Business Eye Jan 2015 by Buckley Publications

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Issue 147 Jan 2015 ÂŁ2.50 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

Niall Dineen & Electric Ireland The Customer Is Key Features:

Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards

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A Fresh Approach To Accountancy

Connected... Colleges & Business Forge Closer Links

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Contents

titanicbelfast.com Jan 2015 ISSUE 147

Cover Story

Electric Ireland... Big Plans For NI Market

Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards Business Eye has teamed up with First Trust Bank to launch brand new business awards for Northern Ireland...aimed directly at the small business sector here. The awards, spanning 12 different categories, will be presented for the first time in early June at the La Mon House Hotel & Country Club.

Niall Dineen is Head of Commercial at Electric Ireland, a Cork man with a top job in Dublin. But he’s also a man with his eyes on the Northern Ireland market as the all-island utility ramps up its presence in the business and consumer markets here. It might be an ultra competitive sector, but that’s not about to put Dineen and his team off the scent.

Food & The Film Industry

Venues & Events Laura Cowan... Titanic Belfast’s Organiser In Chief

The Business Eye Fleet Car Awards and Titanic Motor Show take place over two days at Titanic Belfast on 24th and 25th April, 2015. The whole event is shaping up to be one of the biggest motoring-related events Belfast has seen in recent years.

Connected... Linking Education To Business

John Darcy, the Open University’s Chief Executive for Northern Ireland, reflects on the importance of community contribution and philanthropy for both business and academia in the region.

McIlveen Howard... Accountancy But Not As We Know It

The start of a new Business Eye series where the top performers across a wide range of business sectors are recognised on a monthly basis and rewarded with an Electric Ireland Top Performer monthly award for their boardroom... or mantelpiece!

Eye on Events

Eye on Energy

Moving On

Eye on Economics

Eye on Finance

Eye on Motoring

Eye on Awards

Eye on Internet

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

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley Sales Manager Claire Dickson

No one could accuse the founders of vehicle specialists DFC of hiding their lights under a proverbial bushel. And they certainly didn’t do that when they entertained their corporate guests to a memorable night out to celebrate the company’s 25th birthday in typical style.

Electric Ireland Top Performer 2015

McIlveen Howard might look like a fairly traditional small accountancy practice. The 10-strong firm offers a range of accountancy, taxation and business consultancy services to a range of business clients. But it’s Managing Director, David Logan, is a man with a very different view of how the accountancy sector should be doing business...

DFC... Business Vehicle Firm Celebrates 25 Years

Accountancy & Finance

A new course which forms part of a comprehensive portfolio at Queen’s University’s William J Clinton Leadership Institute, based at Riddel Hall, Stranmillis, spotlights sales leadership and is aimed at managers working in businesses and organisations across a wide range of sectors.

Eye On Giving

Northern Ireland’s businesses are increasingly working alongside Northern Ireland’s universities and colleges for the common good. A programme set up eight years ago by Colleges Northern Ireland and funded by the Department of Employment & Learning offers a highly practical linkage between business and our colleges and it’s making a real difference.

Sales Leadership... New Course Shapes Up

Business & Education

ABC average circulation Jan-June 2010, 7,610 copies Yearly Subscription £35 UK and NI or £37.50 outside the UK

Sam Butler talks to Karyn Booth, the top local pastry chef who has been creating dishes for the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, as it films in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in Europe, and recently set up a small bakery business.

Fleet Awards & Motor Show Picking Up Pace

Laura Cowan finds it a bit hard to believe that she’s been in her role as Head of Business Sales & Events at Titanic Belfast for more than three years. Laura talks to Business Eye about Titanic’s wider role as a venue for everything from weddings to major business events.

Regulars

Specials

Features & Promotions Manager Ciara Donnelly

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

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

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that a lot has been written about our banks over the past number of years... not much of it complimentary.

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

Comment

The banks are back working with good old-fashioned well-managed businesses... you know the kind, led by real entrepreneurs, bringing in real money and with real profit and loss accounts and balance sheets.

s it time for a change of tone? We think so. There is increasing evidence, at least here in Northern Ireland, that the banks (at least, most of them) are getting behind businesses in a way that they haven’t done, or haven’t been able to do, for a number of years. It’s not a view that’s based on any exhaustive research. But it is a view based on a fair amount of anecdotal evidence (…always the best type) from business people across various sectors and across various sizes of organisation. The banks, it seems, are prepared to talk, are prepared to listen and are prepared to stump up the money is the business case is good enough. After all, that’s the the way that business banking should be. Talk to the customer, listen to what he or she has to say, take a look at the facts and figures and then make a decision. Hardly rocket science, as the old saying goes. It might be a simple enough formula, but it’s one that the banks lost sight a few years ago. Back then, quite a few of them got a bit bored lending money to trading businesses, and decided that the world of property investment was a lot more attractive.....and promised some quick returns. So they backed fast-talking property investors, many of who had the kind of business acumen that looks less than impressive with the benefit of hindsight. And the rest is history. Nowadays, that hindsight is still a useful commodity. The banks are back working with good old-fashioned well-managed businesses... you know the kind, led by real entrepreneurs, bringing in real money and with real profit and loss accounts and balance sheets. And that’s exactly where they should be. Long may it continue, and let’s make sure that the memories of what went wrong live long. ______________________________

SPONSORED BY

START-UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD CUSTOMER FOCUS AWARD Our judging panel will single out the local small business which most effectively brings to life best practice in customer service across all of its operations. The judges will look for clear evidence of customer satisfaction.

Northern Ireland’s most promising start-up enterprise. The award will go to a young company of one year old or less since establishment which, in the view of the judging panel, best illustrates what can be achieved by start-up businesses across any sector here in Northern Ireland.

SPONSORED BY

INNOVATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD Open to companies operating in any business sector, this award will go to the organisation which best illustrates the most effective use of innovation through investment in innovative practices, leading edge products and/or services to contribute to overall business success. SPONSORED BY

TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD This award is open to all small businesses based in Northern Ireland who provide products and/ or services in the wider technology field, including IT services, software development, technology product innovation and consultancy.

SPONSORED BY

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING AWARD Open to companies in all sectors of the local business community, this award sets out to recognise and showcase the organisation which best uses marketing – including advertising, PR or the strategic use of digital platforms and social media - to enhance business performance across the board.

EXPORTER OF THE YEAR

HOSPITALITY & TOURISM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

An award which will recognise the top achieving exporting company from Northern Ireland’s small business community, recognising sales achievement in all markets outside of Northern Ireland itself, including both the Republic of Ireland the Great Britain.

A special category aimed directly at Northern Ireland’s growing number of small tourism and hospitality-related business enterprises, including pubs, restaurants, cafes, smaller hotels, tourism activity businesses and transport and travel providers.

Despite smaller budgets, corporate responsibility plays a role for small businesses in Northern Ireland. This special award will recognise the best example of how small businesses here can help to make a difference in the communities they serve. SPONSORED BY

For further information please contact Ciara Donnelly at Business Eye on 028 9047 4490 or ciara@businesseye.co.uk

enter online at www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

“First Trust Bank is a refreshingly different bank to work with.” Russell Bailie, Bailies Coffee Company, Belfast

We see the potential too. Business Banking Talk to us today about our Business Support Fund. 0845 6005 925+ • www.firsttrustbank.co.uk/business

Terms, conditions and eligibility criteria apply, contact us for further details. +Call charges may vary. We may record and monitor calls. First Trust Bank is a trade mark of AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.), incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 92 Ann Street, Belfast BT1 3HH. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Eye on News

RAINBOW MOVES INTO FLEET FIELD

orthern Ireland businesses can now move into the fast lane of vehicle fleet management and benefit from increased productivity, cost savings and reduced carbon footprint, thanks to the province’s largest independent business telecoms company Rainbow Communications becoming a certified partner of TomTom Telematics. In addition to providing local businesses a complete telecommunications solution, Rainbow Communications now offers WEBFLEET, a fleet

management solution, suitable for businesses with 2-5000 vehicles. The innovative vehicle tracking and reporting system makes it simple for businesses to find out where costs are high and productivity can be improved. Rainbow Communications, Director of Sales and Marketing, Stuart Carson believes it will help Northern Ireland companies to save thousands of pounds in operational costs. “In addition to the complete range of telecommunications services we already

offer including mobile, broadband, Cloud Telephony and IT, we have listened to the growing needs of our customer base and are delighted to have teamed up with TomTom Telematics to provide this highly innovative WEBFLEET service. WEBFLEET allows fleet managers to monitor the movements of their vehicle, whilst enabling drivers to avoid delays through real time services, such as HD Traffic, ensuring staff spend more time with clients and less time on the road.

“The technology boasts a number of unique advantages including better insight into how to reduce fuel consumption and their carbon footprint. Industry statistics show fuel cost savings in the region of 10-20%. Efficiencies can be gained in many areas of the business, from workflow and job dispatch, leading to better management of costs and more in depth insight for management reporting.” Stuart continued.

Stuart Carson of Rainbow with TomTom’s Philip Bailie

Craigavon lifts High Street spirits Councillor Mark Baxter of Craigavon Borough Council with Dwayne Smith, founder of the Elk & Clipper barbar shop in Lurgan.

n innovative new scheme created to unlock Portadown and Lurgan’s retail potential has been extended after a successful year which has seen a solid increase in the number of businesses taking up commercial space in two of Craigavon’s key towns - including a new 1920-style barber shop on the brink of global expansion. The scheme, designed and delivered by Craigavon Borough Council, promotes the economic and logistical advantages of the two key town centres to businesses seeking to set up or expand their foothold in what is a prime growth zone for the region. Portadown and Lurgan are currently reaping the benefits of more than £150 million worth of infrastructure developments in

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recent years – from public realm works to transport improvements and private sector investments. Craigavon’s first ‘Business Matching’ scheme got under way in January 2013 with a major one-stop networking event for businesses, investors and commercial landlords and agents. Since then, work connecting those seeking – and renting or selling space – has seen more than 15 new retail and hospitality-oriented businesses establishing themselves locally. A new phase of the scheme will now ramp up promotional efforts of the borough’s successes in driving economic growth and footfall while directly and proactively supporting new businesses from across Northern Ireland and beyond to find the most suitable premises and location within the town centre areas.

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Eye on News

Harland And Wolff Wins Rig Contract Harland and Wolff (H&W) has won another oil rig modification contract from Aberdeen based Dolphin Drilling Limited. Following on the successful completion of its sister rig the Blackford Dolphin in 2014, the Byford Dolphin rig project is expected to commence early 2015.

irector of Ship and Offshore Unit Repair, James Lappin said ‘This is a significant project for Harland and Wolff and for Northern Ireland. As well as employment opportunities, the supply chain within Northern Ireland will see significant activity in support of the project. Local engineering firms will have subcontract opportunities for manufacture and supply of services, suppliers will provide vast quantities of materials, hotels and hospitality will accommodate the hundreds of specialist sub-contractors that follow these large contracts, wherever they are awarded. In short, tens of millions of pounds will flow through the local economy.’ Encouraged by strong performances in the offshore oil, gas and renewable energy sectors, H&W have been enacting

a strong recruitment drive that will take its permanent staff levels up by over 60 people. This strengthening is across the entirety of H&W, including Directors, Senior Managers, General Managers, Design Engineers, Operations Management and highly skilled workers in the manual trades. The process is expected to conclude Q2 2015 and compliments the Company’s ongoing Apprenticeship and Graduate Development Programmes. Chief Executive Officer, Robert Cooper, said ‘We are pleased to continue our investment in the strength, capability and capacity of our Company. The expectations of our customers are of utmost importance to us, and this investment demonstrates our commitment to meeting those expectations.’

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Eye on News

Government Backs Growth In Electric Vehicles The ecar Project was founded from a simple yet ambitious idea - to bring the highly innovative yet growing electric vehicle (EV) industry to Northern Ireland (NI). Our unique approach offered a cross-Departmental, cross-industry and international cross-border initiative.

n ecar Consortium, led by the Departmental for Regional Development and the Department of the Environment, competed against over 20 other UK regions for a multi-million funding grant. The bid was successfully awarded £850,000 in 2010. A further £800,000 was raised by the dedicated Consortium which consisted of public and private sector organisations, including Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE), ESB ecars, Power NI, Strategic Investment Board, INTEL, Donnelly Motor Group and 20 local Councils. This investment grew to over £3.2 million by 2013. As EVs were such new technology, the ecar consortium had to build skills and expertise for the successful project delivery. The ecar team worked closely with NIE to install over 330 charge points resulting in one of the most comprehensive and advanced ecar

networks in the world. Furthermore, the ecar consortium worked closely with our cross-border partners, creating an infrastructure which is internationally operable using a shared IT system, where EV’s can seamlessly travel over borders to avail of the network. Aside from infrastructure, a strong marketing strategy was implemented. An informative website www.ecarni. com and phone ‘app’, an EV Race Day for schools at Nutts Corner, a Small Business Research Initiative, an ecar Newsletter, a series of events and roadshows to allow test-drives for consumers and business fleets were all delivered. Online videos were created within which the former Top Gear presenter, Quentin Willson, describes NI as a potential ‘Centre of Excellence for Electric Vehicle Technology’. Grants for installing home charge points were also delivered and the team worked very closely with the

car industry to ensure that dealer networks were promoting EV’s. This enduring marketing campaign has resulted in an exponential increase in EV’s, growing from 5 EV’s in 2010 increasing to over 400 EVs today. In 2012 the ecarNI project won 1st prize in the Action Renewable Awards for ‘Most Outstanding Renewable Energy Project, and runner-up on the UK-wide Climate Week Awards for ‘Best Initiative by the Government Body’. Further funding was recently

secured to install charge points throughout the public sector estate; working with over 25 organisations, including Departments, Councils, Health Trusts among others. In 2015 the team will work with Departments and Councils to bid for part of a £500million grant to create electric taxis and a public sector car club in NI; further demonstrating our ambition to successfully grow in partnership within NI public and private sector organisations.

SMITH’S ENGINEERING WORKS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION Smith’s Engineering Works (NI) Ltd is investing £868,000 in an expansion at its Ballymena premises supported by Invest Northern Ireland.

he advanced engineering company is recruiting 12 additional staff and making a significant investment in new equipment. Kevin McCann, Invest NI’s Director of Advanced Engineering and Construction, said: “Through a focus on exports, Smith’s Engineering Works has achieved significant sales growth, doubling turnover in the last three years. The company is now planning to further increase sales in the Great Britain and Republic of Ireland markets by targeting the oil

and gas and security sectors. This investment will support that ambition. “Invest NI has worked with Smith’s Engineering Works over several years to help it build skills, carry out research and development, and develop a robust business development strategy. We are now supporting the company to create 12 new jobs, nine of which have salaries above the private sector median.” Invest NI has offered £48,000 of support for the jobs, which will bring the company’s total employment

Darwin Smith with Invest NI’s Kevin McCann.

to 38 by the end of 2015. Smith’s Engineering Works has been trading for over 50 years. It has five divisions: Smith’s Precision, Secure, Ingear, Engine Remanufacturing and Contract Maintenance. Darwin Smith, Managing Director of Smith’s Engineering Works, said: “Invest

NI support and guidance has helped us to broaden our horizons in recent years and exploit our engineering expertise to target new customers and sectors. “We have identified opportunities in a number of sectors are now investing to ensure we have the infrastructure and skills to fully exploit them.”

