. Also, I need to be able to talk to my staff wherever we all are. To be able to get them through one number is attractive. That kind of accessibility is key. I’ve been looking for a system like this one for quite a few years and we did try a system from another supplier which didn’t quite work out. AM – Communications is crucial for all businesses and everyone nowadays has a mobile workforce to some degree. Accessibility, as Nick says, is

very important but there is also a cost piece here. When we invest in landline systems and mobiles, it’s not cheap. At the Chamber, we’ve invested in a landline system but, to be honest, most of us rarely use it. We’ve all got everything on our mobiles. So it’s possible to set up offices in a much more economical way. RB – Is that where we are headed? Are fewer and fewer people using landlines? AM – I moved home 18 months ago and I don’t know what my home landline number is...... NB – And I’m the same. Our home number is almost exclusively used by my mother in law....and I suspect I’m not the only one.

PC – At a corporate level, BT is in the process of purchasing the EE network. That’s significant and it’s recognition of the fact that business use of telecoms is changing. One of the things that we have shown over recent years is a strong focus on innovation. The first big commitment we made was the investment in the fibre network and that was radical at the time. I remember that we had to decide whether to go for fibre in the ground or a really sexy wi-fi network. Hindsight is 20:20 and it’s easy to see now that there was only one decision to make. But back then it was a 50:50. But BT took the brave decision and it’s now the backbone of what we’re offering. More recently, there’s the investment in TV and in BT Sport. So fundamentally this organisation

Eye on Round Table

has changed beyond recognition. We’ve got EE coming over the horizon and then BT One Phone combines the mobile and fibre technologies. NB – How robust is the Pico cell system? Our problem in the past was that the system we used previously through a different provider dropped its signal too often for our liking. We would need BT One Phone to be able to cope with the volume of calls we receive as the previous system could not handle 20 calls in and out of our Lisburn Road branch before the signal dropped. PC – What we offer all of our customers is a site survey to establish what they need. If there’s more than one site, or buildings with thicker walls for instance, we’ll put in two or more Pico cells. And the answer to your question is that it is very robust and we offer a guaranteed service. RB – This can be scaled up and down, can’t it? Nick’s business spans five estate agency offices but what about much larger businesses? PC – It is fully scalable. We’re actually migrating our largest corporate customer in Northern Ireland on to BT One Phone at the moment. That’s an estate of more than a thousand SIM’s and a thousand users who will now use their mobile handsets as their main phone. ML – GLL have been operating the BT One Phone system since June 2014 which has proven to be very successful.

Just to clarify, the system has a backup and if the main line into the building is disrupted for any reason then the calls are delivered using the mobile network straight away and it is seamless. So you simply don’t lose a call for any reason on a day to day basis. Initially the BT One Phone engineer who comes in to do the survey picks the right locations for the cell within the leisure centre to get the correct signal. As leisure centre operators, a lot of our people are desk-based inside the centres. Each manager gets a mobile and they’re always contactable....and we always know where they are. That’s another advantage. There is also no disruption and no wiring to talk about. The other thing I like about it is that, if you have a problem, there’s a dedicated call centre and you go straight through.

PC – So the beauty of it is, Ann, that if anyone tries to contact you on your extension or direct line in the office, and you’re not there, it will route automatically to your chosen handset. AM – I think that’s great. There’s nothing more annoying than trying three different numbers – a direct line, a main landline number and then a mobile number – to try to get hold of someone. PC – BT One Phone solves the problem. Your extension, your main landline and your mobile all route to the same phone. NB – In our workplace as things stand everyone has a work phone and a personal phone. When I see people on calls, I’m not sure if it’s their personal

or work phone. Are you working on something that will have a dual SIM? PC – The system will support any mobile device that is available in the UK market and your staff can also choose to ’Bring their own device’ and use it for work. RB – But that doesn’t mean that your granny’s number goes onto the office contact network, does it? ML – No, personal individual address books are not shared on the system for that very reason. When you are being called, it rings the handset you’ve been given first and then your mobile, so you won’t miss the call. You also get a daily report as part of the package. It tells you any missed calls, and gives you

ML – We’ve got 35 sites across the UK operating the BT One Phone system. Providing it is set up right, there’s no real likelihood of needing any maintenance and, in any case, everything can be done remotely. You’re not waiting for an engineer in a van to come out. PC – Our support team are very knowledgeable. They were all handpicked for the role. They can see full diagnostics of any system so they’re able to spot problems very quickly and sort them out on the spot. ML – The contact element is important, with our MD having the ability to contact anyone in the organisation who is on the system.

Eye on Round Table PC – Yes you can go as far as you want. It’s not a problem. It’s all scalable and it’s a simple matter of going onto your own portal and adding user details. Not hard to do. With a switchboard you might eventually reach maximum capacity but this is not an issue with BT One Phone. ML – A team from South Oxford District Council visited one of our centres to ask questions and see the system operating. They will now be a future customer of BT One Phone, with over 1,300 users across the city. The One Phone can replace their existing phone systems and phone lines.

all the data you need on usage to ensure that you are serving your customers needs. You’ve got all the information you require on a daily basis to raise any issues you need to with members of staff to ensure the correct service is delivered. NB – We use three property portals at the moment – Property News, Property Pal and we’re experimenting with Zoopla. Zoopla do exactly that. They report any calls we’ve missed as a result of enquiries from their customers and it’s good for business all round. ML – At one of our leisure centres in London, we identified over 150 missed calls per day over a period of several weeks, and we were able to pinpoint exactly who was not picking up these calls, and sort the problem out. By the next report, we had reduced the number of missed calls to less than 25. PC – And it works both ways. You can identify those who are missing calls, but you can also reward staff for good behaviour. ML – I think also there are big savings to be made by using BT One Phone. Internal calls to any other site on the system are free, internally and externally, wherever you are calling. You can even have multi-site conference calls on

the system, say between staff in London and Belfast, at no cost. RB – What stage are you at with BT One Phone, Paul? PC – We launched in October, we’re rolling out to our biggest customer at the moment and it is openly available. The team are talking to a lot of business customers about it. RB – And what is the cost message? Customers must be asking what it will cost in comparison to a mix of landline and mobiles, for example. PC – Not to get too complicated about it, the most fundamental saving is that you don’t have a hard switch. You don’t have pay for a piece of tin and you don’t have to maintain it. So you lose maintenance costs and fees for any repairs. On tariff, you’ve got free calls between all your sites and some of the most competitively priced external calls in the market. You can also get rid of your existing hardware infrastructure – your landline phone system. So there are lot of potential savings. AM – What about capacity? It used to be that you had to buy a switchboard that could cope with a certain number of lines. Can you just keep adding phones to BT One Phone?

ML – Taking this forward, this is a great opportunity for SME’s when starting up or developing their business as there are no start-up costs, which has to be a big selling point. There are no maintenance charges, the system comes at a standard cost that can be paid monthly or in whichever way suits your company best. AM – Using the system is it possible to nominate someone else to take calls for you if you’re unavailable? ML – What you can do is set it so that after a certain period of rings, so to speak, the call will automatically divert to another number.

NB – When you go BT One Phone, do you no longer need your existing BT broadband?

PC – It gives all the functionality in the cloud that you would have with a traditional switch.

PC – No, you still need a hardwired broadband system.

NB – It really does sound like a no brainer. So is there a catch?

AM – And you can use whatever handset or mobile you want?

PC – I like answering that question. I’ve been quoted in Business Eye before using the phrase – pioneers get shot and settlers prosper. BT is very good at coming to market when the product is right and it’s ready. We don’t want to risk customers’ businesses with anything that is half baked. So there have been solutions in the market for a while but they are nowhere near as strong as the product from BT. It is well tested, proven technology that is ready for the market. And your reaction is telling. We love to hear people say that it’s too good to be true and that there must be a catch. But there isn’t.

PC – Oh, yes. You’ve got complete flexibility on what handset you want to use, or what handset members of staff want to use. If members of staff want a particular type of mobile, you can allow them to provide their own and you can provide the SIM. That can go down very well with employees who want nothing less than the latest iPhone or Samsung. RB – And it also means that there is no big investment in handsets required.

Eye on Round Table “ At one of our leisure centres in London, we identified over 150 missed calls per day over a period of several weeks, and we were able to pinpoint exactly who was not picking up these calls, and sort the problem out. By the next report, we had reduced the number of missed calls to less than 25.” Mike Lockwood, GLL

AM – Do you need a receptionist if you have a system like this? PC – No, you don’t, and there’s another advantage. ML – We’re well through the trial period with BT. We’re rolling the One Phone concept out through our leisure centre network, and we’ll soon be heading for the 2,000 handset mark. Then we aim to put a one number system in place. The idea is that the customer can call one number, simply using voice recognition, quoting the name of the local centre they want to contact and they go through. So no dreaded list of number options. AM – That’s great. Everyone hates the option 123 system. NB – I can see how something like that could be adapted for my business and its five branches. When we have sickness or short staff, we could divert calls to where the personnel are.

PC – Yes, if you have five people in Cavehill busy on calls, and a few others on the Lisburn Road doing nothing, you can route to where the capacity is. So you don’t miss any calls and you’re keeping staff productive. RB – And that should be transferable to a lot of different businesses in Northern Ireland, whatever they do.... PC – A feature we haven’t mentioned is the non-geographic number. Let’s say you’re based here but you want to appear completely national. You can have a London number or a Manchester one. Or you can appear local, by the same token. You can advertise in Newry with a Newry number and Derry with a Derry one. When a customer phones the number, it routes to your main office in Belfast or wherever. RB – How quickly can a customer get a BT One Phone system?

ML – It’s advertised as a 12-week process from beginning to end and that was our experience.

have landlines with BT but its mobile fleet through another network, for example.

PC – And once you’re up and running, you’ve got your own self-use portal and you’ve got the backing of the team here in Belfast.

PC – It’s not a big problem, really. You simply need your PAC code (Porting Authorisation Code) and you’re good to go. It should be easy, but I’m not saying that it always is but we’ve got the people on the ground, working with customers, who can help smooth the way. Why go for BT One Phone? There are cost advantages, local service, you’re future proofing your comms technology, you’re taking out capital expenditures, the system is scalable and you’re on the cusp of technology.

ML – It’s a very flexible system and, to be frank, we haven’t had any real problems with it right throughout the process. RB – What about the question of transition from other providers? A business might

RB – To wrap this up, Paul, what are your aspirations for BT One Phone? PC – We want to see BT One Phone as the default choice for any businesses with a reasonable number of users who are not always tied to a desk. The future is about flexibility and the innovative BT One Phone combination of cloud-based voice combined with mobile technology delivers maximum flexibility.

Eye on Accountancy

ASM Chartered Accountants delivers ‘Cross Border Bureau’ trade initiative with InterTradeIreland.

Alistair Cooke, Sinead Heaney, Michael O’Hare, Paddy Savage (ITI) Michael Williamson, Catriona Gorham, Ronan McGuirk.

