Business Eye Oct Nov 2014 by Buckley Publications

Issue 145 Oct/Nov 2014 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

Judith Totten KEYS GOING FOR GROWTH Features: 10

UTV Business Eye Awards... 20-Page Special

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

Healthcare Takes Centre Stage

Oats... A Growing Business

Start - Ups

Support to match your ambition We know that the right support for your business will help bring opportunity within reach. We offer support, information and products to help you get off to the right start.

Find out what support is available at ulsterbank.co.uk/startup

Important Information Ulster Bank Limited. Registered in Northern Ireland. Registration Number R733. Registered office: 11-16 Donegall Square East, Belfast BT1 5UB. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, and entered on the Financial Services Register (Registration Number 122315). Calls may be recorded.

To enquire about options for your next conference or event contact enquiries@titanicbelfast.com

Contents

titanicbelfast.com NOV 2014 ISSUE 145

Cover Story

Judith Totten... Keys Going For Growth

Terminal Transfer

British Airways Area Manager Brenda Motgan talks about the transfer of BA’s Belfast flights to Heathrow’s state of the art Terminal 5, with first-class connections onto to airline’s global network.

UTV Business Eye Awards 2014 Donaghy & Decora Take Top Business Awards Eamonn Donaghy took the Business Personality of the Year Award and Lisburn-based Decora Blind Systems the Company of the Year title at the 2014 UTV Business Eye Awards with Flybe, held once again at the Culloden Estate and Spa in late October, and once again the showpiece night of the annual business calendar.

Let’s Celebrate Success Ellvena Graham, Head of Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland, reckons that it’s time to celebrate business success here, and says that the bank is playing its role in supporting local businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Linergy... Green With A Capital ‘G’ The winner of this year’s UTV Business Eye Green Company of the Year is a small Tyrone company with impeccable green credentials. Linergy turns food production waste into energy for further food production...

Healthcare Sector Business Eye Healthcare Awards... A First For Northern Ireland The first ever Business Eye Healthcare Awards took place in early October at Belfast’s Europa Hotel with the top organisations and individuals right across the healthcare spectrum in Northern Ireland being recognised. In assocation with 3fivetwo Group, the event was attended by over 300 guests and compered by UTV’s Marc Mallett.

Northern Ireland’s Tax Champion Eamonn Donaghy was chosen as Business Personality of the Year at the UTV Business Eye Awards as the driving force behind Grow NI, the campaign for devolved corporation tax in Northern Ireland. And it looks like the award could have been perfectly timed...

Care Circle Group is a group of 12 care homes dotted around Northern Ireland, but one which is managing to set new standards in a sector which has had more than its fair share of negative publicity over recent years.

Healthy Growth For Porridge Leader Autumn, it seems, is prime porridge season as more of us swap lighter breakfast options for a bowl of the warm stuff. Sam Butler talks to James Mathers, general manager of White’s Oats, Northern Ireland’s oat miller, about the future plans to grow the innovation-led business.

Eye On Giving Grainne Walsh, Head of Consultancy at Stratagem, talks about philanthropy and how she makes charity work part of her everyday professional life.

Air Travel Mike Rutter, formerly one of the top team at Flybe, is now calling the shots as Head of Revenue at Aer Lingus. He talks about the airline’s performance in the Belfast marketplace and possible future growth and expansion.

Eye on Events

Eye on Banking

Eye on Internet

102

Eye on Agri Food

Eye on Digital

Moving On

108

Eye on Law

Eye on Interiors

Eye on Motoring

111

Eye on Finance

Young Business Personality

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

Features & Promotions Manager Ciara Donnelly

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

Setting The Standards

Agri Food Sector

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

Southern Seafood Bob McCoubrey of the award-winning Mourne Seafood Bar on why the restaurant group’s next move has taken it amongst the foodies south of the border in Dublin.

Judith Totten has a passionate commitment to her role at Keys Commercial Finance, the business finance group which has pumped a total of £50 million into local companies since it arrived on the market here almost four years ago.

Regulars

Specials

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

It has to be good news for all of us that Ulster Bank has managed to pull itself back from the brink.

Comment

“Northern Ireland and the NE of England came out well ahead of the next two UK regions – Scotland and the West Midlands. In fact, it’s reckoned that the Northern Ireland Knowledge Economy has grown by 33% over recent years.”

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

News that the bank had returned to an operating profit (of £394 million) was followed by confirmation that its owners, Royal Bank of Scotland, won’t be seeking to offload what had once looked like its terminally ill Irish operation. The fact that Ulster Bank is back in the game is testament in part to its leadership team, as CEO Jim Brown was quick to point out, and in another part to the change in fortune for the economies north and south of the Irish border. Dublin, as everyone knows, is booming once again and Northern Ireland isn’t looking too bad either, tagging along on the back of the UK’s improving picture. Jim Brown talked at some length about Ulster Bank’s business lending and, this time around, made much less mention of the recovery of debts and the sell off of property portfolios. And, despite the fact that there will always be some residual bitterness in the wake of the crash, he’s right to move on and look to the future. Another bank chief looking to the future is Gerry Mallon at Danske Bank. Danske has posted a profit of £81 million for the first nine months of the year, along with a 13% rise in income. And so it is time to forget about blaming the banks for the financial crisis. Business needs them in a very vital sense, and it can only be good that they’re starting to get back to their collective feet once again.

On a very different subject, one of the best pieces of news to emerge in recent times was a report which showed that Northern Ireland (along with the North East of England) was the fastest growing knowledge economy region in the UK. The 2014 Knowledge Economy Index, commissioned by NISP Connect and sponsored by Bank of Ireland, looks at indicators including employment, salaries, venture capital investment, start ups and patent registrations.

Sponsored by

(028)

90 80 90 80 4

Northern Ireland and the NE of England came out well ahead of the next two UK regions – Scotland and the West Midlands. In fact, it’s reckoned that the Northern Ireland Knowledge Economy has grown by 33% over recent years. Theres little doubt that one of our best hopes for export growth is in knowledge economy based companies. And, as NISP’s Steve Orr pointed out at the launch of the report, it is critical that this isn’t just a piece of good news for all of us to smile about. Policies and actions, he says, are required to turn it into real economic good news. Quite what policies and actions he is talking about isn’t clear. And, if he’s waiting for the Stormont administration to do something, he might just as well forget about it. That said, he and the report make a very valid point about the value of the knowledge economy here and what can be achieved. But, at the end of the day, it will be up to the companies themselves to continue to make the running. That’s what they’ve done well to date...

And finally to the world of airports and air travel. The battle between Belfast’s two airports goes on, it seems. After a good summer and autumn for the International Airport – what with the arrival of new Wizz Air routes, some expension by easyJet and the cautious touchdown this summer of a Virgin Atlantic route – Belfast City Airport has scored twice in reply. First it welcomed the introduction of Flybe’s excellent new service connecting Belfast City with London City Airport, a route which deserves to be given a warm welcome by the Northern Ireland business community. Then it landed a twice weekly service to Barcelona which should, by rights, have gone up the road. It’s being operated by Spanish airline Vueling, the fastest-growing part of the Willie Walsh’s International Airlines Group (IAG), and forms part of an expansion of its Barcelona base. But, whatever the airport politics, both are routes to be welcomed for business, leisure and inward tourism reasons.

Connected

Ambitious Prepared

What an international business should be

“International trade can unlock significant growth but is often complex. So, whatever your sector, our Trade Portal has been developed to help you identify the largest markets, understand local regulations and connect with potential customers and suppliers on the ground. And with access to Trade Club, an exclusive online community for international businesses, we could give you the best chance of success overseas.”

Helping Businesses go Further

GET CONNECTED WITH

MORE THAN ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL BANK

To see how far your business could go, visit santandercb.co.uk/tradeportal and if you’d like to get in touch, call Andrew Fraser on 0770 299 8660 or email andrew.fraser@santander.co.uk Simple Personal Fair What a bank should be

5 million customer source: Santander Group internal data. You need to be an online banking customer of Santander Corporate & Commercial to gain full access to the Trade Portal and Trade Club. Santander Trade Portal is provided and managed by Export Entreprises S.A. Santander provides access to its client companies but is totally unrelated to the database contents, which are the responsibility of Export Entreprises S.A. Santander Corporate & Commercial is a brand name of Santander UK plc, Abbey National Treasury Services plc (which also uses the brand name Santander Global Banking and Markets) and Santander Asset Finance plc, all (with the exception of Santander Asset Finance plc) authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Our Financial Services Register numbers are 106054 and 146003 respectively. In Jersey, Santander UK plc is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to carry on deposit-taking business under the Banking Business (Jersey) Law 1991. Registered oﬃce: 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, London NW1 3AN. Company numbers: 2294747, 2338548 and 1533123 respectively. Registered in England. Santander and the flame logo are registered trademarks. Santander UK plc is a participant in the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Scheme. The Scheme oﬀers protection for eligible deposits of up to £50,000. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered are available on the States of Jersey website www.gov.je/dcs or on request. CCBB0492 OCT 14 HT

Eye on News

FROM HIGH SEAS TO ‘HIGH RISE’ Former Passenger Terminal Used for Movie Shoot A new movie starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans and Elisabeth Moss has completed filming in the unlikely surroundings of a former ferrypassenger terminal in Belfast Harbour.

he film, ‘High-Rise’, is set in a 1970s apartment block and filming led to the transformation of the former Stena terminal at Ballast Quay into sets including a lobby, penthouse suite and roof-top garden. The movie joins an increasing number of productions filmed in the Harbour Estate, including ‘Game of Thrones’ and films such as ‘City of Ember’, both based in the Titanic Studios. Other productions such as ‘Killing Bono’ and ‘Mo’, a biography Mo Mowlam, have taken advantage of the surroundings

of the nearby Harbour Office. Roy Adair, Belfast Harbour’s CEO, said: “Given the history of Ballast Quay this really is a transformation from the ‘high seas to high rise’. Although the building was purpose-built as a passenger terminal, its high ceilings and wide, open spaces made it an ideal location in which to build a variety of sets and accommodate an in-house props department. “Although we knew that the Harbour’s development of a new £40m terminal for Stena would open up new possibilities for

Ballast Quay, we didn’t imagine one of those would involve Sienna Miller and Jeremy Irons. “It’s a far cry from the days when the quay was used as a store for sand and stone ballast for sailing ships, but we’re happy to work with Northern Ireland Screen to look at similar projects in the future.” Directed by Ben Wheatley and produced by Academy Awardwinner Jeremy Thomas, ‘High Rise’, is an adaptation of JG Ballard’s classic British thriller of the same name. Location Manager Andrew Wilson, added: “During my 16-year career as a Location Manager, Belfast Harbour has always been hugely supportive of the Film and TV Industry. Being able to use the old Stena terminal at Ballast Quay gave us the freedom to create a wonderful set that matched the vision of

the director Ben Wheatley and production designer Mark Tildesley. “Without the continued support and foresight of the Harbour and like-minded bodies, Northern Ireland would simply lose out on these fantastic projects and the economic and cultural benefits that they bring.” ‘High Rise’ was produced through Jeremy Thomas’ Recorded Picture Company, with the involvement of the British Film Institute and FilmFour, Scope Invest Producteurs, Embargo Films, Ingenious, and support from Northern Ireland Screen. HanWay Films are handling international sales. It is due for release in 2015.

Christmas & New Year At t i tA n i c B e l fA s t

ch r i s t mA s PArt y ni g hts F ro m £50p p

n y e W h i t e stAr B Al l F rom £ 7 5 p p

f e st iv e A f t e r noon teA F rom £ 2 5 pp

N ow ta kiN g b o o ki Ng s at en q u i r ie s@t ita nic b e l fa st .com or c al l 0 2 8 9 0 7 6 6 3 9 9

titA n i cB elfA st.co m

Eye on News

Lloyds Bank Foundation For Northern Ireland Creates Change For Vulnerable People A ground-breaking £1.9m programme initiated by Lloyds Bank Foundation for Northern Ireland has helped improve the lives of hundreds of people in Northern Ireland.

reating Change, a unique long term funding pilot programme, which has just been completed, helped 18 smaller charities to grow, increase outreach and become more sustainable. The Lloyds Bank Foundation for NI set up the six year Creating Change programme in 2008 to provide £1,880,479 to voluntary and community organisations in a bid to make a long term difference to the groups and the communities they serve. Each group was also supported by the Foundation with training and mentoring. The programme has just finished and in an independent report completed by the Institute for Voluntary Action Research found that this long term approach to funding recognised that achieving change takes time,

particularly on complex social issues. “This was a bold, groundbreaking initiative. The Foundation wanted to see what impact it could have on small charities if they received funding over a longer period of time. Many charities are constantly fire-fighting never knowing if they’ll have enough money to keep going. The idea behind this project was to take away that concern and give them a chance to develop in a safer space,” explained Lloyds Bank Foundation for NI Executive Director Sandara Kelso-Robb. The overall aim of the Foundation is to support underfunded, grassroots charities that enable people, especially disabled and disadvantaged people, to play a fuller role in society. The Creating Change programme began in 2008 when the economy was in crisis and charities were being hit

by massive reductions in European funding making it impossible for organisation to develop strategically and work towards sustainability. Each of the charities received funding of up to £100,000 over the course of the pilot project and this gave them more long term security. It also allowed them to apply for funding from other organisations, , with the advantage of having much of their core funding already in place. For every £1 invested by Lloyds Bank Foundation for NI via the Creating Change programme, these groups were able to leverage a further £5.80 from other sources – making a total of £10.6 million pounds in additional

funding brought in by these groups. For example, Carryduff group Caring Breaks was awarded a £890,000 grant from a significant funder as they were able to demonstration the stability of the organisation. “During the recession many charities were taking much more conservative decisions and becoming risk averse because they just didn’t know where their funding would come from. Our approach was to offer a flexible funding model plus support and an active relationship with Foundation staff in order to help these groups to become more sustainable in the long term,” said Lloyds Bank Foundation for Northern Ireland Chairman, Tony Reynolds.

The best…

…year on year on year!

VIP’S CHECK IN FOR LONDON CITY FLIGHT

lympic Medallist Dame Kelly Holmes and film and TV actor Jimmy Nesbitt were amount the first passengers to experience the New London City to Belfast City service. They flew into

Belfast to join another gold Olympic star – Dame Mary Peters, to support the Sport Changes Life fund raising luncheon in October. Looking after them was Andrea Hayes, Flybe’s UK Regional Manager (NI and North)

belvoirlettings.com

RLA is a Belfast advertising agency with one of the most experienced line-ups of home grown strategic and creative talent, but we also have a truly unique offering. As part of the missionâ&#x201E;˘ Group plc, our Clients can also benefit from shared skills, insights, tools and buying power of a group that comprises a big UK network of 11 specialist agencies, 18 offices, and over 800 talented individuals. Think Big, give RLA a little thought today.

Eye on News

New Business Support Organisation Launches in NI Small and medium sized businesses across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a new support network.

usiness First Network aims to help the SME-dominated Northern Ireland economy by providing its members with free advice and assistance in all areas of business law, compliance and health and safety regulations. In addition to this, they offer protection to businesses when facing tax enquiries, employment disputes and much more. Formed by local businessman, Michael Osborne, who has over 30 years’ experience working with SMEs, and Co-Director Carol Townsend, the new membership based organisation is keen to support companies here in Northern Ireland. Michael Osborne, Director of Business First Network, explains; “I’ve worked in this sector for many years and saw a gap in the market both here in Northern Ireland and across GB where small to medium businesses need advice, assistance and support across a wide range of issues.

