Business Eye April May 2016 by Buckley Publications

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Darina Armstrong & Progressive... A Record Breaking Year Features: 04

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Contents

titanicbelfast.com April/May 2016 ISSUE 160

Small Business Awards

Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards 2016

Forde May... Trusted Name, Bespoke Service The simple fact that Forde May Consulting is Northern Ireland’s oldest privately owned headhunting firm says a lot about the company. But that simple fact doesn’t do justice to the unique story of a firm which has managed to stay at the top of its game despite the challenges that have faced it.

Entries have now closed for the 2016 Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards, and the tension is mounting in the run-up to Awards Night on Thursday, 2nd June, at the La Mon House Hotel & Country Club, when the winners in all 12 categories will be announced. Last year’s winners and runners-up look back on what the awards meant for their companies.

InterTrade Ireland... Meet The Funder

Cover Story

Darina Armstrong & Progressive... A Record Breaking Year

Intertrade Ireland’s annual Meet The Funder event took place recently at Belfast’s Europa Hotel, giving business owners and entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet up with a wide range of funders, from the mainstream banks through to equity and alternative funders.

The first ever listing of the Top 100 Family & Locally Owned Businesses in Northern Ireland has been launched by the Ulster University Business School and accountants and business advisers Harbinson Mulholland.

Flogas... Winning Over Natural Gas Customers Already a familiar name in the energy market, Flogas is the latest new entrant to the highly competitive natural gas marketplace in Northern Ireland. The allisland company, with its roots in the LPG market, is winning over business customers all over the region with a focused value proposition for gas customers.

The new Digital Schools of Distinction programme and awards scheme is helping to ensure that pupils in primary schools throughout Northern Ireland are getting access to the ‘Digital Classroom’ from an early age, so that they have the skills and experience to succeed in a digital future.

SAP Business One... Better Business In A Box There are plenty of software products out there that promise to make elements of running a business easier. But there are few solutions that tick as many boxes as SAP’s Business One.....a comprehensive package for SME’s if ever there was one. SAP’s Head of Business One, Will Newton, talks about the product.

Wealth Management Cunningham Coates... Steeped In Tradition, Focused On The Future There aren’t too many business leaders around Belfast who can point to 175 years of company history... and even fewer who can point out that their great great grandfather was the firm’s founding father. Jonathan Cunningham, the latest generation of the family to occupy the Senior Partner’s office at Cunningham Coates, manages to strike an easy balance between his firm’s rich history and it’s present day rebrand.

We’re told often enough that Corporate Social Responsibility can deliver a wide range of benefits to businesses and their employees. Business Eye asked a cross section of business leaders from Northern Ireland for their views, and profiles a number of leading CSR-active organisations.

Business Growth With Crunch A new entrant in the snack marketplace is making a big impact here in Northern Ireland. And the company has a great story to tell. We catch up with Tom Keogh of Keogh’s Crisps.

Eye on Tax

Eye on Agri Food

Eye on Small Business

Eye on Property

Eye on Giving

Eye on Law

Eye on Interiors

Eye on Events

Eye on Design

Eye on Construction

Eye on Motoring

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley

Business Development Manager Ciara Donnelly

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

CSR & Business Benefits

Eye on Technology

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

Digital Schools Initiative

Energy & Utilities

Family Business Top 100 Launched

Progressive Building Society has notched up its best-ever year, recording £11 million of profits, £1.7 billion of assets and £185 million worth of lending to mortgage customers. It’s a significant achievement for Northern Ireland’s only home-grown financial institution. Business Eye catches up with Progressive Chief Executive, Darina Armstrong.

Regulars

Specials

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

By the time you’re reading this, our votes will have been cast in the Assembly Elections for 2016 and the shape of the new Assembly will have become clear.

Comment

Apart from a few scattered examples, it’s hard to find any business leader who thinks that Northern Ireland stands to benefit in any shape or form from a British exit from the EU

SPONSORED BY

MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

EXPORTER OF THE YEAR

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SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING AWARD

HOSPITALITY & TOURISM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

SPONSORED BY

CUSTOMER FOCUS AWARD

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD

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TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

AGRI-FOOD BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

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Have you booked your table yet? 16

PHILIP McLORINAN BDS

Practice Principal, Dunmurry Dental Practice

SANDRA CORKIN

Managing Director, Oasis Travel

WINNER OF SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2015

“Since being named Small Business of the Year, Oasis Travel has continue to go from strength from strength. I would highly recommend that any small businesses should enter these fantastic awards to showcase the very real contribution smaller firms make to Northern Ireland. The recognition and PR that we received from our success helped us to grow our sales and endorse our customer service.”

WINNER OF HEALTHCARE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2015

“The Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards last year was a great success. The organisation by Business Eye, the venue, the cuisine and the entertainment were exceptional. We were thrilled to be finalists, let alone win the Healthcare Business of the Year category in 2015. It was wonderful to recognise the efforts of our great team and they enjoyed celebrating on the night. It has been pleasantly surprising how many patients, suppliers and professional colleagues have remarked on our award and it has undoubtedly added to our brand image and reputation.”

JACQUELYN STEWART

MD Squeeze Wheatgrass Ltd

WINNER OF AGRI-FOOD BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2015

STEPHEN CAIRNS

MD Innov8 Office Interiors

WINNER OF INNOVATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2015

“Innov8 Office Interiors were delighted to receive the 2015 Innovation Award, being recognised for our achievement through our Innovative Design within the commercial office market.The event itself is an excellent opportunity and platform to showcase up and coming businesses across a wide network of Northern Irelands SME Companies, all with likeminded goals and aspirations to become the best in their market. It was a great night giving us the opportunity to involve everyone within the Innov8 Team – A massive thanks to both Business Eye & First Trust Bank.”

“The Business Eye Small Business awards provide a platform to showcase and celebrate the development and successes of small businesses throughout NI. It was a real honour to collect the award on behalf of Squeeze Wheatgrass and be in the company of some amazing NI businesses. The publicity surrounding the event has given our business a real boost. I would, and have, encouraged small businesses to enter these awards as an opportunity to publicly celebrate all they have achieved.”

RICHARD SIMPSON

Managing Director Atlas Communications (NI) Ltd

WINNER OF TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2015

“Together with our guests we thoroughly enjoyed the inaugural event in 2015. To be able to showcase our business and to win was recognition of all the hard work put in by so many people in Atlas. Bringing the award back to the office was a way of saying to everyone working there we are recognised for what we do.”

IAN LAVERTY

MD Ingenuity UK

WINNER OF START-UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2015

“As a new start business we were delighted to win the Business Eye Small Business Award for best Start-Up business in 2015. In our game credibility is vitally important. To have our business and our work judged by a panel of experts, and to go on and win the award, was a fantastic achievement for our team and gave us recognition and credibility amongst the Northern Ireland business community.”

STEPHEN MCELRONE

The Rug House

WINNER OF EXPORTER OF THE YEAR 2015

“The Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards gave The Rug House great exposure and recognition in the business community. The award has given us the confidence to continue our growth plan and strive for continued success. We wish all this years candidates the best of luck.”

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk For further information please contact Ciara Donnelly at Business Eye on 028 9047 4490 or ciara@businesseye.co.uk 17

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Eye on Cover Story

Darina Armstrong & Progressive... A Record Breaking Year Despite enjoying continued success, Progressive Building Society is an organisation that does not tend to boast about its achievements. Having been established here for over 100 years, Progressive is Northern Ireland’s largest locally-owned financial institution, producing consistently impressive results over many years. In 2015 the Society experienced its most successful year to date, something of which Darina Armstrong and her team should be very proud.

here’s always a story behind the figures, and in Progressive’s case, it’s one of progress, prudent lending, a belief in the value of savings, a clear understanding of Members and being responsive to their needs. While almost every financial institution talks the talk about understanding its customers, there’s little doubt that Progressive goes the extra mile, investing in its team and the High Street in order to make the lending and saving process as easy as possible for its Members. Figures show that for the 2015 calendar year, Progressive recorded post-tax profits of just over £11 million, a total assets figure that has now reached the £1.7 billion mark, and perhaps most significantly, the Society lent out £185 million to mortgage borrowers over the 12 months. “We are delighted with our results,” says Darina Armstrong. “Considering that we’re a Northern Ireland institution through and through, the results are pretty remarkable.” Progressive is a financial institution which hasn’t received any form of government assistance throughout its history. Even during the recession, Progressive Building Society managed to maintain a profit year-on-year. The past year has been shaped by increasing house purchases and providing mortgage products

tailored to individual Members’ needs has long been at the heart of what Progressive does well. The local housing market has been improving steadily in the past year and continues to do so. “Good properties are being snapped up very quickly, but there is still a real shortage of supply. Developers and builders remain cautious, but there are some signs that the number of new properties being built is beginning to increase. It’s also important to remember that the marketplace isn’t just about first-time buyers.” “The mortgage products that we offer are very competitive and we’re seeing a high level of new business coming to Progressive through referrals and our established branch network.” “The mortgage market is very competitive” Darina comments. “We are all used to the high level of competition, with an increasing number of new mortgage products on offer and new players entering the mortgage market. This is something to be welcomed but it can lead to confusion, especially for first time buyers. Our advice to customers is to look carefully at what mortgage offers are available and to talk to the right people before choosing a mortgage product. “We work hard to make sure that our mortgage products are easy to understand. At the end of the day, a mortgage has to meet the needs of the customer. It’s as simple as that.”

Eye on Cover Story

In March 2016 Progressive Building Society launched the government-backed Help to Buy: ISA which offers first time buyers a potential 25% bonus up to £3,000 on their savings. “The Help to Buy: ISA is a great idea, and we welcome the Government’s commitment to the concept. It is a very useful initiative for first time buyers who are looking to purchase their own home,” she says. “I have always been passionate about saving,” admits Progressive’s Chief Executive. “It’s all about getting into the habit. When I was little there were Post Office savings stamps and nowadays, there are so many different ways to save.

“We see it as part of our mission to encourage more people in Northern Ireland to get into the habit of saving. Saving just £20 a month can make all the difference.” “I do think it’s important that we have a savings culture to counteract the easy availability of credit in the market. Here at Progressive, we have a more in-depth approach to our mortgage application process ensuring each mortgage Member is provided with the product that is most suited to their needs and that they will be able to afford their monthly repayments. Progressive has long been committed to having local

branches, with a solid 12-strong branch network around Northern Ireland currently, each led by experienced managers and long-serving members of staff. The Society experiences a very low staff turnover with many employees who have been at Progressive for over twenty years. Looking to the future, Progressive Building Society has taken a careful approach to how it does business, and that’s not about to change. “We’ll keep building on what we are doing well,” says Darina. “Within Progressive, we’ll continue to focus on training and customer service. We will continue to encourage our

Members and potential members to call in to our branches and talk to us about the range of products we have available. “We understand that if given the choice, people would opt to not have a mortgage, however it’s a means to an end. We see our job as helping to get people through what can be a difficult journey, making it a much more positive experience than they might expect.

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Eye on Management

FSB… Supporting business growth I launched my business, Digital DNA, in 2013 with the aim of inspiring entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to respond to the opportunities and threats of digital. That idea was born over a pint with an old friend, Ryan Owens who works for Google, and our aim at the beginning was simple – to help Northern Ireland’s businesses grow by embracing digital technology.

few months later, I organized our first ever technology conference, to which we attracted 300 delegates. At that time, the marketplace was quite bleak: the hangover from the recession remained and businesses were reluctant to embrace technology because of the perception that it was expensive, time consuming and confusing. That’s been a big challenge - to help businesses understand that they can have a huge impact on their bottom line by using various technologies, many of which don’t actually cost anything. It’s a hurdle we’ve overcome thanks to the great work from my team, the fantastic speakers who engage our delegates and our partners who have played a critical role in helping us shape what we do. This year, our showpiece technology and business conference will take place on June 8th in St George’s Market, and over 1,000 local and international delegates will attend various talks, workshops and discussions to demonstrate how organisations can harness digital technologies and trends to shape their business strategy. Today, technology in Northern Ireland is thriving and this provides us with a fantastic backdrop to showcase what digital can deliver

for local businesses. We’re riding the crest of a wave as technology expands and businesses of all sizes can come to our events to get inspired by global success stories like Deloitte Digital, Paddy Power, PayPal, Manchester City Football Club, Allstate and more. The support we’ve had from those huge brands advocates for businesses in Northern Ireland, which I believe will help local SMEs and entrepreneurs here grow into international markets. For me, providing local businesses with a chance to learn from and get inspired by global success stories should be the number one priority for the business world. By helping companies understand the benefits of technology, regardless of size or scale, we can help them sell more products and grow their customer base. From humble beginnings, I’m proud to say we’ve grown Digital DNA to being one of Ireland’s

“ As a business owner, that growth could have been challenging on many fronts, but being a member of FSB means I have access to a huge team of experts who can advise on tax, employment law, contracts and all of the stuff I simply don’t have time to become expert in. That lets me focus on doing what I do best: growing Digital DNA and promoting Northern Ireland as the place to do business.”

leading technology brands, with a team of six web, events, marketing and technology professionals, based at our headquarters in Saintfield. As a business owner, that growth could have been challenging on many fronts, but being a member of FSB means I have access to a huge team of experts who can advise on tax, employment law, contracts and all of the stuff I simply don’t have

time to become expert in. That lets me focus on doing what I do best: growing Digital DNA and promoting Northern Ireland as the place to do business. Looking to the future, as well as delivering the biggest and best Digital DNA event yet, I’m also excited about our Digital Futures programme, which we will be launching, with our partners in Sentinus, in autumn. The

programme will offer all secondary school pupils in Northern Ireland the chance to design a tech product that solves a problem being faced by consumers or businesses, and through it we will engage thousands of young people around the country which is something we’re very excited about. We hope to inspire and empower the next generation of STEM leaders in Northern Ireland, so that ‘digital’ really is part of their DNA.

Mairaid McMahon Development Manager, Northern Ireland Federation of Small Businesses T 028 8676 9023 M 07917 628994 @FSBNIRegion www.fsb.org.uk

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Eye on Finance

MEETING THE FUNDERS InterTrade Ireland’s Meet The Funder event took place recently at Belfast’s Europa Hotel, another chance for local companies and entrepreneurs to hear from and to meet key funders, including banks, equity funds and alternative funding suppliers.

he event was one of two in quick succession, the second taking place two days later at Croke Park in Dublin. The event, chaired by the BBC’s Mark Simpson and opened by ITI Chairman Martin Cronin, included an opening address by Charlie Kerlin, Head of Corporate Finance at Grant Thornton, partners of the event. An exhibition area on the hotel’s ground floor included stands and meeting areas for each of the funders represented at the event. But the highlight for most attendees was a series of three interactive discussion panels. Members of the audience were able to pose searching questions to the panel members using their mobile devices... a welcome move away from the old roving microphone system.

The panels & panellists: Banking • Mark Cunningham, Bank of Ireland • Ivan McMinn, Danske Bank • Brian Gillen, First Trust Bank • Kinton Hillman, Ulster Bank Equity • Kevin MacSweeney, Broadlake • Darryl Connell, Foresight • Shane Cooke, MML • Allen Martin, Kernel Alternative • John Power, IFP Ireland • William McCulla, Invest NI • Judith Totten, Upstream • Paul Millar, Whiterock

Eye on Finance

Eye on Companies

FAMILY BUSINESS TOP 100 LAUNCHED The first ever listing of the Top 100 Family & Locally Owned Businesses in Northern Ireland has been launched by the Ulster University Business School and accountants and business advisers Harbinson Mulholland.

he Top 100 was officially launched at a reception held at Belfast’s Ramada Plaza Hotel, part of the Andras House Group which is one of the familyowned companies on the list. Representatives from some of the leading companies listed received certificates at the launch event, which also heard from Darren McDowell, Partner

at Harbinson Mulholland; Ulster University Business School’s Michael McQuillan and the report’s compiler, economist John Simpson. Also launched on the day was the brand new NI Family Business Forum, the first meeting of which will be held at the Ramada Plaza on May 18th. For further information, visit www. nifamilybusinessforum.com Michael McQuillan & Ian Smyth, Ulster University with Darren McDowell Harbinson Mulholland

Richard Buckley with Rajesh Rana, Andras House

Paul Mulholland, Harbinson Mulholland, Jack Dobson, Dunbia, Patrick Leonard, Harbinson Mulholland

Jeremy Harbinson, Harbinson Mulholland, John Simpson, Ulster University

Angela Craigan, Harbinson Mulholland, Bridgene McKeever, McKeever Hotels Ltd, Julie McKeown, Henry Brothers

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Eye on Law

Acquisitions can be a fast lane for NI Tech growth but what are the risks? As Northern Ireland focusses on growing its tech sector Hilary Griffith, Partner at Pinsent Masons, Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only international law firm explores the factors at play when firms build through acquisition over R&D.

ith the second fastest growing regional knowledge economy in the UK technology is a key facet of Northern Ireland plcâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic strategy. Of course many of our tech companies will be start-ups, but they cannot remain in the incubation stage forever. In the last 24 months we have seen a number of significant transactions occurring in

our mature tech sector with fintech company First Derivatives continued expansion through acquisition, IT firm Kainos listing on the London Stock Exchange and Lyceum Capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s significant PE investment in Belfast based tech company TotalMobile. In an effort to grow and develop, firms may invest in R&D, organically building or expanding products. Alternatively to capitalise on an

opportunity, or capture a market it may be quicker to bolt-on technology licensed from others. However, sometimes they might wish to take a more definitive step and acquire technology via a company purchase. So what are the issues at play? There are inherent risks in buying companies predominantly for their technology, from legal and contractual issues relating to the ownership and licensing of intellectual property (IP), to fundamental questions over whether the technology is futureproof and worth what it is currently valued at. Prospective buyers must therefore engage in robust due

diligence to minimise the risks and help inform decision making. Satisfying yourself that technology is worth investing in involves carrying out multifaceted due diligence, some aspects of which are easier to undertake than others. One of the issues acquiring companies have to understand when buying technology is who owns the technology and the intellectual property rights in it, as well as reviewing what licensing arrangements the target company is committed to. Patent registers and other public databases of registered IP rights can help businesses verify the

Eye on Law

true ownership of technology, as well as whether others have registered similar patents or whether such applications are pending. This desktop analysis can help businesses assess whether the technology they are buying is unique and protectable, or exploited, or about to be exploited, by rivals. Putting a value on soft IP, like unregistered software code or know-how, is more of a challenge. Often the ownership of soft IP is linked specifically to individual staff members. Acquiring companies will want oversight of the employment contracts at target companies to ensure that ownership of IP resides with the company and not employees. An examination of existing licensing contracts that the target company has will also help acquiring businesses reassure themselves that IP ownership rights held by the target company are not shared with third parties, like consultants, university researchers or customers. This latter case is particularly relevant where a product has been developed on a bespoke basis. Small, innovative companies sometimes have the problem of not having a proper process of documenting ownership of their IP, particularly where they work with third parties. Companies find it difficult, and expensive, to get former staff and third parties they have worked with to assign IP back to them. However, this is something that an acquiring business might insist on under the terms of a sale if contracts of employment did not ensure assignment of IP rights to the employer in the first place. If target companies have not got their IP in order when they come to sell, and the buyer identifies a weakness in terms of ownership or assignment, then it can have a knock-on impact on the sale price, especially where the main asset being acquired is IP or technology. Another thing acquiring businesses would want to check is a record of the robustness of a target business’ technology. They might look for target companies to disclose data on product recalls, failures and bug fixes as well as on software service levels, for example, to check for any history

of outages and associated product failures and business disruption. Acquiring companies should also review the suite of software target companies are reliant on to check for any dependencies on in-bound licenses. Buyers will want to make sure that licensors of any software will not exercise any rights to terminate their contract with target companies on a change of control basis following takeover of the target business. This principle applies more generally to any other major contract the target company is reliant on, such as distribution or customer contracts. Use of open source software by target companies is not uncommon. Some open source software licenses will not permit the code to be put to commercial use, whilst other licenses will require users to contribute to updating the code. Acquiring businesses might want to ensure that, where open source software is present in target business technology, a third party escrow agent holds the code to minimise the risk of access to the code being cut off if the licensor goes bust. Technology and IP rights can confer such a competitive advantage that it is often the subject of legal action. Acquiring companies will want to review court records, or annual reports or regulatory filings that target companies publish, to get an overview of ongoing litigations target companies are involved in, and particularly those concerning the validity of important IP rights and actions of infringement. Representations and warranties can be inserted into sale agreements to account for unknown risks. These indemnities allow acquiring companies the ability to reclaim some of the value they associated with technology at the time of sale if there is loss in that value post-sale, for example because IP rights in the technology are later challenged and successfully revoked. Knowing what technology competitors are using and looking to use in future is a challenge that all businesses face when making a major decision on what technology they should themselves invest in. Buying technology will always be a risk, but acquiring companies can take action such as carry

out market analysis, interview experts in the industry and seek assurances from the seller so as to make a better informed judgment on what value to place on that prospective investment. One way acquiring companies can address the risk of today’s latest technology quickly turning obsolete is to agree a so-called ‘earnout’ pricing structure in the deal for the purchase of a target company. This arrangement involves the payment of the purchase price in instalments, with the amount paid in each instalment being determined with reference to agreed benchmarks. In the context of paying for technology, a buyer and seller might agree to instalments based on that technology delivering projected efficiency savings or gaining traction in the market. Under such an arrangement acquiring businesses could end up paying less for technology than market valuations at the time of purchase, or equally pay more if it exceeds expectations. Earnouts are particularly common in deals for technology companies because they tend to value themselves based on high growth rates and continuing

high growth rates in future. This pricing mechanism seeks to mitigate the risk in overpaying for products and services that could be overtaken by the next wave of digital technologies. Sometimes technology can have wide-application across multiple sectors. A potential buyer should explore the option acquiring the right to use another company’s technology exclusively in their particular sector whilst not precluding the seller from supplying their technology to businesses in other markets. This partnership arrangement would fall short of an outright acquisition of a company to gain access to their technology and might be worth considering if the buyer is not concerned about the same technology they are buying being used by, say, banks or retailers. As Northern Ireland’s tech sector matures we could expect some degree of consolidation amongst its start-ups. It is a complex area, the issues explored above will be factors in strategic decision-making, and seeking experienced advice is key. It could be a sign of our start-ups growing up.

