Business Eye Dec 2015

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Issue 156 Dec 2015 ÂŁ2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Andrea Hayes & Flybe...

Shortlisted Magazines Ireland Awards 2011

A Commitment To Belfast

Business To Business Magazine of the Year

Features: 12

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Jorge Lopes & Diageo...

Investing In The Future

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

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UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe...

16-page special

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Mark Regan & 3fivetwo Group... Healthcare Ambition

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Contents

titanicbelfast.com Dec 2015 ISSUE 156

Cover Story

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Flybe... Renewing Commitment To Northern Ireland

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Cabin Crew.....Ten Minutes To Landing

If, like us, you’re a bit of a fan of flight simulations games, the the chance to pilot a British Airways 787 Dreamliner into London’s Heathrow Airport is a bit of a dream come true. Even if it is on board one of the airline’s simulators.....

By some distance the biggest operator in terms of flights from and to Belfast, Flybe pledges a continued commitment to the Belfast & Northern Ireland marketplace. With its Belfast City – London City service now well established, and a n extensive network of UK destinations, Flybe’s Andrea Hayes talks about the airline’s long established links here and future plans.

Campbell College & Its Diaspora One of Belfast’s leading schools is tapping into its diaspora by bringing some high-achieving Old Campbellians back to Belmont to talk to current pupils about their careers and their achievements.

Drinks Industry

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Jorge Lopes....Heading The Diageo Charge Diageo might be the world’s largest producer of spirits and one of the biggest beer producers, but it’s a company which has long retained a local identity here in Northern Ireland....an identity strengthened by investment in a city centre customer service centre serving customers all over the British Isles. Country Manager Jorge Lopes takes up the Diageo story.

Business Eye joined forces with Ulster Bank for a Round Table Discussion spotlighting Northern Ireland’s export state of health, and the key challenges facing exporters as they work hard to increase external sales.

Executive Search....Finding The Right Person

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The UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe 2015 A 16-page picture special looking back at the ninth annual UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe, staged in front of an audience of almost 500 people at the Culloden Estate & Spa, and televised for the first time by UTV. Keynote winners included the Henderson Group, 3fivetwo Group’s Mark Regan and Professor Marie McHugh of the Ulster University Business School.

China’s Crisis.....Will We Feel The Pain?

Does China’s economic woes mean that we’ll all suffer to some degree? Economist Frances Hill, the Bank of England’s Agent here in Northern Ireland, warns that the big economic decisions here aren’t always made on the back of domestic considerations.

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Mark Regan & The Private Healthcare Boom

3fivetwo Group might be the biggest provider in private healthcare here by some distance. But, according to 2015 Business Personality of the Year Mark Regan, that means fighting over the 15% of the population who either have health insurance or are willing to pay for private medical care.

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Marketing & Venues SSE Arena Belfast... What’s In A Name?

The re-branding of the SSE Arena in Belfast puts the city’s venue into the European big league when it comes to major concerts and events. That’s the view of Odyssey Trust CEO Robert Fitzpatrick. We get behind the naming rights story with Fitzpatrick and SSE Airtricity MD Stephen Wheeler at the Belfast venue.

Materials Handling & The Tyrone Factor A lot has been said and written about the growth and existence of a remarkable cluster of materials handling companies in deepest County Tyrone. But, like a lot of his industry counterparts, Kieran Hegarty reckons there is a simple explanation.

Family Business.....Walking The Walk Last month, we met Harbinson Mulholland partner Patrick Leonard and his entrepreneurial daughter Sarah. In this edition, to reinforce the family business message, we catch up with Harbinson Mulholland Senior Partner Jeremy Harbinson and his 25-year old son Ben.

Eye on Business Destinations

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Eye on Agri Food

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Eye on Giving

Eye on Events

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Eye on Leadership

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Eye on Internet

Eye on Cross Border

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Eye on Finance

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Eye on Moving On

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Eye on Banking

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Eye on Law

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Eye on Motoring

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

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Exports – The Way Ahead

Gary Irvine is clearly relishing the challenges of leading 4c Executive Recruitment into a new era. The former boss at Diamond Recruitment (sold to Staffline Group) says that real executive search is a much more focused and structured way of finding the right person for upper end vacancies in any organisation.

Top Achievers

Regulars

Specials

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley

Business Development Manager Ciara Donnelly

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

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

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As we head towards the season of peace and goodwill, there is a sense that things are looking up around Northern Ireland.

Those of us who’ve been here for a while tends to balance that with a nagging doubt that things can only go wrong...!

Comment There are at least three reasons for be cheerful this festive season...

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

Reason To Be Cheerful Number 1 – Politics.

That caught you by surprise, didn’t it? But our politicians have given at least the hint of a reason to be cheerful, relative of course to the reasons to be downbeat that they often provide us with. The two main parties have patched up a deal at Stormont, the Assembly is working again, corporation tax is back on the agenda, Arlene Foster is working on her budget and some kind of normal service has been resumed.

The minor parties up on the hill aren’t so happy, but for business and the economy, it really doesn’t matter.

What we need is working government. It doesn’t have to be in perfect working order.....we’re well used to a dysfunctional, quirky kind of government – but it does have to be working. And at least until the elections scheduled for the Spring, it is working.

As an aside on the political front, it looks (at the time of writing at least) that the aforementioned Arlene Foster is looking like a shoe-in as the new DUP leader and First Minister. And, whatever your personal shade of politics, Arlene is a pretty good bet as far as fighting the business case is concerned.

She’s been around business here for quite a few years. She’s on first name terms with a lot of us, and she understands the challenges, the arguments and at least some of the realities. Let’s face it.....there are no other politicians with the same level of experience of knowledge.

Reason To Be Cheerful Number 2 – Business Climate The economists and others will point out that there are global threats, Brexit dangers, a possible housing bubble on the horizons, but anecdotally at least, the business climate here in Northern Ireland is looking good.

Most business people we talk to range from cautiously optimistic (….very much in fashion these days) to openly

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enthusiastic (always a niche choice) but, either way, there’s a clear consensus that businesses are doing better.

The ninth annual UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe, held at the Culloden just a couple of weeks ago, was a case in point. Almost 500 people were packed into the room, we had a record entry level across the board and there was a palpable confidence amongst those who entered, won, attended and supported the event.

Meanwhile, the banks are back in the game and they support the message of business confidence by confirming that their customers are talking to them in earnest once again. Invest NI’s annual figures look good once again.....they’ve promoted 39,000 jobs here since 2011 against a target of 25,000 and are now gunning for an achievable target of 41,000 over the next six months.

Reason To Be Cheerful Number 3 – Tourism & Hospitality Belfast, as we approach Christmas, really couldn’t be looking much better or feeling much livelier.

Visitor numbers continue to rise, and we’re getting somewhere on the tourism infrastructure too. Work is underway on a couple of key city centre hotel projects, not least Hastings Hotels’ ambitious and exciting transformation of Windsor House into the Grand Central Hotel. And the important Waterfront Hall & Conference Centre will be unveiled in May. New pubs and restaurants seem to be coming here – or opening here – on a regular basis and we’ve had a few months now as a city with not one but two Michelin-starred establishments.

In this edition, we talk to Laurie Scott, Visit Belfast’s new Director of Business Development. Here’s a man who swapped a high profile New York-based role selling Britain to the Americans for a job in Belfast. Why? Because he reckons that this is a city ‘on the up’. Simple as that. And he’s right...

Have a wonderful Christmas and an increasingly prosperous New Year.

Richard Buckley

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Eye on Travel

ALL NEW ENTERPRISE EXPERIENCE TRANSFORMS CROSS-BORDER JOURNEYS

On board the new-look Enterprise are Transport Minister Michelle McIlveen MLA and Translink Group Chief Executive Chris Conway with customer Edna Murray (centre).

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he cross-border Enterprise rail service plays an important role in maintaining strong links between Belfast and Dublin supporting trade and tourism while also providing convenient access to Lisburn, Portadown and Newry.

And travelling by Enterprise is not just

about reaching your destination; it’s about the unique journey experience - a relaxing way to travel to Dublin for business or leisure, avoid the hassle of traffic congestion or car parking while catchingup on work, browsing the internet and taking advantage of free Wi-Fi.

A £12.2 million Enterprise upgrade programme is now almost complete and cross-border passengers are already enjoying enhanced comfort, service and value following the recent launch of the first fully refurbished train.

Speaking at the train launch, Translink Group Chief Executive Chris Conway said: “The refurbished train has a striking modern new look with a stylish purple, red and grey livery. Stepping on board, there are more vibrant, eye-catching and welcoming colour schemes with new Enterprise and Enterprise Plus branding on board.

“Customers can enjoy attractive seating with power sockets available, plush carpets, new tables and lighting as well as finer details like new signage and internal fixtures and fittings. Once all trains are completed, new electronic seat reservation displays will operate.

“Another exciting development is the new Enterprise Menu offering an appetising selection of fresh food and drink. Enterprise Class passengers can choose from either a trolley service or visit the new dining car that includes ‘sit-in’ table service. There’s also a waiter service for Enterprise Plus customers to enjoy delicious meals from the comfort of their seat – a truly unique dining experience!” says Chris.

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Eye on People

HONESTY & THE CHANGING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY Moira Barratt, Delivery Executive at Fujitsu My first job was…

Before Fujitsu, I was a Product Development Manager for a local IT company that specialised in video imaging and access control solutions, with a world-wide customer base.

I joined Fujitsu, Northern Ireland in 1999 (or ICL as it was then) as a Business Consultant. This was a fantastic opportunity as I worked with some very experienced and technically brilliant colleagues to understand customer requirements and translate these into viable IT solutions. I then moved into a Bid Management role and worked closely with the Sales and Delivery teams to put together compelling deals, in challenging timescales, to win new business within a very competitive marketplace.

The natural progression was to my current position as a Delivery Executive where I have responsibility for bids and the delivery of projects and managed services to a number of local customers. As part of this role I am responsible for the provision of a diverse range of ICT solutions; these solutions range from bespoke business critical applications to a full managed service covering everything from: networks, desktops, printers, corporate and line of business applications, Email, security and storage; hosted in local data centres or in the Cloud.

The person who taught me to succeed was…

My mother who instilled in me that ‘you only live once’ and that by working hard and being armed with a good education and constantly learning, your chances of success are substantially increased.

She always stressed the importance of respecting others and to be resilient and strong when you know you’re doing the right thing, even when

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times are tough or when others may not always agree. Her favourite poem is ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling and it really captures the essence of the advice she gave me and this has helped me to succeed throughout in my career.

My business mantra is…

Honesty is everything. Dealing honestly with customers, colleagues and partners builds mutual respect and trust and customers need to know that if you promise something that you’re going to deliver.

Customers have confidence that, at Fujitsu, we will tell them the way it is and this gives them the confidence to plan for the implementation of complex IT solutions - with a degree of certainty around timelines, costs and risks. Every day is different; there may be a new piece of business that needs to be specified or there may be a service issue which needs to be addressed immediately to prevent an impact on a customer’s business operations. We all have differing work pressures but are always open and honest to ensure we achieve the best outcomes.

We also find time to support each other, even though timescales and budgets are often challenging.

It’s all changed since I started out…

When I was at Queen’s University Belfast in the 1980s it was obvious that IT was starting to play an important role in everyday life and, although I initially studied for a Joint English and History degree, I soon decided that the MSc in Computer Science would greatly extend the career opportunities that would be available to me.

The IT business is one that is

continually evolving and when I think of the ‘green screens’ and ‘mainframes’ that were commonplace when I first started, and how these have been replaced by the rich graphical interfaces and complex solutions available today, the rate of change is astounding.

There are so many different facets to IT, encompassing: hardware, software, networks, data and systems.

The biggest change however is that customer needs drive everything and therefore every customer implementation is different. I am continually learning about new technology and the many ways that it is applied and how it can deliver tangible benefits to everyone in the world of business and society in general.

In 10 years the world will…

Be connected like never before. At Fujitsu our vision is for a ‘Human Centric Intelligent Society’ which brings together the physical and digital to deliver greater benefit across society.

We are entering into the era of the ‘Internet of Things’, where pretty much everything in our lives at home and work will be connected, allowing for much more human focused solutions. As part of a company who is at the forefront of that future, it promises very exciting times ahead.

My one business regret is…

Although it may have been challenging and interesting to have owned my own business at some point, I have been extremely lucky in my choice of career and have no real regrets.

Working for a leading global IT company, with responsibility for a number of major Accounts, has given me the autonomy to make decisions and reap the rewards associated with delivering solutions that make a significant positive contribution to our customers’ businesses. In today’s challenging business climate, having access to the support structures and top class people and technology that Fujitsu provides, considerably reduces the stress and uncertainty that undoubtedly would come with running my own business. This allows me to perform higher value, more enjoyable activities such as spending more time with my customers and my work colleagues to maximise investments and plan for further improvements.

I couldn’t start the day without…

A cup of coffee and checking emails.

I usually have my Fujitsu laptop and phone with me whether I am in the office, visiting customers or just socialising with friends and family as it helps me stay connected.

Eye on Property

2015, another positive year for Progressive As the property market continues to recover, Chief Executive of Progressive Building Society Darina Armstrong reflects on how increasing consumer confidence and rising house prices have led to an increase in first time buyers, home movers and remortgaging at Progressive Building Society.

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here is no doubt that the housing market in Northern Ireland has weathered a few tough years but we have witnessed a lot more positivity in the last 18 months, reflected in the most recent survey statistics. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) report for quarter three indicates that homeowner purchase activity increased by 16% on the second quarter of this year, and up 6% on the third quarter of 2014.

Across our 12 branches we have witnessed an increase in applications from both home movers and first time buyers which is an indicator of a more buoyant housing market across all regions in Northern Ireland.

According to the National House Building Council there were 994 new houses registered here in the last quarter, the highest number since the third quarter in 2009, when 1,061 new homes were registered – another measure of improved confidence of the recovery within the industry. A few years back, first time buyers were the driving force behind new build starter homes; however the trend for this has changed to include home movers buying new build properties at a higher price point, which is a very important development for the long term sustainability of the market.

Recent mortgage activity across Northern Ireland is now at a healthy level, undoubtedly a consequence of the availability of affordable housing. The Progressive Help to Buy: ISA, will launch mid2016 and will help many gain a foothold onto the property ladder. The scheme will work by providing a government bonus to each first time buyer who has saved into a Help to Buy: ISA which will be paid at the point they use their savings to purchase their first home.

For every £200 a first time

Chief Executive of Progressive Building Society Darina Armstrong

“ Across our 12 branches we have witnessed an increase in applications from both home movers and first time buyers which is an indicator of a more buoyant housing market across all regions in Northern Ireland.”

buyer saves, the government will provide a £50 bonus up to a maximum bonus of £3,000 on savings up to £12,000.

Engaging with our members in a manner that is simple and concise is one of our core values, be that for our mortgage or savings offerings. Our branches are key to this, where our qualified mortgage advisors provide advice and support to everyone who applies for a mortgage with Progressive.

We are also investing in other areas of our business to help improve engagement with both members and the public.

We recently developed a new user friendly website providing up to date information on the savings and mortgage products available in our 12 branches across Northern Ireland.

Looking ahead to 2016 we will remain committed to providing the people of Northern Ireland with mortgage and savings products tailored

to their individual needs.

Developments and growth in the housing market in 2015 have been encouraging and we expect the market to build on those firm foundations next year. As for Progressive, our experienced teams throughout Northern Ireland will continue to engage with our members and customers to help them gain a better understanding of the mortgage and savings processes.

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Eye on Travel

Brenda Morgan, BA’s Regional Manager in Northern Ireland, with Belfast City Airport Chief Executive Brian Ambrose and British Airways First Officer Nicholas Kerridge.

BUMPY LANDING AT HEATHROW’S RUNWAY 27L...

It’s not often you get the chance to land a British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner on one of the main runways at Heathrow Airport... even if it’s at the controls of flight simulator.

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or those of us who’ve dabbled at flight simulator games on our laptops (and even phones) over the years, here was a gilt-edged opportunity to sit in an actual captain’s seat, even if that seat was bolted to the floor of a British Airways-branded simulator unit

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parked just outside the main entrance to Belfast City Airport.

BA had brought the 787 Simulator unit to these shores for the first time. It’s usually wheeled out at major air shows and BA customer events across the Irish Sea, and it made it was over here with not one but three British Airways pilots to show local media and other guests here the ropes.

And there are plenty of them? It might look easy, but it’s not easy to coax the Dreamliner in to land safely on the Heathrow runway.

Even with a pilot in the right hand seat who’s more used to flying 777’s back and forth across

the Atlantic....and landing them safely on every occasion.....we still managed to miss the runway comprehensively on one attempt.

Had this been a real flight, in fact, the casualty toll would have been catastrophic as the aircraft hurtled across the Heathrow grass towards the terminal building before the system wisely cut in and shut itself down.

On the second run, we made it onto the tarmac, albeit with the kind of impact that my flight deck colleague reckoned might just have damaged the 787’s undercarriage beyond repair.....

The 787 Dreamliner is the latest aircraft to join the British

Airways fleet. The airline has 42 of them on order and eight have already been delivered.