“Having access to essential business services ensures that the owner/director of the company has peace of mind and allows them to get on with the day-today running of their business.” The new business will create up to 10 jobs across Northern Ireland and has seen an investment of over six figures to date. With the aspiration of 5,000 members in NI in two years, and 50,000 in the UK over five years, Michael has set his goals high but maintains that the organisation is an affordable solution to the many issues facing SMEs today. “Businesses across NI and the GB need a one stop shop solution to all their needs from networking to business law, compliance and regulation. We offer much more with the opportunity to meet other likeminded people at various exciting events throughout the year and an excellent loyalty scheme. “Via the loyalty scheme

members have access to hundreds of offers and discounts up to 50% across the country, including: hotel stays, eating out, shopping, and leisure activities, which ensures that they can reward themselves as well as their family and friends. Many members have been able to cover the cost of their yearly membership, just by using their loyalty card.” “We’ve designed a support organisation to ensure that business owners can grow, save, protect and reward their businesses. No other organisation offers this range of support in this all-encompassing service.” Business First Network also offers competitive pricing on essential business services, including: commercial insurance, card payment processing, telecommunications and IT services, finance of business, private medical health care and independent financial advice. This gives SMEs the tools to be in the driving seat of their own businesses. At the hub of this network are numerous local NI companies, providing their expertise, advice

and services. Michael explains, “It was important to me as a local businessman that I worked with local companies.” In doing so, Business First Network plays an instrumental part not only in supporting SMEs but also, the local economy.

For more information contact Business First Network on 028 90451062 or email info@ thebfn.co.uk or visit www. thebfn.co.uk.

TUGHANS LAUNCHES ADVISER SERIES Belfast Law Firm Tughans is to continue its long standing partnership with the Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in 2014-15 by delivering a fourth tailored programme of seminars focusing on a wide range of legal issues.

ntitled ‘The Adviser Series’, the sessions will commence on 14th October 2014 and cover topics such as Shareholders Disputes, Employment Law and Defamation, Director’s Duties and the Importance of Wills. Commenting on the partnership, Chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society, Paul Henry said, “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Tughans. We welcome the expertise that Tughans bring

to the Adviser Series and the tremendous range of benefits that the series provides to our members right across Northern Ireland. The firm is a key partner for us and we look forward to the new series of seminars and webcasts.” John-George Willis, Head of Tughans’ Corporate Department said, “A close working relationship between accountancy and law is very important towards the delivery of effective results for our mutual clients particularly in

the corporate sector. Legislation is constantly changing and we are delighted to once again have the opportunity to provide these seminars on both new and core aspects of the law for the Society’s members.” John-George Willis (right), Head of Tughans’ Corporate Department weighs up legal and accountancy issues with Paul Henry, Chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society, ahead of their jointly delivered ‘Adviser Series’ of seminars.

Global connections Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve invested in our new base at the Soloist building, 1 Lanyon Place, Belfast, so that Northern Ireland businesses have the legal support to help you meet your objectives both locally and worldwide. To see how our move could help you in turn move your business up in the world, visit us at pinsentmasons.com/belfast

ÂŠ Pinsent Masons LLP 2014.

www.pinsentmasons.com

www.Out-Law.com

Henderson Group It’s all about the bigger picture ...

TRY OUR SUPER EASY RECIPE IDEAS

Dromona Medium Cheddar 200g

£1.89 94p SUPPORTING NORTHERN IRELAND CANCER FUND FOR CHILDREN

AMAZING VALUE MONEY OFF COUPON. SEE BACK PAGE FOR

CENTRAL WAREHOUSE

COMMUNITY

Great offers and more from the supermarket that’s close to home

MARKETING

Eye on News

SERIOUS SCOOPS UK FRESHEST SMALL PR TEAM GONG AT MANCHESTER AWARDS’ GALA A pioneering Belfast-based marketing communications’ agency has become the UK’s Freshest Small PR Team following its success last night in the 2014 UK Fresh PR Awards held at the Hilton, Deansgate, Manchester.

he agency which specialises in food and drink, professional services, energy and construction marketing outscored two well established London firms for the title with judges describing the category as boasting ‘three excellent shortlisted contenders but having only winner’. The accolade comes just weeks after the agency’s first foray into the CIPR PRide NI Awards where it received three Silver gongs in the Community Relations category for its work with Tesco in Newry, the Outstanding Small Agency and the overall Outstanding Public Relations’ Consultancy. Founder and MD, David McCavery said the latest award was clear recognition that Northern Ireland agencies can compete successfully against their GB counterparts.

The judges commended SERIOUS for its innovative ‘virtual’ business model which offers its clients access to a range of UK-wide expertise across a range of disciplines including PR, Brand Storytelling, Digital, Social, Branding and marketing consultancy. David McCavery said a bold strategy initiated in 2010 to re-invent SERIOUS as a premium, specialist virtual marketing communications’ agency which taps into UK-wide market-leading talent was now paying dividends. “With the old labels of ‘PR’, ‘Advertising’ and ‘Social Media’ becoming increasingly blurred, uncertain or even confused, SERIOUS provides media neutral solutions that are savvy and smart, forward-focused rather than rear-view focused.

David McCavery of SERIOUS receives the trophy from Nermin Al of category sponsors, Kantar Media.

“Strong client endorsements, a distinctive brand proposition and a record for high quality work have led to these recent recognitions and positioned us for further success in 2015 and beyond. These accolades are evidence we are pursuing the right strategy but our focus will continue to be on serving our clients well and delivering outstanding work for them.“ SERIOUS, which was formed in 2007, is based in the heart of Belfast city centre and has worked for a range of clients including innovative start-ups like BubbleBum and ShredBank

through to SMEs such as Portview, Cleaver Fulton Rankin and the McAvoy Group. It is also the retained PR agency for Tesco in Northern Ireland. Moira man David McCavery is a former journalist and regional newspaper editor who worked with the Mourne Observer, Ulster Star and Dromore Leader and as an independent freelance for all of the major Belfast news’ organisations prior to entering PR in 1990. He took a six-year break from the profession and founded SERIOUS in October 2007. He is married with three sons.

CITY AIRPORT LANDS BARCELONA FLIGHT The rivalry between Belfast’s two airports intensified this month with news that the City Airport has landed a new direct European service.

panish airline Vueling has confirmed thart it will commence a twice weekly service to Barcelona in May of next year. The airline, based in Barcelona, forms part of the International Airlines (IAG) Group, headed by Willie Walsh, which also owns Iberia. It has built up an impressive range of routes from Barcelona over the past couple of years. The arrival of Vueling to

Northern Ireland is being seen as a significant opportunity to attract additional inward tourism to the region. Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport, said: “It remains our aim to attract new airlines to Northern Ireland and facilitate more direct European routes from Belfast. We are therefore delighted that Vueling has chosen to include Belfast City Airport as one of a select few UK airports in its plans to expand its network. “The hugely popular European airline, which carries a high percentage of business travellers, has an extensive network with over 100 destinations across Europe including Paris,

Belfast City Airport chief Brian Ambrose with Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy.

Brussels, Rome, Madrid and has a growing presence in Russia, North Africa and Scandinavia. “This is a very exciting opportunity to work with Vueling whose strategy is to partner with airports that have high levels of customer service and are

aimed at business travellers.” In August 2013, IAG announced its plans to deploy an additional 120 A320s to Vueling between 2015 and 2020, with the airline expected to be one of Europe’s largest low cost carriers by the end of 2014.

FAMOUS FOR FRESH

OWN BRAND SUPPORTING LOCAL SUPPLIERS RANGES

Put your business in the frame for a successful 2013, contact a member of our sales team on 028 90337866 or email joinus@henderson-group.com

Eye on News

FLYBE KICKS OFF LONDON CITY ROUTE Flybe has launched its new route from Belfast City to London City Airport, linking Belfast once again with the airport in London’s Docklands.

he new route is one of a number introduced by Flybe to and from London City. And six purple Flybe planes were christened in a “Spirit of the Regions” theme and a naming ceremony took place at Belfast City Airport by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Nichola Mallon and the Regional Development Danny Kennedy MLA, alongside Paris Anatolitis of Flybe. Together they unveiled “Spirit of Belfast aircraft, ahead of the inaugural flight’s take off. Speaking at the event the Lord Mayor, said: “This is a first for Belfast to have an aircraft named in its honour and I am delighted to have been able to perform the ceremony. Whilst “Spirit of Belfast’s” first stop is in London today, in future it will be a unique way of promoting the City throughout Flybe’s network across

the UK, Ireland and the rest of Europe.” Regional Development Minister, Danny Kennedy, said: “I welcome the launch of this daily service to the centre of London’s business community. As we continue to recover from a challenging financial climate, being able to connect to key markets is vital. Establishing a route like this, not only provides local business people with an opportunity to commute much more conveniently, but also enhances Northern Ireland’s ability to attract inward investment.” Enterprise Trade and Investment Minister, Arlene Foster, added: “Today’s official launch of ‘The Spirit of Belfast’ is excellent news for the Northern Ireland business community who have been seeking this service to London City for some time. I welcome Flybe’s continued commitment to Northern

Belfast’s Lord Mayor Nichola Mallon and Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy officially name Flybe’s “Spirit of Belfast” aircraft before its inaugural flight to London City Airport. Also in the picture is Andrea Hayes, Flybe’s UK General Manager and Paris Anatolitis, Flybe Director of Route Performance.

Ireland and its business community by offering a direct flight to the heart of the financial capital. With three daily services, the new flights offer greater flexibility for those travelling to London for a full day’s business or, indeed half a day, if that is all that is required.” Saad Hammad, CEO of Flybe, said: “From today, purple Flybe aircraft will be a regular feature in the skies between Belfast City and London City as we begin our new regular daily services. This can only benefit our

brand profile and reach over the longer term as knowledge of Flybe’s role in connecting Northern Ireland with London becomes more widespread. “Our new London City routes provide direct links for customers travelling to the heart of London’s financial district. They also offer City of London and Canary Wharf customers faster and more efficient access to the UK regions and neighbouring European destinations than travelling via Heathrow or Gatwick, or travelling by, ferry, road or rail.”

Translink On Track

T 028 9027 9540

ranslink’s Marketing Communications and Business Development Teams recently celebrated multiple PR and advertising awards success. At the annual Chartered Institute of Public Relations Northern Ireland (CIPR) PRide Awards, Translink won Gold in both the ‘Public Sector’ and ‘Corporate &

Business Communications’ categories for its ‘Life’s better’ campaign. At the Publicity Association Northern Ireland Awards, the company won Silver for its Enterprise train ‘Dublin Day’ campaign in the Best Use of Radio category plus two Bronze Awards for Multi-Media campaign (Sign of Good Times) and Best Advert (Life’s better).

Eye on Events

AIRPORT SIGNS UP WITH PR FIRM

olywood based public relations consultancy Lighthouse Communications has signed a significant strategic partnership with George Best Belfast City Airport. The contract believed to be one of the biggest client-agency deals in Northern Ireland will see Lighthouse

provide all the full suite of marketing communications functions for the Airport. At the announcement are Katy Best, Marketing and Commercial Director at the Airport, Stephen Smith, Director at Lighthouse Communications and Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport.

RORY FLIES IN FOR CHARITY LAUNCH

ot long after his Ryder Cup starring role, Rory McIlroy was back home with a spot of typical generosity. Not only did he fly in to officially open The Cancer Fund for Children’s Daisy Lodge Short Break Facility for families affected by cancer...but he put his hand deep into his own

pocket by donating £1 million to help with the Centre’s running costs. The Centre in the Mournes near Newcastle offers free short breaks to families hit by cancer in both parts of Ireland. Rory is pictured with Caleb Overton and Amy Uprichard who have been affected by cancer and received support from the charity.

Eye on Events

RINGING A MESSAGE OF PEACE AROUND THE WORLD

ver 500 boys from Campbell College Belfast fought in World War 1 - 126 of whom never returned. To commemorate this loss and mark the 100th anniversary of World War 1 Old Campbellian and Bangor man Robin Dunseath has devised an initiative that will connect all the major countries involved in

World War 1 as they share one simple message of peace. From Belfast to Brazil, on Saturday 4th October, 100 messengers in 40 countries passed a ‘Message of Peace’ around the world in a telephone relay that started with one phone call made by the current Head Prefect at Campbell College Belfast - Sam Jordan.

CLOTHING BRAND’S RUGBY LINK

lster Rugby seems to have official sponsors for just about everything these days....so its no surprise that they’ve signed up with Remus Uomo, a

locally-based mens clothing brand. Suited and booted for the launch of the partnership are Ulster Rugby stars Robbie Diack, Jared Payne and Andrew Trimble.

TOP GONG FOR ARDMORE One of Ireland’s most successful and established creative, integrated marketing communications agencies, Ardmore Advertising, is celebrating securing the top award at the annual CIM Ireland Marketing Excellence Awards.

Mark Irwin, Miriam Pierce and Larry McGarry from Ardmore with the award

he Holywood, County Downbased agency, which employs almost 50 people and was recently selected by Worldwide Partners, Inc. (WPI) “for its progressive and innovative approach”, scooped the coveted title, Marketing Agency of the Year at the annual awards ceremony. Ardmore was also Highly Commended for its Translink ‘Life’s Better’ campaign in the Marketing Game Changer category and Marketing Team of the Year categories, and Ardmore client, Visit Belfast, was commended for its ‘Lovin’ Belfast’ campaign in the Best use of Digital category. Speaking about the awards,

Managing Director, John Keane, said: “We’re thrilled to have been recognised at these important industry awards, especially for work which we are so proud of. These accolades belong to the entire team who generate fantastic results based on strategic and creative campaigns and to our clients who trust us to come up with new ways to deliver their vitally important marketing messages.” Established in 1989, Ardmore Advertising has grown to become one of Ireland’s leading integrated communications and brandbuilding agencies with a highlyexperienced, specialist team.

Eye on Law

(L-R) Micaela Diver and Kate McCann, A&L Goodbody.

Competition and Procurement Law Heats Up Business Eye spoke to Micaela Diver, Associate, at leading corporate law firm A&L Goodbody to find out how their specialist team is reacting to an increase in state aid, procurement and competition law cases.

fter a five year period with relatively few legislative changes to the area of competition and procurement law, companies in Northern Ireland should note that things are changing. Over the last twelve months changes have been introduced which could lead to a considerable rise in the number of legal cases in the area. Ms Diver said: “We are receiving an increase in instructions in state aid, procurement and competition law and there are several factors contributing to this rise in activity. As decisions are made in the European Parliament, Westminster and Stormont, we are seeing more enquiries from public and private sector organisations as they assess how new legislation could impact on their business. We expect this to continue with the introduction of the new Procurement Regulations in early next year.” Enforcement On 1 April 2014 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) replaced the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission

as the regulatory body in the UK. This has brought a renewed focus to businesses in line with the CMA’s commitment to deliver effective enforcement of competition law. A&L Goodbody anticipate that this mandate will result in a rise in investigations taking place by the beginning of 2015 and their specialist lawyers have warned local companies to urgently review their competition compliance including when they engage in public procurement. Ms Diver said: “Businesses must ensure that they are compliant across both competition and procurement law when involved in the tendering process. The law can be breached in a lot of ways when it comes to public procurement and companies are expected to take full responsibility for their competition compliance”. Specialist Team Ms Diver is the key competition and procurement solicitor in the Belfast office, with a particular focus on crisis competition litigation, mergers, state aid and public procurement. She began her legal career in litigation, with a view to specialising in procurement. Ms Diver spent a period of time in A&L Goodbody’s Dublin office, working directly with the EU and Competition team before returning to Belfast to head up this specialist department. Diver said: “Our team is going from

strength to strength in this area. I have recently been joined by Kate McCann, who has been heavily involved in complex negotiations from the outset. Kate focuses on dawn raids and crisis calls which require action at short notice. As a team, we have a wealth of experience in this area which allows us to advise on contentious and noncontentious issues, on a multijurisdictional basis. We have seamless links with our team in Dublin which strengthens our knowledge and expertise in this area. Some of our recent work includes advising the social housing sector on the best methods for innovation within the procurement sector. We have also recently provided merger control advice in both ROI and the UK using the North/ South connections within our office.” A&L Goodbody Northern Ireland is unrivalled in its expertise and experience and their Belfast-based lawyers have experience working in several jurisdictions, bringing an international depth, and highly regarded reputation on contentious and non-contentious matters.