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Eye on Education

DIGITAL SCHOOLS OF DISTINCTION “D The new Digital Schools of Distinction programme and awards scheme is helping to ensure that pupils in primary schools throughout Northern Ireland are getting access to the ‘Digital Classroom’ from an early age, so that they have the skills and experience to succeed in a digital future. Business Eye catches up with programme supporters, technology giants HP Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Microsoft, to see how the programme is bedding down in Northern Ireland.

igital Technology is a way of life for everyone but when you look at the education system, modernising the curriculum to reflect that is a pretty big job. Whilst Northern Ireland already performs very well in terms of integrating technology into the curriculum, there is still further room for improvement. The Digital Schools programme can support that development by helping schools to harness the full potential of technology for education purposes,” says Martin Murphy, Managing Diretor of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Northern Ireland. Digital Schools of Distinction was launched in Northern Ireland in November 2015 and to date some 138 primary schools have signed up to the programme whilst 11 schools have been accredited and

are fully recognised ‘Digital Schools of Distinction’. Supported by HP Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Microsoft the awards programme has been developed to help schools integrate technology into the classroom. It recognises best in class practices in teaching and learning and builds on the progress already made by schools by providing a pathway and resources for those schools seeking to do more with technology. It also recognises those who achieve excellence and supports the efforts of schools and teachers in making the best use of technology in the learning environment. Industry are providing support for the programme over a five year period which includes a financial commitment of £100,000 in the first year as well as the provision of practical support and

resources. The Digital Schools team have been working with the Department of Education and C2k to ensure that the programme and its implementation is relevant and accessible to all primary schools. The programme also dovetails with the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) as one of the identified actions under DAE is enhancing digital literacy, skills and inclusion. The overall aim of DAE is to reboot Europe’s economy and help Europe’s citizens and businesses to get the most out of digital technologies. Earlier in March nine newly accredited primary schools attended a special photo reception event at Parliament Buildings, Stormont and were presented with their awards by the Minister for Education John O’Dowd. Mr O’Dowds congratulated the schools who have earned Digital Schools of Distinction award, saying:

Eye on Education

“Being recognised as a Digital School of Distinction is a fantastic achievement and an important milestone for all the schools that have done it. We live in an increasingly technology literate world and it’s important that our schools reflect the world our children live in,” he said. “I’d like to encourage any school that hasn’t yet got involved in this programme to consider doing so.”

“ Digital Schools of Distinction is gaining fantastic traction in Northern Ireland and we congratulate all primary schools who are now fully accredited.” The roll-out in Northern Ireland follows the programme’s success in the Republic of Ireland where currently over half of primary schools - 1708 - have registered with the programme. 290 schools have been accredited. Locally the ambition is to sign up 200 schools in Northern Ireland during the programme’s first year and Gary Tierney, Managing Director of HP Inc. Northern Ireland says the programme is well on its way to achieving that aim: “At HP, we believe that technology has the power to make education a more unique experience for students in a way that is more flexible, collaborative and dynamic. I’ve been very impressed by the superb quality of ideas and projects generated by pupils and teachers and HP is delighted to support this

new digital schools awards programme which recognises and rewards the high calibre work in progress across primary schools in Northern Ireland. The in depth evaluation process extends over the following areas: leadership and vision; ICT integration across the curriculum; school ICT culture; staff continuing professional development and resources and infrastructure. Adding his support for progress to date, Tom Jackson, Education Manager, Microsoft Northern Ireland said: “Digital Schools of Distinction is gaining fantastic traction in Northern Ireland and we congratulate all primary schools who are now fully accredited. No matter what career a young person chooses to pursue, technology will play a role in their daily lives so it’s paramount that we help schools equip pupils with the essential and most up to date technology skills at a young age to allow them to make the best career choices in the future.” Principals and teachers who signed up to become Digital Schools of Distinction have endorsed the programme recognising that it both commends the work they are already doing but also supports their ongoing delivery of the primary curriculum. The first school in Northern Ireland to receive the award was St Joseph’s PS, Carryduff and its principal Dominic Donnelly praised the commitment of staff in embracing opportunities to implement digital learning and the enthusiasm of pupils across

all age groups to discover and learn using the latest technology. “At St Joseph’s the children learn how to use technology to handle, interpret and communicate information, to solve problems, pose questions and be creative. In essence our vision is to ensure that the children have the confidence and abilities they will require to be successful in a rapidly evolving technological world.” Keith Wysner, Principal of Magherafelt based Knockloughrim PS said the programme offers a real opportunity for primary schools to build on their digital capabilities: “Our little learners need to be confident on how to use digital technology and how to be able to meet not only current but future needs and expectations of the employment and business sectors. Having Digital Schools of Distinction status helps us show that as a school we are harnessing the capabilities of technology and giving our children the opportunity and experiences to be the best and most digitally creative they can be.” Kevin Donaghy, Principal of St Colman’s PS at Annaclone near Banbridge shows are schools are thinking big and global: “We seek to ensure that we offer our children the best opportunities possible to help them prepare to enter into the global economy. If the German government are looking for town planners, if they are looking for the finest architects in Barcelona or Air France are looking for top-end engineers, there is no

reason why these professionals can’t come from Annaclone or be based in Annaclone. It’s important that we are educating children for jobs that don’t yet exist, to solve problems we are not yet aware of and using technology that hasn’t yet been invented.” New digital schools receive a presentation plaque and a ‘classroom kit’ which includes a free HP printer with a free print allowance per month of 200 colour and 2000 mono prints and access to education ICT specialists. The current list of validated Digital Schools of Distinction in Northern Ireland is as follows: • Millennium Integrated Primary School, Saintfield, Co. Down; • St Oliver Plunkett Primary School, Glen Road, Belfast; • St Malachy’s Primary School, Co. Armagh; • Ballyclare Primary School, Newtownabbey; • St Colman’s Primary School, Banbridge; • Millquarter Primary School, Toomebridge; • Knockloughrim Primary School Magherafelt; • Killean Primary School, Newry; • Cumran Primary School, Clough • St. Joseph’s Primary School, Carryduff.

Schools can source further information on Digital Schools of Distinction and register online by visiting www.digitalschoolsofdistinction.co.uk or @schools_digital on Twitter

Eye on News

ARTHUR COX STRENGTHENS PARTNER TEAM Leading law firm Arthur Cox has appointed Emma-Jane Flannery as Employment Law Partner at its Northern Ireland practice.

mma-Jane has 12 years’ experience of dealing with both contentious and noncontentious matters, specialising in disciplinary and grievance issues as well as tribunal claims involving unfair dismissals and discrimination. The highly-respected Employment Law team at Arthur Cox’s Belfast office, led by Rosemary Lundy, provides specialist advice to a range

of private and public sector clients on a variety of employment law and personnel issues, including longterm sickness absence, Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE), commercial transactions and industrial disputes. Breaking the news of Emma-Jane’s appointment, Catriona Gibson, Managing Partner at Arthur Cox, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome EmmaJane to the Partner team at Arthur

Cox and I know she will make a major contribution to our first-class reputation in the market, which is built on our service delivery ethos of proactivity and partnership. “Emma-Jane plays a leading role in our Employment Law team, regularly delivering bespoke training sessions and in-house seminars to our clients on current topics of interest and important legal developments. “This appointment is a recognition of Emma-Jane’s expertise and outstanding quality of work, as well as her commitment to the firm and to her clients, and I wish her every success in the role.” Emma-Jane commented: “It’s a huge honour to join the Partner team at Arthur Cox and a special way to mark my 10th year with the firm. “Employment Law is such a fast-

moving, dynamic area of law with a wide range of new topics constantly coming to the fore. Our clients are regularly seeking advice on evolving issues such as the National Living Wage, the Apprenticeship Levy, business immigration and the gender pay gap. “I will continue to work closely with Rosemary and the rest of our team to ensure Arthur Cox clients receive the best possible advice and commercial guidance in accordance with all employment laws.” Arthur Cox is ranked as one of the leading law firms in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by both Chambers and Legal 500 and currently advises Government, leading corporate clients and the SME sector. The firm employs over 90 people in Belfast with additional offices in Dublin, London, New York and Silicon Valley.

Musgrave Wholesale Partners Announces Charity Partnership With NI Chest Heart And Stroke Musgrave Wholesale Partners (MWP) has announced a new three year partnership with Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS) which will see over £160,000 raised for charity.

ocal convenience retail brand MACE and wholesale brand, MarketPlace will raise money along with their retailers and customers for NICHS - the leading localcharity for care and prevention of chest, heart and stroke illnesses. Over the next three years, vital funds raised will help support NICHS through its work including enhancing the quality of life for thousands of local people affected. With over 200,000 people in Northern Ireland affected by chest, heart and stroke conditions and almost half of deaths related to

these illnesses, NICHS offers an important service, visiting survivors in hospital or at home, providing information, support and advice. Musgrave Wholesale Director, Trevor Magill said, “I am delighted that both MACE and MarketPlace will be supporting NI Chest Heart and Stroke over the next three years. This local charity offers invaluable community-based support to those affected by these conditions and all funds raised will stay local. “This is a great opportunity for the MACE stores, as well as MarketPlace to get involved in various activities

Musgrave Wholesale Director, Trevor Magill (right) helps launch the partnership along with Gerard Boyd of Boyd’s Mace, Toomebridge and NI Chest, Heart and Stroke’s Sinead Magill.

and fundraising initiatives and encourage the support of their local communities to help raise funds for this fantastic local charity,” he added. NI Chest Heart and Stroke’s Sinead Magill, said: “NI Chest Heart and Stroke is thrilled to team up with MACE and MarketPlace over the next three years. This is an exciting partnership for us and we look forward to supporting the events and activities planned in the coming months.

“Stroke, respiratory and heart disease currently affectsthousands of people across the province and by supporting the charity you are helping us fund our range of programmes, community services and research in the hospitals and universities of Northern Ireland,” she added.

Eye on Technology

SAP Business One... Better Business In A Box

Will Newton - Head of Business One for the UK & Ireland, the Nordic Countries, the Netherlands, Benelux & France - Paul Trouton, CEO of FUEL and Matt Sinclair, UKI Channel Sales Manager

There are plenty of software products out there that promise to make elements of running a business easier. But there are few solutions that tick as many boxes as SAP’s Business One... a comprehensive package for SME’s if ever there was one.

usiness One’s premise is simple enough. It takes the concept of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), once confined to the big businesses of the world, and extends it’s business-wide capabilities to smaller organisations....right down to micro enterprises and even sole traders. “People do ask how we can have a business solutions that works just as well for two or three-person businesses as it does for enterprises with 450 and more users, but it just does,” says London-based Will Newton, Head of Business One for the UK & Ireland, the Nordic

Countries, the Netherlands, Benelux & France.....a job title that makes him a very busy man indeed. “And the capabilities of Business One are reflected in the product’s performance. It’s been on the market now for 11 years or so, and we’ve seen year on year sales growth of 15% throughout that period of time. Even more importantly, we’ve managed to achieve 95% customer retention.” What impresses users most, says Newton, is the fact that they can see their data processing and data management operations speeding up in front of their eyes. Processes

that used to take hours can be completed in seconds, and a large variety of reports produced rapidly. “Customers complaints about some other financial and other business management software systems tend to be around getting the right information out when they need it. That’s what SAP Business One does best. It’s an extremely powerful tool at producing relevant information really quickly. “And that’s across most business areas – core financials, logistics, customer relationship management and a lot more – and it operates on a server, on the cloud and on mobile. It’s got everything that most SME’s could possibly need and they can have it up and running straight from the box.” Most customers, however, don’t do that. They work with one of SAP’s trusted network of partners. In Northern Ireland, their partner is Craigavon-based FUEL.

“FUEL know their customers very well, so they will come in, they’ll talk to the customer and they’ll produce a bespoke customer solution built around SAP Business One. So each customer ends up with the system that is just right for their business,” adds Will Newton. “We can offer a comprehensive range of 350 or so different add-ons which can be built onto the base product.” The recent investment in SAP Business One by Co. Derrybased textile group William Clark Ltd is a perfect example of this – implementing an add-on for both the firm’s manufacturing team and CRM for its sales department on top of the core financial solution. SAP Business One is also ideal for SME’s moving into or already operating internationally. It can work simultaneously in any major language and in most currencies as required. “Multinationals have been trusting the product for years to work internationally. Now it’s fully applicable to SME’s, whatever their sector. “It’s also a business solution that is easily scalable. It can grow with the business, as the business itself grows with no need for expensive or time-consuming product upgrades at each stage of growth,” says Newton. “Business One is a full-scale ERP for all SME’s whatever their size. It brings high level business software to companies who haven’t had access to that kind of power or capability before now.” SAP is a German-based multinational software corporation specialising in enterprise software for business customers. The company has 300,000 customers in 190 countries, 77,000 employees worldwide, revenues of €20.8 billion and works alongside 13,300 partners. (go.sap.com) Amongst those is FUEL, established back in the 1990’s as MCS, and one of Northern Ireland’s leading providers of business software, IT infrastructure and IT support services. (www.itfuel.com)

Eye on News

ARTHUR COX HELPS LOCAL SURFBOARD FIRM SECURE £500K INVESTMENT Leading law firm Arthur Cox has provided legal guidance to Northern Ireland’s first surfboard manufacturing company in the securing of a £500,000 investment boost.

Announcing the deal are Ricky Martin, Co-founder and Head of Sales and Marketing at The Skunkworks Surf Company, private investor Andrew Marsden, Alan Taylor, Corporate Partner at Arthur Cox, private investor Jillian Marsden, Brian Cummings, Investment Director at Clarendon Fund Managers, and Chris Martin, Co-founder of The Skunkworks Surf Company.

he Skunkworks Surf Company, based in Coleraine, has received the cash injection through a joint deal involving local private investors Andrew and Jillian Marsden and Co-Fund NI, which is a fund created by Invest Northern Ireland and managed by Clarendon Fund

Managers to help businesses with growth potential access equity finance. Co-Fund NI is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020. Arthur Cox, recognised as one of the foremost Corporate and Commercial

law practices in Northern Ireland, acted on behalf of Skunkworks in the deal, which closed this week. Founded in 2014 and headed up by brothers Ricky and Chris Martin, The Skunkworks Surf Company manufactures its own, 100% recyclable surfboards and stand-up paddleboards which will be on sale throughout the UK and Europe from September. The firm now plans to use the investment to grow its manufacturing capacity and break into the US market. Alan Taylor, Corporate Partner at Arthur Cox’s Belfast office, said: “As the go-to firm for large multinational corporates and thriving SMEs alike, Arthur Cox was the natural legal partner for The Skunkworks Surf Company. We are delighted to see completion on an equity finance deal which we know will help facilitate the

company’s exciting growth plans. “Skunkworks is one of Northern Ireland’s most dynamic recent startups, having been recognised with a host of industry accolades. We look forward to seeing the firm continue its upwards trajectory as it seeks to establish its products in new markets.” Currently employing a team of five people, which is set to grow to eight by the end of June, Skunkworks won the 2015 Northern Ireland Science Park’s Invent Award for best engineering, and was also a runnerup in the ‘New Things’ category of last year’s Virgin Media ‘Business Pitch to Rich’ competition, which secured a £10,000 investment.

that other businesses around the UK will now be able to avail of the design thanks to the vision of our team at Shelbourne.” Testament to the design, the Dacia Duster Commercial 4x4 recently won ‘Best 4x4 Van’ at the What Van? Awards 2016 in London. John McMinn from Translink said, “Over the past number of years we’ve been very impressed with the Dacia conversion

because it’s a reliable and robust vehicle and provided a cost benefit over similar rivals. Since it has moved into commercial production we will now be able to buy the vehicle directly off the production line, which will result in further savings for Translink. It’s exciting to think that two Northern Ireland companies were the brains behind this design.”

Two NI Companies Brains Behind New AwardWinning Vehicle Design Two Northern Ireland companies have inspired a new vehicle concept for Europe’s fastest growing car manufacturer, Dacia.

wo years ago Translink ordered a range of Dacia Duster cars from Shelbourne Motors but required them to be converted into commercial vans, including removal of the rear seats to allow for 1,150 litre space. Dacia was so impressed with the conversion that the vehicle has now gone into mass production. The SUV has been launched UK-wide as the new Duster Commercial and is already scooping industry awards. Paul Ward, Director of Shelbourne Motors, says it’s very exciting that the

idea of the Duster van was designed here in Northern Ireland: “Translink required a van but they were very taken with the Duster car, not only because it’s a remarkably spacious vehicle but also because of its elevated driving position. Our team of engineers worked with Translink to come up with a solution and the Duster Commercial was born. “Dacia took notice when the orders started to come in from Translink and over the past few months the manufacturer has now brought the vehicle into production. We’re very proud

Eye on News

BELFAST’S £45 MILLION LANDMARK Visit Belfast is celebrating the success of Team Belfast after announcing that during the 2015/16 financial year, conference wins for the city will generate a record-breaking £45m worth of economic benefit over the next number of years.

nnounced as Visit Belfast prepares to unveil its plans for 2016/17, the news represents a positive step for conference tourism in the city, and the wider tourism industry. These conferences will bring 30,000 delegates to Belfast and will generate more than 100,000 bednights for the local hotel sector. Conference tourism represents an important sector of the tourism economy in Belfast. As well as bringing mid-week, year-round trade for the tourism and hospitality industries and complimenting the growing leisure tourism market in the city, business travellers and conference delegates are typically high-spending visitors that bring trade to a wide range of local businesses. The £45m in economic benefit will come from conferences which are due to take place in Belfast from

2016 onwards and includes highprofile conferences such as the Royal College of Nursing’s Annual Congress which will bring 5,000 delegates to Belfast in 2018. The Congress – the largest ever – will also see around 100 meetings and social events take place in a number of venues across the city over five days, bringing an expected £5m in economic benefit for the city. Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council, welcomed the news, saying “Business tourism in Belfast has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and the city now competes with the very best. 2016 will be a watershed year for Belfast, with the re-opening of the Belfast Waterfront allowing us to welcome bigger conferences than ever before. “Tourism is an extremely important driver for Belfast’s overall

economy, and we are committed to doubling the value of this sector to £870m by 2020. The work of Visit Belfast and the wider tourism industry is to be commended.” Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, added: “Achieving this economic benefit for the city is something that everyone involved in tourism can be proud of – it really is a team effort. Visit Belfast has continually invested in the promotion of Belfast as a vibrant conference and business tourism destination, proactively selling the city in the important GB, North American and European markets, but without a strong product offering across

the sector, from our partners in conference venues, hotels, transport provision and restaurants and bars, as well as improvement in our air access, and commitment from the government to growing tourism, this £45m could not have been achieved. “2015/16 was the biggest year yet for conference tourism in Belfast, but given that we have seen steady growth over the last number of years, coupled with continued investment in conference venues and hotel accommodation, we expect this growth to continue in the years ahead.”

COOKSTOWN SECURES NEW DEAL WITH ASDA Karro Food Group has secured a supply contract with Asda for its new reduced fat Cookstown sausage. The deal will see the brand’s new sausage stocked in 16 Asda stores across Northern Ireland.

he contract builds on Karro’s existing relationship with Asda, with the retailer already listing an extensive range of Cookstown sausages, bacon, cooked meats, gammon and sausage rolls. Michael McCallion, Asda Senior Buying Manager Northern Ireland and Scotland, said, “We are committed to supporting local suppliers and Cookstown is a great example of a brand that continues to innovate in line with market trends to develop quality local products. The Cookstown brand has always been very popular with Asda

shoppers and the launch of the new sausage will provide a choice for those consumers who are looking for a healthier local option in the category.” “Cookstown has traded with Asda since the first stores opened in Northern Ireland in 2005 and our business has grown significantly over the years”, explained Trevor Mounstephen, Cookstown Account Manager. “Our ongoing relationship with Asda is great for our business and provides a marketplace for our locally sourced pork. It is very important for pig farmers in Northern Ireland

Trevor Mounstephen, Cookstown Account Manager and Michael McCallion, Asda Senior Buying Manager Northern Ireland and Scotland.

that consumers can purchase local brands such as Cookstown in stores. “The new reduced fat sausage was developed in response to our consumer research, which showed a gap in the

market for a locally produced reduced fat alternative. Each pack has ten sausages making it perfect for families.” The Cookstown Reduced Fat Sausage will available in store from 11th April.

Eye on Design

THE ART OF BUSINESS When it comes to doing things a little differently Scottish Provident Building mixes business and art beautifully. Within the walls of this grand business centre there’s been a lot of creativity in it’s design which has made for a truly unique office building.

he iconic Belfast building – which sits adjacent to Belfast City Hall – was designed by renowned architects Young and Mackenzie in 1901 and has since undergone extensive renovations over the last 5 years. It now offers luxury serviced offices to over 75 businesses and over 450 people. As part of the renovation scheme Design Director Colin Charles has included some interesting and creative collaborations to give the unique business centre an equally unique personality. “I’ve always believed that the key to an effective workplace is that it should be inspiring for everyone; staff, owners and visitors alike. So it has been fantastic to work

on the interior design of Scottish Provident Building which has given us the opportunity to do something a bit different with certain spaces within the building.” During a recent refurb of one of the building’s meeting rooms, Colin contacted local artist Peter Strain to help with the décor. “We did this room 5 years ago and we had a blue wall with a huge wipe board in the shape of thought bubbles so people could literally put their thoughts onto the wall. We called it the ‘blue sky thinking room’ – we always like to inject a bit of fun into our designs. It was in need of a redo and so to continue the ‘cliché’ idea I wanted to create a wall poking fun at all the clichés you hear in meetings nowadays. Then I remembered seeing Peter’s work and realised it would be perfect to get the man himself in to put the ideas directly on to the wall.” Peter is a fantastically creative illustrator whose work – mixtures of beautiful typography and detailed portraiture - has featured in magazines like The New Yorker, The Guardian and Time Magazine. Of working on the Scottish Provident Building project, Peter Said “I normally work on a much smaller canvas size so it was really exciting to work on such a large scale. Doing

a typographic mural was something I’d been really interested in doing so it was a bit of a dream job to get the call from Colin & Donna. The brief was to make something out of the kind of clichéd jargon that can come up when brainstorming. I was fortunate to be given a lot of trust and freedom to just run with that idea and I think we’ve ended up with something that’s both very striking and quite fun.” It’s not the first time bespoke creative artistry has featured in the refurbishment of the building. Whilst creating the 24 hour access space on Wellington street, Colin commissioned L.A. based artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga to produce two spectacular chandeliers made from discarded bicycle parts. “The space was neglected and people used to just throw their bikes in there but as the building filled we needed more access points. The chandeliers that Carolina created for us are stunning and I love the fact that there is a reference to what the space was previously used for. Now artwork graces the walls and specialist restorers have brought the building’s original mosaic tiling back to its former glory. It now looks more like a boutique hotel than offices” Said Colin. “We do all this as there are a lot of people in residence

here and a lot of their visitors come through the building. We like our clients to feel inspired and proud to show their guests around. We have also nearly finished our boardroom which is very dark and sumptuous, has bowler hats for pendant lighting and features artwork by local artist Terry Bradley. I feel there’s definitely a place for art in offices – it’s not just for the private sector, I’m not talking about £millions in investments, but just offering something a little different, something that brings a smile to peoples faces during their working day.”