The new aircraft are already flying to Delhi in India as well as Abu Dhabi & Muscat in the Gulf.

Next year will see Austin, Texas & San Jose in the USA as well as Kuala Lumpur joining the list.

Hailed by pilots as the most fuel efficient and quietest aircraft on the market, the 787-8 carries 214 passengers across BA’s three cabins – Club World, World Traveller Plus & World Traveller. The brand new 787-9 versions come with a First Class Suite cabin for an exclusive eight passengers.

Eye on News

McAnee & Caldwell Take Top Jobs At Danske Danske Bank’s new chief executive, Kevin Kingston, has announced changes to the management of the Bank’s business unit. Mr. Kingston had, until Gerry Mallon’s departure, been Danske Bank’s Managing Director of Business Banking.

Top Team at Danske... (L-R) Shaun McAnee, Kevin Kingston and Richard Caldwell.

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haun McAnee has now been appointed as Managing Director of Corporate Banking, while Richard Caldwell has been appointed as Managing Director of Business Banking.

Both are internal appointments.

The changes effectively reorganise Danske Bank’s Business Banking unit along two lines – Corporate Banking and Business Banking. Kevin Kingston said the new structure would further strengthen the Bank’s commitment to

supporting its business customers: “Reorganising the teams across SME and Corporate Banking was a logical move to ensure that we continue to stay close to our customers and maintain our high customer satisfaction levels. Shaun and Richard are both very experienced and each will bring a strong customer focus to their new role. It is testament to the strength of our Business Banking division that I have been fortunate

enough to be able to appoint new Managing Directors for the unit from within the existing team.”

Shaun McAnee will have responsibility for Corporate Banking, Specialist Business and Markets. He joined Danske Bank from Lombard in 2012 as Head of Asset Finance Sales, then becoming Head of Specialist Business. He is currently Head of Corporate Banking.

Richard Caldwell will have responsibility for Finance Centres, Agribusiness, Small Business and Business Acquisition. Richard’s career at Danske Bank spans 20 years across both Business Banking and Personal Banking. Previous roles have included being Head of the Belfast Finance Centre and Head of Private Banking. He is currently Danske Bank’s Head of Finance Centres.

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Eye on News

£25M Investment Brings Growth Opportunities For Henderson Group A £25M investment has been made by Henderson Group, the local business that owns the SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO, VIVOXTRA and VIVO Essentials franchises in Northern Ireland.

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ased in Mallusk, the Group has announced that the investment covers the purchase of new land and the construction of a new distribution centre, trailer park and head office facility.

This will replace the original structures that have been in place since 1974.

The investment is set to facilitate business growth and secure employment across all four companies within the Group. The Group currently has a 2,800 strong workforce which has doubled in the last 10 years.

One aspect of the new headquarters’ structure is already underway with the new office facility contract being awarded to the family-owned, Ballymena construction firm, Martin & Hamilton

Construction. A £4.5M refurbishment and extension of the existing building will double its size and bring many departments that are currently housed in different buildings into one central facility – thus creating a more efficient and contemporary environment.

The new main office facility is expected to be fully operational in October 2016.

As well as the main office refurbishment, £1.1M has already been invested in the construction of a new, state-of-the-art trailer park which houses Henderson Wholesale’s 92-strong distribution fleet. Built by Portglenone’s Hugh Griffin & Sons, also family-owned, the new trailer park boasts extra charging points and fuelling

Martin Agnew, Managing Director, Henderson Group and John Agnew, Chairman, Henderson Group survey the construction work that has already begun at their Mallusk headquarters

and washing facilities which will help relieve congestion, reduce lead times and ultimately provide a more efficient distribution service for customers. The Group has also purchased four new double decker lorries with compartments for both ambient and chilled products, this will further ensure energy and logistic efficiency across the network.

Brothers Martin and Geoffrey Agnew, Managing Directors of the Henderson Group are confident the new developments and expansions will serve the Group well for the future.

Martin commented; “We make no secret that our profits are re-invested into the business. This major investment in the development of a new main office and distribution site shows our commitment to providing a better working environment for our employees, as well as a more efficient way of working to benefit our retailers and logistics department.

We are confident this growth will bring future employment opportunities

across all departments and companies that make up the Henderson Group.”

Geoffrey added, “We are delighted phase one of the development is well under way, and work will begin early in 2016 on the recently acquired Hydepark distribution warehouse that was purchased in 2014. This will see the beginning of our new warehouse developments to house Henderson Wholesale’s ambient range. “This move will ensure we can facilitate the continued and strong growth of our fresh and ambient departments across both Henderson Foodservice and Henderson Wholesale. We continue to adapt and grow in line with consumer changes, resulting in a special focus across our fresh ranges.

Our Fresh Departments continue to source locally where possible so we can continue to provide the very best fresh, local products and produce to our customers, retailers and shoppers across Northern Ireland.”

Dr Karise Hutchinson, Head of Business and Enterprise Department added, “Philip has very strong links with Ulster University having initially graduated with a first class degree in Business Studies and more recently becoming a Visiting Professor in the Business School.

He has made a critical contribution to our students in providing personal

insight into setting up a business.

Philip’s drive and entrepreneurial flair have already provided great inspiration to our soon-to-be graduates and I’m sure that his book will act as a further catalyst towards encouraging them on an entrepreneurial journey.”

“Start To Grow” is available from Amazon.

PHILIP BAIN... FROM BUSINESS TO BOOKS “Start To Grow” is the title of a new handbook which aims not only to guide budding entrepreneurs on starting a business but also has a goal of raising £10,000 for The Prince’s Trust.

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ritten by Philip Bain, who is co-founder of award winning company ShredBank, the book was launched at the Ulster University Business School’s Coleraine campus where it will become a core text for final year students in the Department of Business and Enterprise.

Philip Bain explains, “Start to Grow, is an entrepreneur’s guide to starting and growing a business. Based on my own personal experience of launching and growing businesses, it’s a very action orientated, easy to read book

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that will help people decide whether starting a business is for them. And if they do decide that it is - then the book explains how to start a business, grow it and make it a success.”

“ShredBank, the on-site shredding company I co-own with my business partner James Carson, has raised over £40,000 for The Prince’s Trust since 2011. And through delivering business seminars and sales of the “Start to Grow” book we hope to raise

by January 2016 a further £10,000 for their valued work with young people.”

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Eye on Telecommunications

BT Providing Local Businesses With Mobile Connectivity When you’re one of the largest independent chilled and frozen food distributors in Ireland like the PRM Group, you need an ‘always on’ communications provider that you can rely on to deliver trusted solutions to help your business perform and grow efficiently.

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n today’s fast paced 24/7 world, with an increasingly mobile and flexible workforce, it is crucial that businesses have a telephone system that works hard for them and keeps all staff connected to clients and customers, whether they are in or out of the office.

Paul Convery, Head of BT Business, says: “BT is a world class telecommunications provider, offering bespoke, innovative, cutting edge technology coupled with first class communication solutions. We are committed to giving local businesses like the PRM Group a competitive advantage and the confidence to know that they are purchasing a quality and reliable service from an established and trusted provider.

“Communication is key to the effective running of any business and when a company has a predominantly mobile workforce they need a tailored and cost effective communications’ solution that meets their mobile and landline needs.

“BT offers businesses a range of competitive landline and mobile phone call packages with the benefit of free intra company calls between mobiles and landlines, facilitating substantial call cost reductions.

“When a business depends on data, they need to know that their connection is going to deliver a consistent performance.

BT mobile customers can also benefit from the largest 4G data network in Northern Ireland with access to five million hotspots.”

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Michael Morrow, Manager, PRM Group

“ We chose BT to provide the PRM Group with landlines and mobile phones for our staff as they offer the best all Ireland tariff as well as cost effective, tailored bundles and great value on mobile roaming for our drivers delivering products in the Republic of Ireland.”

Michael Morrow, Manager at the PRM Group, which is his family’s business, adds: “With over 200 staff working across Ireland, including lorry drivers, support staff and sales representatives, we have an increasingly mobile cross border workforce. Our staff supply chilled and frozen foods to leading retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and ASDA so it is essential for effective distribution of products that employees can remain in contact with each other at all times whether they are in or out of the office.

“We chose BT to provide the PRM Group with landlines and mobile phones for our staff as they offer the best all Ireland tariff as well as cost effective, tailored

bundles and great value on mobile roaming for our drivers delivering products in the Republic of Ireland.

“We worked with a dedicated BT account manager to tailor the most cost effective communications’ solution to meet our needs and this included the installation of mobile device management software. This means that the PRM Group can manage the access and data usage on the mobile phones of all staff working both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland.

“The software is a big advantage to us as it allows the company to control internet access and the download of apps on company mobile phones. This software not only offers flexibility and

Paul Convery, Head of BT Business

cost saving measures to cap data usage but it also importantly provides the PRM Group with the opportunity to have control over data protection, allowing us to wipe a mobile phone device if it is lost or stolen, ensuring that classified and sensitive information stays secure.

“A further advantage of the landline and mobile phone devices provided by BT is that it means that all clients can stay in contact with staff. Distribution is an extremely dynamic and demanding environment so it is crucial that our clients and new business opportunities can easily contact us whether we are in the office or travelling across Ireland, the UK or further afield.

“I have nothing but praise for the way we have been looked after

by BT. All our questions have been answered quickly and we’re very happy with the bespoke packages that have been provided to us.”

Stay on the go

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BT Business Mobile Sharer solves this by giving your business a big pot of calls, texts and data to share out amongst all your people. · Pick a bundle that’s tailored to your business giving you price certainty on your monthly spend. · Access to Northern Irelands largest 4g data network. · Flexible roaming bundles for short-term travel to Europe. · Free unlimited BT wi-fi access for all users at over 5 million UK hotspots.

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Call us on 0800 011 3344

Eye on News

EMBRACING THE FUTURE: BEDFORD HOUSE SETS A NEW STANDARD Christmas marked the beginning of an exciting new era for Bedford House, the landmark property that has dominated Belfast’s central office district for half a century. After almost 12 months of extensive renovations, the wraps came down, the shutters came up and the front doors slid open to reveal the all new Bedford House Reception area. It is undoubtedly one of the most impressive office transformations that the city centre has seen.

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irst impressions count and the double storey reception clad in Carrara Marble, dominated by a spectacular four metre high video wall and complimented by a reception/ concierge service that would rival any five star hotel, certainly sends out a loud and clear message that Bedford House means business.

A stunning all glass stairway gives access to the mezzanine level, where a stylish new Espresso Bar, Franklin & James provides both tenants and the business set with a sophisticated meeting area in the heart of the city, and coffee, that aficionados agree sets new standards.

Beyond the impressive public areas, tenants will have access to a range of meeting rooms.

And in the New Year work will commence on the fit out of a state of the art gymnasium for those working in the building.

All these new amenities are indicative of the huge investment made in Bedford House by its owners, with 40% of the

accommodation being occupied by international firms EY and Marsh.

It was fitting that one of the first tenants of Bedford House in the late sixties, and who has just taken a new lease for a further 15 years, should be called upon to cut the red ribbon at the opening ceremony. Peter Kelly, Senior Vice President of Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and risk management, and head of the firm’s Belfast office, was delighted to do the honours. He said that Marsh (or R Martin Son & Company Limited as it originally was) had been pleased to be tenants of Bedford House, since it first opened its doors in 1968.

Mr Kelly said: “With the renewal of our lease, Marsh looks forward to celebrating over five decades of doing business from Bedford House. This is a prestigious development and the renewal of our lease is testament to our commitment to our clients across Belfast and Northern Ireland.”

“This has been an astute and forward thinking development by

Pictured at the opening ceremony for Bedford House are (left to right) Mr Desmond C Gilpin, Managing Director, Ulster Estates, and Mr Peter Kelly, Senior Vice President of Marsh and head of the firm’s Belfast office.

the owners of Bedford House,” explains Douglas Wheeler of Lambert Smith Hampton, joint agents with McConnell Chartered Surveyors. “Belfast is continuing to attract investment from many of the world’s most successful organisations but the shortage of high quality office space of the calibre found in capital cities such as London and New York has become a major factor.

Big players in the consultancy, financial and insurance sectors, in particular, are demanding not only excellent landmark locations and flexible space but also highend facilities such as on site gyms and casual break-out areas for their workforce and clients.

Bedford House has risen to the opportunity and has set a new standard for future commercial developments in the city centre.”

SUCCESS FOR PR FIRM Belfast-based PR and Public Affairs consultancy Turley PR and Public Affairs picked up the IPR Integrated Campaign Award the recent IPR Awards for their 12 Cuts of Christmas campaign.

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etter known for their work with the Manufacturing and Digital Sectors, TPRPA were delighted to have their ongoing work within the mental health sector acknowledged

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at the awards ceremony which was held at the Culloden Hotel.

Barry Turley (right) and John McManus of TPRCA are pictured with Tricia Brown of Action Cancer and their award.

Eye on News

Honouring PR’s Finest Over 200 public relations professionals from across Northern Ireland gathered recently to celebrate the best of public relations across the nation at the 2015 CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards at the Culloden Estate & Spa.

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elfast agency, JPR was the big winner of the night, taking home five Gold Awards and four Silver Awards, including Gold in the Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy category.

The JPR team took home a range of accolades in categories including the Low Budget Campaign for their work with Ulster Bank and the “Stay out of Harm Down on the Farm” campaign, to Best Event for the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards and Best Use of Media Relations for the From Bolshoi to Belfast exhibition which placed Belfast on the international cultural map in 2014.

Taking home the big award of the night, judges’ comments included; “JPR presented a strong all-round entry to clinch Gold in the Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy Award. The judges were notably impressed by their outstanding commitment to training, development and continuous improvement.”

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The business world on your doorstep...

Eye on Business Destinations

Destination London

East London, or ‘that part beyond the Tower’ has become one of the world’s largest regeneration projects and key financial hubs. With an air connection offered directly by Flybe into London City this part of London is now easily accessible and a ‘must experience’ destination.

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Meetings and conference venues ExCel London is the capital’s largest events venue, capable of holding up to 68,750 visitors at one time. With 3 dedicated onsite DLR stations, parking for 3,700 vehicles and London City airport only 3 minutes away ExCel is a perfect venue for national and international conferences. Opened in 2012 The Crystal is one of the world’s most sustainable buildings with multiple facilities for major conferences or smaller meetings. For something completely different the Sunborn Yacht which is permanently docked facing towards Canary Wharf offers a number of well-appointed suites and meeting rooms.

Top attractions Canary Wharf is a vast shopping, eating, entertainment and business complex, home to some of Britain’s tallest skyscrapers, including One Canada Square which comprises three arcades and a John Lewis store. Catch the DLR to Greenwich where visitors can stand on the Meridian Line at the Observatory, tour the old tea clipper, the Cutty Sark, and see the world’s earliest timepieces at the Maritime Museum. Enjoy the biggest names in music at the O2 arena or check out the latest art collections at Jay Jopling’s renowned White Cube gallery in Hoxton.

Where to stay With people visiting East London for myriad reasons, the area’s accommodation matches every budget, location and need. Boundary Hotel in Shoreditch, in the heart of this area of vibrant East London, has become the new hotspot of the city. For five star luxury, Four Seasons Hotel, Canary Wharf offers river views and first class service. A convenient bolthole close to the airport and located right next to Prince Regent DLR station is the Aloft London ExCel which, as its name suggests, is directly connected to the ExCel Convention Centre.

Dining Out From after-work drinks to fine dining a deux, East London has a plethora of choice from dawn to dusk. Try breakfast at Forman’s, the last original London salmon smoker and now with views of the 2012 Olympic Park. Dishoom in Shoreditch is the ultimate Indian restaurant offering modern cuisine tapas style… perfect for lunch. For an unforgettable dinner it has to be Boisdale of Canary Wharf, the top quality steakhouse offering live music and a whisky bar with no less than 1,000 bottles of malt whisky.

Key business contacts: London Convention Bureau 0207 234 5833 conventionbureau@londonandpartners.com London Chamber of Commerce 0207 248 4444 www.londonchamber.co.uk Visit London 0207 234 5833 www.visitlondon.com Travel Flybe currently offers a choice of up to 4 flights daily from George Best Belfast City Airport to London City Airport. Departing at 06.55 and with the last returning flight at 19.45, business travellers can avail of a full day’s work. One way fares from George Best Belfast City Airport to London City Airport are from £45.99 including taxes and charges.

For more information log onto www.flybe.com.

With connections offered every 10 minutes by Docklands Light Railway (DLR) directly from the airport linking to London’s Underground, passengers can be in Westminster in just 23 minutes.

Eye on Events

SIR GEORGE REMEMBERED...

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he late Sir George Quigley is remembered in a new special edition book.

Over 100 guests gathered at Ulster Bank’s Donegall Square East headquarters to launch the limited edition volume, including representatives from across the business and political spectrum.

Sir George held a variety of roles at the top of Northern Ireland Civil Service and also in business. Before his death in 2013, he served as chairman of Ulster

Bank, as chairman of Bombardier, and the head of an industrial taskforce that sought a reduction in Northern Ireland’s corporation tax rate.