Award-winning firm ASM Chartered Accountants has launched a series of events aimed at providing SMEs with practical advice on cross-border matters such as tax, pensions, and other pertinent issues. This new initiative will be delivered in partnership with InterTradeIreland, the crossborder business development agency.

he initiative, to be known as ‘the Cross Border Bureau’, will aim to promote business growth through cross-border trade, by providing advice and consultancy to businesses operating between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The guidance will focus on matters of business growth, specifically, taxation, payroll, pensions and VAT, with emphasis on the issues faced by those companies and business people that have interests in both jurisdictions. In keeping with InterTradeIreland’s mission to support SMEs to identify and develop cross-border business opportunities, the initiative will provide valuable information on setting up a cross-border business including up to date regulatory information to keep your business compliant and

identifying potential sources of financial funding. The first Cross-Border Bureau events will take the form of free seminars in Newry (10 September), Belfast (17 September 2015), Magherafelt (24 September & 5 November), Dundalk (8 October) and Dungannon (22 October), at which delegates will be addressed by keynote speakers from ASM and InterTradeIreland. Free downloadable materials will be produced by ASM for those who cannot attend in person. Ronan McGuirk, Director, ASM Chartered Accountants, Newry, said: ‘With six offices in both jurisdictions– four North and two South of the border, ASM is perfectly placed to give businesses with a target on cross

border growth, advice on a range of financial issues. Alongside InterTradeIreland, we hope we can take that one step further and open up delegates to further funding information and contacts which will help them achieve a range of business objectives.” Paddy Savage, Operations Manager, Trade Programmes, InterTradeIreland, commented: “Events such as these are great opportunities for SMEs to find out more about the opportunities that exist right here on our doorstep. Businesses will take away valuable practical information on all crossborder matters and have an opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals. Any business, new or established should consider coming along to what will be informative and helpful events for businesses interested in growing their business.” ASM Chartered Accountants has grown rapidly since its launch in 1995 and is now one of the largest accounting and management consultancy firms in Ireland, with offices in Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk, Dungannon, Magherafelt and Newry. The company’s 160 strong team comprises specialists in a range of accountancy disciplines and related skills that include: corporate finance, audit and accounting, internal audit, consultancy services, taxation, hotels, tourism and leisure, insolvency, and forensic accounting. InterTradeIreland, headquartered in Newry, County Down, helps SMEs across Ireland, both North and South, by offering practical advice on cross-border business funding, intelligence and contacts. The organisation is jointly funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) in Northern Ireland and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI) in the Republic of Ireland. The events are scheduled for the following dates and locations:

Thursday 10th September 2015 –Canal Court Hotel, Newry– 8.00am to 9.30am Thursday 17th September 2015 – The Merchant Hotel, Belfast – 8.00am to 9.30am Thursday 24th September –Glenavon House Hotel, Magherafelt, 8.15am to 10.00am Thursday 8th October - Ballymascanlon House Hotel, Dundalk, 8.00am to 9.30am Thursday 22nd October – Quinn’s Corner, Dungannon8.00am to 9.30am Thursday 5 November 2015 – Da Vinci’s Hotel, Derry/Londonderry - 8.15am to 10.00am

To book a place on one of the six Cross Border Bureau seminars, visit www.asmaccountants.com

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Eye on Awards For more info or to enter, please visit: utvawards.businesseye.co.uk

NORTHERN IRELAND’S PREMIER BUSINESS AWARDS LAUNCHED FOR 2015 Michael Wilson, UTV, Phil Delaney, Flybe and Richard Buckley, Business Eye at the launch of the UTV Business Eye Awards 2015.

Business Eye has joined forces with UTV for the ninth consecutive year to launch the UTV Business Eye Awards 2015 alongside lead sponsors Flybe.

nother memorable awards evening is planned for the slightly later date of Thursday 26th November 2015 at the Culloden Estate & Spa to honour the high achievers of the Northern Ireland business community. As in previous years, both leading individuals and companies will be recognised on the night. Hundreds of entries are anticipated across a revised lineup of 16 different categories and the winners in each case will be chosen by a panel of judges including Flybe’s Regional Manager North, Andrea Hayes,

UTV’s Business Editor Jamie Delargy, Business Eye Editor Richard Buckley, and Irish News Business Editor Gary McDonald. Last year’s awards ceremony named Lisburn-based Decora Blind Systems as Northern Ireland’s Company of the Year, with other key winners on the night including corporation tax campaigner Eamonn Donaghy of KPMG (Business Personality of the Year); The Rug House (SME Award); Lidl (Retailer of the Year) and Wilson’s Country (Agri Food Award). The closing date for entries will be Friday, 23rd October, 2015 and judging will take place shortly afterwards. Companies can enter online by visiting utvawards.businesseye.co.uk. Richard Buckley, Editor of Business Eye says: “These Awards have grown phenomenally over the past number of years, and now that the economy is very

clearly on the upward track, we’re expecting an even better year in 2015. We’re delighted to be working with UTV and our lead sponsors Flybe this year. “There is always a real appetite for celebrating the achievement of our leading companies as well as our top business leaders, and we’re confident that this year’s entries will once again be very strong right across the 16 different categories.” Phil Delaney, Director of Sales & Marketing at Flybe, comments: “We’re delighted to continue the lead sponsorship of Northern Ireland’s premier business awards. “We fly more business passengers to and from George Best Belfast City Airport than any other airline and have been serving the needs of the business community here for over thirty years. As the leading airline operating out of GBBCA our aim is to provide optimal

connectivity to convenient destinations at competitive prices. “Flybe’s ongoing commitment to Northern Ireland is further highlighted by our sponsorship of these awards which have become an integral part of the local business calendar. We’re looking forward to playing an active role in this year’s Awards from judging to the Gala Night in November.” Michael Wilson, Managing Director UTV says: “The fact that the UTV Business Eye Awards are already into their ninth year is an amazing achievement and testament to how important they are in recognising the strengths and successes across Northern Ireland’s business community. UTV is delighted to once again partner with Business Eye and Flybe for these awards and we look forward to featuring the nominees and winners on UTV Live, UTV Live Tonight and u.tv.”

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(1) Gary Ervine, Richard Buckley and David Winterburn. (2) Phil Delaney addresses the audience at the UTV Business Eye Awards Launch 2015. (3) Richard Buckley, Phil Delaney and Michael Wilson. (4) Julian Simmons, Sheila Davidson and Dan Bourdon. (5) Jamie Delargy and Richard Buckley. (6) Ciara Donnelly, Paul Beattie, Brian Keating, Brenda Buckley and Vicky Newman. (7) Ciara Donnelly, Philip Miley, Brenda Buckley and Scott Goldblatt. (8) Gillian Rea, Keith Liggett and Ali Fleming. (9) Ken Harrower, Sandra Corkin and Phil Delaney. (10) Richard Buckley, Phil Delaney and Michael Wilson.

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(11) Richard Buckley, Andrea Hayes, Phil Delaney and Brenda Buckley. (12) Jamie Delargy, Andrea Hayes, Vicki Hawthorne and Phil Delaney pictured at the launch of the UTV Business Eye Awards. (13) Gary Ervine, Richard Buckley and David Winterburn. (14) Gillian Rea, David Rowan, Keith Liggett and Richard Buckley pictured at the launch of the UTV Business Eye Awards. (15) Philip Miley, Brenda Buckley and Scott Goldblatt . (16) Phil Delaney and Michael Wilson. (17) Jamie Delargy, Andrea Hayes, Vicki Hawthorne and Phil Delaney.

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Richard Buckley (27), Michael Wilson (28), Phil Delaney (29) and Paul Clarke (30) address the audience at the UTV Business Eye Awards Launch 2015 at the UTV studios.

Eye on News

Harp Lager Announced as Official Pouring Partner of Féile an Phobail The Harp Angel today took to the streets of West Belfast to encourage publicans and consumers to ‘Look on the Harp Side’ of life as the lager was announced as the official pouring partner of Féile an Phobail.

elebrating its 27th year and considered Ireland’s largest community arts festival, this year’s Féile will run from 30 July to 9 August. UB40 (featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey) has already been announced as one of its major headlining acts, with other big names announced including The Wolfe Tones, comedian Frankie Boyle and Country Goes West. More acts will be announced in the run up to the Féile. Speaking about the partnership with Féile an Phobail, Cathal O’Neill from Diageo Northern Ireland, said; “We are delighted to sponsor Féile an Phobail and feel that Harp, as one of Northern Ireland’s favourite lagers, is the perfect

pouring partner. We look forward to supporting publicans across West Belfast in maximizing the hospitality opportunities that come hand in hand with a festival of this scale and hope that people throughout the city take the opportunity to get involved in the wide range of arts and cultural activities” Féile director Kevin Gamble added; “It’s absolutely fitting that Ireland’s biggest community festival should team up with the most popular Irish lager! We’re delighted that Harp has joined us this year as a pouring partner. It’s great for us as a festival to have such a prestigious brand on board, but it’s also a wonderful boost for the community as a whole and the local hospitality industry. Our lively inclusive atmosphere

Harp Lager Announced as Official Pouring Partner of Féile an Phobail - the Harp Angel took to the streets of West Belfast to encourage publicans and consumers to ‘Look on the Harp Side’ of life as the lager was announced as the official pouring partner of Féile an Phobail. Celebrating its 27th year and considered Ireland’s largest community arts festival, this year’s Féile will run from 30 July to 9 August. Pictured with the Harp Angel are Cathal O’Neill, Diageo Northern Ireland and Kevin Gamble, Féile Director.

is one of the cornerstones of the ongoing success of Féile and West Belfast’s thriving public houses and restaurants play a vital part of that. We can think of no better partner than Harp to help take Féile an Phobail on to the next level of success!” The ten day August Féile takes place over the first two weeks in

August and includes music concerts, comedy, exhibitions, discussions and debates, literary events, dramas, out door and community events, street performances, carnival parade, international food fayre, sports, tours and walks. For more information, visit www.feilebelfast.com

NAME CHANGES FOR ACCOUNTANCY FIRM RSM McClure Watters will be rebranding to ‘RSM’ following the global announcement by its international network, RSM International that it is adopting a single global brand. RSM International, the world’s seventh largest audit, tax and consulting network, is adopting ‘RSM’ as its global brand name across all of its member firms worldwide.

SM McClure Watters is the seventh largest firm providing Audit, Tax and Consultancy Services in Northern Ireland and has been a member of the RSM International network for six years. The adoption of a unified brand reinforces the global network’s position as the adviser of choice to entrepreneurial, growth-focused organisations. David Watters, Managing Partner of RSM in Northern Ireland said that this was a natural progression for a network that has won several best in class accolades in recent years. “Whilst, there is no change in ownership or personnel, the key

objective is to present a unified brand across the world and help local clients expand their global activates through interaction with our unified network,” he said. “If a corporate or individual wants to establish themselves in any other part of the world I simply have to make a telephone call.” Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM International, added: “Our clients are becoming ever more global as they seize new opportunities for growth. Leaders of entrepreneurial, growing organisations want advisers that take the time to really understand and care about their business and its drivers, both locally and globally. They want the

highest level of service, a trusted relationship and ideas and insight that will really add value to their business. This is what we have been providing to clients for more than 50 years and we see huge opportunity for the development of our client offering and crossborder growth through moving to RSM as our one global brand.” The changes will be effective from 26 October 2015, when all RSM member firms will adopt the unified global name, “The power of being understood” brand positioning, and a new logo, previewed today. The grey of the logo signifies a relationship based on a solid reliable foundation, the

Name change... David Watter.

green a positive, ideas-driven, responsive approach and the blue symbolises forward movement and the attainment of future goals. The logo reinforces the global network’s dedication to helping clients feel understood and empowered to move forward with confidence.

Eye on Agri Food

Food Industry In Driving Seat For Exports Sam Butler looks at the latest developments in the formation of a single marketing agency for the food and drink industry here.

new single food and drink marketing body, announced by the then Enterprise minister Arlene Foster in March, could be up and running early in 2016, good timing given that it’s our first-ever Year of Food. What is envisaged is a private company involving industry leaders and representatives from the departments of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Agriculture and Rural Development as well as Invest Northern Ireland, the main deliverer of food and drink marketing services. It’s an approach along the lines of Scotland Food and Drink, What the new body definitely won’t result in is a collapsing of existing industry organisations, as happened when Bord Bia was set up in the Republic of Ireland. The proposed Northern Ireland food marketing body will be industryled and will work in collaboration with existing bodies to drive sales of food and drink abroad. Invest NI will remain responsible for the global marketing of local food and collaborate with the new body in developing

Salmon (bottom left) and whisky driving Scottish exports.

initiatives abroad and the key global markets. The body will also seek to strengthen relationships with the Republic’s Bord Bia and Ornua, the Irish Dairy Board, as well as Scotland Food and Drink. The first challenge the new body will face will be the global markets to be targeted and the resources required to achieve the 75 per cent growth in sales outside Northern Ireland, currently at £2.6 billion including around £1 billion in exports, in the Agri-Food Strategy Board’s Going for Growth strategic action plan in 2013. Scotland Food & Drink is fundamentally a not-for-profit organisation that was created in 2007 to guide food and drink companies of all sizes towards increased profitability. It aims to grow the industry there to a value of £16.6 billion by 2017, making it “more profitable and delivering greater global success in a challenging and competitive environment”. It works with a number of established partner organisations in order to deliver events and initiatives to the benefit of member companies and the food and drink industry as a whole. A principal partner is Scottish Development International (SDI), the trade and inward investment body, which has over 240 staff based in Scotland and in 27 offices around

the world. There’s no way, of course that its Northern Ireland equivalent can hope for such resources. Guiding Scotland & Food’s approach is an new export strategy that targets growth to £7.1 billion by the end of next year and identifies the ‘Top 15’ markets. To avoid spreading finite resources too thinly, the export strategy identifies the markets likely to yield the best and fastest growth. To help achieve this, Scotland Food and Drink plans to have ‘feet on the ground’ in-market experts in place over the next three years. Scotland’s exports, worth £5.3 billion and the nation’s fastest growing sector, are driven essentially by whisky, salmon and seafood. £8 in every £10 of revenue comes from just 10 markets, and half of that comes from salmon and seafood. Other growth sectors pinpointed by Scotland Food & Drink for faster growth are dairy, particularly cheese, seafood, beef and craft beer. The biggest challenge is to switch the dependence on whisky which currently contributes 20 per cent of the nation’s exports. A new Scottish dairy brand was recently introduced. The strategy is based on “unprecedented collaboration and pooling of resources”. “This means specialist support for the whole industry on a scale that it

has never experienced before. The key will be putting feet on the ground. We’ll be bringing together all our combined market and sector expertise to build a global team of food and drink experts, operating in our priority export markets. “Their brief will be to open up a raft of new opportunities for ambitious Scottish exporters. Specialists who really know their business, they’ll knock on doors and build contacts with importers and buyers such as hotels, restaurants and supermarkets,” the strategy adds. .