You can see more of Peter’s work by visiting his website peterstrain.co.uk and Carolina’s sculptures at facaro.com

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Eye on Tax

Tax on property investment doesn’t have to be taxing Over the past number of years an increasing number of people have become landlords, intentionally or accidentally! For a lot of people they were attracted to property investments due to the capital growth seen in the early 2000s. However much of the potential for this capital growth has reduced and hence rental income derived from the property is an important part of the investment.

key consideration facing many is how to reduce the exposure of this income to the taxman. As with all things, nothing ever stays the same and so it is with regards to the tax rules relating to rental income. From 6 April 2016 a number of changes affecting the taxation of rental income take effect and landlords may need to take action to help minimise the impact upon their tax position going forward. The main changes taking effect are as follows: • a 3% surcharge will apply to the purchase of second properties, including buy to let properties. This change will add an additional £4,500 of stamp duty to the purchase of a second property costing £150,000. However this change will affect more than just landlords as anyone buying for example a holiday home will also be affected. • at present a taxpayer enjoys full tax relief on mortgage interest paid in connection with the purchase of a rented residential property at their top rate of tax. This relief is being phased out over a number of years for higher rate taxpayers so that in the future everyone will only receive tax relief at 20%.

Tax Year

Relief at 20%

Relief at 40/45%

2016/17

100%

2017/18

25%

75%

2018/19

50%

2019/20

75%

25%

2020/21

100%

The table above shows how this restriction will work, in 2017/18 25% of the loan interest paid will receive relief at 20% and 75% of the interest will attract relief at 40% or 45%. This will lead to an increase in the amount of tax payable by 40/45% taxpayers. • From April 2016 the rates of capital gains tax payable have been reduced from 28% to 20% for higher rate taxpayers and 18% to 10% for basic rate taxpayers. However gains arising on the sale of residential property are subject to an 8% surcharge which means no change for gains arising on residential properties which aren’t your principal private residence. In addition from April 2019 any capital gains tax payable on the sale of residential property will be payable 30 days after the transaction. This is a significant advance in timing of when the tax is due. • Previously landlords renting furnished residential properties were able to claim a 10% wear & tear allowance even if no expenditure had been incurred during the year. From April 2016 the wear and tear allowance will be replaced with a relief that allows landlords to deduct the cost they actually incur on replacing furnishings, appliances and kitchenware in a property. This relief will be given for the cost of a like-for-like, or nearest modern equivalent, replacement asset, plus any costs incurred in disposing of, or less any proceeds received for, the asset being replaced.

So what can a property investor do to try and minimise the impact of these changes? Many of these changes affect higher rate tax payers, therefore if you can reduce your total taxable income below the higher rate threshold you will reduce the impact of some of the measures outlined above. A pension contribution many reduce your taxable income to a level that results in you only paying the basic rate of tax. Gift Aid contributions can also have the same effect by increasing your basic rate band to such an extent that you no longer pay higher rate tax and should also therefore be considered. If your spouse pays a lower rate of tax that you, you may wish to consider allocating some or all of the income into their name. This can be achieved by either transferring the appropriate share of the property into their name or by informing HMRC of a change in the income sharing ratio in relation to a property already held jointly. For a jointly owned property HMRC will assume a 50/50 split of income unless told otherwise. Keeping better records of expenses is another way of reducing the income tax payable on rental income. Many landlords overlook small expenses they are incurring at present on perhaps the maintenance of the property. They also overlook the cost they incur in managing the property; e.g. telephone calls, motor expenses, computer costs and use of their own home. Remembering to accurately record the income received noting unpaid rent and gap periods between tenants is also important to ensure the income is not overstated. Many of these changes do not affect properties owned by a company. There may therefore be an

opportunity to transfer ownership of properties to a limited company. However there are many potential tax implications of such a move and expert advice should be obtained before considering such a move. If you believe you may be affected by the changes outlined above please do not hesitate to get in touch so that we can undertake a review of your tax position and advise on steps, which you may be able to take in order to mitigate any adverse impact upon your tax position. ASM Chartered Accountants has six offices, Dungannon, Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk, Magherafelt and Newry. The 160 strong team specialises in a range of accountancy disciplines including, corporate finance, Insolvency services, forensic accounting, Audit & accounting, consultancy services, internal audit, tax, hotel, tourism and leisure.

To speak Alistair Cooke, Director, ASM Chartered Accountants, Dungannon, email Alistair.Cooke@asmdungannon.com or call 02887 722139 or visit www.asmaccountants.com for further details.

Eye on Energy

Mike Gatt (centre), General Manager of the Maldron Hotel in Derry, with Owen McNickle (left) and Paul Crosbie of Flogas after the hotel signed up as a Flogas natural gas customer recently.

FLOGAS FIRES UP THE ENERGY MARKETPLACE WITH NATURAL GAS OFFERING Flogas is one of those brand names that has been around for many years but it’s a name that, until recently in Northern Ireland, has been associated with one key product – and that’s liquid petroleum gas (LPG) in bottled or tank format.

et Flogas has been a leading supplier to both the commercial and residential sectors in the Natural Gas market in the Republic of Ireland since 2004. Serving thousands of businesses on the natural gas pipeline in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, Flogas Natural Gas

can include amongst its customer database McDonalds Restaurants, the Musgrave Group and the Radisson and Jurys Hotel chains. So when the company decided to enter the commercial natural gas marketplace in Northern Ireland at the end of 2014, it didn’t do so lightly – a highly competitive offering

backed up with years of experience in the energy market has already won over lots of customers from established suppliers in the space. “We’ve been supplying LPG to a wide range of customers since 1978,” explains Flogas Marketing Executive Paul Ruegg. “So the move into natural gas was the right progression for us as a company, and we’re confident that we have a really competitive offering to bring to the table.” Establishing the Flogas Natural Gas brand in Northern Ireland, Flogas made two key Belfast-based appointments in Paul Crosbie, Senior Sales Consultant, and Calum

Whyte, Business Development Coordinator. Following the success of the launch, a further sales executive, Owen McNickle, in the North West of Northern Ireland has also been appointed. Since the launch of its commercial natural gas offer, based on offering up to 10% savings for Natural Gas business users, Flogas Natural Gas had already switched 1,000 customers by August 2015. That milestone was reached when the Movie House Cinema Group moved its Cityside Belfast and Coleraine branches to Flogas Natural Gas for heating. Having started its assault on

Eye on Energy Meet the Team

Paul Crosbie –

Calum Whyte –

Owen McNickle –

Senior Sales Consultant Paul has 9 years in the energy industry across SME & Corporate level sectors. Coverage Area: Greater Belfast

Business Development Coordinator Calum has 3 years in experience in the energy industry. Coverage Area: Greater Belfast

Sales Consultant Owen has 9 years experience in the energy industry. Coverage Area: Co. Antrim, County L’derry

the natural gas marketplace in Greater Belfast, Flogas Natural Gas is now turning its attention to the so-called Ten Towns Region, which encompasses all of the major towns outside of Belfast (and was originally served solely by Firmus Energy). “We’re offering a really high level of discount, and our customers are quickly able to see those savings become a reality when they sign up with us,” says Paul Ruegg. “Combine that with falling prices in the natural gas marketplace as a whole and it represents really good value for business users at the moment. Discounts aside, we’ve already seen overall charges drop in recent times, with total reductions of around 25% in Greater Belfast & 12% in Ten Towns over the last year.” And, as the natural gas network expands in Northern Ireland, more and more customers will come into Flogas Natural Gas’ sights. Senior Sales Consultant Paul Crosbie, an experienced operator in the energy sector, says that while the 10% discount is the main selling point for Flogas Natural Gas, it’s by no means the only reason why business customers should

consider making the switch. “We make the whole switching process completely hassle free, and we offer a proper relationship management service to our customers after that. No call centres, no queues but a designated person who those customers can contact any time they need to speak to us. There’s no doubt that that’s the way business people prefer it.” Flogas these days operates a twin track business. It continues and it will continue to serve the established LPG marketplace, serving both domestic and business customers with cylinder or bulk gas. “The natural gas network hasn’t reached everyone here in Northern Ireland, and it won’t reach everyone. We are delighted to be the only company operating in Ireland that can provide both LPG & Natural Gas commercially, so we can service every business’ gas requirements no matter where they are,” says Paul Ruegg. Both Paul Crosbie and Calum Whyte find themselves working with a wide variety of businesses, public sector and third sector organisations. “We’re supplying natural gas

to small businesses and also to much larger ones, but we’re also working with a diverse range of others....from the charities through to one of the largest dioceses in the Catholic Church here in Northern Ireland, Down & Connor. “We’ll run up any mountain if we think there’s business at the top,” Paul Crosbie jokes. “Seriously, though, we’re finding that business users are much more willing to move supplier than they used to be. They look for better value and, if they find it, they’re not afraid to switch. “But we emphasise that we’re in any customer relationship for the long haul. Once we start working with a customer, we’ll not be going anywhere....” The Flogas Natural Gas sales team has a combined 20 years of experience in the energy sector here in Northern Ireland, and both Crosbie and Whyte, in particular, are well placed to provide wide-ranging energy advice to business customers. Unlike the other major players in the natural gas space here, Flogas Natural Gas is currently concentrating solely on the business marketplace and has

“ The Flogas Natural Gas sales team has a combined 20 years of experience in the energy sector here in Northern Ireland, and both Crosbie and Whyte, in particular, are well placed to provide wide-ranging energy advice to business customers.”

no plans, at least at this stage, to start supplying residential natural gas customers. But, in the relatively short space of just over a year, it has won over a healthy chunk of the business marketplace. As well as Movie House Cinemas, its customers include James Street South Restaurant, Rascals Day Nurseries, Derry’s Maldron Hotel and that Down & Connor Diocese, of course. Flogas Natural Gas successfully won a couple of public sector tenders. “It’s a very competitive marketplace here in Northern Ireland,” says Calum Whyte. “But that’s not something that we have a problem with. We’re confident, we go in with a smile and we know that we have a really good value offer to put in front of all of our prospective customers. “And, as those customers stay with us on a year by year basis, we’ll be able to offer them even more value along with their natural gas. “What’s more, there are plenty of prospective customers out there for us to talk to about what Flogas can do for them.” www.flogasni.com/naturalgas

Eye on Property

LIVE IN THE CITY LIVE IN THE MATIC With respect to John Boyd Dunlop, who had the foresight to design and build something different and better, The Matic is a new style of luxury residence for Belfast. Located on the very spot where Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre, it encompasses 75, one, two and three bedroom apartments over 12 floors, within two adjoining buildings.

rices start at £134,950 and will be in excess of £300,000 for the penthouse and secure underground car parking can also be purchased. Inspired by international living styles, The Matic is the first living space in Northern Ireland to offer a 24 hour professional concierge service. In other words, there’s always someone to help out if you’ve forgotten your door key or want to hail a taxi. With two buildings connecting Chichester Street and Gloucester Street, it’s also the only city centre residence building to feature a generous 22m pool and fitness suite - a very desirable asset for the time-poor professionals who are likely to live there. Add to this a private, landscaped garden and you have the perfect addition to a busy lifestyle. The man behind this attractive new residence is respected Northern Irish property developer Alan Fraser. He explains the concept, “With The Matic, we wanted to bring a bit of New York, Paris or London living to Belfast. This is a growing, bustling city that has been completely transformed over the last decade into a popular business and tourist destination. We wanted to create a design-led, practical, luxurious space for people who value quality of life above sitting in traffic for hours.” When it comes to design and architecture, first impressions most definitely count in The Matic. With classic natural stone and impressive glazing on the outside, it has an ultra contemporary look

and feel. But going inside, it’s the luxurious lobby that really sets the tone - this stunning five star hotel inspired entrance space greets you with crisp, design-led architecture and detailed finishes. The elegance of the lobby flows through the hallways, right to the entrance of the residences. The confident styling of the public and private spaces are meticulous and detailed, while at the same time refreshingly simple. Open-plan living spaces and floor to ceiling windows, allow an abundance of natural light into the residences, while the exterior stone columns maintain privacy. Every residence is sold to a very high-end turn-key finish, featuring contemporary designer kitchens and bathrooms, engineered wood, tiled and carpeted floor finishes. All of this is, of course, very impressive, but when you add it to the unbelievable location, you really do get the sense of Belfast revolving around you. Situated moments from Belfast City Hall and close to many of the city’s largest and most impressive businesses, this is the ideal spot to work and relax. The sheer number of high end restaurants, traditional pubs, stylish bars and cafes offering all manner of international cuisine on your doorstep is enough to keep you entertained for years to come. Fraser adds, “Having just been awarded “the best UK city” at the Guardian and Observer Travel Awards, Belfast is successfully competing on a world stage. It’s a

fun, energetic and exciting place to live, making it the perfect location for The Matic - the first residence of its kind in Northern Ireland. We are extremely proud to bring this very fine scheme to Belfast.” This is the first of four city centre schemes that will be developed by Alan Fraser over the next few years. The four projects costing around £35 million are estimated

to create around 200 jobs and provide more than 275 stunning homes to Belfast City Centre. Add this to his more recent release of Rivenwood, a £200m development of 1000 new homes currently being constructed in Newtownards and you can see the extent to which Fraser believes in the stability and forecast growth of the Northern Irish property market.

Eye on Property

Fraser added, “At last the rest of the world is noticing that Belfast has a lot to offer. The city centre is busy and active. It continues to attract some of the world’s largest businesses and has become home to many international and local professionals. The attention we have paid to the styling of the residences reflects the designled buyers that we know will be

attracted by The Matic. For most, living here will mean a casual stroll to work, because there’s no need for a car. With all the added extras like the pool, gym, concierge and garden, we are giving them the ultimate lifestyle.” The Matic is due for completion in December 2017 and all enquiries should be made through Simon Brien Residential.

Eye on Interiors

Biophilic Design in the Workplace I As workplace designers itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for us to understand the innate connection between humans and nature to build and improve employee health, well-being and performance. The idea of incorporating nature into the built environment is no longer considered a luxury for big name companies but rather a sound economic investment for every office space.

ncorporating some of these elements into the workspace will improve employee well-being, positively impacting energy levels and acting as a buffer against the negative impact of job stress. For example, in patient waiting rooms with murals depicting natural scenes such as mountains, sunsets, grassy areas and stone paths patients felt significantly calmer and less tense than those sitting in waiting rooms with plain white walls. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also been shown that productivity is improved through incorporating some of these elements. Feeling good often leads to being able to do more! There are clear links between a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s output and whether or not biophilic design has been adopted in

the workplace, and as much as a 15% rise in productivity has been observed by including natural elements after three months. Offices with low creativity potential are those with dim lighting, few natural elements, dim colours and complex design. In contrast, offices with high levels of creativity are simply designed, brightly lit, with warm, bright colours and natural elements. Those who work in a light, spacious environment with greenery are shown to have the highest levels of enthusiasm and creativity. Get in touch with Innov8 Office Interiors to find out how you can boost your workplace through Biophilic Design and start to reap the benefits of bringing the outside indoors.

. In the workplace

As workplace designers itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for us to understand the innate connection between humans and nature to build and improve employee health, well-being and performance. The idea of incorporating nature into the built environment is no longer considered a luxury for big name companies but rather a sound economic investment for every office space.

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Eye on News

DIGITAL DNA AND DELOITTE DIGITAL – INSPIRING DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN BELFAST Belfast’s St George’s Market will play host to one of Ireland’s biggest technology events this summer as Digital DNA returns for its 2016 conference, in partnership with Deloitte Digital.

igital DNA 2016 takes place on June 8th and will welcome dozens of speakers from some of the world’s biggest companies to Northern Ireland with the aim of inspiring over 1,000 local and international business delegates to embrace cutting-edge technology and digital solutions. Digital experts from organisations like Manchester City Football Club, Atlas, Tableau and ChangeCorp will deliver keynotes alongside 16 workshops, panel discussions and fireside chats covering five core themes of marketing, data, security, fintech and innovation. Digital DNA aims to inspire and inform entrepreneurs and existing businesses of all sizes to help them respond to the opportunities and threats of Digital. The various talks, workshops and discussions will demonstrate how organisations can harness digital technologies and trends to shape their business strategy and succeed in the marketplace. The event, now in its fourth year, has been backed by Deloitte Digital in an exciting new partnership. It will be supported by the talented teams

from Deloitte Digital’s Belfast and London studios, who are responsible for delivering technology solutions for some of the world’s biggest organisations. Deloitte Digital is the principal sponsor of Digital DNA 2016, which is also partnered by some incredible names such as Aer Lingus, Allstate, innov8 Office Interiors, IE Domain Registry, MCS Group and Spiral Hosting. Speaking at the launch in St George’s Market, Digital DNA’s CEO Gareth Quinn said: “Northern Ireland is fast becoming one of the world’s great technology hotbeds and we want to create an event that reflects the thriving tech community here. With a world class partner in Deloitte Digital, an amazing venue in St George’s Market and speakers from some of the biggest brands on the planet, we’re confident that Digital DNA will again be a huge success, attracting businesses within Northern Ireland and further afield that have an ambition to grow. “We have some phenomenal names lined up and in keeping with 2015, we have a really exciting

social programme including dinners, street parties, an after party and awards. It really can’t be missed and we look forward to releasing more information over the coming weeks.” Mike Robinson, CTO at headline sponsor Deloitte Digital, said: “Belfast has become a vibrant hub for digital experts and bringing these experts together during Digital DNA is a catalyst for inspiring talent, nurturing innovation and growing the digital technology economy. Deloitte Digital is proud to be principal sponsor for Digital DNA, which has gone from strength to strength over the past four years, helping organisations embrace new technologies to drive performance and transform attitudes and behaviours.

“Over the past few years Deloitte Digital has grown its own team to almost 100 people in Belfast. This team of creators is busy building innovative digital solutions for some of the UK’s largest organisations across multiple industries. With studios in Belfast, London and Edinburgh, we combine creative innovation with the powerful Deloitte platform to help our clients find their own disruptive advantage.” In addition to the conference in St George’s Market, Digital DNA has also organised a number of events taking place in The Mac, Cathedral Quarter and Life Church. Details on these exciting and exclusive events will be revealed soon.

206-ROOM MALDRON JOINS BELFAST HOTEL LINE-UP The fast-growing Dalata Hotel Group has announced that it is to build a 206-bedroom Maldron Hotel in Belfast city centre.

he hotel will be on the site of the former College of Business Studies in Brunswick Street, which was acquired by McAleer & Rushe in 2014 and represents a £21 million investment. The Tyrone firm will build the hotel on behalf of Dalata. Demolition of the site has already begun and construction is due to commence in June 2016. The hotel is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018. Dermot Crowley, Deputy CEO Business

Development and Finance, commented: “We are delighted to announce the development of a new Maldron Hotel in central Belfast, providing an extra 206 rooms in the city. RevPar growth was strong in 2015 in our existing Northern Ireland hotels and we have been keen to expand our portfolio in Belfast. This new hotel continues the rapid expansion of the Maldron brand on the island of Ireland and we look forward to working with McAleer & Rushe on the development.”

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The Matic is a new style of luxur y residence for Belfast. The first living space to offer 24 hour professional concierge facilities, this is the perfect home for people who appreciate modern architecture and quality interior design. It brings international standards to Belfast. The Matic encompasses 75, one, two and three bedroom apartments over 12 floors. Just a few hundred metres from Belfast City Hall, it combines an unrivalled location at the ver y heart of the city with a 22 metre pool, private g ym and residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; garden. Belfast is one of the fastest developing cities in the UK. With award winning universities and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, investment in the city and its businesses is set to continue long into the future, making now the right time to buy into Belfast.

Eye on News

Service to Pharmacy in Northern Ireland supported by Bank of Ireland (UK) The work of Northern Ireland’s Numark Pharmacy Development Manager, John Murphy, has been recognised at the province’s leading pharmacy awards ceremony - the highly-esteemed annual Pharmacy in Focus awards as he was presented with the Service to Pharmacy Award, supported by Bank of Ireland (UK).

he prime objective of John’s role is to maximise the benefits of Numark’s 300+ members and, since day one, he has been very much a ‘hands-on’ manager, who’s not afraid to roll his sleeves up! The judges were particularly impressed by the fact that, in the last two years, John has been instrumental in making the launch of the FLU PGD service into the NI market a success. As a result,

more than 100 NI pharmacists have engaged in a service, which, three years ago, didn’t even exist! John told us on winning this award, “I was very humbled to even be nominated for this and to have won is a welcome shock. These awards represent a fantastic shout-out for pharmacy. The public sometimes don’t fully understand what their community pharmacy can do for them and so this is great publicity to illustrate what the

Gavin Kennedy, Bank of Ireland (UK) celebrates with John Murphy, Numark.

community pharmacy team can do.” Gavin Kennedy, Director of Business Banking NI, Bank of Ireland (UK) said, “We are delighted to sponsor these awards and in particular this category, as it highlights the important role of pharmacy within the service sector which Bank of Ireland is part of. These awards present a platform from which to reward and recognise those people that work so hard within this sector and

so we are very proud to be here tonight and to present this very well deserved award to John.” The Pharmacy in Focus awards, which are the highlight of the community pharmacy year, saw more than 500 professionals gather at Belfast’s Ramada Plaza Hotel at Shaw’s Bridge to not only celebrate the awards, but to dance the night away at the ninth annual Ulster Chemists’ Association’s President’s Ball.

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS ELECT NEW CHAIR Pictured after the Ulster Society’s AGM is new Chartered Accountants Ulster Society Chair Dawn Johnston (right), with outgoing Chairman Patrick Gallen.

rs Johnston, who takes over as Chair from Patrick Gallen, is a Director with Deloitte in Belfast and heads the firm’s Private Markets Audit Practice in Northern Ireland. Dawn works with a broad range of local and global organisations in both the public and private sectors, specialising in statutory audit, governance and assurance. She has been with Deloitte for over 27 years. Addressing the Society’s AGM, she said: “I believe that we are entering an extremely important period for the local economy and for our society as a whole. We face changes and challenges in the

year ahead such as a new Programme for Government; the effects of the EU Referendum; public sector budget cuts; and ensuring that we have the skills, infrastructure and culture of innovation in place to make a lower Corporate Tax rate an effective driver for our economy. “The decisions we make in these days will have a profound impact on the future of our economy, our Executive and our community. We must ensure that we have a stable society which allows local people to create opportunities, build confidence and encourage talent. “As Northern Ireland faces these

Dawn Johnston has been elected Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society at its 109th Annual General Meeting in Belfast. The Ulster Society represents over 3,900 Chartered Accountants and is a district society of Chartered Accountants Ireland, the largest and oldest professional accountancy body in Ireland. changes and challenges, it is important that Chartered Accountants remain a strong voice for business and a strong voice for the reputation, transparency and accountability of our profession. Our members’ energy, expertise and ability are key drivers for good in our wider society. I believe that our members have an important role to play in helping to realise Northern Ireland’s potential and in creating the type of future of which we can all be proud.” A native of Portadown, Mrs Johnston joined Touche Ross (now Deloitte) in 1988, having graduated with a law degree from Queen’s University Belfast.