The collection of speeches, delivered between 1989 and 2003, covers topics ranging from the all island economy, education and health to the loyalist community’s engagement in the peace process and the 23rd Psalm.

Sir George’s widow, Lady Moyra Quigley, is pictured with the Head of Ulster Bank NI, Richard Donnan.

CYBERCRIME COSTING NI ECONOMY £100 MILLION PER YEAR

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t the official launch of Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR) in the firm’s Belfast offices are Mike Harris, Partner, Cyber Security, Grant Thornton; Paul Jacobs, Partner, Head of Forensics and Investigation Services Ireland and Global Cyber Security leader;

Richard Gillan, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton Northern Ireland, and Detective Chief Inspector Douglas Grant, of the PSNI Special Investigations and Cyber Crime Centre. The new research reveals that cybercrime is costing the Northern Ireland economy almost £100 million per year.

CULLODEN INVESTMENT TRANSLINK TEAM TOPS TOPS £1M

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ranslink’s Communications Team beat recently scooped top accolades at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards 2015. The team won 4 major award categories including: Public Sector Campaign, Community Relations Campaign, Public Sector Team of the Year and Outstanding

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In-House Team. Pictured celebrating their success are l-r Translink’s Gordon Milligan, Chief Human Resources and Corporate Services Officer, Ursula Henderson, PR & Public Affairs Officer, Jenna Flynn, Communications Officer, Julie Sherlock, Media Relations Officer and Lynda Shannon, Communications Manager.

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orthern Ireland’s premier 5-star hotel, and the venue for the annual UTV Business Eye Awards, the Culloden Estate and Spa, has completed its recent refurbishment which was in excess of £1,000,000.

Various parts of the hotel have been included in the investment programme which boasts a new-look Mitre restaurant and refurbished

bedrooms including the four original tower suites. This month, as part of the investment a refurbishment programme of the spa will begin.

Pictured in the new-look Mitre Restaurant are Hastings Hotel’s Managing Director Howard Hastings (right), the hotel’s General Manager Adrian McNally and the excellent Executive Chef, Paul McKnight.

Eye on Events

CLEARBOX LIFTS LONDON AWARD...

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public relations agency based in Holywood has been named the UK’s Best New Consultancy at the PRCA National Awards in London.

Clearbox, which delivers PR for clients such as Amazon, Universal Pictures, Digital DNA and Its4Women.ie, was honoured at the glittering awards ceremony in London’s Hilton Park Lane, hosted

by TV presenter, Rachel Riley.

The annual PRCA Awards showcases excellence in campaigns, consultancies, in-house teams and individuals and highlights the innovative work of the PR industry

across the UK. Clearbox began life in 2014 and, in less than two years, has grown to a team of six delivering campaigns for brands and businesses across the UK and Ireland.

Clearbox Managing Director Anna Morris and Associate Director John Megaughin collected the award at the ceremony, which saw London-based agency Brands2Life clinch Large Consultancy of the Year and Mischief PR take home Campaign of the Year for their work with Paddy Power.

Pictured (from left) Danielle Hibbert, Georgie Best (…...the pup), Anna Morris, Chloe McLaurin, John Megaughin and Clare Savage.

PROPERTY ACADEMY...

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he first successful candidates of Lambert Smith Hampton’s Graduate Academy, a national scheme which aims to bring some of the brightest and best young talent into the commercial property industry, have started a six month placement in the company’s Belfast offices.

The three graduates, two of whom come from non-property degree disciplines, will benefit from LSH’s Assessment of Professional

Competence (APC) training programme and additional development activities.

Those selected will spend their first placement working in LSH’s Belfast office, which the firm has identified as a Centre of Excellence across all property sectors, before rotating to a different office every six months over a two year period. Pictured with Ryan Kee, Lambert Smith Hampton, are the successful applicants, Charlotte Rogers, Haley Bellerby and Christopher Best.

GAOL DATE FOR MINISTER

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ictured with Justice Minister David Ford MLA at the ‘Black Holes and Red Flags’ seminar on financial crime held at Crumlin Road Gaol were (left) Brendan Dwyer, Forensic Partner, and Jeremy

Harbinson, Founding Partner, at Harbinson Mulholland. The event was hosted by Harbinson Mulholland Forensic Accountants in association with Belfast Solicitors Association and The Bar of Northern Ireland.

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Eye on Cover Story

Andrea Hayes & Flybe A Commitment To Northern Ireland It’s been an action-packed last couple of years at Flybe, the biggest airline operator at George Best Belfast City Airport. Its aircraft have turned purple – a colour chosen for its passion, performance & positivity amongst other ‘p’s – and its senior management team has changed beyond recognition.

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ong gone now is the old Flybe guard led by industry veteran Jim French, replaced by a top team led by CEO Saad Hammad, soon to be joined by a new Chief Revenue Officer in the shape of Australian Vincent Hodder, who is making the move to Flybe’s base in Exeter from Grupo Viva Aerobus in Mexico. A new Chief Marketing Officer is also due in post over the coming months.

Here in Northern Ireland, Flybe has been steered through various name changes, management changes and livery changes by the charismatic Andrea Hayes, whose job title also gives her responsibility for the rest of Ireland and the northern part of the UK. Andrea hasn’t just seen changes at her beloved

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Flybe. She’s also seen plenty of competing airlines come and go in the key domestic markets that Flybe serves. So she’s not particularly fazed by the impending re-arrival of Ryanair at Belfast International Airport.

“We’ve been a backbone of the travel marketplace here for 30 years,” she says. “We’re the anchor tenant here at Belfast City Airport, we carry more passengers than any other airline from and to this airport (1.6 million annually), we’ve got 15 different routes and 622 flights every week.”

The airline also employs a total of 188 people in Belfast, where it has eight aircraft based permanently.

“That means that Belfast is one of the larger bases for Flybe alongside Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester and Southampton,” explains Andrea Hayes.

Domestic routes are the backbone of Flybe’s network. From Belfast City, it operates five times a day to Liverpool, seven to Manchester, eight to Birmingham, six to Glasgow & Edinburgh and four times daily to London City Airport.

“Around 65% of our passengers are flying for business,” Andrea adds. “What those business passengers want from their airline is plenty of flights to choose from, easy access, punctuality and the chance to change flights if they need to travel earlier or later.

“We’re delivering all of those along with business lounges and an in-flight service that we’re very proud of.”

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Eye on Cover Story

Andrea Hayes with Flybe’s CEO Saad Hammad during a recent visit to George Best Belfast City Airport.

If business passengers are Flybe’s priority across its network, the airline has also benefited from the increasing number of inbound leisure travellers visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland. “The upsurge is evident on all of our routes from GB.” says Andrea Hayes. “We’re well positioned to carry visitors into Belfast from a number of important UK cities from Inverness in the far north to Exeter in south west.

There’s no doubt that Belfast is a ‘go to’ destination these days, and we’re delighted about that.”

Andrea Hayes and Flybe, along with all of the other main airlines serving Northern Ireland, continue to campaign vocally against the continued imposition of Air Passenger Duty to every passengers flying into and out of Northern Ireland.

“It’s a very unfair tax as far as we are concerned,” she says. “That’s because we are in a unique geographical position here. Our airports are competing directly with Dublin Airport, where there is no APD and with currency differences, flights from Dublin are increasingly competitive for passengers from the North.”

Andrea Hayes is urging the Stormont Government to follow the lead of its counterparts at the Scottish Parliament. They’ve committed to reducing Scotland’s APD by 50% during the life of the next parliament in Edinburgh, with a view to completely abolishing the tax in the future.

“The Scots are taking a very sensible approach, and it’s something that we really need to look at doing here in Northern Ireland if our airports

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are going to continue to be competitive.”

Politics and taxation apart, Andrea Hayes says that her Belfast team and Flybe remain committed to serving the Northern Ireland marketplace.... and the region’s business travellers in particular.

“We’ve been here for a very long time, while others have come and gone, and we’re part of Northern Ireland,” she says. “We’re very aware of the fact that we have an important part to play not just in the transport infrastructure but in the Northern Ireland economy as a whole.

“Our people are vital to what we do. Flybe’s ground staff and cabin crew are the first point of contact with all of our customers, and they do a really good job day in, day out from early morning until late at night. We couldn’t ask for a better group of people.

“They’ve helped us to build up a very loyal group of customers over the years, many of whom fly with us every week and rely on our services to get to work.... and, most importantly, to get back to their families.”

Flybe’s has just completed three years as the lead sponsors of the UTV Business Eye Awards (see pages 41-54). Andre Hayes marked the occasion at the Awards held at the Culloden Estate & Spa in late November by presenting a Flybe Bursary to Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of the Ulster University Business School.

Professor McHugh received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ninth annual UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe.

Eye on News

IoD NI LAUNCHES THE FIRST NONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REGISTER The Institute of Directors NI has launched Northern Ireland’s first official database of nonexecutive directors (NEDs) in a bid to improve the effectiveness of organisations at board level.

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he launch coincided with the release of findings from new Ulster University research into the value of non-executive directors in the local economy.

The IoD NED Register has been developed to provide companies seeking to appoint a non-executive director with a full, free-of-charge, list of potential candidates who have the required competencies, skills, experience and knowledge to add value to organisations.

It follows a series of recent media reports of poor corporate governance at board level.

The UU research into the value of non-executive directors in local business, sponsored by BDO Northern Ireland, revealed that all companies surveyed believed

there was significant value to their organisation in appointing a non-executive director.

The IoD NED Register and UU research are both part of the IoD NI’s ‘Building Better Boards’ campaign, which aims to provide support to companies seeking a non-executive director as well as to individuals seeking to improve their competency as a director or aspiring director.

The IoD NED Register has been endorsed by Invest Northern Ireland, where today’s launch took place. Speaking at the launch, Paul Terrington, Chairman of the IoD NI, said: “The Institute of Directors is committed to improving the effectiveness of boards, through

ongoing training, in driving forward the growth and success of their organisation – whether in the private, public or third sector, but particularly amongst the SMEs and family businesses that are the lifeblood of the Northern Ireland economy.

“We are welcoming applicants for the NED Register from suitably qualified, high calibre directors who are committed to ongoing professional development and to delivering in line with IoD standards.

The register will be free to access for any interested organisations.

“We were delighted to work with Ulster University on this research project and the report findings will form a launch pad for the Institute’s campaign for Building Better Boards.

“The report has not only established the value that the non-executive director can bring to an organisation, it has also provided recommendations for

Jeremy Fitch, Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business Solutions, Laura Jackson, Partner at report sponsors BDO Northern Ireland, Paul Terrington, Chairman of the IoD NI, and Caoimhe McGuinness, the UU student who wrote the report.

enhancing board effectiveness and suggestions for further research which the Institute and Ulster University will take forward together.”

LISNEY STRENGTHENS INVESTMENT TEAM Leading Belfast based commercial property agency, Lisney, has announced the appointment of an Associate Director to strengthen its Investment team as a result of ongoing demand and the agency’s success within the market.

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tephen Chambers has been appointed Associate Director in Lisney’s Investment department which is set to transact in excess of £150m this year more than 30% of the region’s annual investment transactions.

The agency, which also specialises in office, retail, leisure and industrial property acquisition, made the strategic decision to further expand the team’s experience and capabilities as it anticipates the completion of several high profile transactions before year-end, and a fruitful 2016.

Stephen Chambers, who brings with him a wealth of property and banking experience, said:

“This is a very interesting time for investment in Northern Ireland, particularly within the retail and office sectors where increased confidence is having significant impact on demand and pricing.

“Retail assets currently on the market and attracting strong interest include Junction One and The Outlet at a combined price of £60m and the Land Securities portfolio of foodstore and shopping centre assets at the combined guide price of £56m.

“These sales will contribute significantly to the annual property investment transaction value which is now expected to be in excess of £500m for 2015.”

Nicky Finnieston (left) with Stephen Chambers.

Working closely with Lisney’s Investment Director, Nicky Finnieston, Stephen will be involved with providing advice on investment sales and acquisitions for clients and the sourcing of funds.

Mr Finnieston said: “Stephen’s experience and knowledge is a perfect fit for Lisney as we grow and expand upon our existing success within the sector.

“Having previously worked in Corporate Banking, Stephen is also best placed to advise our clients on the options they have regarding sourcing and

structuring finance, which is essential in the current market.

“Our Investment team has been particularly active so far this year both locally and in Great Britain having worked on more than £80m of notable deals including Erneside Shopping Centre Enniskillen, Boots on Belfast’s Royal Avenue and The Parkway Shopping Centre in Coulby Newham.

“The outlook is very positive and with deals currently in the hands of solicitors, we expect our Investment team to transact just over £150m for the year.”

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Eye on Cross Border Innovation

Five Key Ways To Re-Energise An Innovation Culture In Your Business Businesses that are innovating and doing things differently are three times more likely to grow, says Alan Morrow, Challenge Programme Manager, InterTradeIreland, on the back of research carried out by the body. Innovation has become a key differentiator for firms seeking to thrive and compete more effectively. In the face of increasing demands for customer value, firms are looking at ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their innovation processes.

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he findings, based on insights from 1100 firms across the island, North and South, confirms that: (1) The vast majority of innovative firms are micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees!

(2) Innovative companies can be found across all sectors of the economy in Northern Ireland and Ireland (3) innovation activity is not dependent upon the presence of R&D staff and (4) firms are engaging in many different types of innovation.

While over two thirds of innovative firms have an ambition for growth, those who have a formal process in place to manage development in the business are in shorter supply. The lack of a formal, managed process to support innovation may mean that firms’ plans for innovation are inextricably linked with the owner manager or they are left relying on ‘brainstorming’ for new ideas and concepts. While this approach may be suitable for idea generation it does not offer a step-by-step approach to engaging employees, managing the innovation process and turning ideas into new sales.

5 Tips for Driving Innovation in SMEs 1. Help staff develop and work on ideas that are linked to strategy and priorities.

• Make sure you communicate what the company is trying to do and clearly identify where new

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idea would be most useful – new products, efficiency improvements, ideas for entering a new market, ideas to help customer retention – whatever your priorities are • Make it clear that you will welcome ideas and will encourage people who are passionate about their ideas • Provide clear guidance on the boundaries for new ideas – types of ideas you are NOT interested in, constraints in terms of resources or legislation, etc.

2. Train and encourage staff to look for stimulus that will help them create valuable new ideas.

• Make it easy for staff to speak to customers about all aspects of their experience with your products or services • Make competitor reviews a regular event that involves staff from different parts of the business with different insights • Hold “Blue Sky Thinking” days when staff groups build on established trends in technology, customers, and society to predict what products and services might be valued in the future • Train staff to look at new and emerging technologies in your own and other fields that could be the source of new ideas, licensing, or collaboration for faster innovation 3. Make greater levels of collaboration inside and outside the business a priority

• Show how diversity in thinking styles multiply the quality and quantity of ideas from brainstorming or other idea generation sessions • Encourage staff to look for help much more quickly to solve problems when evaluating and commercialising new ideas • Establish trusted networks that people can tap into for advice and guidance on potential innovations 4. Drive out fear to ensure that winning ideas accelerate towards commercialisation • Make it clear that most new ideas fail and that success will come from having poor ideas fail faster and cheaper so that more energy can be expended on ideas with a better chance of success • Encourage a spirit of actionorientation where learning is the goal from short-duration experiments and trials. Every time you learn how something won’t work you are closer to finding out how it can be done.

• Make it safe for people to try new things. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” is a well-known saying that can discourage curiosity and innovation. Instead reflect that “the good is the enemy of the great” and use this to encourage your people to continually look for ways to make your existing products, services, and processes even better.

5. Educate, educate, educate • Train your staff in the key principles and skills of innovation • Ensure that it is easy for new learning to be integrated into the way things are done • Recognising those people that are curious, try new things, and who demonstrate their own commitment to continual learning

Help is at hand!

As MD or CEO of your business, ask yourself... Does your sector demand innovation but you are typically bad at ideas or do tonnes of ideas float around forever without ever really going anywhere?

If you have answered yes to the above or are interested in finding out more, consider InterTradeIreland’s Challenge Programme where you can learn a method that could increase your speed to market by around six times as well as decreasing cost and risk by up to 80%.

The method is underpinned by decades of research and data into how to successfully open up new markets, maximise your profitability and create and commercialise new products and services.

‘Discover what’s possible’ for your business visit www. intertradeireland.com/ challenge to find out more.

Thanks to everyone involved in Enterprise Week

Especially the 1,700 businesses we connected with.

#LetsConnectNI for growth. bankofireland.co.uk/businessacademy

Northern Ireland’s Enterprise Bank

Bank of Ireland UK subscribes to the Lending Code. Bank of Ireland UK is a trading name of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered in England and Wales (No. 7022885), Bow Bells House, 1 Bread Street, London EC4M 9BE. 10100151102

Eye on Property

“Local businesses losing out on property potential” - RSM Leading accountancy firm, RSM, has said that businesses right across Northern Ireland are losing out on major cost savings and productivity gains by not reviewing the potential of one of their greatest assets – property.

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he company said that despite the steady upturn in property values, many hard-pressed businesses could be benefiting from cost-saving gains of up to 30% and enhanced productivity benefits by taking a more strategic approach to their property assets.

