Maxol Opens NI’s First UltraRapid EV Charging Hub

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Maxol opens Northern Ireland’s first dedicated Ultra-Rapid EV Charging Hub

Maxol, Northern Ireland’s leading familyowned forecourt and convenience retailer, has opened the first dedicated Ultra Rapid EV hub in Northern Ireland at the newly expanded and developed Kinnegar Service Station in Holywood, County Down.

The hub features four highpowered rapid and ultrarapid chargers including a 200kw charge point that can charge a single vehicle* in as little as 15 minutes. There are a further two 150kw charge points that service four vehicles at any one time and a single 50KW rapid charge point. Up to six vehicles can be charged at one time and the chargers are powered using renewable electricity.

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive of The Maxol Group said: “This is a landmark moment for Maxol and for Northern Ireland. Maxol has delivered the first dedicated Ultra Rapid EV charging hub in Northern Ireland - to build upon the charging points we already have in place at Townparks in Antrim, at Mallusk in Belfast and later this month we will unveil another charge point at our newly refurbished site at Edenderry.

“Maxol continues to invest in and develop the right infrastructure across our service station network to support the move to electric. At all these developments we worked closely with the team in NI Electric Networks to provide the necessary grid capacity to power the chargers and additional requirements for each location.

“More importantly for our customers, Kinnegar has been developed to offer the ultimate in convenience. While customers charge their car, they can visit the brand new EUROSPAR with extensive range, grab a BARISTA BAR coffee or a bite to eat at the new Delish Hot Food Bar or stock up on cupboard essentials for all their daily needs. We are a hub in every sense – meeting the needs of our local community, right here on their doorstep.”

The sustainably designed new flagship development, which is part of a broader five-year investment programme has used cutting-edge technology to create a measurably different service station that will enable Maxol to reduce the site’s existing carbon footprint by up to 40%. Features include photovoltaic (solar) panels to reduce the site’s electrical import requirements; low energy CO2 refrigeration systems; heat pump technology to reduce heating loads; and an energy management system to monitor and control the overall energy usage on the site.

On the forecourt, Kinnegar will continue to service its large customer base with advanced fuels including Maxol Premium, a 100% carbon offset fuel option with fewer pollutants. Parking has more than doubled in capacity to 41 spaces, to ease the flow of traffic on site even during peak trading periods.

Kinnegar’s retail space has almost doubled in size with the opening of a brand new EUROSPAR that offers a huge range of locally produced food including an expanded grocery offer, a large, dedicated butchery section as well as a choice offering of fruit & veg, dairy, and frozen food ranges.

A brand-new Delish food to go concept with a self-serve chicken bar has been included in the development and for the first time ever, Maxol have installed three self-checkouts for added speed and convenience for their customers.

Mark McCammond, Retail Director of Henderson Retail, Licensee for Maxol said: “The completion of the Kinnegar site brings a premium offering for the local area with our exclusive Delish food to go brand serving the high level of passing trade, complemented by bays of fresh, locally sourced products and our own brand ranges that can be picked up for tonight’s tea.

“This is a one-stop-shop and supermarket experience for the local community that has been built with their needs as a top priority.”

A total of 20 new jobs have been created for the local community as a result of the expansion and development.

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive of The Maxol Group concludes: “This site marks an important step on our journey towards being a more sustainable business. The technologies and innovations we have used here are creating a blueprint that we will apply across our network in larger type locations to deliver a positive change for our customers, the environment, and our industry and that is a very exciting journey to be on.”

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20/10/2022 11:57

WHITEROCK FINANCE HITS £100M FUNDING MILESTONE

Paul Millar, Chief Executive, Whiterock Finance and Ben Stocks, Managing Director, BLK BOX.

Whiterock Finance has announced that it has provided £100 Million in funding to 150 SMEs across Northern Ireland over the past 10 years.

Since it was established in 2012, Whiterock Finance has provided investment to businesses across three funds, the now fully deployed Growth Loan Fund I, the current Growth Loan Fund II and the Growth Finance Fund, all of which are part of Invest Northern Ireland’s Access to Finance suite of funds.