A keen follower of football and cricket, she was Honorary Treasurer of the Northern Cricket Union for over 14 years, and is currently a member of the Cricket Ireland Finance Committee. Mrs Johnston becomes the second female Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society, following Angela Reavey’s term as Chair in 2007. Prior to becoming Vice Chair of the Ulster Society, Mrs Johnston served as Honorary Treasurer, chaired the Training and Education Committee, and sat on the Education and Lifelong Learning Board of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Eye on News

Four Stars For Holiday Inn Belfast Andras Hotel’s Holiday Inn, Belfast City Centre, has been awarded a prestigious four-star status by Tourism NI.

he grading for the hotel, located on Hope Street, just off Great Victoria Street, follows a major investment by Andras Hotels of £2.5million, supported by HSBC. The completely refurbished, 250 room Holiday Inn® Belfast City Centre is owned and operated by Andras Hotels, who also own Holiday Inn® Express Belfast City – Queen’s Quarter. The project has seen all 250 rooms and public areas refitted and furnished in a contemporary, up-market style, befitting with the Holiday Inn® brand. A new restaurant concept, The Oakwood Grill, offers a New England-style cuisine as well as providing 24-hour room service. The hotel also benefits from a new gym, and an updated meetings and conference room, with a 60 person capacity and free WiFi throughout the entire property. Stage two of the upgrade has also commenced which will see all of the bathrooms in the property

upgraded to the same standard. Commenting on the achievement Tourism NI Chief Executive John McGrillen said: “I would like to congratulate Rajesh Rana and his team for both achieving the four-star status and creating such and fantastic hotel in our capital city which enhances the accommodation and hospitality offering for visitors to Belfast. “The Holiday Inn brand is worldrenowned, however, Andras Hotels have managed to put their own individual stamp on it with their creative use of space, use of local designers, suppliers and fantastic facilities. Mr McGrillen concluded: “Consumers very much value these star ratings and for providers it makes sound business sense for accommodation providers to become quality assured. I wish Andras Hotels every success in this and all future projects.” Andras Hotels have a track record

Rajesh Rana, director, Andras Hotels with John McGrillen, Chief Executive of Tourism NI.

of investing in the local hotel market over the past 20 years. The group now has further plans to expand the portfolio, with planning permission lodged for a new 179 bedroom hotel in Belfast city centre. Andras Hotels has a £20million investment programme for further growth, which will continue to supply much-needed bedrooms for the local tourism market. Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels commented: “We are delighted to have received this highly prestigious status in our Holiday Inn®, city centre property. “The culmination of a £2.5 million

investment, with the support of HSBC, IHG and Tourism Northern Ireland has seen this property quickly establish itself and thrive on the strong corporate and leisure market – we look forward to our new fourstar status strengthening that.” “Chris McQuay of HSBC commented: “‘HSBC are delighted to partner and support Andras House Limited in their latest growth phase, acknowledging that the tourism sector plays a vital role in the local economy.’ The newly four star graded Holiday Inn® Belfast City Centre Hotel is located at 40 Hope Street, Belfast BT12 5EE.

CIMA report to help CEO’s ‘Join the Dots’

CIMA’s Roger Acton

enior leaders are struggling to make the right decisions, with 72% of organisations admitting to at least one strategic initiative failing in the last three years as a result of flaws in their decision making process. The findings are contained in a joint report published by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The study investigated executive level decision making practices in large organisations across the globe and included in-depth interviews with senior executives from companies such as Diageo, Rothschild and EY. CIMA Ireland will host a Leadership Seminar in Belfast later in the month when Chartered Accountant, Gavin Boyd, CEO of the Education Authority and Chartered

Global Management Accountant Jason Sherlow, who is Financial Controller of the SHS Group will offer perspectives on the report. The event will also highlight best practice for local organisations interested in improving decision-making. Roger Acton, Head of CIMA Ireland, commented, “We are in the age of big data, and the common wisdom has been that the more, the better. However, our research found that big data is actually making life harder for those charged with decision making in many organisations because they are unable to extract relevant information and turn it into insight. The report focuses on the most effective decision makers; the traits that characterised them, and solutions to decision making challenges. It demonstrates how Global Chartered Management

Accounting principles can play a critical role in connecting the right information with the right people to achieve a competitive advantage for business.” The seminar is open to members and non-members of CIMA and takes place on the 18th May in the Clayton Hotel Belfast. CIMA members can register online via http://www.cimaglobal.com/ Our-locations/Ireland/Members/ Events/Northern-area/Joiningthe-Dots--decision-making-for-anew-era/. Non-members are also welcome and should contact Jean Cuthbertson on +353 1 643 0410.

Make your

Business Better with an ICT Apprentice

The ICT Apprenticeship programme has been developed to provide young people with the skills and experience required to take up opportunities in the ICT sector. The Belfast ICT Apprenticeship Scheme is a joint initiative between government and local ICT companies to support the growth and expansion of the sector by recruiting and employing apprentices in various software development and IT infrastructure roles.

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To find out how an ICT apprentice can benefit your business come along to our information lunch and talk to companies already employing apprentices as well as some students who are involved in the apprenticeship scheme.

12:00 - 2:00pm Friday 13 May 2016 e3 Building - Springvale Campus 398 Springfield Road Belfast, BT12 7DU Lunch Provided

For further information and to book your place, email: businessdevelopment@belfastmet.ac.uk or tel: 028 9026 5069

Eye on Interiors

Global Insurance Brokerage Firm Lockton ‘Ensures’ Future Success With Modern Belfast Office Space The Belfast operation of the world’s largest privately owned, independent insurance brokerage firm, Lockton Companies, is celebrating ten consecutive year of financial growth as well as their recent move into their new ultra-modern offices in the Clarence West Building, just off Belfast’s Bedford Street. The new office, developed in collaboration with Belfast design firm 1080 and representing a £700k investment and 10-year commitment into Lockton’s Belfast operations has, in many ways, exceeded Lockton’s high expectations.

“O

ur goals for Lockton’s new office in Belfast’s Clarence West Building were threefold - we wanted to create an environment that reflected our position as Northern Ireland’s leading business insurance broker; provide state-of-the-art meeting rooms that would enable us to do more training and seminars

with our clients in our office; and reflect our founder Jack Lockton’s philosophy that our associates are our greatest asset by providing facilities that showed as much investment in them as we have in our clients,” said Gary Ennis, Lockton Belfast Managing Partner. “We approached this project with the perspective that

Lockton is the Belfast office of a leading global commercial insurance brokerage,” added John Roddy, Design Director, 1080. “With this in mind, the office needed to reflect the corporate principles and brand identity of Lockton Companies, but with a local twist which would add a sense of relatability and ownership for the Belfast team.

“We implemented activitybased collaboration areas where staff can choose which areas suit their task best. These range from impromptu meetings in high backed sofas in open plan areas to private ‘focus-based’ touch down hub rooms. The kitchen space is designed to support staff breakout but can double up for client meetings

Eye on Interiors

with an interactive media bench offering connectivity. These café areas have the potential to become the heart of the office and keep staff connected, whilst embracing the Lockton ethos that their staff ‘make the difference’ in their sector.” Lockton’s spacious 8th-floor office boasts incredible views of the city’s bustling Linen Quarter, with a clear view as far east as Stormont. A modern, streamlined reception space greets guests and offers a clear distinction between the open-plan office space and private boardrooms. Lighting in is crystal clear, with the workspace incorporating more subdued tones of blues, greens, and greys with rich

wood-tone desks for staff. A highlight of the office space includes a Lockton ‘word wall’ featuring the iconic Lockton logo and strapline ‘Broking done differently’ among identifying words for the team of 70 including: independent, dedicated, secure, and global. Quirky features include brightly-coloured individual meeting and break-out rooms named after iconic local figures, like the Harry Ferguson conference room, named after the County Down-born engineer credited for developing the first farm tractor, and the Joseph ‘Spud’ Murphy Cafe, which bears the name of Tayto’s legendary inventor of flavoured crisps.

“Unique touches like this add local personality to our space which help our team take ownership of their workspace – and their work – while also reminding visitors that we are very much a locallyminded team,” added Gary. Two months on from Lockton’s relocation, a process which was in the making for over two years, the team are thriving in their new space. “Our staff and clients alike continue to be impressed with the space, which offers an inspirational environment for our associates and friendly and modern facilities which our clients look forward to visiting,” added Gary. “Lockton

Belfast has always enjoyed a great team spirit, but following our office move and arrival at The Clarence West Building we have noted an obvious boost in the overall morale of our staff – there is a tangible pride in their new surroundings.”

For further information on Lockton’s new Belfast office visit www.lockton.com.

Eye on News

New Top 100 List Reveals NI’s Most Profitable Local Businesses Northern Ireland’s Top 100 family and locally owned businesses are revealed for the first time in a survey carried out by Ulster University Business School on behalf of Harbinson Mulholland Chartered Accountants.

he Top 100 list, revealed today at a launch in Belfast, employs more than 52,000 people across Northern Ireland and is led by W&R Barnett, Norbrook Holdings and John Henderson. The biggest employer is Almac (9th) with 3,297 staff and the highest pay bill of £130m. For family-controlled businesses, Norbrook employs a total of 2,045, John Graham employs 1,645 and Wrights Group employ 1,552. While four of the Top 10 show a decrease in pre-tax profits compared to a year ago, one of them – Progressive Building Society - shows an increase of 123%. In all, 14 of the companies listed showed an increase in pre-tax profit of more than 100% over the previous year. The biggest leap in percentage profit, at 743%, was recorded by men’s fashionwear supplier

Douglas & Grahame, whose pre-tax figures went from £212,000 to £1.788 million. The event also saw the launch of the new Family Business NI Forum, which will be setup by Harbinson Mulholland, accompanied by a call for all family-run businesses - not just those in the top 100 - to register for the forum in May at Belfast’s Ramada Plaza. The first topic ‘The Generation Game’ will focus on the need to look a planning for the future. Darren McDowell, Partner in the Harbinson Mulholland Accounts and Audit Team, said: “This Top 100 list underlines that family-run and locally owned firms account for a huge proportion of Northern Ireland’s business community and are the backbone of our economy, with 72 of them being family-controlled. “Such businesses operate across every economic sector and there is

Pictured at the launch of Northern Ireland’s Top 100 family and locally owned businesses revealed for the first time in a survey carried out by Ulster University Business School on behalf of Harbinson Mulholland Chartered Accountants are (L-R) Rajesh Rana, Andras Group; John Simpson, research principal and visiting Professor, Ulster University; Michael McQuillan, Ulster University Business School and Darren McDowell, Harbinson Mulholland.

no doubt they face unique challenges in maximising financial performance while maintaining family control, as well as tax planning, succession management and introducing new blood into the business. “We think of our own business as a family affair because of our history and ethos, so we understand what it takes to overcome these hurdles. That’s why we decided to publish this guide as a precursor to the Family Business NI Forum, where people will be able to share experience and advice.” Michael McQuillan of Ulster University Business School, of which Harbinson Mulholland is patron, said they were delighted to support the project.

“Recent news headlines, from the expansion of Draperstown business Bloc Blinds to threatened job losses at Tayto in Tandragree, underline the importance of local companies in job creation and growing the Northern Ireland economy,” he said. “We help many family and ownermanaged SMEs to move forward more quickly than they would otherwise be able to through access to expertise that would not normally be available to them. The upcoming Forum will be of invaluable support to such businesses.” To access the Top 100 list online, register for the Family Business NI Forum or find out more about Harbinson Mulholland’s services, go to https://www.harbinsonmulholland.com/family-business/

keen to improve their profitability, become more efficient, to expand, evolve and grow for the future,” said Richard Gardiner, Partner at RSM. “With our partner, Xero, we are

committed to driving forward our accounting service to provide our clients maximum flexibility and to unlock time which they can spend focusing on their core business.

RSM Unveils New Alliance With Cloud Accounting Firm Xero Leading NI advisory firm, RSM, has agreed a major new alliance with Xero, a global leader in online, cloud-based accounting software.

SM said it had chosen to partner with Xero as part of its commitment to deliver strategic, innovative solutions for local businesses. RSM made the announcement at a specialist seminar held for SMEs and entrepreneurs in Belfast, where attendees were

provided with a hands-on, practical demonstration of the benefits the new system could bring to enhancing its ongoing accounting support services including the filing of routine tax returns. “Delivering specialist, comprehensive and practical advice is essential for businesses who are

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Eye on Investment

Cunningham Coates... Steeped In Tradition, Focused On The Future

There aren’t too many business leaders around Belfast who can point to almost 175 years of company history... and even fewer who can point out that their great great grandfather was the firm’s founding father.

onathan Cunningham, the latest generation of the family to occupy the Senior Partner’s office at Cunningham Coates, manages to strike an easy balance between his firm’s rich history and its present day rebrand as well as the challenges that face it in the wealth management and investment marketplace. Cunningham Coates has lengthy roots in the traditional business of stockbroking, buying and selling stocks and shares on

behalf of a range of clients, with a strong emphasis on the business families of Northern Ireland. “We still work with a lot of families and family members but it goes a whole lot wider than stocks and shares these days, right across the spectrum of financial services, wealth management and into private banking. “And, as the diaspora of these families spreads, we’ve found ourselves working with clients across the island of Ireland, in

GB and indeed further afield. Just as our own business goes back through the generations, a lot of our client relationships are multi-generational.....in some cases we’ve worked with the same family through three, four or even more generations.” Cunningham Coates is based at The Linenhall Building in Linenhall Street, having moved there several years ago from its longestablished headquarters across the city centre in Donegall Street.

Its modern fourth floor offices are home to a 40-plus team, more than half of them fully qualified client investment managers and financial advisors....and all of them client-facing in some shape or form. Having previously come within the auspices of a large banking group, Cunningham says that he and his colleagues feel that being part of Smith & Williamson since 2002, which is majority owned by staff and partners, has returned them to an optimal culture where long-term

Eye on Investment

Jonathan Cunningham (left) with David Currie of Cunningham Coates.

goals match those of clients. “It’s been a story of evolution for us over more recent years. Our corporate group structure provides us with all the benefits of investment in IT, processes and the ability to cope with ever increasing regulatory demands,” says Cunningham. “So while we offer clients expertise built up over years in investment management in the local market, we also enjoy the support of the larger group and its breadth of skills across the firm. As a trading name of Smith & Williamson, I believe we have the best of both worlds.” The firm has just completed a major strategic review of how it does business. Central to this is a major re-brand that includes a new logo noting the three main lines of service at Cunningham Coates – Investment Management, Financial Planning & Private Banking. Those three key areas raise one or two questions, and Cunningham is ready with the answers. For instance, the word ‘stockbrokers’ no longer appears. Is this a significant decision? “Given our history as a firm, I suppose it is,” he says. “But it’s simply a case of times changing. We’re still involved on a day-to-day basis trading in stocks and shares on client instructions, but increasingly we are executing transactions on a

discretionary basis for our clients. “But the term ‘stockbroker’ is a bit dated in this day and age and that’s something we accept as a fact of business life. We are a modern investment management business and it’s important that we are seen as one.” Cunningham Coates works with a range of clients that has changed radically through the years. As well as the aforementioned families, the firm has developed a strong client list amongst local firms, high net worth individuals, philanthropists, charities and quite a few of the new breed of younger entrepreneurs and business leaders. “We have an eclectic mix of clients nowadays and they come to us on the back of our experience but mostly because of the really personalised level of service that we can offer them. One to one relationships develop between clients and personnel which are reflected in the care and attention to detail we provide.” Earlier this year, Cunningham Coates appointed Financial Planner David Currie to head up a new service area in the Belfast office. “The Financial Planning service allows us to broaden and deepen what we can do for our clients. We have generations of experience investing on behalf of our clients so this addition

allows us to help all our clients to understand the sustainability of their wealth with, for example, lifetime cash-flow modelling. An example of this in action could be assisting clients at different stages in life in balancing pension and ISA investment during their career with how they subsequently draw on these in retirement to ensure sufficient assets to meet their lifestyle requirements and to advise on their position in regard to inheritance tax planning. Having such a comprehensive service available keeps things simple for our clients and allows us the opportunity to continue to provide exceptional levels of service.” In addition to core business areas like investments, pensions and ISAs, Cunningham Coates can also offer private banking, thanks to the fact that parent company Smith & Williamson holds a banking license and offers private banking to its clients all over the UK... right down to Smith & Williamson cheque books. “We’ve been offering a really comprehensive service to our clients which goes well beyond our stockbroking roots, for quite some time. But I suppose it’s fair to say that we haven’t been communicating it all that well. That’s something we’re trying to change.” So what are the challenges facing

Cunningham Coates and its clients in the present day marketplace? Like others in the industry, Jonathan Cunningham is quick to identify the low interest rate environment as one of the biggest challenges. “What it leads to is a search for income. There are opportunities out there for investors, but there are also more risks around. We have to manage the expectations of our clients as well as their investments. “We’re also aware that individuals can simply go online, look for investments and make decisions themselves. It’s all very easy, and it can be tempting, but there are limited protections when it comes to DIY investment management. Here, we provide a holistic service that helps to mitigate many of the risks involved.” And his targets going forward are clear. “We’ll continue to work with our existing customers across a broad range of financial services and we’ll work to interact with more young up and coming entrepreneurs.” This encompasses the Cunningham Coates ethos – steeped in tradition, focused on the future.

W: cunninghamcoates.com

Eye on Construction

COUNTY ANTRIM SPECIALIST CONSTRUCTION COMPANY ON THE VERGE OF MAJOR GROWTH Thorntons commence new financial year with £5m order book and potential for more significant projects

Co Antrim firm which has helped shape some of Northern Ireland’s most iconic buildings is capitalising on an £8m expansion plan with a rapidly filling order book for projects across the UK and Ireland. Thornton Roofing of Toomebridge, the company behind the facade of the Waterfront Convention Centre’s new extension, has kicked off its new financial year with an order book in excess of £5m, with significant levels of additional potential contracts in the pipeline. The specialist roofing and cladding company firm is a second generation family-owned success

story which marks a milestone 50 years in business this year. Managing director Stephen Thornton recently announced a new job for every year of the firm established by his parents James and Kathleen, taking staffing levels from 60 to 110 by 2021. General manager Ken Smyth said the firm’s resilience in rallying the downturn was continuing on a stable track, winning a series of contracts within the health, education, heritage and leisure sectors. “Taking £5m in orders before the start of our new financial year 2016/2017 is the best we have seen in a number of years following the recession.

“ We are only one month into our new year and are currently pricing a number of significant projects over and above what we have already secured.” 64

Stephen Thornton (Managing Director), Jenny Neeson (Finance Director) and Kenny Smyth (General Manager) from Thorntons who have announced a major recruitment and investment programme as part of their 50th year in business.

“We are only one month into our new year and are currently pricing a number of significant projects over and above what we have already secured.” Confident of maintaining its position in the roofing and cladding sector in to the future, Thornton is currently in the process of extending its Gallagh Road premises with a new workshop facility soon getting underway. Among its high profile projects in Northern Ireland has been the Waterfront Convention Centre whose new facade is the first building in Belfast to use an innovative specialist cladding product - Brett Martin Marlon click-fix polycarbonate. Thornton’s products and expertise are also going into the new Museum of Free Derry set to be unveiled in the Bogside this month (May). Its specialist expertise was also used to install the challenging curved roof of Bangor’s Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex and it

also employed its leading edge products on the new Seamus Heaney Centre in Bellaghy; two separate projects at Altnagelvin hospital in Londonderry - at its new radiotherapy unit and multi-story car park; and a contract for flat roofing products for the University of Ulster’s Belfast campus at York Street. Among its portfolio of roofing and cladding contracts in Great Britain are a project at Ayrshire College, in Scotland, the Fosse Shopping Centre in Leicester, Luton Airport in London, with a contract at the University of Surrey completing this summer. Integral to the company’s expanding order book will be the employment and training of apprentices. Thornton has been taking a pragmatic approach to supplementing Northern Ireland’s prevailing shortfall of skilled tradesmen, is also in the early stages of developing its own training academy to introduce fresh young talent into the industry.

Eye on Recruitment

TASK Recruitment Moves Onwards And Upwards offer a committed and dedicated service to ensure they match the very best possible candidate to each position sought by the client. Their extensive database of quality candidates ensures delivery of the best service – even at short notice. Each candidate is individually screened, assessed and reference checked for temporary contract work. With an end-to-end interaction between clients and candidates, excellent results and matching are achieved.

L-R: Rachel Foreman, Senior Administrator; Sarah Pentland, Senior Recruitment Consultant; Eleanor Mills, Business Development Manager; Susan Handcock Managing Director (seated).

Local agency, Task Recruitment, is a business on the move – onwards and upwards celebrating just over 15 years in business!

ow operating from new premises at 16 Downshire Road in Holywood, Task prides itself in continuing to offer a professional, confidential and reliable service to its valued clients. Managing Director, Susan Handcock, says the move highlights an exciting time for her company. “We are going from strength to strength and I am delighted that our reputation continues to grow,” she continued. “I am proud that our reputation is founded on honesty, trust and integrity - in delivering professional recruitment solutions at all levels for both the private and public sectors. We recruit temporary, permanent and interim/ contract staff for all industry sectors throughout Northern Ireland”. Our highly trained team of consultants

“ I am proud that our reputation is founded on honesty, trust and integrity - in delivering professional recruitment solutions at all levels for both the private and public sectors.”

Susan Handcock – Managing Director Susan set up the company in 2001 after her 10 years experience working for a multinational recruitment agency. With over 25 years proven, hands-on experience within the industry, Susan is one of Northern Ireland’s most experienced recruiters and has built up an outstanding reputation for client and candidate interaction. She is a Fellow of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, former member of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Federation of Small Businesses. She has extensive knowledge and experience within the NI market in the public and private sector at all levels of recruitment. Susan’s success and reputation are attributable to her dedication and commitment to ensuring a first class service is delivered to client and candidate alike.

experience are quite diverse enabling her to deal with candidates and clients at all levels. Sarah has excellent customer service skill and has deals with the public and private sectors . Whilst Sarah specialises in temporary and permanent placements respectively, she also undertakes promotional projects utilising her creative talents to keep ahead with social Medias. Eleanor Mills - Business Development Manager A professional business manager with over 20 years experience in the recruitment industry, she has worked for both global and local organisations and is trained to the highest industry standards. Her extensive knowledge covers both temporary, contract and permanent recruitment at all levels to executive search, with a strong sales and marketing background within the UK, North America and South Africa. Eleanor has managed contracts for a range of corporate clients across diverse industries such as manufacturing, telecommunications and the public sector and is well known within Northern Ireland. She is known for her expertise, friendly approach and being able to deliver a quality service to her clients. Rachel Foreman - Senior Office Administrator Rachel has worked within tourism and has a degree in hospitality management and events. With over 3 years experience as a senior administrator, her extensive skills include offering a full support to the temporary contracts division on a consultative and administrative basis with her friendly attentive manner she is an asset to the team. Rachel currently manages the additional administrative requirements for some of our public/private clients and all the legislation related to a streamline quality recruitment process.