Scotland’s Top 15 Markets

Scotland Food and Drink pinpointed these markets as offering the greatest growth potential: • North America (USA & Canada) • France • Germany • Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia & Bahrain) • Mainland China and Hong Kong • Japan • SE Asia (Singapore, Thailand) The industry in Northern Ireland will have to decide on global market priorities for Invest NI to develop relevant business intitiatives. This will be an important challenge for the industry and representatives on the new company.

“Universities and colleges have invested millions of pounds in facilities, equipment and specialist staff and businesses can tap into this rich resource. But the benefits definitely are not one way. Engaging with industry sharpens the academia gaze, and feeds back into the curriculum and through to the students themselves.” “Our role is simple,” says Lynn Connaughton. “We can ease the way for businesses in Northern Ireland to engage with our colleges and universities. Businesses can make contact directly with us or any of our staff. We’ll then work to link companies with the right academic or support staff. It’s as simple as that.” “There is no limit in terms of projects. We deal with such a diverse range....from basic collaboration between two partners, perhaps dealing with material testing or product proto -typing, through to more long-term complex research projects involving multiple partners on both the business and academic sides.” “We want to engage more with SMEs and micro businesses who have little or no experience of working with a college or university. We want companies of all sizes and from all sectors to avail of this programme, and that includes not-forprofit and social enterprises.”

Delivering university and college expertise to the Northern Ireland business community Connected is here to encourage, ease and increase potential knowledge exchange links between academia and industry, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim of Connected is to develop interaction and stimulate innovation to benefit Northern Ireland companies and Northern Ireland’s economy. Funded by the Department for Employment and Learning, Connected is a clear sign that the further and higher education sectors in Northern Ireland are ready and willing to offer their vast pool of expertise, knowledge, research capability and world-class facilities to businesses and the community at large. Our colleges and universities are only too keen to welcome new businesses through their doors, whether they are looking for knowledge and expertise, specialist skills or equipment and resources. Working with universities and colleges provides businesses of all sizes and stages of development with access to numerous expertise, skills and specialist facilities on your doorstep. For further information on the diverse range of support services available please visit our website www.connected.ni.org or contact us by emailing Lynn.connaughton@collegesni.ac.uk or you can follow us on twitter @ConnectedNI

Eye on Overseas Property

BeckettHanlon...

Taking The Risk Out Of Buying Abroad

Drew Beckett and Barry Kelly are all too aware that the overseas property sales business doesn’t have the best of reputations.

ard-selling salesmen (and women), scams, a lack of after-sales service, red tape and a host of other potential pitfalls can tend to put off all but the bravest and most determined amongst us. But they reckon that BeckettHanlon, the worldwide property franchise they head up from offices in Belfast, can deliver foreign property ownership without the pain that can go with it. They’re on a bit of a charm offensive, not difficult for two men for whom charm comes fairly easily. Their mission? To persuade potential NI-based overseas property buyers (lifestyle purchasers rather than investors,

for the most part) that BeckettHanlon is the safest and most effective partner to deal with. But also to persuade businessmen and women here with a skill for sales and an ability to deal with people that BeckettHanlon offers some exciting property sales franchise opportunities. BeckettHanlon’s CEO Drew Beckett is a man known by many in business circles here. He spent the bulk of his working life in financial services and rose to become President of Sales in charge of a team of some 500 sales professionals in the UK. “I sold my practice and retired to Spain at 52,” he says. “But, within a couple

of months I was fed up doing nothing and itching to get back to selling.” He started to talk to developers and property professionals around Marbella, where he was living, and eventually agreed to fly home and try his hand at selling Costa del Sol real estate on behalf of a developer. “I think I made 57 calls to contacts. I got 46 people to come along to a presentation on the properties at the Europa Hotel and I sold 36 of them,” he says with more than a touch of understatement. “So it was a bit of a no brainer. I decided that this was the business I wanted to get involved in. I originally set up under the

Eye on Overseas Property

“ We don’t get involved in second-hand properties and we don’t work with the banks on repossessions,” Beckett says simply. “We only deal with high quality, new property developments, in areas that we know well.”

Locations4U brand name and in the first year, I reckon I worked three days a week or so and managed to sell 280 Spanish properties over the next 7 years.” The move into franchising has been much more recent, and that’s where Barry Kelly, BeckettHanlon’s Business Development Director, comes in. Kelly worked as part of the management team on The Streat as it grew its franchised chain of cafe outlets and then joined Franchising Northern Ireland. “Franchising is by far the best route forward for BeckettHanlon. It allows us to make sure that the levels of integrity are maintained and that we can keep control of the kind of service our franchise partners are delivering to our customers,” he says. “But what it also does is allow us to open up some excellent business opportunities for the kind of people we want to work with.” Integrity is a word that Drew Beckett uses a lot. He readily admits to being an out and out sales professional. In fact, he’s proud of the fact. But he’s also determined to bring a level

of integrity to an area not always known for it. “Integrity is vital for us as a business and it’s something we want to build into everything that we do.” Beckett Hanlon’s image isn’t harmed by the fact that Keith Baldwin serves as its Chairman. Baldwin is a former CEO and Deputy Chairman of Allied Dunbar and COO of Zurich Life. “Look, we know that customers have had bad experiences when it comes to buying abroad,” says Beckett. “I’ve always said that if something looks too good to be true... then it probably is too good to be true. Through our franchise partners, we set out to do things a bit differently. “We’re extremely careful, for starters, which developers we work with. There are plenty of them so we can afford to be choosy and will only work with those that are long established, pass our due diligence and whose ethos matches ours.” BeckettHanlon has a variety of properties in its portfolio, all of them new developments. “We don’t get involved in second-hand properties and we don’t work with the banks on repossessions,” Beckett says simply. “We only deal with high quality, new property developments, in areas that we know well.” The company takes a hand-holding approach to its sales. It makes a point of not paying for its customers’ flights out to Spain (or elsewhere), but once they’re there, a full itinerary of property visits is laid on along with accommodation.

“We also sit down with them as early as we can and usually before we visit the properties, to talk about how they’re going to finance the purchase, to link them up with mortgages if necessary, and to talk about the sales and legal process,” adds Drew Beckett. In fact, his team offers what amounts to a turnkey service – including mortgages, lawyers, preferential currency exchange rates, even furniture, interior design and car hire. “For me, sales have always been about doing it right. If you can make sure that the customer gets all he or she wants and needs, then you’re doing your job. There’s nothing too complicated about that.” BeckettHanlon concentrates largely on Spanish property aimed at what the company likes to call ‘lifestyle purchasers’... i.e. those who intend to live in and enjoy the properties themselves. Spain is still the most popular destination for Northern Irish purchasers, so most of its listed properties are in the main Spanish coastal resort areas, stretching from the Costa del Sol, south of Malaga, to areas like the La Manga Club and the resorts dotted around the Costa Blanca further north. Fuerteventura properties are soon to be showcased with a new approved developer joining the list. As Portugal is the second most popular destination, the company is about to launch a stunning new development, sure to attract much local interest. But the Belfast-based firm has also diversified into some very attractive investment property aimed at the purpose built, student rental marketplace, which offers healthy, assured returns to its investors. Drew Beckett and Barry Kelly are always on the look-out for enthusiastic franchise partners to help them drive the BeckettHanlon concept forward. “Who are we looking for?” asks Drew. “People who are energetic and charismatic, maybe from an IFA background but definitely from another sales-orientated business area. They need to have a strong and active network of contacts and, perhaps most importantly in my book, they need to have what I call the likeability factor. They need to be able to get on with people. “What we’re offering is an opportunity for them to take on a new challenge which gives them a chance to fulfil people’s dream, not to mention the chance to get out to the sunshine a few times every year and to build up their own wealth at the same time, whilst running their own business under the guidance and support of the BeckettHanlon brand. “As the old saying goes, none of us can pick winners. But at least we know what to look for...”

for further information please visit www.becketthanlon.com

Eye on Technology

Top Estate Agency Right At Home With Eircom Peerless Networks

A managed WAN and internet solution from eircom Business Solutions NI keeps Simon Brien ahead of the pack by ensuring uninterrupted communications, reassuring business continuity and optimising collaboration. With three office locations at Lisburn Road, Ballyhackamore and Holywood, high-speed information exchange lies at the heart of the company’s plans for growth.

ormerly the residential arm of BTW Shiells, the agency was rebranded Simon Brien Residential in July 2014 and is now firmly established as a market leader with a particular focus on the private resale market, land and new homes. When the agency recognised the need for a more modern network to provide the platform for their mission-critical communications going forward, they turned to eircom Business Solutions NI. Working closely with Simon Brien, eircom designed an agile, cost-effective solution delivering a robust platform for their site-to-site and internet communications needs - one that could scale up to meet their future needs. Fully managed from eircom’s Network Operations Centre in Belfast, with proactive monitoring of the availability and performance of the links and hardware, means that Simon Brien can enjoy the freedom to grow and provide an impeccable, speedy and, crucially,

confidential service to their clients. Working closely with Simon Brien’s IT partner, Zenith Networks, eircom connected all three offices to an MPLS wide-area-network with a robust high-speed internet connection that is symmetrical, giving the same high speeds both ways. By providing Simon Brien with a fibre-based connection, the business enjoys an ‘uncontended’ service. This means bandwidth is not shared with other users, so the business is not impacted by peaks in internet traffic. “We rely on always-on communications for the running of our business,” says Karen Wilson, Associate Partner at Simon Brien. ““As well as being a costeffective move for the company, it is also a winner with our staff who can now rely on a stress-free network to share and access the information they need when they need it. This is critical to us so they can concentrate on providing premium customer service.”

And thanks to eircom’s professional approach, migration to the new network took place without any interruptions in business. “eircom were able to ensure new systems were introduced without any interruption in day-to-day operations for Simon Brien’s three offices.” The network is monitored from eircom’s Network Operations Centre at their headquarters in Belfast’s Forsyth House which also houses their Service Desk with dedicated staff who can act on any issues before they impact the customer. Engineers proactively monitor, not just the availability, but the performance of the customer’s network – the circuits and the hardware – to ensure it is always running at its best. Should any risks be identified, action is taken to avoid any interruption to service. All this is backed by SLAs and guarantees on response and fix times to give Simon Brien full peace-of-mind. According to Zenith’s Managing Director, Martin Lyons: “We invited Simon Brien along on a visit to eircom’s Forsyth House headquarters to see the NoC at first-

hand. They saw for themselves what a fully managed service looks like and were quickly reassured as to the advantages of working with a highly motivated, dedicated local company such as eircom.” Simon Brien Residential were impressed by the fact that support is administered locally within Northern Ireland. “It is reassuring to know our business is backed up by the largest pool of skilled and experienced engineers in Northern Ireland,” added Karen. “For us, our close proximity to eircom has set the seal for a deeper and, ultimately, a more successful partnership.”