RSM said that by taking action now, many companies in Northern Ireland would be better equipped and better financed for greater growth potential.

Richard Weir, Director of Specialist Services – Property at RSM Northern Ireland, said: “Whether owned or leased, property remains a criticallyimportant asset for the majority of businesses in Northern Ireland and having a clear understanding of the issues surrounding this vital asset has the potential to save many business owners and managers not only significant amounts of money but time.

“Taking a strategic approach to property matters now will also ensure they can put their business and their growth potential on a firm footing.”

As part of its new advisory service, LifeCycle, in which it provides companies with advice tailored to every stage of their business life cycle, RSM says that property owners should seek to review their assets by considering the following checklist:

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• Fit for purpose: Consider the changing nature of your business strategy and ensure your property and its location remains suitable for customers, staff and suppliers. Many business in Northern Ireland have changed or completely altered their business model since starting out, which means their current base may be unsuitable for their needs.

• Consider alternatives: Carry out an annual review of your property to ensure it continues to fit with your business or investment objectives and potentially consider alternative options such as leasing, buying or building a property.

• Unlock potential: Is there an opportunity to sublet or sell under-used space or units or change working and operational practices to reduce the amount of space required?

• Rates: Thousands of businesses in Northern Ireland will be affected by the current rates review, not all positively.

The time is now to review your current and anticipated future bills so that you can assess whether the property you own or operate in now is working well for your needs.

• Energy efficiency: Energy costs in Northern Ireland are among the highest in Europe.

Take time to review your monthly and annual usage and consider energy and timesaving measures, in addition to grant support and the cheaper fuel sources available, to cut costs significantly.

Richard Weir added: “Making sure you have the right premises and that it works well for you on all levels is one of the most important tasks many business owners and managers have to face. However, few have the

relevant experience or knowledge to draw on to make sure they are getting the best from their assets.

“RSM’s multi-disciplinary team of Chartered Surveyors and Accountants seeks to gain a thorough understanding of your business needs and then carefully considers the key factors that will enable you to put together a plan of action.”

The leading accountancy firm, which is part of the RSM International network and has over 25 years’ experience in advising and assisting clients in all stages of their growth, launched its LifeCycle business programme earlier this year.

The partner-led service offers customers advice on everything from early stage essentials

such as company incorporation, taxation, company pensions, business health checks, management accounts, payroll and annual accounts, right through to creating business plans, negotiating funding offers, property acquisition plans, business expansions, succession planning and property disposal.

For more details visit www.rsm.global/northernireland or contact Clare Galloway, Business Development Manager at clare.galloway@rsmni.uk

Eye on Careers

KENNEDY’S WAY... INSIGHT INTO MEDICINE AS A CAREER Supported by Business Eye Magazine, the Campbell College ‘Leaders in Society’ Initiative connects Old Campbellians with current pupils providing valuable insights into various career choices at a critical time in their educational journey.

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he inaugural speaker, Old Campbellian Dr Peter Kennedy, is an Interventional Radiologist and two time Olympian.

A former boarding pupil and Head Boy at Campbell Colllege, Dr Kennedy progressed to study at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities before heading to complete a Fellowship in Radiology in Texas. Now at the forefront of his field and with only a handful of individuals practicing in Northern Ireland, Dr Kennedy is one of an elite band leading the progression of interventional medicine in this country.

“The field of Interventional Radiology is both fascinating and rapidly changing and it is a privilege to work in a field where you are developing and utilising cutting edge surgical techniques and treatments.

To be honest, at school, I was not sure what I wanted to be. I initially applied for Engineering but was not successful and so pursued Medicine.”

Dr Kennedy highlighted the key influences in his life, “ We are moulded by the world around us but there are two key things that really shape us.

Our family and our school. My Father and Grandfather were both surgeons and so it was in my background to have an interest in this arena. But it was as a boarder at Campbell College where I developed a sense of quiet self confidence that stood me in good

stead throughout my career. School also fine tuned my competitive spirit and reinforced my sense of fair play.

I was never afraid to take a risk or accept a challenge. This confidence to rise to challenges is something that has played an important part in my progression both through medicine and indeed in my Olympic sailing career.”

Dr Kennedy reinforced the importance of hard work, “Hard work pays off but at times luck can play a part. I did an unusual mix of subjects at A Level combining Sciences with English - luckily the Professor of Psychiatry - my

interviewer at Robinson College, Cambridge, had a keen interest in English Literature and so we hit it off and the interview was a success.’

There was also some practical advice for the pupils, “Different Universities have different approaches to medical applications - some look for the full house of A*’s at GCSE and others focus on what I call the ‘Mother

Teresa Factor’. In other words, a CV that shows you have been trying to save the world since you were 3! My view is work hard and live a balanced life. Medicine is a profession that can suit a variety of individuals with very diverse personalities. You will never meet two more different people than a Surgeon and a Psychiatrist! The key is to find the right fit for you.”

Henry Auchmuty , Year 10, is interested in choosing Chemistry for GCSE. “I found the talk both interesting and enjoyable at the same time as it gave me a good understanding about what subjects I should choose for my GCSE’s and indeed how important chemistry is in the world today. What I found most surprising and inspiring was that there are only 5 or 6 Interventional Radiologists in the Northern Ireland at present and that a man who once went to Campbell is one of them.

Sam Freeman, Year 10, is keeping his options open but the talk has sparked an interest in this particular area, “I recently fractured my wrist and when Dr Kennedy talked about bone structure it made me want to learn more about this area. He also explained the big difference between a radiologist and a radiographer - I didn’t realise there was a difference between the two. This talk inspired me to work harder and has made me consider a career in medicine.”

What the audience said:

Jamie Brown, Year 13, achieved 11 A*’s at GCSE and is keen to apply for medicine.“The talk was both a useful insight to a future career in medicine and also extremely fascinating. The fact that he was able to balance academics and sport was amazing and is living proof that if you work hard, you can excel in every discipline in life.

This talk has reinforced my decision to pursue a career in medicine. careers. It has reinforced my decision to pursue a career in medicine.

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Eye on Drinks Industry

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Eye on Drinks Industry

JORGE LOPES...

BEERS, BELFAST & CHANGING TIMES Belfast on a freezing cold and grey November morning is testing enough for those of us who’ve been brought up here. Jorge Lopes, though, comes from the very different climes of Brazil. So he could be forgiven for dreaming of beaches, blue skies and bikinis at this time of the year.

B

ut Lopes loves his adopted city, and doesn’t seem to be too daunted by the weather.

The Country Director for Diageo in Northern Ireland has been with the company for four years or so, including two in Dublin and a further two up north in Belfast.

A couple of different spells with Diageo were interspersed by a period with Reckitt Benckiser in the consumer goods market.

“I’ve been here for a couple of years, I’ve bought my house here and my daughters go to school here,” he says, dispelling any thoughts that he might fancy bolting for the next flight to Rio de Janeiro.

Lopes is in charge of an expanding Diageo operation based since the early summer at new offices in Upper Queen

Street in Belfast city centre.

The corporate headquarters houses the drinks giant’s sales, customer service and credit management operations with the latter serving the island of Ireland and, in some cases, GB as well.

“We’ve got an expanded team of 115 people working here, and it’s great to be based right in the heart of Belfast,” says Lopes, who joined the company at its previous long-established base on the Boucher Road.

He’s in charge of all of Diageo non-manufacturing operations here. The company also employs another 187 people at its Baileys plant in Mallusk and at the beer bottling facility at Marshalls Road in the Castlereagh area of the city.

The market statistics, as far as Diageo is concerned, show that it’s the market leader in both beers and spirits by quite a margin. It’s beer brands, led by Guinness, are the big sellers in the on trade in particular, while the company’s spirit portfolio is led by two of the big sellers in

the business... Smirnoff vodka and Gordon’s gin. Diageo is also very excited about its range of premium spirits including Tanqueray, Bulleit and Ciroc.

“We’re still gaining market share and that’s what we’re always trying to do,” says Lopes. The market, of course, is split in two not just by beer and spirits, but also by the on trade and off trade.

“The on trade has had some tough times, but it’s been stabilising and I think we can all see the progress that has been made in pubs, bars and restaurants here in Belfast. We could always do with a bit more growth... the NI economy is a bit behind GB and the Republic. But we’re getting stronger all the time.

“A level playing field on VAT would be even better, mind you, especially in certain areas of Northern Ireland. And, as a company, we’ll also welcome the introduction of a lower rate of corporation tax which should lead to further economic

growth here. There’s no doubt that there is too much reliance on the public sector.”

Back to the beer business, and its innovation that’s driving the market for Diageo at the moment.

The company has just completed one of the most successful new product launches of recent years... the successful introduction of the highlyacclaimed Hop House 13 Lager.

“Hop House has exceeded all of our expectations,” says Jorge Lopes. “It’s been an instant winner with our customers and it has become the fastest-growing beer brand on the marketplace.”

The introduction of Hop House 13 and the successful launches of Smithwick’s Blonde, Guinness Dublin Porter and Guinness West Indies as part of The Brewer’s Project have been followed by the launch of the Open Gate Brewery Project at St. James’s Gate in Dublin.

There has been an experimental brewery at St. James’s Gate for over a hundred

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Eye on Drinks Industry

years, but this one will see the Guinness brewers welcome the public into the brewery.

As well as pouring the famous Guinness stout and the latest beers such as Hop House 13 and Guinness Dublin & West Indies Porter, the brewing team will also share early, small batch versions of experimental beers for the visiting public to try.

“Our brewers are given plenty of space to experiment.

That’s always been the case.

We’ve got a mix of men and women in Dublin who are really passionate about what they’re doing and the new project gives us a chance to show off what the team is all about.

“It also gives us a great chance to interact with our customers and to talk about the beer styles that they like best. So we’re really looking forward to taking our customers to see it for themselves.

“There’s no doubt that beer is on the up. Beer is cool once again. It’s the rock star of the drinks world.”

Away from beer, Lopes reckons that cocktails are the big growth driver in the world of spirits. “What’s happened is that cocktails have become

30

much more accessible. It used to be the case that you could only get decent cocktails in certain upmarket establishments.

But now they’re part of the mix in a lot more bars around Belfast and everywhere else.

“And customers are a whole lot more knowledgeable about cocktails as a result of that.”

Meanwhile, Jorge Lopes shows off the Belfast city centre office as an example of a very different kind of Diageo investment. “We’re

a major exporter in the food and beverage sector here through our Baileys facility at Mallusk and our bottling and packaging plant in east Belfast and, as a company, we’re fully committed to contributing to the future economic prosperity of Northern Ireland. With all of Diageo’s Customer Services and Credit Management for Ireland now based in our Belfast headquarters, we’ve brought about 55 new jobs to Belfast over the last two years.

“Our aim? We want to continue to grow here in Northern Ireland.

We want to build on our market share and continue to be the Number 1 for both beers and spirits. We’ll continue to be an integral part of the community here in Northern Ireland, not only as a major exporter and employer, but also in terms of our contribution to society whether that’s our work with the NI Hospice or the Diageo Tourism & Hospitality Academy.”

Pictured at the opening of Diageo’s Belfast city centre offices are John Kennedy, President of Diageo Europe, DETI Minister Jonathan Bell & Jorge Lopes, Country Director, Diageo Northern Ireland.

Eye on Competition

ARE YOU MORE TITAN THAN A TITAN TANK? Are you ready for the new fuel storage regulations coming into force soon?

K

ingspan Titan has teamed up with Ulster Rugby to raise awareness of new fuel regulations which are coming into force and five lucky Business Eye readers could be in with a chance of getting their hands on a pair of Ulster Rugby tickets.

Kingspan Titan has found that some 70% of businesses in Northern Ireland do not currently comply with new fuel storage regulations that come into force on 31st December this year. Every business from industrial and commercial sites to shops, hairdressers and offices who are not compliant could face a fine of £20,000.

For your chance to win a pair of Ulster Rugby tickets to an upcoming fixture please

answer the following question and send your answer to info@businesseye.co.uk What date do the new fuel regulations come into force for businesses in Northern Ireland?

A) 31st December B) 1st January C) 31st January

For more information on the new fuel regulations and Kingspan Titan tanks please contact: T: 0333 456 4455 E: nifuelregs@kingspan.com www.kingspanenviro.com/nifuelregs Terms and conditions apply

BANK OF IRELAND REVEALS SMALL BUSINESS RISE Bank of Ireland UK says it has opened more than 3,400 new small business and agri current accounts in the first nine months of 2015, an increase of almost 17% on the same period last year.

T

he Bank’s figures were released as it launched its latest Enterprise Week.

Bank of Ireland UK is expecting more than 1,500 small businesses to get involved in Enterprise Week by engaging in more than 50 planned events where they will get practical support and guidance to help their businesses to grow.

The Bank’s Show Your Business initiative, which enables small businesses to display their goods and services in bank branches, will once again promote

cross-border trade. Businesses on either side of the border will be able to use branches in either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland as a shop window.

Sean Sheehan, Regional Director, NI Consumer & Small Business, Bank of Ireland UK, said: “Enterprise Week is taking place at a time when we continue to see confidence in the small business sector but recognise economic challenges remain. Some 40% of the accounts we’re opening are for start-ups and more than 36% are for businesses who have been trading for over two years and are moving to Bank of Ireland to support their growth plans.

One example of a small business start-up Bank of Ireland UK is supporting through its export led growth is Proven Energy Solutions, based in Belfast which was set up by Managing Director, Adrian Brown in 2013.

The company specialises in supplying LED lighting to industry and is a preferred supplier for Carillion plc for their LED lighting

supplies to the UK, North America, Africa and the Middle East.

With a background as an electrician and many years’ experience within the lighting industry, Adrian saw a huge opportunity to work with both the public and private sector, who are keen to minimise their carbon footprint and expenditure on energy.

An early focus for the business was on delivering projects in Northern Ireland, however, over the last two years the business has grown from its local base to operate in offices from North America, Africa, the Middle East, China and also supplying to the rest of the UK. Adrian says: “The support of Bank of Ireland UK and Ciaran Murray, our Business Adviser has been exceptional.

We have Commercial Finance to help our cash flow and to support our growth while we’re now in the process of talking to the Global Markets team to open a US dollar account for transactions to China.

“We have new operations starting in San Francisco and Ghana but we’re

Alistair Brown, Director of Proven Energy Solutions, Sean Sheehan, Regional Director, NI Consumer & Small Business, Bank of Ireland UK and Adrian Brown, Managing Director, Proven Energy Solutions.

really focused on expanding our business in the Irish market. As we do that, it’s going to be very helpful that we can have a bank account with Bank of Ireland across the border to help facilitate this too.”

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Wherever your business takes you we’ll make sure you have the right team on board.

Important Information Ulster Bank Limited, Registered in Northern Ireland No. R733. Registered Office: 11–16 Donegall Square East, Belfast, BT1 5UB. Member of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. Authorised Calls may be recorded. Please note that Invoice Finance and MaxTrad are not activities regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority.

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Eye on Round Table

EXPORTING...

SQUARING UP TO THE CHALLENGES Business Eye and Ulster Bank hosted a Round Table Discussion event at Belfast’s Fitzwilliam Hotel, chaired by Richard Buckley and spotlighting exporting from Northern Ireland, the state of health of our exporters and the challenges facing those trading internationally.

The Participants

Richard Donnan, Head of Northern Ireland, Ulster Bank

Richard Ramsey, Chief Economist, Ulster Bank

Olive Hill, Director of Trade, Invest Northern Ireland

RB – Can I ask Richard Ramsey to set the scene on exporting from Northern Ireland for us, where are we and where do we want to go?

RR – I think exports have gone relatively well here but there is a feeling that exporters have become a bit lazy. Why? Because they didn’t need to go off and look for new markets when they had the Republic of Ireland right on their doorstep...complete with a turbocharged economy.

So maybe the financial crisis wasn’t all bad in that it forced us to look for other markets, even through elsewhere might just be GB. What are the challenges? We need more diversity in our export base and our manufacturers face real challenges. We’ve seen that

32

Michael Bell, Director, NI Food & Drink Association

Kevin McNamee, Financial Controller, Denroy Plastics, Bangor

Richard Kennedy, Group CEO, Devenish Nutrition

recently with Michelin. There are other issues, of course, the Chinese economic situation among them, but perhaps we don’t need to go too far.

ago. The big problem for us on the HMRC stats – which are widely used - is that they don’t include service industry exports, and they are significant for Northern Ireland.

RB – What’s the state of health from an Invest NI perspective, Olive?

RB – We hear a lot about the agri food sector. Is it ahead of the game?

OH – The original Programme for Government export challenge was a very ambitious one. But the good news is that this year to date is looking very good. What we see is companies who had one or two export markets being able to move into new export markets.

The Middle East, we think, is a significant potential growth area.

We’re starting to see the fruits of work we’ve done two or three years

MB – Certainly, we’re not in the ‘sky is falling’ mode. We do have a world class industry and our export performance is an important part of that. Northern Ireland has one of the world’s largest poultry producing operations at Moy Park. You don’t get much bigger than that. But we’re leading on a whole lot of other fronts too.