Sarah Pentland - Senior Recruitment Consultant Sarah comes from a Marketing/Sales background and has a strong interest and passion for delivering a quality service and is very customer focused. Her skills and

Eye on Law and it is important that our local businesses take steps to prepare for this possible eventuality. We are a border economy, therefore anything which could have an impact on the free flow of goods and labour merits in-depth consideration. Foreign Direct Investment has been a key driver of the Northern Ireland economy and the course it may take in the future must also be an issue placed under the microscope, as must the use of EU structural funds in infrastructure development. As a leading corporate law firm in Northern Ireland, we welcome the responsibility that comes with that position and are taking a proactive approach to ensure our clients are fully informed of the nuances of the debate. We are encouraging businesses to take up the discussion internally, weigh up all considerations and arguments and to assess if, and how, Brexit could impact upon them.

Why Companies Can’t Afford To ‘Fail To Prepare’ For Brexit Alan Taylor, Corporate Partner at leading law firm Arthur Cox, stresses the importance to Northern Ireland companies of fully exploring all potential scenarios presented by the forthcoming EU Referendum

s we enter the final stages of the Referendum debate, there will no doubt be a few cases of ‘Brexit fatigue’ being reported amongst the Northern Ireland business community. What started as a few warm-up notes being sounded in the media last summer has turned into a crescendo of press and media coverage in the weeks since the Prime Minister announced that the UK would go to the polls on 23rd June to vote on whether to remain in the European Union.

If you have been following the debates closely but are starting to feel a bit jaded by the almost daily news stories and opinion articles on the subject, that’s perhaps forgivable - but I would urge you to stay tuned. Keep reading, listening and analysing as much as you can because the importance to local businesses of ensuring total preparedness for either potential outcome of the EU Referendum on the Northern Ireland economy simply cannot be overstated. Indeed, when making the historic announcement in Downing Street, the Prime Minster made no attempt to downplay its significance, describing the EU Referendum vote as one of the biggest decisions “of our lifetime”. It’s difficult to argue with that statement, given that it’s over 40 years since the only previous UK poll on the issue of EU membership. Much has changed

in that intervening period as the process of European integration has developed through a series of successive European treaties. While an important issue for the UK as a whole, Brexit arguably matters more to Northern Ireland than most other regions, given we are the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another EU member state – the Republic of Ireland – and are heavily involved in a range of cross-border cultural, economic and political issues. One of the most refreshing aspects of the EU Referendum campaign in Northern Ireland is that local business and employment have, for the most part, taken centre stage in the debate. While the UK obviously provides a highly important internal market for Northern Irish goods, European markets also matter. A Brexit may mean the UK no longer has access to the single market

Risk assessment No matter whether you and your company are in the ‘stay’ or ‘leave’ camp, there is an onus on boards and senior managers to explore Brexit in great detail for the purposes of risk assessment, exposure, identification, planning and preparation. While these very direct commercial considerations are paramount, there are also a number of potential implications for Employment Law in Northern Ireland which companies must also be cognisant of. However, disentangling the UK from its EU commitments is likely to be a lengthy process and more of a long-term consideration. In the much shorter term, the message to the Northern Ireland business community is simple – do your homework on the EU and get ready. As Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, once said, “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”.

The wide range of advisory teams at Arthur Cox are well positioned to advise local businesses on all potential impacts of Brexit in Northern Ireland. Call +44 28 9023 0007 for further information.

Eye

on Corporate Social Responsibility

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

Eye

on Corporate Social Responsibility

Business Eye asked...

What can be achieved by engaging in effective corporate social responsibility?

Mary Nagele, Chief Executive, Arts & Business NI

ertainly there is an increased awareness of the need for good corporate citizenship in terms of investing in and supporting the communities in which a business operates. However, there is also a business rationale and benefit to getting it right. Authentic corporate social responsibility, that is more than simply a tick box, makes a positive statement to employees and customers about the values that underpin an organisation. At Arts & Business NI we are noticing an increasing number of businesses looking towards the Arts as a vital ingredient to an effective corporate social responsibility strategy. Of course in a competitive market, private sector businesses support and invest in the Arts for sound business reasons. However, they also do it because they understand that the Arts can be an extremely powerful tool, and when used effectively, can enrich relationships with both staff and customers and help address business challenges in a

very creative way. They also appreciate that a vibrant arts and cultural sector makes an important contribution to our creative economy and is a measure of the society in which we live and work, and want others to invest in. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Companies are using the arts to communicate with existing and potential customers. Through the arts, they are providing entertainment, joy and very often a voice, and a deepening sense of identity and place to communitiesâ&#x20AC;? Brendan Murphy, former CEO of Allianz These arts and business collaborations are proving to be truly transformative. They are bringing staff and communities together in a creative way that is enjoyable and is producing measureable and practical rewards for the business; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got to be a winning formula for all involved!

Terry Cross OBE, Chairman, Delta Packaging

s a socially responsible company, from its inception Delta Packaging has been a steadfast supporter of the need to develop talent within local communities. We have provided direct employment to hundreds of people and indirect employment through our growing supply chain network. Delta is an advocate for better education. We recognise the important contribution that cross-community initiatives have in developing social integration and we actively support a range of charitable organisations. Over the last 3 to 4 years, we have been working very closely with Business in the Community, finding ways of linking CSR into our corporate strategy. We knew that embedding CSR into our business would benefit both employees and key stakeholders to understand the bigger picture. The establishment of a CSR Committee within the company provided a platform

through which our strategic approach to People, Planet and Place could be effectively co-ordinated and delivered. Staff from various departments within the organisation sit on the committee. They consider internal and external activities and Marketplace Responsibility, to see how our practices can be enhanced. Ultimately, we want to make Delta a better place for our staff. We want to be a net contributor to environmental sustainability and we want to be a responsible citizen in the community in which we operate. We have invested heavily in research to generate ground-breaking solutions that have improved the sustainability of the products we produce. As our successful print and converting business serves multi-national clients from around the world, this activity is critical, as ultimately, we are reinforcing the use of sustainable products on a global basis.

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

Ivan Bell, Phoenix Cost Reduction Not all aspects of a CR programme have to cost money. On the contrary many programmes if conducted properly can reduce costs. Companies reduce costs by: • Implementing controls and effective measurement into all aspects of the company • Using best practice as a tool to improve • Improving the skills and motivation of the workforce through involvement with CR programmes • Increase learning from other practitioners and innovators Productivity Gains Employees want to be challenged in their roles and CR helps create an innovative culture. • Creates employees with a positive attitude towards continuous improvement • The company is recognised as innovative and leading edge • Improves productivity and profitability • Managing CR initiatives has a positive impact on employee wellbeing and motivation

Customer Service Research shows that a strong record of CR improves customers’ attitude towards the company. • Enhanced reputation creates more interest in your company • Company can gain greater empathy from customers regarding the disruption that can be caused as a result of its activities, particularly where they see the company investing and putting something back into the community • CR activities give companies a competitive advantage, primarily due to favourable responses from consumers Reputation CR initiatives provide an opportunity to communicate about your company through non-traditional media sources. Social media is a much less expensive way to engage with stakeholders and customers are more likely to talk about a CR initiative that you have been involved with rather than a targeted advert.

Linda Brown, Director, IoD N.Ireland

firmly believe that engaging in effective corporate social responsibility is hugely beneficial both for the company and the community in which your organisation operates, but the key word here is ‘effective’. If you take an ad hoc, unstructured approach then there may be a short-term PR win but the long-term benefits that come from creating a CSR strategy and embedding it within your business strategy will be missed. Engaging in CSR activity brings its rewards in many ways. Of course, the community organisation, voluntary group or charity you work with will gain from the expertise, clout and fundraising that can come from association with a company. They get the benefit of business, financial, marketing and other expertise, as well as volunteers, that can help them become more strategic, more professional and more sustainable, which in turns helps them to deliver services and benefits to their stakeholders.

In turn, the company that engages in long-term CSR that is structured to the business’s objectives, discussed in the boardroom, embedded in the organisation’s values, led from the top and bought into by employees, will gain from better relationships with the local community, employee engagement opportunities for personal and professional development, increased employee loyalty, and profile and reputation raising activity amongst other benefits. I chair Bryson LaganSports, a social enterprise that provides personal development for disadvantaged young people through water-based activities, as well as team building and fundraising events for companies. I’ve seen at first-hand how input at board meetings from volunteer non-executives from a business background has helped LaganSports identify better ways of working, promoting activities and gaining new business opportunities. Effective CSR relationships create a strong and healthy third sector that is an essential part of a strong and healthy Northern Ireland economy.

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

Michelle Hatfield, Director of Human Resources and Corporate Responsibility at George Best Belfast City Airport

he role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in business has become increasingly prevalent over the last number of years and is now a fundamental part of the corporate landscape. While CSR projects and initiatives won’t always deliver commercial benefits, if they are implemented properly within a clearly defined strategy, they can greatly enhance a firm’s reputation, increase employee engagement, improve productivity, build sustainable partnerships whilst bringing tangible benefits to the local community. At George Best Belfast City Airport we have focused on a number of initiatives to ensure CSR is an integral part of our business success. We place a strong emphasis on personal development and invest in training, executive coaching, mentoring and sponsorship of employees undertaking relevant professional qualifications. This commitment has resulted in a highly motivated and committed workforce and, with a staff absence rate of 1.4%, this falls well below the Northern Ireland average of 4.9%. CSR initiatives can greatly assist businesses in building strong relationships with local schools and having meaningful engagement with the local community. There is no doubt it should be a two way relationship. As a leading organisation in Corporate Social Responsibility in Northern Ireland, we are also seeing the benefit of working with other leading businesses locally and globally to ensure we are not only abreast of best practice but working together to make an even greater impact across society. In 2009 the airport launched a Community Fund which provides financial support to groups and projects promoting education, social development, environmental awareness, wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle. To date, we have invested more than £250,000 back into the local

“ An effective and sustainable corporate responsibility program can undoubtedly drive profitability while making a positive impact on society and, ultimately, secure the long-term success of your business and its people.”

community. This has been a fantastic way for us to get more involved with what’s happening around us and it really is a great opportunity to support and shine a light on some of the amazing people and projects across the Greater Belfast area. Operating a high frequency public transport hub brings with it the responsibility of managing the impact it has on its environment. We’ve worked hard at Belfast City Airport to address issues such as waste management, energy and water consumption and noise management. We have a comprehensive environmental

policy in place and, together with our key business partners, we ensure that safety and environmental efficiencies are a key focus across our operations. Through our programme of sustainable development, the airport is committed to achieving a balance between the social and economic benefits of the airport’s growth and its environmental impacts. Whilst it is important to have these initiatives in place, it also important to have clear, transparent metrics in place with the ability to measure and evaluate your economic, environmental and societal impact. At Belfast City Airport we continue to work closely with all ‘stakeholders’ including staff, statutory authorities, airlines, business partners and local residents. An effective and sustainable corporate responsibility program can undoubtedly drive profitability while making a positive impact on society and, ultimately, secure the long-term success of your business and its people.

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility BASKETBALL BURSARY FOR LOCAL STAR European Championship gold medallist James MacSorley (21), who plays for the Knights Wheelchair Basketball Club in Belfast, has been awarded a Phoenix Sports Bursary to help with costs towards an Elite Sports wheelchair, which will aid his performance within the Great Britain wheelchair basketball squad.

ames MacSorley was born with spina bifida and was encouraged from a young age by his parents to enjoy a full and active lifestyle. He started playing wheelchair basketball at the age of 6 and what started out as a hobby, became a massive part of his life. Disability Sport NI successfully applied for the funding, which is open to local talented athletes

who represent their region or country competitively or have the potential to do so, whilst living in Northern Ireland. The Elite Sports chair will enable James to compete at the highest level within the Great Britain squad and he reflected: “I can’t thank Phoenix enough for providing the funding for my new basketball wheelchair.

It’s already made a huge difference to me, especially as the wheelchair makes up 30% of my overall performance as an elite wheelchair basketball player. It’s my dream to play with GB at international level and it would be absolutely amazing to get to the Paralympics. Without this financial support I simply wouldn’t be able to compete.”

ENERGY BOOST FOR LOCAL RISING STAR

rady Chambers (9) from Lisburn recently received a life changing boost from the Energy for Children Trust. His mum, Louise Chambers, successfully applied for funding to purchase a bespoke sports wheelchair for Brady, allowing him to fully participate in wheelchair rugby and train with the Ulster Barbarians junior squad. Brady suffers from a rare condition called AV Malformation which is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in the spinal cord, which can cause it to become permanently damaged. Despite being unable to walk unaided, Brady’s upper body function is completely unaffected and he has shown a natural talent for wheelchair rugby.

His mum, Louise reflected: “Brady is a very happy and lively 9 year old boy who loves rugby and being a member of the Ulster Barbarians wheelchair rugby junior team. However, because of his condition, Brady needed a specialist chair that had more trunk support than the wheelchairs the squad normally practise with. Brady has to work harder on balancing his body and he found it difficult to turn the chair at the speed required.” “The help from Energy for Children has really made a huge difference to Brady’s life; he can now play with ease in a chair specifically measured for him, giving him confidence, a sense of inclusion and the opportunity to succeed

Alex Megarry, Energy for Children (far right) visits Brady Chambers and mum Louise to see his new sports wheelchair in action.

in a sport he really enjoys.” Energy for Children Charity Liaison Officer, Alex Megarry, recently paid a visit to the Antrim Forum to see Brady train with his team, and commented: “It’s wonderful to see at firsthand how Brady is benefiting from his new sports wheelchair. The positive impact it’s had on him both mentally and physically is inspiring

and on behalf of the charity, we are delighted to have been able to help and wish him every success with the Ulster Barbarians.” Phoenix Natural Gas covers all administration costs associated with the Energy for Children Charitable Trust so that every penny raised goes directly to local disadvantaged children and to date the charity has helped over 6,000 kids.

PHOENIX ON TRACK AT 5K PARKRUN

elebrating 20 years and embracing its Health & Wellbeing programme, Phoenix staff and their families recently took part in a 5k Parkrun Challenge at Victoria Park, Belfast. Olympic Steeplechaser, Kerry O’Flaherty, who received a Phoenix Sports Bursary to help her on her ‘Road to Rio’ campaign, came along to give the runners a few hints and tips and get them warmed up. She commented;

“I’m proud to have been able to get involved at this fundraising event not only has it been great fun but I love seeing people get inspired to give running a go and this 5k Parkrun gives everyone the chance to take part. I’m always up for a challenge and it’s definitely given me a boost for my Rio adventure this summer.” Every penny of the money raised for the Energy for Children Charitable Trust, goes directly towards helping local disadvantaged children.

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

HONDURAS PROJECT REACHES COMPLETION A delegation of representatives from NI coffee chain Ground Espresso Bars recently returned from a successful visit to the Capucas cooperative in Honduras, which is home to the company’s philanthropic education project. The team visited the site to see the completion of the year-long venture.

s part of an initiative to give back to its producers, growers and co-ops who produce coffee products such as Ground Espresso Bars’ trade-marked Purple Dragon blend, the company propelled funding for the construction of a new education hub in Honduras intended to provide an IT centre with 30 new computers for use by children and young people in the community. It is predicted that the centre will benefit

500 local school children and a further 500 young school leavers who otherwise would not have access to computers and higher education opportunities. The original Honduras Project cost of $25,000 was 90% funded by Ground Espresso Bars and 10% through fundraising activities in its multiple outlets across the country. Upon recommendations from the University of Honduras, Ground were inspired to

enlarge this initiative by transforming the small community centre into a remote learning hub, incurring a new support sum of $130,000. This project expansion was funded through donations to the Fundación, as well as the cooperative’s own contribution of $70,000 which is a testament to the community’s commitment to enhancing self-sustainability. Director of Ground Espresso Bars, Karen Gardiner highlighted the importance of the project for the company: “The Honduras project is changing the lives of this local community and we are delighted that the building work is now finished and ready for enrolment. We look forward to continuing to support the centre and we are dedicated to its preservation. ” Ground Espresso Bars are one of only a handful of coffee houses in the UK and Ireland who engage in direct trade with the communities that are producing their coffee. The direct trade model goes beyond the Fairtrade principles as Ground becomes proactively connected to the wellbeing of the coffee-growing community. Through regular reconnaissance trips to Honduras and an investment in intensive relationship building with the cooperative, Ground are pioneering a quality centric approach to supply chain management. Ground’s visits to the country of origin provide the opportunity to identify the needs of the local community, and subsequently fulfilling these have led to mutually beneficial outcomes including collaboration on new varietals and coffees, and higher quality coffee. These benefits filter into Ground’s product and service standards in NI and affirms the notion that “doing good is good business.”

For further information or to donate to Ground Espresso Bars Honduras Project go to www.groundcoffee.net or visit your local Ground Espresso Bars.

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

Diageo… A Firm Commitment To Communities Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business bringing consumers a collection of beverage alcohol brands including Guinness, Harp, Baileys, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray. Our distilleries, breweries and production facilities are at the very heart of the communities in which we work, and we have a responsibility to create shared value – for our shareholders, our people, and for the wider society that enables our business to flourish and grow.

s one of Northern Ireland’s major exporters in the food and beverage sector, Diageo NI is committed to contributing to the future economic prosperity of Northern Ireland while contributing to the company’s performance ambition to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products company in the world. In Northern Ireland, Diageo employs over 300 people across three sites including the global Baileys facility at Mallusk, a bottling and packaging plant in East Belfast and corporate headquarters in Capital House, Belfast. Diageo’s Sustainability & Responsibility (S&R) strategy encompasses the actions Diageo takes to provide leadership in Alcohol in Society, to help build thriving communities and to reduce our environmental impact. S&R targets are embedded across the business and form the basis of the initiatives we are involved in at a local level in Northern Ireland.

The students from the Diageo Tourism & Hospitality Academy found their sea legs with a return trip to Scotland aboard the Stenaline ferry. It was an opportunity for the group to experience the unique skills required for a less than ordinary role in the hospitality sector. Pictured are students Adam McBurney and Chloe Jackson.

Committed to helping reduce alcohol related harm in society through our own programmes and through partnership and collaboration with others. The schools theatre education programme ‘Smashed’ was delivered to 18 schools and 2,400 Year 8 & 9 pupils in January 2016 with curriculum materials endorsed by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), while Arts & Business funded DrinkIQ workshops were delivered to 172 18-25 year olds in sports clubs across NI. Committed to helping build thriving communities by empowering the people within our value network whether it’s the farmers who grow our crops or the bartenders who sell our brands. The Diageo Tourism & Hospitality Academy, modelled on Diageo’s globally acclaimed Learning for Life programme, was launched in March 2015. Designed and delivered by Belfast Met, supported by Visit Belfast and FLU funded by the Department for Employment and Learning,

the City & Guilds accredited programme has provided real employment opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry for 18-24 year olds. Committed to helping reduce environmental impact by working with our partners to support local, sustainable and responsible sourcing. Diageo Ireland recently achieved Bord Bia Origin Green status showing a proven and measured commitment to sustainability. The Baileys facility at Mallusk has achieved ISO 14001 accreditation in environmental management systems and 80% of Baileys ingredients and materials are sourced from local suppliers. Diageo Ireland has been named in the top 10 companies in Great Places to Work in Ireland for the 6th year running and Diageo Northern Ireland has recently been awarded CORE – the Responsible Business Standard – from Business in the Community. Lisa McIlvenna, Deputy Managing Director of Business in the Community

in Northern Ireland, said: “Diageo Northern Ireland has been a constant champion of Corporate Responsibility. Recently, they undertook CORE – Northern Ireland’s only standard for responsible business. It’s a rigorous and challenging process, which benchmarks an organisation’s CR activity against that of other leading NI organisations. Diageo successfully achieved the standard, reinforcing their position as leader in this area.” Jorge Lopes, Country Director of Diageo Northern Ireland, added: “We are very proud to have been awarded CORE as it is clear recognition of our sustainability and responsibility commitments and achievement across Diageo NI. ‘Doing the right thing’ underpins our ambition to deliver first class performance and build our reputation as a company that is trusted and respected by our customers, the consumers who choose our products and by our many other stakeholders.”

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

BDO Northern Ireland... Setting the stage for CSR

Halloween: BDO staff dress up in Halloween fancy dress at one charity coffee morning

BDO NI’s experience in CSR shows that with staff commitment and buy-in, anything is possible.

orporate social responsibility (CSR) has been defined by the European Commission as ‘the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society’ and, at a time of straightened resources, it is encouraging to see commitments to CSR increasingly embedded as ‘non negotiable’ parts of how businesses operate. At BDO NI, support for CSR has been long standing, with a range

of initiatives not only raising money for important and worthy activities but also providing an exceptional opportunity to reflect and reinforce our business culture and its values. The CSR committee at BDO NI is headed up by partners Carol Malcolmson and Maybeth Shaw. Taking the pragmatic view there are many worthy causes and many ways of supporting them, the committee announces their support of one charity every two

years around which the fund raising activities during this time will focus. For the past 2 years, that charity was the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and, following the announcement, planning began to ensure a mix of activities that would deliver the broadest possible buy-in for fundraising across the year. Of course, like apple pie and Mother’s Day, no one is ‘against’ CSR but, in developing effective fundraising programmes,

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

The BDO Pantomime cast backstage at the MAC during their 2 performances in November 2015.

there is always a challenge in generating enthusiasm and support from people who have many other priorities. There can be no CSR success stories without the buy-in of staff and, encouragingly, as initiatives yield results, they also build an appetitive for further, more ambitious, activities. Successful CSR programmes are rewarding on many levels: for the business, they are a powerful statement about what the organisation stands for; for individuals, they are a chance to connect to their community in a way that might not otherwise be possible. The feel good factor from ‘giving something back’ is far from transient: according to research by the Kenexa High Performance Institute, organisations with genuine commitments to CSR outperform those that do not. CSR-committed companies have higher levels of employee engagement and significantly better customer service cultures.

