Randox – Testing At The Core As Company Plots Post-Pandemic Future

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Randox–

Testing At The Core As Company Plots A Post-Pandemic Future

EyeonHealth

If any business organisation based here in Northern Ireland could claim to have been fully committed during the pandemic, Randox would be the first to put up its corporate hand.

The company was at the very forefront of the UK’s response to Covid, and it took some ill-tempered flak for its trouble, largely as a result of political in-fighting at Westminster and from competitors who hadn’t been quite so quick on their feet.

“In total, we’ve processed well over 25m million Covid test and detected more than 1.1 million actual cases of the virus since March 2020,” says Mark Campbell of Randox. “But the bare facts don’t tell the story of how we got there and how a dedicated team of people worked tirelessly in the dark days of the pandemic to help get us all through it.

“Don’t forget that, before the vaccines were developed and rolled out, effecting testing and lockdown were the only two weapons in the government’s Covid armoury,” he says.

The company’s 2021 financials show that it reported a £275 million pre-tax profit to the end of June, from all its business activities, putting ahead of any other private sector organisation in Northern Ireland. But it had to be prepared and in the right place at the right time to achieve what it has achieved.

Randox has remained a familyowned concern. Founded by Dr. Peter FitzGerald 40 years ago in a former chicken shed at his family’s lough shore farm outside Crumlin, the company expanded to produce tests for everything from diabetes to infectious diseases.

“We’ve always believed that testing lies at the very core of healthcare. Most healthcare systems today are largely reactive, in that patients get sick and they’re treated. Our philosophy is that we should be doing much more in preventative healthcare, identifying illness and potential illness before they become apparent. Overall, early identification and treatment produces better healthcare outcomes at less cost.

“So well before 2020, by example, we had already developed an end-to-end testing solution for some specific tests whereby patients were sent a sample collection kit by post, collected samples themselves, sent the sample back and got a result.”

Even before Covid, Randox was on a rapid growth trajectory. It had bought the former Massereene Army Barracks in Antrim to create the impressive Randox Science Park. It’s just as well it did. When Covid came along, the company had to capacity to set up largescale testing laboratories.

Mark Campbell confirms the story of how Peter FitzGerald moved quickly at the first inklings of the coming pandemic.

It was Saturday January 25 2020, when FitzGerald’s son showed him a news report of the Chinese government stepping up its response to the novel coronavirus. The following day, a Sunday, FitzGerald sent his scientists into the lab to start developing a test.

“We had experience of developing tests for previous coronaviruses so within two weeks we were in a position to present our new PCR Covid diagnostic to Public Health England,” says Mark Campbell. “At that stage, it was unclear whether the government would do all the testing itself or enlist the help of private providers.

“When we signed our first contract at the end of March 2020, we had a capacity of about 150 tests a day. By January of 2021, we were handling 120,000. For us, it was all about being really quick on our feet. Right at the outset, for instance, we were ordering volumes of PCR consumables that were unheard of before the pandemic. We were told by one supplier that an early order we placed for pipette tips, which are crucial for PCR testing, was the equivalent of the world’s supply of pipette tip in a normal year.

“We also built 80,000 sq.ft of additional laboratory space in very quick time and grew from 1,400 to 3,300 people. In one month alone, we took on 439 new employees,” he says. “Someone described what we did as building a ship and launching it at the same time.”

Mark Campbell also underlines the human side of the company’s response. “While most people were at home and only venturing out once a day, our people were travelling to Antrim and working long shifts around the clock handling many thousands of Covid tests,” he says.

As mass Covid testing slowly began to be rolled out to other laboratories, Randox kept up the pace. “Travel testing started to become even more important as people were allowed to travel once again, and it still forms part of what we do today.

“In total we have processed well over 8 million test to support the private sector and international travel, on top of the more than 17 million tests we processed for the Government testing programme. We know we have made a real impact on both the economy and in people’s lives.

Peter FitzGerald and his senior team say that re-investing profits has always been the Randox way of doing things and the additional profits made during Covid are being ploughed back into a major expansion in the company’s range of testing packages as well as a fast-growing network of high street clinics across the UK.