Micaela Diver can be contacted by emailing mdiver@algoodbody.com or calling 028 9031 4466.

Eye on News

SOLD! NI Firm Sells Houses To Help Cancer Care Leading East Belfast Estate Agent Johnston & Company will be supporting CLIC Sargent NI as their official charity partner. Staff at Johnston & Co have committed to doing whatever they can to raise funds for CLIC Sargent and the Northern Ireland Homes from Home Appeal – including a donation from the sale of every property they list.

very week in Northern Ireland, two children and young people hear the shocking news they have cancer. Treatment normally starts immediately, is often given many miles from home and can last for up to three years. Being diagnosed with cancer is a frightening experience and the emotional, practical and financial implications of treatment are intensely challenging for the whole family. All the money raised by Johnston & Co Estate Agents will go towards building a second Home from Home in Belfast for Teenagers and Young Adults who are receiving treatment for cancer.

Commenting on the announcement Johnston & Co Estate Agents Director, Betty Beverland, commented: “We are delighted to be supporting CLIC Sargent’s Homes from Home appeal. We have an exciting programme of fundraising activities planned and will be making a donation from the sale of every property we list. Supporting local charities is very important to us and what better way to support such a worthwhile cause than selling houses to help build a very important Home from Home for young people with cancer. “Through our partnership with CLIC

Belfast Office: +44 28 9077 0999 Dublin Office: +353 1 668 5144 www.salesplacement.com Sales & Marketing Recruitment Specialists

Sargent we have learned a lot about the huge distances that families in Northern Ireland have to travel to get the cancer care their child needs. We know that the Homes from Home Appeal will make a massive difference to those families, so we are delighted to get on board and look forward to helping CLIC Sargent realise their ambition of building a second Home from Home in Belfast.”

CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people. It provides clinical, practical and emotional support for young cancer patients and their families, from diagnosis onwards. From diagnosis onwards, the CLIC Sargent’s aim is to help the whole family deal with the impact of cancer and its treatment, life after treatment and, in some cases, bereavement.

In an independent survey 91% of our clients have recommended Sales Placement to another company.

Eye on News

NITB & Tourism Ireland At World Travel Fair I

t’s something of an open secret that there’s not a lot of love lost between the two authorities who share responsibility for tourism promotion in this part of the world.... but it’s not something that anyone in either the NI Tourist Board or Tourism Ireland likes to talk about ! But, if every picture tells a story, then this one certainly does...... The venue is the World Travel Market in London, the largest event in the global travel and tourism calendar, and the two rather uncomfortable looking gentlemen

are our very own Howard Hastings, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland’s Chief Executive... perched in front of a large-scale image of the Giant’s Causeway. They were in London to launch a Tourism Ireland stand at which 24 tourism enterprises from the North were represented. The World Travel Market, held at Excel London in the city’s Docklands, attracted some 50,000 industry professionals and 3,000 international media representatives.

The sweet sound of success!

he SoundHouse has had a bumper result at the 2014 Publicity Association of Northern Ireland Awards, held at the prestigious Belfast City Hall recently. They picked up Gold and Silver for the memorable campaign they created for Jookit.com, which the judges described as catchy, quirky and fun. What’s more, The SoundHouse and

sister company The PictureHouse were involved in the production of the sound and/or vision of no less than 21 out of the 23 award-winning TV and radio commercials on the night an amazing 91% ... including the DOE, HSENI Farm Safety, Stena Line, Firmus, Hovis ltd, Charles Hurst plus many more and of course Jookit.com

#breaktheinternet for social media campaigns that are larger than life...

Dublin +353 (0)1 660 2260 Belfast +44 (0)28 9033 4044

simplyzesty.com / @simplyzesty

simplyzesty

“We manufacture world class farm machinery with support from First Trust Bank.” Sean Blaney, Quad-X, Ahoghill

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 Cover Story

JUDITH TOTTEN...

KEYS GOING FOR GROWTH The arrival of her first grandchild several weeks ago has been a bit of a game changer for Judith Totten.

“S

omething like this helps you to realise that long hours aren’t everything,” she smiles. “Now I find myself wanting to get home a bit earlier to have a chance of seeing little Emily.” It’s unlikely, mind you, to change this Managing Director’s passionate commitment to her role at Keys Commercial Finance, the business finance group which has pumped a total of £50 million into local companies since it arrived on the market here almost four years ago. The Keys success story has been one driven by the determination of Totten, her senior lieutenant Diane Woodside and what is now a 12-strong team which includes the experienced presence of former Danske Bank General Manager Colin Dundas and Nick McCafferty, erstwhile Sales Manager of Bibby Financial Services. In its most recent set of accounts, Keys Commercial Finance posted a healty six figure net profit ....fairly unheard of in an industry where long development periods for new players would be the norm. “We’ve also diversified our product range,” explains Judith Totten. “In our early days, we had to concentrate on high intervention, full credit management clients. Nowadays, we’re working increasingly on much lower intervention clients, many of whom look after their own credit control in a totally confidential environment. “To remain a one product company is no longer an option for us. We have to look at funding exports, at working with clients who are sourcing raw materials overseas, and at end to end finance options through the business cycle.” The Northern Ireland economy, she says, is on the right track once again and that

includes once-struggling sectors such as construction and its support industries. “And it’s good to see that the banks are much more active in the marketplace. That said, it’s vital that we don’t end up in a financing price war,” she warns. “We all have to manage pricing appropriately and that means looking at the risks involved in any proposal before we rush in. Pricing has to be appropriate to the business and the project that you’re funding.” While some might view Keys as a competitor to the banks, Judith Totten sees it differently. “We should be working together more often,” she says. “Everyone needs the big banks. Certainly, we need a clearing bank to work with. There’s a role for all of us in funding and supporting business.” Grandchild apart, it’s been a momentous year for Judith Totten for another reason. She took her seat back in April as a new board member at Invest Northern Ireland, and has already found herself appointed to the organisation’s Audit and Fund of Funds Committees. “It’s a great honour for me, and it has already been a fascinating experience. There’s no doubt that the public sector is a very different animal, and Invest NI is answerable to a number of governmental masters. So there are a lot of boxes to be ticked. But it has been a real eye opener for me, and one which will help me run our business and advise our clients with more understanding of their frustrations with public sector process. “On the other side of the coin, I hope that my business experience will bring something to the Invest NI table alongside the other business representatives on the board.” She goes on to pay tribute to the leadership skills of Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI’s Chief Executive, and says that the INI experience has helped her to see where funders like Keys sit in the wider scheme of things.

Eye on Cover Story

“There are so many different types of funding open to companies of differing sizes and growth stages. In some ways, seeing the broader picture from an Invest NI perspective has been something of a Road to Damascus moment for me.” Away from Invest NI, Totten remains involved in the Halo NI business angels network which brings her into contact with small-scale micro businesses seeking funding for some leading edge projects. Whilst she emphasises the importance of family life, it’s clear that she continues to put in the hours at Keys. “Am I a workaholic?”, she asks. “I don’t think so. But it’s not unusual for me to be working into the wee small hours while I’m sitting in front of the television in my PJ’s!... “But I love the job. I love the roller coaster of business life and I really can’t see myself doing anything less.... or anything different.” Keys Commercial Finance, she hints, has some fairly major plans in the pipeline (watch this space....). But, even in the short to medium term, she says that the size of funding deals Keys is doing will be

increasing with the key support of the company’s funders, Dutch-based bank ABN Amro. “We used to be capped at £100,000 a deal. Now we’re free to do deals up to £500,000 with ABN Amro’s blessing. Anything above that goes on to ABN’s books and they are most definitely open for business. “What’s more, we’re now dealing with ABN Amro at headquarters level over in Holland rather than through any UK operations. That’s a compliment to how well we are doing.” It seems clear that the Dutch bankers have a sensible strategy at play. While Keys Commercial Finance grows steadily, the deals are being done in Keys’ name. But, once the Belfast-based operation starts to hit increasingly higher notes, is it possible that ABN Amro will come in with an offer to have their own name over the door? “It’s always a possibility,” admits Judith Totten. “But it’s one for the future. What we’re concentrating on is expanding our product set and increasing our customer base within the Northern Ireland business community.

“We’re confident that we can grow the Keys brand substantially in the next 12 months and beyond and we’re confident that we’ll see corporate level funding being a key part of that growth. So we are here to stay!” That growth also brings a new discipline with it. “We’re looking closely now at our key internal structures,” she adds. “We don’t want to revert to being the rigid bankers that a lot of us used to be. We like to be flexible and informal where we can. But there is a balance to be struck between flexibility and professionalism. The team and clients alike take comfort from discipline. We all need boundaries. “But, whatever the structures, we have a truly excellent team and a team which is entirely responsible for the success of this business.” So, does nything keep her awake at night? “Of course. We’ve had six ‘collect outs’ (where Keys has to extract its funding from businesses....often in a hurry) and one fraud case in our relatively short lifespan. But that’s not bad for this industry and during a time of

challenge in the economy,” she says. “Things like that can introduce me to night time TV... which really isn’t great. “But, with the team I have around me and their professionalism , I really don’t have too much that bothers me. “The team at Keys is a happy one... if we weren’t, the business quite simply wouldn’t work. We enjoy what we do and that is evident to any visitors to our offices at Boucher. The kettle is always on and everyone is welcome. “I’ve always said that, on the face of it, this isn’t a complex business. It’s really not that hard to do the right thing... we borrow some money, we lend some money, we fund the growth aspirations of our clients. Yes, we wrap great service and support around that, but it’s hardly quantum physics, is it?”

Contact Judith Totten at Keys Commerclal Finance on 028 90 660791 or via judith@keysfinance.co.uk

Eye on Food

Seafood Specialist Finds Dublin His Oyster Sam Butler talked to Bob McCoubrey about his restaurant business and commitment to increase awareness of the quality of local seafood.

ob McCoubrey is a successful entrepreneur who became so frustrated about the costs of doing business in Northern Ireland that he chose Dublin as the third location for a Mourne Seafood Bar. And it’s turned out to be winning move. The restaurant there is now a popular choice with affluent diners and has also won critical acclaim for the original and tasty seafood dishes developed by McCoubrey’s business partner chef Andy Rae. McCoubrey, a marine biologist by profession, considered locations in Belfast but found that lower rates and VAT charges made the choice of Dublin a “no brainer”. “Our Dublin restaurant is at Charlotte Quay, one of the city’s upscale areas, and is much cheaper to run because rates are significantly lower than in Belfast. “The Dublin restaurant is almost twice the size of Home, which we opened in Wellington Place in 2012, yet the rates in the southern capital are 44 per cent of what we pay in Belfast.

“In addition, VAT there for restaurants and other hospitality businesses is just nine per cent against 20 per cent in Northern Ireland. Both make a huge difference. Doing business in Dublin benefits our bottom line substantially and gives us greater scope for further investment. “Low VAT in the Republic has created 6,500 new jobs and saved upwards of 30,000 in hospitality. Cutting VAT here would provide a substantial boost in jobs in the sector. The real difference is that they really are serious about the growth of tourism and hospitality there,” he adds. McCoubrey would like to create more jobs here... but only if the figures stack up. The three award winning restaurants here together with the city’s first cookery school and a seafood processing operation at Kilkeel together employ 150 people, 25 of them graduates. Kilkeel has 20 on the payroll processing seafood for all the restaurants from local trawlers and is a fast developing export business “We’re currently looking at innovative ways to add value to seafood in Kilkeel, creating original products for export. We’ve some superb seafood in Northern Ireland, much of which has been shipped abroad for years, and it makes sense to harness it for the local economy,” he says. His business journey began growing oysters and mussels on Carlingford Lough more than a decade ago. He sold the shellfish to a few outlets in Belfast and also for diners in Paris. When he realised the huge mark up on the oysters in Paris he decided to turn the ground floor of his home in Dundrum into a seafood restaurant using his own oysters, a business he subsequently sold, as well as shellfish and other seafood. Focusing on seafood when most

diners associated a good meal out with steak, he admits, was risky. It proved to be an immensely successful venture, and Dundrum, opened in 2005, remains among the most popular restaurants here. Today, he’s selling over 2,000 oysters through his restaurants. “Success in business is often about timing. We benefited from the growth in travel to European centres such as France, Spain and Portugal from cheap flights. Holidaymakers enjoyed freshly cooked and different seafood dishes in these countries and came back home ready to experience the best that Northern Ireland could offer. This trend was also enhanced by reports promoting fish as a healthy option. We are harnessing both by creating up original dishes using from fish and other seafood.” The Dundrum restaurant was followed by the opening of the first Mourne Seafood Bar at Bank Street in Belfast in 2006 and then Home in Wellington Place in 2012, originally a popup experiment that’s now permanent and has twice won prestigious

Bib Gourmand awards for the quality and originality of its food. What he also set out to do was to increase awareness of seafood and especially how best to cook tasty dishes using freshly sourced fish. “We found that many diners had very limited knowledge of the huge range of fish and seafood that is readily available and few people knew how to prepare meals using these products. Girls in particular were reluctant to consider fish because they had no real experience of fresh fish at home and generally weren’t keen on handling seafood.” This recognition led to the decision to set up a cookery school above the restaurant in Bank Street, another successful initiative, and to offer courses on cooking with fish. “We’ve worked with local schools on courses for students. Much of our business comes from local organisations and companies, both large and small, especially for team building exercises. They all enjoy the opportunity..... with a glass or two of wine.”