Like to know how your company could benefit from eircom Peerless Networks? Contact Matt McCloskey, Sales Director with eircom Business Solutions NI www.linkedin.com/in/mattmccloskey or call 0800 039 2000 www.eircom.co.uk

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Smarter Living

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Eye on Events

FIRST TRUST UNVEILS NEW CITY CENTRE BRANCH First Trust Bank has reopened its flagship Donegall Square North branch in Belfast, following a £750,000 refurbishment which signals the start of a significant branch and online channel investment programme.

he branch was formally reopened at a VIP reception by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Guy Spence and Richard Pym, Chairman, AIB Group. The Donegall Square North branch represents the new face of branch banking for First Trust Bank, offering a range of new technologies and customer service options as well as extended opening hours on Thursday evening and Saturday morning.

Speaking about the investment, Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank said: “Having returned to a stable position in the last two years, First Trust Bank has an ambition and an appetite to grow. With an even stronger customer focus and ethos, we hope to set ourselves apart and this new branch is the latest evidence of that commitment in action. We are confident that our customers will

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find the new surroundings, the new technology, the new customer service provision and extended opening hours a refreshing and responsive experience. Not only have we totally modernised the branch look and feel, but we have added a range of different ways for customers to engage with us while in the branch. At its core, this branch investment programme and our investment in other channels, is about offering our customers choice - and that means always being able to find a friendly face in a branch or a voice on the phone, as well as being able to access our online and mobile services at the time of their choosing.” Richard Pym, Chairman of AIB Group added;

“First Trust Bank can trace its history back to Belfast Savings Bank back in 1816 and in all that time it has played an important part in supporting the local economy and serving local communities across the province. This branch represents the start of a significant investment in our branch network and other channels across Northern Ireland and we are confident that these investments will ensure we remain relevant and accessible to our customers for many years to come.”

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(1) Pictured from left are Richard Pym, Chairman of AIB Group, Aisling Press, Regional Manager of First Trust Bank, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Guy Spence and Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank. (2) Richard Pym, Chairman of AIB Group, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Guy Spence and Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank. (3) Neal Sharkey from Cavanagh Kelly, Avril McCammon from John McKee and Son, with Richard Ennis, First Trust Bank. (4) Edel McCooe First Trust Bank and Ken Redpath, Federation of Small Businesses. ( 5) Noelle Mellon, First Trust Bank and Roger Pollen, Federation of Small Businesses. (6) Richard Buckley, Business Eye with Mandy Mooney First Trust Bank and Des Moore First Trust Bank

Eye on Finance

Stronger together: The case for working in close partnership with a funding provider If you are seeking a new source of finance for your firm, your focus is likely to be on terms such as how much you can borrow, how expensive it will be and how you will be able to manage repayments.

ut there is another very important question that finance directors and owner-managers should ask when choosing a credit provider: what level of additional support and advice will they be able to offer to help make your business a success? The right provider will not be concerned solely with ensuring that you make your payments on time. They will also realise the importance of working in collaboration to make sure you receive the kind of funding solution that best suits your company and its particular circumstances; and how to help your enterprise prosper.

What impact can outsiders have? Research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)* suggests that firms which have a relationship with an outside advisor have a 70% chance of surviving over the next five years – that is double the normal rate across all companies. And figures from a 2012 survey** of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) carried out on behalf of the government by BMG Research suggest that some form of partnership with an external source of expertise can be far more successful than their rivals. This research covered the impact of a wide range of external sources of help including: • Credit providers such as asset and invoice finance companies or banks • Investors such as business angels or venture capitalists • Accountants • Dedicated mentoring organisations The kind of partnership that best suits your firm is likely to depend on where it is in its development and what challenges it faces. But the study was clear that any form of expert outside help was likely to put a business at a considerable advantage.

For example, the study found that: • 10% of firms with partnerships had increased their staffing levels in the previous 12 months as opposed to 4% of other companies. • Almost a third of partnered firms expected to increase employment in the following year, compared with just 12% of all SMEs. • 44% of enterprises with partnerships had increased turnover in the most recent 12 months, against 23% of those without. How can an expert relationship help your firm? These statistics indicate a clear difference in success rates between firms which have sought outside help and those which haven’t. But what does this help consist of? According to the FSB, it can be especially beneficial when a business is starting up, but outside help can also be particularly useful for companies which are making a significant transition – for example, when they are exporting for the first time or introducing a new product or service. The BMG research also suggests that partnerships give companies a better idea of what factors could pose a threat to their survival. Six in 10 businesses in partnerships identified cash flow

issues – which is one of the biggest threats to an enterprise’s survival. Being involved in a partnership also helps to paint a broader picture of what type of finance could be available, BMG found. Firms without outside help tend to seek credit predominantly from traditional sources: they were 20% more likely to opt for a bank loan and 40% more likely to apply for an overdraft than other companies. Where can you find help? So if you want to create a partnership that can lead to your enterprise benefitting from someone else’s business experience and industry knowledge, what are your options? Investors If you receive equity funding from the likes of a business angel or venture capitalist, some form of mentoring support will usually be an important part of the deal. These types of investors will invariably have experience of dealing with and advising businesses in your sector or at your stage of development. Finance companies This kind of insight is by no means limited to equity finance, however. The best asset and invoice finance firms will be able to offer their clients much more than a boost to their balance sheets.

Eye on Finance

“ Very few of the most successful businessmen and women in history have gone through their entire careers without any external assistance. As Richard Branson once said, the likes of Apple’s Steve Jobs, Google founder Larry Page and Branson himself, to name but three, have all received significant input at some stage from outside partners.”

The right lender should be able join with you to create a mutually beneficial finance partnership, which could involve them offering you advice on anything from managing cash flow issues to entering new markets, acquiring new machinery or exporting for the first time. A good provider will also be able to run credit checks on potential debtors to give you a clear idea on whether you should work with them or not. Furthermore, it makes sense to do business with a credit provider that already has experience of dealing with firms in your industry, for example, or that has helped enterprises face the same challenges as you – and which has the structures in place to pass this knowledge on. In the past this has been the kind of relationship that many entrepreneurs have expected from high street banks. But things appear to have changed: over recent years and in particular following the banking crisis of 2008, the major banks have become much more reluctant to lend.

The www.mentorsme.co.uk website is a good starting point: this is an official directory of mentoring groups around the country and can help your enterprise find help based on where you are located, what you do, and what stage in your growth you are at.

Other sources of guidance: Mentoring organisations There are a number of charities and other organisations around the UK that exist to put businesses in touch with potential mentors.

Medium-sized firms – those with between 50 and 249 employees – were the most likely to have sought this kind of help, but even here the take-up rate is little more than one in every six companies.

Your accountant Your bookkeeper may be able to offer guidance when it comes to dealing with common business issues such as taking on staff for the first time and dealing with other forms of red tape. What are the barriers to seeking help? If supportive business relationships such as those described above can be so beneficial, then why doesn’t every company take advantage of them? Government figures for 2014*** show that just one in every eight SMEs had used some form of business advisor over the previous 12 months, although this was an improvement on the one-in-12 ratio recorded in 2012.

The most common reason for not taking advantage of external guidance was that business owners and Finance Directors simply hadn’t considered it as an option. Other explanations included: • The business is doing okay as things stand • The company does not have time to find or deal with a partner • Assistance would be too expensive • The right kind of outside help just doesn’t exist Very few of the most successful businessmen and women in history have gone through their entire careers without any external assistance. As Richard Branson once said, the likes of Apple’s Steve Jobs, Google founder Larry Page and Branson himself, to name but three, have all received significant input at some stage from outside partners. By doing business with a credit provider that can provide you with strategic insight and support for your growth plans, alongside funding, it should be a win-win situation for your firm.

For more information on Close Brothers Commercial Finance and how we could help your business, please visit www. closecommercialfinance.com or call our local sales team on 028 9517 0406.

Eye on News

KEYS FINANCE BACKS TENNIS

he tennis tournament season is well under way. While Paris plays host to the French Open, London to Wimbledon and New York to the US Open, here in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Boat Club has been hosting the Ulster Senior Open championships for over one hundred years. And while BNP Paribas backs the French Open, closer to home, Keys Finance Group has been sponsoring the 2015 Ulster Championships.

This year’s finals were played out in typical Northern Ireland June weather conditions – gales, occasional rain and low temperatures (despite the appearance of the photograph). However, that did not stop the reigning champions Przemek Stec & Lucy Octave retaining their titles. Pictured (from left) Lucy Octave, Chris Sanlon, Tournament Director, Owen Graham, MD Keys Finance Group, Przemek Stec and Ann Gorman, President of the Belfast Boat Club.

Fleet Manager Cruises To Victory

Belfast man has been heralded as Northern Ireland’s Fleet Manager of The Year for 2015 at the prestigious Business Eye, Fleet Industry Awards held recently at Titanic Belfast. The Awards saw leading fleet operators, suppliers and car manufacturers competing across 15 different categories. Chris Losty, Contracts and Procurements Manager for Phoenix Natural Gas, was awarded Fleet Manager of The Year for the

continued success and dedication in managing the Phoenix fleet. The judges were looking for a detailed understanding of all aspects of fleet management and a clear awareness of current and future legislation and a commitment to training, innovation and cost control. Chris was unable to attend the awards ceremony and was presented with his award at Phoenix head office by Philip Miley of Fleet Financial.

Eye on Charity

More NI Businesses get their Ducks in a Row Action Cancer is asking local businesses to help get their ducks in a row, by signing up to receive two pinks ducks. Each pink duck represents a breast screening and encourages you to raise £80 to cover the cost of one screening.

he pink duck campaign, supported by Action Cancer Patron Gloria Hunniford, endeavours to raise awareness, encourage ladies to regularly check their breasts, whilst aiming to raise £20,000 towards the charity’s unique breast screening facilities. The latest businesses to pledge their allegiance and hold their ducks up high include Boojum Mexican Burrito Bar, Ladbrokes and Employers for Childcare Charitable Group. Corporate Fundraising Assistant, Rebecca Dalzell commented, We are delighted with the response we’ve had to the campaign from local businesses. We are seeing a real effort from everyone who is coming on board and the fundraising initiatives have been fantastic, from coffee mornings and pink parties, to waxathons and mountain climbs. And of course we are here to support with fundraising materials such as t-shirts, balloons, buckets, flyers and posters. Global market leader, Ladbrokes took advantage of two consecutive staff meetings and asked employees to dig deep for their coffee and buns. The fundraisers, which were headed by Nuala McManus from the Andersontown store raised £175, which is more than enough to screen two ladies.

Employees at Boojum Mexican Burrito Bar have also signed up and pledged their allegiance to Action Cancer. They are holding a Hook the Duck contest in store on 26th August and are challenging their customers to rise to the challenge for a chance to win spot prizes. They will endeavour to raise £240 between their two Belfast branches. With a few free burritos up for grabs, this will be a competition you do not want to miss! Having received two pink ducks in the post, Employers For Childcare Charitable Group were inspired to hold a Pink Tea Party for a colleague’s leaving party, the team gave generously and is delighted to have raised £160 which will pay for two breast screenings for women in Northern Ireland. Marie Marin, CEO, Employers For Childcare Charitable Group said: “Having had breast cancer twice myself I feel strongly about providing any support to encourage other women to know their own bodies and avail of Action Cancer’s excellent breast screening services as early detection is key. We would encourage other organisations to get their ducks in a row and hold a small fundraising campaign to help reach the overall target of £20,000”. Action Cancer is the only charity that

Boojum staff Jayne Hadley and Paddy Bradley are getting ready for their Hook the Duck fundraising competition in August.

Pat McKenna and Rose Keely from Ladbokes holding their ducks up high for Action cancer.

provides a breast screening service for women in Northern Ireland aged 40-49 and 70+. As with any cancer, the earlier it can be detected, the better chances of survival – if a breast cancer is caught in stage one or two, survival rates are 95%. For every 1,000 women we screen, we detect an average of 5 breast cancers. For more information

or to book your breast screening online, visit www.actioncancer.org. If you would like to receive your two pink ducks, and help Action Cancer continue to save lives and support people in your local community, please call Rebecca on 028 9080 3343 or by email on rdalzell@actioncancer.org ... Breast Cancer, Don’t Duck the Issue!