Fresh ideas In BDO NI we linked our CSR strategy to a recognition that division between workplace, home and ‘third space’ activities is increasingly blurred. Regular coffee mornings and craft fairs proved a great way of keeping awareness of the fundraising programme at a high level and allowed for ongoing conversations, and fresh ideas, about how its goals could be further supported. One such idea was to tie the coffee morning in with Hallowe’en, when a fancy dress coffee morning provided the office with the perfect reason to dress up for the holiday. The buzz this generated was huge and the end result was one of our most successful coffee mornings ever. The changing work/life balance also means that people who work side by side increasingly train and compete together too. This is a trend we took advantage of when 23 BDO employees took part in ‘Tough Mudder’ in Dublin in October 2015. Participation in

this 10-12 mile assault course, where colleagues battled obstacles that include mud, water and even fire, once again showed that where CSR can generate a bonding experience, there are wins for everyone. This event raised close to £4,000. Stage craft However, by far our most ambitious fundraising initiative was yet to come, and its evolution and success proved that, as enthusiasm and interest in CSR grows, ambition grows with it. The concept of BDO NI staff being the cast and crew of a theatrical show went from a farfetched idea to a concrete plan in a few short days and, from this, emerged the BDO Pantomime, Aladdin. Held in the MAC Belfast, this was a giant leap into the unknown that took all of us far beyond our comfort zones. Ten staff members took to the stage, with many more working behind the scenes, all whipped into shape by Belfast School of Performing

Arts Director James Huish. Four months of work produced two unforgettable performances on the 14th November 2015, with over 450 people attending and some £8,300 raised in total. The success of Aladdin undoubtedly transformed the CSR agenda at BDO NI and should leave no one in doubt that, where there is real enthusiasm, truly amazing things are possible. When it comes to engaging colleagues in CSR, that famous line from George Bernard Shaw should be top of mind in every workplace: Some see things as they are and ask, ‘Why?’ We dream things as they never were and ask, ‘Why not?’

Eye on Corporate Social Responsibility

THE HENDERSON GROUP & CSR The Henderson Group is an organisation with a strong company ethos. The company, owners of the SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO and VIVOXTRA franchises in Northern Ireland has a strong belief in reinvestment in its business and continually giving back to the community in Northern Ireland.

e package our responsible business activities under our ‘Tomorrow Matters’ brand. It provides a focus which links directly with our business plan, but enables us to achieve our objectives with sustainability in mind. As a sponsor of Business in the Community’s employer supported volunteering campaign, Cares, we obtain great benefit from participating and promoting a range of annual practical challenges that any business can get involved in, and we supplement this by ensuring our people have the opportunity and the resources to volunteer throughout the year. We know from feedback and evaluation that the efforts on these challenges can transform the landscape – sometimes literally! – for many small and voluntary sector recipients, not to mention the buzz that it gives our own colleagues. People are the key to success for any business. We are determined to provide a workplace environment that is healthy and enjoyable. Among a plethora of activities which we support, we’re particularly proud of our annual Pedometer challenges, which encourages our team to exercise more, and compete against their colleagues on a virtual journey. Over the last year, by walking 10,000 steps per day, 22 teams covered 82 million steps, the equivalent of walking three times around America! In October 2015, we took our Tomorrow Matters strategy to a new level, by making a commitment to install over

300 life-saving defibrillators outside our stores, giving communities 24/7 access. We were keen to embark on this initiative as we knew that external defibrillators could play a vital role in helping to save lives, especially in rural areas where it may take longer for the emergency services to reach critically ill people. Considering survival rates from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest drop by 10% every minute without defibrillation, having access to an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) prior to the ambulance arriving is crucial to survival. We also felt it was extremely important to educate the general public on the importance of CPR and ease of use of defibrillators and hence produced public information leaflets and information through our dedicated website along with the use of video to highlight survivors’ stories and associated PR. To date the Group have installed 100 new devices at stores across Northern Ireland and the group are well on their way to meeting their target of installing a total of 300 new devices for public use throughout 2016. From an environment standpoint, we continue to hold our ISO14001 accreditation. We are committed to ensure that when we work with our suppliers we seek environmentally friendly products, from LED sensor lighting, both inside and outside the building to investing approx. £25K in converting our lorry charging from diesel charging to electrical charging. We have a team of wardens who are constantly sourcing new initiatives to help

(L – R): Business in the Community’s Deputy Managing Director, Lisa McIlvenna with Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO & VIVOXTRA franchise in Northern Ireland supporting Responsible Business Week from 18 – 22 April as part of their commitment to their CSR strategy Tomorrow Matters.

us reduce our environmental impacts. By changing some of our waste contractors we have managed to achieve zero waste to landfill – this was a big challenge for us and with the help and encouragement of Business in the Community we continue to find business partners who can help us to strive to do better. The Henderson Group are pioneers in supporting local initiatives such as Responsible Business Week 2016 which has been sponsored by SPAR for the second year running and this year took place from 18th – 22nd April. This high-profile annual awareness week, coordinated by the charity Business in the Community, each year seeks to increase awareness of the powerful difference that business makes to the economic, social and the environmental challenges business’s face. The month of April also saw the group’s franchises, EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA Northern Ireland celebrate reaching their £500,000 fundraising milestone that will benefit local charity Cancer Fund for Children who they have been supporting since May 2011. Money raised at stores across

the province will help the charity provide practical, emotional and financial support to local families whose lives are affected by cancer. Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at the Henderson Group commented on the importance of the Henderson Group’s CSR strategy and being a responsible business; “The Henderson Group is committed to building a healthier and brighter future for its employees and shoppers which reinforces our strong ethos and belief we have in reinvesting and giving back to local communities here in Northern Ireland. Being responsible is also at the very core of the Henderson Group’s organisational objectives and as a locally-grown, and ever expanding, business, the group proactively demonstrate positive action through activities such as fundraising for their chosen charities through to continuing to divert 100% of our waste from landfill. We are proud that the partnerships we support assist us in achieving positive CSR outcomes in line with the Henderson Group’s CSR Strategy, Tomorrow Matters.”

Eye on Agri Food

Where Smart Food Ideas Become Reality Sam Butler talked to Joy Alexander, head of food technology at Loughry campus, about the role of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, at its role in new food and drink products.

mart ideas are transformed into new food and drink at Loughry, the Cookstown campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). It has become the ideas factory for Northern Ireland’s dynamic food and drink industry, an industry currently in a sharper focus as a result of this year’s designation as Year of Food and Drink. Loughry campus has become the first place to go for those with ideas for new food and drink; the hub where the dreams of many aspiring food entrepreneurs have already become reality. And the college is making a very significant contribution to the farming industry through its expert support for farm diversification programmes at this time when many sectors of farming are experiencing severe difficulties. Loughry is also an integral part of Northern Ireland’s comprehensive support infrastructure for the agrifood industry, probably the best support eco-system in Europe. Joy Alexander, the head of CAFRE’s food technology development, and the expert team at Loughry, Cookstown can be justifiably proud of the college’s impressive list of achievements. “It’s really exciting to have assisted the artisan food revolution that’s gathering strength here,” Joy says. “We’ve been involved with many really enterprising people and helped them through our courses and expert support to get their business moving especially in the international marketplace. “Our work has covered craft beer, farmhouse cheeses, ice cream, healthy snacks, relishes and jams, soups, stews and pate. The expertise and experience here at Loughry has helped them to turn original ideas into commercial success,” she adds. Award winning companies which have prospered from engagement with Loughry include Glastry Farm

Ice Cream, FIvemiletown speciality cheese, Kearney Blue Cheese, Clandeboys Estate Yoghurt, Avondale, En Place Foods, Heavenly Tasty Organics, Whitewater Brewery, Northbound Brewery, James Doherty Meats and Morrow’s Foods. Many innovative products now being enjoyed by consumers here, in Britain, the Republic of Ireland and even further afield started their journey to commercial success at Loughry and owe much to the expertise of staff on campus. Upwards of 100 companies listed in last year’s Great Taste Awards, for instance, used the college’s services at some stage in their journey. Companies of all sizes and in most food sectors have been assisted in areas such as product formulation, food testing, nutritional information and packaging at Loughry. The college also runs programmes to assist developments in burgeoning sectors such as cheese, ice cream, bread and beverages. Aspiring entrepreneurs - as well as established firms - are already benefiting from a recent £3 million investment in a Food Innovation Centre, which is backed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and connected to the existing Food Technology Centre, a hub of incubation units for start-up and smaller firms. The state-of-the-art Food Innovation Centre features:• a large teaching kitchen for students; • an industrial style kitchen for use by client companies for new product development; • a computerised sensory analysis suite with dedicated preparation kitchen, 10 individual sensory analysis booths, group panel areas; • a packaging prototype design area; • conference facilities; and a • market intelligence / creativity room.

A dedicated and talented team works to promote the importance of innovation within the local food industry. Innovation is seen as the key to the long-term growth and sustainability of an industry that already feeds £5 billion into the local economy and supports upwards of 100,000 jobs across the extensive supply chain. A proactive food think tank, Loughry pinpoints drivers for change, helps develop new product concepts in line with market opportunities and reports on new and emerging technologies, which may benefit food businesses in Northern Ireland if adopted. Work already undertaken has included the application of functional ingredients in food products, reducing salt in foods, increasing shelf life and reducing usage of preservatives and artificial colours. As well as working with DARD programmes, Loughry has also linked with Invest NI on the Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme and the highly successful Innovation Vouchers on how best to bring fresh thinking to market. The Food Business Incubation Centre supports potential food processing entrepreneurs, enabling them to work on their ideas with experts at the college. Opened in 1998, the FBIC provides the food supply chain with eight self-contained, high quality factory units, in which entrepreneurs and established businesses can test

and fully commercialise their ideas for new products/processes. “We have talented people with vast experience and modern facilities for food and drink companies focused on business success,” Joy adds. “We are keen to help them to turn ideas into innovative products for both domestic and international markets.”

(Below) Joy Alexander, head of food technology at Loughry campus, with Will Taylor of Glastry Farm, Kircubbin, one of the many success stories. The ice cream was developed at Loughry using an Invest NI innovation voucher The new state-of-the-art Food Innovation Centre at Loughry Modern kitchen facilities at Loughry for new product development

Eye on Agri Food

The World Is Rooney’s Oyster Sam Butler talked to Andrew Rooney of Rooney Fish in Kilkeel about the company’s tremendous success in global markets and its recent investment in its own oyster farm in Carlingford Lough. Andrew Rooney, commercial director of Rooney Fish in Kilkeel.

rder lobsters in Spain and Portugal and the chances are you’ll be served products from Northern Ireland. You’ll also find oysters and langoustines from Northern Ireland in upmarket restaurants in Paris. Shellfish from the Irish Sea, including crab claws, landed in Co. Down is currently enjoyed in Korea, Hong Kong, other parts of China as well Vietnam and Japan. Easily the most successful exporter of local shellfish here is Rooney Fish in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland’s main fishing port. It’s an enterprising and innovative business run by managing director John Rooney that’s committed to ‘Capturing the flavour of nature’s fresh harvest from the Irish Sea’. Andrew Rooney, the family company’s commercial director, was in Singapore last month at a major Asian food expo to build on existing business and explore new opportunities

Rooney Fish is located close to the harbour in Kilkeel

throughout the region. He’s to be found selling the company’s shellfish worldwide especially at major fish exhibitions such as the network of Seafex shows. This focus on international markets has resulted in Rooney Fish exporting virtually everything it currently processes at Kilkeel. It’s one of the largely unsung hero companies in Northern Ireland exporting. The commitment has also benefited other suppliers including Ewing’s Seafood in Belfast in the shape of business leads for products especially smoked salmon. “We’ve had to adapt, innovate and invest time and resources in international markets because of the challenges the local fishing industry has faced particularly from EU quotas,” he says. “Innovation for markets beyond the UK and Ireland is the only way to grow the business. It’s the very lifeblood of our business. This means spending time at shows and visiting both

existing and potential customers on a regular basis. We can never forget that we are operating in a fiercely competitive business sector. You can never rest on your laurels in the fishing industry. “As a result of our focus on global markets, we now export around 98 per cent of our output such as langoustines, brown crab, crab claws and whelks throughout Asia. Some of our products even turn up in sushi bars in Japan. Our lobsters and scallops also go to European customers,” he adds. Among innovations introduced by the company is a cooking line for langoustines, the only one of its type in Europe. It has also invested in a new machine that scores crab claws to make them easier to open and an oyster processing line to handle the output from the company’s new oyster farm, the latest investment in innovation. He’s confident the new oysters from the pristine waters of Carlingford Lough will prove yet another success story. “The oyster farm represents a major step for us from processing seafood that we buy into growing our own supply for sale abroad. “Our experience of the seafood market in France and contacts there encouraged us to explore opportunities to supply oysters. We took a decision about this further diversification of our business a few years ago. It involved developing our own oyster farm at Mill Bay on the lough, which is one the cleanest stretches of water in the

British Isles. The sheltered Mill Bay is ideal for growing oysters, which we growing using the traditional method of bags attached to trestles on the lough’s lower shoreline. “We carried out extensive market research including participation in major trade shows before deciding on what is an immensely important diversification for the company. We also visited oyster farms in France and Ireland to increase our knowledge of how best to grow oysters. They were all supportive. “While it’s been a steep learning curve, feedback from potential customers has been excellent. This is because they know they can depend on us to deliver a high quality product,” he adds. Established in 1975, Rooney Fish employs around 40 people and now exports a broad range of fish and seafood internationally. The company’s main plant is located at quayside in Kilkeel ensuring access to the freshest seafood. It’s modern and fully EC approved and equipped with the most up-to-date technology including blast freezing, nitrogen freezing cooking facilities and extensive storage space. Rooney Fish is a forward thinking business that’s never been afraid to invest in new ideas for export, the latest being oysters, in the most modern processing facilities and the skills of its people. It’s a locally owned business with a superb track record of success abroad and in the development of innovative products and techniques.

Eye on Giving

CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR GIVING Frances Hill, Northern Ireland Agent for Bank of England. In IoD since 2008. 1. W hat are your thoughts, in general, on charitable giving? I believe that everyone should help others where they can, whether through financial giving or giving of time and skills. There are many charitable organisations that rely solely on private sector giving and need the skills that people have developed through their careers. In my experience, those that get involved also find it very rewarding and can learn a lot too! 2. I s your giving personal or corporate or a combination of both? Over the years, I have put a lot of personal time and money into various charitable organisations. The Bank of England actively encourages staff to get involved. They have two employee schemes for volunteers who can apply for an award for their chosen charity based on their level of commitment. The Bank offers some matched funding for two employee-nominated charities of the year and also matches funding raised through a Payroll Giving scheme. Additionally, regional Agencies have a small budget to make donations to local charities. In the 2015 financial year, the Bank made £270,000 in charitable donations. 3. How do you give to charity: monetarily, your own time as a volunteer or your specialist skills?

All three! For many years I have made charitable donations to various local, national and international charities and taken part in various fundraising activities. More recently, I have been the Chair of a local charity called Angel Eyes NI which supports around 550 families with visually impaired children. As a rapidly growing, volunteer-led organisation, this takes up a significant amount of my spare time. In addition to my strategic role, I have played an active part in events run for families and their children and also in many fundraising activities, the most recent being an abseil down the Europa Hotel! 4. What types of causes do you favour and why? I think it is important to get involved in something that you feel passionate about. I also prefer to get involved with small charities where I can see I’m making a difference to people’s lives! 5. Are there specific charities or causes that you give to regularly? How do you choose which to support? I give regularly to a number of charities, but there are two that I have been most heavily involved with in recent years. My daughter had Group B Strep meningitis when she was a baby and I subsequently helped to raise awareness via a charity called GBSS. The meningitis left my daughter visually impaired, so when Angel Eyes NI asked me to

be their Chair I was delighted to do it. Angel Eyes provides emotional and practical support to parents and the whole focus is on empowering parents to ensure that their children are able to fulfil their full potential despite their visual impairment. I believe that my first-hand experience coupled with my business skills enables me to bring a lot to Angel Eyes and its members. 6. Do you believe that companies and individuals have a duty to help others? If yes, why? Yes I do. I think it is important for everyone to play an active part in their community and get involved; everyone has something they can offer! Volunteers and charitable organisations benefit the whole of society. 7. What is your message to business people who may be thinking about becoming more involved in strategic philanthropy? Do it! There are so many people out there who could benefit from your support. But there isn’t enough! Over recent years, charities have become even more dependent on private sector giving and volunteers

as funding streams have dried up. Business people can play a major role in helping sustain the charitable sector, either through financial support or by encouraging their employees to engage more with their local community. 8. Giving Northern Ireland was set up last year to champion Philanthropy. Why do you think it is important that there is an organisation that helps businesses and individuals think more strategically about giving? It’s really important. In a world where everybody seems to be increasingly time poor, it becomes too easy to not get around to giving something back. An organisation like Giving Northern Ireland can take that barrier away. For example, Angel Eyes were one of the beneficiaries of a Funding Network (TFN) event, organised by Giving Northern Ireland and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland. This crowdfunding event brought together local philanthropists and four local charities who had to do a live “pitch”, giving them an opportunity to raise awareness as well as raising much-needed funding.

KEOGHS

A MAJOR ASSAULT ON SNACK MARKETPLACE

Eye on Food Business Eye meets Tom Keogh, Managing Director of Keogh’s Crisps. 1. You say you revolutionised the farming business when potato sales in Ireland were in decline – can you elaborate on this/how so? During the 2000s, fresh potato sales dropped drastically by over 50% in Ireland. It was becoming apparent that the markets for our product were disappearing fast. Changing consumer lifestyles, increasing time constraints and fad diets such as the Atkins diet meant that consumer demand for fresh potatoes was decreasing at an alarming rate. At the same time, traditional Dublin markets where we sold are fresh potatoes were also disappearing, making way for new office buildings and apartments. Other carbohydrates such as rice and pasta were becoming more popular and pushing potatoes out of the weekly shopping basket. As the fresh potato sector is dominated by retailer own label it is difficult to establish a brand, for a family run enterprise of young farmers the future was not looking bright and we realised something had to be done. We literally re-invented the potato! In-depth market research led to a number of consumer insights which resulted in fundamental changes to our business - we recreated our brand. We were living the brand we just needed to tell our story creating relevance for our customers. We then began thinking outside the box and grew a new variety of blue potatoes – it made RTE news! We addressed the health and functional food trend and developed selenium enriched potatoes for the market. Together with some clever marketing and POS we really did change the way Irish customers viewed the humble spud. Then in 2011 we decided to launch Keogh’s Crisps, a luxury hand cooked crisp that we produce here on the family farm. People thought we were mad launching in the middle of a recession but we went with our gut and went after what we knew was a gap in the market. Thankfully with a lot of hard work and a lot of amazing support we are still here and growing year on year. 2. I hear Northern Ireland has become your second biggest market in just 3 years – what are your plans for NI for the next 3? After the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland is indeed our

second biggest market. For the next three years? We are aiming for continued success in NI and hope to increase our distribution and brand awareness in the market. We work with a great distribution company and PR agency who are helping us to achieve these ambitions. 3. What’s on your cards for 2016 – any interesting plans? How will that affect NI? We are the fastest growing crisp brand in Ireland and with a 5% growth of the business in 2015 we are hoping for continued growth and success in the business in 2016. We are extremely busy at the moment and together with some new product launches, increasing presence in store and continuing to participate at consumer shows across ROI and NI, we hope 2016 is as good as 2015. 4. With 5% of the market, a 5 year New Product Development plan and 8 new employees on the cards you seem to be going from strength to strength why are Keogh’s so popular? I think Keogh’s are as popular as they are for a few reasons. We’re not just a brand on the shelf, rather a family run business with a story to tell. I think customers really like to know the story behind the brand and feel they can relate to us. We began with our three original flavours and made sure these were exactly what the consumer wanted before launching the other 4 flavours into the market. We really strive for a great quality product using quality Irish ingredients in our flavourings. Popularity is increasing as consumers are really getting behind the brand, seeing us at consumer shows and tasting the product as well as our presence on social media. 5. This a highly competitive marketplace....how difficult is it to go in against big brands? It is constantly a challenge for Keogh’s competing against big brands as it is such a competitive market with pressure in terms of distribution, retailer relations, shelf space and visibility which are crucial to a brand’s growth in Ireland. However, by getting to know your customers and clever innovative marketing we are

managing to own the premium luxury crisp section. We have a great story to tell which consumers can really get behind. The retail and foodservice sector is constantly growing and changing and you need to move with it - you need to understand your brand which I think we have.

story behind the Keogh’s brand which we are telling to our customers. And of course I have a great team behind me promoting the heritage and people behind the brand. We have also won quite a number of awards over the years from Great Taste Awards as well as Marketer of Year last year which was a great achievement.

6. Flavour development/ new flavours...? We are constantly looking at new flavours and trends occurring in the market and have a few NDP projects in the pipeline. In the meantime we are just about to launch two new multipacks into the market – A Dubliner Irish Cheese & Onion Multipack and an Atlantic Sea Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Multipack which we are really excited about.

8. How would you (Tom) describe your personal style? I work very hard and very long hours, but starting a business has been a very rewarding journey both personally and professionally. One of the key aspect of my style or approach would be the willingness to learn. Continual development and improvement has been key to any success Keoghs Crisps has enjoyed over the last few years.

7. What sets your product(s) apart? It’s working because of quality ingredients, religious attention to quality from start to finish and also clever and innovative marketing. Because we set ourselves at a higher price in the market we justify this price with top quality produce using high quality Irish ingredients for our flavours. Our crisps are made using the finest quality potatoes from Ireland and are freshly hand cooked using natural flavours. All our flavours are also gluten free – with full traceability of our crisps right down to the field the potato comes from. We have created a brand with a personal approach, there is a great

9. Where would you like to see the company in 2-3 years’ time? I hope to have continued success with the business and see greater distribution of our crisps both on the domestic market and export market. We are currently exporting to 14 different countries with Germany, China & the UAE being our biggest export markets. Having just employed a new export manager we are hoping to increase this side of the business and it’s something we are really excited about. We want to continue our goal of producing the best Irish Luxury crisps on the market and of course continue to grow the business and create further employment in the coming years.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere

DRINK RESPONSIBLY The BAILEYS, GORDON’S, CAPTAIN MORGAN, SMIRNOFF, GUINNESS, SMITHWICKS, CARLSBERG and HARP words and associated logos are trade marks © Diageo 2015.