Giving someone work experience can be rewarding for you too Youth Employment Scheme

Youth Employment Scheme

nidirect.gov.uk/skills 0300 200 7876 *

*Local network rates apply

Eye on Agri Food

Sustaining The AgriFood Sector By Harry Parkinson, Managing Director of Close Brothers Commercial Finance

In Northern Ireland, we have a proud heritage of food and farming. We thrive upon the provenance, quality and reputation of the food and drink that we produce.

s such, the agri-food sector is a significant and important part of our economy. The food and drink manufacturing and processing sector accounts for an estimated 21% of Northern Ireland’s total manufacturing sector and is worth over £552 million to the local economy*. Despite the economic challenges of recent years, the industry has continued to grow year-on-year and now employs over 19,000 people across the country*. The sector contributes £1bn per annum of value added** and has demonstrated a strong track record of export growth. 70%** of all sales from the food and drinks processing industry are outside Northern Ireland. Furthermore, through its purchases of goods and services, the sector has a wider supply chain role, making significant contributions to the local transport, packaging and engineering industries. GROWTH PROSPECTS Global prospects for food production have changed positively over the past three or four years and the agri-food sector has the potential to respond to the additional demand. Many of our biggest and most successful businesses are already driving growth through exports. Also, in addition to larger food processors, Northern Ireland has experienced a surge

Pictured is the Close Brothers Commercial Finance Team (Ireland) (l-r): Robert Keane, Tony Neill, Gavin Smith, Cecil Doherty, Mike Twomey, Trevor Collier, Ronan Kelly, Jennifer Meagher, Paul Stephens, Emma Blair, Helen Wall, Harry Parkinson, Jane McDaid, Adrian Madden, Frank Byrne, Ger Reddy, Chris Guilfoyle, Patrick Barry, Gary Coburn, Cathal Ryan.

of smaller, niche and artisan food enterprises in the last few years, many of whom have already won awards both on a local and international level. In fact, Northern Ireland’s food sector achieved a recordbreaking medal haul at the recent Blas na h’Eireann, the Irish Food and Drink awards. Overall, NI firms achieved 34 awards in what is considered to be one of the most prestigious events for the food industry on the island of Ireland. With an increasing number of local farm businesses and food companies achieving recognition both at home and further afield, we are experiencing an increasing demand for our products. It’s becoming clear that many Northern Ireland businesses either have, or can develop the outstanding food and drink that consumers value and are prepared to purchase at a premium. Consumer culture is changing and there is a growing demand from consumers for food and drink that they can count on to offer the very quality, taste and flavour which provides an immense opportunity for our local agri-food industry.

export its beers to the Czech Republic, one of the world’s most famous beer drinking countries. Meanwhile celebrated local chef Simon Dougan of Yellow Door Deli in Portadown scooped the Deli and Farmshop Signature Dish of 2014 with his Strangford Lough Prawns, Leeks and Comber Potato soup at the recent final of the UK Great Taste Awards. Shankill Road based Ewing’s Seafoods, has been listed among the Top 50 Foods in the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe by the UK Guild of Fine Food. We also have local firms like Hannan Meats of Moira who supply to Fortnum and Mason, one of the world’s finest food shops. It is important that we take notice of these local success stories and the associated increase in consumer demand. Furthermore, we must ensure that the agri-food sector is ready and well equipped to seize the opportunities that this will bring. The ability of farm businesses and food producers and manufacturers to access suitable finance to fund their plans for growth will ultimately determine whether they are successful in meeting this challenge.

LOCAL SUCCESS STORIES This is evident from the amount of positive publicity the local food and drink sector has generated recently. Earlier this month, Lisburn-based Hilden Brewery secured a five-figure deal to

HOW WE ARE HELPING That is why we are actively working with farm businesses and food companies of all shapes and sizes, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to ensure that they have access to

the funding that they need to for their business to thrive and make the most of opportunities as and when they arise. Our team of finance specialists has considerable experience of working with businesses across the food, drink and farming sectors. Our in-depth industry knowledge allows us to offer tailored invoice and asset finance packages and our flat management structure means we can offer quick and local decisions that enable these firms to get on with business. At Close Brothers Commercial Finance, we firmly believe that with the right financial backing, there is no limit to the potential of our food and drink sector. Northern Ireland has some of the best produce in the world and we want to help local firms capitalise on it. Sources * Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland, 2013 ** Northern Ireland AgriFood Strategy Board

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

Eye on Law

Eight Auto Enrolment Pointers For Employers By Rosemary Lundy, Partner, Corporate and Commercial, Arthur Cox.

ew laws that came into force in October 2012 require employers to automatically enrol “eligible jobholders” into a pension scheme. For the first time, all employers will have to make contributions for their staff into a scheme unless they opt-out. These requirements are known as auto enrolment and are discussed in detail below. Employers should ensure that they understand their obligations regarding auto enrolment so that they avoid potential penalties from the Pensions Regulator. The pointers below may help give employers an idea of how to prepare for auto enrolment. 1. Employers should identify the date when they must start auto enrolment. The largest employers started enrolling from 1 October 2012, with smaller and new businesses continuing to be phased in over the next four years. 2. Employers should identify a suitable autoenrolment pension scheme that must meet certain minimum requirements. Employers may already have a scheme which qualifies as an auto enrolment pension scheme. 3. Employers should assess their workforce - not all employees are covered by the auto enrolment duties and there are different requirements for different types of employees. Generally though, to be eligible for auto enrolment, an eligible

jobholder must be at least 22, not have reached state pension age and be paid earnings that exceed the earnings trigger of £10,000 (in 2014/15). Employers must assess their workforce on their staging date but, practically, it will often not be possible to do this; and get everything in place on the one date. We would therefore advise that an initial assessment be made prior to the employer’s staging date with any subsequent changes monitored. 4. Employers will need to put in place realistic budgets – auto enrolment is likely to have an impact on employment costs. Employers are required to pay contributions into their scheme for every employee who has been automatically enrolled and who has not subsequently opted-out of membership. Employers will therefore need to take this into consideration when setting company budgets. 5. There will be an optional waiting period of up to three months (known as “Postponement”) before an employee needs to be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. Workers can, however, opt-in during the waiting period.

Someone who has opted-out can apply to re-enrol, but only once in a 12-month period. Employers cannot encourage jobholders to opt-out of auto enrolment nor can they encourage candidates to do so during the recruitment process – penalties will apply. 7. Employers will need to start to communicate with employees - many of their employees who are not already in a pension scheme are likely to have little or no interest in it and will not fully understand the implications of auto enrolment. Some may take a long time to digest any information that employers provide to them. 8. Employers should consider how they will actually implement the auto enrolment process - not only will employers have to have a procedure in place for auto enrolling employees, employers will also need processes to deal with any optouts, new employees or requests for enrolment from employees who are not required to be enrolled automatically.

6. Individuals can opt-out of scheme membership, within one month of becoming a scheme member or receiving enrolment information. If they do so, all contributions must be refunded.

ON-SITE SHREDDING IS FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.

OUT OF SITE SHREDDING IS FOR THEIR EYES TOO!

Eye on News

NAVIGATING TO BUSINESS SUCCESS The Northern Ireland Branch of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development held a successful Seminar on the theme of Leadership recently in Parliament Buildings, Stormont Estate.

utlining their thoughts on effective Leadership were William Montgomery, former Navigating Officer of HMS Ark Royal and Chief Executive of ‘Ask Ten’ a leadership consultancy which works with major organisations including the British Cabinet Office; and Frank Douglas, Chief Executive and Founder of Caerus, an international company which works with organisations on leadership and transformational HR Programmes.

The event was organised by CIPD NI in partnership with Grafton Recruitment and attracted senior executives from across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Speaking after the seminar Brian Harvey, CEO of Grafton Recruitment commented, “Grafton are proud to work in Partnership with CIPD on the Leadership seminar. With two of the best inspirational leaders in the UK the event was an inspirational guide for leaders working in challenging business circumstances

Pictured left to right: Frank Douglas, CEO of Caerus; William Montgomery, CEO of AskTen; Brian Harvey, CEO of Grafton Recruitment and Peter Aiken of CIPD Northern Ireland.

showing that they can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary by applying the principles.” Seminar organiser Peter Aiken, of CIPD NI said, “The CIPD is the professional body for HR and People development and with 130k members throughout the UK and Ireland is committed to championing better work and working lives. This Leadership event aimed to challenge senior executives to be

greater leaders learning from the first hand experiences of William Montgomery and Frank Douglas.” Delegates were given practical tips for the future and gained insights into how leadership issues were tackled by the speakers throughout their careers to date. More information on the work of the CIPD and the benefits of membership is available from the CIPD website at www.cipd.co.uk;

Diamond Systems Shines Bright On The Fire and Security Industry Standing strong as industry leaders in the Northern Ireland fire and security market for over 25 years, local company Diamond Systems show no signs of slowing down, with exciting times ahead as they look into the new year.

wards, apprenticeships, innovation and expansion have made 2014 busier and more successful than ever for Belfastbased company, Diamond Systems. Backed by a long-standing history of quality performance, the family run business, founded in 1987, has upheld their dedication to customer care and high quality service amidst substantial growth. Managing Director, Steve Snoddon who is now in his 20th year at Diamond, attributes their continued success to a genuine focus on customer needs, rather than the common

“one size fits all” approach of many large fire and security companies. “Being a local, family-run business, we offer a personal level of service that is unsurpassed in the industry creating a level of trust, familiarity and understanding with our customers.” Throughout 2014, Diamond has added a variety of new commercial and residential projects to their evergrowing portfolio of case studies including big name clients such as Belfast Harbour Commissioners as well as Queen’s University. Steve continues, “Our diverse customer range provides our engineers

with access to a variety of system sizes and types, and alongside this world-class training from our main Partners Siemens, Axis and UTC.” The company was recently shortlisted as one of the final seven candidates for SME of the Year in the 2014 Business Eye Awards for demonstrating significant business growth over the past year. Angela Bennett, Financial Director at Diamond Systems, comments, “The company continues to go from strength

to strength thanks to the commitment of our staff to consistently delivering premium level service. We continually invest in training and resources to ensure we keep ahead of the game and deliver what our customers need.” As 2014 draws to a close it’s clear that Diamond have outshone their competitors throughout the year, but with an ever-growing staff, new partnerships, and some very exciting plans, 2015 is looking very promising for this busy local business.

Eye on Communications

Unlocking the Power of Knowledge with Wi-Fi Matt McCloskey, sales director, eircom

Wi-Fi technology is breaking new ground. No longer a passive service, this is fast-emerging a dynamic, interactive communication and analytics tool. Here, Matt McCloskey of eircom talks us through some thought-provoking examples of how Wi-Fi is creating a competitive advantage for many businesses in today’s knowledge economy.

i-Fi is more than mobility and access. It’s about intelligence. Over the last five years we have witnessed a step-change as to how this service is deployed and utilised. It’s time to look at Wi-Fi as a new channel to detect, connect with, engage with and interpret customer behaviour. Wi-Fi infrastructure can be leveraged to detect customer mobiles as they walk into the premises and businesses can push notifications to the user to promote their services. Using customised portals and social media checkins, businesses can interact in a more highly personalised, intimate way, reward repeat visits and build brand loyalty. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Bringing Wisdom from the Crowd With location-based analytics, it is now possible to present realtime product offers, navigation

and maps, and recommendations to the visitor based on their behaviour. What’s more, insights generated through Wi-Fi location services can enhance the overall effectiveness of a venue. For example, management can maximise the use of floorspace and make critical decisions about the display of goods by mapping their Wi-Fi traffic. Intu, one the UK’s biggest retail property groups, boasts over 400 million customer visits and 30 million unique customers to its 20 shopping centres every year. By installing new Wi-Fi access points and location-based analytics, the company grew their customer database to 1 million unique registrations with over 50% opt-in rate for store promotions. The ability to also monitor footfall and measure popularity of locations ensured the facility was more aligned to buyer needs – and this reflected positively in customer satisfaction surveys. Delivering Benefits Beyond the Retail Sector The benefits of this approach are not the preserve of retail. For organisations across all sectors – from hospitality and transportation, to healthcare and education – Wi-Fi can deliver better informed business decisions and improve the overall experience for end users. At the University of New South Wales facilities planners have been using Wi-Fi to map paths that students take across across campus, and where they congregate. Data of this type can inform locations for eateries, classrooms and video surveillance cameras. Copenhagen Airport has improved efficiency and passenger experience using

Wi-Fi. Interior maps and information updates are relayed to passengers, so helping their journey through the airport. Predictive modelling based on Wi-Fi analytics is used to measure the passenger flow and waiting times, allowing the airport to allocate staff and optimise every inch of the terminal. And in the sports arena, Premier League Club Liverpool deployed Wi-Fi last year with the ultimate aim of providing fans with in-match stats, food and drink offers, access to online retail and in-play betting. Around the globe, healthcare systems are increasingly under pressure to provide a higher level of patient experience. In the US, institutions use Wi-Fi to capture and analyse visitor movement and patterns. Customised portals presented on the visitor’s device can also highlight maps and possible areas of interest such as cafés, gift shops and ATMs.

Is your Business Ready to Explore? Wi-Fi access is becoming regarded as an essential utility, in the same way that we view our water and electricity. At eircom, we have been delivering enterprise Wi-Fi to local businesses for many years, offering them improved workforce mobility and helping them to generate additional revenue. In this evergrowing knowledge economy, we are ready to work with companies who are prepared to explore the intellectual value that Wi-Fi can deliver and how this can better serve their business goals.

Matt McCloskey is Sales Director with eircom business solutions in Northern Ireland. Want to know more about what Wi-Fi can do? Contact Matt on uk.linkedin. com/in/mattmccloskey or contact eircom at: Forsyth House, Cromac Square, Belfast, BT2 8LA. Tel: 0800 039 2000. Web: www.eircom.co.uk

Eye on People Solutions

T: 028 9043 9009 www.bdoni.com @BDO NI BDO Northern Ireland is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct investment business.

The BDO People Solutions Team “Growing Our Services and Our Team”

he ongoing success of the BDO People Solutions Team over the past number of years, coupled with the needs of the NI marketplace for innovative and quality Organisational Development and Human Resource solutions, has led to the appointment of two new team members to the team at BDO. Together, the team brings an impressive range of Organisational Development and Human Resource experience that combines industry practice with consultancy expertise covering the private, public and charity sector. The core belief of the team is simple: ‘business is about people’ and the services are designed to allow clients to drive performance, success and growth through their most valuable asset: their people. Services are delivered through the following key streams: t 0SHBOJTBUJPOBM %FWFMPQNFOU t )3 "EWJTPSZ 4FSWJDF t 'BNJMZ #VTJOFTT

Joanne Best, Senior Manager, Lynn McWatters, Assistant Manager and Cathy Booth, Director.

Organisational Development

HR Advisory Service

Family Business

The performance, development and effectiveness of an organisation can be defined by its capacity to learn and change – the bedrock of this service. For 15 years the members of the team have worked with clients from across the public, private and charity sectors in the review, development and implementation of programmes of work that support and drive change. From one-off projects to deal with complex and urgent issues, to long term development projects, the team’s breadth of expertise spans the following key areas: Learning and Development, Managed Recruitment Services, Change Management and Strategic Planning, Organisational Reviews and Employment Mediation Service.

This new and exclusive advisory service has been developed on the basis of a defined and deep understanding of the HR needs of small to medium sized business – those businesses who do not have, or need, a dedicated HR function or resource. Working only with a small number of businesses the team has the capacity to work in complete partnership with clients, fully understanding their HR needs in the context of their business. Working with a dedicated BDO advisor from day one this service is delivered through telephone, e-mail and face to face support. Understanding your needs and your business, our advisors will work with the business to develop the partnership.

We understand the unique challenges faced by family businesses and, by working closely with them, have helped to address and solve the competing conflicts that often arise between family and business. There is no such thing as a typical family business for us. Our clients range from first generation businesses with one shareholder to multi-generational businesses with many shareholders. All family firms are different – and there are no easy answers – which is why we at BDO offer jargon-free advice on the principles, processes and procedures that can help families to recognise and address the many diverse issues and conflicts that can arise within family owned businesses.