All the staff at Employers For Childcare Charitable Group enjoying their Pink Tea Party while raising vital funds for Action Cancer.

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Business Eye Header - Moving On Page Apr 15.indd 1

22/04/2015 16:06:33

Eye on Moving On

Mount Charles Group has announced three 1 key appointments. John Casey becomes Operations Manager for the company’s Cleaning Division, leading a team of four area managers. He was previously Site Cleaning Manager at the Guinness Storehouse in 2 Dublin. Danielle McAllister is appointed Health Safety & Environmental Officer at Mount Charles, responsible for assessing and managing health and safety practices. 3 Anne-Marie Rainey joins the company as a Personal Assistant to the Chairman and Managing Director. She joins Mount Charles from law firm Quigg Golden.

1 John Casey

2 Danielle McAllister

3 Anne-Marie Rainey

4 Ruth McDonald joins 4c Executive Search as a Search Consultant. Ruth has 14 years’ experience in the NI recruitment sector including four years in senior sales & marketing appointments before spending the last seven years specialising in the financial services sector. 5 At Genesis Crafty, David Walmsley joins from United Biscuits as General Manager to lead the business. He previously worked for Mars and Innocent Drinks in the UK. Also at 6 Genesis, JP Lyttle is appointed as Commercial Manager, having been with the company 7 for four years. Orlagh Gillespie becomes Financial Controller joining from PKF-FPM 8 Accountants while Ian Killen joins the senior team from Moy Park at Production Manager..

4 Ruth McDonald

5 David Walmsley

6 JP Lyttle

7 Orlagh Gillespie

8 Ian Killen

9 Paula Lyttle

10 Leah Smyth

11 John Finnegan

12 Kevin Gallagher

9 Paula Lyttle has been appointed as Sales Negotiator for Michael Chandler Estate Agents. With seven year’s experience within the Estate Agency business, Paula has invaluable 10 knowledge of the market. Meanwhile, Leah Smyth has been appointed as the new Mortgage and Protection Client Manager for MC Mortgage Choices (part of Michael Chandler Estate Agents). She has spent the last 12 years working within the banking sector and has a wide range of experience in financial solutions for property acquisitions and debt restructure. 11 John Finnegan has joined Millar McCall Wylie as an Associate Solicitor. As part of the expanding Corporate/Commercial department, John is engaged in a wide range of work from high-value mergers & acquisitions, to business/asset sales, to corporate restructuring transactions and investments. 12 Also at Millar McCall Wylie, Kevin Gallagher will work closely with employers providing strategic guidance on business restructures, redundancies and associated issues including the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 and the Service Provision Change Regulations.

Eye on News

GRANT THORNTON RUNWAY RUN A RESOUNDING SUCCCESS More than 500 runners from businesses across Northern Ireland took off along the Belfast City Airport runway in the inaugural Grant Thornton Runway Run.

he leading business advisory firm had teamed up with the airport to promote teamwork in a different yet highly enjoyable late night event that raised funds for the airport’s Community Fund and other charities. Teams of four from banks, law firms, charities, insurance companies, media, professional services and public sector organisations made their way around the unique 5k runway route. Richard Gillan, Partner in Charge of Grant Thornton Northern Ireland said: “The atmosphere and great team spirit was evident in what was a resounding success for all involved. We realised that running down a runway

at night would intrigue local firms but we were overwhelmed after the event sold out within a few short weeks. “The response from the runners involved has been very positive, with many commenting that the occasion was truly unique, yet great fun and that was our objective. “The fast flat runway course ensured plenty of personal best times but it was a team event and I salute the winners in each of the categories and indeed everyone that took part. “Our thanks to George Best Belfast City Airport and Athletics NI for their professionalism in hosting a fantastic event, one which I hope will be a regular

fixture on the corporate calendar.” The race was divided into three categories: Power NI won the male category, Hireco won the female category and Danske Bank lifted the mixed team title and also a life-saving defibrillator for their workplace, donated by HeartSine Technologies. Michelle Hatfield, HR and Community Responsibility Director at Belfast City Airport said: “The airport is here to serve the local community and we’re

delighted to play our part in hosting what was a wonderful night of camaraderie between local businesses. “It was clear from the reaction this evening that the event was hugely enjoyed by all and we were thrilled to have been a part of such a novel and exciting experience. “Funds raised tonight will go to the airport’s Community Fund which in turn will financially assist a youth sporting project in the greater Belfast area.”

GREAT YEAR FOR THE CITY Visit Belfast officially capped a record year of tourism growth at its Annual General Meeting which was held this year the Europa Hotel.

ictured with Belfast’s Deputy Lord Mayor, Guy Spence, is Visit Belfast Chair David Gavaghan, Chief Executive, Gerry Lennon and Dr Esmond Birnie, Chief Economist with PwC in Northern Ireland. The organisation which promotes Belfast as a business, leisure and cruise destination to local and international markets, reflected on a year which saw it handle a record 550,000 tourist enquiries, steer the delivery of a record 63 cruise ships through its Cruise Belfast partnership with Belfast Harbour and secure a local economic return of £40 million from conferences and events secured. Showcasing the successes and achievements made in 2014, Visit Belfast is now seeking to more than double the number of leisure and business overnight stays from 290,000 to 690,000 within three years, driven by campaigns that will

target younger travellers as well as ‘culturally curious’ visitors attracted by the city’s heritage and uniqueness. By 2018, Visit Belfast said its renewed focus on driving growth in leisure, business and cruise visitors, by handling two million enquiries over a three-year period, and by meeting all the challenging targets set, it will deliver a record return of £370 million to the local economy. In his second address Chair of Visit Belfast, David Gavaghan said: “Our tourism vision for Belfast is ambitious and bold. It harnesses the assets of the city and it builds upon the good work undertaken over the past 10 years, while responding positively to the emerging global trends driving tourism demand for city tourism. Working with Belfast City Council and all our partners and stakeholders, we look forward with confidence and commitment to delivering on our goals for the year ahead and beyond.”

Eye on Community

If there’s a single cultural event that has captured the imagination here in Northern Ireland over recent years its Belfast’s Mela Festival... a spectacular event in Botanic Gardens bringing the colours and flavours of the East to the city, not to mention 30,000 visitors through its doors.

NISHA TANDON...

CULTURAL FESTIVAL WILL BEAT THE CUTBACKS

isha Tandon is the driving force behind the event, but also a women who has done more than most to promote intercultural relationships here through the arts in her role as Executive Director of ArtsEkta. But she’s also a woman who is none too pleased with the manner in which big high-profile international events are funded with barely a second thought while home grown events like Mela continue to struggle on what’s comparatively a shoestring budget. “We do struggle for funding, and in the wake of the cut in

government fund for the arts, we’re working hard to increase the funding we can get from the business community,” she says. “But it’s a competitive marketplace, we’re well aware of that.” Nisha Tandon is nothing if not passionate about the Belfast Mela and ArtsEkta, the Belfast-based arts and cultural organisation that sets out to develop intercultural relationships at the heart of the local community. “Mela is an event that brings a whole new cultural dimension to the city, and it’s one that can deliver real and long-lasting benefits in

terms of intercultural relationships.” A social entrepreneur for many years, Nisha Tandon started out running cultural workshop and Indian cookery classes as well as producing sauces and chutneys. But, as Northern Ireland’s ethnic population grew, she found herself increasingly working with women from ethnic minorities, many of whom felt isolated in Northern Ireland. “I started to organise small initiatives to try to help these people, and to introduce them into a society that I already knew well,” she says.

An initial injection of funding from the Millennium Fund helped to get her set up on a more secure footing, and this funding acted as a catalyst for funding to come through from Belfast City Council. Belfast Mela was first staged in 2007 but in a format much more modest than the Mela that takes place at Botanic Gardens these days. Mela, by the way, is a Sanskrit word meaning a community meeting or fair, and it’s been adopted for use at similar events all over the British Isles. Belfast’s Mela, though, ranks as one of the most successful of

Eye on Community

the lot, and boasts a high quality artistic programme which combines top international performers with the best of local talent and artists. Numbers have grown steadily to reach the 30,000 mark, and that could be topped at this summer’s event which takes place on 30th August. ArtsEkta, meanwhile, has grown from being run by Nisha and one part-time assistant to a team of five staff at its Belfast base, a network of 30 or so volunteers and around 40 artists and performers. Last year sister company, Ekta Events, was developed to provide some of the region’s top ethnic arts experiences for corporates, event organisers, venues, wedding and party planners. The organisation acts as a conduit for ethnic performers ranging from Bollywood-style dancers to Chinese Lions and African drummers. “We’ve got some truly wonderful performers on our books,” says

Nisha. “But it can be a hard sell, trying to persuade event organisers here to think outside the box and book something different to entertain their guests. But we’ll keep on trying.....” And the annual Mela isn’t the only event this year for ArtsEkta. On October 24th, it will be staging Nine Nights, a spectacular outdoor theatre show based around Belfast City Hall. Inspired by the Hindu festivals of Navarti, Diwali and Dusherra, it’s an evening of music, dance, drumming, procession and fireworks with more than 800 community participants. ArtsEkta’s funding these days comes from a variety of sources including the City Council, the OFMDFM, the Arts Council (currently being cut), Heritage Lottery Fund and philanthropic organisations such as the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. ArtsEkta and the Belfast Mela in particular have received backing from business in the past.

Turkish Airlines are a principal sponsor, Belfast’s Merchant Hotel is another key supporter while UTV and the Belfast Telegraph continue to support the event as media partners. “But of course we’d like to see more local businesses getting involved in a really high profile public event and one which crosses every boundary,” says Nisha Tandon. “We think it’s a great opportunity to get involved in a really colourful, energetic and positive event for Belfast.” “The cutbacks in arts funding are leaving a big hole in Belfast Mela’s finances. There’s no doubt about that,” she adds. “So we’re re-doubling our efforts to fill that gap, and the business community and a more commercial approach is our only real option.” When it comes to the big tourism plaudits, Belfast Mela should be right up there with the best of them. But it tends

to be overshadowed by the showpiece, well-funded events like the Irish Open, the Giro d’Italia and Tall Ships Race. It’s something that clearly irks the ArtsEkta boss, although she’s keen to gloss over any inter-event rivalry. “As an organisation, we’re coming up towards our tenth anniversary next year, and we’ve got some big plans,” adds Nisha Tandon. She received the OBE last year in recognition of her community work, and has also received a UK Asian Women of the Year Achievement Award. Her message to decision makers here in Northern Ireland comes from the heart. “Everyone likes to be seen to support intercultural events like Belfast Mela, but far too many people are simply paying lip service. I’d love to see government and more businesses doing more than paying lip service....and buying into what we’re trying to do.”

Eye on Events

BARCLAY COMMUNICATIONS’ GENTLEMANLY SUCCESS Barclay Communications’ Race Evening hosted Down Royal’s first ever Gentleman’s Day and raised over £3,000 for the Jonjo Bright Trust.

ow in its twelfth year the evening launched Down Royal’s summer nights of racing and Gentleman’s Day with a touch of style and comedy thanks to a Keith Lemon lookalike and most dapperly dressed, best moustache and best dressed gentleman competitions. A firm favourite in the racing calendar, the race evening attracted local celebrities like Pamela Ballantine and Darren Cave and thousands of race enthusiasts to Down Royal. While Barclay Communications exclusive suite hosted a VIP evening of dinner, racing and entertainment for their partners in O2, Sony and EE, and over 450 top Northern Ireland business people.

Britt Megahey, Managing Director of Barclay Communications comments on the event, “We’re thrilled so many of our clients and partners came out to celebrate another race evening with us and to generously support the Jonjo Bright Trust despite the weather and lure of the golf.” The local business mobile, landline, IT and web design company have supported the Jonjo Bright Trust for three years and raised £3,364 for the cause on Friday night. Jonjo Bright was just 19 years old when in March 2013, as an aspiring amateur jockey he was left with a severe spinal injury after a point-to-point fall. The Jonjo Bright Trust was then established to help make the future brighter for Jonjo.