Not all of them are obvious. For example, Professor Chris Elliott’s

Tony O’Neill, Deputy CEO, Dunbia

world-leading work as Director of the Institute of Global Food Security at Queen’s reflects very well on us here in Northern Ireland. And we’ve a major tourism and artisan push with the Year of Food & Drink next year.

RB – Tony, I’m interested in your views from a meat industry perspective but also in your other role as Chairman of the Agri Food Strategy Board?

TO’N – In our sector, all you’ve got to do is look at a country like Uruguay to see what can be achieved when it comes to red meat exports. So, while we’re doing well, we’ve a long way to go. A lot of it is about access... easy to access to the markets you want to sell

That’s international banking you can work with.

Connect at ulsterbank.co.uk/international

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Eye on Round Table

to. And, geographically, that’s not always easy for us here in Northern Ireland. We’ve also got to consider cultural issues and what meat products export customers want.

RB – Are export companies an area of focus for Ulster Bank, Richard Donnan?

RD – Absolutely. We’re not just there as funders. We do a lot around advice for exporting companies, and work to connect clients with others clients who’ve been in overseas markets. At a macro level, there are some headwinds and it is always competitive for exporters. We even work hard to build links with diaspora who might be of use to the wider export effort.

KMCN – The Denroy Group is all about brands. The Denman Brush brand is our big export performer, and it continues to perform very well in Europe and the USA in particular. But, of course, there are always challenges. There are challenges at the manufacturing

end, and there are always challenges when you’re out there flying the export sales flag and deciding which channel to go down. But whatever we’re doing, it’s paying off. Our export sales are up this year, and all of our growth is on the export front.

RB – Let’s turn to the last remaining Richard (Kennedy).

What are the challenges in your marketplace?

RK – We’ve also seen growth but I think it’s probably down to sheer bloody mindedness or tenacity.

And exporting is a lot about determination, isn’t it? We’re lucky to be where we are. The high standards required in the British Isles are our strength, so what we present to the global marketplace can be a world leader. At a macro level, there is a huge demand out there and that demand can be met. The challenges are around access and support. We can usually see opportunities, but it can sometimes be difficult to leverage those opportunities.

TO’N – Most companies take a longer-term view, looking at how markets will be in five or ten years time. You have to look at where the good prices will be tomorrow and sometimes you have to invest where business logic tells you is the wrong place to go. China is a classic example.

Some years ago, we wouldn’t have thought of targeting an affluent population there. Now that affluent population is huge.

So we have to look with much more vision at where we want to be. And we’re not just competing with other companies, we’re also competing with other countries.

chicken feet out to China. The general view might be that no one would want them.....but in China, they’re a high priced delicacy.

Again, it’s all about research and doing your homework and understanding the cultural differences. Sometimes, we need to change our attitudes to compete in export markets and adopt a different mindset. We still tend to look a hundred miles down the road and call that exporting.

RR – You mention China and it’s a very good point. I’ve heard the term ‘China-rich’ being used. The inference is that you can have rich consumers and then you can have ‘China-rich’ consumers, and they’re in a different league.

RB – So what can Government do to help change mindsets and to help exporters in general?

TO’N – And in more ways than one. I’ve spent a lot of time in the poultry industry, and it’s a lesser known fact that we send our

RK – I agree. You definitely need the right mindset.

And that mindset will drive the access to markets.

TO’N – We’ve talked a lot about access and I think that’s where Government can come in, play a role and help exporters in whatever way they can. There are nearly always obstacles that Government can possibly help to clear away.

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Wherever your business takes you we’ll make sure you have the right team on board.

Important Information Ulster Bank Limited, Registered in Northern Ireland No. R733. Registered Office: 11–16 Donegall Square East, Belfast, BT1 5UB. Member of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. Authorised Calls may be recorded. Please note that Invoice Finance and MaxTrad are not activities regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority.

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Eye on Round Table RK – It’s important, though, that we’re cognisant of the whole eco system. If farms aren’t doing well, then the sector won’t do so well. What keeps our farms going is cash, pure and simple. Past that our innovation simply has to be good across the whole piece. Northern Ireland isn’t much more than a speck in world terms, so we’ve got to be really good at what we do.

We need to set a challenge for ourselves. We have the industry, now we have to be innovative and we have to capitalise. You’ll fill all the order books in Northern Ireland in a few days if you orientate yourself properly.

RB – On the economic front. are global factors going to start affecting us to a large extent?

RR – There are plenty of challenges going forward, not least around what happens on the Chinese front and how the Brexit debate shapes up.

I’m just back from an event in Kilkenny that combines comedy with economics unlikely as that might seem - and the thing I notice is that there is a lot of interest in wider macro issues these days, and not just from economists.

RK – A strong exporting heritage makes a difference. I’m from Sligo and there used to be three trains a day running from Sligo to Larne, full of animals being sent over to Scotland. That’s the way it was done by every farmer in the area. And Irish beef farmers still think that way.

But, as Tony has said, the focus up here tends to be much more local.

MB – It’s important, too, that our resources and assistance are focused. We saw the opening not too long ago of the first new distillery here, but it comes into focus when you realise how many distilleries there are south of the border. We need to work harder to identify key areas of potential growth and support them.

RB – We talk about culture differences north and south. Are there too many companies here who sit on their backsides and don’t bother about exporting?

OH – We do face challenges around scaleability. Smaller companies tend to run scared of exports for a variety of reasons. But we do support them and we do try to take them to market. But maybe we do need to do more around the innovation space.

RK – I think younger people and graduates see it differently.

They tend to adapt easily to looking at foreign markets.

That’s certainly our experience with groups of graduates that we’ve taken on and gradually moved towards export projects.

If they’re guided and supported, graduates can be really effective, and maybe there is a case for re-instating some form of Export Graduate Programme.

RD – As a bank, we do work hard on the education front, assisting customers who are interested in exporting, through some practical advice on a range of different topics. There is

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That’s international banking you can work with.

Connect at ulsterbank.co.uk/international

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Eye on Round Table

clearly a need for information and advice, especially for those companies who are new to exporting. We can play our role, and it’s important that others do the same. And I think that there is an appetite for that advice, and it’s an increasing appetite.

KMCN – I suppose, to put things into context, we’ve always got to remember that we’re right out on the North West corner of Europe. You guys in the agri sector have a bit of an advantage.

You grow your own materials here. In our industry, we’ve got to bring them in and that can mean two stretches of water, and that has an effect on costs.

We’re competing against some very low-cost operators, and our customers come back year after year looking for better prices.

TO’N – So, in short, there are simple things that are within our control, and they include things like mindset. Isn’t that right?

RK – It is right. If there are skittles put in front of you, you can do one of two things.

You can look upon them as a blockage, or you can blast your way through them. I suppose we need more companies and individuals who can take the

latter approach. And Richard (Ramsey) is correct. We need urgent action on energy costs.

TO’N – Bureaucracy is another issue, I think. I’ve an issue at the moment where we have the best available technology ready to go, but we’re being held back by the NIEA (NI Environment Agency), some of the most effective policemen in the world! I’ve nothing against environment

protection. It’s essential. But I’m not keen on time consuming box-ticking exercises, and having to spend £50k on a computer model to prove that what we’re doing is alright. We need to get past this business v bureaucracy mindset.

RR – There are international forces that we can do very little about, but we do have to concentrate on the things we can do. Now that it’s back on the agenda, there’s no doubt that a lower rate of corporation tax could bring benefits and we do need to look much more closely at energy costs here and potential actions to get those lower.

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Eye on Recruitment

4c EXECUTIVE SEARCH...

A FOCUSED APPROACH 36

Eye on Recruitment

Gary Irvine might have been one of the key players in the Northern Ireland recruitment industry for quite a few years but he clearly hasn’t lost his enthusiasm for the business...despite having just sold his £40 million turnover business to a Plc. How many local business leaders would like to be able to say that?

I

n fact, Irvine is relishing the opportunity to focus his attention exclusively on 4c Executive Search, the specialist executive search consultancy he set up in 2013 to run autonomously serving the senior requirements of the N.I blue-chip client base whilst still owning his long established Diamond Recruitment Group.

In a strategically planned move, he’s now going to be focusing on the fast-growing 4c business...having sold off Diamond Recruitment after 26 years successful trading to one of the giants of the Recruitment Industry, namely the Staffline Group Plc. “The whole process of the disposal of Diamond was very painless and Staffline very much delivered on everything they said they would. I wish them well with the business in the future, and I know that Diamond Recuitment Group and it’s people will be in safe hands.

“Having been running Diamond for more than 20 years I was keen to pursue new challenges and opportunities. So I started to move in a new direction a few years ago, bringing Rick Butterworth in as MD while I took on more of a strategic role in the business which afforded me the time and energy required to establish 4c Executive Search. The Executive search arena is a prestigious sector that I’d always wanted to get involved in,” says Irvine.

“I look upon this as an exciting new chapter in my career.”

“When I spoke to business clients here in Northern Ireland about executive search, the majority of them told me that they turned to specialists in Dublin and London.

Here, they felt that executive search was more about the old school tie networks and the contents of their little black books...

“So my aim and our aim right from the start when we launched in October 2013 was to offer a truly professional executive search service which does exactly what it is supposed to do...research and find the right person for

business critical roles at a high level within an organization using a very sophisticated and defined process methodology.”

Executive search, of course, is better known by most as head hunting. And to do it discreetly and correctly the process needs to be clearly defined and exacting in it’s standards.

The team at 4c in Belfast works with the client to prepare a highly detailed document – the Assignment Brief - defining the position and the candidate being sought. They do the initial research into possible candidates, producing a target list of companies and candidates which is then refined further, after client collaboration before it serves as the final research list that is used as our first point of call.

Then the focus switches.

The listed candidates are then contacted by one of a team of our professional researchers based in London with the simple aim of ascertaining whether or not they are interested in finding out more about the role in question.

The “head hunting approaches” have now started in earnest.

“The role of these professionals is to try to get the candidate from apathetic to interested. It is all done very professionally and very confidentially. The candidate only finds out who their potential employer is at the later stages of the process,” explains Gary Irvine.

“Once a list of emerging interested parties is identified, then we’ll engage personally with every one of them to take the process forward.

“We have to take a lot of factors into consideration. A candidate, for instance, has to be the right cultural fit for an organisation... otherwise it won’t work out well.

It’s not just about ticking the right experience and expertise boxes.

“And it’s not a quick fix. We make no promises that we’ll have a candidate for a job within a couple of weeks. In fact, it can be a 12-week process or thereabouts... from preparing the brief through to making an appointment.”

4c Executive Search, says Gary Irvine, is the only executive search firm of its kind serving the Northern Ireland marketplace. “There are others, but they do it very differently to how we do it,” he adds.

“We’ve built the 4c business up steadily over the past couple of years, breaking even in the first year, then making a modest profit and now we’re heading for a decent profit. We don’t do this for fun, after all......business is about making money.”

On the recruitment front, 4c has successfully filled some 60 senior appointments over the past two years, with the largest majority falling within the £50K - £180K range. “A point also worth noting”, states Irvine “is that 4c never searches into client organisations, something that is essential if we are to retain their trust and custom into the future”.

“I’ve been amazed by how much business there is out there,” he says. “It might be considered a niche market, but there is clearly a growing demand for assistance when it comes to filling senior business critical roles.”

Irvine reckons that executive search is by far the best way to find the right people for senior roles. “If you simply advertise on the job boards or go through a recruitment agency, you’ll end up with two different types of candidate.....active job seekers who are desperate to move on and passive job seekers who are browsing the marketplace on an ad-hoc basis.

“Executive search targets individuals who are neither active or passive job seekers. In fact, the odds are that they will be happy in their roles elsewhere and, until they hear from us, hadn’t been considering a move.

“At the end of the day, it’s a case of searching for the right person and finding the right person. It’s really not any more magical than that.- we just make it look that way.....”he jokes!

And Gary Irvine is clearly enjoying it.

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We’re great researchers Discovering pioneering solutions 100% of our biomedical research environment is judged as world-leading*.

*Source: Research Excellence Framework 2014

We’re great business partners Helping companies work smarter We are one of the top 10 most entrepreneurial universities in the UK*.

*Source: HESA Higher Education Business & Community Interaction Survey

Shaping the future ulster.ac.uk/goingplaces

We’re great achievers

Aiming for the top and getting there We are one of the world’s top 100 young universities according to Times Higher Education.

We’re great networkers Making our courses relevant to the world of work

Over 90% of our graduates find themselves in work or further study six months after leaving.

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Eye on Economics

CHINA CRISIS...

DOES IT MATTER TO US? You might think that the ups and downs of the economies of Asia are a pretty distant irrelevance to our everyday lives here in Northern Ireland.

H

owever, developments in the global economy are a common topic of conversation when I meet with contacts in our business community to discuss the issues facing their companies.

The implications of the recent slowdown in emerging markets also feature in the Bank of England’s latest Inflation Report [please insert hyperlink in online edition] – our quarterly assessment of the outlook for the UK economy.

Although direct trade links between the UK and China are quite small, China still accounts for about 10% of world trade and is an important market for businesses based in Europe, many of which are in turn supplied by companies here in Northern Ireland.

China is also an important source of demand for commodities, so events there can affect the prices of a range of key raw materials such as oil and foodstuffs.

Whilst this is good news for many of the companies we talk to who are benefitting from lower costs, we have also seen recently how this, coupled with weaker global demand and a stronger pound, can also be a huge challenge for some industries. In NI, for example, we have seen a number of global firms announcing job losses over the last few weeks.

So it’s little surprise that the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) takes a keen interest in developments, not just in the domestic economy, but also further afield.

The recent slowdown in Chinese growth – albeit to the

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still-high level of more than 6% - has been accompanied by a further contraction in other large economies such as Russia and Brazil.

So while growth in advanced economies, such as the euro area, has continued and broadened, the committee now expects global growth as a whole to be more modest than at the time of its last Inflation Report in August.

However, this foreign weakness is balanced by domestic strength.

Consumer confidence is firm, households are benefitting from the strongest growth in real incomes since the financial crisis, and businesses’ investment intentions remain solid. All of which means the Bank’s expectations for UK growth are robust at around 2.5% this year.

And that sentiment is generally reflected amongst our contacts here in Northern Ireland, for example growth in tourism, the screen industry, and advance conference bookings in the new Waterfront extension are boosting hotel occupancy which is fuelling a surge in investment in new, and existing, hotels.

Business services firms are also benefiting from a pickup in merger and acquisition activity, in part because funding has become more readily available.

Looking ahead, the MPC predicts that growth will pickup a little towards the middle of next year, supported by the improved ability of businesses and households to access credit.

However, inflation – as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) – is expected to remain weak into next year.

Frances Hill.

“ Consumer confidence is firm, households are benefitting from the strongest growth in real incomes since the financial crisis, and businesses’ investment intentions remain solid. All of which means the Bank’s expectations for UK growth are robust at around 2.5% this year.”

Again, we have to look beyond our own shores for an explanation for this persistent weakness in inflation: four-fifths of the gap between October’s -0.1% CPI number and the Bank’s 2% inflation target was accounted for by falls in global energy and food prices and the lower cost of imports into the UK. While we watch current levels of inflation closely, it is the MPC’s job to return inflation to 2% in around two years. It is the judgement of the MPC that, in order to achieve that target in a couple of years’ time, when the time comes to raise rates it’s likely that only a gradual and limited increase will be necessary.

Of course, the actual path of Bank Rate in future will depend on what happens in

the economy over the coming months and years. And, as we’ve seen in recent months, that won’t just be determined by events close to home.

Frances Hill is Agent for the Bank of England in Northern Ireland. You can read the Inflation Report and latest Agents’ Summary of Business Conditions in full at www.bankofengland.co.uk

2015 Thursday 26th November

Henderson Group Honoured At Top Business Awards

Martin Agnew, Managing Director Henderson Group, receives the Company of The Year Award from Keith Liggett, Managing Director of category sponsors Legacy Wealth.

Also pictured are Brenda Buckley of Business Eye and Flybe cabin crew Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd.

ONE of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, Henderson Group, was named as Company of the Year at the 2015 UTV Business Eye Awards in association with Flybe.

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he awards were presented at the Culloden Estate & Spa last night (Thursday, 26th November) in front of an audience of 480 business guests.

Mark Regan, Chief Executive of Kingsbridge Private Hospital, took the Business Personality of the Year title recognising continued growth at Kingsbridge and its parent company, 3fivetwo Healthcare.

Meanwhile, the Lifetime Achievement Award went to Professor Marie McHugh,

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the long-serving Dean of the Ulster University Business School, which has just celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Other key winners on a glittering night of awards and entertainment at the Culloden Hotel were Connaire McGreevy of both CTS Projects Ltd & Mourne Mountains Brewery, who won Young Business Personality of the Year, and fast-growing Belfast company M&M Contractors, which was named as the SME (Small & Medium-Sized Enterprise) of the Year.

The Employer of the Year title went to local charity Action Cancer, BA Components of Cookstown lifted the International Award while Staffline Group was named as Fast Growth Company of the Year.

“We’re delighted to be the main sponsor of these awards which have established themselves as the premier awards for business here in Northern Ireland over the past five years,” said Andrea Hayes, Flybe’s UK General Manager (North & South).