“People know a lot more about testing and diagnosis in the wake of Covid,” says Mark Campbell. “And they’re also comfortable with the concept of testing and self-testing. Few of us would have been too keen on sticking a swab into our nose or throat before 2020.”

The company aims to have 20 clinics open by the end of the calendar year, including four now open here in Northern Ireland (in Foyle, Holywood, South Belfast and Crumlin). It has also invested in a number of clinics across London, a big market for Randox going forward.

The company’s consumer advertising is visible around London’s transport network and, of course, Randox is the main sponsor of the Grand National at Aintree.

It’s also keen to work with corporates here in Northern Ireland as well as elsewhere, and offers a Randox Every Business package for employers here to provide as a benefit to their employees.

“Testing is all about early diagnosis, and it’s also about a better outcome at less cost for all concerned,” Mark adds.

Randox, through its clinics or directly, offers its comprehensive EveryMan and EveryWoman packages, each of which comprise some 150 different clinical tests and costs £295, with the initial results within days and a six-month follow-up when all the tests are repeated to assess progress.

“The tests look at just about every aspect of the patient’s health. They can certainly help prevent people from becoming ill, and they can provide guidance for patients what they need to change to avoid trouble ahead.

“We all understand that our Health Service is under considerable pressure and the work that we do aims to reduce that pressure and to help people keep healthier for longer. It’s a sobering fact that 22% of UK deaths are classed as avoidable. That’s one in every five funerals.

“So this is an ongoing commitment for us as well as a major investment. We’re committed to a future that places testing at the centre of healthcare and promotes prevention as a key tool to improve the health of the nation.”

Dr Peter Fitzgerald in Antrim Science Park Labs

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LISBURN CONSULTANCY HELPS CLIENTS SECURE £200k FUNDING IN ONE MONTH

Judith Neill, General Manager at Pinnacle Growth Group.

Pinnacle Growth Group Clients Obtained Funding Across Nine Awards in August.

Lisburn – based business growth specialist, Pinnacle Growth Group, has announced that it helped clients to secure a collective £200k grant funding in August. The amount was obtained under the consultancy’s guidance by clients across multiple funding awards, including five rural awards, from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA,) Invest Northern Ireland and Innovate UK.

The news comes as the firm reveals ambitious plans for further expansion. The organisation, which advises public and private sector clients across the UK and Ireland, has confirmed that it invested £400k into the business in 2022, with a view to increasing its employee base and expanding its capabilities. It also aims to enhance on-site engagement and collaboration by improving its facilities.

The Group has confirmed that its turnover has been increasing year on year and that it secured more than 13 new contract wins and clients in 2022. These include funding awards, multi-millionpound funding applications, business improvement and export programmes, and new clients, ranging from SMEs to large corporations.

The consultancy provides expert, bespoke support to clients in three areas - finance for growth, business improvement, and sales and export growth. To date, it has supported over 500 organisations with bespoke Brexit advice and has secured over £15M in funding for clients. It has also supported over 500 companies across the UK and Ireland to grow, develop and expand, leading to the creation of hundreds of jobs in different sectors.

Judith Neill, General Manager at Pinnacle Growth Group, says “We are delighted to have helped secure a collective £200k funding for clients across multiple sectors in August alone.

“We are also excited to announce our growth plans for 2022/23. Over the past two years, we have invested over £800k to fuel the growth of our business and are actively recruiting to expand our team.

“We have a strong footprint across the UK and Ireland and aim to go above and beyond to add value to our clients in both geographies. Our business model and approach are based upon knowledge gathered across multiple business sectors within the global economy and we are continually expanding our knowledge and capabilities to ensure that we provide clients with the very best bespoke advice.

“We are also expanding our workforce, to ensure that we continue to deliver an excellent client service by adding to our team’s breadth and depth of experience. I look forward to the development of our new premises to accommodate additional employees this year.”

To find out more about Pinnacle Growth Group, visit: https:// pinnaclegrowth.group

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Henderson Group MD to Address Northern Ireland Food Industry

Martin Agnew, Henderson Group Joint Managing Director will be the keynote speaker at the 26th Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) annual dinner, the largest annual gathering of the Northern Ireland food processing industry.

Held in partnership with HSBC UK, the event will be held on Thursday 20 October in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast.