Eye on Events

ALASTAIR WINS AGAIN RECIPE FOR SUCCESS…

lastair Hamilton might just be needing a bit more space on the sideboard in his office at Bedford Street. Back in the autumn, the Invest NI Chief Executive won the IOD Lunns Award for Excellence, joining an illustrious list of former winners from the business sector here. Now he’s added the Public Sector Awards at the IOD’s Director of the

Year event held at Belfast’s Merchant Hotel. He’s pictured receiving his award from Paul Terrington of the IOD and Richard Ennis, Head of Business Banking at sponsors First Trust Bank. Other key winners included Brian McErlain of Genesis Crafty (family business), Colin Coffey (nonexecutive) and Brendan Mooney from Kainos (mid-market).

igel Maxwell, SuperValu Sales Director, Musgrave NI, announces a new partnership with top, local chef Noel McMeel. The SuperValu Ambassador Chef partnership is part of a major investment by the leading foodmarket convenience brand into its local offering and will celebrate Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink. SuperValu is

also undertaking a major upgrade of its 35 stores across Northern Ireland over the next 12 months which will see a significant increase in its fresh offering in store and a wider range of quality produce to appeal to all customers. For recipes, tips and advice on preparing and selecting the best local produce from the SuperValu Ambassador Chef Noel McMeel follow @SuperValuNI on Twitter.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere

DRINK RESPONSIBLY The BAILEYS, GORDON’S, CAPTAIN MORGAN, SMIRNOFF, GUINNESS, SMITHWICKS, CARLSBERG and HARP words and associated logos are trade marks © Diageo 2015.

Eye on Events

TOP OF THE CLASS

hree young business people from Northern Ireland have achieved highest marks in the whole of Ireland for their case study papers and were recognized at the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting Ireland (CIMA) Annual Dinner recently. From left, Steven Scullion who works for Invest NI came first in Ireland for his Strategic Case Study. Aine McKavanagh came first

in Ireland and joint sixth in the world for her Management Case Study. She currently works for Grant Thornton Business Advisory Services. Caoimhe O’Reilly achieved top marks in her Operational Case Study and works for Perfecseal. They are pictured here receiving their awards from CIMA Worldwide Vice President, David Stanford, at the Queen’s University Great Hall recently.

CYBER SECURITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ver 100 guests from businesses across Northern Ireland attended a Cyber Security and Fraud Awareness seminar hosted by Barclays bank and Grant Thornton in partnership with CBI at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Belfast. An interactive survey revealed

that almost half of the businesses in attendance do not have a properly tested cyber security strategy. Pictured at the event are Emma Collins, Principal Policy Adviser at CBI, Mike Harris, Cyber Security Partner at Grant Thornton, and Joanna McArdle, Director at Barclays Bank.

ULSTER HALL HOSTS LAWYERS BASH

elfast Solicitors’ Association are hosting this years Annual Gala Dinner at the iconic Ulster Hall on Saturday 4 June 2016. The Association was founded in 1943 and and is Northern Ireland’s largest local solicitor association. Guests will attend from Law Societies located from all over the UK and Ireland. The objects of the Association are to promote the welfare of the legal profession and to assist with the provision of ethical and efficient legal services to the community

and to help provide better access to justice. Their nominated charity is The Welcome Organisation. Chair of BSA Olivia O’Kane, front left, joined by leading sponsors Stuart John (Associate Director, Abacus Recruitment), (Jimmy Scullion, Ireland GM of Advanced Legal), Cheryl Stone (Marketing Executive, Abacus Professional Recruitment), Brendan Dwyer (Partner Harbinson Mulholland) and David Allister (Senior Private Banking Manager Danske Bank).

MEETING THE BUYERS

ourism NI Chairman Terence Brannigan, left, and Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland are pictured at the recent Meet the Buyer event held in Belfast City

Hall where over 100 international buyers from more than a dozen key tourism markets arrived in Belfast for the event organised by Tourism NI in association with Tourism Ireland.

Eye on News

PLANS UNVEILED FOR NI’S LARGEST RESIDENTIAL SCHEME IN TEN YEARS Leading NI property developers, Fraser Houses (NI) Ltd, has unveiled plans to develop over 1,000 new homes in Newtownards. Worth in excess of £200m, the Rivenwood scheme will be Northern Ireland’s largest housing development to have commenced in ten years.

he scheme will comprise of bungalows, semi-detached and detached homes designed in the style of ‘New England’ architecture – the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. It’s expected that the scheme will also create significant employment in the Newtownards and wider county Down area, particularly in the construction, building supply trades and professional services sectors. Fraser Houses (NI) Ltd is one of Northern Ireland’s most recognised and established house builders having already built over 5,000 homes across the province; with completion of the 1,000 homes at Rivenwood set to bring that figure to over 6,000. Speaking about the development Alan Fraser, of Fraser Houses said:

“We’re delighted to be making such a significant investment in the Northern Ireland housing market. Demand for property in Northern Ireland is increasing and confidence in the market is on the rise. Rivenwood will not only bring a range of unique and stylish homes to a desirable location in North Down, it will create an estimated 500 jobs and support a wide range of local industry related companies. “The houses are designed to appeal to all demographics, whether first time buyers, families, retired couples – there’s a range of homes to suit all tastes and requirements. The New England style has a fresh new look and adds a touch of class to these homes which are in an ideal location only minutes from

Newtownards town centre, yet on the edge of open countryside.” The homes will be situated on a 107 acre site to the Eastern side of Newtownards, bounded by the Movilla Road and Donaghadee Road and with prices starting at £135,000. Simon Brien, of Simon Brien Residential, who has been named the sole estate agent for the properties, expects interest to be high: “‘The New England’ style of architecture at Rivenwood brings a completely new concept to Northern Ireland housing and together with the varied range of house types, will ultimately create a really attractive environment for families seeking to buy a new home in the area. The experience and reputation that Fraser Houses has established across Northern

Ireland in delivering high quality family homes, also adds further integrity to the overall scheme. “Confidence in the housing market across Northern Ireland is increasing, with North Down and Ards in particular experiencing an exceptionally buoyant performance with an increase of 7% in house prices throughout 2015*, with demand outstripping supply. A home at Rivenwood will represent an excellent investment for the future and we would be most confident of exceptional demand for the upcoming first phase release.” Construction will commence in early summer 2016, with the first sales release in May 2016. It is expected that the first houses will be completed and ready for occupation in December 2016.

LATITUDE RESTAURANT OPENS AT STRANMILLIS Latitude Restaurant has recently opened on The Stranmillis Road in Belfast, creating 10 new jobs.

atitude, which is owned by Akhil Tandon and chef Amit Rekhi, who has worked in top restaurants in London, offers a fusion of flavours from around the world. Akhil Tandon, who has lived in Belfast for the past 15

years is excited about his new business venture. He says; “I’m confident that Latitude is going to be a huge success with people across Northern Ireland and I’m delighted that we’ve already had great food reviews in local papers and attracting new customers. Latitude offers that ‘something different’, however we do cater for people who may not have an adventurous taste.”

Pictured are Sebastian Paulik, Amit Rekhi, Gica Caru, Akhil Tandon and JeevanAcharya.

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Eye on Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality... Is it the New Medium for Everything? Ask Damian Cranney, CEO of creative technology studio Big Motive

his probably won’t be the last post you’ll read about Virtual reality but if it’s the first, I’m taking the opportunity to round up some likely business applications for the not-so-new topic that’s lighting up technology blogs. The term ‘Virtual Reality’ can be traced as far back as 1938 when a French dramatist described the illusory nature of characters in the theatre as “la réalité virtuelle”. The realisation of this early idea has been dreamed about by science fiction writers for decades but display and processing capability at an affordable price prevented the technology from emerging in any satisfactory way… until recently. Everyone’s favourite folksy futurist Kevin Kelly recently delivered a state-ofthe-nation-like address at 2016’s ‘SXSW Interactive’ conference in Austin, citing ‘Virtuality’ (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and everything in between) as one of three major forces that will change our lives in the next ten years. As the founder of Wired and originator of ideas like ‘1000 true fans’ and the ‘quantified self’, when Kelly makes predictions, people listen. In 2016 the tech world watches tentatively as three big players jostle for the crown of Virtual Reality. Sony are staking their flag in the world of games. ‘PSVR’ looks like it might make pole position at a manageable $400 price-tag. HTC’s ‘Vive’ which adds motion-tracking and room sensors to its package for a deeper more immersive experience at $800. And in the middle, there’s ‘Oculus VR’ – acquired by Facebook for $2bn in 2014. “One day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become part of daily life for billions of people,” wrote facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg following the announcement but it remains to be seen whether Oculus’ $600 price tag will help or hinder mainstream adoption of VR for the masses. VR is the obvious ‘killer app’ for the global games industry, however

Zuckerberg was clearly thinking of applications far beyond gaming when he announced Facebook’s acquisition – “Imagine enjoying a courtside seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face – just by putting on goggles in your home”. At Dublin’s web summit in 2015, Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey went a little further – claiming somewhat controversially that “...classrooms are broken. Kids don’t learn best by reading books”. Luckey isn’t the only commentator that’s bullish about the positive impact VR can potentially make on education. As more and more analysts, entrepreneurs and technologists have sampled the latest and greatest devices on offer, the debate is wide open and a variety of commercial applications for VR have popped up in conversations. Just consider the following: Gaming. Sony hopes to sell PSVR to some of its 35M owners of its Playstation 4 Education. Why read a book if you can experience a historical event? Not for Profit and News. Chris Milk’s films aim to cut through audience complacency about disaster or war stories Shopping. Why wait on the high street when you can experience fashion week? Sport. Sky Sports has announced the creation of an in-house virtual reality production unit called Sky VR Studio Real estate and travel. Could review sites like Tripadvisor be replaced virtual tours or ‘try before you buy’? Not to mention Youtube’s 360 video project which aims to bring immersive film to the masses through a more modest flatpack (literally) version of its competitors high-end headsets. Google’s alternative VR viewer called simply ‘Cardboard’ is a quiet revolution. The cardboard smartphone holder is $15 – with countless others selling custom versions. It works by enabling developers to create smartphone apps that can

deliver VR content when the phone is put into the the cardboard viewer. The app splits the display into two images and the viewer’s lenses project opposing viewpoints with the result that your brain perceives depth. To select from a menu or progress to a new sequence in the app, you press a button on top of the viewer. This simulates a finger tap as a fabric swatch is forced across the smartphone screen. This has inspired more than a few luminaries claiming the future of VR is most certainly mobile. If the computer in our pockets can be used to deliver immersive experiences, then mass market penetration begins to seem more likely. Google’s interest in VR makes perfect sense in terms of the potential for Youtube premium content and the advertising revenue that will follow. Indeed a recent MIT article suggested that Google cardboard may well kill off the high end manufacturers before they get going. But why does any of this matter? It matters because for years the advertising and entertainment industries have worked hard to deliver experiences that engage consumers, hoping to make a connection with our emotional brains. And this is perhaps VR’s most significant innovation. Virtual reality removes the final thin layer between content and audience, between product and user – presenting an alternate simulated world into which we can be transported. One of VR’s early pioneers Chris Milk goes further to say that it is “... more than a medium (but) fundamentally an alternative level of human consciousness”. What he’s talking about here is known in the VR community as ‘presence’: the instance when your brain is tricked into thinking that what you see is real – sort of. Kevin Spacey joined the debate at CES this year addressing an audience of delegates in Las Vegas, saying: “I am interested in any technology that chips away at the barrier that

has long separated the storyteller from his or her audience”. These ideas elevate VR’s potential far beyond its technical applications. Whilst creatives, producers, entrepreneurs and technologists scramble to come up with new ideas and content, a whole new industry is more likely to emerge that a few random startups. In a recent thought-provoking piece for Techcrunch, Chris Dixon supports the notion of VR as the ultimate storytelling machine, imagining that TV screens we use today may be seen as an intermediate step between the invention of electricity and the invention of VR. Indeed, kids in the future might laugh at how their grandparents used to stare at glowing rectangles hoping to suspend disbelief. If TV had a golden age of exploration before it settled on a common language, then perhaps VR’s golden age is just beginning.  Some experts have called VR ‘the last medium’ because any medium that emerges from this point on can be invented and delivered inside virtual reality - promising infinite potential. So gaming is more likely a starting point than a tipping point. VR’s potential to tell stories in a way that educates, inspires and entertains is an exciting opportunity with boundless potential that must span every industry imaginable.

Big Motive is a creative technology studio. We collaborate with visionary brands and creative partners to design digital products and experiences that move people and accelerate change. Past and current clients include: BBC, Channel Four, Pulse Fitness, Nokia, Net-a-Porter, National Trust and Rocket Entertainment.  For more information, please contact: cm@bigmotive.com

Eye on Internet

Beautiful Design Is Everywhere, Hidden In Plain View By Gareth Dunlop, Fathom.

As if running an ambitious agency isn’t challenging enough, for the past decade I have spent a few hours most Saturdays refereeing a game of rugby. Erstwhile colleagues have speculated that not content with throwing my weight around for forty hours Monday to Friday that my power-hunger required further topping up for eighty minutes with thirty burly players on a Saturday.

nyone who has ever officiated competitive sport will know that the greatest compliment that can be paid to any official is silence. The very best referees go unnoticed, are rarely spoken about, and aspire to be invisible. They make a very difficult pursuit look easy, because they know their job is to make the players look good and give them the very best chance of expressing their skills on the pitch. The best refs make the players the story by remaining invisible themselves. So too the very best digital design makes the user the protagonist by remaining invisible, hidden in plain view if you will. I believe that the essence of userexperience is how a digital product makes someone feel. That might sound overly simplistic, patronising almost, and yet I put it to you that everyone reading this blog will in the past month have felt anger at a digital product. It seems inconceivable that the marketers responsible for digital product development should make their customers feel angry, but that’s what happens when design isn’t taken seriously, or is done incorrectly. I know people who feel other emotions when using the web. Some people, particularly digital immigrants, feel stupid. Imagine designing something which makes your customer feel stupid. Feeling stupid is one of the worst human emotions, and yet marketers are designing websites and apps which produce that response. And then there’s frustration, annoyance and confusion. We’ve all been through the digital version of the Kübler-Ross classic five stages of grief:

• Denial – there’s no way they would have built something *just* this bad • Anger – I want to throw my laptop out the window • Bargaining – OK, I’ll try it just one more time, I’ll close and re-open my browser, and hopefully I’ll be able to find what I’m looking for • Depression – it’s just not worth going on, I’m calling the customer service number to give off, or heading to Twitter to rant • Acceptance — it’s not me, it’s the website, I’m just going to have to get on with it This is why it is so dangerous for a website owner to want their website to have the “wow” factor. It is why wanting the App to be “award winning” can miss the point. Both of these sentiments focus on outputs not outcomes. Trying to put the designer in the spotlight is like trying to make the referee the hero. The whole point is that it isn’t about them. They both have crucially important roles however these roles are about making others look good, not themselves. The communicator quite rightly wants the outputs to be right. And it is critical that the outputs are right. But of much greater importance to the user than the interface is the outcome. The app helps them save time, buy the ticket, find the phone number, compare the price, discover the arrival time, predict the weather etc. They are using the digital product in the first place because they believe it will bring them value. The web’s most popular digital products are outcome focused. We barely notice Google, Amazon, BBC, eBay, Twitter

and gov.uk when we use them, because they make us the protagonist-in-chief, not them. They are more interested in our outcomes that their outputs. Once again, long-time Fathom hero and Director of Strategy at Government Digital Services Russell Davies summarises the user / designer power-hierarchy to perfection. When asked how his users felt about the excellent online service gov.uk provides them with, he responded bluntly yet accurately “Hopefully most of our users don’t think about or notice us. They just use the service and get on with their lives.”

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 UX strategy, usability testing and customer journey planning, web accessibility and integrated online marketing. Clients include Three, Ordnance Survey Ireland, PSNI, Permanent TSB and Tesco Mobile. Visit Fathom online at fathom.pro

Eye on Events

Belfast Pilates & Physiotherapy Launch Night B

elfast Pilates was established by chartered physiotherapists Gillian Duggan and Sonia McCay in 2007. With thirty plus years of physio experience they are both fully certified APPI Pilates Instructors, as are all their instructors. APPI Pilates is the gold standard for Physio led Pilates. The business has recently expanded after opening new premises at Holywood Arches. The clinic has two Pilates studios and three physiotherapy treatment rooms. There are thirty two Pilates classes a week to choose from with more to be announced shortly including Reformer classes. Reformers are the latest way to do Pilates and lead to faster benefits and results. The opening of Belfast Pilates and Physiotherapy’s new clinic was celebrated in style with an official launch party. Paul Nolan, a Consultant Spinal Surgeon who attends classes at Belfast Pilates, says “I believe that Physio led Pilates forms an integral part of the rehabilitation of low back pain and I have referred many of my patients to Gillian and Sonia with great results!”

Paolina Hawthorne, Gillian Lecky and Taryn McCoy

Robert and Enneliene Johnston, Sheena Crone and Joanne Johnston

Jonathan Carson, Lucy Topping, Catherine Nuttall and Ryan McAuley

Cara Walsh, Valerie Walsh, Dorothy Davis, Susan Shilliday and Maxine Ford

Eye on Events

Victoria Glenn and Andrew Cooke

Jennifer Hamilton, Carolyn Green and Christine Grant

Helen Wolsley, Kathryn Elder, Gillian Carr and Julie McGowan

Gill Nickell, Emma Scholes and Heather Scholes

Margaret Morrow, June Burns and Sharon Law

Joy Cooper , Dianne Whyte and Stephen Whyte

Clare Lasini and Paolina Hawthorne

Fred Peppar and Sally Carson

Orla Preston, Morag Griffin and Janet Gouk

Brian Carson, Garth Peppar and Rodney McCoy

Caroline Ball, Stephen Ball and Stephanie Jones

Eye on Regions

Innovating, Investing, Inspiring

At the launch of the Food Heartland Brand for NI Year of Food & Drink 2016 is (L-R): John McGrillen CEO Tourism NI, Lord Mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Councillor Darryn Causby, Kevin & Oliver McCann of P McCann & Sons, and Roger Wilson, CEO Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

One year in and it seems that the new borough of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon is fast becoming the leading economic force in Northern Ireland.

s the second largest council area in the region, both in terms of population size and Gross Value Added, which stands at around 10%, the borough is showing that it is well able to carry its weight. With Armagh’s rich tapestry of heritage and tourism, combined with Banbridge’s strategic location on the Belfast-Dublin economic corridor, and Craigavon’s unparalleled reputation for manufacturing excellence and entrepreneurship, the borough is unique in Northern Ireland. Covering an area of 554 square miles and with a population in excess of 204,000, it is positioned

on the main East/West and North/ South transport corridors, and is supported by high quality road and rail links to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. There are almost 8,000 businesses in the area, with the majority being small/medium sized companies employing 50 people or less. The large enterprises in the region read as a ‘who’s who’ in Northern Ireland – employers such as Moy Park, Almac, Fane Valley, Irwins, Turkingtons and Wilsons. In total there are 66,000 people employed in the area in a range of sectors: wholesale, retail, health and social services, and manufacturing. Last year the council vowed to make the economy its priority, and it has successfully done this by attracting and promoting investment, and advancing the prosperity of existing businesses. The council continues to work closely with both local and international

businesses to further develop the economy, attract investment and increase employment. Despite the challenges of the recent recession, the area now boasts a vibrant and growing economic sector. The borough is also at the forefront of the promotion and development of digital technology, manufacturing, agri-food, pharmaceutical and life sciences.

Life Sciences The area is being developed as a centre of excellence for life and health sciences in Northern Ireland. Already Craigavon Area Hospital provides a focus for new developments in cardiovascular research and Almac, one of Northern Ireland’s leading life sciences companies, employs 2,000 staff at its global headquarters in Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon. The council has established

a borough-wide forum of key stakeholders (including the local regional college, universities, health trust, enterprise network and the Almac group) to support the development of this important growth sector for the borough. Important links have also been established with a number of US life and health sciences organisations through receiving delegations from Boston and the Asia-Pacific region. A new programme is being developed to build on the success of the council’s EU-funded Life Sciences Supply Chain programme, which established a network of 50 local supply chain companies. The new programme will establish a European network of researchbased organisations providing support to high-potential SMEs developing new products for the life and health sciences sector, which will continue to be an important focus in the future.

Eye on Regions

Inspiring the next generation of digital entrepreneurs: students from Banbridge Academy pictured at a Digital Teen workshop, part of the SEED Digital Development Programme, led by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

Digital The borough is at the forefront of digital business support, developing strong academic and industry partnerships via strategic programmes such as the Digital Teen Programme and CoderDojo groups. These schemes are designed in partnership with industry professionals to accommodate future growth in the sector by enhancing the technological skills of young local talent. ICT and electronics are huge development areas for the region, and the borough is a strategic location hub for Project Kelvin; the connection of a new underwater cable to North America. This project represents a major investment in broadband technology for Northern Ireland, opening up opportunities for businesses that depend on secure, ultrafast connections. With a vibrant and growing digital technology business community, the council is investing in initiatives to facilitate the sector’s growth over the next five years.

Dr Ian Menown performs a stent operation which was viewed live by Life Sciences Conference delegates via a live video link.

Agri-food The region is home to major agrifood producers such as Moy Park, Tayto and Linwoods, and boasts two PGI (protected geographical indication) products: Lough Neagh Eels and Armagh Bramley Apples. In collaboration with Tourism NI and local event organisers, the borough is playing a key role in celebrating local produce throughout

2016 for NI Year of Food & Drink, and has developed a ‘Food Heartland Forum’ to advance the local agri-food sector. By championing local food

and drink producers, the council’s Food Heartland Forum aims to enhance the tourism experience and expand local agri-food exports.

To find out more about doing business in this area contact: Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Economic Development team on 0300 0300 900 or email: info@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk

PARTNERSHIP.EXPERIENCE.IMPACT.

Banking & Finance | Technology

32 years connecting talent and opportunity

Engineering & Manufacturing | HR

www.graftonrecruitment.com

Sales & Marketing

Eye on Moving On Moy Park has announced the appointment 1 of highly experienced solicitor Raymond McGinley to the post of General Counsel. Raymond will be responsible for advising on legal matters across a range of subjects such as corporate, commercial, regulation and food legislation. With a diverse legal background and a proven track record in delivering high level legal counsel, Raymond joins Moy Park from Coca Cola HBC where he was the Legal Director for the Island of Ireland, and a member of the senior management team for the past 4 years. Raymond has also held senior positions at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Fujitsu, and was a corporate partner at McCartan, Turkington and Breen Solicitors.

1 Raymond McGinley

2 Olivia Burns

3 Melanie Montet

2 Olivia Burns has been appointed as Account Manager at Ardmore Advertising. Olivia will work across a number of key accounts including 3 Stena Line. Also at Ardmore, Melanie Montet has been appointed as Account Executive. Melanie moves from a marketing role in a Barcelona agency and will support the day to day management and communications planning 4 on a number of key accounts. And Carla Milne has also been appointed as Account Executive at Ardmore Advertising where she will support the day to day management of a number of key accounts including Charles Hurst. Meanwhile, Belfast marketing communications agency ASG & Partners (formerly ASG) has made a number of new appointments.