Eye on Economic Viewpoint

Where are the opportunities in 2015? By Angela McGowan, Chief Economist at Danske Bank

Thomas Edison is reported to have said that “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”. As we enter 2015 we can acknowledge that the economy has turned a corner. Although there are some background risks, there will also be opportunities for those who are optimistic enough to see them.

erhaps this an appropriate time of the year to explore some of the opportunities that will prevail or could be developed further in 2015. 1. Relatively cheap credit - it is now seven years since the beginning of the financial crisis and most banks are now in a much more healthy

position. Capital reserves have been built up and credit conditions have significantly improved. Crowd-funding, venture capital and angel investors are also possibilities for those businesses looking for investment. Interest rates may have to adjust marginally at the end of 2015 or early 2016 but firms can expect that

the adjustment will be very small and borrowing rates will remain well below the historical average for the next four to five years. It is a good time to borrow for investment. 2. Brand NI – Northern Ireland’s success at large scale international events has really taken off in the past few years. The global success of local golfers has also managed to ensure that Northern Ireland’s reputation is now associated with strong positive messages. This year Northern Ireland will host the Irish Open at Royal County Down in Newcastle and also launch the start of

the Tall Ships Race in Belfast. Retailers and the hospitality industry should expect a boost to tourist numbers in the summer months. 3. University Collaboration – Universities are powerhouses for economic growth and Northern Ireland is very fortunate to have two excellent higher-education institutes that are increasingly collaborating with the corporate world. In addition to delivering highly skilled individuals to the local economy, local universities are providing support to NI Plc through collaborations such as the Innovation Voucher

Eye on Economic Viewpoint

Scheme and by creating spinout companies stemming from their own research and development. Foreign investors from high growth sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical technologies and ICT are much more likely to locate close to local universities where they can collaborate with academics and ensure a future supply of qualified employees. 4. The continuous technological revolution – Technological transformation will continue to change the economy and society in the year ahead. Digital technology not only provides companies

with direct access to new markets but it will also create new sectors and jobs. Ten years ago no one had heard of an app designer or cloud computing expert and in the years ahead new jobs in the digital sector will continue to emerge. Technological transformations will keep changing the way we work, communicate and interact in 2015. We should expect new job creation and further innovations in areas such as global security, food security, public sector efficiency, education and health monitoring as well as health diagnostics. Digital technology also means that being on the periphery is no longer a disadvantage for local firms. In 2015 there are unlimited opportunities for companies who want to work on a global scale. 5. Spending power of households will rise – Since the onset of the financial crisis back in 2008, consumers have remained fairly cautious in their spending habits due to labour market uncertainty and falling real wages. In 2015, however, low inflation is expected to boost consumer spending power as low oil prices, lower commodity prices and the strong pound drag import prices lower. Simultaneously, as the recovery continues in

2015 consumer confidence is expected to rise. More confident consumers will help to raise private demand. 6. Public sector reform – This year Northern Ireland’s new Super Councils will come into operation, providing the opportunity for greater public sector efficiency and also more control over local economic development. In 2015 we expect to see improved service provision from these new Councils in terms of quality of service, time of delivery and cost. Opportunities for collaboration with the private sector and the third sector should emerge. 7. Sectoral performance – Although the local economy is expected to grow by 2.1 per cent on average this year there are a number of sectors that will grow well above the average level. Danske Bank’s latest Quarterly Sectoral Forecast report expects ICT to grow at 5.7 per cent this year, Private Administration and Support will grow at 4.7 per cent, the Professional and Scientific Sector will grow at 4.2 per cent and the Transport and Storage Sector will grow at 3.7 per cent. In addition, it is important to remember that just as some sectors are outliers, so too are some

firms within moderate growth sectors. By raising innovation levels, engaging in R&D, investing and venturing into export markets, firms can grow at a higher rate than their more cautious domestic competitors. 8. Better performance from our neighbours - The UK economy is expected to grow at 2.8 per cent this year and the Republic of Ireland is forecast to grow at 3.5 per cent. In addition, massive stimulus from the European Central Bank in January this year combined with a temporary spending boost from deflation in the euro area should help to boost economic fortunes in Europe and lift annual growth there to around 1.2 per cent. As the wider economic environment improves local business confidence and investment levels should rise. In conclusion, 2015 has the potential to be a year of opportunity, depending upon our perspective. Economic opportunities are just like all other opportunities in life – they need to be seized and they require hard work and nurturing. Comfort should be taken from the fact that an improving economic climate, greater political harmony, digital technologies, tourism events and greater connectivity will all work in Northern Ireland’s favour in 2015.

Eye on Agri Food

Karyn Has The Heart Of A Stallion Sam Butler talked to Karyn Booth, the top local pastry chef who has been creating dishes for the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, as it films in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in Europe, and recently set up a small bakery business.

xpert food stylist Karyn Booth faced a series of challenges designing props for meals in the hugely popular Game of Thrones television show over the past four years. She created an edible stallion’s heart from a threepound gummy bear-like material with marzipan and strawberry colouring to resemble blood A wedding feast set in Croatia demanded food props for 77 courses of exotic dishes such as snail soup with mushrooms, roasted peacock and roasted swan in an oyster and saffron sauce and a huge 40ft pigeon pie wedding cake hollowed out and filled with a flock of live pigeons. “It was quite a sight watching the pigeons flying out when the cake was cut with a sword,” she says. “Working on Game

Cookies created by her Yum Yum Club small business.

of Thrones over the past four years has been a fascinating and an enriching experience. When I started on the show I had no idea it would turn into such a global success and develop a huge cult following. “My role was to create the food props for various scenes in the medieval adventure. These had to look the part and be edible. It was essential that the quality and style of the food should match the social and economic setting. “While I had the original fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin as a framework, I still had to come with a wide variety of food props for the show. This required a great deal of research to identify the type of food that would work in a medieval drama that’s loosely based on England during the Wars of the Roses,” she adds. The approach to work on the hit Game of Thrones show came from her success in creating food for television commercials for the likes of Moy Park, Dale Farm and the Livestock and Meat Commission. She had built a reputation locally as an expert in writing recipes, preparing the dishes and arranging them for photography. “The HBO production team was looking for a local supplier of realistic food props and was urged by a contact to see if I’d be interested in taking on the role on Game of Thrones. They didn’t have to ask twice. I saw it as a marvellous opportunity to develop my expertise and knowledge in an area I enjoyed immensely,” adds Karyn, a mother of two teenage sons from Lisburn. Karyn’s film portfolio is growing from her engagement with the HBO drama and now includes providing realistic on-screen food for High Rise, Dracula Untold, Your Highness, Shooting for Socrates and The Wiper Times. A qualified pastry chef, and home economist, Karyn wasn’t at all fazed by the exotic dishes

Karyn Booth - food stylist on Game of Thrones television series.

required for the award winning Game of Thrones because of her background and vast experience in food preparation. “MY passion is creating good food and making it look both appetising and delicious,” she adds. Karyn studied at the College of Business Studies in Belfast and subsequently worked as a pastry chef for Paul Rankin at his pioneering Roscoff restaurant in Belfast before moving to some of the most pressured and exacting kitchens in London. The posts there included preparing pastries for the famed afternoon tea at the Ritz Hotel London. Karyn then worked at The House of Albert Roux and Sir Terence Conran’s restaurant Sartoria on Saville Row. She subsequently joined Linda Artus, the high-end party caterers with clients, such as Mick Jagger, Lord Linley and Elton John for two years, before returning to Northern Ireland. Three years studying at Loughry Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural

Development at Cookstown equipped her with extensive knowledge in food science, including the use of food gums, which was to prove invaluable in her role in creating exotic and edible dishes on Game of Thrones and other films. In addition to continuing to develop her work in films, writing recipes and presenting food for commercials, Karyn is developing a range of DIY cookie products for home cooking enthusiasts under the Yum Yum Club brand. She’s creating the innovative cookies with Gillian Pepper, a friend and business partner. Invest NI provided an Innovation Voucher to assist the business. An initial product, Santa’s Cookies in an attractive glass jar with full baking instructions, was launched successfully a year ago as an experiment. The popularity of the product with shoppers especially in local delis has encouraged her to set up a production operation and to develop additional cookies that she hopes eventually to export to Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Eye on Cover Story

NIALL DINEEN & ELECTRIC IRELAND... An Accountant by training, Niall Dineen started his career & qualified with Deloitte before moving to ESB. In ESB he has worked in a series of financial and commercial management roles and led a number of significant strategic financial and IT projects.

ost recently, he has been appointed to head up the commercial function in Electric Ireland, the leading energy supplier in Ireland and the primary customer facing business unit of the ESB Group. It’s a role that allows him to draw on his experience and understanding of the Energy Market across the Island of Ireland and the UK. Speaking to Niall, it is clear that he relishes the challenges and opportunities presented by this diverse role. In leading Electric Ireland’s commercial team, Niall is responsible for sales and marketing, pricing, regulatory affairs and energy trading. “It’s an exciting role” says Niall. “We are striving to ensure that our customers can rely on us for price certainty and stability while at the same time we are trading on the

open markets with a hedging strategy in place. In summary it’s about the management of volatility, and that’s always an interesting challenge”. “We are working day to day with businesses and residents across Ireland”, Niall explains. “In Northern Ireland we are into our second decade in the business market and we have a wide range of customers across a number of industries, including agri-food, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, and engineering. It’s very exciting to be getting involved at a time when the business sector is really starting to grow in line with a better performing Northern Ireland economy” Quick to compliment his team, Niall points to their skills and experience as the reason that Electric Ireland’s business sector market share is at 21% in a very competitive and active market. “I’m very impressed by the knowledge and commitment of the NI team,” he says. “What really makes the difference for customers is knowing that they can rely on people who understand their business and can deliver the right energy solutions for them, at the right price. That’s why we are doing well, even with 8 other competitors in the market. I see it as my role to support this high-performing

team and to make sure that we continue to be effective energy partners for companies across Northern Ireland.” Of course, the ESB group also has a strong asset base in Northern Ireland - most notably NIE, maintaining the Electricity network and the efficient Coolkeeragh ESB power plant based outside Derry supplying the island of Ireland energy market since 2005. Less well known is that ESB, through its international division, also has a presence in the GB generation marketplace. It is involved in two generation stations in England, and in his position as Commercial Manager for Electric Ireland, Niall Dineen has a role in optimising those commercial activities as well. “Across our all islands marketplace (the UK and Ireland), we constantly look at our options and gauge opportunities to grow,” he says. Electric Ireland is committed to building strong relationships in Northern Ireland. In keeping with its parent company ethos the business is committed to responsible business and the provision of educational support. They are a partner with Business in the Community NI and they have a long term commitment

Eye on Cover Story

“We won’t go far wrong if we keep the customer at the centre of our thinking. The more insight we have into our customers the better able we are to respond effectively. We must continue to recognise that each of our customers have different and changing needs from their energy partner.”

with Queens University. “We are long time supporters of the development and flow of Science Technology, Engineering and Maths graduates into the Northern Ireland economy through sponsored scholarships and work placement with Queens University” Niall explains. In the coming months Electric Ireland is set to further develop this relationship and will be working with the university and its students to develop new state of the art business app. Electric Ireland’s commitment to business and educational development is based on the fact that a growing private sector in Northern Ireland and the development of a

more revenue based economy is good for everyone. “It’s a better environment for our customers and that makes it a better environment for us. We are here for the long term and are committed to playing our part in the continuing development of the business sector in Northern Ireland, in the years ahead,” said Niall. Reflecting on his broad and diverse experience in the sector Niall is very clear about his priorities in taking up his new role. “We won’t go far wrong if we keep the customer at the centre of our thinking.” he says simply. “The more insight we have into our customers the better able we are to respond effectively. We

must continue to recognise that each of our customers have different and changing needs from their energy partner. It’s our responsibility to deliver the innovative new products and tailor made price plans they need to be competitive in their sector”. Electric Ireland has ambitious strategic objectives in Northern Ireland and we are constantly seeking to grow our business. “We assess opportunities all the time”, says Niall. “I’m really motivated by the fact that we can build from such a strong base, at such an exciting time for the Northern Ireland business community.”

Eye on Communications

When to Say Yes to Outsourcing Your Network The prominence of the IT Department has increased significantly across all shapes and size of company. Information, and the ICT systems that drive and support it, have become an increasingly vital part of any modern business. The importance of the CIO role looks set to grow further, according to CIO.com’s annual State of the CIO survey, which shows that 85% of CIOs said their role is becoming more central to their business. But how can they focus more on delivering strategic value while overseeing day-to-day tasks of ensuring the organisation’s infrastructure is running smoothly?

typical CIO or Head of IT can add value to a business in many ways, including: enhancing business processes, developing software to aid customer acquisition and retention, as well as identifying or developing applications that drive efficiencies in certain functions like finance or sales. But to do this effectively they need to be free from day to day ‘keeping the lights on’ tasks like ensuring the organisation’s infrastructure is operating at peak efficiency. By outsourcing certain elements of the ICT department, the IT team can focus on delivering on the strategic goals of an organisation. This is a trend we’re seeing more and more of in Northern Ireland, particularly the outsourcing of an organisation’s network. And it’s not just among large organisations. Medium-sized companies are recognising the many benefits of managed network services, where a dedicated team of experts manage and monitor your network 24/7, ensuring it is operating at peak efficiency and minimising the risk of downtime. This is a critical factor for all businesses now that they are so reliant on their network not only for their website and communications but increasingly, mission critical applications that are sitting on the network. As a company grows, so too will

the demands in complexity of the network and putting this in the safe hands of a trusted specialist who understands it really well means they can stay on top of changes. Northern Ireland companies reaping the benefits of managed network services Over the past two years some of Northern Ireland’s most successful home-grown companies have adopted the managed network services approach and are reaping the benefits. Take Chain Reaction Cycles for example. As the company expanded from a family run bike shop to the largest online bike retailer in the world, its CIO Michael Murdock recognised the advantage of outsourcing the day-to-day management of its core network. “I wanted my team and I to be completely focused on using our skills and knowledge to add real value to the business. The network is a utility like electricity, which in itself doesn’t add value to a business; however, if it isn’t functioning properly it causes issues. That’s why I outsourced the management of our network to eircom Northern Ireland; they’re experts at what they do, they monitor and maintain our network, making sure I never have to worry about it. This frees me and my team up to do what we’re experts at.”

Chain Reaction Cycles isn’t the only company that has seen the light when it comes to outsourcing their network. Acheson & Glover, one of the largest manufacturers of concrete products in Northern Ireland and Balloo Hire, specialists in tool and plant hire with depots throughout Northern Ireland, have recently outsourced their network to eircom Northern Ireland. “A robust network is the foundation on which many successful businesses are built on. With the internet playing such a huge role in all businesses, a reliable network is critical. By outsourcing network management to a local team of experts, dedicated to pro-actively monitoring and managing your network 24/7, your IT team can focus all their efforts on creating real value for your business. It’s a win, win for any organisation,” concludes Matt McCloskey, Sales Director, eircom Business Solutions Northern Ireland.

Matt McCloskey is Sales Director with eircom Business Solutions NI. Want to know more about what the managed network services they offer? Contact Matt on uk.linkedin. com/in/mattmccloskey or contact eircom at: Forsyth House, Cromac Square, Belfast, BT2 8LA Tel: 0800 039 2000 www.eircom.co.uk twitter.com/eircomUK linkedin.com/company/eircom-ni

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You are cordially invited to the Business Eye Titanic Motor Show and Fleet Industry Forum To take place on Friday 24th & Saturday 25th April 2015 at Titanic Belfast Motor Show - 10am to 5pm The Motor Show will gather together some of the very latest models in the fleet motoring marketplace in one unique venue... the iconic Titanic Belfast and the Titanic Slipways. Fleet customers have the opportunity to meet manufacturer representatives and test drive the vehicles on local roads. Forum (Friday only) - 11am to 3pm Running concurrently with the Motor Show, delegates will have a unique opportunity to learn more about a wide range of live issues affecting the motoring and fleet vehicle marketplace here in Northern Ireland in the company of leading industry experts at a series of Fleet Industry Forum events taking place within the Titanic Belfast complex. Live Auction Courtesy of City Auction Group - 12 noon to 4pm The largest live auction event in the motoring calendar on behalf of Lex Autolease, Santander and Ogilvie Fleet Fleet. Viewing - 10am to 12 noon. For more infomation or to register for this event, contact Donna Hosking on 07892 406262 or donna@businesseye.co.uk

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Testimonials

Lisa McQuoid

Michael Tomalin

Andrew Shillan

Europcar

City Auction Group

Vauxhall

As Northern Ireland’s leading provider of car and van rental services, Europcar is delighted to be sponsoring the Northern Ireland Fleet Industry Awards again in 2015. We firmly believe in supporting the needs of business and individual customers throughout the Province and welcome the opportunity to recognise the achievements of like-minded businesses in this Sector

City Auction Group are Northern Ireland’s premier automotive remarketing solution specialising in the corporate fleet sector. With three locations in Belfast, Omagh and recently launched Rockingham UK, we have strategic business relationships with many manufacturers and FN50 listed contract hire companies hence we are delighted to be the main sponsor for the Fleet Industry Awards and Titanic Motor Show and proud providers of the largest live auction event in the motoring calendar on behalf of Lex Autolease, Santander and Ogilvie Fleet on both Friday and Saturday

Vauxhall are delighted to be supporting the Fleet Industry Awards & Titanic Motor Show. We’re excited to be showcasing our best in class New Corsa in Belfast for the first time. We’ll have our small SUV Mokka and our class leading Insignia along with our “Whisper diesel” engine in Astra.

Stephen Stewart

Nick Hardy Ogilvie Fleet

Skoda/Mervyn Stewart

Russell Perry Downeys Kia

Ogilvie Fleet is delighted to support the Fleet Industry Awards and Titanic Motor Show as category sponsor of Fleet Manager of the Year. This is the 2nd year we have been involved with the event and we’re looking forward to an even bigger and better event this year that will neatly coincide with more new initiatives that will see Ogilvie Northern Ireland go from strength to strength.

Downey’s Kia are proud to be a sponsor for the 2015 Fleet Industry Awards at the Titanic Quarter. We will be previewing our all New Kia Sorento and the New Facelift Picanto, Rio and Venga models and we would be delighted to arrange customer test drives on the Friday 24th April and viewing all day on Saturday the 25th April.