With over 250 people expected to attend the event, the NIFDA annual dinner is recognised as an opportunity for food and drink leaders to come together to discuss how the industry and its customers can address present challenges and how to grow even further.

Speaking ahead of the dinner, NIFDA Executive Director Michael Bell said:

“These are challenging times for the food and drink industry and the wider ‘eating ecosystem’ of sectors we operate within. The war in Ukraine has had a ripple effect on the food and drink supply chain globally, with producers, processors and retailers all grappling with high inflation, and NIFDA has called on the government to support the industry as energy costs continue to rise.

“While we cannot ignore the challenges the industry is facing, the focus of our members remains on producing high quality, sustainable food and drink for our customers. Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland, generating billions in value added to the local economy. Supporting some 113,000 jobs, our industry is embedded in local communities across Northern Ireland, and it is fitting that this year’s NIFDA annual dinner will be addressed by Martin Agnew, Joint MD at Henderson Group. Henderson Group has a strong reputation as a leader in the convenience retail sector here, supplying over 500 stores across Northern Ireland with fresh, locally sourced products daily. We are delighted to have Martin with us as keynote speaker.”

Scott Wilson, Head of Corporate Banking NI, HSBC UK said:

“We are delighted to support the NIFDA annual dinner as headline sponsor for the third consecutive year. Food and drink remains a key sector for the local economy, supporting jobs in every corner of Northern Ireland. At HSBC UK we are committed to supporting firms across the agri-food sector from farm to fork, and we have a long history of supporting new and established food and drink brands, helping businesses adapt to changing consumer habits and customer requirements.”

Martin Agnew, Joint Managing Director, Henderson Group said:

“We have a thriving, innovative and dynamic food and drink sector here in Northern Ireland, and we need to continue to advocate for our local producers, farmers and growers to keep it that way.

“I’m honoured to be speaking at the annual NIFDA Dinner and look forward to being in the room with like minded individuals and organisations who care about the safeguarding of our local food industry. As one of the biggest grocers in Northern Ireland, we continue to make local sourcing our top priority, working with suppliers big and small, to put their food products on the shelves of our locally run stores. Local is in our DNA and I look forward to sharing more about our practices on the night.”

Martin Agnew (right) with HSBC’s Scott Wilson and Michael Bell of the NIFDA.

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Townsend Enterprise Park ‘Turns Up the Flavour’ with Carolyn Stewart

Leading business hub, Townsend Enterprise Park, has officially welcomed radio broadcaster and award-winning food producer, Carolyn Stewart’s burgeoning business ‘Turn Up the Flavour’ to the site.

Carolyn’s new business unit houses a bespoke 800 square foot industrial kitchen unit which allows her to produce her artisan Jamaican Patty range on a large-scale.

Carolyn, a favourite on U105’s afternoon Bistro show, set-up Turn up the Flavour in 2016 following a life-long love of cooking and Caribbean flavours. The brand, which started with a Caribbean Pickle product, has grown steadily year-on-year and four of her products were recognised at both the Irish Food Awards winning Gold and Bronze and the Great Taste Awards gaining stars, meaning they were graded as ‘outstanding’ against 14,000 products from 108 countries. She has since diversified into hand-producing delicious Jamaican Patties which are now sold in delicatessen’s across Northern Ireland.

The move to Townsend Enterprise Park - a charitable organisation whose aim it is to stimulate social and economic regeneration - has allowed Carolyn to up-scale the production of the Patty product allowing her to make up to 300 products per day to meet growing demand.

Carolyn says that the new product was inspired following many trips to Jamaica where she fell in love with the street food. She said: “I have been to Jamaica many times and always absolutely loved their Patty Shacks across the Island, all selling the most delicious, flavorsome and unique patties. I have been on a mission to develop my own take on these for the past few years and am absolutely delighted with our finished product.

“We spent many months developing the recipes and have honed ours down to four combinations; Beef, Chicken, Veggie and Vegan, all home-made using the freshest local Northern Ireland ingredients. Our new premises at Townsend, which is located just off the Westlink in Belfast, is the perfect location for both production and indeed delivery to our various outlets across Northern Ireland.”

Margaret Patterson McMahon, CEO of Townsend Enterprise Park continued: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Carolyn to our thriving and diverse business community at Townsend Enterprise Park.