Eye on Events (1)

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(1) Robert Davison of the Boardroom with Nick Boyle, winner of the Best Dressed Male. (2) Sarah Davies of O2 presents the O2 Office 365 Maiden Hurdle cup to Mrs. Valda Embricios, with Barclay girls Lucy Spratt and Aoife McGivern. (3) Prize draw winner Avril Jenkins with Joanne McSeveney of Barclay Communications and Robert Patton of the Jon Jo Bright Trust. (4) Keith Lemon lookalike with Dave Whelan of Barclay Telecom and Britt Megaghey, MD of Barclay Communications Group. (5) Michael and Susie Gray of Coral Environmental. (6) Gemma Milner and Alan Doherty of Mainline EE. (7) Chris and Emma Milligan,Tayto.

Eye on News

GLORY OF MOUNT STEWART ESTATE CAPTURED IN NEW UTV DOCUMENTARY UTV has started screening of a new six-part documentary following the £8million restoration of the National Trust property Mount Stewart on the shores of Strangford Lough.

‘T

he Big House Reborn’ follows every intricacy of the mammoth £8m renovation project which took 3 years to complete. Produced by Evergreen Media and supported by funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) Sound and Vision Fund, the cameras followed every detail of the monumental restoration. The Big House Reborn brings audiences behind the doors of the House to reveal the secrets behind the architecture but also introduces some of the characters and people who make it possible for the doors to remain open to the public. The first episode introduces two

significant people at the heart of the restoration, Jon Kerr, General Manager of Mount Stewart and Frances Bailey, who has been a National Trust curator for 35 years. We also meet Lady Rose Lauritzen, the last surviving member of the Stewart family who continues to reside in the Estate to this day. The restoration of the famous house on the shores of Strangford Lough is the National Trust’s most significant investment in Northern Ireland in quite some time. It has been a hugely exciting project that brings this family home back to its former glory and truly showcases the history of this special place Speaking at the premiere Michael Wilson, Managing Director UTV, said:

Les Black, Evergreen Media, Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV and Heather Thompson, National Trust Director for NI.

“UTV’s cameras have had exclusive access to the restoration for the last three years. This was a major commitment and the opportunity to bring ‘The Big House Reborn’ to our audience is truly a privilege. “Mount Stewart is such a magnificent piece of heritage right on our doorstep that the public can enjoy all year round and the documentary series captures every fascinating detail of this crucial restoration that will allow the doors of the estate to remain open for decades to come. “The House has been treated with the outmost care by a huge team of

experts and specialised tradesmen. Their abundance of knowledge and their clear love for restoring Mount Stewart to its magnificent glory, make them as interesting as witnessing the restoration itself. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved from conception to completion on what has turned out to be a beautiful and truly insightful piece of broadcast. “We are especially grateful to Les and Andrew from Evergreen Media and Subterranean Fish, the whole team at the National Trust at Mount Stewart and the BAI for their funding of the project.”

PROGRESSIVE INVESTS IN THE LOCAL HIGH STREET

rogressive Building Society has opened a new branch in Cornmarket in Belfast City Centre, confirming the Society’s long-term commitment to investing in the local economy and developing the High Street.  The new branch, which is one of 12 that Progressive has in cities and towns across Northern Ireland, is part of a £2m investment strategy in developing and enhancing its branch network through refurbishments and new branch openings since June 2014. The building society which held its 100th AGM this year recently announced that its new mortgage lending had increased 30% to £153 million and posttax profits for 2014 of £9.85

million reflecting the growing confidence in the Northern Ireland housing market. Commenting on the opening Darina Armstrong, Chief Executive said, “We are fully committed to investing in the high streets of our towns and cities across Northern Ireland and the opening of our new branch in Cornmarket is a clear demonstration of this commitment.. As part of our investment strategy we will also be developing our head office branch at Progressive House which will provide our members with access to state of the art facilities in convenient locations in the City Centre.” Northern Ireland’s largest locally owned financial institution,

Progressive celebrated its centenary in 2014. The building society also increased the numbers employed by 10% over the past 12 months further confirming its commitment to investing in the local economy. Continuing Darina said, “The investment in our branch network strengthens our position as one of Northern Ireland’s leading providers of mortgages and savings. As consumer confidence returns it’s our view that the local housing market will see sustainable growth throughout the remainder of 2015 and beyond and our key focus will be on continuing to provide security for our members and building on our financial strength.”

Pictured are Darina Armstrong, Progressive Building Society Chief Executive and Kevin Flannery, Customer Services Manager

Eye on Hospitality

ADRIAN McNALLY... GLOBETROTTER TAKES CULLODEN FORWARD Adrian McNally isn’t the only hotel manager who reckons that it’s more of a vocation than a job.

“W

hen you’re starting out in the hotel business, everyone likes to warn you that it’s not a 9 to 5 job and that you’ll be putting in long hours... but it’s not just like that when you’re starting out. It doesn’t ease off much when you’re further up the tree,” he smiles. But, in common with his colleagues in the profession, he’s well used to working on days when everyone else is with their families, and he’s accustomed to a combination of evenings, weekends and whatever else the job throws at him. Adrian McNally has been in the General Manager’s job at the 5-star Culloden Estate & Spa since September of last year, having moved to Cultra after a two-year spell as Deputy Manager at the Lough Erne Hotel in County Fermanagh. A native of Armagh, he came back to Northern Ireland a few years ago after an international career in hotel management. He moved to London immediately after graduation and then spent 17 years in the USA with the Ritz Carlton and Fairmont Hotel chains. He went on to open Ritz Carlton properties in Moscow and Shanghai before deciding to cash in his air miles and return to Northern Ireland... after an absence of many years. Arriving at the Culloden last September, he’s had a chance to experience the hotel through the autumn, Christmas, winter and spring periods... all of which bring their own unique challenges. “This really is a magnificent hotel. It’s a majestic old building (a former Bishop’s Palace) and it’s a hotel that does everything really well....and has done for many years,” he says. His aim is simple. He wants to make sure that the Culloden is firmly established as Northern

Adrian McNally (right) received the LCN Hotel of the Year Award from Ronan Skeath of category sponsors Hugh Jordan & Co.

Ireland’s No. 1 hotel. Years ago, in the bad old days, that would have been relatively easy for a hotel of the Culloden’s standard. Today, it’s not so easy. The property is one of three 5-star hotels in the regions – the others being the Lough Erne Hotel and the Merchant in Belfast’s city centre. “We’ve got the building, we’ve got the location and we’ve got the service standards. But we’ve got to keep working hard at everything that we do here on a daily basis. And we’ve got to appeal to everyone. “Younger customers don’t always connect with the concept of 5-star hotels. So our challenge on that front is to prove to them that 5-star properties go deeper than just chandeliers and mahogany. It’s something that hotel groups in the US have managed to do quite successfully.” The Hastings Hotel Group, which owns the Culloden, has shown over the years that their directors are not afraid of continuing to invest in their six (soon to be seven) properties. In the last few months alone, it has completely renovated Ballygally Castle Hotel

on the Antrim Coast Road and announced a £30 million new hotel, aptly named the Grand Central, for Belfast city centre. “The company has a really strong record of investment, and continued investment is vital to keep any hotel where it should be. That’s particularly important at 5-star level, I think,” says McNally. At the Culloden, seven luxury suites have already been upgraded and a programme starts soon to extend and improve a block of bedrooms overlooking the Culloden’s extensive gardens. Improvements are also planned for the smaller of the hotel’s two ballrooms and for the spa treatment areas. Work on an upgrade for the hotel’s main Mitre Restaurant commence during this summer. Adrian McNally’s quest to keep the Culloden out in front of its local rivals won’t have been harmed by the fact the hotel beat off those rivals to win the Hotel of the Year Award at the recent LCN (Licensed & Catering News) Awards in Belfast. “Awards are a great boost,” he says. “They’re good for the hotel

as a whole, for its marketing, but more importantly for the staff who put in all the hard work behind the scenes.” Hastings Hotels Managing Director Howard Hastings, is a man on a mission when it comes to training. In his role as former Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (now Tourism NI), he continually hammered home the message that training and service standards were paramount when it came to improving the Northern Ireland product. “And staff training is vital to what we do right throughout a hotel where we can have anything up to 200 employees if you include part-timers and casual staff.” The Culloden, of course, has maintained its position as one of the leading local venues for set piece business and corporate events, the UTV Business Eye Awards among them. That’s despite an increased level of competition. “Why? Because of the 5-star surroundings, because of the banqueting food, because of our staff and because of the service.... ” says Adrian McNally.

Eye on Giving

PLANNING THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE GIVING David Watters, Managing Partner, RSM McClure Watters

1. What are your thoughts, in general, on charitable giving? I believe it is a fundamental aspect of human nature that those more fortunate try to help those in need of it (provided health and safety does not intercede). People often just need to be shown how to help so the biggest challenge is to educate the givers on charitable giving. Just being asked to give is not enough as modern philanthropic behaviour needs to see and feel the impacts.

4. What types of causes do you favour and why? I favour those charities that can clearly demonstrate the impacts of their existence and have the appropriate governance in place to give me assurances on the integrity of their delivery systems. Project orientated charities that are low on capital overhead and high on spend at the service end are of great interest to me.

2. Is your giving personal or corporate or a combination of both? Looking at my behaviours in this area I and several of the businesses I am associated with are keen to achieve a societal impact. On a personal basis that means board level involvement with the Belfast Charitable Society and previously the Extern Organisation. Both organisations have a focus on disadvantage and exclusion. I would also give to different organisations but again tend to focus on younger people’s health and education. Corporately there is more focus on health charities and the homeless. The Belfast Charitable Society recently awarded £250,000 to the NI Hospice. At RSM McClure Watters we hold regular fund raising events for charities such as Action Duchene and Action Cancer.

5. Are there specific charities or causes that you give to regularly? How do you choose which to support? I favour charities related to children’s health, welfare and education. I believe that has a longer legacy and impact. I feel that some parents need the help which can stop problems becoming generational. I am a supporter of Integrated Education in that Northern Ireland’s young people should be moved on from the indoctrinated and entrenched views that sections of our community still hold. Sadly we still lack the thought leadership we need as a society to realise the great potential we have here in Northern Ireland.

3. How do you give to charity: monetarily, your own time as a volunteer or your specialist skills? Whilst I would give monetarily every year to various causes I find myself in recent years devoting an element of every week to the provision of advice and governance support to a range of charities with which I have direct involvement or those where informal advice is sought. With over 12,000 charities in NI there is an overwhelming need for consolidation and I am working hard to promote and support that behaviour within the charities themselves. It is a major challenge as a lot of these charities are too small to enable appropriate governance to prevail and strategic decisions to be made.

6. Do you believe that companies and individuals have a duty to help others? If yes, why? I don’t feel that duty is the right word to use in that it suggests an obligation which does not exist. In this modern world, where disadvantage and poverty is the basis of most television news stories, people are being constantly reminded of those less fortunate. The issue is whether people want to help or not and how they can feel that help is valued. This requires those who ask for money to record and articulate clearly the impacts and benefits of such help for those who need it.

7. What is your message to business people who may be thinking about becoming more involved in strategic philanthropy? My message would be to keep things simple and in designing a philanthropic strategy, they should have a clear view of what outcomes align with their own strategy. That could focus on poverty, health, education or just social inclusion. Regardless of what area of focus is chosen, the visibility of the impact of the giving is essential to the process. Satisfaction is derived from knowing that the philanthropic behaviour has changed lives both now and in the future.

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 believe there is a need for an organisation or body to galvanise philanthropic behaviour by putting people in touch with peers, funders and innovators. With too many charities in Northern Ireland, strategic partnership and mergers are the way forward. For the benefit of Northern Irish society a greater degree of collaboration and group think is essential at every level of our community. I live in hope!