We are delighted to announce that Mervyn Stewart Skoda will be exhibiting at the Titanic Motor Show 24th & 25th April 2015 in association with Business Eye and the NI Fleet Awards. This year’s event moves to the prestigious Titanic Quarter in Belfast where visitors will enjoy the iconic facilities as a magnificent backdrop to showcase our stunning, award winning range of vehicles on display. The location is ideal and will provide extensive parking, easy access from Belfast city centre and a large area dedicated to test drives to make this the ideal venue to evaluate your next new car.

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Award Categories & Criteria

There will be 14 different categories for the 2015 Awards... Fleet Car of the Year Who can enter?

The judging panel will select the winners against key criteria that fleets consider when adding cars to their choice lists. They are: Running costs, CO2 emissions, Safety (technology and Euro NCAP rating), Reliability, Manufacturer support and aftersales/dealer support, Driver appeal (P11D pricing/BIK, badge image, performance), Range consideration.

Innovative Company of the Year Who can enter?

This award will be presented to the organisation best demonstrating innovation in business producing tangible results. The category is open to all companies and organisations who feel they can show innovation and transformation of their brand and corporate identity. SPONSORED BY

Electric/Hybrid Vehicle of the Year

Green Fleet of the Year

Who can enter?

Buying an electric car is now a real possibility as a number of major manufacturers launch high quality, fully electric and hybrid models onto the UK market. Key considerations during the judging process are - Green car rating, Range, MPG, CO2, Cost and Charging Points.

Environmental concerns are high on the agenda. Cutting CO2 emissions enables fleets to meet corporate responsibilities. This award will reward forward looking companies that have introduced initiatives to reduce their CO2 emissions year-onyear, delivering financial and environmental benefits.

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Lifetime Achievement Award

Best Short Term Rental Company of the Year

Who can enter?

The judges will be looking for the person who, during their career, has made the greatest contribution to the fleet industry as a whole and at how their hard work and dedication has had a positive impact on the sector.

This award recognises the best short-term rental company. The judges will be looking for innovation, new services, a clear understanding of customers’ needs and case studies which show evidence of your company’s impact on a fleet operator.

SPONSORED BY

Who can enter?

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Leasing Company of the Year Who can enter?

This award recognises the best contract hire and leasing company. The judges will be looking for companies who provide a benefit to fleet and business decisionmakers, focusing on services, cost reduction, environmental initiatives, safety and risk management. SPONSORED BY

Fleet Manufacturer of the Year Who can enter?

This category is designed to honour those manufacturers that have made the biggest strides forward in terms of their relationships with fleets over the past 12 months. It gives the manufacturer’s fleet operation deserved recognition for new initiatives, improved service or simply a new approach towards fleet

Best Small/Light Commercial

Customer Service Award

Who can enter?

This award will recognise the most successful attempts to improve customer service from any fleet supplier. It might be personal account handling by designated staff; faster response times driven by technology or human endeavour or by doing what you say youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do and providing evidence that it was done on time and to the highest possible standard.

With fleets looking to improve their environmental credentials, their ability to source small light commercials that help them to lower carbon emissions along with range consideration, cost efficiency, load capacity, reliability, residual value, equipment and styling. This award recognises the efforts of manufacturers that are developing small light commercials which are greener and more economical.

Fleet Manager of the Year Who can enter?

Key to the success of any fleet operation is a dedicated fleet manager. The judges will be looking for detailed understanding of all aspects of fleet management. There should be clear awareness of current and future legislation and a commitment to training, innovation and cost control. Examples of best practice (including gaining support within the company) will be advantageous SPONSORED BY

Who can enter?

Most Improved Company/ Driver of the Year Who can enter?

A company that differentiates itself from its competition by aligning itself with Quality brands and by being local to its Northern Ireland Customer base and providing that personal touch to ensure customers are meeting their fleet objectives. It is open to all fleet companies that provide competitive fleet management, consistent high level of service and efficient vehicle management solutions. SPONSORED BY

Risk Management Project of the Year

Service Maintenance Dealer of the Year

Who can enter?

This category provides a platform to publicly recognise the importance of road safety in the Fleet Industry and indeed reward outstanding driver risk management programmes implemented by local companies in Northern Ireland. In addition to the individual benefits of enhanced safety, many companies will have seen a reduction in their overall fleet fuel costs, vehicle accident rates, down time, insurance premiums and general maintenance costs thanks to a proactive approach to Fleet Management.

Companies that can demonstrate the following initiatives 1. Evidence of excellent customer care that correlates to an understanding of the requirements of Fleet Drivers. 2. A highly trained proactive and innovative support team, offering answers and support to the Fleet User Industry. 3. Work carried out to the highest standards in a good time span and at a cost effective level.

Best Local Fleet Provider of the Year Who can enter?

This award is open to service companies that have proved over the year that they are investing in their commitment to fleet. Entrants might range from software companies, to leasing firms, rental companies, fast-fit organisations, remarketing companies and other servicefocused organisations.

SPONSORED BY

How to enter To request an entry form, please email donna@businesseye. co.uk giving details of which categories you wish to enter. We will then send you the appropriate entry forms for completion.

ALL ENTRIES MUST REACH US BY FRIDAY 27th March 2015

Eye on Tourism

LAURA COWAN...

TITANIC BELFAST’S ORGANISER IN CHIEF Laura Cowan finds it a bit hard to believe that she’s been in her role as Head of Business Sales & Events at Titanic Belfast for more than three years.

he joined the team charged with preparing for the building’s opening nine months or so before it welcomed its first visitor, back in the days when the management team were based in makeshift offices across the road in one of the old Harland & Wolff office buildings. “But it was exciting right from the start,” she says. “We were all working on something very special

and we knew it. As the opening grew closer, and the deliveries started to arrive, that sense of excitement just grew and grew.” Titanic Belfast, developed at a cost of £46 million, opened on the last day of March, 2012. It reached the one millionth visitor mark well ahead of schedule the following July and just before Christmas last year it held a ceremony to mark the two millionth visitor to

Eye on Tourism

come through its doors. Those figures are well beyond the most optimistic forecasts. Laura Cowan’s role is on the other side of Titanic’s revenue fence. Public and tourism visits are the bread and butter of the centre’s revenue stream. Business and other events (sporting, cultural, etc) account for the significant other part. And Laura and her five-strong team have helped to organise plenty since the building opened its doors – from the visit of Her Majesty The Queen in her jubilee year through to major business events, social occasions, weddings and outdoor showpieces ranging from the BBC’s Proms In The Park to Carl Frampton’s world title fight against Kiko Martinez last year. “The sheer variety of events is amazing. I don’t even think we

realised in the early days just how versatile Titanic Belfast would be as a venue,” says Laura. “We host everything from venue takeovers for 1400 people (as in the case of the Soroptimist International Annual Conference) through to intimate weddings and prestigious White Star dinners”. Laura has been working in the media and events industry for 17 years. After starting out at the Belfast Telegraph, she worked in event management for a number of Northern Ireland’s leading media agencies, including Ardmore Advertising, AV Browne, Morrow Communications and Ovation before applying for and getting the job at Titanic Belfast. “It’s a great job,” she says simply. “How can it not be when you’ve got a venue like this to work with.” She reckons that the local

business community hasn’t just bought into Titanic Belfast....it has developed a pride in the place. “We get a lot of people who hold, or attend events here, and then come back with relatives, family and overseas visitors as soon as they can. There’s a real sense of pride about Titanic Belfast throughout the local community here, and that’s something we’re delighted about.” But those event customers aren’t just from the Northern Ireland business community. Laura and her business sales team also work with ‘out of state’ customers, organisations from other parts of the British Isles and overseas holding events in the city. In many cases, Titanic will link up with Visit Belfast on major ‘city bids’....where Belfast bids for major international events. “We’re fortunate to have a wealth of event management experience within our team and that helps when it comes to talking to customers about their requirements. But what stands us in even better stead is the sheer scale of this venue and its versatility.......we can have 750 people sitting theatre style during the day, and transform the Titanic Suite for a seated banquet that evening for 580 guests.” Laura and her team work closely with a tight-knit wider management team at Titanic Belfast to make sure that each event runs smoothly. This includes liaison with CEO Tim Husbands and with key players such as Executive Head Chef Leo Small.....

the man in charge of producing everything from showpiece banquets to scones and soda bread in Titanic’s cafe and bistro. “We’re very proud of the economic impact that this place has had on Belfast as a whole,” she adds. “It’s been estimated since we opened that we contributed about £100 million to the local economy across the board and that was a couple of years ago. So it’s not to be underestimated.” But Laura Cowan feels that the best is yet to come. “We opened Titanic Belfast in the midst of a deep recession and our early days were marked by the flag protest which had a major negative impact on the city......so we haven’t had it easy. “Now, with the economy in much better shape and more political stability, we can make even more progress. And that will be helped by the continued development of the area around us.” A new four star boutique hotel is planned to open in early 2017 right next door to Titanic Belfast in the original Drawing Offices and the city’s new purpose-built cruise ship terminal is due to be relocated to the Co.Down side of the Lagan. Those developments and others should help fuel the rise of a more vibrant nighttime economy in the Titanic Belfast area as a whole. “This place is just getting started in a lot of ways,” smiles Laura. “We’re very excited about what can be achieved both here at Titanic and in this city as a whole.”

Eye on Broadband

Boost your broadband and your business Belfast Lord Mayor calls on SMEs to get super connected

MEs in Belfast are looking forward to the new year with support from the council on boosting their broadband and business. Social enterprises and small businesses are benefiting from the council’s innovative Super Connected Belfast Voucher Scheme and the Super Connected Cities Business Growth Initiative. Belfast City Council was awarded £13.7 million for the Super Connected Belfast scheme from the UK’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Urban Broadband Fund. It has also contributed £3 million from its Investment Programme to make Belfast a world-class digital city. A strand of the Super Connected Belfast scheme, the Connection Vouchers Scheme (BCVS) enables businesses, charities and social enterprises to access a special funding package of up to £3,000 towards costs for high- speed and high-grade broadband connectivity. The Super Connected Cities Business Growth Initiative provides businesses which have availed of a connection voucher with mentoring support to maximise the benefits from a high-speed, high-

grade broadband connection. The business growth initiative is funded by the council along with Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland. A number of information seminars on Super Connected Belfast are currently taking place in the city. Lord Mayor of Belfast Nichola Mallon attended a recent one in Duncairn Centre, north Belfast, and has called on SMEs to register for others to find out more about boosting their broadband and their business. “Belfast is on the cusp of a digital revolution transforming how we do business. It is vital then that council and other stakeholders in the city provide our SMEs with the infrastructure to develop their products and ensure they receive assistance in achieving global success,” Councillor Mallon said. “We have awarded over £1 million in grant funding to businesses through our Super Connected Belfast scheme with almost 500 businesses benefiting already. This Programme is part funded by Belfast City Council, Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under The Sustainable Competitiveness Programme For Northern Ireland

Companies have boosted their broadband connection speeds and taken advantage of the benefits of doing business online such as the opportunities for growth, greater efficiency and better reliability.” One local business which has benefited from a connection voucher is Coastways Storage and Removals in Duncrue Street. Dominic Murray from Coastways said: “Our business had a very slow broadband connection which kept crashing out of applications like banking. We were able to put in a high speed radiowave broadband service which increased our speed by 800% - this has increased our productivity!” Clodagh Devlin from Malone Lodge Hotel & Apartments, added: “The BCVS provided much needed assistance to facilitate the connection of a high speed broadband service to our premises. The application process was very straight forward and efficient with no cumbersome paperwork which is always a bonus. I would recommend any business applying

for the scheme – having high speed broadband has really improved our business.” Businesses can find out more about the BCVS by emailing connectionvouchers@belfastcity. gov.uk and visiting www.belfastcity. gov.uk/superconnected

A number of businesses will be transferring to Belfast from Lisburn and Castlereagh from 1 April under local government reform. These businesses can sign up to receive regular email updates on all council business events and news by emailing their details to economicdevelopment@ belfastcity.gov.uk. For further information, visit the council website at www. belfastcity.gov.uk/reform For more information on the council’s support for local business, visit www. belfastcity.gov.uk/business and www.facebook.com/ belfastbusinessinfo

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Eye on Energy

Flogas Launches Commercial Natural Gas With Up To 10% Discounts For NI Business

Pictured at the announcement that Rascals Day Nurseries have signed up to Flogas Natural Gas are (l/r), Paul Ruegg, sales and marketing co-ordinator, Flogas with managing director Roger D’Arcy and Paul Crosbie, senior sales consultant, commercial natural gas, Flogas.

Flogas Natural Gas has launched its commercial natural gas offer into Northern Ireland. It is now offering businesses in the Greater Belfast area the chance to make savings of up to 10% on their natural gas bills. The offer will then be rolled out to commercial customers in the ten towns on the natural gas pipeline by June 2015.

ascals Day Nurseries, with eight branches in Northern Ireland, have signed up to Flogas. Roger D’Arcy, managing director, said, “Rascals use natural gas for heating, cooking and tumble drying because as an energy source it is instant, reliable, controllable and cost effective. With Flogas entering the natural

gas market, we decided to move to them as they offer great discounts and transferring across was very easy with no disruption to our supply. Furthermore, having dealt previously with Paul Crosbie, now senior sales consultant at Flogas Natural Gas, it was a pleasure to deal with a trusted contact.” Other recent signings include

the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health (NIAMH) for 13 sites, Dental World for six of its sites in Belfast and surrounding areas as well as Mullaghboy Private Nursing Home in Carrickfergus. Flogas Natural Gas is a leading supplier of natural gas to the commercial and residential sectors in Ireland. It already serves thousands of business enterprises located on the natural gas pipeline in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, including McDonalds Restaurants, the Musgrave Group as well as the Radisson and Jury Hotel chains. John Rooney, managing director of Flogas, said, “We’re delighted

that the recent deregulation of the natural gas market in Northern Ireland has allowed us to offer significant savings to prospective natural gas business customers. It will be a fitting complement to our very successful and reputable LPG business here in Northern Ireland.” Flogas has an established track record in the LPG sector in Northern Ireland since 1979 in the commercial, leisure, catering, industrial and residential sectors. The expansion into Natural Gas for commercial customers will bring further benefits to its extensive customer base as well as opening up new business opportunities for the company.

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Eye on Appointments

Vodafone Appoints Clare Hillis as Head of Business for Northern Ireland Vodafone UK has announced the appointment of Clare Hillis as Head of Business for Northern Ireland. Clare will have responsibility for supporting Vodafone’s existing business customers in Northern Ireland as well as growing new business across both the public and private sectors.

lare has been a key driving force for the Vodafone Northern Ireland team and most recently was responsible for leading the growth of its Public Sector business in the region. Prior to this she was head of Public Sector accounts with Cable&Wireless Worldwide and also spent ten years with a large telecommunications provider as a Business Sales Manager where she led a team of sales executives within its Northern Ireland Public and Corporate Sectors. As Vodafone UK’s new Head of Business for Northern Ireland, Clare’s

role is to support businesses of all sizes and public sector organisations, helping them to find new and better ways of working, to work more efficiently and deliver a better service to their own customers and citizens. Clare has already helped to position Vodafone locally as a total communications provider capable of delivering complex communications solutions designed to help Northern Ireland businesses become more competitive on a local and global stage. Phil Mottram, Enterprise Director of Vodafone UK commented: “Clare’s experience of both the public and

private sectors in Northern Ireland, and of the fixed and mobile markets, is a great asset and her appointment is a further demonstration of Vodafone’s commitment to the Northern Ireland market. In the last year we have commenced our roll out of 4G across Northern Ireland which is already proving a great success in Belfast. In recent months we have also introduced the innovative Rural Open Sure Signal programme – a national initiative to provide reliable mobile access to up to 100 rural communities in mobile not-spot locations. We will continue to develop our total communications portfolio, to offer our Enterprise customers fixed, mobile and unified communications that help them to work in the way that suits them best.” Commenting on her appointment Clare said: “I am delighted to be announced as Head of Business for Vodafone UK in

Northern Ireland and look forward to working with our customers in the region. I believe Vodafone will only be successful in Northern Ireland if our customers are successful too, hence the requirement for an integrated approach to communications which puts our customers at the heart of what we do.” As part of her role Clare plans to advance Vodafone’s position in the Northern Ireland market through further investment in both Vodafone’s fixed and mobile networks and partnering with more businesses to enable them to reap the benefits of Vodafone’s innovative communications technology. Clare studied at Queen’s University, Belfast where she achieved a degree in Law and French. She also spent three years living in France and completed a Masters in French Law. She now lives in Jordanstown with her husband and two daughters.

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Eye on Education

CONNECTED NI...

Linking Education To Business It’s been a mantra for Economy Ministers and others for years. Northern Ireland’s businesses must work alongside Northern Ireland’s universities and colleges for the common good.