“Carolyn epitomizes what Townsend Enterprise Park is all about. Innovation, combined with a determination to succeed, alongside hard-work and a fantastic community-based attitude. Carolyn has a wonderful outgoing & giving nature and is already working in partnership with some of our other businesses on-site. I have no doubt that her business will grow from strength-tostrength, and we look forward to supporting Carolyn on that journey in any way that we can.”

Townsend Enterprise Park, is home to 46 small-to-medium sized businesses, employing over 300 people from across the city and beyond, providing flexible workspaces, meeting, and training and conference rooms. Other businesses housed there include a professional laundry servicing the hospitality and sports industry, a reflexologist training service, a florist, marble specialists, artists and makers, glazier and a series of other charitable organisations including a homeless and fresh food bank charity.

Margaret Patterson McMahon, CEO of Townsend Enterprise Park alongside Carolyn Stewart, owner of Turn up the Flavour.

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Record breaking night for SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers in London

SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers from Northern Ireland took home 16 wins at the highly prestigious and celebrated Retail Industry Awards in London earlier this week.

Henderson Retail picked up seven awards including Forecourt Retailer of the Year, Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year and Best Use of Technology in the Multiple, Symbol/Franchise categories. Their company owned stores also picked up Forecourt Retailer of the Year for EUROSPAR Doagh, Post Office Retailer of the Year for EUROSPAR Rossdowney, and Store Team of the Year for SPAR Malone Road, while Samuel McCann from the Malone Road store took home Store Manager of the Year.

Lynch’s Skeoge and Greysteel EUROSPAR supermarkets in Derry/Londonderry were the big independent winners on the night, picking up four wins and a highly commended.

Michelle Finch from SPAR A29 in Cookstown also won Trailblazer of the Year, while Mulkerns EUROSPAR in Newry won two plus a highly commended, and McCullagh’s SPAR, Omagh and JD Hunter & Co in Markethill rounded up the 16 top awards with a trophy each.

Northern Ireland’s independent retailers were also named as highly commended in a further five categories.

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group says this is the biggest collective win for retailers at the Retail Industry Awards so far; “To be able to go to London and see our stores being recognised on a national platform for the excellence they bring to their communities, day in, day out, is fantastic.

“We are incredibly proud of our stores and their teams who are the ultimate competition, not only in their local markets but on a national and international retailing platform. They are consistent in their innovation and service and we send them huge congratulations for bringing home some of the top awards.”

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group added; “Henderson Retail has been continuing to invest across communities in Northern Ireland, bringing unrivalled additional services within new and renovated stores, designed with their local communities at the heart. We are incredibly proud to have picked up seven top awards for our company and our stores, alongside a further seven highly commended including Multiple Community Retailer of the Year.”

The Retail Industry Award winners were selected by a panel of esteemed and experienced names in the industry. The Awards are a celebration of all that is great about the UK grocery retail sector.

The team from Lynch’s EUROSPAR in Derry with their award.

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Zizzi, Nando’s & Five Guys For New-Look Odyssey Complex

(L-R) Guy Hollis, Matagorda2 and Nicky Finnieston, Finch.

Belfast’s Odyssey complex has announced the signing of three high profile restaurant brands, as part of the waterfront venue’s £15million winter 22/23 relaunch.

Zizzi’s, Nando’s, and Five Guys will all take prominent units within the revitalised riverside food and leisure mall, formerly known as the Odyssey Pavilion. The new restaurants will occupy just under 11,000sq ft of prime space combined (3,400, 4,000 and 3,300 sq ft respectively), creating over 75 new jobs.

The deals will give both Zizzi’s and Five Guys their second city centre locations, following the success of their Victoria Square stores, whilst the Odyssey location will be Nando’s 9th restaurant in Northern Ireland.

It is anticipated that all three restaurants will open in time for February’s half-term holiday. Agents representing the scheme have confirmed that six more tenants are currently under offer to further bolster the offering, which also includes Cineworld and Hollywood Bowl.

Leaseholders, Matagorda2, are behind the large-scale relaunch of the former Pavilion, working in partnership with The Odyssey Trust, who have driven the development of the landmark leisure and entertainment destination over the last two decades.