Working across sectors, the team are highly reputable and well respected for their expertise and approach to project and advisory service delivery. Listening to what their clients say is an integral part of developing their offering: “Having worked with the BDO People Solutions team on a number of challenging HR projects

over the last 13 years I can highly recommend the team. Their approach to HR support is always based on a true understanding of our business combined with their HR expertise and knowledge. They are always happy to work with us on finding the right solution for our business needs.” Assistant Director of HR, Social Enterprise Sector

If you would like further details on any of the above services, or to speak with one of the team, we would be delighted to hear from you. The team can be contacted on 02890 439009 or via email at cathy.booth@bdo.co.uk

Eye on Travel

British Airways Celebrates Move Of Flights To Terminal 5 British Airways is a major industry partner of Selective Travel. This month I have asked Brenda Morgan, BA’s Area Manager, to outline the airline’s on-going commitment to the Northern Ireland market and the rationale behind the move of the Belfast flight to Heathrow Terminal 5.

t British Airways, we are delighted to offer passengers from Northern Ireland with up to six flights a day from Belfast City Airport to London Heathrow. The route has become an essential airlink for both business and leisure customers, offering excellent connectivity to our global network of almost 130 destinations worldwide from London Heathrow. British Airways understands the extensive travel requirements of our business passengers and with over 90 years of expertise in serving customers and catering for their needs, we acknowledge the importance of providing the most premium experience for both our longhaul and shorthaul passengers on the ground as well as in the air. On 26th October, British Airways

flights from Belfast City Airport to London Heathrow moved to the airline’s flagship Heathrow home, Terminal 5. The previous schedule had been operating into Terminal 1 since the route started in June 2012. The move is expected to cut minimum connection times for Northern Ireland passengers to onward British Airways flights from Terminal 5 by 30 minutes, to just one hour - significantly reducing journey times. This will allow for even smoother connections for our passengers to over 100 cities worldwide served by Terminal 5. Shorthaul passengers arriving in London for business will also be able to access the city with ease via rail using the Heathrow Express as well as tube and road links in addition to enjoying

the excellent facilities of the award winning terminal. Voted the world’s ‘Best Airport Terminal’ for the third consecutive year in the World Airport Awards, Terminal 5 offers our point to point as well as longhaul passengers with a vast array of facilities and services to enhance their experience through the airport. Passengers have the chance to indulge in the largest retail offering of any UK airport with 112 stores including luxury brands such as Cartier, Prada, Gucci and Burberry. There is also an array of world-class restaurants available to choose from including Gordon Ramsey and Cavier House & Prunier. Furthermore, British Airways has invested £60 million in creating a choice of six lounges, known as ‘Galleries’ for eligible customers to relax in, which are capable of hosting up to 2,500 people. This is a 25% increase in capacity in comparison to the current Terminal 1 lounge. These ‘Galleries’ epitomise elegance and luxury with a decadent look and feel created using crystal chandeliers,

Mukesh Sharma, MD of Selective Travel Management, part of the World Travel Centre group.

art installations, mood lighting to reflect the time of day as well as complimentary refreshments. Eligible passengers can also take advantage of the Elemis Travel Spa situated within Terminal 5 while waiting for their connecting flight. Provided by the leading skincare expert, the two large spas boast a number of treatment rooms with treatments offered on a complimentary basis to First Class and Club World customers as well as Gold Executive Club members travelling on longhaul flights. Whether travelling for business or pleasure to London Heathrow or connecting to important longhaul and European destinations, our recent move of flights to Terminal 5 will certainly enhance the travelling experience of our passengers through the airport. We look forward to welcoming you on board!

Mukesh Sharma is Managing Director of World Travel Centre Belfast, one of Ireland’s largest travel companies with offices in Belfast and Dublin. Selective Travel is the corporate travel division. For more information visit www.selective-travel.co.uk

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.

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

Eye on Banking

Let’s Celebrate Success Says Ellvena Graham, Head of Ulster Bank Northern Ireland

If you are ever in doubt about the many positive things happening in Northern Ireland’s business community, the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards would be an excellent antidote.

e presented the Ulster provincial winners and runners-up with their prizes at Riddel Hall this month, and were truly inspired by their achievements. The shortlisted firms ranged from a manufacturer selling innovative agri products across Europe to a local tech provider winning some of the UK’s biggest IT contracts against competition from multi-national companies. Entries to the awards this year were at record levels, and were particularly strong in categories for women in business, startups and small firms. And it’s not just the numbers entering that gives us cause for optimism – the standard across a range of sectors was exceptionally high too. The benefits of entering really are numerous – ranging from brand exposure through to providing a platform to talk to potential new customers. Staff can be more motivated and it can play a significant part in the success and expansion of a business. Many businesses have a truly innovative story to tell – this is the chance for them to do just that. At Ulster Bank, we are strongly committed to encouraging and supporting business emergence

and growth through the £1billion that we have to lend to businesses in 2014. Just as we’re saying ‘yes’ to people looking to buy their own home, we’re also keen to provide entrepreneurs with the support they need to kickstart their journey. We also have significant expertise across a range of sectors and can offer tailored support for specific industries and individual companies. In fact, in terms of the lending applications that we are receiving from local companies, there has been a significant increase this year in the quality of applications coming in. This is particularly true

“We know that our local SMEs are hard working – they make up around 99.9% of all businesses in Northern Ireland and employ around 347,000 people. As the backbone of our economy they provide jobs and opportunities in every part of our society.”

for new and emerging businesses. All of this tells us that local business people are increasingly savvy, ambitious and determined to bring their ideas to fruition. The knowledge and support of a financial institution can be an important part of their firm’s growth – providing a stable platform while they translate their ideas and plans into concrete business realities. That’s why our start-up proposition includes, among other things, transaction fee-free banking for two years from account opening, and a subscription free business card for the first year. We know that our local SMEs are hard working – they make up around 99.9% of all businesses in Northern Ireland and employ around 347,000 people. As the backbone of our economy they provide jobs and opportunities in every part of our society. The fortunes of the SME sector impact on many people on a very personal level. We understand that, and it’s why we’ve moved our business banking teams back

into our branches to be closer to our customers and communities – so that what we offer is connected to local knowledge. At Ulster Bank, we put a high priority on really understanding our customers, the sectors in which they operate, their challenges, and their requirements. That’s one of the reasons why we are so active in the local business community, working closely with key industry bodies and business influencers. Our partnership with the NI Chamber of Commerce and its Connections programme for instance helps us create strong international links, as well as helping local firms tap into the experiences of other local companies and into the well-established worldwide chamber network. We are acutely aware that we succeed when our customers succeed, that’s why we are so strongly committed to ensuring they get the individual support they need, and why we are so keen to help them celebrate their achievements.

CALLING NORTHERN IRELAND’S BRIGHTEST MANAGERS Enter the CMI National Management & Leadership Awards

Eye on News

ASG Host Digital Media Seminar Does your business communicate effectively in today’s constantly evolving media marketplace? That was the question posed by ASG when the Marketing Communications Company hosted a seminar on how digital has changed the media landscape.

SG, with over 30 years’ experience and expertise in the Northern Ireland communications market, welcomed over 30 clients to the Hastings Stormont Hotel to look at how offline and online platforms are working together in a media landscape that is more complex than ever before. Leading industry experts from Northern Ireland media

platforms – press, outdoor, radio and TV – demonstrated how they have developed their traditional platforms in line with online, to provide integrated media solutions. Guest speakers were Kevin Traynor, Belfast Telegraph; Darren Jackson, PML; Simon Mann, Downtown Radio / Cool FM and Trevor Jordon, UTV. Colin Anderson OBE, ASG

Colin Anderson OBE, ASG Chairman and founder; Darren Jackson, PML; Simon Mann, Downtown Radio / Cool FM; Kevin Traynor, Belfast Telegraph; Trevor Jordon, UTV and Seamas McKenna, ASG Deputy CEO.

Chairman and founder said: “Today’s media landscape is more complex than ever before and it’s constantly evolving. ASG continuously keeps abreast of these changes and we wanted

to demonstrate to our clients how we are working closely with media platforms when developing strategies and planning their media mix and communications solutions.”

Eye on News

Hilden Brewery ‘Toasts’ Their Success With YES Hilden Brewery and Ashleigh Hanley YES participant have jointly benefitted from the Department for Employment and Learning’s Youth Employment Scheme (YES).

ES is a voluntary scheme which aims to give young people between the ages of 18 and 24 help and support in looking for permanent work by offering work experience opportunities. Highlighting the benefits of the Scheme to employers, Seamus Scullion, Partner (Hilden Brewery) said: “I was persuaded by Lisburn JobCentre to provide an opportunity for a young person under YES. We interviewed

four candidates and were impressed by the competence and enthusiasm of them all. We selected Ashleigh and weren’t disappointed. Ashleigh fitted into our small team here very quickly and within a short time she was making a real contribution to our business. She continued to work in her own time towards further qualifications in bookkeeping and financial management. By the end of her period on YES, we had no hesitation in offering her

Pictured at Hilden Brewery are (L-R) YES participant and now Hilden employee, Ashleigh Hanley, Seamus Scullion, Partner, Hilden Brewery and Suzie Cruikshanks, Lisburn Jobs & Benefits Office

a permanent employment. She is now a key member of our team.” Ashleigh Hanley was previously unemployed and signed up to YES identifying a vacancy with Hilden Brewery to gain the experience that employers value so highly. Ashleigh said: “I have gained many new skills and experience. I am more confident going forward and I would encourage other young people to get involved. This has been a very positive

experience for my employer and me.” Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry said: “Some young people find it difficult to find a job because they don’t have experience. The emphasis is on providing them with an opportunity to sample the world of work and develop employability skills for use at future job interviews.” To get involved with YES call 0300 200 7822 or visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/yes.

Eye on News

UTV LAUNCHES AUTUMN WINTER 2014 SCHEDULE Emmerdale stars Lucy Pargeter and Natalie Robb were in Belfast today (Wednesday 1 October) to celebrate the launch of UTV’s Autumn / Winter Schedule for 2014.

ocal presenters including Julian Simmons, Sarah Clarke, Joe Mahon, Marc Mallet, Frank Mitchell, Rose Neil and Sarah Travers were joined by the soap stars better known as Emmerdale characters Chas Dingle and Moira Barton. Alison Comyn, news anchor for UTV Ireland, was also on hand to complete the UTV line up. Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV said:

“UTV Live at 6 is by far the most watched news in Northern Ireland outperforming our rivals on a daily basis and regularly delivering audiences in excess of 200,000. That’s something we are immensely proud off, to know the public trust us to bring them the stories that matter. “X Factor is still the most watched programme in Northern Ireland every weekend with double the audience

Pictured at the launch of UTV1s Autumn / Winter Schedule in Belfast UTV’s Julian Simmons, UTV Media Group Chief Executive John McCann, Rose Neill, Marc Mallett, Sarah Travers, Managing Director UTV Michael Wilson and Joe Mahon. UTV’s programme line up for the upcoming season includes current affairs, new drama, returning audience favourites as well as new locally commissioned programmes.

of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC NI on Friday night and on Saturday night more than half the local audience were watching X Factor on UTV again, well ahead of Strictly and bucking the national trend. “Building on the record success of Lesser Spotted Ulster, now into its 15th series, we will be producing a new series with Joe Mahon entitled Lesser Spotted Journeys which will be filmed

throughout Ireland and broadcast on both UTV and UTV Ireland.” 2015 will also see a new six part, fly on the wall documentary series about the £3million investment in the renovation of Mount Stewart on the shore of Strangford Lough. Presented by Brian Black the new series will reveal the secrets of one of the most loved public attractions in Northern Ireland.

Spring into Action for

Action Cancer Does your wardrobe or home need a spring clean? Reduce clutter and create space, donate to Action Cancer! Every year your donations allow Action Cancer to carry out over 2000 therapeutic support services to people affected by cancer in Northern Ireland. Help us to continue this by donating your preloved clothes, shoes and furniture into one of our stores across Northern Ireland. Turn your preloved into reloved! Don’t forget to gift aid your donation!

FIND YOUR LOCAL ACTION CANCER STORE: ANDERSONSTOWN: 131a & 133c Andersonstown Rd, Belfast, BT11 9B

CARRICKFERGUS: 9 Market Place, Carrickfergus, BT38 7AW

CREGAGH ROAD: 12 Cregagh Road, Belfast, BT6 9EQ

L’DERRY/DERRY: 21 Little James Street, Lderry/Derry, BT48 7BG

ORMEAU ROAD: 455 Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 3GQ

BALLYCLARE : 4 The Square, Ballyclare, BT39 9BB

COLERAINE: 20a Railway Road, Coleraine, BT52 1PE

ENNISKILLEN : 5 Cross Street, Enniskillen, BT47 7DX

LURGAN: 34b Market Street, Lurgan, BT66 6AH

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: 168 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 6LA

BANGOR: 6/8 Market Street, Bangor, BT20 4SP

COOKSTOWN: 23 James Stree, Cookstown, BT80 8AA

LISBURN: 51 Market Square, Lisburn, BT28 1AG

NEWRY: 4 Hill Street, Newry, BT34 2BW

FOR LARGER COLLECTIONS: E: retail@actioncancer.org P: 028 9080 3344

Tax Campaign Leader Takes Top Business Award

Paul Simmons, Chief Commercial Officer Flybe (second left) presents Business Personality of the Year to Eamonn Donaghy, KPMG (centre). Also pictured is Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director Business Eye (second right) with Flybe cabin crew members Ken Boyd and Natalie McSorley.

With expectations high that David Cameron will soon announce the devolution of corporation tax powers to the Northern Ireland Executive, the leader of the business campaign for lower corporation tax here has been honoured at a major awards ceremony.

amonn Donaghy, a partner at KPMG in Belfast, took the Business Personality of the Year title at the 2014 UTV Business Eye Awards with Flybe. The awards, now in their eighth year, were presented at a gala event held at the Culloden Estate &

Spa on Thursday 23rd October. Decora Blind Systems, a fast-growing Lisburn-based company employing 500 people and manufacturing blinds for sale all over the UK, took the coveted Company of the Year title. Other key winners on the night included SME of the Year The Rug

House, a company selling rugs to customers in 30 countries worldwide from a 60,000 sq.ft. Warehouse in Newry, Co. Down. A second Newry company, Norbrook Laboratories, took the International Award for its continued achievement in export markets. It was a poignant achievement for one of Northern Ireland’s leading companies in the year that it lost its Chairman and Chief Executive, Edward Haughey, in a tragic helicopter accident. Joseph Doherty, the driving force behind a third Newry company, ReGen Waste, was the winner of the hotlycontested Young Business Personality of the Year category, while innovative Belfast IT company Novosco took the Employer of the Year Award. Flybe’s General Manager for Market

Development, Andrea Hayes, a member of the judging panel, commented that the entries for the 2014 awards were of a higher quality than ever before. “We were delighted with the allround quality of the entries, and the Awards once again produced some excellent winners, both individuals and organisations.” Michael Wilson, Managing Director of UTV Television, said: “This year’s awards have once again showcased the strengths and successes of the business sector in Northern Ireland. Businesses here have continued to look for opportunities of expansion and investment and UTV is delighted to be part of recognising and celebrating these top achievers and organisations in such a positive way.”

Full List of Winners – UTV Business Eye Awards with flybe Digital/Online Company of the Year

SME of the Year

Business Education Award

International Award

SPONSORED BY

Award Categories Best Fleet Manufacturer

Best Green Fleet

Best Fleet Car of the Year

Lifetime Achievement

Best Leasing Company of the Year

Customer Service Award

Best Fleet Funder

Road Safety Initiative of the Year

Best Local Fleet Provider

Risk Management Project of the Year

Fleet Manager of the Year

Best Small Light Commercial of the Year

Service Maintenance Dealer of the Year

Best Short Term Rental Company

To register for the forum or for more information on sponsorship opportunities and entry process contact Donna Hosking on 028 9047 4490 or alternatively 07892 406262.