“Flybe is firmly committed to serving the Northern Ireland marketplace with a comprehensive route network out of George Best Belfast City Airport, and we’re also firmly committed to serving an increasing number of business

in association with Flybe are an important part of the business calendar here in Northern Ireland.

“UTV has had the opportunity to support the Business Eye Awards since their inception nine years ago and once again businesses across Northern Ireland have showcased their innovation, strengths and credibility not only at a local level but as international players also.

“UTV strives to give the business sector the voice and strong platform to not only bring about change and investment where needed, but most importantly to recognise and celebrate all that has been achieved by the Northern Ireland business community over the last year.”

The UTV Business Eye Awards in

passengers on those routes.”

Michael Wilson, Managing Director of UTV Television, said that the UTV Business Eye Awards

association with Flybe were televised for the first time this year and a special programme on the awards was shown in early December.

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

Agri Food Innovation Award

Research & Development Project

Young Business Personality

Sponsored by Business Eye

Sponsored by Tesco

Sponsored by Matrix

Sponsored by Flogas

The Rug House

Keenan Seafood

Lava Group

Connaire McGreevy, CTS Projects Ltd

Green Company of the Year

Employer of the Year

FDI Project of the Year

Sponsored by Flybe

Sponsored by UTV

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Caroline McComb, McCombs Coach Travel

Sponsored by A&L Goodbody

Linden Foods

Action Cancer

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Action Cancer

Proofpoint NI

Most Innovative Company of the Year

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Allstate

Fast Growth Business of the Year

Sponsored by Electric Ireland

Tourism/Hospitality Project

Sponsored by Charles Hurst B2B

Keystone Group

Sponsored by Visit Belfast

StaffLine Group

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Brookvent

Circuit of Ireland Rally

HIGHLY COMMENDED: MCS Group + M&M Contractors

Business Education Award

SME of the Year

International Award

Sponsored by MOL

Sponsored by First Trust Bank

W5

M&M Contractors

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Young Enterprise NI

HIGHLY COMMENDED: AJ Power

Sponsored by CMI BA Components HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kitchenmaster

Business Personality of the Year Sponsored by Flybe Mark Regan, 3fivetwo Group HIGHLY COMMENDED: Philip Bain, Shredbank Company of the Year Sponsored by Legacy Wealth Henderson Group HIGHLY COMMENDED: Lidl Lifetime Achievement Award Professor Marie McHugh

Michael Wilson addresses the audience.

Richard Buckley addresses the audience.

Professor Marie McHugh receives the Lifetime of Achievement Award from Gary Irvine of sponsors 4C Executive Recruitment (left). Also pictured is Brenda Buckley of Business Eye and Flybe cabin crew member Ken McSorley.

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Ashley Piggot receives a highly commended award in the SME of the Year category from Edel McCooe from First Trust Bank (category sponsors). Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd.

Michael Wilson, Rose Neill, Marc Mallett and Vicky Hawthorne, UTV.

Gareth Loye, Managing Director of M&M Contractors receives the hotly contested SME Award from Edel McCooe, Regional Manager, First Trust Bank (category sponsors). Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

Ciara & Paul Donnelly.

Gerry Lennon of category sponsors Visit Belfast presents the Tourism & Hospitality Project of the Year Award to Bobby Willis & Vicky Maguire of Circuit of Ireland Rally. Also pictured is Flybe cabin crew member Lesley Johnston.

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Barry Smith, Kathryn Moore and David Caulfield.

Glen Cinnamon (second left) and Matthew Heslop (third right) receive a highly commended award in the Company of the Year category from Keith Liggett, Legacy Wealth (category sponsors).

Also pictured are Brenda Buckley, Business Eye (second right) and Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd.

Mark Regan of Kingsbridge Private Hospital & 3fivetwo Healthcare Group receives the UTV Business Eye Awards Business Personality of the Year trophy from Phil Delaney (second left), Marketing Director of Flybe. Looking on are Brenda Buckley of Business Eye and Flybe cabin crew Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd.

Philip Bain, Shredbank, receives a highly commended award in the Business Personality of the Year category from main sponsor Andrea Hayes, Flybe. Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd.

Caroline McComb of McCombs coach Travel, receives a highly commended award in the Young Business Personality of the Year category from Paul Crosbie, Flogas (category sponsors). Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd.

Fearghal O’Loan, Richard Bullick and Richard Gray.

Connaire McGreevy of CTS Projects & Mourne Mountains Brewery receives the Young Business Personality of the Year Award from Paul Crosby of category sponsor Flogas. Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

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Chris Henry, Allstate (second right) receives a highly commended award in the Employer of the Year category from Michael Wilson of UTV. Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd.

Michael Wilson, UTV (centre) presents the Employer of the Year Award to Gareth Kirk of Action Cancer.

Also pictured is Flybe cabin crew member Lesley Johnston.

Gavin Hutchinson, Jonathan Macon, Michelle Craig and Michael Henry.

Colin Gordon from category sponsor MOL presents a highly commended award in the Business/Education category to Carol Fitzsimmons of Young Enterprise NI. Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd.

Gillian Rea, Keith Liggett and John Dugdale.

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Judith Harvey collects the Business Education Award on behalf of W5 from Colin Gordon of MOL (category sponsors). Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd.

Colin McNabb, Charles Hurst B2B (in association with Fleet Financial), sponsors of the Fast Growth Business of the Year category, presents Barry Smyth, MCS with a highly commended award. Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd.

Gareth Loye, M&M Contractors receives picks up a highly commended award in the Fast Growth Business of the Year category from Colin McNabb, Charles Hurst B2B (in association with Fleet Financial). Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd.

Tina McKenzie & Adrian McCourt from Staffline Group collect the Fast Growth Business of the Year Award from sponsor Colin McNabb, Charles Hurst B2B (in association with Fleet Financial).

Paul Stapleton, General Manager, Electric Ireland presents Stephen O’Reilly from Brookvent with a highly commended award in the Most Innovative Company of the Year category. Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

Paul Stapleton, General Manager, Electric Ireland (centre) presents the Most Innovative Company of the Year Award to Eithne Kelly, CEO and Sean Og Coyle, Commercial Director of The Keystone Group. Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

Gerard Creighton, William Bailie, Andrew Kirkpatrick and Allister Mitchell.

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Phil Delaney, Amanda Magill, Andrea Fletcher and Ken Boyd.

Maeve McQuillan, Samanda Greer, Kenneth Hugh and Clodagh Dalzell.

Winner: FDI Project of the Year, Sponsored by A&L Goodbody: Proofpoint NI.

Gavin Campbell, Director of Engineering at Bombardier Aerospace presents the Research & Development Project of the Year on behalf of sponsors Matrix to Ken Armstrong, and Jonathan McCarron from the Lava Group. Also pictured is Flybe cabin crew member Lesley Johnston.

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Andrea Hayes addresses the audience.

Lauren Stuart, board member of the Chartered Management Institute presents Jackie Walsh, Kitchenmaster with a highly commended award in the International category.

David Caulfield, Sales & Marketing Director for BA Components receives the International Award on behalf of the company from Lauren Stuart, board member of the Chartered Management Institute (category sponsors).Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

Leanne Rice, Steven Kennedy and Emma Greene.

Louise Smith, Kirsty Dillon, Aliona Nicholl and Caroline McKinley.

Phil Delaney, Adrienne Magill, Ashley Morgan and Andrea Hayes.

Andrea Hayes of overall sponsors Flybe, presents the Green Company of the Year Award to Mael Wilford, Environmental Manager, Linden Foods. Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

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Sean Devlin, Claire McIntyre and Ian McIntyre.

Cathal Geoghegan, Lisa Quinn and Gareth Quinn.

Brenda Buckley, Business Eye presents the Agri-Food Innovation Award on behalf of category sponsors Tesco, to Gerry Keenan (centre) and Robert Shanks.

Gareth Kirk, Action Cancer receives a highly commended award in the Best Digital/ Online Company of the Year from Brenda Buckley (presenting the award on behalf of sponsors Tesco). Also pictured are Flybe cabin crew members Lesley Johnston and Ken Boyd.

Brenda Buckley of category sponsors Business Eye presents the best Digital/Online Company of the Year Award to Clare Vallely, Managing Director of The Rug House.

Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

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Richard McKinght, Clare Vallely and Stephen McElrone.

Richard Buckley addresses the audience.

Rose Neill & Marc Mallett, UTV.

Uel Butler, Brenda Buckley, Julie Roulston & Ken Roulston.

Ken Boyd & Lesley Johnston, Flybe cabin crew.

Lesley Delaney, Natalie Maginnis and Ciara Donnelly.

51

Jill Sinclair, Alistair Keith, John Dugdale, Sarah Sistern, Claire Cinnamon and Andrew Spratt.

Jeff Dingle as Bruno Mars.

52

Maeve Donnelly, Simon Edwards and Nicola McLaughlin.

Suresh Tharma and Anthony Mulligan.

Rebecca Wilson , Amy McCourt, Michael Rennie and Ian Wilson.

Dermot Morgan, John Murnian and Siobhan McCreesh.

Philip Miley and guests.

Claire Maguire and Catriona McGirr.

Enda and Eliza Corneille.

Dr Peter Calvert and Norman Carson.

Jamie Delargy and Grainne McGarvey.

Mauren Fox and Laura Wells.

Bernie Stapleton and Lynsey Fusco.

Karl and Mairead Ruddle.

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Jeff Dingle as Bruno Mars, with dancers.

HLM with their shortlisted certificate in the Employer of the Year category.

Richard and Brenda Buckley.

Clare Vallely, Managing Director of The Rug House, with her best Digital/Online Company of the Year Award.

54

Joanna Crowe and Carrie Johnston .

Lesley Johnston, David Wood, Mandy Patrick, Ashley Morgan and Phil Delaney.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Thank you for watching in 2015

3fivetwo New Horizons For Fast-Growing Private Medical Group

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Eye on Healthcare Mark Regan sees a clear challenge for Northern Ireland’s market-leading private medical group, 3fivetwo.

“W

e’re the biggest provider in private healthcare here by some distance,” he says. “But we’re still fighting over 15% or so of the population who are either insured or are willing to self pay. Our challenge is to reach out somehow to some of the 85% of the population here who don’t use private healthcare.”

There are a couple of reasons for that lack of engagement by the vast bulk of the population here. Some simply can’t afford it, while others are unaware of the fact that it’s possible to pay for private medical treatment on an ad hoc basis.

“The proportion of the population with private medical insurance runs to between 12 and 14% in GB, but only 8% here in Northern Ireland.

That’s largely explained by our much larger public sector here and the simple fact that fewer people are employed by organisations providing health insurance as part of the remuneration package.”

But, while some might be slow to realise that they can pay for rapid access for specialist treatment, 3fivetwo Group’s unique private GP and private casualty unit at Kingsbridge Private Hospital have both grown rapidly.

“We have seen, triaged and treated just over 7,000 patients last year through our Private GP & A&E Service. The GP service has grown into a fully-fledged operation that is considerably bigger than some traditional GP practices, and it continues to grow in patient terms.

“But one of its main advantages is the fact that, if one of our GP’s finds something that requires further investigation or treatment, then scans, diagnostics and specialist opinions are only a few feet away here at Kingsbridge. We’re offering true integrated healthcare... or a one-stop shop to put it bluntly.”

Just last month, Kingsbridge Private Hospital officially opened its very latest facility, a £1.5 million MRI scanning centre.

Kingsbridge already provides a fixed cost surgery programme to all of the GAA’s playing and non-playing members across Northern Ireland, a major innovation in private healthcare for sporting organisations.

Back on the subject of healthcare insurance, 3fivetwo’s customers don’t have to be insured. They can pay directly for just about any form of treatment. But Mark Regan has noticed a rise in the number of companies now offering medical cover to their employees.

H3 Insurance, 3fivetwo Group’s very own private healthcare insurance company, recently won the contract to provide healthcare services to all 8,000 employees of the PSNI. But Kingsbridge and 3fivetwo as a whole also works with customers of all of the main medical insurers, including BUPA, Axa, Aviva and others.

“Companies are seeing the clear benefits of providing medical cover in terms of creating a healthier workforce and also in terms of staff retention. It is regarded as a major benefit by almost all employees these days,” he says.

The opening of the MRI Scanning Centre at Kingsbridge isn’t 3fivetwo’s only major investment of the past 12 months or so.

During the summer, it announced the acquisition of the 19-bed St. Joseph’s Private Hospital in Sligo, which has now been rebranded as Kingsbridge Private Hospital, Sligo.

“We’ve got a significant investment planned for the Sligo hospital, and we’ve already developed new areas of expertise there, offering local patients access to orthopaedics, cosmetic surgery and fertility treatment through our own Origin Fertility operation based here in Belfast (...which recently celebrated the birth of its 800th baby).”

The Belfast-based group also runs the exclusive Chelsea Private Clinic in London’s Kings Road area and has recently added optometry to its portfolio with the acquisition of the Sweeney Opticians group.

“That also means that optometry patients can, if necessary, gain direct access to our opthalmology consultants for cataract surgery or treatment for other serious eye conditions,” Mark Regan points out.

Also coming over the horizon is 3fivetwo’s DotCom Doctor service... or Medicine by Skype as some have dubbed it. A major growth area in the USA, it has already been tested by 3fivetwo here with a couple of local employers.

Regan welcomes the Government’s recent commitment to allocating more money to the private healthcare sector here in Northern Ireland. But 3fivetwo is also watching the development of the EU Directive for Healthcare with more than a passing interest.

The Directive, in essence, means that citizens of European

countries can seek treatment in another European country if waiting lists are viewed as unacceptably long... and their own government foots the bill.

“Given the favourable exchange rate and lower healthcare costs in Northern Ireland, we’re well placed, we think, to provide treatment for patients in the Republic of Ireland who are at the mercy of long waiting lists. For most of them, after all, it’s a relatively short trip up to Belfast. So it’s a potential market that we’re already working hard to develop.”

If Republic of Ireland patients are facing long waiting lists, then so are patients here in Northern Ireland, despite the reduction in waiting lists being a major government priority. But the higher cost of healthcare there, coupled with exchange rates working the other way, make it a much less attractive proposition for Northern Ireland patients to travel for treatment.

Mark Regan estimates that some 350,000 patients here are on some form of waiting list for scans or consultant appointments, and some of those waiting lists can run for as long as two calendar years.

It’s a fairly appalling prospect.

“So our message is a simple one,” he says. “Private healthcare is not some kind of elite club.

It’s accessible to everyone prepared to pay for the service.”

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Eye on Fleet

DFC... VEHICLE SPECIALISTS FOCUS ON GROWTH (L-R) Uel Butler, Peter Shaw & Trevor Armstrong of DFC

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Eye on Fleet Both Uel Butler and Peter Shaw are frank and honest when it comes to talking about the effect that the financial crisis had on their business. But both men are equally clear when they talk about the current growth of DFC and the importance of its independent approach in a hotly-contested fleet car marketplace here.

T

heir company – Butler is Chief Executive while Shaw is Managing Director – is one of the key players in the business vehicle market here in Northern Ireland but, of the four main players, it is the only one firmly in local ownership.

“We think that’s very important,” says Uel Butler. “People here like to deal with other local people on a level. But another key factor of our independence is that simple fact that we’re not allied to any one vehicle manufacturer or dealership.

We provide honest, impartial advice to our customers without any ties to any big brand names.”

DFC operates from purpose-built premises at Heron Road in Belfast, a stone’s throw from the main runway at Belfast City Airport.

The firm has its roots back in 1989 when it was established by a veteran of the motor trade here, Denis Farrell (….hence the name) with the current management team taking over the reins on Farrell’s retirement 12 years ago or so.

Since then, the company has grown at a steady rate, moving into its impressive new headquarters several years ago.

“The recession years weren’t easy, it goes without saying,” he says. “In our industry, it was a bit of a perfect storm. Levels of business dipped as customers felt the pinch and quite a few of the main banks backed away from financing vehicles and assets.

“Nowadays, we’ve passed the green shoot stage and things are looking a whole lot more positive,” he adds. “We’ve seen our business expand into areas like personal contract hire as well as into a wider range of vehicles, and we’re harnessing the latest technology more and more across our operations.”

Both Uel Butler and Peter Shaw agree on the main reasons for DFC’s success. “The fact that we’re

local people and a local company is one key factor,” says Shaw.

“The other is the way that we look after our customers. We’re here to provide vehicles and to make life easier for the companies that we work with, and they range from sole traders right up to some of Northern Ireland’s larger private sector companies.

“What’s more, we’re supplying them with a wide range of vehicles.....from small hatchbacks through medium saloon cars up to director level vehicles and then into the light commercial marketplace where we can supply vans up to the 3.5 tonne level.”

DFC can provide its customers with a range of different options, not just in terms of vehicles but also in terms of financing those vehicles.

“Contract hire is growing in popularity with businesses once again,” says Uel Butler. “It’s a highly effective way to budget vehicles costs across a number of years and to avoid unpleasant surprises, especially those that crop up on the vehicle maintenance front.”

DFC operates a number of different department from its Heron Road headquarters, concentrating on Sales, Finance, Maintenance, Re-Marketing and Collections and Deliveries. The also employ a one stop shop, where one number for all vehicle enquiries and issues is handled in house.