Eye on Education

ut it’s not always an easy mantra to turn into business reality. That said, a programme set up eight years ago by Colleges Northern Ireland and funded by the Department of Employment & Learning offers a highly practical linkage between business and our colleges and it’s making a real difference. Connected is a knowledge transfer programme that has eased the way for businesses in Northern Ireland to engage with our two Universities and six Further Education Colleges. “At its core Connected NI is about unlocking the academic word to businesses,” says Lynn Connaughton, Business Development Manager at Colleges NI and the driving force behind the programme. “It’s about wrapping all that support up in a more practical and coordinated way. This ease of access is particularly important for those companies who have no or limited experience of working with a college or university.” It’s a point that businesses will recognise. For years, they’ve heard about the benefits of working with universities and colleges. But small business in particular have been reticent about making the first move......fearing either a complex process or one in which they might commit to something more than they need. “We’re well aware of that reticence,” Lynn adds. “So our aim throughout the programme is to make it easy for businesses to engage and to get the results that they want out of the experience, whether it revolves around a detailed piece of research or a relatively

simple product testing programme.” There’s no doubt that Northern Ireland’s six FE colleges have changed beyond recognition over recent years. It’s widely acknowledged that they’ve evolved from rather staid and traditional establishments in the old technical college mould into progressive and ambitious establishments with some world-class facilities to boot. Those facilities include business focused innovation centres and creative spaces, such as the E3 centre at Belfast Met that includes an animations and digital editing suite, TV and radio production studios and a composites workshop. At South West College, meanwhile, facilities include motion capture, 3D development and pre-incubation, whilst the Environment Skills Centre at South Eastern Regional College is held up as a leader in its field. It’s also clear that they’ve increased their links to the world of business over recent years, realising that these links are

essential to provide real world education for their students. “The rise of a global knowledgebased economy has led to both an increase in links between HE, FE and industry but also to the development of more strategic partnerships,” says Lynn Connaughton. “We are seeing a new era of ambition for Northern Ireland’s HE and FE sector. Both HE and FE have become more sophisticated in the ways they help businesses. Both sectors are more externally focused and work hard to ensure that research has an impact and those who need it can access it easily and make as much of it as they can.” It’s been part of a wider process. Colleges have also become more business-led across their curriculum provision. Another example of this is DEL’s new apprenticeship strategy for Northern Ireland ‘Securing our Success’. Connected emphasise the fact that their programme is a two-way street. The links have to work for both businesses and the colleges. “From a business perspective, it can help develop new and innovative products or enhance existing ones. It can help companies make improvements to processes and systems to increase productivity and reduce time to market. It can help them access high level skills and extend their knowledge base,” says Lynn. “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.” One local company, Newtownardsbased See.Sense, has recently reaped the benefits of collaborating with both Queen’s University and Ulster University. After Philip McAleese was injured in a cycling accident, he and his wife Irene co-founded See.Sense. Their first product is a state of the art intelligent cycle light which reacts to road surface, light levels, the movements of the bike and to the behaviour of the rider....and starts at less than £80 for a front and rear light set. See.Sense worked with both of our local universities, making use of the Invest NI Innovation Voucher scheme to tap into the knowledge, expertise and facilities at university level. This included the design of the casing for the light as well as testing to ensure compliance with CE standards. “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.” And there are funding initiatives available to help smooth the way. Full details are available from Connected. Lynn Connaughton urges local businesses, of any size, to get in touch. “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 notfor-profit and social enterprises.”

For further details, log onto www.connected.ni.org

Eye on News

POWERING THE ECONOMY

he energy sector is fundamental to the economic prosperity of NI and ROI and to the sustainability of their future growth, according to an EY report, ‘Powering The Economy’, commissioned by the Electricity Association of Ireland (EAI). The report highlights both the contribution of the energy sector to the all-island economy and looks at how firms are positively responding to the major challenges they and their customers face. The energy sector contributed £4.3bn (€5.4bn) to the all-island economy in 2013, of which £2.2bn (€2.8bn) was generated directly and an additional £2.1bn (€2.6bn) was generated elsewhere in the economy. NI energy activities in 2013 contributed over £183.5mn to the UK exchequer, including

£125mn in income tax and social contributions as well as £25mn in corporation tax. Excise duties and property rates further increased this amount. The quality of energy supplies is also central to attracting foreign direct investment and enhancing the competitiveness of the all-island economy. The report indicates that two-thirds of indigenous and multinational companies view access to a high quality electricity supply as “very important” to their continuing operations on the island of Ireland. A further 60% of energy firms emphasised the importance of favourable policy and regulatory factors in encouraging new investment. Ian Venner, Partner, EY Ireland commented: “Firms consider a number of factors when making the decision about where to locate

Ian Venner, EY Partner and Energy Sector Lead; Chris Stewart, Deputy Secretary Policy Group for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Owen Wilson, CEO of Electricity Association of Ireland at the Belfast launch of the EY Powering The Economy Report.

their business but the quality of infrastructure is of significant importance, particularly for energyintensive firms whose energy costs make up a considerable portion of their overall costs.” Energy companies also supported a total of 47,600 direct and indirect jobs across the island

in 2013 and 75% of firms in this sector forecast an increase in staff levels over the next three years. Participants indicated that they will seek employees with a broad range of skills, however, many firms flagged that they would seek to recruit staff in the fields of engineering and IT.

LONDON SOFTWARE COMPANY SETS UP OPERATION IN BELFAST Supported by Invest Northern Ireland, Arkk Solutions Ltd, a London-based financial regulatory and compliance software company, is setting up an operation in Belfast, which will initially employ nine staff.

he software company specialises in XBRL and iXBRL, a computer language for the electronic transmission of business and financial data. It has developed software to enable companies to iXBRL tag their accounts as required by HMRC in the UK and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in the Republic of Ireland. The new Belfast centre will replace the company’s existing operation in India and support its continued growth in the UK and Republic of Ireland markets.

Invest NI has offered £45,000 of support through its Jobs Fund. Richard Metcalfe, CEO of Arkk Solutions, said: “This investment supports our focus on growing our outsourced accounts tagging operation. The move to Belfast enables us to operate within the same time zone as the rest of our business and through that support our ever growing blue chip client base. “Our company strategy is to be the market leader in statutory and regulatory reporting and we’re continuing to develop

Richard Metcalfe, CEO of Arkk Solutions with Bill Montgomery, Invest NI’s Director of International Investment.

our products and services as new regulations are introduced. The support from Invest NI was essential to our decision to move the operation from India to Northern Ireland. We’re looking forward to developing our Belfast team and to date have been impressed with the

availability of local skills. We are convinced this talent pool will assist in boosting our business.” Arkk Solutions was set up in 2009 and employs 20 staff in London. It has a blue chip client base that uses its proprietary software and outsourcing services.

Eye on News

CHARLES HURST JEEP LANDS A KNOCK OUT WITH WORLD CHAMPION FRAMPTON World Champion boxer and Belfast-born local hero Carl Frampton was welcomed to the Charles Hurst Jeep showroom on Belfast’s Boucher Road to begin his tenure as official brand ambassador for the iconic marque.

ohn Brankin, Franchise Director of the Jeep dealership at Charles Hurst, said Frampton was the ideal candidate for the new role. “Jeep is renowned internationally for its sense of adventure and a ‘can-do’ attitude, in addition to the unashamed ruggedness and proven longevity of its vehicles, attributes we recognise in global sports star, Carl Frampton. “It is hugely exciting for us to be working with Carl, whose star

is clearly on the rise, especially as he echoes our core values of adventure and challenge. We are thrilled that we can be a part of his journey to global domination in the ring, and now on the road.” As part of the year-long deal, Carl will work closely with Charles Hurst Jeep on a range of exciting projects, to help promote the Charles Hurst Jeep brand. Carl, 27, said he was looking forward to the challenge as he took the keys to his new Grand Cherokee.

RECORD TONNAGES ‘BULKED UP’ AT BELFAST HARBOUR

Trade figures released by Belfast Harbour show that it handled a record 23 million tonnes during 2014, up 46% since the recession’s low point in 2009.

verall tonnages rose by 1.6%, driven by strong growth in bulk cargo which accounts for over 40% of throughput at the Harbour. Trade sectors which grew particularly well included stone exports (18%), industrial and domestic coal (20%), paper products (33%) and steel (38%). A record 476,000 freight vehicles also passed through the Harbour during 2014 (up over 2%), while

container traffic improved by 2.9% to 125,000 units. The level of new car imports also rose by 10% to 48,000, its highest level since 2007. Roy Adair, Belfast Harbour’s CEO, said: “Surpassing 23 million tonnes for the first time is a major achievement for the Harbour, driven by our ongoing investment programme to deliver best-inclass facilities. It has also been supported by major investments

from customers such as Stena Line which has introduced a third ship to its Belfast – Liverpool service. “Improving economic and consumer confidence across the island has helped drive growth. Increased steel imports, for example, reflects greater manufacturing activity, especially in the Republic of Ireland, while the improvement in freight, containers and new car imports suggests a modest pick-up in consumer confidence. “As the economy across the island has improved, so too has competition in the port sector. Belfast Harbour is actively pursuing a pipeline of new capital expenditure projects valued at £140m to support further economic growth across the Harbour Estate and to develop new and existing trade opportunities, ensuring that local businesses have access to world class facilities.” The Harbour’s animal feed sector performed well, rising 3.3% to a record 2.2 million tonnes, while scrap exports rose 14% to a record 373,000 tonnes. Cement tonnages also improved, increasing fivefold to 79,000 tonnes. This was, however, from a small base and total cement

tonnages remain less than one third of pre-recession levels. Joe O’Neill, Belfast Harbour’s Commercial Director said: “Exports from Belfast Harbour grew by 3.6% in 2014, accounting for 42% of all tonnages handled. In 20-years tonnages at Belfast Harbour have grown almost fourfold thanks to a rolling programme of Harbour investment totaling £400 million which has helped develop trade and attracted new business activity in the Harbour Estate. “A major contributor to that success was Northern Irelandbased quarry firm, Conexpo, which grew its stone exports by 25% to almost one million tonnes in 2014 to meet demand from customers in GB and Europe. “Conexpo is a good example of a SME whose export growth plans have been supported by Belfast Harbour’s investments in new equipment and quays, and the availability of ever larger premises within the Harbour Estate. Our focus over the next 20-years is to ensure that the Harbour continues to grow and invest to support similar success stories.”

Eye on News

TESCO CELEBRATES THE NORTHERN IRISH BREAKFAST The Ulster Fry remains a firm favourite, but Tesco is out to prove in the coming weeks that Northern Ireland’s breakfast table has evolved down the years. The leading retailer is staging a major in-store promotion to show Northern Ireland suppliers offer breakfast products to suit all tastes.

hese days granola, nuts, seeds and grains from home are as readily available in Tesco NI’s 56-strong store network as soda farls, potato bread and bacon. The ‘Enjoy A Northern Irish Breakfast’ initiative is part of the ongoing Tesco Taste Northern Ireland campaign aimed at supporting Northern Ireland food and its producers. Tesco, which has more than 90 local suppliers and stocks more than 1,200 local products, spends nearly £600million on Northern Ireland products each year. The three-week in-store celebration began earlier this week and Tesco is calling on

everyone to really celebrate the Northern Irish breakfast on Friday (30th January) in particular - in a bid to encourage the public to enjoy breakfasts made from locally-sourced products. Caoimhe Mannion, Marketing Manager for Tesco in Northern Ireland, said: “Breakfast is an important part of everyday life in Northern Ireland and we view this as an opportunity to not only celebrate the Northern Ireland breakfast but also the many local suppliers whose breakfast products are available in our stores.” Among the products being showcased via the ‘Enjoy A Northern Irish Breakfast’ initiative are yogurt

Encouraging Tesco customers to ‘Enjoy A Northern Irish Breakfast’ are (from left) Stefan Szymura from Irwin’s Bakery in Portadown, Tesco’s Joe O’Hagan, Jill Crawford of Portaferry-based granola maker Just Live A Little and Harold Richmond from Dungannon company Skea Eggs.

from Belfast-based Dale Farm and Clandeboye Estate from Bangor, granola from Portaferry-based Just Live A Little, porridge and oat products supplied by White’s of Tandragee and seeds from Armagh company Linwoods. Sausages made by Cookstown-based Karro, Londonderry’s James Doherty Meats and Ballymena-based Doherty and Gray will be in the shop window, too, along with bacon from Sprotts in Portadown plus bacon from Karro

and white and black pudding from James Doherty Meats. Eggs supplied by Dungannon firm Skea Eggs and butter and milk from Belfast-based Dale Farm are part of the mix as well alongside an abundance of bread products - wheaten bread, soda farls, potato bread, pancakes, muffins, sliced bread, griddle scones and bagels - from suppliers including Irwin’s of Portadown, Genesis of Magherafelt and Belfast-made brands Ormo, Sunblest and Hovis.

B/E AEROSPACE HELPS CHARITIES TO SOAR Two family-focused local charities are to benefit from the fund-raising efforts of employees at B/E Aerospace, the Kilkeel based company which manufactures more than a quarter of the world’s airline seats.

he 830+ employees raised a total of £23,677 to be shared equally between the Cancer Fund for Children and Happy Faces NI – and it was happy faces all round as the two charities accepted the donations and got 2015 off to a high-flying start. Laura McBride from the Entertainments Committee at the Kilkeel plant said, “These are two good causes which are ‘close to home’ in every sense. The Happy Faces NI youth club is a near neighbour here in Kilkeel, providing social, sporting and recreational activities for young people, in particular

those with a disability or additional needs, while the Cancer Fund for Children has very recently opened its new therapeutic centre at Daisy Lodge, just down the road from us, in Newcastle. The work done by these two fantastic organisations is ‘close to home’ emotionally too, because we can all identify with families coping with challenges and recognise the value and importance of appropriate support in tough times. “Each year B/E Aerospace employees choose two designated charities and we get whole-heartedly behind them with our fundraising efforts, tackling

Celebrating the charity cheque handover are (front row, from left) Helen Pullins; Matthew Allen from Cancer Fund for Children; Julie and Craig Smith from Happy Faces NI and Heather Magowan and (back row, from left) Laura McBride, B/E Aerospace Kilkeel Vice President and Managing Director, Martin McGinley, and William Wilson.

everything from sporting challenges to raffles, fun days and even seasonal parties, dressing up for Hallowe’en and sporting Santa sweaters for Christmas!

We had a great 2014 raising spirits and funds for Happy Faces and Daisy Lodge and made some great friends in the two charities along the way.”

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Eye on Accountancy

McILVEEN HOWARD LTD... Accountancy With A Different Approach Managing Director, David Logan, is a man with a very different view of how the accountancy sector should be doing business... and he’s not afraid to practice what he preaches.

cIlveen Howard Ltd (MHL) might look like a fairly traditional accountancy practice. Based on the Upper Newtownards Road in Belfast and with a sub-office in Cookstown, the firm offers a range of accountancy, taxation and business consultancy services to its clients. The first clue to David’s individual approach lies in his job title. The heads of almost every other accountancy firm will be known as Senior Partners or Managing Partners. McIlveen Howard is a limited company where all of the clients are clients of the firm and not the partners. This ensures that the same high level of service can be offered to all clients and is not dependent on which partner acts for you. “I’ve watched how a lot of accountancy firms have done things over the years,” says David, “and a downside of a partnership is that there is duplication of work in that several partners do audit work and tax rather than having an audit or tax specialist dealing with the clients. Another downside is that partnerships are often competitive and do not work towards the greater good. In our limited company structure everybody works together towards a single goal. McIlveen Howard has a 50-year history but no one of either name is left at the firm, and in any case, history isn’t something that David

Logan or his new fellow director Roy Creelman, intend to dwell on. Roy Creelman has recently joined MHL. A well known figure in the world of accountancy and the wider business community, Roy will add his personal touch to a company with its own way of doing things. David Logan isn’t just an advocate of technology, he’s positively evangelical when it comes to how technology can be used to make the job of accountancy not just easier but smoother and more effective. “A lot of what we do as accountants is fairly mechanical.... producing sets of accounts and calculating tax, for example. That’s where the technology comes in. We work very efficiently on a tried and tested single database system, and it’s a system that works very well for us as a firm.” “Every single job goes onto the one system and it is tasked from there to the appropriate level of team member responsible for getting the job done.” MHL has something of a reputation in the Northern Ireland accountancy sector for its effective use of IRIS accountancy software. It’s a lesser known fact that IRIS software powers a greater proportion of accountancy practices in Great Britain, than any of the opposition, but for some reason it’s take up here has been a lot slower. David Logan can’t understand why this is the case. He’s a firm believer that the IRIS software, in conjunction with the AVN systems the firm also uses, is ideal for the job MHL is doing for its clients. “The technology that we use is the backbone of the firm and its day to day operations. When it is

used well, technology can make a really big difference. “Here, the work gets done without any fuss and without burning the midnight oil,” says Creelman. It’s about good systems, good technology as well as good people,” he says. We’re in the month of January now and whereas most accountants will say that they’re so busy that they won’t surface again until February, David and Roy are now implementing their new Performance Measurement and Improvement strategy. Using our skills with numbers we help clients measure and improve everything that really matters to them, their family and their business Profit, income, tax bills, bank balance, business value and personal wealth and life style. We have just acquired a new product which measures how a business performs in the eight areas that affect Business Valuation and compares that performance against the industry average – just click on the QR barcode for a FREE report. “Another thing we do differently is that we really empower our people. Our audit seniors have been promoted to client managers. They are given total responsibility for what they do. As team members they’re entrusted with the company’s figures and are involved in everything that is happening. As a result they are very loyal to the business. We have invested heavily in systems and training and have a happy and very efficient team.” Both David Logan and Roy Creelman stress the importance of business advice and recommendations as an essential part of accountancy services. In other words, they feel that an Accountancy firm such as

theirs must provide added value advice and recommendations to clients. “We guarantee a proactive approach for our clients. We are able to do this on a regular basis as a result of the systems we have in place. Proactivity means giving advice, before being asked, that is specifically for that client and which is both valuable and genuinely in their best interest. We do not charge for the preliminary recommendation. We will get paid on the back of the tangible business benefits we can deliver for our clients,” says David Logan. David’s missionary zeal when it comes to technology systems extends to the advice that he dispenses to clients through MHL. “Good systems make a business more attractive and valuable,” he says simply. “And we should constantly be trying to improve our businesses. There can be a lack of ambition here in Northern Ireland and running a business becomes a lifestyle choice rather being used as a life changing vehicle. We see it as our role to offer good, practical advice to our business clients and to help them make their business more profitable and more enjoyable to run. Accountants are seen as providers of accounts and tax returns which are used to calculate the Tax due. But, with the skills accountants have it should go much deeper than that. For more information, scan your smartphone here...