Eye on News

ARTHUR COX HAS DESIGNS ON FASHION SUCCESS

Leading Northern Ireland law firm, Arthur Cox, has held its annual Fashion Showcase at the Titanic Building in Belfast.

osted by renowned Irish stylist Cathy O’Connor, the show has rapidly established itself as a stand-out event on the Northern Ireland social calendar. This year saw the grand staircase of the Titanic Suite temporarily transformed into a sumptuous catwalk, as 12 leading designers from across the island of Ireland showed their collections. Clients and guests of Arthur Cox were treated to a breathtaking show of fashion and entertainment, with some of the evening’s highest praise going to couture pieces from Belfast and Derry designers. Many guests took the opportunity to invest in key pieces from the latest collections at designers’ pop-up stores. This is the second time the showcase has been held in Belfast. It is part of a wider series of fashion events organised by

Arthur Cox in Dublin, London and New York, which were devised to support Irish designers by connecting them with the business communities in those cities. Moving to Titanic Quarter for this year’s Belfast event was a natural progression for the firm, which has major clients across the shipping and maritime, film and media, and education sectors based there. For Belfast-based designer Una Rodden, the evening offered a platform to showcase her AW14 collection to local businesswomen. Una said: “It was great to be part of the Arthur Cox Fashion Showcase again this year. It gave me the chance to network and get my latest designs in front of a very discerning audience. “Northern Ireland’s fashion scene is ever-evolving and these types of events are so

important in supporting future growth of the industry.” Catriona Gibson, Partner at Arthur Cox, said: “Northern Ireland produces some of the brightest and most innovative design talent and we are very proud to be able to support our local cultural industries. “It is wonderful to be able to bring leading businesswomen together at these events. Northern Ireland has a very strong sense of style so we

are delighted to support our local designers, who really are on a par with anything shown internationally. “We are thrilled that the annual Arthur Cox Fashion Showcase is such a big event here and it has also become a major fixture among our international events – allowing local, Northern Irish designers to show their collections for brand new audiences in Dublin, London and New York.”

Eye on News

DANSKE’S BUSINESS CHIEF RAISES £113,000 FOR CANCER CHARITY When Danske Bank’s Ivan McMinn was diagnised with pancreatic cancer back in November 2011, he was in the midst of training for the 2012 London Marathon.

ive months after the diagnosis, not only was Ivan back at his desk in Donegall Square West, but he had been promoted to Head of Corporate Banking at Danske. The following year, 2013, he successfully completed the London Marathon and he did it again this year. For 2014, he chose to raise money for two charities close to his heart …..Cancer Focus NI and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund. And he exceeded his target of £100,000 by quite some distance. “The amount of money raised is a tribute to all the many friends,

relatives, colleagues and Northern Ireland businesses who bought in to the two great causes I was running for,” says Ivan.....glossing over his remarkable personal achievements. “I did the easy bit in training over a period of four months to get myself prepared for the London Marathon - the hard bit was for all those folks I’ve mentioned who ‘dug deep’ to contribute so generously to the massive total raised. “Standing on the start line of the London Marathon, knowing that every meter I ran was contributing almost £113,000 to Cancer Focus NI

Emma McArdle, from Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, and Susan Cooke, from Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, with Ivan McMinn.

and Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund NI made the run so much easier and every stride so worthwhile. Thank you so much for your immense support.” Ivan continues to be an amazing advocate for the work of Cancer Focus NI and Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund and with his help the charities will continue to be able to provide

their services to cancer patients and their families in the local community. For more information on the work of Cancer Focus NI visit www.cancerfocusni.org and for Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund please visit www.pcrf.org.uk follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Aer Lingus Scoops Coveted ‘Best Domestic Airline’ Award Aer Lingus was picked up Northern Ireland’s Best Domestic Airline award at the annual NI Travel and Tourism awards... beating off competition from BA, Flybe, easyJet and Jet2.

he travel trade event was attended by 440 VIPs and decision-makers from the province, the Republic and from all parts of the industry in the UK, and was hosted by broadcast personality Gerry Kelly. Business Development Manager for Aer Lingus Northern Ireland,

Andrea Hunter, who collected the award on behalf of the airline said; “I am thrilled that Aer Lingus has won the ‘Best Domestic Airline’ award. It’s a tremendous accolade and to win is testament that our winning formula of great customer care and our quality of product and

service, is the best of the best. “It is coming up to our second anniversary since we moved our operations to George Best Belfast City Airport and it is reassuring that the travelling public, at all levels recognise that Aer Lingus is delivering the best possible experience.

“Our customers inform us that our seat allocation, advanced seat selection, delicious pre-booked meals, top class entertainment and flying into centrally located airports make a real difference to their Aer Lingus flight experience.”

New thinking about energy

www.electricireland.com LoCall 0845 309 8138

Eye on Business Personality

YOUNG BUSINESS PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH Sam McPeak, Cabin Crew Performance Manager, Flybe

Sam McPeak Flybe, Tony Dunlea Electric Ireland and Claire Dickson Business Eye

HIGH FLYING SAM Sam McPeake is in job heaven. From the age of 12 she dreamt about being a cabin crew member but it wasn’t until she reached the magical age of 20 that she finally realised her goal.

oday Sam McPeake is Flybe’s Cabin Crew Performance Manager based at George Best Belfast City Airport. In charge of over 100 cabin crew, Sam manages every aspect of their performance and development, from daily attendance to personal achievement. It’s a job that she simply adores. “Customer service is a big part of my focus, ensuring that our cabin crew give passengers the very best experience possible. I learnt a great deal about the importance of looking after customers in my very first Saturday job in a local petrol station and retail centre at the age of 13. Even after I left Ballyclare High School my mum encouraged me to stay at that retail complex working

in sales and management until finally I reached the magical age of 20 when I could apply for a job as an air hostess, as the job was then called. Indeed it was one of my customers who brought me in the Air Tours newspaper advertisement cut out of the Daily Mail!” At that time 20 was the minimum age for cabin crew and there was also a maximum age of 29. Sam’s first flight was to Lanzarote and she spent several years flying sunshine routes including long haul to Florida. “I loved flying but before long I was keen to develop my career. Performance management was an attractive role and I have been working in that area now for almost 6 years.” Corporate changes at Air Tours in 2010 meant that to stay in her job Sam would have to move to England. Keen to stay in Northern Ireland Sam began to look for another aviation home and soon found it at Flybe. “I’ve been with Flybe now for four years and it has been the most exciting period of my career so far. This year in particular has been hectic with the brand

change and all that has gone with it. Our Flybe world has turned purple and the logistics of ensuring that every crew member has the right uniform items, in the right size and in the right number has been a real challenge but great fun.” “I am responsible for ensuring that the appearance and turn out of every cabin crew member is in keeping with company rules. My job has been made easier with the new uniform as everyone loves it. The female members of staff especially like the vastly increased range of nail colours they’re now allowed to wear and the new hats have seen more interesting hair styles such as side chignons.” Staff attendance, punctuality, absence and on-board sales also all come under Sam’s remit. Should a staff member ever become ill either at work, or is signed off for a longer period of time, Sam is also responsible for their welfare. All the cabin crew are given annual targets to meet and Sam is there to praise and recognise a job well done or equally to encourage and help towards improvement if necessary. “One of the aspects I enjoy most

about this job is doing line checks. This involves me travelling with the cabin crew, observing them at work and then providing feedback. It’s great to get back into uniform and get airborne although there are occasional times when I have to resume my cabin crew at the last minute due to unexpected circumstances in order to keep the operation running to schedule.” No two days are the same and whilst Sam is primarily based in Belfast she could be at any of Flybe’s bases throughout the UK to interview new recruits or sit on promotion panels. So what of her own future? “Medium term I would love to be a Regional Manager with responsibility for Belfast City and a couple of other Flybe bases. Ultimately my goal is Cabin Crew General Manager for the UK. In the meantime however I’m looking forward to getting married to my fiancé Neville in a few months time!” Whilst Sam’s feet will be firmly on the aisle next March, with her high flying ambitions, she certainly won’t be grounded for too long.

Businesses create mountains of documents. Let us help you conquer them. Here at OKI, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not just about printing, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re about the future of documentation. Like our Smart Managed Document Solutions, an integrated system that gives you printing, scanning, security, workflow and document management all in one. Plus, now you can enjoy mobile functionality through your smartphone. Let us help you navigate the future of your documents. Arrange a free consultation today.

Call 07767 271447 or visit www.oki.ie/mps SMART MANAGED DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS

Eye on News

LIKE FATHER... LIKE DAUGHTER!

lora Delargy, a former pupil of Victoria College and Methodist College Belfast has won the Citi Group Award for being the Highest Performing Student on Placement as part of her MSC in Financial Services at the Ulster University Business School. It was a proud moment for Flora’s father, UTV’s Business Correspondent Jamie Delargy, as he had completed the same course at the School ten years previously. The Award was presented at the annual Ulster University Business School’s Student Awards event organised by the Department of Accounting,

Finance and Economics. Also in the picture is Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of the Ulster University Business School. Speaking at the Awards ceremony Professor Gillian Armstrong, Head of the Department, said, “These Awards recognise the top performers across the range of Accounting, Finance and Economics related programmes, which provide increasing opportunities for students and graduates at this time. It is of no surprise that global financial and professional services firms are choosing Northern Ireland

as a key inward investment location. These future graduates have the academic potential and business-ready mindset, through an experiential learning approach, to enter a professional work place anywhere and progress quickly. The fact that so many of our leading

accountancy, consultancy and financial services firms are engaged with both the Awards and the learning experience at the Ulster Business School is testament to the importance of employer engagement in preparing students for careers across the business sector.”

NI TOPS KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY TABLE The 2014 Knowledge Economy Index, commissioned by NISP CONNECT and sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK, has revealed that the North East of England and Northern Ireland are the fastest growing regions in the UK, while London and the South East continue to be the largest overall.

roduced by the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy at the University of Ulster in conjunction with Oxford Economics, the report analyses the published data on 21 indicators including employment, salaries, venture capital investment, research and development; start-ups, PHDs and patent registrations that shows the growth in the North East and Northern Ireland significantly ahead of the next two regions, the West Midlands and Scotland. The NI Knowledge Economy has grown by more than 33% in the last five years with performance driven in particular by Research and Development, Investment and Innovation at a time when economic conditions have been the most challenging. At the publication of the KEI

Report today Steve Orr, Director of NISP CONNECT proposed that in support of the recently published DETI Innovation Strategy an ‘Innovation into Action’ business group be established to work in collaboration with Invest NI and DETI on tangible actions that will support the competitive development of the Knowledge Economy in Northern Ireland. “The best option for global export growth is in knowledge economy based companies”, explained Steve Orr but he went on to caution that while the Report will naturally give an enormous confidence boost to the two fastest growing regions we cannot afford to be complacent. “It is critical that the knowledge economy business sector throughout Northern Ireland supports the Innovation Strategy

Steve Orr of NISP Connect with Bank of Ireland’s Ian Sheppard.

and feeds back to our political representatives the kinds of policies and actions they can take to support Northern Ireland innovation on a global scale. We cannot afford to be inward looking if we want to grow more world class companies and build for the future with the amazing talent we have in this country.” Ian Sheppard, Bank of Ireland UK’s Head of Business & Corporate Banking NI emphasised that support for innovation that is world leading and will drive exports, is essential to growing the Northern Ireland economy. “Northern Ireland may be a small region in a massive global marketplace but we do punch above our weight with indigenous companies such as Almac, Randox,

Andor Technologies, Schrader Electronics and Wrightbus. The challenge is that we need more companies like these. “Bank of Ireland UK welcomes the Knowledge Economy Report as providing data to inform and identify those areas where further support could deliver significant incremental growth. It is encouraging to see that we are one of the fastest growing regions but there is a long way to go if we are to achieve our 2030 targets. By informing the key stakeholders in the economy the report, alongside recent publications such as the Innovate Strategy from DETI, will help build upon the growing collaborative approach to this sector. Bank of Ireland UK is committed to playing its part.”

Medicine.

MDI Medical (NI) Ltd.

Eye on News

FIRST TRUST BANK APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE AND BUSINESS BANKING First Trust Bank has announced the appointment of Richard Ennis as Director of Corporate and Business Banking to drive its growth plans within the Northern Ireland business sector.

aving previously held a number of senior roles in Ulster Bank including Director and Head of Corporate NI, Richard will now head up First Trust Bank’s Corporate and Business Banking team across Northern Ireland. Speaking about the appointment Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank said, “We have ambitious plans to grow our market share as a serious challenger Bank here in Northern Ireland. In recent years we have been steadily building our business offering through active engagement with customers and their advisors, delivering products and services which bring something fresh and innovative to the market. Meanwhile we

continue to invest in our people to ensure we can continue to provide ‘added value’ to our customers. “Richard’s appointment is further evidence of our ambitions to build on that already strong performance– and in particular to bring an additional focus on the larger SME/Corporate sector.” Commenting on his new role, Richard Ennis said; “I am very pleased to be joining First Trust Bank at this time and I am excited about the Bank’s potential to seriously challenge the status quo within the business banking market in Northern Ireland. Already I have been impressed by the great work delivered in the last year and in particular the focus placed on superior customer service

and the development of sectoral knowledge and expertise. We know from the strong pipeline of new customers that this approach is proving attractive and is critical to us winning that business. I look forward to working with the Business team to drive this agenda forward and to take it to businesses of all

sizes across Northern Ireland.” Prior to his banking career, Richard also worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers and was a Senior Associate in a local corporate finance practice. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and holds a BSc from Queens University Belfast.

BELFAST LAW FIRM CELEBRATES DOUBLE SUCCESS Local law firm Carson McDowell has been named Northern Irish Law Firm of the Year 2014 by The Legal 500 UK

s one of the leading independent guides to law firms in the UK, The Legal 500 rewards law firms based on the independent opinions of clients and in-depth research; and has highly recommended the Belfast firm after they achieved top tier recommendations across nine practice areas including Dispute Resolution, Banking and Finance, Commercial Property, Construction, Employment Law and Planning Law. The award will be formally presented at an exclusive industry dinner in London later this month. It has been a winning streak for the local firm. Straight off the back of its Legal 500 success, Carson McDowell also emerged as the most highly ranked Northern Irish firm in the 2015 edition of Chambers

100

UK, the other major independent guide to law firms and lawyers. Chambers have ranked Carson McDowell in twenty three different practice areas, fifteen of which have been given the highest band one ranking. In total, twenty nine of the firm’s lawyers have been individually recommended in the guide putting them head and shoulders above other law firms in Northern Ireland. Speaking about the firms fantastic achievements, managing partner Michael Johnston said, “We are so proud of our recent success in both the Legal 500 UK and The Chambers Guide. “To have been named Northern Irish Law Firm of the Year 2014 by the Legal 500 UK is a testament to our commitment to building

long term relationships with our clients and delivering the highest standards of service. “We are really grateful to all our clients and other contacts that took the time to speak to The Legal 500 and help to get us to the coveted top spot. “To have this success followed

so closely by the large number of recommendations we received in The Chambers UK 2015 Guide is the icing on the cake. “With twenty nine lawyers ranked as leaders in their fields, it is evident that our teams are made up of the best legal talent not only in Northern Ireland but across the UK. ‘

Serving clients across the UK & Ireland

U U U U U U

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

FLIGHTS

HOTELS

CAR HIRE

T: +44 (0) 28 9096 2000 E: corporate@selective-travel.co.uk www.selective-travel.co.uk

TRAINS

/ ÊUÊ / ÊUÊ /" ÊUÊ ,

Eye on Internet

Is The Death Of The Home Page A Key Difference Between Online And Offline Thinking? By Gareth Dunlop, Fathom.