The Maintenance Department looks after the maintenance requirements and logistical requirements of the entire DFC fleet....organising a wide range of maintenance and repair issues on behalf of DFC vehicle customers.

The Re-Marketing Department, as its name suggests, managed by Trevor the Re Marketing Director, manages the onward sale of vehicles which have reached the end of their contracts....and are sold on to trade or public buyers

or returned to companies on a finance plan. Armstrong says, “As well as assisting in the disposal of vehicle for companies and individuals, we offer a wide range of VAT qualifying ex contract cars and van which can be purchased outright or offered on a mini-lease.”

DFC’s rental facility provides a cost effective solution to businesses to keep their driving moving. Delivery a wide choice of vehicle groups including light commercials from anywhere between 1 to 12 months. This is perfect solution when you need to bridge the gap between monthly rental and longer term leasing.

“It can be a complex business for customers to get their heads around, what with the cost implications of Co2 emissions from different vehicles and the tax implications of BiK (Benefit in Kind).

But these complexities are what we are here to explain and reassure our customers about,” adds Uel Butler.

“It’s important, after all, that customers understand all of the costs that they will face before they make final decisions on vehicle choice.

“What we also do effectively is monitor the whole motor sector here in an effort to find the best possible vehicle deals for our customers. We’re working with manufactures and the local and national dealerships every day of the week, and the result is that we’ve built up a substantial buying power....and we’re not afraid to use it.”

DFC also works at a national level with major European

funding partners with some serious financial clout. Between them, these partners fund up to 100,000 vehicles every year, and as a result DFC can offer exclusive bonuses and discounts that many customers would otherwise struggle to find in the marketplace.

On the technology front, the company’s long term partnership with the RAC extends to the use of RAC’s proven on board telematics for vehicle fleets, which enable fleet operators to get instant information on vehicle and driver performance as well as economy..... and also plays an important role in accident management.

“It’s a very powerful tool right across the board, both in terms of everyday vehicle management and crisis situations, and it’s a tool which is proving very popular with our customers out there,” adds Uel Butler.

But it is the cost benefits that are proving most popular with DFC customers. With up to 10% savings being made on monthly rentals, the small monthly cost of having the device fitted is excellent value considering the savings to be made.

“This game changing, holistic approach a first in Northern Ireland, guarantees maximum cost savings on your vehicle(s), secures peace of mind and promises full GPS cover for your vehicles 24 hours a day with the added advantage of incorporating RAC Breakdown and Accident Management.

“We think it’s an all-encompassing approach that appeals to our existing customers..... and our future customers.”

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Eye on News

The Rug House Win Best Online / Digital Company At The UTV Business Eye Awards

N

ewry based rug specialists The Rug House continued a remarkable year winning Best Online / Digital Company at the prestigious UTV Business Eye Awards held in the Culloden Estate & Spa. The awards where attended by 500 of Northern Ireland’s most successful business people. This is The Rug House’s second year to win at the awards after winning SME of the year in 2014.

Owners Clare and Paul Vallely collected the award eight years on from founding the business whilst both were still in university. It has been an amazing journey for the pair who have had 60% growth year on year. The biggest company development in 2015 was the release of the firm’s new website in October 2015.

The judging panel said “The Rug House have demonstrated the most successful and most innovative use of online/digital technology to advance its business

60

aims in Northern Ireland in 2015 and we are delighted to announce them as winners of our Best Online category.”

Owner Clare Vallely spoke of her success at the awards ”We have just launched our new website www.therughouse. co.uk and we are delighted to win Best Online Company 2015. We believe this award will help to create better awareness of our website and products.”

“I would like to thank our hardworking staff for all their hard work and commitment. We have had an extremely busy winter season already and we are hoping to continue this success in the new year.”

The Rug House have recently increased their workforce with the appointment of a new head of design Beverley Herron, Head of eCommerce Richard McKnight and Head of Procurement Lisa Fitzpatrick.

The firm are always interested in motivated and highly skilled employees.

Brenda Buckley of category sponsors Business Eye presents the best Digital/ Online Company of the Year Award to Clare Vallely, Managing Director of The Rug House. Also pictured are Lesley Johnston & Ken Boyd, Flybe cabin crew.

The Rug House have are based in Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry with a state of the art 5,000 square foot showroom on site and open to the public.

23 Shepherd’s Way, Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry BT35 6EE Tel: 028302 50027 Int: 0044 (0) 28302 50027 www.therughouse.co.uk

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Eye on Banking

L-R Danny Hughes, Bernie Kerr, Jim Kirkwood, Ivan McMinn, Peter McRoberts, Ian Beatty and Neil Graham

Back On The Acquisition Trail Danske Bank’s Ivan McMinn could have been forgiven for opting to spend more time on the golf course after recovering from serious illness. Instead, one of Northern Ireland’s most experienced and respected bankers, has returned to the fray to take up a new role as the Bank’s Head of Business Acquisition.

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A

well-known figure in the local business community Ivan was noticeable by his absence for much of this year as he recovered from a second bout of cancer. But while he was off the scene, he says his friends and contacts in the business world kept in touch.

“The support I’ve had from the business community has been incredible.

The number of messages and calls I’ve received has been phenomenal. I’ve been through two sets of illness and I’m incredibly thankful to those who’ve been so thoughtful to me and my family through those times,” he said.

“I am delighted to be back in a client facing role again, overseeing what has been one of the most

successful teams in Danske’s business banking division in recent years.”

An industry veteran, Ivan has more than 33 years’ experience in the bank, the past 20 in Business & Corporate banking. He has held almost every management role in Business and Corporate banking, his last position being Head of Corporate Banking and his new role is a fitting one, given that he set up the Bank’s acquisition team on the corporate side back in 2007.

It’s a team of nine and all of its members are well known in the Northern Ireland market, with proven track records in business banking.

The team covers all of Northern Ireland, with three of the team in Belfast – Ian Beatty, Jim Kirkwood and Neil Graham,

Eye on Banking

“ We’re looking to work with best in class, strong businesses with a good track record. Companies with whom we can build a long and beneficial relationship. That can be businesses with debt of £50,000 up to £5m and turnover from £1m up to £15m. There are roughly 68,000 businesses in the SME sector and we have positioned ourselves to work with companies of all sizes.”

Peter McRoberts in the North East, Mark Sproule in Derry and the wider North West region, Bernie Kerr looking after the southern and Mid-Ulster region and Danny Hughes covering the South East.

These specialists are based out of Danske Bank’s regional Finance Centres and are keen to speak to businesses from all sectors of the economy.

Notable sectors of growth the team are involved in include the food sector, transport and professional services (i.e. doctors, dentists, accountants and solicitors) - but even amongst sectors which have endured tough times, such as property and construction, Ivan says the bank continue to find good propositions to support.

“We’re looking to work with best in class, strong businesses with a good track record,” says Ivan. “Companies with whom we can build a long and beneficial relationship. That can be businesses with debt of £50,000 up to £5m and turnover from £1m up to £15m. There are

roughly 68,000 businesses in the SME sector and we have positioned ourselves to work with companies of all sizes.”

Danske’s acquisition team is also thinking outside of traditional structures.

Ian Beatty for example is working with high potential start-up tech companies, the sort of businesses with characteristics that don’t normally appeal to banks.

What Ivan says has set Danske’s team apart has been its focus on relationship management. It’s the sort of claim all banks make but one which is backed up by the high number of business banking customers which have chosen to switch to the bank in recent years.

One new customer who attests to the strength of Danske’s offering is Kenny Bradley, owner of Kenny’s Group, which has a portfolio of seven retail outlets across mid-Ulster and the North West, four with petrol station forecourts and five with wine stores. The company’s service partners include Maxol, BP and SPAR and they also own an online retail business - homedeliverywine.com.

Kenny recently switched to Danske from another bank to help progress plans for further development, including a new site near Ballymena.

He said: “We are a small forward thinking business who are positive about future growth. Recruiting, training and offering career progression is vital to our expansion, thus creating jobs and services within our community.

“Currently the company is redeveloping the Fort Royal site outside of Ballymena, which upon completion will trade as Applegreen. However, our plan in 2016 is to also expand our Kilrea site with an investment of £2m, creating up to 30 jobs. With strong backing from Danske Bank, and advice from Mark Sproule, we have been able to see our paper projects come to fruition. We are also keen to invest in further retail

opportunities that may come our way.”

As a man who has over 1,500 contacts in his phone, Ivan McMinn is also keen to stress the importance of Northern Ireland’s referral network to the bank’s success, noting that the acquisition team is highly respected amongst the accountancy profession and known for giving quick answers.

Danske’s business banking customer service levels are rated as market leading in Northern Ireland and the bank offers what Ivan believes are best in class services, such as trade finance for exporters and cash management solutions.

“It is a combination of good people, expert systems, great products and high customer satisfaction. We have an experienced senior management team making decisions locally in Belfast, which means a quick turnaround. I respect our competitors but I don’t believe any of them can match the holistic offering that we have here for existing or prospective customers,” adds Ivan.

“Last year we had a record year in business banking at Danske Bank.

Indications suggest that we will surpass those achievements again this year and the way it looks at the moment I would be very confident of another very good year in 2016.”

Ivan McMinn, Head of Business Acquisition at Danske Bank, can be contacted on 07711885142 or at ivan.mcminn@danskebank.co.uk

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Eye on Health

CARDIOVASCULAR CONCERNS With stress and musculoskeletal disorders often highlighted as some of the most common problems to affect employees in the workplace, it’s important not to ignore other illnesses. Dr Alan Black, Managing Director of Blackwell Associates - one of Northern Ireland’s longest established occupational health providers - outlines what you need to know about another occupational threat: cardiovascular disease.

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ardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to the narrowing or blocking of blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina), or stroke.

Figures from Chest Heart and Stroke NI (CHSNI) show that last year 5,723 deaths were due to a combination of these conditions, which equates to 16 deaths per day. To put it another way, 68% of all deaths in NI are caused by one of three illnesses: cancer, respiratory diseases, and CVD. While causing a substantial number of deaths, it also goes without saying that there are thousands of people living with such conditions on a daily basis and this is where employers need to take note.

Risk factors for CVD are many, and include age, gender, family history, ethnic origin, lifestyle choices, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

And with the festive season almost upon us, these risk factors may be heightened in workplaces across the province.

For many shift workers, their unsociable working hours may be increased in the run up to Christmas as orders are accelerated to meet with year end deadlines. In addition, the long dark nights and colder weather often deters people from undertaking their usual exercise and healthy eating routines, thus increasing the risk of

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developing a CVD related condition.

This means that employers may wish to consider implementation of a workplace wellbeing plan to provide lifestyle information to staff to help reduce the likelihood of CVD conditions occurring - or becoming worse.

However, it’s important to note that offering employees health information is not enough to spur healthy lifestyle changes alone.

Your occupational health provider can work with you to develop a comprehensive health promotion programme that includes sustained risk reduction counselling for employees and environmental interventions. Together these can prove to be effective in supporting healthy lifestyles and prevent CVD. A successful cardiovascular health program includes intervention plans that take into account organisational risk factors. It is essential to support high-risk individuals, such as those with high blood pressure, by enabling them to become healthier and more productive employees. This will also result in substantial savings to the company’s bottom line as potential absenteeism costs may be avoided.

In addition, plans can be put in place to safeguard the future health of those employees who have existing cardiovascular health problems and those who may be diagnosed as a result of any health assessments.

It is important to note that most people can return to work following diagnosis of CVD, depending on the stability of the condition, control of symptoms and the type of work undertaken. Work itself can be important to general health and wellbeing. Indeed, a return to work should not be seen as an end point in itself, but rather as an important milestone on the road to recovery.

Your occupational health provider will be able to advise on any workplace adjustments that may be necessary, such as reduced hours, a change in workload, or to suggest workplace amendments to help those who have been treated for CVD with medication, coronary artery stenting, or with a pacemaker.

All things considered, more businesses need to recognise that poor health leads to lower productivity and higher health insurance costs.

As such, an increasing number of companies are finding that the promotion of health, education, physical activity, and preventive measures in the workplace are beneficial both to the business and the individual employee.

When it comes to navigating the implications of a wide range of health problems, the team at Blackwell Associates is highly experienced and well positioned to provide support and guidance to both companies and employees.

Call 028 9065 6131 to speak to a member of the team, or email enquiries@blackwellassociates.co.uk Keep up to date with Blackwell Associates’ latest developments on Twitter by following @BwellAssociates or like them on Facebook via facebook.com/BlackwellAssociatesLtd

Eye on AgriFood

Pictured from Left to Right: David Dobbin, Chairman of NIFD, Jason Tarry, Tesco Chief Product Officer, Allan Wilkinson - Head of Food and Agriculture HSBC.

Farmers and food producers in Northern Ireland, go global

By Allan Wilkinson, HSBC Head of Food & Agriculture

Northern Ireland produces more food than it consumes, and is home to some of the UK’s bestrun agriculture businesses.

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ith those credentials, an increasingly integrated global economy, and a food production target of more than £7 billion by 2020, farmers and food producers in Northern Ireland should set their sights on new, overseas markets.

Northern Irish food businesses have been thinking internationally for decades now, successfully exporting their famous dairy, meat and poultry products across North America and wider Europe since the 1990s. But as a

banker who works for the world’s largest international bank, with a presence in over 70 countries worldwide, I can tell you that they must now think global.

This is not least due to the fact that growth generally, and particularly demand for food products, are stagnating in Northern Ireland’s traditional export markets – especially Europe.

On the other hand, demand for food products is increasing sharply in emerging markets such as the Far East, including India, China and Indonesia.

India, for example, cannot produce enough milk for domestic consumption. This is the same with China. Middle classes in those countries are growing quickly – and so are their wallets and preference for European brands.

Exporting to a new market has its challenges – and that is where HSBC can help.

With an unrivalled international network across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, HSBC has traditionally been where growth and trade are taking place. We were founded in Hong Kong 150 years ago by the families of Scottish farmers to support trade of soft commodities, including agriculture, between Britain and China, and have had a dedicated team to support the UK’s agriculture industry for over five decades. Moreover, our agriculture team has been growing steadily in Northern Ireland for the past eight years.

As you may have seen in our recent Forward Planning 2016 booklet, HSBC is fully committed to the UK agriculture sector, despite market volatility and historically-low commodity prices.

This is because we see value in many food businesses and farms which are well-managed, and

therefore able to cope with the challenging external environment.

Food businesses in Northern Ireland are no exception. In fact, farmers and food producers in Northern Ireland are in a better position than most – I encourage these businesses to take advantage of that, and to ‘go global’. Satisfying the demand for food from Northern Ireland from far-away countries can establish the region as one of the most important food producers worldwide.

Our agriculture team here at HSBC is proud to already partner with the likes of Dunbia, Moy Park and Dale Farm, providing them with the financial support and international know-how they need to expand production and exports – but we are looking forward to working with many more of the great businesses in Northern Ireland, big or small.

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LAURIE SCOTT...

A PASSION FOR BELFAST 68

Eye on Tourism Back in the day, it’s unlikely that a Scotsman like Laurie Scott would have swapped a high-profile New York-based job promoting Britain to America for a role selling Belfast as a business tourism destination.

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o it’s a measure of how much has changed that the former Visit Britain man in North America jumped at the chance to take the reins as Director of Business Development at Visit Belfast.

“I’d done my bit in New York and I was looking for an opportunity to come back to this side of the Atlantic. And, when this role came up, I thought it was pretty much ideal. Belfast is a city that is going places. It’s fresh, it’s exciting and the role is one that I liked right from the start,” he says.

His wife, a Glaswegian like himself, and his young family were also happy to settle in Belfast. “We’d been here before on social visits, so we certainly weren’t experts, but there’s a great feel to this place, a great vibe, and that’s what convinced us that this was the right place to come to.

“I think that there are really strong foundations in place now as far as the tourism product is concerned,” he says. “We’ve seen some impressive growth, and there’s a lot more to come.

Belfast is looked upon as a new destination, somewhere a bit different and somewhere that’s exciting and fresh. It’s not really a novelty factor....but it’s something along those lines.

“Factors like Titanic Belfast and Game of Thrones help. Of course they do. But the city goes a lot further than that.

What we’re finding is that when people come here for the first time....they’re sold.

“It’s a compact city and there’s absolutely no doubt that it’s also a friendly city. That friendliness is a big selling point and a big advantage in itself.

“A lot of really hard work has gone into the transformation of Belfast. A lot of people have put in a heck of lot of blood, sweat and tears.”

One of Laurie Scott’s main challenges will be to increase

the number of conferences and other major business events choosing Belfast as a destination.

With that in mind, he warmly welcomes the fact that the new conference facilities at the Waterfront Hall are due to open in May....as well as the fact that several new hotels are also just over the horizon.

“We’re still going to need even more hotels,” he adds.

“There’s an opportunity, I think, for at least one more hotel with an international brand name. Brands are important when it comes to the global business events marketplace.”

But Belfast, he says, has plenty going for it outside of hotels and event venues. The news that two local establishments have earned Michelin stars is a welcome boost, he says, as are clear advances in the city’s nightlife, particularly around Cathedral Quarter.