4 Carla Milne

5 Kirk Moffatt

6 Valerie Ludlow

7 Karen Barr

8 Rory Jeffers

9 Emma Murray

5 Kirk Moffatt has been appointed as Director of Creative Services at ASG and Partners. With over 25 years’ experience, Kirk will be responsible for building new creative relationships with select partners to maximise innovative solutions for 6 clients. Valerie Ludlow has been appointed Director, Strategy at ASG & Partners. Valerie has worked in the research and advertising industries for 15 years, including in London 7 for global brands. Karen Barr has been appointed Head of Client Services at ASG & Partners. Karen has worked in the advertising industry for 20 years delivering national and international campaigns for clients in both the 8 public and private sectors. Rory Jeffers has been appointed as Creative Director at ASG & Partners. Rory has 17 years’ experience in branding and design and his work has been recognised by The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Irish Design Institute and Publicity 9 Association Northern Ireland. Emma Murray has been appointed as Director, Recruitment at ASG & Partners. With 18 years’ experience in recruitment advertising, Emma will oversee the company’s Recruitment division. 10 Eoghan Rainey has been promoted to the post of Senior Recruitment Consultant – Engineering & Technical at Reactive Recruitment. Eoghan joined Reactive Recruitment in April 2014. 11 Also at Reactive Recruitment Zoey Rooney has been promoted to the post of Senior Recruitment Consultant – Commercial / Professional Services at Reactive Recruitment.

10 Eoghan Rainey

11 Zoey Rooney

12 Ailsa McNeill

12 Ailsa McNeill has been appointed as Head of Human Resources, Progressive Building Society. Ailsa joined the Progressive Building Society in December 2015 and has over twenty years’ experience working in the Human Resources sector. A member of the CIPD, Ailsa has a proven track record in human resources and employee engagement, having previously worked at a senior management level for a leading global automotive engineering design and manufacturing organisation. In her role as Head of Human Resources at Progressive Building Society, Ailsa will be responsible for HR and training strategy, corporate social responsibility and health and safety leadership.

PARTNERSHIP.EXPERIENCE.IMPACT.

Banking & Finance | Technology

32 years connecting talent and opportunity

Engineering & Manufacturing | HR

www.graftonrecruitment.com

Sales & Marketing

Eye on Moving xxx On Xcell Partners has announced the appointment 13 of Pat Killen OBE as Chairperson. He Is the former Chief Executive of the Tyrone Crystal group of companies and has in-depth experience of industry in all its complexities. Now an independent Management Consultant he has served on various boards in the public, private and oluntary sectors and recently retired from being a Panel Member of The Industrial Tribunals and a Panel Member of Criminal Injuries Appeals Panel for Northern Ireland.

13 Pat Killen

14 Cathy Colton

15 Ashley Black

Northern Ireland’s largest independent law firm Carson McDowell has bolstered its team by appointing licensing law expert 14 Cathy Colton as a partner in its Real Estate Department. The Real Estate Team has been increasingly involved in the sale and disposal of licensed premises and Ms Colton who specialises in Liquor, Bookmaking and Pharmacy Licensing, adds considerable experience to the firm’s existing expertise in these areas. 15 Ashley Black has been appointed Sales and Letting Negotiator at Templeton Robinson. Ashley qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and RICS Registered Valuer in 2015 and has a First Class Honours degree in Property Investment and Development BSc (Hons) and has extensive experience in residential and commercial property sales and valuation, including insolvency work and commercial property lettings and management.

16 Jonathan Watt

17 Kyle Anderson

18 Phil McVitty

16 Also at Templeton Robinson, Jonathan Watt has been appointed Accounts Assistant at Templeton Robinson. Jonathan previously worked as an Audit Senior in the area of Asset Management at EY as Finance Manager 17 at a Belfast City Centre restaurant. Kyle Anderson becomes Land and New Homes Consultant. Having gained work experience with Templeton Robinson throughout his time at Northumbria University when completing an Estate Management degree Kyle also previously worked with Multi Development Ltd as an Assistant Leasing Manager assisting on the Let Victoria Square project. 18 And Phil McVitty has been promoted to Valuer and Rental Manager at Templeton Robinson, after joining Templeton Robinson in 2014 and has 3 year’s experience working in the field since graduating from an Estate Management BSc (Hons) degree at Ulster University.

19 Ian Beattie

22 Lesley Joss

20 Robert Brechin

23 Adele Lemon

21 Angela McKay

Northridge Finance, the asset finance business of Bank of Ireland UK has appointed two new senior management members to their Direct 19 Channels team. Ian Beattie has joined as a 20 Business Development Manager and Robert Brechin is now Head of Direct Channels Sales. Ian has 27 years’ experience within the industry, of which 25 was with Clydesdale & Yorkshire Bank where he held senior positions within their asset finance business. Robert has vast experience within the banking industry, including corporate, commercial and asset finance. He joined the business last May from Santander’s corporate banking team, where he led the development of the business and brand in the North of Scotland working with SMEs. At Selective Travel Management, 21 Angela McKay is promoted from Team Leader to become General 22 Manager. Lesley Joss joins as an Account Manager working on the NI Civil Service’s travel requirements 23 while Adele Lemon is appointed as Team Leader responsible for the Higher Education Travel Division.

Eye on IT

Team productivity and customer service boosted for Belfastbased recruitment agency Wellington Professional Recruitment (WPR) improved employee productivity and customer service with Office 365. They now benefit from high performance and responsiveness, enhancing business efficiency and customer relationships. Challenge – poor connectivity, hindered productivity Wellington Professional Recruitment is a name synonymous with extremely high standards in the recruitment of professional staff throughout Belfast, Ireland, the UK and Middle East. With a growing number of clients and candidates, connectivity is extremely important to WPR’s delivery of a professional, confidential and reliable service. Responsiveness has become the distinguishing element in the industry, leading to greater business agility. However, the IT infrastructure previously employed was based on a legacy Microsoft operating system which was nearing end-of-life and unable to support the company’s need to maintain first-class service. Anne Macentee, WPR’s General Manager, explained, “We were experiencing problems with an ageing server with a legacy Microsoft operating system. Despite having three BT lines and upgrading to high speed internet the IT function continued to operate at a snail’s pace and the occasional email was getting lost! We purchased new PCs and we still didn’t see any marked improvement on email performance. For about four years we were struggling with poor performance and all manner of issues that our existing provider didn’t seem able to solve – until Xperience came on board.” The solution – Cloud-enabled IT Xperience IT Solutions conducted a thorough hardware and software audit and scoped a solution that

from left to right: Patrick Leggett, Group Director at Xperience IT Solutions, Anne Macentee, General Manager at Wellington Professional Recruitment and Jonny Weir Technical Business Advisor at Xperience IT Solutions

allows WPR to significantly improve efficiency, enhancing customer and candidate satisfaction. The transition to a modern IT platform with Office 365 transformed the performance of their IT function, giving them a competitive edge. Anne, commented, “Xperience were brought in to conduct an audit of the existing IT function, almost immediately identifying the problem, which was server overload. Xperience recommended moving our email data onto the Cloud through Office 365, freeing up space and resources on the server and lightening the burden on our local PCs. The implementation took place in December 2015 and the transformation was astonishing. Productivity was Up! Staff morale improved and emails were reaching their destination and arriving in our ‘inboxes’, just as email should. “ The new setup with Office 365

provides Wellington International with a reliable email service and simplified IT, taking the burden away from their existing server. Employees are providing faster service for candidates and business clients, improving business effectiveness and performance. Anne explained, “The implementation of Office 365 and moving to the Cloud has transformed our entire IT virtually overnight. There has been an enormous improvement in productivity which, at the end of the day, allows us to get more done, more efficiently. Staff are happier now that they’re no longer tearing their hair out with a frustratingly slow system. We are also getting the best out of the high speed internet rather than having the broadband battle with the local exchange server because it wasn’t able to keep up.”

The future The new solution allows Wellington Professional Recruitment to operate effectively with tools that enable seamless email experience to ensure high quality customer service. Anne concludes “For the first time in years, we seem to have a system that is reliable and which staff are happy with. Everything is just great! We also have a great relationship with Xperience. They have been very supportive and guided us through the whole process seamlessly. We have an IT system in place that is both functional and delivers improved performance at a comparable cost. “

To find out more about Xperience IT Solutions - visit www.xperienceitsolutions.co.uk or call 028 9267 7533.

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

TOYOTA ADDS HYBRID POWER OPTION TO ITS RAV-4 Toyota’s RAV-4 started life something of a fun car alternative to a hatchback but has grown over the years into a bigger and butch-looking SUV cross-over. Until recently it was either petrol or diesel powered but Toyota has now added a hybrid choice.

o generate the grunt needed to propel such a chunky vehicle, a 2.5-litre petrol engine is used - larger than in most hybrids. Combined with the electric motor the total output is an impressive 194bhp making this the most powerful RAV-4 seen in Europe. As on all Toyota full hybrids, the electric motor runs all the time with the petrol cutting in to help when needed. It was a bit odd jumping into the SUV and finding it was a hybrid. As usual it had CVT transmission which is simplicity itself to use.

Just flick the lever into park, drive, reverse and neutral as necessary and the car does all the thinking about when to change gear. You can glide off silently under electric power or press the pedal to call in the petrol reserve. Together they can accelerate this fairly solid vehicle up to 62mph in a creditable 8.4 seconds. Top speed is 112mph. Considering that this is a hefty, four-wheel drive SUV, the combined consumption figure of 55mpg looks good. So does the emissions measure of 118g/km putting the RAV-4 into the 18% BIK band and VED band C.

While this is essentially a practical vehicle it comes with a lot of technology as part of the £33k hybrid package. There are front, side, curtain and driver’s knee air bags, traction and stability control and hill start assist. My test car had a 7-inch touch screen with sat nav, text and

email display and six-speaker sound. Other versions of the RAV-4 cost from around £22K in two-wheel drive and offer a new 2,0 D-4D diesel engine with more power, or an improved 2.0-litre petrol engine with all-wheel drive.

DEDICATED. 5 NORTHERN IRELAND BUSINESS CENTRES

WE’RE ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET TO KEEP NORTHERN IRELAND BUSINESSES ROLLING • Expert assistance, from sales to service, at no extra cost. • Multi award-winning range of cars and vans to fit your business needs. • Dedicated specially-trained team of sales and technical support staff. • A range of services for every size of business including flexible vehicle finance, insurance protection and maintenance packages. Get the red carpet treatment at your local Citroën Northern Ireland BUSINESSCENTRE today. J. C. HALLIDAY & SONS EGLINTON 028 7181 1470 Connor O’Hara

J. C. CAMPBELL CITROËN ROSTREVOR 028 4173 8691 Peter Stanley

J. C. HALLIDAY & SONS BUSHMILLS 028 2073 3300 Alister Steele

DONNELLY BROS CITROËN DUNGANNON 028 8772 2887 Paul Donnelly

CHARLES HURST BELFAST 0844 649 1139 Ross Sinnamon

citroen.co.uk

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Eye on Motoring

GOLF GTD ESTATE HAS IT ALL - AT A PRICE! There has been a hot diesel Golf for years but this is the first time the GTD badge has appeared on an estate car. If that extra bit of space puts it on more company car lists, then it will be hard to resist.

W’s 2.0-litre TDi engine is now a superbly refined unit with a great blend of performance and economy. This 184PS power house takes just 7.9 seconds to hit 62mph and goes on to a theoretical 144mph top speed if you can find a derestricted autobahn. This is just a delight to drive, full of punchy response. The GTD breezes up steep hills and makes for swift and secure overtaking. Yet

it is just as rewarding to drive in a more relaxed fashion and enjoy that great pick-up through the gears. The Golf has fine handling to start with and it has been stiffened for the GTD. Steering is geared to turn in more quickly on the bends than the standard cars. Even with its big 18-inch alloys, it produces firm but reassuring ride comfort. Given its sheer driving appeal, the GTD estate has impressive bottom

line figures - provided you drive sensibly. Returning 64mpg on the combined cycle and with emissions as low as 115g/km, it sits in the 20% company car tax bracket - quite an engineering achievement! The price tag is quite steep at £28,560 but this car is loaded with equipment and should hold its value strongly. It comes with a six-speed manual gearbox but twin clutch auto is available for £1,415 more. Safety equipment is lavish

and includes city emergency braking. A neat option called car ‘Car net” allows the big infotainment screen to mirror the display on your Apple or Android smartphone. You can also specify dynamic chassis control enabling you to dial up sport, comfort or normal settings. Despite all its performance and equipment, the Golf GTD is pleasantly understated in its styling, a Q-car as we used to call them.

At the launch of this new initiative at the Ulster Farmers Union headquarters, UFU Membership Director, Derek Lough said, “We are pleased to have teamed up with DFC, a company committed to providing a high quality service and ensuring that their customers receive value for money. Through our affinity partnership members can take advantage of these added benefits. I would encourage members considering a new vehicle to take a closer look at this affinity deal.” Derek finished off by stating, “With this year’s Balmoral Show looming, it was great to get the partnership up and running

allowing all members attending to gain a bit more information.” Uel concluded by saying, “With over 25 years in business we have helped thousands of business and personal customers across the country fund, supply and manage their vehicles and we want to extend this service to all of the Ulster Farmers Union members”

DFC & UFU Launch Affinity Car Scheme to Over 12,000 Members DFC and the Ulster Farmers Union have partnered to launch the UFU affinity car scheme to over 12,000 members. This scheme allows all UFU members and their families to receive exclusive rates and bonuses should they choose to lease a vehicle through DFC.

el Butler, Chief Executive at DFC said, “We are pleased to reveal that after many productive meetings, DFC and the Ulster Farmers Union are delighted to announce the launch of the UFU affinity car scheme. We are extremely excited about getting this scheme up and running and look forward to providing all members with preferential discounts and added extras on a range of products and services that will benefit both their personal and professional lives.” Uel went on to state that, “When meeting with representatives from the Ulster Farmers Union, one of the main topics we focused on was the demanding schedule that many of the members undertake. With this in mind we have developed this scheme

around the members’ requirements, allowing them to choose a brand new vehicle with minimal hassle and at a price that suits their budget.” With DFC having been in the motoring trade for over 25 years, they are experienced and proficient in finding the best deal on the market for any member that wishes to avail of the service. And because of their independence and not being tied to any particular manufacturer or dealership they are able to search the entire marketplace for a perfect fit. The partnership allows all members to avail of these added benefits; • £200 cash back • Road Tax for contract duration • RAC Breakdown Cover • RAC Accident Management

Ulster Farmers’ Union members wishing to benefit from this exclusive offer should contact DFC on 028 9073 4222 to receive a personal quotation or visit www.dfcbelfast.co.uk/ufu

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

NEW-LOOK DISCO SPORT IS REFINED AND CAPABLE It may not look like a Disco, but this is the new Discovery Sport that slots into the Land Rover range just below its full-sized namesake. A largish and luxurious SUV, it lines up against the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3 and owes its styling cues to the more compact Evoque.

tep inside and you get the ambience of the big Range Rover, or a Jaguar saloon for that matter. The cabin is a treat to the eyes with armchair style seating and a logical array of instruments and controls. This is a car for wafting along in high comfort. The availability of seven seats may give it an edge for the school run but this is also a capable offroader with four-wheel drive that

gets on with the job of directing power to the wheels with the best grip. Land Rover’s terrain response control lets you set the four-wheel drive to suit grass, ruts or sand. Power comes from a 2.0litre turbo diesel engine with either 148 or 177bhp. I got to drive the more powerful model with the nine-speed automatic transmission and found it beefy enough for most purposes though not the fastest in its class. There

was a great spread of power, however, to make for easy driving. The sprint to 60mph takes a respectable 8.4 seconds and this version can tow up to 2.2 tonnes. The fuel consumption rating of 53mpg combined and emissions of 139g/km put it into the 24% company car tax band. As diesels go, this one is well subdued. While the Sport behaves well for a big SUV, it is still not a car, nor does it pretend to

be. The roadholding is beyond fault and the ride is firmly cushioned despite the 20-inch alloys. All the comfort and safety technology is there. This is an admirable and stylish package which has earned a five-star rating from most of the magazines. Prices start from £37,865 with my well-endowed test car coming in from £43K (gulp). Still, this is around the going rate for its premium rivals as well.

FRONT DRIVE BMW IS FULL OF SURPRISES AND PRACTICALITY! The idea of BMW offering a front-wheel drive MPV would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Actually they now offer two such practical machines as the pioneering Active Tourer, has been joined by the larger Gran Tourer.

he top-line 220d xDrive that I have been driving claims to be the only compact premium car with fourwheel drive and seven seats. I would describe the seating as 5 plus two as the third row is more suited to kids. It folds down flat into the floor giving a big boot. Sitting a little higher than the trad BMW saloon, it was more nimble to drive than I expected. With 190bhp on tap, it is an impressive performer, sprinting to the 62mph bench mark in under 8 seconds. It feels stable and nimble

as you would expect. Combined mpg of 57 and emissions of 133g/ km are creditable for its potency. Priced from 32k, the flagship Gran Tourer is more of a bosses car than one for the fleet. But BMW has significantly broadened its business appeal by offering the latest three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from the MINI range. This astute move gives them cars geared to today’s business demands. The 218i petrol performs well with its 136bhp engine, getting to 62mph in less than

10 seconds. It returns 53mpg on the Combined Cycle so you can expect around 40mpg in real time driving. Emissions are 126g/km and the pricing looks more attractive from £24,710. Turn to the 218d for the best economic returns. The 116bhp version returns 68mpg combined and emits just 108g/km but is a bit sluggish. The 150bhp 218i might be a better bet with 9.5 second acceleration, yet still

returning 64mpg combined and emitting 115g/km. These smaller engines come with front-wheel drive and manual or automatic gearboxes. They are smooth and generally quiet in operation and few people would guess what is under the bonnet of the Gran Tourer. Of course, it is beautifully finished and equipped with all the latest BMW technology from the larger saloons.

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Eye on Motoring Garmin Introduces Drive, A New Automotive Line Focused On Driver Awareness Garmin, the worldwide leader in satellite navigation, has announced the new Garmin Drive™ product line – easy-to-use portable navigation devices (PNDs) specifically designed to help increase driver situational awareness. The launch of this new lineup marks a significant step forward in the evolution of PNDs from Garmin with four intuitively named models: Garmin Drive™, Garmin DriveSmart™, Garmin DriveAssist™ and Garmin DriveLuxe™.

“T

he most exciting development of the new Garmin Drive line is that driver awareness features typically seen in luxury vehicles are now accessible as an aftermarket solution for all drivers,” said Kirsty Quartley, Garmin UK PND Product Manager. “There are many distractions that drivers encounter while running errands, driving to work or taking road trips. These new driver alerts can remove some of these burdens and help drivers stay aware on the road.” The entire Garmin Drive lineup boasts a number of driver alerts to encourage safer driving and situational awareness. This includes warnings for upcoming sharp curves, railway or animal crossings, alerts for users driving the wrong way on a oneway street and more. Drivers also receive red light and safety camera1 alerts as well as vital timesaving traffic information with fast-approaching traffic jam notifications2.

For longer routes, a fatigue warning alert suggests potential break times and available rest areas or places to stop. In addition to the new driver awareness features, Garmin Drive includes preloaded data from Foursquare® POIs, adding millions of popular shops, restaurants and more. All models offer lifetime maps3. Other features designed to simplify navigation include Garmin Real Directions™, which guides drivers using recognisable landmarks, buildings and traffic lights; and Easy Route Shaping that lets drivers modify a route to include preferred cities or roads by touching the navigation screen. The Garmin DriveSmart boasts all of the features from Garmin Drive and adds customisable smart notifications that allow drivers to display calls, text messages and app notifications on the navigation screen4. Voice-activated

Former racing driver and the original Top Gear Stig, Perry McCarthy, launches the new Garmin range at an event held in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

navigation and Bluetooth® wireless technology for hands-free calling5 allow drivers to keep both hands safely on the wheel. Garmin DriveSmart can also access Live Traffic information through the Smartphone Link app6 or out of the box with our Digital Traffic solutions, the fastest traffic avoidance solution offered by Garmin. With updates as often as every 60 seconds. Garmin DriveAssist builds on the Garmin DriveSmart and includes a builtin dash cam to serve as an eyewitness. The device continually records and automatically saves video footage on impact with the included microSD card. The integrated camera brings in more advanced driver awareness alerts, such as the Forward Collision7 and Lane Departure Warnings7. Additionally, Garmin DriveAssist integrates the new “Go” Alert, a camera-assisted feature that notifies distracted drivers when traffic ahead of their vehicle begins to move. As drivers approach select destinations, Garmin Real Vision™ unveils a camera view on the screen of the device and an arrow points out the specific destination.

The stylish Garmin DriveLuxe is an impressive premium sat nav housed in a beautiful forged metal design. Powered with a sleek magnetic mount, the Garmin DriveLuxe offers automatic dual orientation and innovative navigation features for more driver awareness. All Garmin Drive devices can be paired with the Garmin BC™ 30 Wireless Backup Camera (sold separately) to easily see behind a vehicle when moving in reverse. Garmin Drive devices may also be paired with the new Garmin babyCam™ in-vehicle video monitor (sold separately). The Garmin Drive lineup has models in different display sizes with various map regions and navigation features. The Garmin Drive product line is the latest from Garmin’s consumer automotive segment, the leading worldwide provider of portable navigation devices for cars, motorcycles and trucks. Garmin’s user-friendly navigation solutions have innovative features that provide time- and fuel-saving benefits to meet the demands of everyday driving.

BIK bracket. Like most supercars, this is a statement machine, not likely to be driven for everyday business purposes! To achieve all this the standard GS was made 10% stiffer, fitted with lighter lower suspension with much use of aluminium to reduce weight - it weighs less than rivals like the BMW M5 and Mercedes AMG E63. The Brembo braking system was also beefed up!

It is fitted with a torque vectoring rear differential - with standard, slalom and track settings - to handle all that power. Priced at just under £70K, the GS F offers an alternative supercar with loads of power to provide thrilling driving if you can find somewhere to exercise it. The ultimate prestige symbol!

LEXUS LETS ITS HAIR DOWN WITH A LUSCIOUS V8! People climb mountains because they are there, car makers build supercars because they can or to prove that they have testosterone in their system after all.

ust when we thought that Lexus was submerging itself in hybrid technology, they come up with this - a V8 muscle machine! The GS F takes their luxury four-door saloon to new heights of performance. That should go down well with their American customers. The 471bhp V8 has no turbochargers but instead offers ‘sound and fury’ in a traditional ‘big lump’ refined by the additions of variable valve timing. It catapults to 62mph in 4.6 seconds and has a top speed (theoretical)

of 168mph. Not that I got near either figure on a short drive on the congested roads near Gatwick. Just listening to the throbbing engine threading its way past everyday cars was enough for me. An 8-speed Sports Direct gearbox with flaps on the steering wheel made me wonder what it would be like on a track? There are four selectable drive modes to sync the car’s behaviour to driving conditions. Sitting defiantly on the naughty step the GS F returns 25mpg combined and emits 349g/km putting it in the 37%

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