Eye on Health Innovation

Craigavon Borough Council Puts Healthcare Innovation ‘At the Heart of It’

Olga Murtagh, Director of Development, Craigavon Borough Council, Mayor of Craigavon, Cllr Colin McCusker, Dr Peter Sharpe, Associate Medical Director for Research and Development, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Robert Colvin, Chief Executive Craigavon Borough Council, Mairead McAlinden, Chief Executive, Southern Health and Social Care Trust and Irene Knox Research Manager, Southern Health and Social Care Trust pictured during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Craigavon Borough Council (CBC) recently hosted a conference in partnership with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) which focussed on creating greater collaboration between the public and private sector in the field of innovation, research and product development. Memorandum of Understanding The ‘At the Heart of It- Adding Clinical Value to Innovation’ conference was also the forum for CBC and SHSCT to formally sign a Memorandum of Understanding to establish Craigavon as a centre of excellence for health and life sciences services.

Speakers The keynote speakers included leading Cardiologists Dr David McEneaney and Dr Ian Menown, Craigavon Area Hospital and funding expert Professor Jim McLaughlin, University of Ulster. The event was supported by attendance from Minister for Health, Jim Wells MLA and Arlene Foster, MLA, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. The event which was sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland took place in Craigavon Civic Centre and attracted more than 100 delegates from the fields of academia, industry and business. Delegates heard from a number of senior healthcare professionals about potential live projects for collaboration particularly

in the area of cardiovascular research. Cllr Colin McCusker, Mayor of Craigavon said, “This is another excellent example of where collaborative working between the public and private sectors can have far reaching benefits. We already have some excellent examples of global success stories in these sectors in Craigavon, for example through Almac and the pioneering work being undertaken in Craigavon Area Hospital. Robert Colvin, Chief Executive Craigavon Borough Council added, “Life Sciences is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and a priority sector that will drive the future growth of Northern Ireland’s economy. Scientific research and new

Eye on Health Innovation product development is critical to addressing areas of clinical need and is at the heart of future growth. We believe we have the skills, knowledge and expertise within the local private sector to help deliver on the opportunities presented within the health sector.” The conference was one of Mairead McAlinden, Chief Executive, Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s last engagements in that post. She added, “Research and development is crucial to continual improvement and has a key role to play in ensuring that our patients receive the very latest and highest standards of care.

r Peter Sharpe, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s Associate Medical Director for Research and Development has represented the Trust in liaising with Craigavon Borough Council in relation the Health and Life Sciences for the past two years. In February 2013 the Council and the Trust arranged a very successful Conference entitled Cardiology, Commerce and Collaboration. At that Conference there was a ‘live link’ from Craigavon Civic Centre to the Cardiology Cath Lab at Craigavon Area Hospital during which Dr Ian Menown, Director of Interventional Cardiology performed a live stent procedure whilst Dr David McEneaney, Director of Cardiovascular Research provided the narrative at the Conference. Dr Sharpe said it was from that Conference the idea emanated of having a further Conference with the aim of gaining commitment, particularly from small to medium sized businesses, to

The outcomes of such research not only boosts the local economy but greatly benefits the health and wellbeing of the broader population with the introduction of new drugs, treatments and procedures and changes to NICE guidelines. We hope that this partnership will help to attract funding to foster innovation, adding clinical value to the work we do and most importantly benefit the local people we serve.” It is hoped that coming out of the event there will be a number of partnerships formally established in the near future. To find out more please contact ciaran.tipping@craigavon.gov.uk

link with the Trust to address unmet needs or undertake collaborative research projects. On 28 November 2014 the Conference entitled “At the Heart of It – Adding Clinical Value to Innovation” was held which was attended by Ministers Foster and Wells and Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer. Over one hundred delegates were present representing small to medium sized businesses, major healthcare industry companies (HeartSine and Randox), Trusts, Universities, Public Health Agency Research & Development Division, NI Clinical Research Network etc. A number of contacts with businesses and organisations were made at the Conference by the Consultant Cardiologists and Research & Development Team. Dr Sharpe said since the Conference meetings were arranged with the Ulster University, Queen’s University EU Thematic Lead Health/NI Horizon 2020 Contact Point (NICP), TIYGA (NI) Ltd., and Invest NI, Head of Division Life Sciences, Electronics and Consumer Products. The Council funded the production of a video on the Health and Life Sciences focusing on Cardiovascular Research at Craigavon Area Hospital which was shown for the first time at the Conference. The video is available to view on Craigavon Borough Council’s Youtube Channel.

Robert Colvin, Chief Executive Craigavon Borough Council is pictured with Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster MLA, Health Minister Jim Wells MLA and Mairead McAlinden, Chief Executive, Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

Mayor of Craigavon, Cllr Colin McCusker, Nicola Wilson, Head of Economic Development, Craigavon Borough Council, Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer and Mairead McAlinden, Chief Executive, Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

The Northern Ireland Connected Health Ecosystem

he Northern Ireland Connected Health Ecosystem which was set up in 2012 is the overarching body for collaboration between the health sector and the private sector. It is part of the European wide initiative which aims to create an international network of permanent connected health ecosystems to provide sustainable and structured opportunities for industry, academia, health and care providers and players to meet and provide solutions

to specific problems. Connected Health has the potential to realise significant benefits for Northern Ireland through both improved care for patients and clients as well as providing development opportunities for researchers and industry. It is against this background that Craigavon Borough Council approached the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to create a formal partnership leading to the successful delivery of the ‘At the Heart of it’ Conference.

Eye on News

£2Million Investment For Warrenpoint Haulage Firm A Northern Ireland haulage company is investing over £2million with support from Ulster Bank to expand its operations in the north of England.

MT Shipping Limited, which is increasing its workforce by 20 people to 120 as a result, has acquired premises in Preston with finance from the bank to act as a distribution centre for its growing business in the region. The company, which is headquartered in Warrenpoint, experienced grow of 40 per cent in its pallet division in 2013 and further growth of 30 per cent is predicted this year. The company’s managing director, Jarlath Magee, says that 2015 promises to be another strong year for the business. He says: “We have had very good growth in our pallet business in the last few years, particularly in the north west

of England, where we have won several major distribution contracts with blue chip clients in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The new distribution centre, which we are acquiring, having outgrown our existing premises, will provided us with a larger, better-located base with direct motorway access to further expand in areas such as Lancaster, Blackburn, Burnley and the Fylde coast.” “As we expand the business outside of Northern Ireland, this has significant ongoing benefits for our existing crosschannel business as it provides an established delivery network for onward distribution and collection of customers’ goods and improves efficiencies in the

Jarlath Magee of HMT Shipping with Girvan Gault and Danny McGivern of Ulster Bank at HMT’s Warrenpoint base.

supply chain. The new facility will enable us to offer warehousing, pick and pack and inventory control for Irish customers with overnight delivery to every region in the UK,” he adds. Girvan Gault, Head of South East NI Business Centre at Ulster Bank says: “HMT’s new distribution centre comprises a 47,000 sq ft warehouse and 4,000 sq ft office space set on 3.5 acres. It is just 4 miles from Preston city centre and

within easy access to some of the main arterial routes in the north of England. So it will act as an excellent base for the company’s ongoing growth in the area, and we are very pleased to have played an important role in enabling it to happen.” HMT Shipping was established over 15 years ago and has grown to be one of the leading transport companies throughout the UK and Ireland.

ETAP HOTEL IN BELFAST SOLD TO UK FUND A building situated on Belfast’s Dublin Road, which is home to the budget hotel brand, Etap, a low-cost hotel and popular bar and nightclub has just been sold; according to commercial property firm CBRE.

ought by CBRE Global Investors for £6.6 million, the building is located in a prime investment area of the city, with a host of amenities locally. Once known as the “The Golden Mile” the Dublin Road has become increasingly popular due to the establishment of various fast-food restaurants, bars, nightclubs and cinema. The building is currently occupied by the Etap Hotel, which will remain the key occupant let on a seventeenyear lease. There is also a ground floor retail unit that

is occupied by Bachus Inns. Gavin Elliott, director, CBRE commented: “This building is in a popular leisure area and is within close proximity to Belfast’s central business district. The investment offers a low-risk return due to the quality of the tenants, length of lease and RPI linked rental uplifts every year. “There is increasing demand for budget accommodation in major cities as people look for value and choice when requiring overnight hotel space. Belfast needs to be able to offer choice and supply at every price point

given the surge in tourism and business travelers to the City.” The site itself benefits from excellent road frontage to Dublin Road as well as good servicing via Harmony Street. Mr Elliott continued: “While Great Victoria Street has seen a decline in recent years, the Dublin Road is flourishing and has become a popular location for both nightlife and cinema-goers alike. “We are delighted to see a significant increase in investment in Belfast City Centre properties; with the

improvement of the economy and the recovery of the commercial property market, I would expect to see pricing for investments let on long leases to strong covenants continuing to strengthen during 2015.”

Eye on News

Impressive Line-Up Announced For Enterprise Week 2015 Planning is well underway for the biggest event in Derry’s business calendar, Enterprise Week 2015, which was launched by the Mayor of Derry Councillor Brenda Stevenson, in the city’s Social Enterprise Hub.

he event is organised by Derry City Council’s Business Opportunities Team, with support from Invest Northern Ireland through the European Regional Development Fund, and now in its third year, the programme has been expanding to meet the needs of even more local businesses. The five day agenda, which runs from February 23-27, features workshops, seminars, networking events and one to one mentoring opportunities with some of the most influential figures in the business industry, with top professionals from a broad spectrum of high performance companies among the keynote speakers. Launching the programme Councillor Stevenson said: “I am delighted to announce the launch of the third Enterprise Week event, and to see it building on the success of the past two years to include even more support events for local businesses.

“There is a strong digital emphasis in this year’s programme reinforcing the message that Derry as a city is second to none when it comes to digital technology, providing the skills, infrastructure and support needed to establish, sustain and grow any business. “This year during Enterprise Week the programme also embraces Derry’s thriving creative community, again a key area of development for the city and the North West region. I would like to encourage all local enterprises to avail of this fantastic opportunity to engage with and learn from some of the best people in the business.” Business Opportunities manager with Derry City Council, Louise Breslin said: “This year’s programme has definitely extended its reach and we have used feedback from our past two events to put together an even more comprehensive range of events across a wide range of industries.

“We’ve already had so much interest in this year’s event, and a really positive response to the programme line-up from our clients.” The calibre of keynote speakers is again extremely high and will feature influential figures including Social Entrepreneur David Erasmus, top chef and restaurateur Neven Maguire, Kara Academy founder Alan O’Neill, Fashion Industry expert Shalina Alabask and Digital expert Shaa Wasmund. Still riding on the crest of a wave since being awarded the Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship, Derry Clipper captain Sean McCarter will recount some of his experiences at the helm in 2014, with a fascinating insight into how companies can benefit from the leadership practices developed in the most extreme conditions.

These are just a few highlights in a packed programme of events spanning five days from February 23-27, focusing on Investment Opportunities, Tourism, Craft, Growing the Digital Economy and a whole host of new and exciting business innovations and strategies. Anyone interested in taking part in the event must register in advance. To find out how your business can take part, more information on the programme and to register for individual workshops go to www.derrycity.gov.uk/ BusinessOpportunities/EnterpriseWeek.

Further press information can be obtained by contacting Marketing and Communications Section on 02871 376504

VERONA JOINS JET2 DESTINATIONS FROM BELFAST Jet2 has added another new destination from Belfast International Airport – the historic Italian city of Verona.

ive new routes are now available for summer 2015, giving people even more choice when it comes to next year’s holidays. In addition to Verona, local customers can take their pick from city destinations Prague and Rome plus sun hotspots Gran Canaria and Zante. Jet2.com weekly flights to Verona will operate between 20th May and 23rd September

2015 with prices starting from £49 one way including taxes. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2. com and Jet2holidays, (pictured) said: “Next year is going to be our biggest one yet at Belfast International Airport, with a total of 18 destinations plus an additional aircraft. Our latest route, Verona, is a fantastic place to visit and I’m sure it will prove very popular.” Graham Keddie, managing director, Belfast International Airport, added: “Verona is another great addition to the route network at Belfast International Airport and we are delighted that both Jet2.com and Jet2holidays are committed to developing new services from Belfast.”

Eye on Leadership

SALES LEADERSHIP... NEW COURSE LEADS THE WAY

It would be hard to find anyone in business who would argue with the concept that sales need to be at the heart of any business strategy.

Y Gerard McDaid, Sales Director at MEL Ltd

et, of all the business disciplines, sales is the one where training and learning is most often left to chance.... to on the job experience, to the ‘university of life’ and to the ‘school of hard knocks’. A new course which forms part of a comprehensive portfolio at Queen’s University’s William J Clinton Leadership Institute, based at Riddel Hall, Stranmillis, spotlights sales leadership and is aimed at managers working in businesses and organisations across a wide range of sectors. The Sales Leadership Programme currently has its first cohort of business managers going through their paces in a programme which blends seminars, tutorials and classroom-based learning with work-based projects. The course adopts a 70:20:10 model – with 70% application in the workplace, 20% based around learning from others and peers and 10% classroom sessions. It culminates in the awards of a widelyrecognised ILM Accreditation – a Level 5 Award in Leadership & Management.

“Sales managers need to be at the heart of any business. Our programme is not just about selling skills – the participants already have that – but it’s centred around thinking strategically about customers and markets and about creating better customer relationships. “The course is ideal for those wanting to bring a more strategic approach to their sales effort, whether they are sales director or managers, executives new to senior sales roles, entrepreneurs or business owners. The aim is the same... to bring sales into the core of the business. Delivered over three intense twoday modules following a launch breakfast event, the course includes three action learning group events. One of the current cohort on the Sales Leadership Programme is Gerard McDaid, Sales Director at MEL Ltd, a UK-wide environmental company specialising in the clean-up of brownfield contamination for industrial clients and the management of oil spillages at domestic sites on behalf of leading insurance companies. Gerard splits his time between the firm’s Belfast office and its headquarters in Yorkshire. “As soon as I read about the course, I thought it would be right for me,” says

Gerard. “I liked the mix of learning modules and work-based projects which are ideal for busy sales manager who just don’t have the time to devote to a lot of classroom work. “And I liked the fact that the course leads to a recognised Leaderhship & Management qualification and that it is recognised by the Sales Institute of Ireland.” Along with his fellow cohort members, Gerard is nearing the end of the programme and is currently finalising his end of course project. “It has been a great experience and I’ve enjoyed working alongside the other members of the cohort. But the big advantage is the flexibility and the way that I’ve been able to adapt study to my working hours. “I’ve no doubt that the course will help in my career, and I would have no hesitation recommending it to others in sales management, whatever the sector,” he adds.