For some time now Google has been working hard to add meaning to its users’ search terms. Ask Google “who is the President of the United States” and unsurprisingly it will tell you “Barack Obama”, ask it “who is his wife” and it will respond “Michelle Obama”. This may not appear particularly striking; however note that without the first question, the second question is meaningless. This straightforward example illustrates that Google is increasingly responding not just to an explicit search term but also to an implicit search context.

oogle will use any contextual information it can get its hands on to provide increasingly nuanced responses, using sources such as geographical information, cues from social networks, and previous user behaviour. Search for “the tube” in London and Google won’t take you to the Transport for London website, rather it will display the tube station nearest to you, ask it for the “best” hotel in a city and it won’t show you the hotel with the word “best” most in its keywords, rather it will search hotels. com, Google reviews and other trusted third parties to actually seek the best hotel. The Germans swept all before them at this year’s World Cup and throughout the competition Google demonstrated an efficiency even they would have been proud of, answering the laziest of questions and accurately understanding the context implicit in each search. Each day throughout the tournament one only needed to ask “what time is the match on at” it would display the time of the next match or matches. However its SERPS included much more than just the time and location of the fixture. Predicting follow-up user needs it displayed kick off time (local and BST), team lists, TV schedules and other key match details. Many Google users throughout the World Cup, looking for tournament information, never made it near the home page of any site because Google provided all of the information that was required. On the flip side of the coin, a Google search for a specific product (e.g. an electronic good,

102

or a piece of clothing) will frequently, and quite rightly, provide SERPS pointing the user straight to that product or a product category page on the appropriate e-commerce websites. What the various examples have in common is that at no stage does Google steer anyone towards a home page. This behaviour isn’t unique to Google. All major search engines are similarly working hard to get users to relevant authoritative content more quickly. The vast majority of social network links are to specific types of content, or particular articles, or blog posts, not to home pages. This dynamic was at the heart of the leaked New York Times innovation report, which was described by Nieman Lab as “one of the key documents of the media age”. The newspaper was shocked to learn that whilst overall traffic to its site has increased year on year since the late 1990s, home page traffic dropped by 50% between 2011 and 2013. This was a shock to a newspaper organisation which for over a century saw the front page as its most valuable property. Journalists aspired to get their story on the front page, editors poured over the stories of the day to see who would make the cut and the front page impact was recognised as a massive driver of brand, perception and ultimately sales. As the organisation reoriented its processes around digital publishing it accepted slowly that it needed to fall out of love with the home page. Rather it needed to appreciate that every day the online version of the newspaper had hundreds of front pages, as its millions of

online visitors visited hundreds of different pages as their entry point to the site. And so each of those entry points had to have the same impact and relevance as the printed front page. This understanding is at the heart of interactive content design and its implications are clear. Your home page is not the entry point for every visitor and many visitors may never see it, so design your information architecture accordingly. Many users will want to access your information without ever visiting your site, so let Google understand you better by using the Webmaster tools. But most of all don’t design your website like a brochure, obsessing about the home page and signing it off from a flat printout. Accept that many pages on your site are of critical importance and you are likely to have tens if not hundreds of pages which give your customers a first impression. And you only get one chance to make one of those.

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

Making commercial sense Outside insight

eing on the ground in more locations than any other commercial property agency, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair to say we know the market inside out.

Lambert Smith Hampton has 27 offices across the UK and Ireland. We have access to all the latest research and trends in the commercial property market. In advising clients our key objective is to create added value based on properly researched independent advice.

With a team of 75 in Belfast we offer specialist services from retail consultancy to asset management, building surveys to property management, rating to valuation, auctions to corporate recovery, business space agency to capital markets. With our blend of national prominence and local knowledge, Lambert Smith Hampton is well placed to offer best advice on all aspects of commercial property.

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

Eye on News

First Trust Bank Agri Food Fund Already £16 Million Committed Business Support Programme Proves Popular with Progressive Farmers and Agri-businesses

irst Trust Bank’s recently launched £50 million Agri Food Fund has been in much demand with £16 million already committed to a range of investment projects across Northern Ireland. It is part of an overall support package launched by the Bank in July which is designed to assist progressive farmers and agri-businesses across Northern Ireland to expand and modernise their operations. Details of some of the funded projects were revealed at a stakeholder event held in the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Hillsborough. The Agri Food Fund is specifically designed to support investment in farm/agri-business growth, diversification, modernisation or refurbishment, with the competitive package offering no arrangement fees, an attractive level of margin discount and flexible repayment structures. The Bank also launched a new Agri Food Energy Efficiency Loan – specifically targeting farms and agri-businesses who introduce energy efficiency measures such as lighting, solar/PV, wind, biomass and hydro projects into their overall operations.

The benefits of the technologies were showcased at the event with a tour of AFBI’s facilities which are themselves primarily powered by a range of renewable energy facilities. At the event, First Trust Bank took the opportunity to introduce its new team of 16 Agri Food specialists based throughout the Bank’s branch network across Northern Ireland, each of whom has been chosen because of their close working knowledge and appreciation of the unique needs of agricultural and Agri Food customers. Speaking at the event, Agriculture and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Noel Lavery, said; “It is clear that First Trust Bank has placed significant importance on the value of the Agri-Food sector to our overall economy and I am delighted that it wants to play its part in supporting the Agri-Food Strategy Board’s ‘Going for Growth’ strategy . This represents a significant opportunity to secure and enhance the food supply chain here in the north to take full advantage of increasing global opportunities in food markets. “I am sure that the range of funding initiatives on offer will assist farmers

L-R: Pictured at First Trust Bank’s AgriFood Fund Briefing are; Agriculture and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Noel Lavery, Des Moore Head of First Trust Bank, Russell Bailie founder Bailies Coffee Company.

and agri-businesses across the north to expand and modernise their operations.” Speaking about the success of the Agri-Food support programme to date, Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank said; “The importance of the Agri Food sector to our overall economy is at last fully recognised. Full marks must go to the Agri Food Strategy Board, both the DARD and DETI Ministers, as well as the industry players for revealing its individual and collective potential and in setting out a road map for how it can be achieved. “We recognise that Banks need to play their part in supporting that drive and can assure all concerned of our commitment to do just that. “We want to support those progressive farmers and agribusinesses who wish to develop and modernise their operations to take advantage of this massive opportunity.

We appreciate the important interplay between primary producers and other agri-businesses and have ensured our loan products and services are available to the wider Agri Food market so that all parts of that important equation can benefit. We are also very proud that, having listened to our Agri Food customers, we are able to deliver a specific energy efficiency loan product with them in mind. Already we are seeing some customers reap the benefits of this type of investment which in turn makes their operations much more efficient. “When taken together, we believe we have put together a range of competitive, innovative and attractive products and services which should aid those more progressive farmers and other Agri Food businesses to realise their individual growth ambitions, contributing to the collective ambition for the industry.”

BT CREATES NEW JOBS IN NORTHERN IRELAND BT has created twenty new graduate jobs in Northern Ireland as part of a major nationwide recruitment drive announced earlier this year.

he latest intake of graduates, who begin their careers with BT, will be working in roles right across Northern Ireland in the areas of IT, finance, technology, research and engineering. A number of the new entrants will be based in BT Technology, Service & Operations at the Belfast Global Development centre, working

104

on a wide variety of cutting edge projects, including the future of broadcasting and wireless technology, coding, billing applications, security projects, and helping pioneer new developments in high speed fibre communication networks. Over 260 graduates will be joining BT Group this year, one of the highest annual recruitment entry levels to date.

Joining BT... Graduates Alan Carson, Paula Dunlop, Natalie Carr, BT Ireland Chief Executive Colm O’Neill, Lynsey Boyce, Mark McAllister, Rebecca Dalzell and Sean Donnelly.

Eye on News

CHARLES HURST LAUNCHES NEW ‘B2B’ CAR DIVISION Charles Hurst, Northern Ireland’s largest car retailer, today (Monday 3rd November) officially launched a new ‘B2B’ vehicle division which is directly geared to support local businesses from sole traders through to PLC’s.

orking in partnership with its corporate division, Fleet Financial, the leading, award-winning local contract hire and fleet company which became part of the Charles Hurst Group in 2012, the new ‘B2B’ division promises business owners and managers the best help, advice, choice and value with regards to acquiring their business vehicles. The move consolidates the combined strength, expertise and experience of two of the biggest players in Northern Ireland’s business motoring market, which has seen strong and steady growth in recent years. Driven by Fleet Financial, the new division means that business owners, managers or fleet managers can now access the widest choice of vehicles, finance, service and value available from two of the market’s largest players. Businesses can now access a wide

panel of finance lenders to locate the best deal that meets their particular requirements and includes all makes and models within the Charles Hurst Group – from a Toyota Aygo, a brand new Renault Trafic van, or even a Ferrari. Charles Hurst said the dedicated new service completely removes the hassle associated with acquiring new vehicles for business and covers everything from initial enquiry to vehicle delivery. Colin McNab, Operations Director, Charles Hurst Group, said: “Charles Hurst has always been successful in the delivery of fleet and contract hire services to our growing business community. “However, this important venture with our corporate division, Fleet Financial, means that we can enhance and improve our offering for the benefit of all our loyal business customers and for those who are seeking the best value, choice

and service available in Northern Ireland. “Any local business can now log on to the Charles Hurst website, simply click on the B2B brand, which will provide them instant access to a wide range of vehicles and finance offers as well as comprehensive advice on taxation and carbon emissions.” Fleet Financial, which employs 30 people locally, currently manages more than 3,750 vehicles in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Republic of Ireland and has contracts with many of Northern Ireland’s largest and most successful businesses. Philip Miley, Sales and Marketing Director, Fleet Financial, said: “With almost two decades of trading success behind us, Fleet Financial has already built up an unrivalled reputation

among the local business community. “The launch of ‘B2B’ is an exciting milestone in our company’s development - using the choice, access and economies of scale of Charles Hurst and our own specialist knowledge and expertise within the business sector, we can make sure that our combined offer is the best available to local businesses. “‘B2B’ takes out all the legwork usually involved for any business when they are seeking the best-value package on offer with one simple call to us. “Under the B2B brand, our two companies can offer even greater choice, more value, finance opportunities and service than ever before and all under the reassuringly powerful partnership of Charles Hurst and its corporate division, Fleet Financial.”

Managing Director Paul Eakin said: “This is a hugely important strategic acquisition for the Eakin Group. In Northern Ireland, Respond Plus provides us with a unique opportunity to extend our relationship with the stoma community. We know this community very well but we now have

the opportunity to expand our level of service, including nursing care support. Eakin has a huge international following around the world yet we are relatively unknown to the public in Northern Ireland so this is the perfect opportunity for us to make that connection.”

EAKIN GROUP ON GROWTH TRAIL Comber-based healthcare specialist Eakin Group, one of the world’s leading medical device manufacturing and distributors of stoma and wound care products has just concluded a major deal to purchase Cliffe Medical.

liffe Medical owns Respond Plus based in Larne, the licensed dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) for Northern Ireland employing 11 staff who dispense stoma products directly to patients as well as providing a nurse advisory service. Cliffe Medical also owns OstoMART, which provides a similar service from its three centres in England. The deal will increase Eakin’s UK workforce by an additional 55 people to 280.

106

The family owned Eakin Group is one of Northern Ireland’s most successful healthcare businesses with its products being sold in 40 countries around the world providing annual revenues in excess of £75m. In 2007, Eakin Group acquired Pelican Healthcare in Cardiff and earlier this year the company invested £12m extending its Comber manufacturing facility to over 100, 000 sq ft. Speaking at the announcement of the Cliffe Medical purchase, Eakin Group UK

Est. 1984

Improving Your Cash Flow

8 %"3 %#.5%17 (B2B & B2C) - .,%23)# -3%1-!3).-!+ 8 !2( +.6 22)23!-#% 8 1% +)3)'!3).- 1%/.132 8 -2.+5%-#7 %+/ 8 1%$)3 %/.132 8 1%$)3 -241!-#% $5)#% 8 -5.)#% )2#.4-3)-' $5)#%

Celebrating

30 Years

1984-2014

T: 028 9055 9999 $%"3 1%$,.-$*.(-2.- #., 6)33%1 1%$,.-$ .(-2.-1 666 1%$,.-$*.(-2.- #., .1273( .42% 1.,!# 04!1% %+&!23 %$,.-$ .(-2.- )2 ! 31!$)-' 237+% .& !2(&+.6 !-!'%,%-3 3$

Sole Irish Member of

OUR PEOPLE ARE YOUR PEOPLE www.graftonrecruitment.com

Eye on Moving On 1 Stephen Matchett has joined Danske Bank as Chief Financial Officer. Stephen was previously Chief Financial Officer of Bank of Ireland’s UK division and an Executive Director of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc. Earlier in his career Stephen also worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte. 2 Also at Danske Bank, Garth Maxwell has been appointed as Head of Private Banking. Garth has held a number of senior positions in the Bank in a career spanning over 30 years. He will be responsible for a large private banking team that base themselves throughout Northern Ireland at key offices in Belfast, Ballymena, Derry, Newry, Portadown, Coleraine and Omagh.

1 Stephen Matchett

4 Paul Wright

7 Martin McGreevy

2 Garth Maxwell

5 Mark Carron

8 Damian Conwell

3 Andrew Brammer

6 Gareth Howell

9 Jonathan Guest

3 Andrew Brammer, Head of Allen & Overy’s Support Services Centre in Belfast has been promoted to Global IT and Shared Services Director. Andrew will hold overall responsibility for the continued delivery of a high quality service from both the global IT function and the Support Services Centre. 4 BT has announced that Paul Wright has been appointed to the new role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) for its all-island operation. Paul, originally from Dublin, joins BT from NYSE Technologies where he was Global Head of Technology Engineering and site head for the NYSE Centre of Excellence in Northern Ireland. Following the acquisition of the New York Stock Exchange by the InterContinental Exchange, Paul was a member of the executive leadership team that spearheaded the divestiture and separation of the NYSE Technologies portfolio. Property specialists Osborne King has 5 announced a series of appointments. Mark Carron is appointed as Director of Auction & Licensed Premises having been with the 6 firm since 2003; Gareth Howell is promoted to Retail Director and has also been with 7 the firm for 11 years; Martin McGreevy takes on the role of Associate Director in the 8 firm’s Advisory Division; Damian Conwell is also promoted to Associate Director within Property & Asset Management. 9 Jonathan Guest has been appointed to the Board of Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries Limited as Director of Fabrication. He joined Harland and Wolff as a Graduate Trainee Manager in 1995 becoming Manufacturing Manager in 2001 before leaving to develop his career with Crane Stockham Valve, McMullen Architectural and MJM Marine Limited. 10 Moy Park has appointed Brian Acheson to the role of Director of Information Systems and Business Solutions. Brian will lead Moy Park’s multi-site based team of IS professionals across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Europe to deliver a best in class information services and business systems strategy and service. 11 Mervyn Perry has been appointed as Business Development Manager for the Cleaning Division at The Mount Charles Group. He brings to the role extensive experience in the cleaning industry and joins the company from Zenith Hygiene Group, where he held the position of Regional Sales Manager. Prior to this, Mervyn was a Partner at M P Chemical Products.

10 Brian Acheson

108

11 Mervyn Perry

12 Stephen Smyth

The Belfast-based packaging machinery manufacturer, Sepha Ltd, has appointed 12 Stephen Smyth as Operations Manager. Stephen will be responsible for managing production and operations and promoting an efficient delivery on-time culture. He previously worked at FG Wilson before joining Sepha as Production Manager in 2011.