Whiterock’s first investment was made in September 2012 to ventilation systems manufacturer Brookvent, who received £425,000 from Growth Loan Fund I. Since then, Whiterock’s funds have made several further investments in the business, most recently a £400,000 loan from Growth Loan Fund II, which is being used to help the company continue to expand its offering across Europe. During this period, Brookvent has increased its turnover sixfold and now employs 147 people.

Pushing Whiterock’s total investment across the £100 Million mark was strength and conditioning equipment manufacturer BLK BOX, who received £1.5 million in funding from the Growth Loan Fund II.

The firm, whose existing client base includes sporting teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Irish Rugby, as well as corporates such as Google, Nike and LinkedIn, will use the investment to scale its operations to meet increased customer demand and new contract wins.

Ben Stocks, Managing Director of BLK BOX, said,

“BLK BOX has grown exponentially over the past decade and gained an enviable client list supplying and fitting out gym solutions across the globe. In recent years, we saw huge growth during the pandemic when demand for home gym equipment soared and have since gone from strength to strength, expanding our team and manufacturing premises to meet demand.”

Welcoming the announcement, William McCulla, Invest Northern Ireland’s Director of Corporate Finance, said:

“The funds within Invest NI’s Access to Finance portfolio continue to address the funding challenges of SMEs in Northern Ireland. Through the provision of over £100m of finance to over 150 SMEs, Whiterock Finance has become an established part of the local SME funding eco system and it is great to see first-hand Growth Loan Fund II having such an impact on a high growth company like BLK BOX.”

Paul Millar CEO at Whiterock Finance added,

“Over the past 10 years, our team has worked to provide finance to over 150 ambitious and motivated companies from across Northern Ireland to fuel their growth. As we move into our second decade in business, we are still constantly seeking out businesses that are keen to scale and BLK BOX is a perfect example. Currently experiencing an ongoing period of growth, BLK BOX is making a name for itself worldwide as an experienced and quality manufacturer of gym solutions and we’re excited to support them during this next period as they continue to win large scale contracts and expand their business.”

Over the past 10 years, companies of all sizes and stages of development have availed of Whiterock managed funds, from a wide range of sectors, including Advanced Manufacturing, Fintech, IT Services, Leisure, Tourism and Creative Industries. Whiterock estimates that 3,000 jobs have been created as a result of the growth finance provided across the funds.

The loans have supported a variety of needs, including R&D support, staff recruitment, marketing, capital spend, working capital, stock and trade property purchase.

Finance for the £30m Growth Finance Fund – which can provide SMEs with loans up to £2m – is provided by the British Business Bank, Invest NI and private investors, the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC).

Finance for the £30m Growth Loan Fund II – which provides loans of up to £1.5m to established Northern Ireland SMEs seeking to access growth finance – is provided by Invest NI, and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020.

Nearly half of micro and small businesses will not survive without proper support, new Enterprise NI survey finds

Enterprise Northern Ireland Chief Executive Michael McQuillan; Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker MP; and Enterprise Northern Ireland Chair Jonathan McAlpin.

A major survey from Enterprise Northern Ireland has found that nearly half of micro and small businesses could face closure in 2023 without proper government support.

Over 600 businesses from across Northern Ireland and across all economic sectors responded to the NI Enterprise Barometer, the largest annual survey of micro and small businesses in Northern Ireland. The Barometer captures data, opinions, needs, and proposed solutions of local small, micro, and self-employed businesses.

47% of respondents stated that they will not survive the next 12 months without the right support in place, while 95% of businesses reported that their utilities and fuel costs have risen sharply throughout 2022. One in ten businesses are now also reporting severe cash flow pressures, up from just 3% at the beginning of this year.

The latest data also shows that economic growth is now slowing, with only 36% of businesses expecting to grow in 2023, compared to over 50% at the beginning of 2022. More significantly and worryingly, the number of respondents who expect their business to contract in the next year has doubled from 18% to 36%.

Supported by Ulster Bank and the British Business Bank, this year’s Barometer sought to gauge the experience of small and micro businesses during the cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business crises, as well as their plans for the year ahead.