For further information on the Sales Leadership Programme, visit www. leadershipinstitute.co.uk or contact the Institute on 028 9097 4394 or email: leadershipinstitute@qub.ac.uk

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Eye on News

CORPORATION TAX... GAME CHANGER FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MARKET

Enda Luddy, Managing Director CBRE Ireland; Marie Hunt, Executive Director, Head of Research, CBRE Ireland and Brian Lavery, Managing Director CBRE Northern Ireland

peaking at the launch of the CBRE Outlook 2015 Annual Report at Belfast’s Merchant Hotel, Brian Lavery, Managing Director at CBRE Northern Ireland said: “2014 was a remarkable year for the real estate market in Northern Ireland with the volume of transactions in the investment sector exceeding expectations – in fact there were almost £500 million of investment sales completed in Northern Ireland during 2014 – up threefold on the previous year. In addition, approximately £1.7 billion of loan sales were completed in the region in 2014 with the most significant being the loan sale of the entire NAMA portfolio

to Cerberus in the first half of the year. “We anticipate a similar level of activity in 2015 given the amount of deleveraging that has yet to occur across the region and the nature of the assets to be traded. The entire real estate sector has been transformed from a debtbased model to an equity-based model with a larger proportion of institutional activity now evident as well as new entrants emerging. In addition we are starting to see increased levels of secondary trading of assets, which is generating more transactional activity. He added: “We believe that there is reason to be optimistic across the hotel

Commercial property consultants CBRE has released its Outlook 2015 Annual Report containing its final year figures for transactional activity in different sectors of the Northern Ireland commercial property market in 2014 and predictions for each sector of the Northern Ireland market in the year ahead. and leisure, retail and office sectors in 2015 as international hoteliers seek prospects for growth and look to Northern Ireland for investment opportunities; retailers consider the region as an area of untapped potential and enter the NI market for the first time; and increased FDI puts further pressure on supply/demand within the office market. It will be a buoyant year for the hotel and leisure, retail, investment and office sectors.” Mr Lavery suggested that the scarcity of Grade A office space remains an issue in Northern Ireland but one which ultimately may have a positive impact on rental values for owners as well as stimulating development

opportunities within the sector. The demand for such office accommodation as a result of job announcements in 2014 is driving office rental values higher than the low base they have been stuck at over the last five years. In summary, he added: ”We are emerging from an exceptionally severe crash and although values remain below peak levels, it is encouraging to see values starting to increase. With the recent devolvement of corporation tax setting powers, which will be a game changer for NI, and the current level of activity in the real estate market, I think we can be confident about the commercial property sector in Northern Ireland in 2015.”

Coffee Deal For Drinks Firm

nited Wine Merchants, Northern Ireland’s leading independent drinks distributor has teamed up with Kimbo Coffee to become the exclusive distributors of Kimbo Espresso Italiano Coffee throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Having spent 30 years as an established wholesale business within the Licensed Trade, Kimbo Coffee will be a diversification for United Wine Merchants who aim to tap into the increasingly popular coffee market. United Wine Merchants will supply Kimbo Espresso Italiano coffee directly to the market for

the consumer to enjoy in cafes, restaurants, hotels, bars, offices and pubs around the country and have secured the prestigious Westbury Hotel, Dublin as one of their flagship accounts. Martin McAuley, United Wines Merchant’s, Managing Director said “Coffee is an increasingly important revenue stream for pubs with excellent profit margins of 80/90%. With this in mind we searched to find the right coffee partner and Kimbo was the natural choice; not only do they have exceptional coffee and a commitment and dedication to barista training, they also have years of experience and a

wealth of knowledge to share. “Within the coffee market it is important for staff to be well trained to keep quality and consistency high. Serving incredible coffee is a journey; United Wine Merchants in partnership with Kimbo intend to guide the customer along the way and help deliver an experience that will bring repeat and loyal customers. We have a dedicated team and a fully trained in house Kimbo All-Ireland Ambassador will deliver expert training and support to our customer base”. Martin McAuley of United Wine Merchants with Angus McKenzie of Kimbo Coffee.

Eye on Giving

JOHN D’ARCY... OPEN UNIVERSITY’S NORTHERN IRELAND CHIEF John D’Arcy, The Open University National Director, IOD member since 2000. 1. What are your thoughts, in general, on charitable giving? I probably wouldn’t be best known for quoting Winston Churchill but this great quote about giving in its widest sense came to me via Twitter recently: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” The idea of giving or contributing to the communities in which we live, work and do business isn’t new – but the ways in which businesses, and the people in those businesses, can look at charitable giving has. While hard cash is still important, in-kind help, volunteering and leadership support are often as important and, in some cases, more important. 2. Is your giving personal or corporate or a combination of both? I’m very lucky to work for an organisation, The Open University, with a strong social justice mission at its heart. Our mission of being open to people, places, methods and ideas extends beyond our formal courses to our unique facility to provide high quality higher education study materials free to the learners. The reason we do that is to help people and communities enhance their lives. Often through getting a taste for learning, people will then move onto more formal qualifications with ourselves or other institutions. In addition, I have a great team in Belfast who take part in the Belfast City Marathon and other events to raise money and awareness for local charities. 3. How do you give to charity: monetarily, your own time as a volunteer or your specialist skills? As a family, we donate to a number of charities privately in

monetary terms but increasingly through sharing experience and skills. This can be as wide as being a board or committee member for a bigger project or being a sounding board, a critical friend or facilitator. One of the advantages of working and living in a small place like Northern Ireland is that you often can build friendships and networks with individuals and sectors in an organic way. I have been a volunteer Board member of organisations as different as Sport Northern Ireland and Audiences Northern Ireland but perhaps the one role which involved most time and creativity was in the formation of the Oh Yeah Music Centre. From an idea spawned by Gary Lightbody and Snow Patrol, a small group of us – Davy Matchett, Stuart Bailie, Lisa McElherron, Mike Edgar and Marty Neill - took the idea from scratch to operational all through volunteering and convincing others to help us in a pro-bono way as much as possible. 4. What types of causes do you favour and why? Anything that can help people build better lives is a winner for me. There is a lot of great work going on in the social economy sector here. Take, for example, The NOW Project which just continues to inspire me through its vision, ambition and the real benefits it delivers for people. It’s a small, passionate team but it’s guided by a volunteer board which brings the sort of experience and skills you couldn’t buy. 5. Are there specific charities or causes that you give to regularly? How do you choose which to support? Like most people, those charities that have impacted the lives of those close to me are important.

For example, The Northern Ireland Cancer Centre and the Alzheimer’s Society would be high on my list. 6. Do you believe that companies and individuals have a duty to help others? If yes, why? I would rather phrase that in terms of companies and individuals wanting to help rather than necessarily having a duty to do so. I think that moving to a situation where you don’t think twice about helping is where we need to be. However, there is an onus on potential recipients of support to be really clear about what they want and what the impact of your contribution of time, money or other support will do. 7. What is your message to business people who may be thinking about becoming more involved in strategic philanthropy? My message would be to get involved – there is a lot of help and good practice out there and Giving Northern Ireland is a great starting point. Whether it’s an overview of the possible

or some hand-holding for the more innovative approaches, there’s really practical help on hand. Plus the opportunity to learn from other businesses and organisation in terms of what works in particular sectors and locations is always a good thing, 8. Giving Northern Ireland was set up last year 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? Giving Northern Ireland is a great initiative as it is a dynamic catalyst for awareness of the power of giving as well as helping individuals and organisations to focus on what they can do. Recently, The Open University, along with Queen’s and Ulster, has worked closely with Giving Northern Ireland on a bursary scheme. For me, that experience was exceptional as Giving Northern Ireland helped shape our thinking in a much more strategic way.

Eye on Communications

Atlas Celebrate their 100th with a Very Lucky Mascott One of Northern Ireland’s leading building companies, Mascott Construction, has just become the 100th customer to benefit from super-connected broadband fitted by Atlas Communications.

tlas is a registered supplier under the Belfast City Council superconnected cities scheme, which gives businesses with inadequate broadband speed vouchers worth up to £3,000 to install high speed broadband connections. Mascott, based at Heron Road in Belfast, has an enviable reputation for the delivery of bespoke, high quality projects over a wide range of construction sectors, including education, hospital, industrial, commercial, retail and housing projects. “We have grown with great speed since our formation in 1988,” said IT Manager Sam Gaw, “but one thing that was hampering our ability to do business as efficiently as we wanted to was the very slow broadband speed in the area. “Trying to get 8, 9 or 10 people connected at the same time led to bottlenecks, with some people not being able to get connected at all. Meanwhile downloading and uploading tenders took forever – and sometimes we even had to start all over again.” Mascott looked at the potential for leasing a line, but there was no facility to lay fibre optic cable within the Belfast Harbour estate and Sam says the estimates they did get from certain suppliers were ”coming in like telephone numbers”.

(l-r) Manus Savage, Atlas Communications Programme Manager with 100th Superconnected Customer Sam Gaw, IT Manager at Mascott Construction

Atlas came to the rescue with wireless broadband. The service was installed at the Mascott premises and made a huge immediate improvement to their communications. “As the work was covered by the Superconnected voucher, we only had to pay for the VAT, which was refundable,” added Sam. “The monthly service charge is extremely competitive with other broadband providers. “It’s made a big difference to our communications, helping us to get things done much more efficiently - the only $64,000 dollar question is why we didn’t get it done with Atlas a lot faster in the first place!” Atlas Communications, one of Northern Ireland’s leading suppliers of tailored data, internet and telephony

communications solutions, is the first provider of superfast broadband to businesses under the Superconnected Cities Voucher Scheme. The company, which has been operating for over 30 years, uses brand new infrastructure from a number of strategic high points across the city to roll out high speed wireless broadband to both the business community and the public sector. “We aim to deliver broadband at a price that fits most businesses and do it a way that is high impact, rapidly deployable and with as little disruption as possible,” said Manus Savage, Atlas Programme Manager. “As well as offering high speed downloads similar to fibre to the cabinet services, our service provides higher upload speeds

making it ideal for media and content intensive businesses. “For those businesses with previously limited broadband capacity this service opens up much greater access to cloud based and remote access services providing new options for how an organisation chooses to operate.”

To find out more about the Connection Voucher Scheme contact Manus Savage at Atlas Communications at sales@ atlas-comms.com or call the Sales Team on 028 9078 6868.

Eye on Events

DFC Dine Around Deans to Celebrate 25 Years Uel Butler, Chief Executive, Peter Shaw Managing Director and Trevor Armstrong Remarketing Director along with some of their staff treated over 50 customers and their partners to Dine Around Deans with DFC to celebrate their 25 years in Business. The two nights in November began with a champagne reception and cocktail master class followed by a trip around Belfast on the DFC double decker bus. A sumptuous meal was enjoyed at Deanes Howard street, finishing off at Deanes deli for entertainment. The renown DFC Hospitality was in full force and as the photographs show a fantastic night was had by all.

Eye on Events

Eye on Finance

Firms Face Up To Public Sector Spending Cuts Gary Coburn, Regional Sales Director (asset finance) at Close Brothers Commercial Finance, talks to us about how cuts in Northern Ireland’s public sector could have significant financial consequences for private sector businesses.

orthern Ireland’s reliance on the public sector is by no means a well-guarded secret. Almost a third of our workforce, or almost 210,000 people, are employed by public sector organisations, while public spending per head is higher here than in any other region in the UK*. At a cost of £20 billion each year, it creates a significant financial burden for our economy, and is an ever-present theme in Northern Ireland’s political agenda, particularly as the government seeks to reduce our economic deficit. Discussions and consultations on public expenditure have been ongoing for a number of years, but in recent weeks we have witnessed the most significant development to date. In December, the main political parties unanimously committed to the Stormont House Agreement, a strategic plan to make substantial cuts. A decision that has been much debated, it will implement long-term reforms that will reduce overheads and lead to potential redundancies and smaller resource levels in the public sector. Yet while the obvious impact for public organisations has been widely acknowledged, there are equally serious consequences for the private sector that have not received the same attention. The ramifications will be felt by a vast number of businesses across Northern Ireland, as the network of services and suppliers connected to public organisations stretches across a multitude of industries and professions. Private companies with clients and contracts within the public sector could lose a significant portion of their business, and by extension firms whose private clients are heavily involved in the public sector are also at risk.

As margins are squeezed, budgets are reduced and contracts are renegotiated, many firms could be left facing financial challenges. Consequently, these companies will be forced to seek additional income and funding to replace the loss of business and to simply maintain their operations and working capital. This will place further pressure on banks and lenders to step forward and provide financial support. Demand for funding is already being spurred on by the economic recovery, and we may see this grow further when these cuts are implemented. Figures from the latest Close Brothers Business Barometer, an independent quarterly survey of SME owners and senior managers from a range of sectors, found that three-quarters of businesses in Northern Ireland believe the worst of the economic downturn is behind us. Furthermore, 91% of firms are planning to invest in their operations in 2015. Amidst this positivity, the recent discussions that paved the way for devolved Corporation Tax powers in Northern Ireland from 2017 have delivered an equally welcome boost to the private sector. A lower Corporation Tax rate will facilitate greater growth, allowing the creation of new jobs and the attraction of outside investment to our economy. In the face of the public sector cuts, there remains a cautious optimism, and the critical step now is for businesses to understand the potential impact these changes in our economy will have. Companies will need to ensure that they have the appropriate funding to capitalise on opportunities for growth, and boost their cash reserves as public sector work decreases. Close Brothers is actively working alongside businesses in Northern Ireland, providing

funding to manage the impact of the cuts and equipping firms with the necessary financial support to react to a changing marketplace. Our range of tailored invoice and asset finance products allows firms to access funds tied up in their existing business, boosting their cash flow or facilitating the purchase of new machinery and equipment. We help businesses to find the funding they need to fulfill their ambitions and unlike many mainstream lenders, we recognise that no two firms are the same. Rather than offering standard off-theshelf packages, our specialist team uses their experience across a wide range of sectors to create a solution that is designed for each individual company. Our commitment is to support businesses in Northern Ireland, helping them to unlock their potential as they react to an everchanging economy and working to ensure that a very public problem doesn’t harm a private sector bursting with potential. *House of Commons, July 2014, Public sector employment and expenditure by region

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

New thinking about energy

www.electricireland.com LoCall 0845 309 8138

Eye on Electric Ireland Top Performer Of The Month

Brenda Buckley of Business Eye presents Tim Husbands (second left) with his Top Performer trophy. Looking on are Alan Cunningham (left) and Patrick McCarney from Electric Ireland.

TITANIC CHIEF RECEIVES INAUGURAL TOP PERFORMER AWARD Business Eye has joined forces with Electric Ireland to recognise some of the top performers of the Northern Ireland business community in a new monthly award series. The first recipient of the Electric Ireland Business Eye Top Performer Award is Titanic Belfast Chief Executive Tim Husbands... in the month after the iconic centre welcomed its two millionth visitor.

t isn’t the first time that Tim Husbands has been recognised for the contribution that he’s made to the ongoing regeneration of Belfast and to the development of its tourism product. Just last year, he made the trip to Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE from Her Majesty The Queen. Husbands might be a native of Nottingham, but he likes to think of himself as an honorary Belfast man, and

there are few who would argue with the description. Before he took the top job at Titanic Belfast prior to its opening close to three years ago, he was in charge of two other Belfast landmark venues.....the Belfast Waterfront Hall and the Ulster Hall. He also took the role of Head of Belfast City Events & Venues for a spell from 2009, a period that included the Tall Ships Festival in the same year and the memorable MTV Europe Music

Awards at the Odyssey Arena in 2011. Before his career took him across the Irish Sea, he served as Managing Director of the Riviera Centre in Torquay, one of the major conference and leisure facilities in the south west of England. One of his personal career highlights wasn’t the second time that he met Her Majesty The Queen – to receive his MBE at the Palace – but the first time, when The Queen and Prince Philip officially opened Titanic Belfast. There’s little doubt that Tim Husbands, through successive roles at the Ulster Hall, Waterfront Hall, Belfast City Council and at Titanic Belfast, has been one of the key drivers of Belfast as a fast-growing venue for tourists and business visitors alike. The landmark moments have come

thick and fast for Husbands. Back in May of last year, he presided over Titanic’s hosing of the Giro d’Italia cycle race. And he celebrated another milestone at Christmas when Titanic Belfast officially welcomed its two millionth visitor, just 32 months after it opened its doors to the public. The centre is due to celebrate its third birthday on 31st March and it’s exceeding all visitor, conference and banqueting targets. Tim Husbands is looking forward to seeing the visitor attraction host more events that will continue to fuel Belfast’s development.

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Eye on Agri Food

Duo: John Russell, right, managing director of Glenarm Organic Salmon, and left, Norman Murray, commercial director

Glenarm... Tasting Greater Success Through Innovation Innovation is the Holy Grail of most companies. Sam Butler talked to John Russell, managing director of Glenarm Organic Salmon, about the company’s investment in the first of a planned series of innovative products.

ohn Russell saw a hugely important milestone in the development of Glenarm Organic Salmon, the Co Antrim company he has guided as managing director since 2008, successfully passed over Christmas.