Eye on Agri Food

WHO’S GETTING A PIZZA THE ACTION AT WORLD EXPO? An extraordinary showcase of global agri-food marketing is taking place in Milan over the next five months. Expo Milano, an official World Fair, explores the theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Food for Life’. Belfast-based PR & Marketing Consultant, Michele Filippi visited on the second day of its opening as part of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. She reflects on how UK and Ireland are taking up the Expo theme...

xpo Milano is a platform for the exchange of ideas and shared solutions on the theme of food. It represents a multibillion Euro investment from the Italian government and the 140 countries and sponsors taking part. The organisers estimate 20M visitors will have the opportunity to find out about and taste the world’s best food & drink. Having spent my professional life in PR & marketing in both Belfast and Dublin, which has included for agribusiness & drink brands, I was particularly keen to see how the UK and Ireland had taken up the marketing opportunity and the Expo theme. The UK’s slogan for Expo is ‘Grown in Britain and Northern Ireland’. It is led by UK Trade and Investment. The Pavilion is inspired by the journey of the honey bee, highlighting the vital role of pollination in the food chain. A mesmerising aluminium beehive perches above a real apple orchard. Through the metaphor of the beehive the UK is intended to be seen as a hive of innovation in helping to feed the planet. A terrace restaurant features a menu of British food showcased by Royal Warrant holders Mosimann’s. Disappointingly, the chef, who told us he was from Germany, couldn’t point to anything from Northern Ireland. (An omission that hopefully has been rectified.) However, as a result of an exclusive arrangement with Diageo, I did spot a bottle of Baileys behind the bar. Yet the fact it is made here as well as in Dublin might escape the average ‘Giovanni Soap’.

Next up, was the Ireland Pavilion. By comparison it is a modest construct. It may lack the grand gestures of its neighbours but its simplicity in design and execution is in keeping with its core message. Ireland’s pavilion is intended to stand for the country’s green and natural credentials and a commitment to harnessing science and technology for sustainable and socially conscious agri-food & drink production. The audio-visual content was consistent with Bord Bia’s agri-food marketing strategy and its ‘Origin Green’ programme. Whilst still lacking in the multisensory appeal of some of the other stands I visited on the day, the over-riding impression was one of a ‘green’ and ‘natural’ land. The Wild Atlantic Way from Cork to Co. Londonderry gets more than a passing mention too. A tick for Tourism Ireland then. But no Guinness? Conversations are taking place, the Ireland Pavilion Commissioner General assured us. There are plenty of ways the visitor can get distracted from reflecting on the serious question of how to sustain the world’s increasing population. From slow food to street food, self service to sit down, the choice is endless. Topping my list was the Pizza Margherita Verace D.O.C. served in ‘Campania’, one of Eataly’s 20 Italian regional restaurants. In 1998, the Italian government formally recognized Neapolitan pizza as a traditional food worthy of preservation and granted it D.O.C (Denominazione di Origine

Controllata) status. These letters verify for the consumer that only permitted ingredients and methods of preparation necessary to produce an authentic ‘Neapolitan Pizza’ have been used. After several misspent summers as a student in Naples, I was curious to find out how it tasted. Made in Milan from only buffalo mozzarella from Campania, Sorrento extra virgin olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes and Vesuvio cherry tomatoes, what impressed me even more perhaps than the genuine taste of the pizza was the fact that the chefs were also Neapolitan. Red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil represent the national colors of Italy. This D.O.C pizza is an iconic representation of Italy’s passion for food and with food being one of Italy’s top exports the host nation is celebrating its produce big-time at Expo Milano. Born in Northern Ireland, to Italian parents, I share their passion so they had me at ‘ciao’. Nothing quite prepares for the sheer size and scale of some of the pavilions in particular those from Asia and the Middle East. It is truly an awe-inspiring experience that is worth visiting. But with Welsh Lamb, English Beef and Scottish Smoked Salmon on the UK’s opening month menu, it posed an interesting question in my mind: if we had an NI agri-food marketing body by now would it be making its mark at Expo and how?

The Belfast-based independent PR & Marketing Consultant, Michele Filippi, is also Secretary of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists in Northern Ireland. To find out more visit: www.mfcommunication.net

Eye on Pensions

Pension Freedom: Big Hit or an Unexploded Bomb Conall Reilly, Director Pensions at Johnston Campbell Ltd

n case you have been out of the country for the last year and have missed the press coverage of the new rules leading up to the April launch, in a nutshell they are: • From April 2015 anyone over 55 can access their pension savings as much as they want, whenever they want. The first 25% of sums taken will be tax free and the remaining 75% will be taxed as income at the normal income tax rates • Any money that is still left in your pension if you die before you reach the age of 75 will no longer be subject to tax when you pass this on • Any pension saving you still have if you die after age 75 will be taxed as income in the hands of whoever you pass them to. A considerable improvement from the previous 55% tax rate

The new “Pension Freedom” rules have proved to be very popular since their introduction in April this year. So far over 60,000 customers have ‘released’ over £1 billion of pension assets. So is this proof that the new rules have been a big success or, as some claim, is it too early to tell. In theory the flexible rules will allow anyone to withdraw as much of their pension savings as they want, but there is always a catch. In this case potentially more than one. Firstly, there is no guarantee that your existing pension provider has updated their computer systems to allow for the new rules. As such you may be forced to move your pension to a different provider to take advantage of the flexibility on offer. In addition there is the silent tax trap, waiting to catch the unwary. Only the first 25% of the money you take will be tax free, the rest will be taxed as income with a starting rate of 20% up to additional rate of 45%. With so much potential tax to be paid it makes sense to take some advice and make sure that, although you might not get enough to buy the sports car in one go you will avoid heavy tax penalties. It is possible to draw your pension flexibly and

reduce your tax bill when doing so; but this requires careful planning and consideration of your other income as well. To quote Stan Lee (the creator of Spiderman), “with great power there must also come great responsibility”. In this context that means that with this extra choice comes the responsibility to ensure you don’t leave yourself with less income than you need in retirement. The former coalition Pensions Minister, Steve Webb, said it was ‘people’s choice if they wanted to buy a Lamborghini’ with their pension savings. Whilst that eventuality may be rare, the message from the Government was clear; you now have control over your pension savings. Many in the pension industry and political circles are very worried that some pensioners will blow all their pension cash and fall back on the State. A concern that has already been

expressed in some national newspaper money sections. On the whole though the reforms will give everyone the chance of a better retirement because they will get to choose when and how they spend their savings. The old system was too inflexible to allow people to manage their money in ways compatible with modern life, to the extent it was in danger of putting off workers from saving for retirement. As with most financial matters, taking advice from a knowledgeable adviser can considerably improve your long term position and help ensure that you get the best outcome for your needs.

Eye on Venues

LARCHFIELD ESTATE OPEN FOR BUSINESS A new business venue has opened its door for business guests. Larchfield Estate near Lisburn, a stunning, award winning venue is owned and run by Gavin and Sarah Mackie, who took over the 600 acre country estate in 2007 shortly after holding their own wedding there.

etermined to make the Estate a feasible business, they have invested heavily over the years both financially and in their dedication to the business and have turned a loss making farm into an astounding business success hosting over 100 events a year and employing 18 people – from a dedicated events team to help with planning and organisation, to cleaners and estate staff some of whom have

been with the family for over 35 years. Continual investment of c £1M in the last 8 years has included projects such as: -R eworking the 1860 estate wall entrance and retarmacing the 3 miles of driveway to enable better access -R eroofing and full interior fit out of the Stables – now housing the estate office and a downstairs meeting room ideal for smaller groups -A new Toilet block

- Renovating the old carriage rooms onsite into 5 star overnight accommodation for guests (they now have 10 rooms / cottages sleeping 20 – 24 people) - New Storerooms - Extending the professional kitchen space for events - Rewiring and redecorating the main Georgian house which is opened occasionally for high end private events

- Planting of large areas of forestry to allow diversification of nature in these areas Larchfield now welcomes over 17,000 guests a year (all through private events on the Estate) and offers something different to the more standard hotel venue for corporate and private events and weddings – www.larchfieldestate.co.uk

Eye on News

HASTINGS HOTELS UNVEILS GRAND PLANS FOR NEW HOTEL Hastings Hotels has unveiled its plans for the latest addition to its portfolio which will see a £30M investment and the creation of over 150 new jobs for Belfast.

ast month Hastings Hotels announced the purchase of Windsor House, one of the tallest buildings in Ireland, which it will transform into a 200 bedroom hotel, subject to planning permission. Sir William Hastings Chairman of Hastings Hotels said: “We are delighted to unveil the plans for what will be the seventh hotel in our portfolio in Northern Ireland. “This acquisition represents our biggest single investment to date of £30M and upon completion in 2018 the hotel will operate at the upper end of the 4-star market offering 200 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar, 18 serviced apartments and a range of superbly appointed office accommodation. The hotel will create over 150 new jobs. “This project is a huge undertaking for Hastings Hotels

and it is has only been made possible by the strength of our existing hotels portfolio and the quality of our staff and management. It will bring the number of bedrooms in our group to over 1,000 making us the largest privately owned hotel chain on the island of Ireland,” Sir William said. “I am also thrilled to announce that our new hotel will be called the Belfast Grand Central Hotel. The original Grand Central, which also boasted 200 bedrooms, was built in 1893 and was the thriving hub of Victorian Belfast as well as the finest hotel in Ireland. Winston Churchill, the King of Belgium, Al Jolson, Mario Lanza and the Beatles were all guests who enjoyed its luxurious hospitality. I am extremely proud to be able to pay tribute to this much loved

SHANKEY PRODUCT RANGE GOES UK WIDE Jason Shankey Hairdressing, which has five salons in Northern Ireland, has signed a distribution deal with Sally Salon Services, the world’s largest distributor of professional hair and beauty products.

he deal will result in Shankey’s Male Grooming range being available in 250 Sally stores across the UK from 1st July. The new capsule range, which builds upon and extends Shankey’s existing product portfolio, contains four products comprising Beard Oil, Hair Styling Paste, Moisturising Balm and After Glow, Shankey’s first signature unisex fragrance. Shankey’s new range is priced at £9.95, with the Eau de Toilette retailing at £29.95.

Commenting on the deal, Company CEO Jason Shankey said, “I’m delighted to be partnering with Sally Salon Services. They are the world’s leading distributor of professional hair and beauty products, and this deal means that professional salons across the UK will now have the opportunity to stock our exciting range of products”.

Pictured with some of Shankey’s new products in the accompanying photos is Managing Director Brenda Shankey with local rugby star Chris Henry.

property of the past by naming Belfast’s newest hotel after it. “Today I can also reveal the new branding for our new hotel, which incorporates the Seahorse. The Seahorse, part of Belfast’s Coat of Arms, celebrates the City’s Maritime history. Old photos from the Glory Days of the Grand Central show the Seahorse motif featuring on menus and plates. Our new interpretation of this classic Belfast emblem is a permanent reminder of the new Grand Central’s connection with its elegant past. “The Belfast Grand Central Hotel will fulfil the requirement for much needed city centre accommodation in Belfast. Tourism in Northern Ireland continues to thrive and it is the ideal time to extend our portfolio of hotels with more

high profile events coming to the city as well as an increase in business tourism which will be helped by the expansion of the Belfast Waterfront next year,” Sir William added.

Eye on News

LIDL TO INVEST £20M TO MEET NORTHERN IRELAND DEMAND Lidl, Northern Ireland’s popular discount retailer, has unveiled plans for a major expansion of its regional distribution centre at Nutts Corner in Co. Antrim to service its growing operations.

estament to its commitment to Northern Ireland, the retailer is spending £20m extending and modernising its warehousing operations to meet the growing demand from consumers, particularly for fresh produce. The plans were shared with Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell when he visited the Nutts Corner site this week. Glen Cinnamon, Lidl’s Regional Director for Northern Ireland, said: “The shopping habits of our customers have changed, with a much stronger focus on fresh products. Our warehouse was built in 2003 and we now need to invest in creating a much larger and more modern facility to store and distribute fresh food so that we keep our shelves continuously stocked.” When completed, the facility will be larger than five full-size football pitches - making it one of the largest and most modern facilities of its type in Northern Ireland.