Michael McQuillan, Enterprise NI Chief Executive, said:

“The 2022 NI Enterprise Barometer presents a concerning snapshot of our local economy. As illustrated in these results, the current economic and fiscal environment is extremely challenging for small and micro businesses, from all sectors, across Northern Ireland. Macro-level events and challenges like the war in Ukraine and the global economic downturn are placing serious pressures on local businesses, combined with local political instability and uncertainty over post-Brexit funding.

Enterprise Northern Ireland Chief Executive Michael McQuillan; Small Business Commissioner Liz Barclay; Barometer Economist Maureen O’Reilly; and Enterprise Northern Ireland Chair Jonathan McAlpin.

“While not surprising, 95% of businesses experiencing a significant rise in their utilities and fuel expenses over the past 12 months is a stark figure and one which drives home the gravity of the situation businesses find themselves in. The rising cost-ofdoing-business is having a severe impact on our local entrepreneurs. Without significant action in the coming weeks and months, businesses will go to the wall.

“Nearly half of our respondents have said they will not survive in the medium term without government support. Small and micro businesses make up the vast bulk of the local economy. The collapse of nearly half of these firms would have a catastrophic knockon effect on the Northern Irish economy, communities, families, and households across the country.

“Respondents to the Barometer have been clear on the interventions and support they believe are necessary over the next 12 months. These include a reduction in VAT, a fundamental change to the business rates system to reduce the burden on small businesses, greater and easier access to finance for stability and growth, and lowering of the energy cap. In the absence of an Executive at Stormont, it’s crucial that the UK Government now steps in to protect the backbone of the Northern Irish economy and protect businesses, jobs, and households as we enter 2023.”

Maureen O’Reilly, Barometer Economist, also added:

“While last week’s Autumn Statement from the Chancellor was aimed at injecting stability into the economy once more, it did little to relieve the concerns of small and micro business owners in Northern Ireland. Our barometer shows that growth is slowing across the country and firms are now concerned about contractions within their businesses. Deteriorating growth, combined with rapidly rising inflation and the ongoing cost-ofliving crisis, is a dangerous mix.

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EasyJet Launches Belfast City To Glasgow Flights

Northern Ireland’s largest airline easyJet today celebrates the launch of the first flights on its seasonal winter route from Belfast City to Glasgow, providing customers in Belfast with even more convenient domestic connections this winter.

The route will provide stronger domestic connectivity from Northern Ireland to key cities across the UK whether customers are looking for a city break, to reconnect with family or friends, or a convenient business connection. Glasgow offers a perfect combination of vibrant city life and nature trails, as well as designer shopping and whiskey-tasting experiences. It is also just a few steps away from Clyre Muishiel, the largest regional park in Scotland.

The start of the new route follows the launch of new weekly services to Bristol, Liverpool and twice-daily services to London Gatwick in the past year, as the airline continues to strengthen its network from Northern Ireland offering more choice for customers in Belfast to explore some of the UK’s most popular city destinations.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said:

“We are delighted to be celebrating the launch of our new service from Belfast City to Glasgow today and following our continued growth at the airport in the last year this new service will further strengthen our Belfast network by providing even more choice and convenient connectivity from Belfast City to one of Scotland’s major cities, which is already proving popular with leisure and business travellers alike. We are proud to be the largest airline in Northern Ireland and are committed to providing our customers flying with easyJet from Belfast with more choice, great value fares and a fantastic service.”

Katy Best, Commercial Director at Belfast City Airport, said:

“Following the success of its flights from Belfast City to London Gatwick,

Katy Best, Commercial Director at Belfast City Airport, and Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager at easyJet

Liverpool, and Bristol, we are thrilled to see easyJet take to the skies today with new flights to Glasgow.

“The three-times weekly service from our city centre hub provides great connectivity to Scotland’s second city and will prove extremely popular with both outbound and inbound travellers.

“The inaugural flight to Glasgow not only signals easyJet’s expansion at Belfast City Airport but is testament to the strength of our partnership and we look forward to working together in the future to continue providing choice, convenience, and flexibility of travel to our passengers.”

Danske Bank UK Appoints New Chairman

The former Director of Banks, Building Societies and Credit Unions at the Bank of England, Martin Stewart, is to be appointed as the new Chairman of Northern Bank Ltd (Danske Bank UK). He will take up the role on 1st January 2023.