Glenarm Superior fish from Northern Ireland’s only Atlantic fish farm

Glenarm Organic, the only Atlantic fish farm business in Northern Ireland, launched a unique and superior organic smoked salmon that carries forward its success in supplying fresh salmon to high-end restaurants and hotels from San Francisco to London, Dubai and Hong Kong. The new salmon is the first move by the ambitious company into premium value-added products and has been influenced by the demand for a superior smoked salmon from its existing customers in particular. “We’ve taken our time in developing the smoked salmon because we wanted to get the right cure for a really distinctive flavour,” says John Russell, who brought a wealth of experience in fish farming, particularly from his native Scotland, when he joined Glenarm. “We worked with an experienced local curer, Ewings in Belfast, a company which has been smoking fish for over a century, to create a unique flavour of a premium product. It’s also required substantial investment in quality packaging formats such as high-end gift boxes and in marketing activities. In addition to supplying foodservice outlets, we see tremendous opportunities to

develop high-end retail business for the smoked salmon.” What sets Glenarm’s organic smoked salmon apart is the total control the company has over farming, harvesting, curing and distribution operations. The salmon also benefits enormously from the location of the farms in the healthy and invigorating waters of the Atlantic. The salmon is an excellent source of polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids. These can assist in blood circulation by lowering blood fats and preventing clot formation. Researchers believe that by improving blood circulation, Omega-3 reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. He strengthened the company’s marketing by hiring Norman Murray, a highly experienced marketer, who has played a key role in the development of the new smoked salmon product and in building international business. Russell’s fascination with aquaculture and in particular salmon started when his father would take him fishing to the remote and picturesque sea lochs of North West Scotland. “When it came to choosing my career path I was looking to follow

my father and his father before him and to qualify as an electrical engineer. However, at a local career’s fair, I met the person who was in charge of the aquaculture research unit on the very sea loch I had been so intrigued with some seven years previously. “I found what he had to say about the business quite inspirational and within half an hour my mind was made up. I wanted to pursue a career in aquaculture. I guess I was probably influenced by those fishing experiences as a teenager. Working outdoors in such a beautiful setting as one of those Scottish lochs really appealed The experience of working with this wonderful fish and seeing them grow from young hatchlings to 15kg. bars of silver was - and still is - amazing and something that still excites me even after more than 20 years in the aquaculture business. And it probably always will,” he adds. At Glenarm, he found a business that had “fantastic potential” and decided that he would really like to get involved in helping “to move the enterprising company and its brand to a position of unrivalled excellence”. “It was a tremendous opportunity to build a business and, indeed, a new industry in Northern Ireland. Aquaculture was then a novel concept in Northern Ireland. I was inspired both by the company’s potential and the setting in the wonderful Glenarm Bay. Indeed the whole environment of the Antrim Glens is immensely inspiring.” But within a week of starting work at Glenarm the business was totally wiped out by unprecedented invasion of exotic jelly fish. Rebuilding the fish farms and international business has taken considerable time and tremendous investment by the board. The business is now stronger than ever, has a global business base and is poised to develop other value added products in addition to the smoked salmon. “Developing a portfolio of valueadded products was always at the core of our strategy for the growth of the business. We’re now well on the way to achieving this objective. Other innovative organic salmon products are in the pipeline,” he adds.

Continuous Commitment As a client of Caulfield Corporate you will form a relationship with our company and we will be a long term partner for your business. That is why we put a premium on getting to know you and your organisation. We put your needs first and we will always keep it that way.

Insurance & Risk Advisors

Caulfield Corporate 162 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 6AL T: 028 9066 1999 F: 028 9066 3560 caulfieldcorporate.com

Eye on News

Fundraising Is ‘Wee Buns’ For Anna Move aside Mary Berry, the Phoenix Bake Book has arrived. In an effort to raise funds for the Energy for Children Charitable Trust, the staff of Phoenix Natural Gas have collaborated to create a book of their favourite recipes.

ome baking has seen a resurgence in popularity and the Bake Book was designed to appeal to all skill levels from beginner to expert. Junior baker, Anna Pollock, helped to edit the recipe book and she said; “Baking is an absolute passion of mine and so I was delighted to be involved in this creative process to bring these recipes together, in turn raising funds to help local disadvantaged children.”

Michael Magill from the Phoenix Natural Gas fundraising committee commented, “We always try to come up with new and interesting ideas to raise funds for this worthwhile charity and I know this has been a particular favourite for staff. There are some staff recipes included that have been handed down through the generations in their family.” The Energy for Children Charitable Trust was set up by Phoenix Natural

Gas and the wider natural gas industry with the aim of helping local disadvantaged children. Phoenix covers all administration costs so that every penny raised goes directly to local disadvantaged youngsters. To date the

charity has helped over 5,000 children. Pic: Junior baker, Anna Pollock, helps Michael Magill, Abigail McCarter and Gareth Wright from the Phoenix natural Gas fundraising committee with the Bake Book.

Titanic Belfast Welcomes TWO-MILLIONTH Visitor Belfast man Michael Sweeney is visitor attraction’s extra special guest

itanic Belfast has welcomed its two-millionth visitor – just 32 months after the visitor attraction opened at the birthplace of the world’s most famous ship, Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. Michael Sweeney, 25, a former St Malachy’s College pupil from north Belfast became the latest milestone visitor when he booked tickets to the nine-gallery exhibition that tell the story of Titanic and Belfast’s maritime history. Having welcomed its two-millionth visitor, Titanic Belfast has once again exceeded visitor number expectations, with visitors coming from more than 145 countries. Michael Sweeney, who works in finance with KPMG, arrived at Titanic Belfast with girlfriend Tainá Myra De Castro from João Pessoa, Brazil, to be greeted with a VIP reception welcome, led by Belfast Lord Mayor Nichola Mallon and the visitor attraction’s CEO, Tim Husbands MBE, before cutting a celebratory cake. Michael said: “Just like Jack said in the (TITANIC) movie, I feel like the king of the world, if only for the day! It’s great to be the two-millionth visitor to Titanic Belfast. I have

been looking forward to visiting for quite a while and now I won’t forget my first visit. This is an amazing visitor attraction, something everyone in Northern Ireland should be rightfully proud of.” Titanic Belfast CEO Tim Husbands MBE, said: “It seems like only yesterday that Titanic Belfast opened and helped turn the city of Belfast into a major player in the global tourism market. We are three months short of our third birthday and already we are celebrating our two-millionth visitor. This is a tremendous achievement. “Belfast has made enormous strides as a destination of choice for tourists and Titanic Belfast is very proud to have played a significant role in its transformation. We would like to thank the efforts of our staff, visitors, stakeholders and sponsors who have made Titanic Belfast the number one tourist attraction in Northern Ireland and one of the top attraction’s in Ireland.” Belfast Lord Mayor, Nichola Mallon said: “It’s great news for tourism in the city of Belfast that Titanic Belfast is now celebrating its 2-millionth visitor less than

three years after opening. Titanic Belfast has played a significant role in the transformation of Belfast and we look forward to welcoming many more millions of visitors in the future.” Not only is Titanic Belfast a ‘must see’ for visitors to Ireland, it is also the place to be seen for celebrities including James Cameron, Julian Fellowes, Titanic

discoverer Dr Robert Ballard, Rod Stewart, Journey, Carrie Underwood, Michael Bublé, and politicians such as Hillary Clinton, David Cameron and Shinzō Abe. During the 2012 centenary anniversary of Titanic’s maiden voyage, TITANIC movie director James Cameron described the Titanic Belfast experience as “magnificent and dramatic”.

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Eye on Internet

United Breaks Guitars But Nobody Cares By Gareth Dunlop, Fathom.

The poster children of the social media revolution may have reached adolescence but still have plenty of growing up to do. United breaks guitars but people still fly with them. Fedex lobs expensive monitors over the iron gates and gets caught on CCTV but people still send packages with them. Ryanair garners 1m negative comments on Facebook (surely the dislike button needs to be added, if for them alone?) for people giving off about a 60 Euro charge for printing out a boarding pass at the airport but people still travel with the airline.

nd so it goes on; the people have spoken famously against Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King, Snickers, Honda, Natwest, Starbucks, GoDaddy and Habitat however the people not-so-famously still eat, drive, drink and buy the products and services which those companies purvey. Sure, the various social media challenges they’ve faced have been embarrassing, and they shouldn’t have happened, however they are far from the “disasters” that the blogosphere would have you believe they are. A well-timed follow-up press release or a Tiger-Woods-esque tearful statement from a humbled CEO, and equilibrium is apparently restored. No-one is pretending that these things are good for the organisations in question, or that their reputation is enhanced by it, but one is left pondering if anyone gives a damn about the fact that this stuff has happened. Or do enough people give a damn in enough numbers for us to assert that these occurrences have impacted brand reputation materially or negatively influenced sales? I doubt it. Or to ask the question another way, how many randomers on social networks does it take to have the same impact as a single Which article? Perhaps I’m just rallying against my own social media group. Within my own Twitter and Facebook circles, I often read “F**k you [ insert airline here ], I had a big meeting in London today and your cancelled flight means I won’t make it. WE ARE TRYING

TO DO WIN BUSINESS.” or “Do NOT eat at [ insert restaurant here ], I knew from the minute we arrived that the waitress didn’t like my new hair-style, and the Irish coffee was made with an inferior whiskey” or my own personal bête-noire (admittedly only marginally related to the topic at hand) “Here is a picture of little Johnny winning the cup. Don’t know where he gets his good looks, brains, talent, sporting ability etc from. #chipofftheoldblock”. I bet you see those kinds of posts on your Twitter feed and Facebook newsfeed too, yes? And like me, I bet your social contacts who write that stuff are the self-obsessed, whose lives seem full of first world problems #valetparkingslowoutsidecheeseshoptoday. The harsh reality would appear to be that we remain too cheap to really care too much about occasional organisational faux-pas and that if businesses still offer us the right product in the right place at the right price which has been well promoted, we’ll buy. The power pendulum, which preInternet was swinging firmly on the side of the organisation has of course swung firmly towards the customer. However that power isn’t exercised in the headline grabbing broken guitars of United or by individuals giving off about grounded flights, or by Honda getting caught asking staff to say great stuff about their cars, or by Starbucks responding to a comedian who said their coffee smells of toilet. Rather, influence is exercised in the humdrum business of comments,

ratings, and reviews for products and services on e-commerce and third party review sites. Even then, it only impacts reputation materially when customers comment in adequate numbers. It is of course better for organisations if these comments, ratings and reviews are positive rather than negative, however a celebrity endorsement or positive review from an authority figure still trumps thousands if not millions of comments from the average punter. So United doesn’t break guitars. It broke Dave Carroll of little-known Canadian Country and Western outfit Sons of Maxwell’s guitar. Maybe they just reached the same conclusion that the rest of us reached some time ago, that the world has enough Canadian Country and Western music already.

Gareth Dunlop owns and runs Fathom, a user-experience consultancy which helps ambitious organisations get the most from their website and internet marketing by viewing the world from the perspective of their customers. Specialist areas include user-testing, usability and customer journey planning, web accessibility and integrated online marketing. Clients include Invest NI, Power NI, 3 Mobile, Ordnance Survey Ireland, and Independent News and Media. Visit Fathom online at fathom.pro.

Eye on Digital

2015 and Beyond: A Time for the Internet of Ideas Back in November The Web Summit arrived in Dublin. And for a brief, beautiful week, nerds ruled the streets.

articular attention was paid at the event to the industries of health, education, politics and aid. Much of the conversation at the main stage was given over to how tech and ‘the internet of things’ can fix a world of broken things - like poverty, education, isolation, terrorism, cancer, obesity, etc. There were a lot of words been thrown around with little weight or understanding behind them - like ‘content’, ‘micromarketing’ and ‘big data’. And trends. Boy, do people love trends. And in January I am reminded again about this obsession in business for ‘what’s next’. 3D Printed Personalities? Hover-boards? SnapCat?! (An app I’ve just invented that combines two top trending items - SnapChat and Cats. Erm, patent pending.) But then I was also reminded that one of the most interesting ‘aside’ parts of that conversation was occurring on the smaller stages - away from the Bono talks and the thinly disguised sales pitches. And it was this: Just how much of a positive effect can new tech have, if the system it is built for is broken? Take education for example... How much can tech really improve our ability to learn (as adults, children or infants), if the curriculum and its basic teaching methods are outdated? If we still put so much pressure on teachers to be data logger, therapist, lesson planner and experts in all things - rather than just a much better engager and facilitator? If we do not educate the educators in technology? If we still measure students on how much knowledge they can regurgitate, rather than how they can apply and use it? If an ‘effective’ classroom of today can still look exactly like the classroom your granny sat in?

The talks on health also made me think. It seems that ultimately, we need to push two ideas alongside the amazing health innovations that are making daily appearances in the news. First, is the empowerment of the patient through self-knowledge - that a patient should ultimately be the expert on their own health, their family history, the secrets locked within their personal genetic code. Secondly, is the idea that health needs to be addressed as something we assess, check and maintain regularly - we should not be waiting for symptoms to find out we are sick. We need to start using technology to find our potential health challenges before they start causing us problems. In both education and health, what we need in 2015 is not necessarily new tech, it’s new ideologies.

“In the industrial and agricultural revolutions, there was a marriage of both ‘new things’ and ‘new ideas’. The tech revolution is no different.”

And then there are the issues of privacy and personal freedoms... of security, of governance, of the right to be forgotten and the right to ‘remember, remember the fifth of November’. Whatever you think of Anonymous or what we do with ‘life after Snowdon’ we must all agree that ideologies are coming to the forefront of the internet, so we better start talking about them. Hell, they’re coming to the forefront of the biggest world news stories. In the industrial and agricultural

revolutions, there was a marriage of both ‘new things’ and ‘new ideas’. The tech revolution is no different. This argument of digital ideals is only beginning to unfold - as different groups jostle in the battle for online privacy and freedom of expression, versus using personal data to protect and inform. In the last week we have seen it dialled up a notch further, as Anonymous announce their intentions after the attack on Charlie Hebdo and subsequent aftermath. A hefty final step firmly in politics for the original meme makers and fathers of nyan cat. Hacking has grown up. Hacking has ideologies. In short, we are entering the era of the hacktivist. I actually believe this is an exciting area for brands, organisations and businesses because, ultimately, a successful brand is based on ideologies. #RebootIreland could have learnt a lot from that - as “We’ve no ideas, but hey there’s a hashtag.” is an all to familiar phrase in the business and political boardroom. Good marketing today (and in fact, always) should involve explaining your brand story - your ideology, where you are coming from, your vision... what you stand for. Through driving home this ideology internally and externally, brands and businesses can not only create and communicate a clear and exciting positioning for themselves, but can also play a role in driving genuine positive change in how we think as consumers and how the behave internally, for the better. It’s no longer about being part of the broadcasting network, it’s about fitting in, seemlessly into the online conversation. At the right place, at the right time and never ever just ‘for the sake of it’. It’s not about jumping on

by Rachel Ray (Strategic Planner) of digital agency Simply Zesty a ‘trending’ topic on Twitter, it’s about engaging in the ones that matter to you or your brand, thus making a real contribution. It’s going to get ruthless. Not everyone will survive. 99% of top examples of marketing fails for 2014 all involved a brands not acting ethically in unplanned situations, having the wrong opinion versus it’s core consumers or, worse, no opinion on at all. Take Uber for example - the cab company that upped their taxi charges to astronomical levels when everyone was trying to get from a hostage situation. Or CocaCola, who cut their gay couple out of their TV ads in ROI. In both cases one could say the brands weren’t to blame - it was the legislation, it was the tech. But it’s how they reacted when brought up on it that was the issue. Holding your hands up rather than holding an opinion is no longer OK in 2015. No longer will we be able to hide behind some ‘jazz hands’ and a smart new piece of tech. You must have an idea and you must have an opinion. So make sure you do. And make sure your whole team are on board with your brand policies and opinions - particularly those in charge of your social media. A word to the wise though, be sure to be authentic and transparent - or suffer the consequences of the crowd.

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Eye on Moving On 1 Karl Wilkinson has been appointed Franchisee Consultant at McDonald’s Restaurants. Karl began working for McDonald’s in 1992 when franchisee Des Lamph opened the first Drive Thru in Northern Ireland, and continued to work in the restaurant during school and university.

1 Karl Wilkinson

2 Chris Pollock

3 Keri Smyth

2 Chris Pollock has joined leading PR agency LK Communications as a PR Account Manager. Chris has spent over eight years in the communications industry in a career that has included a number of in-house and agency roles in New York, Melbourne, 3 Dublin and Northern Ireland. Also at LK, Keri Smyth becomes PR Account Executive. Keri holds a degree in Marketing and Event Management from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh and previously worked as a marketing executive in the drinks and luxury lifestyle industry. And 4 Rachel Sinton is appointed as a Senior PR Account Executive. Rachel holds a BSC (Hons) degree in Communication with Public Relations and has over two years’ experience in the industry. Rachel previously worked as a Corporate Affairs executive at Vodafone Ireland, based in Dublin. 5 Beth McMaw has been appointed Director of Forde May Consulting Limited. A Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (MCIPD), Beth has managed a wide range of recruitment and HR assignments across the private, public and voluntary sectors.