Speaking about the expansion plans, Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell said: “Since opening its first store here in 1999, Lidl NI has grown to become one of our largest retailers. Today’s announcement is good news for Northern Ireland and is an exciting prospect for local food producers. It demonstrates Lidl’s commitment to the high quality produce that we have become famous for. “I have been impressed by Lidl NI’s plans for the future and am pleased to see the retailer putting down concrete routes via this £20m expansion to its distribution centre, which will also support 100 local construction jobs during the build.” As well as extending the Nutts Corner facility, Lidl will modernise and upgrade the entire building, including installing a cutting-edge refrigeration system and special low-energy LED lighting. Mr Cinnamon added: “When completed early next year we believe this will

be one of the most energy-efficient warehouses in Northern Ireland. We will be using the waste heat generated by the new refrigeration system to heat the rest of the building – we’ll be saving money on energy costs and these are savings that we can pass on to consumers.” Lidl is already recruiting additional staff and expects to take on more when the new centre is opened. Mr Cinnamon said: “We increased employment by more than 25% in the past 12 months, and we now employ more than 640 in our stores and distribution centre. I expect this to grow but the numbers will depend on the level of growth we achieve.” Lidl also expects the work on the distribution centre to support around 100 jobs in the local construction and sub-contracting sectors.

Lidl has rapidly expanded its Northern Ireland operations, opening new outlets including its first city centre store in High Street, Belfast, bringing the total of stores to 38. It is investing in modernising its retail footprint and has plans to re-build a number of stores this year including those at Banbridge, Andersonstown and Connswater. “Consumers are increasingly finding the Lidl offering compelling and competitive and we’ve committed significant investment to meeting that growing demand. Expanding our warehouse also allows for future growth in our store portfolio,” Mr Cinnamon said “We currently work with more than 40 suppliers in Northern Ireland, spending more than £85m locally every year, and I hope we can increase both the number of suppliers and the amount we put back into the local economy.”

MOUNT CHARLES SECURES NEW VENDING CONTRACT The Mount Charles Group has won a significant new contract for provision of vending services to the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT).

he leading food service and business support solutions company will provide 66 vending machines across the Trust area, which spans the five council areas of Limavady, Londonderry, Strabane, Omagh and Fermanagh. The six-figure contract is for three years, with an option to extend for a further two years. Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of The Mount Charles Group said: “We are actively

focusing on growing our business across the West of Northern Ireland, as well as into Donegal and the Dublin corridor. “As such, we view this contract as a strategic win that will allow us to further build our profile and reputation in a key region and we very much look forward to growing our relationship with the health and social care trust,” he added. The Mount Charles Group has also been successful in retaining

its contract with the South Eastern Regional College (SERC) after a competitive tendering process. This prestigious and highly valuable new contract will be in place for a period of five years. The Group delivers catering, vending, cleaning and ancillary services for the Bangor and Newtownards campuses of SERC; catering for approximately 16,000 students and 700 members of staff.

For used VAT qualifying vehicles visit our website...

dfcbelfast.co.uk

Eye on Motoring

DFC: Insured, Fully Maintained, Leased Vehicles DFC introduces insured and fully maintained leased vehicles, a first in the Northern Ireland leasing industry.

s part of their ongoing 25 year anniversary celebrations DFC are delighted to introduce the new DFC Total Care Package. This is a new innovative service, which provides customers with an insured and fully maintained leased vehicle. It offers a complete, hassle-free and cost effective approach to customer vehicle needs, saving time and money. With this brand new Total Care Package it means that customers will know exactly what their monthly payments will be, making budgeting much more simple, and in turn making it easier to manage cash flow. An insured and fully maintained vehicle can now be included as part of the lease agreement. This means that customers can avail of all the benefits of leasing and a fixed monthly rental for the length off the lease, without having to source their own insurance. This means that any accident damage throughout the life of the lease is

repaired following any incidents and at no cost to the customer. DFC, CEO, Uel Butler said, “This is another exciting new adventure by DFC in a year that has already been filled with enhanced services for our customers. The exclusive partnership with the RAC was a great way to start the year and this new Total Care Package is another step in cementing our place as Northern Irelands leading Vehicle Management Company.” There is a massive buzz around DFC at the moment and this is another development that will boost the level of customer service and products that DFC can now offer both new and existing customers. DFC, Managing Director, Peter Shaw said, “Having this new Total Care Package available to our customers means that we can now remove the uncertainty around insurance costs by producing a fixed rental for the entire contract. Customers will no longer

Local Company Local People Local Service DFC is Northern Ireland’s only major independent locally owned Vehicle management company. For 25 years DFC have supplied, funded and managed cars and vans. We are confident we can provide a cost effective solution for your business or individual needs.

have to shop the market every year. With DFC leasing, you can now have all your costs in one place, providing ease of management of your vehicle.” This new total care product will be available to all customers who have held a full EU licence for over 2 years, have no more than 6 points and are over the age of 23 but no

older than 67. (Quotations can vary depending on overnight postcode)

For more information or to request your personal quotation please call 028 9073 4222 or visit dfcbelfast.co.uk

Examples of Fully Maintained Insured Vehicles ALL PRICES INCLUDE: • Road tax for contract duration • Accident Management • Insured vehicle • Breakdown Recovery • DFC/RAC Telematics • Metallic Paint

New Seat Leon Diesel 2.0 TDI 184 FR 5 Door

New Ford Mondeo Diesel 2.0 TDCi 180 Titanium 5 Door

£269 + vat/month

£289 + vat/month

(6+47,8k pa)

All makes and models to suit your individual and business driving needs. To find out about these or any more special offers please call us on 028 9073 4222 or email sales@dfcbelfast.co.uk

Supplying cars and vans to the business community

call us on 02890 734222

Eye on Motoring

DFC: Helping You Keep Track of Your Plant & Machinery With plant machinery thefts continuing to rise across Ireland and the UK, figures show that only a small percentage of stolen equipment is ever recovered, so what can you do to prevent the loss of your assets in the first place? Call on the services of Belfast based DFC who work in partnership with TRACKER UK!

FC, Northern Ireland’s only major independent vehicle management company, has more than a quarter of a century of expertise in the industry and it has recently enhanced its already strong relationship with TRACKER UK to tackle the problem of asset theft. Working alongside all of the UK’s police forces and in partnership with Crimestoppers, TRACKER UK’s products have to date helped in the recovery of over £460 million worth of equipment, leading to over 2,200 arrests. DFC recently welcomed Pauline Nelmes on board. As a main agent of the TRACKER UK product, Pauline has spent over 20 years working in the vehicle tracking industry and is now an integral part of the DFC brand. This partnership will provide further support to businesses looking to drive down costs and provide highly accurate insight into how business fleets are managed. TRACKER has been the UK’s leading stolen vehicle recovery expert for more than two decades, offering high tech security solutions. It also offers fleet tracking for businesses too, ensuring vehicles are kept secure, whatever use they have. If you can fit a TRACKER device, you can be sure that it is not only insurance approved, but also that it has been using TRACKER’s award winning and unique technology.

TRACKER has nationwide support from all UK police forces, so you know that the authorities are at hand, should your plant or machinery ever be stolen. With TRACKER you have the best possible chance of receiving your stolen assets because you have the support network, but also the very latest in cutting edge tracking technology. ‘Jamming’ is the latest weapon being used by thieves who now have the ability to block satellite signals to the GPS receiver and prevent GSM communication with the tracking device and therefore render any GPS/GSM system impossible to trace. However the recently introduced TRACKER locate has intelligent jamming counter measures, combining VHF with GPS and GSM technology and is far more resilient against this form of attack. Crucially it will raise an alert to TRAKER if there is any attempt to jam the communication system. Significantly, too, the use of VHF technology means vehicles can even be located in lock-ups, in containers and even if concealed underground, something not always possible with a GPS only system. Incidentally, the battery that powers VHF unit has a five year life and is designed for applications with continuous power sources such as agri machinery, portacabins and catering trailers. TRACKER devices are hidden, so thieves cannot find and remove them easily. When plant and machinery is reported as missing, the device will be activated and TRACKER will be able to send the signal to the police. They can then track and recover it.

In fact, any business with vehicles and other assets can benefit from fleet tracking and telematics. In today’s economic climate and with rising fuel prices, businesses are working hard to improve processes and cut waste in any way they can. TRACKER’s fleet tracking systems gives you the information you need to make informed decisions and improve the efficiency of your fleet, saving time, fuel and money and increasing customer satisfaction. TRACKER fleet customers get secure access to the TRACKER Fleet website where they can monitor driver behaviour in real-time, view maps and schedule detailed reports. It is also easily integrated with your existing fuel card data, routing or scheduling software and compatible for use with all modern web-browsing devices including tablets and smartphones so you can access your fleet data wherever you are. Recently introduced is the new TRACKER fleet Trailer, a cost effective and convenient solution for managing trailer fleets and portable buildings. It has an integral charger, which enables it to be used in situations where an intermittent power supply exists. It gives location and movement details even when not connected to a 12v or 24v power source, and when it is connected it automatically recharges the battery.

For more information please contact Pauline Nelmes on 028 9073 4222 or email pauline@dfctracker.co.uk

For used VAT qualifying vehicles visit our website...

dfcbelfast.co.uk

Eye on Motoring

New look for Big Cat

Jaguar’s big executive car, the XJ, has been given a major facelift. Long associated with chairmen of the board, the current XJ is the latest in a very long line of luxury Jags....but in a lot of ways it’s a very different proposition now from what it used to be.

o be honest, the old XJ6’s and the rest used to be big old boats. Not much use when it came to performance or handling, but packed full of pleasant-smelling

quality leather and walnut wood panels. A bit like a room in the Reform Club on wheels, and often complete with a sleeping gentleman in one of the seats. The 2015 XJ, and those of

recent vintages, have been completely different. They’re big, they’re roomy, they’re really well fitted out, but they’re also susprisingly good performers and formidable driver’s cars.

The new facelifted version gets quite a line-up of new touches added to an already impressive package. At the heart of a new cabin control system, for example, is a new touchscreen which works just like a smartphone...... In other words, you can swipe to scroll between screens and you can even pinch to zoom. Just like you do on your iPhome or Samsung. The mainstay of the range in engine terms is not longer a hulking big petrol engine. Instead it’s a V6 3.0 litre diesel.....the kind of unit Jaguar’s sister company, Land Rover, is fairly good at. But you can still have a 5.0 litre V8 should you hanker after the old days, and have a well-stocked credit card to pay for your fuel bills. Jaguar talks about a much improved driving experience and they also go into some detail about little changes to how the car looks, from a more upright grille to a subtle change in the colour of the headlamps. But some things never change. Indoors, you’ll find quilted soft grain leather seats with diamond stitching (whatever that is....), embossed headrests and figured ebony veneer. You can almost smell it, can’t you?

Alfa Romeo Debuts Striking New Saloon

artist’s impression

As an Alfa Romeo fan, it’s hard not to be excited by the drop dead gorgeous looks of the new Alfa Giulia, the long awaited replacement for the 159. 90

he new Alfa goes into a class dominated by the likes of the BMW 3 Series and the new Jaguar XE saloon and it’s expected to cost from around £22,000 when it goes on sale next Spring (2016). But, as is always the case with the Milan marque, the Giulia will appeal for

the most part to those looking for something a little sexier and a little different to the motoring norm. To be honest, there are precious few details on the new car as yet. It will come with a choice of petrol or diesel power units, probably ranging from 1.6 or 1.8 litre up to a 3.0 litre V6, but Alfa have hinted

at new front and rear suspension and a few other tech investments. Alfa fans, and anyone who likes a bit of true sports saloon performance, will be delighted to hear that the Guilia will be rear wheel drive. All the Italians need to add is a nice rigid body to complete what could be a nifty handling proposition. It’s also likely that they’ll offer all-wheel drive versions of certain models. And here’s another piece of news for the true fans out there. The new car will have a high performance Quadrifoglio version powered by a Ferrarisourced 3.0 litre bi-turbo V6 engine producing an astonishing 510 PS. That translates, say the gleeful Italians, to a 0-62 mph time of just 3.9 seconds. And with those looks? I want one now.

Lateral thinking

Being on the ground in more locations than any other commercial property agency, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair to say we know the market inside out. With 27 offices across the UK and Ireland, we provide our clients with properly researched, independent advice and insight into every part of the commercial property market. Our team of 75 in Belfast offers specialist services from retail consultancy to asset management, building surveys to property management, rating to valuation, auctions to corporate recovery, business space agency to capital markets. With our blend of national prominence and local knowledge, Lambert Smith Hampton is ideally placed to offer best advice on all aspects of commercial property.

Making commercial sense

Lambert Smith Hampton Clarence House, 4-10 May Street, Belfast BT1 4NJ +44 (0)28 9032 7954

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