Eye on News

£30M Contract Award To Create Up To 50 New Jobs UP to 50 new jobs are to be created in Northern Ireland as a result of a Belfast-based company being awarded one of the province’s biggest ever housing association maintenance contracts.

nstallation and maintenance company Contract Services, which operates out of headquarters in Kennedy Way Industrial Estate, secured the £30 MILLION contract after a rigorous tendering process carried out by the Abacus Housing Consortium, a co-operative body which acts as a central purchasing unit for five housing associations including OakleeTrinity, South Ulster, Open Door, Ark and Ulidia. The biggest ‘all trades’ measured term contract of its kind in Northern Ireland, worth up to £6m per annum over five years, will see Contract Services deliver a full range of maintenance services – including mechanical, electrical and general building services - across two regions, covering approximately

6,000 properties initially in the North East and South East of the province including Belfast. This number is expected to increase to 10,000 homes. In order to fulfil the contract’s huge requirement, Contract Services, which also has offices in Derry~Londonderry and Dublin, is creating 36 new jobs initially, which is expected to rise to up to 50, and investing in a fleet of 50 new vehicles. Contract Services founder and managing director Rory McNaughton claims that his company’s ability to service such an extensive contract ‘in-house’ was key to winning the business. “This is a hugely important contract and a very exciting time for Contract Services,” said Mr McNaughton. “From our humble

Rory McNaughton (centre), Danny McLean (left) and Paul Kane of Belfast-based installation and maintenance company Contract Services

beginnings in 2005 with a single engineer on the road, we have developed and grown year on year to get to the point where we can win and deliver a huge contract like this by providing a team of dedicated and skilled in-house tradesmen to provide all the required services. “We offer customers the opportunity to make one phone call and all their needs will be taken care of - underpinned by the highest standards of delivery and value for money. No other company supplying installation and maintenance

services has the in-house capability that we have and I believe that being a ‘one-stop shop’ for housing associations was a key factor in securing us this prestigious contract,” continued Rory. “Winning the Abacus contract is not just beneficial to Contract Services but also to the local economy as we are investing heavily in new jobs and vehicles to help deliver the huge job at hand.

35 Jobs Created In New Belfast Restaurant Venture The company behind Northern Ireland’s award-winning Galgorm Resort and Spa and the £12 million Scottish Mutual hotel development in Belfast city centre has unveiled details of a major new investment in the city’s growing hospitality sector.

ullymore House Limited, which this year received planning permission to transform the iconic Scottish Mutual building opposite Belfast City Hall into a modern, luxury boutique hotel, has confirmed plans to bring its award-winning ‘Fratelli’ Italian restaurant and bar concept and brand to one of the city’s largest and most prominent commercial sites. The site which formerly housed the Malt Room Bar & Restaurant is undergoing a major refurbishment programme ahead of the restaurant opening week commencing 17th November 2014. The restaurant will be set over two floors, the ground floor with restaurant seating for 100

covers and an open style kitchen and the first floor with one large function room/restaurant for seating 100 covers; with plans to extend outside with a terraced area opening Spring 2015 to seat approximately 40 covers. The opening of Fratelli Belfast and creation of 35 new full and part-time jobs represents a total investment in Belfast’s hospitality sector of more than £500,000. The new Fratelli restaurant and bar will serve a range of traditional quality, affordable Italian dishes in a modern family-friendly setting under the guidance of new Head Chef Johnny Glass. Glass hails from The Old

Schoolhouse Inn in Comber, which earlier this year was one of three Northern Ireland restaurants to receive a Bib Gourmand award in the coveted 2015 Michelin guide. Project Manager, Colin Johnston, who is overseeing the launch of the new restaurant, said:

“We’re delighted to announce this significant investment in Belfast, which we believe will go some way to support the growing demand for quality food, drink and entertainment in a city which is making a big name for itself in terms of tourism and hospitality. We’re proud to be involved.”

109

Eye on News

North West’s ‘Acorn Angels’ Pledge £1m to Fund New Start Ups A group of business leaders from Derry has pledged to invest over £1 million into Northern Ireland companies - with a major focus on the North West.

his angel group has come together under the umbrella of Halo, the NI business angel network based at the Northern Ireland Science Park, and each “angel” has committed up to £100,000 for investment into startup or high growth companies.

They have chosen the name Acorn Angels reflecting their Derry~Londonderry heritage and the old adage ‘Mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ - the unambiguous ambition for their high growth companies. The formation of the new Derrybased angel group coincides with the recent opening of the North West Regional Science Park, which is already home to more than 20 technology companies and early stage businesses. The investment group includes, amongst others, George Fleming (Fleming Agri-Products Ltd), Patrick McGonagle (Pakflatt), John McMonagle (Omega Mechanical Services), AnnMarie Slavin (Opt2Vote), Paul McElvaney (Learning Pool), Philip O’Doherty (E&I Engineering), Padraig Canavan (founder of Singularity), Richard Sterling

(former MD of Coolkeeragh Power Limited) and Eamonn Gee, who all attended the group’s inaugural meeting during the CultureTECH festival. Alan Watts, Director of Halo at the NI Science Park, says the major focus on the North West will be significant: “Halo is a key part of the Science Park’s programmes to support entrepreneurship and boost growing companies in many different sectors, not just technology. “With two Halo groups already successfully operating in the Belfast area we are delighted that this new group in Derry will have a focus on stimulating fast growth startups in the North West. “The Halo programme provides

pitch training, mentorship and advice to companies seeking private sector investment. Not only can angels invest substantial capital, notably over £1 million available in this instance, but they come with vast amounts of knowledge, experience and key business contacts - vital ingredients for any high growth potential companies here. “All our Derry angels will work together to share the work and decisions, benefiting both from the increased brainpower available and the trust that comes from working together in a familiar and focused team. They also have the experience and additional ‘pockets’ of the entire NI Halo network to call on, as needed.”

Asset based lending Business changing finance Blending stock or property funding lines with specialist invoice and asset finance, we maximise asset values as well as the range of funding challenges we can solve. To find out how you can utilise the value of assets in your business, speak to one of our experts today.

Talk to us today on 028 9517 0406 or visit www.closecommercialfinance.com Close Brothers Commercial Finance is a trading style of Close Brothers Limited and Close Invoice Finance Limited. Close Brothers Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company Number 00195626) and its registered office is 10 Crown Place, London, EC2A 4FT. Close Invoice Finance Limited, a subsidiary of Close Brothers Limited, is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 00935949) and it’s registered office is 10 Crown Place, London, United Kingdom EC2A 4FT.

110

Own your company vehicles and need a cash injection? Talk to us about Sale & Leaseback...

Eye on Motoring

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

HYBRID OR DIESEL THE AURIS MAKES IT A CLOSE CALL! Now here is a hybrid that looks like a ‘proper’ car, a rakish estate that really catches the eye. Keenly priced from under 22K, the Auris Touring Sports can make a strong case on running costs.

ut what is it like to drive? Rather impressive provided you don’t take that ‘Sports’ tag too seriously. Acceleration to 62mph in 10.5 seconds is not exactly sizzling but sufficient for everyday driving. Speed is not the name of the hybrid game, it is more about propelling us into the future at a reasonable pace! Toyota has honed its hybrid power train - a 1.8 litre petrol engine in tandem with an electric motor, together producing 136bhp

to a high degree of refinement. The automatic gearbox, with its tiny selector knob, works with a flick of the finger. It keeps the engine at its most efficient speed and masks the transition from electric to petrol power. On a drive around London, mostly on motorways, I averaged 55mpg. Admittedly that is a bit down on the 76mpg combined official figure but I thought it was good given the high speed drive. It compares quite favourably with

some similar sized diesel - these hybrids really are coming on! Emissions are rated at just 85g/km and this is rewarded by a very lowly company car tax band of 11%. Compare that with the diesels and the progress is tangible. Add the aggressive pricing and it is clear that Toyota

is aiming to put this hybrid firmly on the company car shortlist. The cheapest Auris Touring in Icon trim is listed at £21,745 and includes air con, electric windows, DAB radio, touchscreen multi media and a reversing camera. Top models run to keyless entry, auto lights and wipers and cruise control.

SEVEN SEATER ZAFIRA GETS BETTER POWER TRAIN The Zafira has proved popular here but the competition has got stronger in recent years. So what has Vauxhall done to its compact MPV to bring it up to the plate?

s the Tourer tag suggests, this is bigger and better looking than the normal Zafira model. This is the seven seater version though the rear two are slightly compromised as is often the case. A flexible mix of people and load carrying space is made easier by sliding rear sets. The interior trim is smarter than before, especially in the higher trims. Instruments are clear, switches work precisely although there are almost too many buttons. You get a colour screen and the option of sat nav.

I drove the Zafira fitted with the latest 1.6 CDTi turbo diesel engine, a big improvement on the rattling old 1.7 which has served well for years if not decades. The engine sounds more subdued and the six-speed gearbox seems slicker than before. The figures stack up well from a business point of view. Acceleration to 62mph takes just over 10 seconds, more

than enough to keep pace with traffic. The official mpg figure is impressive at 68mpg though you may not reach that giddy height in realtime driving. I was pleased with returns around 55mpg. Even better is the emission figure of 109g/km of carbon dioxide, putting this Zafira Touring into the lowish 17% company car tax band. That will also improve residual values and

keep down the car tax charges. It all makes sterling sense. There are ES, Tech Line, Sri and SE trim levels taking the Zafira up into executive levels of equipment. The ES ‘fleet’ model still has air conditioning, DAB radio and cruise control. The 1.6 CDTi comes in Tech Line trim from just over £23K (before discount!) and features alloy wheels, sat nave and Bluetooth.

111

For used VAT qualifying vehicles visit our website...

dfcbelfast.co.uk

Eye on Motoring

Free Winter Safety Check From DFC NI Ltd

f all the seasons, winter requires the most care and preparation to ensure you and your family stay safe on the roads. Breakdowns are more common and potentially more dangerous during the winter months than at any other time of the year. So it is particularly important to be prepared for the cold spells and difficult road conditions that can arise, especially when snow and ice are about. Included within our free winter safety check t 5ZSFT 8F XJMM DIFDL UIF PWFSBMM condition of your tyres including the tread depth and pressure t #BUUFSZ o 8F XJMM UFTU UIF batteries charge to ensure you keep moving this winter t $PPMBOU "OUJ GSFF[F o 8F XJMM check the strength and levels

t 8JQFS CMBEFT GPS TQMJUT PS EBNBHF t 0QFSBUJPO PG UIF XJOETDSFFO XBTI system and the level of screen wash and top this up if necessary t -JHIU CVMCT o GBVMUZ PS broken bulbs are illegal Once your check has been completed by trained technicians we will discuss the report with you and provide help and guidance if any elements do not meet the safety requirements.

Call 02890 734222 or email your name and telephone number to freewintercheck@dfc.co.uk We will then arrange for your free winter safety check and get you winter ready.

visit our website... dfcbelfast.co.uk

Local Company Local People Local Service

DFC is Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only major independent locally owned Vehicle management company. For 25 years DFC have supplied, funded and managed cars and vans. We are confident we can provide a cost effective solution for your business or individual needs.

Call us today for more information on our car and van offers on 028 9073 4222 or email sales@dfcbelfast.co.uk 112

Supplying cars and vans to the business community

call us on 02890 734222

Eye on Motoring

DFC Congratulates Decora

el Butler Director of DFC caught up with Russell Dickson Sales Director of Decora when they won the UTV Business Eye Company of the Year

award. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having supplied vehicles to Decora Blinds for many years it was great to see a local company win such a prestigious award.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Their investment in people,

technology and commitment to customer service has now been recognised by the Northern Ireland business community. Congratulations to Russell and the whole teamâ&#x20AC;?.

BU S I N E SS CON T R AC T H I R E

VOLVO V40 HATCH D2 R-DESIGN Specification includes: t 4UBSU 4UPQ 5FDIOPMPHZ t w *YJPO "MMPZ 8IFFMT t 3 %FTJHO 4QPSUT 6QIPMTUFSZ t #MVFUPPUI )BOET GSFF 4ZTUFN t .FUBMMJD QBJOU t "VUPGPMEJOH 1PXFS %PPS .JSSPST with Ground Lights t &MFDUSPOJD $MJNBUF $POUSPM t -FBUIFS 4UFFSJOH 8IFFM XJUI $ISPNF 5SJN t NBOZ NPSF GFBUVSFT t 1SJDF CBTFE PO NPOUIT JOJUJBM SFOUBM GPMMPXFE CZ 23 monthly payments, 10k miles per annum. t 1JDUVSF GPS JMMVTUSBUJPO QVSQPTFT POMZ

Low CO2 emissions of 88 g/km - A combined cycle of 83.1 mpg

Prices Start

ÂŁ279 +VAT per month

visit www.dfcbelfast.co.uk email sales@dfcbelfast.co.uk or call 028 9073 4222

For used VAT qualifying vehicles visit our website...

dfcbelfast.co.uk

Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

CITROEN’S COMPACT AND CHIC CITY CAR CUTS DOWN ON COSTS If you need a company runabout, the Citroen C1 has to be a leading contender as do siblings, the Toyota Aygo and the Peugeot 108.

ll three city cars have just been relaunched with differing styling treatments of what is essentially the same car. The one significant difference is that the French companies offer a larger, 1.2 litre version of the three cylinder petrol engine. If you go for the 1.2 litre C2 you get acceleration to 62mph in 11 seconds and longer legs for outof-town driving. But if your work is inside the city limits then the 1.0 option’s slower 14 seconds to 62mph may not be an issue. Both engines emit less than 100g/

km meaning that road tax is zero and company car tax is minimal. The C1 VTi 68, with the 1.0 litre donkey and start-stop does up to 74mpg and emits just 88g/ km, amongst the lowest of any car on the market. The 1.2 is good for 65mpg combined and emits 99g/km. This is a cheap car to run by any measure. There is a choice of five speed manual or automated gearboxes and the interior is more modern with a fashionable, and useful, touch screen to control several functions. Driving the C1 is a fun experience,

the engine is just so eager to rev right up to 6,000rpm. There is an agile feel to its behaviour on the road, a bit like a go-kart. Springing is firm and steering reaction is sharp. This is a buzzing little car that seems young at heart. My car was in the Airscape trim with a contrasting full length red

fabric room and white bodywork - good potential for drawing attention to your business? The availability of five doors and folding rear seats gives the C1 a degree of practicality, though there are bigger city cars out there. Prices range from £8,245 to £10,935.

NEW DIESEL GIVES VOLVO MINOR VROOM AND ECONOMY Volvo is rolling out its remarkable new Drive E turbo diesel engine across its range. Now it is available in the compact V40 range with which it makes a potent combination.

an it replace the iconic D5, diesel with its barnstorming performance? Actually, it makes a pretty good fist of it whilst using less fuel. An output of 190bhp from a 2.0 litre turbo diesel is impressive and so, too, is the 0-62mph time of just 8.2 seconds. There is enough power to turn this stylish semi estate into

114

something of a hot hatch. To keep you on the safe side, there are a barrage of typical Volvo safety features. A red warning shines on the windscreen if you get too close to the car in front and it is good to be kept informed of the local speed limits when you are on unfamiliar terrain. The V40 safety shield includes a world first, an air bag at the front to protect pedestrians, as standard. Added is a driver support

pack and you get of high tech items like collision warning and full auto braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, line keeping aid, driver alert, blind spot warning and road sign display. The Drive E engines will be available in both diesel and petrol form with varying power outputs. Meanwhile, this potent diesel unit makes Volvo a must entry in any short list for a business car purchase. Why?

Just check out these figures. The D4, as it is known, is rated at 74mpg combined and has emissions of just 99g/km! Talk about having your cake and eating it! That is music to the ears of the company driver as it puts the car in the 15% company car tax bracket. The new V40 flagship is priced from £24,570, putting it to the premium brands with its efficiency, comfort and technology. Vorsprung durch Volvo!

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.