Martin has been a non-executive director at Danske Bank UK since 2020 and is currently the Senior Independent Director on the Board.

Danske Bank UK are the biggest lender in Northern Ireland and a growing bank in Great Britain.

Headquartered in Belfast, the bank is part of the Danske Bank Group - one of the largest financial services companies in Scandinavia. Danske introduced the UK’s first carbon neutral mortgage last year, available first in Northern Ireland and then extended to customers in England through intermediaries. As part of its growth strategy the bank is also a lender to the social housing sector in Britain and is active in the syndicated lending space.

During his executive career, Mr Stewart held senior positions at the Bank of England Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). He was a key influencer of global financial services policy development post the financial crisis and while at the PRA his remit included being the lead regulator overseeing Northern Irish banks, building societies and credit unions.

He has two decades’ board-level experience as an executive, nonexecutive, advisor and regulator, which include having also been Managing Director of a group of European subsidiary companies.

He will replace the current Chair, Gerald Gregory, who will leave the bank after nine years on the Board.

Vicky Davies, CEO of Danske Bank UK, said: “On behalf of the Board I want to thank Gerald for his tremendous leadership over the past decade - a period in which we became a stronger bank, delivering significant growth. These were also challenging years, which included navigating unprecedented levels of change across the industry, rising regulatory demands, increased competition, Brexit and the pandemic.

“Martin is a well-known and respected figure in the UK financial services sector and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him in his forthcoming new position as Chair.”

Martin Stewart said: “I am delighted to be taking on this role. It is a time of economic uncertainty and at Danske Bank we remain focused on supporting customers through what will be increasingly tough months ahead. The Board will continue to put customers at the heart of everything we do, as we work alongside the senior management team to consolidate our leading position in Northern Ireland while pursuing opportunities in the rest of the UK.”

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ICC BELFAST’S EIMEAR HONE MAKES GLOBAL ’20 IN THEIR TWENTIES’ LIST

ICC Belfast’s Eimear Hone has this year been named in the prestigious PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) ‘20 in their Twenties’ list, recognising her as one of the brightest and most talented global event professionals in the world.

PCMA is one of the world’s largest and most respected network of business events specialists and Eimear is the sole selection made in Northern Ireland, and one of only five European selections.

Eimear is a Senior Association Account Manager at ICC Belfast, the city’s only purpose-built convention centre. Hailing from Derry~Londonderry, Eimear’s role involves promoting Belfast and Northern Ireland on the worldstage. Targeting key national and international conferences to come to ICC Belfast that are aligned to the Department for Economy’s 10X Strategy is Eimear’s priority. This not only brings millions of pounds of new money into Northern Ireland, but it showcases the expertise of our people and builds on our reputation in these priority sectors, exponentially driving economic benefit. Her role is integral to the ecosystem that delivers socially, culturally and economically for the entire region. She graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in Leisure and Event Management Ulster University in 2015, and has been working at ICC Belfast for five years, receiving three promotions in that time.

Eimear said: “I’m overjoyed to be named in the PCMA ‘20 in their Twenties’ list. It’s a huge honour to share this with my peers across the world who also made the list and of course with my colleagues at ICC Belfast. It’s really rewarding to see my work recognised.

“A lot of my success has come from my innovative approach to solving problems. In 2020 when flights were grounded and one of my top event prospects couldn’t visit the venue as planned, I put our in-house facilities to use and delivered a live sales pitch from our hybrid studio and conducted a real time virtual site visit. The client loved how we adapted to their needs and as a result we secured a 2025 conference worth £1.5m in economic impact for the city.

“Being part of a team that actually makes a difference is incredibly motivating. We are committed to Belfast and its journey to resilience and recognise the power that business tourism has to deliver that. Our motto is; when we win everyone wins and it’s something I really believe in.”

Earlier this year Eimear also developed a Knowledge Hub to educate her peers on emerging trends specific to business events. She also regularly delivers presentations at further education centres to educate and inspire young people to join the industry.