4 Rachel Sinton

5 Beth McMaw

6 Mark Winlow

6 Mark Winlow has been appointed as the new Chair of Newry-based Autoline Insurance Group’s Advisory Board. Winlow has a number of nonexecutive roles within the industry including Chairman of Ageas Insurance and Lloyd’s brokerRFIB. Until late 2012, Mark headed up KPMG’s General Insurance practice and has previously led Zurich UK’s personal lines business. 7 Nicole Curran, an Accountant with PKF-FPM Accountants Limited, has been elected President of the Newry Junior Chamber of Commerce and Trade. Other Officers elected for the coming year included: Vice President Gareth Tinnelly from John Tinnelly & Sons Limited; Treasurer Lisa Doran from Bank of Ireland; and Secretary Clare Vallely of The Rug House.

7 Nicole Curran

8 Symon Ross

9 Clare Hillis

8 Symon Ross has become the latest former Ulster Business magazine editor to go into PR having been appointed Head of Corporate PR at MCE Public Relations. He was previously a business journalist for almost 15 years, working for daily newspapers, newswires, magazines and broadcast media in Belfast, London and New Zealand. Vodafone UK has today announced the appointment 9 of Clare Hillis as Head of Business for Northern Ireland. Clare has been a key driving force for the Vodafone Northern Ireland team and most recently was responsible for leading the growth of its Public Sector business in the region. Prior to this she was head of Public Sector accounts with Cable&Wireless Worldwide and also spent ten years with a large telecommunications provider as a Business Sales Manager.

10 Ewan Zhu

11 Dr. Stewart McWilliams

12 Laura Montgomery

Co Down based food company, Willowbrook Foods, has strengthened its commercial offering with the appointment of a dedicated Beansprouts 10 Sales Manager, Ewan Zhu. Ewan, who has a strong proven record in agrifood sales, will work closely with the NPD team at Willowbrook’s Innovation Centre to ensure consumer and customer needs are meet through new flavour combinations and product development. Almac Group has announced four key appointments. 11 Dr. Stewart McWilliams is appointed Vice President Quality & Regulatory Affairs at Almac Diagnostics. He has worked at Almac 12 for more than 10 years. Laura Montgomery becomes Senior Market Insight Director at Almac Group having previously worked as a Project Director with a Manchester-based healthcare market research consultancy.

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FLYBE BEGINS NEW BELFAST CITY TO LIVERPOOL SERVICE Flybe has commenced flights on a new year round service from George Best Belfast City Airport to Liverpool John Lennon Airport offering a choice of up to three flights a day, increasing to four at the end of March.

iverpool Airport is a short ten minute drive right into the heart of the business district, delivering easy and convenient access for business travellers. Sports fans will also benefit from the new service with both Anfield and Goodison Park located just 10 miles away. Paul Simmons, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We are committed to providing easy and affordable connectivity throughout the UK at competitive prices with maximum flexibility and choice. This new service is sure to have extensive multi sector appeal - business travellers will enjoy speedy city to city connections whilst the 2000 students from Northern Ireland who are

engaged in further education in Liverpool will also benefit from competitive fares and generous student baggage allowances. From 2nd February until 28th March 2015 Flybe will operate three flights daily, Monday to Friday, beginning with an outbound departure from Belfast at 07.00 and the last return flight leaving Liverpool at 20.30. There is one return flight on both Saturday and Sunday. The summer schedule which begins on 29th March sees the addition of a fourth return flight each weekday and an extra rotation on Saturdays. Seats are on sale at www. flybe.com from £24.99 one way including taxes and charges. With the addition of this new route to Liverpool, Flybe offers a total of 15 routes from Belfast City Airport with a choice of up to 526 flights per week.

Flybe First Officer, James Grenville Smith, with ardent Liverpool fans, Marc Matthews, left and Jack Thompson.....in a photograph which might not please the blue half of the footballing city which the airline is now serving from Belfast City Airport.

KESTREL IN INVESTMENT MOVE Kestrel Foods, the NI-based dried fruit and nut business, is investing over £750,000 in new processing and packaging technology to drive export sales, supported by Invest Northern Ireland.

he Portadown based company, which owns the Forest Feast and Acti-Snack brands, is receiving assistance of £60,000 from Invest NI towards supporting its export growth strategy, which includes the introduction of the new production and packaging machinery and the creation of 11 additional jobs. Brian Dolaghan, Invest NI’s Director of Business and Sector Development, announced support for the expansion during a visit to the company. Mr Dolaghan said: “This is a very

important strategic expansion by a company which has invested steadily in its products and sales outside Northern Ireland. Kestrel Foods’ expansion includes the introduction of new technology and staff to enable it to achieve a significant uplift in sales outside Northern Ireland, particularly in emerging markets it has pinpointed such as Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Italy and Asia Pacific. “Kestrel is an impressive exportled company, a tremendous role model of what a smaller business can achieve from ongoing investment in innovative products and processes focused on sales abroad. As a result, the business now has very solid platforms in Europe and Hong Kong on which to build further international sales. The new machinery and resulting additional products will enable Kestrel to go further, faster,

in global markets,” he added. Outlining the investment strategy, Michael Hall, Managing Director, Kestrel Foods, said: “2014 has been a significant year for our business. We have experienced both domestic and

international sales growth for our Forest Feast brand and had an excellent response to our new sports nutrition range, Acti-Snack, across the UK, Ireland and international markets. In fact, our brands are now available in over 36 countries.”

Michael Hall (right) of Kestrel Foods with Invest NI’s Brian Dolaghan

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Eye on Competition

Business Eye Exclusive Reader Competition Win a week’s France Summer NLP Business Training and Certification! Business Eye has teamed up with King NLP to provide one reader with this fantastic opportunity. The prize includes return flight from Dublin, accommodation in the Chateau for 7 nights, airport transfers, breakfast, lunch and 4 evening meals. Your training will be hosted at the magnificent Chateau Domaine des Granges Vieille, Souillac sur Dordogne, Lot France, 13-20th June 2015.

he NLP Practitioner Course is an intensive programme that gives you an exciting & fun ‘hands-on’ introduction to all the fundamentals of NLP. Frequently known as the “users manual for your mind”, the course will provide a toolkit to enable you to think and act differently and so achieve greater personal development

and professional goals. In a nutshell, how to get even better results, even faster. The successful entrant of the £2,500 course will be announced in the June edition of the magazine. There is pre-study requirement and with a 130 page manual, 16 CD audio programme, Integration Paper as well as the Certified live training, coaching and accreditation.

Douglas King is a certified ANLP International certified Trainer and Coach and has delivered this programme in New York, Los Angeles and France, to a diverse range of 130 companies and individuals. The programme is a powerful set of techniques, models and principles that is guaranteed to demonstrate better outcomes across a wide range of business and personal goals.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter go to www.kingnlp.co.uk and click on the Business Eye Magazine Competition banner. Answer the question and register for the free 8 day Introduction to NLP that will be emailed daily directly to your inbox. The closing date for entries is 8th May. The winner will be notified by registered post.

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Eye on News

CBRE BOOSTS BELFAST TEAM WITH KEY SENIOR HIRES CBRE has shaken up the commercial property scene in Belfast by signing up three senior directors from rivals Osborne King.

olin Matthewson, Robert Ditty and Andrew Coggins (all former directors at Osborne King) are joined at an expanding CBRE team, by consultant Joel Callaghan, ex-Certus and Bank of Scotland Ireland, and by Deborah Cromie qwho has returned to the property firm after a two years secondment at Ulster Bank. Commenting on the appointments, Brian Lavery Managing Director at CBRE Belfast said: “We anticipate a very active 2015 in terms of property transactions having closed out 2014 with a number of

significant sales and acquisitions. “The sale of the NAMA portfolio as well as other large bank debt portfolios has attracted local and international interest to Northern Ireland and we anticipate the trend of high transaction volumes to continue in 2015. The value of property here is still very appealing to investors looking to acquire prime property assets at a relatively competitive price.” He added: “Our new hires position us well to take advantage of the pick-up in the market, and allow us to deliver the breadth and depth of commercial

L-R) Colin Mathewson, Deborah Cromie, Joel Callaghan, Robert Ditty, Andrew Coggins, Brian Lavery

property expertise and client service for which CBRE is internationally renowned. We are now uniquely positioned in the marketplace with

the ability to deliver specialist insight across all capital markets including the office, industrial, hotel and leisure, retail and healthcare sectors.”

Transport Firm Signs Up With Kerr’s

Aodh Hannon with Norman Kerr (left)

Belfast To Host K Rugby Showpiece

rade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster joins Ulster Rugby Chief Executive Shane Logan and Ulster and Ireland star Chris Henry to welcome the announcement that the Guinness PRO12 Final 2015 will be held at Ulster Rugby’s Kingspan Stadium on Saturday May 30th 2015, the first time that the Guinness PRO12 has staged a ‘destination final’.

A series of events are being planned around the final itself over the weekend in Belfast. And all that remains, of course, is for Ulster Rugby to qualify for the final and a guaranteed home draw. At the time of writing, they’re fifth in the table....with the top four at the end of the season going into the playoffs for the final.

err’s Tyres has announced a three year deal with Hannon Transport to supply, fit and maintain all tyres for the companies fleet of over 300 units and trailers. Hannon is one of Ireland’s leading refrigerated haulage companys dealing with the transportation of cut flowers, plants, fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy from mainland Europe across the UK and Ireland. The three year deal, with an option to extend for a further three years, will focus on the supply, fit and maintenance of Fuel Efficiency tyres designed to reduce fuel costs and the number of breakdowns over the life of the contract. “At Hannon Transport we are very pleased to award this contract to Kerr’s

Tyres.” said Aodh Hannon, Managing Director of Hannon Transport, “So far we have seen our breakdowns drop from five per week to only five per month. This alone represents a significant saving for our business reducing the time spent idle at the side of the road and maximising the driving time of our drivers.” The contract, which is also one of Kerr’s Tyres market leading Pence Per Kilometre (PPK) contracts, is well placed to deliver significant savings over the lifetime of the contract. These savings will be achieved due to a number of factors such as the fuel efficiency of the tyres being fitted, a proactive preventative maintenance programme and the savings made through less breakdown time.

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Eye on Motoring

dfcbelfast.co.uk Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

NEW AUDI TT QUATTRO IS FULL OF STYLE AND PERFORMANCE Most of the cars I drive these days, like most of the cars that people buy, fall into the sensible category. So it was a pleasure to escape from the pc world and drive something that is unashamedly about style and driving pleasure.

am talking about the latest Audi TT sports coupe, a joy to behold and to drive. It is powered by a 2.0 litre petrol engine, turbo charged to extract 230PS of pure power. That means 0-62mph in 6 seconds and a top speed limited to 155mph. Those figures do not reflect the sheer effervescence of the TT - it can roar up through the gears or just toddle along a

country road. Put it into Dynamic mode and it enhances the engine note and even blips the throttle as you change down. With quattro all wheel drive and an admirable six speed, double clutch automatic gearbox all that power is kept under strict control. You can change gear yourself using the flaps on the steering wheel or just let the technology make seamless changes. Even

when the rain is lashing, the car feels stable and biddable. There are further treats inside this uber technik coupe. There is a colour screen behind the wheel onto which various virtual instruments and the navigation map can be projected. Crystal clear, this is the polished highlight of a beautiful interior. On the down side this is very much a 2plus2 cabin though the

rear seats fold down to enhance the boot capacity. Fuel consumption is stated at 47 mpg but you need iron self discipline to come anywhere near this as the TT just begs to be driven. It offers a lot for 35K. By way of reality check, Audi also offers a 181bhp diesel Ultra version of the TT which can reach 62mph in 7.1 seconds and costs from £29,770. It is rated at 67mpg combined and has emissions of just 110g/km.

DISCOVERY ADDS LUXURY TO ITS GO-ANYWHERE ABILITY They have been making them for 25 years so it is no surprise to find that the latest Discovery has been honed to a high level. The lettering on the bonnet suggests that the middleweight has become a sub brand on its own, sitting just below the ultimate Range Rover.

tep up into the driver’s seat and you are aware that this is now a luxury car as well as being a seriously capable off-road machine. It now has the 8 speed automatic gearbox with the rising rotary controller and paddles as first seen on Jaguars. That sets the tone for comfort and refinement. While there is a 340PS supercharged V6 petrol engine available, the well refined 3.0 litre TDV6 will be the engine of choice for business users. Even then it is to be seen as an indulgence with just 36mpg combined and emissions of 207g/km. That

will bring tears to the eyes of the company accountant. Still you get what you pay for - an awesome level of comfort, performance and capability. Driving the Discovery is a flattering experience - you sit with a commanding view of the road ahead and just let the technology do the talking. Adaptive cruise control is one of the latest options, keeping you at a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead on the motorway. There are apps to bring all sorts of services to the screen at the heart of the infotainment system. You can hold a conference call in your car or ask the

system to provide navigation, media streaming - including optional rear screens for the kids - storage of your phone

contacts, diary and music library. Prices for this unique and roomy vehicle now start from £40K, reflecting its sophistication.

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Eye on Motoring

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Eye on Motoring

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dfcbelfast.co.uk Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

FOCUS GETS SHARPER LOOKS AND MEAN NEW DIESEL ENGINE Visually, the stylish ‘Aston Martin’ front grille is the most noticeable change in the latest upgrade of the Ford Focus. It certainly sharpens up the visual appeal of Ford’s best selling hatchback.

ut the most significant changes are under the bonnet. The Focus gets two new engines claimed to be up to 15% more fuel efficient. Both are 1.5 litre capacity, one an EcoBoost petrol and the other a TDCI turbo diesel. Diesel will the company choice and a better drive than the previous 1.6 litre. The new 1.5 TDCI comes with outputs of 95 or 120PS. Both return an impressive 74mpg combined with emissions of

98g/km in six speed manual form. The 120 is best to drive, as it is more responsive and noise levels are subdued. On the road the Focus is as sharp and pleasing to drive as ever with some further tuning to the suspension giving a stiffer front end. To talk of driving ‘fun’ in today’s traffic is questionable, but the Focus drives well and demands little features that the long distance business driver will appreciate.

Inside, there is an eight inch touch screen to control the radio, navigation, climate control and mobile phones. The Park Assist has extra sensors so can auto park the car into either parallel or perpendicular slots. Other systems include City Stop and Adaptive Cruise Control. Ford’s MyKey technology allows owners to programme a key - usually for younger drivers

- that restricts top speed and the maximum volume of UIF TPVOE TZTUFN "EBQUJWF headlamps adjust the beam and intensity to suit the conditions. Prices start from £13.995 for the entry level Studio hatchback with an older 1.6 petrol engine. Those attractive new 1.5 diesels cost from £17,995 and estate car versions from £17,880.

HIGH TECH PASSAT GOES FOR EXECUTIVE HONOURS Has the eighth generation Passat got what it takes to challenge those posher badges? It certainly looks, drives and performs in another league to its plain Jane predecessors!

hat crisp new styling, with hints of the flagship Phaeton, gives it a more noticeable yet low-key presence on the road. There is more room inside, more luxury and a host of high tech options to match or even surpass its executive car rivals. Engines are all diesels at launch but they range from miserly 1.6 TDI Bluemotion models to a barnstorming bi-turbo 2.0 TDI offering 240PS and all wheel drive. All are Euro6 compliant in terms of emissions. Later this year, a 1.4 plug-in petrol hybrid will be added. The 1.6 TDI offers 120PS with 0-62mph in10.8 seconds.

I tried it with the 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox - a little flat to drive but cruises very quietly. Great potential for economy with a claimed 70mpg combined. Also a tax saver with emissions of 103 g/m. Mind you the 150PS 2.0 TDI isn’t far behind at 64mpg and it knocks a couple of seconds of that sprint. The 190PS version is sharper still and returns 61mpg combined. The bi-turbo can sprint to 62mph in just over 6 seconds but returns just 53mpg combined. A system to help you reverse trailers or caravans is one of the novel options available. Standard

safety features include post collision braking to prevent a second impact and a driver alert to warn if it feels you are nodding off. Options include lane assist, traffic jam assist, side scanners

and a pedestrian detection system that first sounds an alarm and then applies emergency braking. Prices for the Passat run from £22,215 to £35,505 with the estate costing£1,530 more.

Lateral thinking

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LAND IN LONDON. ACTUAL LONDON. We fly from Belfast City Airport to London City Airport. Not to Gatwick or Heathrow. On sale now from ÂŁ39.99 one way.

Available for travel from 27.10.14 to 28.03.15. Fares are one way including taxes and charges, only available on Flybe.com, subject to availability. No debit card fees apply. Bookings made by credit card will incur a fee of 3% of the total transaction value, with a minimum charge of ÂŁ5.00 per booking. Information correct at time of going to print.