The arrival of this new tranche of family-friendly restaurants and leisure operators signals a new era for the Odyssey. Transitioning into a complete day-to-night destination for family entertainment, this new chapter will bolster the worldclass events and experiences offered by The SSE Arena Belfast, the Belfast Giants, and science and discovery centre, W5.

Guy Hollis, Matagorda2, commented: “We’re really encouraged by the interest in this new era of the Odyssey. Being part of Northern Ireland’s landmark leisure and entertainment destination, situated at the gateway to the world-famous Titanic Quarter, is an exciting proposition for food and leisure brands.

“We’re excited to reveal some of the new names that who will be joining Cineworld and Hollywood Bowl. We look forward to welcoming Zizzi’s, Nando’s, and Five Guys to the scheme and expect to announce a further half a dozen tenants over the coming months. Work is currently under way to accommodate the fitout of units, with our new tenants expected to open their doors early next year.”

Matagorda2 is backed by Alanis Capital Ltd and was advised on the lettings by Finch and McMullen Real Estate. Finch co-founder Nicky Finnieston said:

“We’re seeing high levels of interest, not only in the Odyssey, but Belfast in general, from big names in the restaurant and leisure sectors, which is extremely promising as these sectors bounce back after the pandemic and look to drive regional growth and increase their reach in key cities.

“The Odyssey is a standout venue on Belfast’s famous waterfront and brands are keen to secure space. These familyfriendly brands will complement the unique mix currently on offer from current tenants, Cineworld and Hollywood Bowl, alongside the high-profile events and experiences provided by The SSE Arena, the Belfast Giants and W5, fitting with the future vision of the complex.”

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Radius Connect puts Macmillan Cancer Support first at annual golf charity event

Leading Northern Ireland telecoms and IT specialist, Radius Connect Solutions, has joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Support to help raise vital funds to support its work across the region.

Teeing off at Royal Belfast, Radius Connect gathered more than 50 staff, customers, sponsors and suppliers to take part in this special event which included a fundraising raffle to drive up funds for this worthy cause.

Staff at Radius Connect also took part in Macmillan Cancer Support’s World Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday 30th September in a further effort to raise additional funds for people living with cancer in Northern Ireland.

Stephen McQuoid, Director – Ireland, Radius Connect Solutions, said:

“We are so pleased to have been able to host this special event and are grateful for the tremendous support we had from colleagues, partners and friends from right across Northern Ireland. I’d also like to thank our suppliers who sponsored the day, ensuring we could raise as much as we could for Macmillan.

“Macmillan Cancer Support’s team of supporters, professionals, volunteers and campaigners work incredibly hard to provide a range of support and care options to people living with cancer here and rely heavily on everyone’s support to help make sure they can continue this important work. We’re delighted to help.”

Macmillan Cancer Support has been working hard to support people with cancer at a time when disruption caused by Covid-19 means demand for the charity’s services is so high.

Joanne Young from Macmillan Cancer Support said:

“Around 30 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in Northern Ireland, we welcome the support of Radius Connect and everyone who was involved on the day in raising money to help us do what we can to provide physical, financial and emotional support to those patients and families who need us most.”

Based in Belfast, Radius is a global company which is not just strong in telecoms, but also fuel cards, vehicle tracking, business insurance and electric vehicle charging. Its fuel card business DCI Fuels, which is the largest business of its kind on the Island of Ireland, celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.

Sponsors of the golf day included Vodafone, NFON and Gamma.

Teeing off at Royal Belfast, Radius Connect Solutions recently joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Support to help raise vital funds to support its work across the region. Pictured with Stephen McQuoid, Director Ireland – Telecoms at Radius Connect Solutions (front let) are members of all the Radius Connect team who took part.

Pictured l-r are Brian Reid, CEO and co-founder of DELI LITES, John Lyness, Managing Director of Pip Fire & Security Ltd., Stephen McQuoid, Director Ireland – Telecoms at Radius Connect Solutions and Gareth Davies, Head of Account of Management (Ireland) at Radius Connect Solutions. Stephen McQuoid is Regional Director, Ireland, Radius Connect. Radius Connect is rapidly becoming a leader in business telecoms in the UK and Ireland. For more information on Radius Connect and the wider family group of Radius businesses, visit www.radiusconnectsolutions.com