Oonagh O’Reilly Sales and Marketing Director at ICC Belfast said: “We are immensely proud of Eimear. To have been part of her growth and continued success with ICC Belfast over the past five years has been fantastic and this global recognition is well deserved. Eimear constantly seeks out opportunities for improvement and takes action to bring plans to life. Working in partnership with clients is what Eimear does best and the passion and the high regard in which she holds her clients’ goals and objectives is infectious!”

Eimear will travel to Ohio to receive her award in January 2023.

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International recognition for Henderson Group Director

SPAR International has announced that Pat McGarry, Group Logistics Director at Henderson Group, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Connected Retail Conference in Rotterdam.

It is the second accolade of its kind Mr McGarry has been presented with this year, including the Transport Personality of the Year award at the Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards in September.

Organisers of the conference said Mr McGarry was awarded for his long and distinguished service to the global SPAR organisation and retail industry, which has spanned over four decades.

Tobias Wasmuht, Managing Director, SPAR International added; “Pat McGarry is a founding member of SPAR International’s Warehouse Action Group and a member of the team supporting the design of the warehouse infrastructure for SPAR in China.

“His passion and proactive leadership extends well beyond his roots at Henderson’s warehouse facilities in Mallusk, where he has introduced and directed many innovative large scale projects and streamline processes, which not only boost productivity and improve working conditions, but also reduce overall environmental impact.

“This award from SPAR International reflects our thanks and appreciation to Pat McGarry for his contributions and achievements.”

Mr McGarry added; “I am humbled and grateful for this recognition for a career that allows me to work with such fantastic people and organisations around the world. To be part of the SPAR International family allows our team to affect change globally, to ensure we are all working to the highest level of efficiency with as minimal impact as possible on the environment, and we are very proud to be market leaders with our innovations.”

Martin Agnew, Joint Managing Director at Henderson Group commented; “We are thrilled for Pat to receive this recognition from SPAR International as it is truly deserved. In the 25 years that Pat has worked for our business, leading the logistics function for 22 of those 25 years, the business has grown exponentially both in scale and in profitability, and this has been in no small part due to Pat’s farsighted vision and plans, brought to fruition day and daily, by the high-performing team he has built.”

Nine companies from Northern Ireland make the 2022 Deloitte Technology Fast 50

Nine companies from across Northern Ireland have made it on to this year’s Deloitte Technology Fast 50 list.

Now in its 23rd year, the programme celebrates the innovation and entrepreneurship in Ireland’s indigenous technology sector by ranking the fastest growing technology companies based on revenue growth over a four-year period.

Same day grocery delivery company Buymie emerged as the fastest growing technology company in this year’s awards. The company, which delivers groceries from Lidl, Dunnes Stores and Woodies in Ireland in as little as one hour, expanded into the UK earlier this year. Buymie has seen growth of 6,903% in the last four years.

Belfast-based fintech company Lightyear, which appears in the Fast 50 for the first time, is the highest ranked Northern Ireland business, coming in at number 11 on the list.

The other businesses featured are AquaQ Analytics, Datactics, Fibrus Networks, Foods Connected, Locate a Locum, SciLeads, Totalmobile and WorkPal. Fibrus, Locate a Locum and WorkPal also made it into the list for the first time.

Cumulatively, the 2022 Fast 50 winners generated approximately €500m in total annual revenues and employed over 5,500 people in 2021. The average revenue of companies featured in the ranking was approximately €10m, while the average growth rate of the companies over the last four years was 594%.

This year’s Fast 50 features a total of 17 new entrants and companies from all four provinces, with 29 from Leinster, eight from Munster, nine from Ulster, and four from Connacht.

Aisléan Nicholson, Deloitte Technology Fast 50 programme partner in Belfast said: “I would like to congratulate all the companies listed this year, in particular the nine from Northern

Pictured at Deloitte’s new offices in Belfast are Chris Gregg, CEO of Lightyear, Deloitte partner Aisléan Nicholson and Jonathon Clarke, CEO of Locate a Locum. Both Lightyear and Locate a Locum made the Fast 50 ranking for the first time this year.

Ireland. As the business and economic environment becomes more complex, it is encouraging to see that the technology sector has continued to show great resilience, innovation and tenacity.

“This year’s ranking shows growth across a broad range of sectors with companies coming up with innovative solutions to address changing consumer and business demands.”