“The bars and restaurants we have here are as good and probably better than in any comparable city in the British Isles. We’ve come a very long way,” he says simply. “Most visitors who come here say that they’re surprised by what they find.”

But some challenges do remain.

“Airport access is always an issue,” Scott adds. “We’re fortunate to have the direct service from New York and the recent addition of the KLM link to Amsterdam is also a bonus, but we could do with more direct European services, particularly to Germany.”

Along with his business sales team, he has to market Belfast in competition with UK cities, European cities and, in some cases, worldwide cities.

A major industry revolves around mobile business events, especially major conferences, and the Visit Belfast team spends a lot of its time pitching for those major events on a competitive basis.

“It’s a bit like pitching for the Olympics over and over again.

If all our our current pitches came good, Belfast wouldn’t be able to cope with the numbers who would descend on us.

But that’s not the way that it works, of course,” he says.

But Visit Belfast’s job isn’t all about business tourists.....high spenders though they might be.

The organisation is also charged with encouraging tourists of any kind, from weekenders through to day trippers coming up from the Republic.

“Our challenge can be as simple as trying to entice someone who has come up to see Titanic Belfast for a day to do a few other things while they’re here....and ideally to stay the night,” he says, “That’s where the tourist dollars are made after all.”

Looking to the future, Laurie Scott says that Visit Belfast is aiming to build up a strong pipeline of conferences and events over the coming years.

“We work well ahead, as does everyone in this industry. So, for us, 2016 is pretty much done and dusted. We’re looking at events right up to 2020 and 2021.”

And Belfast Harbour will play host to no less than 80 cruise ship visits from Easter of 2016 through to autumn. “That’s a lot of potential visitors and we’ll continue to work to get the cruise ship passengers to come into the city while they’re here. Once we get them into Belfast, we’ll do our best to convince them to come back.....”

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Eye on Banking

Supporting A Winning Sector Nigel Walsh, Head of Sectors and Specialist Sales, Ulster Bank

2016 has been designated as Northern Ireland’s ‘Year of Food & Drink’ – a platform to celebrate local producers and processors, and to encourage those who visit Northern Ireland to sample and appreciate the quality of what we have to offer.

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ocusing on one sector provides the chance to get a real understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing those companies that work in it.

At Ulster Bank, our team of experienced food and drink managers have long been putting in place the foundations needed to help this important part of the economy to grow and thrive.

This is particularly true when it comes to export, where we have local producers that have global-renown and are capable of competing with best-in-class competitors.

For our part, we work hard to develop and innovate with products that are supportive of their activity, whether that’s releasing cash from unpaid invoices, helping mitigate against foreign exchange rate fluctuations, or working with clients to help them manage their cash flow. Alongside our colleagues in RBS and NatWest, we build trust with our customers, so we can advise them on sustainable solutions for their business.

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But in addition to helping great businesses now, we believe that it’s important to contribute to a long-term culture of entrepreneurial engagement. The upcoming launch of the Entrepreneurial Spark hub, powered by Ulster Bank, is a strong signal of our commitment to developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and giving them the tools they need to build the durable, sustainable and investable businesses of the future. It will be based in Lombard Street, Belfast and will provide space for up to 80 entrepreneurs.

Giving people a space to expand and progress their ideas – to stress test and refine a concept into a solid plan, and to do so in a supportive atmosphere that brings together people from across many different sectors and backgrounds – is conducive to building strong and exciting new businesses.

To encourage entrepreneurs to take the next step we held an Innovation for Growth Conference at CAFRE’s new Innovation Centre at their Loughry Campus in September; to highlight the support and facilities available to food & drink businesses eager to take their idea or product further. One of the most impressive parts of the day was listening to the businesses support each other, sharing ideas and solutions garnered through their own experiences. We are also supporting a bursary for a Global Marketing Student

at Loughry in 2016 to encourage future generations to consider Northern Ireland food and drink a global opportunity.

Personally, I’m proud to have worked with many of Northern Ireland’s largest exporters, most innovative family businesses, as well as some of our newest companies. I believe that their success should be highlighted and signposted – to give other people encouragement about what can be achieved.

It’s one of the reasons that we’re proud to have hosted another successful Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards. Rewarding entrepreneurship, celebrating success and giving businesses a real signal of quality to their staff and customers is an important part of building a culture that looks up to entrepreneurs as the risk-takers that create jobs and opportunity across Northern Ireland.

All these are important ways that we believe we can contribute to building a strong and sustainable economy and entrepreneurial culture: one that makes the most of our best local resources and builds links right across the supply chain galvanising the necessary resilience to deal with a market that has fast-changing consumer preferences. In Ulster Bank we know that what’s good for the local economy is good for our business.

So we look forward to helping many more businesses in the Year of Food & Drink take the steps they need to grow and develop.

Eye on Leadership

BRUSHING UP ON SALES SKILLS Catherine McCambridge has no doubt that completing the Sales Leadership Programme at Queen’s University’s William J Clinton Leadership Institute had a positive impact on her professional role and the contribution she makes to her company.

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enior Sales Manager for the UK & Ireland marketplace with Denman International, the Bangor-based sales, marketing and warehousing company which supplies market-leading hair brushes, Catherine completed last year’s Sales Leadership Programme at Riddel Hall.

“It taught me a lot about how to take a much more strategic view of sales, managing sales and planning sales,” says Catherine. “And it also encouraged me to come back into the company with quite a few new ideas which I presented and now form part of how we do things at Denman.

“Apart from that, I really enjoyed the experience. It was good to challenge myself, it was good to meet other people and it was even better to learn from them as well as from the experienced course tutors.”

Catherine has been with Denman for 10 years and is responsible for sales in the UK & Ireland to the professional sector, working through a network of wholesalers to sell brushes to professional hairdressers. Denman effectively targets two key markets – professional hairdressers and the public.

“We supply to the trade both directly and through our UK agents. I look after this network from Bangor and by travelling across the GB fairly regularly to talk to our customers,” she says.

Denman International is part of the wider Denroy Group, headed by John Rainey and including Denroy Plastics, also based in Bangor. Denroy manufactures a range of injection moulded plastics products for the aerospace, medical and other industry sectors.

Denman exports some 40% of its brush output and has dedicated offices in Boston, USA, as well as the Netherlands.

So why did she choose the Clinton Institute’s Sales Leadership Programme?

“It’s not often that you read about a really good sales course,” says Catherine.

“I was at a point in my career where I had just been promoted, and I was looking for a course with substance.

“What also appealed to me was the flexibility. It’s aimed at people in busy

“ I thought that it was very interactive, and it’s amazing how much you can learn from the others on the course... and our’s had a good mix of people from different types of companies and sales roles.” sales roles, so it spans over a four or five-month period, it takes 10 full days out of your schedule and you get plenty of notice of when those days will be to make planning easier.

“I thought that it was very interactive, and it’s amazing how much you can learn from the others on the course.....and ours had a good mix of people from different types of companies and sales roles.

“People brought genuine problems and sales challenges to our meetings and we were able to discuss these situations through coaching sessions and to come up with our own ideas and solutions. That’s really good experience and valuable for all of us,” she adds.

Outside of the classroom sessions, Catherine also highlights the access to virtual learning channels which form an integral part of the course for special mention. She’s also quick to add that the Institute’s Riddel Hall centre is ideal for

group study days......close to the city but set in its own picturesque grounds.

“I would definitely recommend the Sales Leadership Programme to anyone in a professional sales role who wants to challenge themselves, discover some new ideas, think strategically and learn from others.

“Sales, after all, isn’t all about black and white sales figures. It’s also about customer experiences, it’s about managing expectations and it’s about adding value through collaboration.

“Both Denman International and I have benefitted from the Sales Leadership Programme.....so it’s a win win situation for both parties.”

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Eye on Auto Enrolment

TEAMWORK IS THE KEY TO AUTO-ENROLMENT SUCCESS

Joan Arndell, Iain Ferguson & Catriona Murray from Workers Pension Trust.

For many business owners, autoenrolment is one of those things that keeps getting pushed further and further down the to-do list.

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t can be difficult to know just where to start and easier to put off until another day! The reality however is that it is the law and firms can face fines if the process isn’t implemented properly by their staging date.

Each company has a unique staging date depending on the size of their workforce. It is estimated that there are 5,000 businesses in Northern Ireland with 10-49 employees; these will have to comply between January 2015 and mid-2016. A further 27,000 local businesses with 1-9

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employees will need to comply from mid-2016 to the end of 2017.

With this number of businesses auto-enrolling, industry experts expect there to be bottlenecks in the system and it is therefore important that firms start to prepare as early as possible.

Workers Pension Trust’s approach The management team at WPT work together to ensure that we provide a comprehensive service to our clients. It all starts with meticulous planning and attention to detail.

Joan Arndell, Pensions Manager, outlines the process “As firms will now be responsible for their employees’ retirement savings as well as their salaries, it is vital that they pick a pension scheme that works best for their staff. There is a wide range of pension providers in the marketplace however the advent of auto-enrolment has also brought more providers who offer trust based multi-employer pension schemes into the mix.”

“Workers Pension Trust is run by a board of Trustees who have been operating a multi-employer pension scheme for over 30 years. The Trustees have two main responsibilities. First of all they ensure that the Scheme complies fully with auto-enrolment and all other legislative requirements by ensuring adequate governance and controls are in place. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, they ensure that employees’ pension contributions are invested in funds designed to grow over a long period of time. The Trustees receive investment advice from JLT, one of the biggest employee benefit providers in London. ” Business Development Manager Iain Ferguson’s role is to make the initial contact with clients either directly or through their Financial Adviser or Accountant.

“When we began this process in 2012 we were dealing with larger employers who had their own HR, Finance and Project Teams. Smaller

businesses do not have the same resources and rely increasingly on us to liaise with their IFA or Accountant to ensure that everything is completed properly and on time,” Iain explained.

“Choosing the right pension provider can help ease the burden and make the process much simpler and more manageable. Business owners should look at the provider’s experience of running similar schemes, the guidance and support offered; including how the message will be communicated to employees, the mechanics of how the scheme will operate and its flexibility”.

Once the initial contact has been made, Business Operations Manager, Catriona Murray and her team take the reins.

“Since the process began we have successfully auto-enrolled close to 400 local businesses and over 18,000 of their employees. We pride ourselves in always being there to offer a helping hand to our clients, many of whom are implementing workplace pensions for the first time” said Catriona.

“Auto-enrolment can be daunting for employers and we work closely with them, providing template letters for staff, assisting with uploading employee data and ensuring we integrate with their payroll systems.

We now have all the experience necessary to ensure that whatever problems a client encounters we will certainly have dealt with it before.”

Workers Pension Trust is the only Northern Ireland-based autoenrolment solution available to all businesses. The Scheme is suitable for all employees across all income brackets and is available free of charge to local employers. The only cost to employers is the contribution they will pay on behalf of their employees.

For more information on autoenrolment and your responsibilities as an employer, please visit www.workerspensiontrust.co.uk, or contact Iain Ferguson on 028 9087 7142 or iainf@workerspensiontrust.co.uk

Your Local Auto-enrolment Solution

- Belfast based service team - Free Auto-enrolment delivery programme - 30 years’ pension experience - Open to all businesses in all sectors - Suitable for all staff

Contact Workers Pension Trust 143 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6SX Tel 028 9087 7142 info@workerspensiontrust.co.uk www.workerspensiontrust.co.uk

Eye on Materials Handling

KIERAN HEGARTY, MATERIALS HANDLING & THE TYRONE FACTOR A lot has been said and written about the growth and existence of a remarkable cluster of materials handling companies in deepest County Tyrone. But, like a lot of his industry counterparts, Kieran Hegarty reckons there is a pragmatic explanation.

“Y

es, there’s an engineering tradition around here,” he says from his office at Terex Corporation’s plant on the outskirts of Omagh.

“But I think it’s largely explained by the original ‘inventors’ of mobile screening machinery, Finlay & Powerscreen, starting up in the 1960’s. Then, over the years, people left those companies and started out on their own. A wider group of suppliers grew up around the main players,” he says simply.

Whatever the root causes, the materials handling cluster around Dungannon & Omagh is

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impressive by anyone’s standards.

It accounts for a substantial slice of the world’s supply of top-quality materials handling plant....especially for the quarrying industry.

But, while other sectors within the reach of Matrix, the Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel, might have teamed up to look at common challenges, the materials handling sector remains a little more fragmented......and that’s a challenge and something that Matrix, and its sectoral group chairman Dr. Rob Hardiman of Seagate in Derry, will be keen to highlight. It’s not just about the fragmentation

that exists, but looking forward, about the real value that can be gained from working together.

“One of the factors that sets us apart is that the main companies here in Tyrone are competing with each other for business around the world,” says Kieran Hegarty.

“We tend to meet each other at airports when we’re on our way to talk to customers in Europe, America or anywhere else.”

Hegarty spends up to three weeks every month outside of Northern Ireland, hardly surprising given the fact that Terex sells 98% of its output externally and that it is owned by a multi-faceted industrial corporation with its headquarters in Westport, Connecticut.

The Terex NI President is a graduate of both Queen’s University and the University of Ulster and started his working life in the USA before returning

home to join Finlay Hydrascreens in 1992. Both Finlay and its Tyrone neighbours Powerscreen were acquired by Terex in 1999.

Hegarty runs the group’s Materials Processing division, one of five key divisions within Terex. The others are divisions responsible for cranes, aerial work platforms, port/plant solutions and general construction equipment. Within Materials Processing, Terex runs three manufacturing plants in Northern Ireland – at Omagh, Dungannon and Ballymoney. The company has some 1400 employees working across the three sites. The division also has plants in the US, Germany, Austria and Malaysia.

The Tyrone-based Materials Handling sector might have achieved a strong reputation but it’s not without its challenges, according to Kieran Hegarty.

“We’re in the sterling zone for

Eye on Materials Handling

starters, so that brings with it some currency issues,” he says.

“Then there’s the simple fact that our machinery is dependent, at the end of the day, on the construction industry, so we’re affected by construction’s highs and lows....whether it is house building, infrastructure or big commercial projects.

“Those are the macro issues, but there are micro issues around our own industry to think about too.

“We’ve taken the long-term decision to concentrate our efforts on mobile machinery rather than look at static units, as some have done. It’s a clear policy decision to produce mobile machinery for the production of minerals around the world....and we think that it’s the right decision for us.”

A sizeable supply base has been built around the big materials handling players in County

Tyrone, with small companies supplying everything from metal fabrications through to belting systems. The big ticket engines and advanced hydraulics still tend to come into Tyrone from big global-scale suppliers.

“We’ve seen the growth of a strong industrial sector based around materials handling and that’s a good thing,” he says.

Another key challenge for Terex (and others) is to try to establish a steady supply of good, young qualified engineers. “There is definitely a very limited pool of talent here in Northern Ireland and we think that it’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

“We’re only too happy to work with the universities but it’s important that they become more proactive in the way that they engage with industries like our own,” adds Hegarty. “The aim has to be to increase the quantity of talent coming through education to industry. The quality is there, but the numbers are not. It’s as simple as that.”

Sales professionals, he goes on to add, are also thin on the ground.....especially those capable not just of understanding the intricacies of mobile stone-crushing machinery but also able to jump on an aircraft at a moment’s notice

and sell the equipment to a plant operator in the middle of Africa.

The machinery built at the Terex plant in Omagh and Dungannon is shipped to the UK, to Western Europe, to North America, to Australia and to India, amongst other destinations. Traditionally these are machines powered by diesel engines but increasingly there is a trend towards hybrid diesel/electric power units..... although that’s less important in sub-continental marketplaces.

“We do face low-cost competition but at Terex we’ve taken it on head-first, but setting up a big plant in India to produce machinery with local specifications to suit the local marketplace. As for the Chinese, the Terex chief reckons that high transport costs make it well nigh impossible for the Chinese to export heavy machinery internationally. However, China itself offers huge potential for our type of product in the longer term.

He’s hoping that a new report by Matrix, the NI Science Industry Panel, into the a Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Handling sector will encourage more Government support for industry here.

“I think that some form of increased support for R&D would be very welcome. For a business like

our’s, R&D is everything. We’ve got to innovate and keep on innovating to win sales internationally.

“We also see huge potential in some new areas,” he says. “A good example is the environmental recycling of construction waste – brick, metals and wood – which we reckon can be a major growth area as more and more legislation is introduced to encourage recycling worldwide.

“But, for us, that’s one for the future. We’ve enough to keep us busy just at the moment.”

The Northern Ireland Materials Handling Cluster • The Top 10 companies in the cluster have an annual turnover of £1.12 billion and employ just under 4,000 people • Of these, the three leading companies in the sector reported almost £923 million turnover in 2013-2014 and employ just over 3,000 people • 40% of the world’s mobile stone crushing and gravel screening equipment is manufactured in Northern Ireland

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SELECTIVE…

AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT REVOLUTION

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Eye on Travel Keith Graham has seen a few changes in the travel trade since he started work with Selective Travel Management back in 1995.

“I

haven’t worked for any other company but the industry has definitely changed around me,” he says.

Back in the mid-90’s, Selective was one of Northern Ireland’s leading Travel Agency groups with a chain of shops selling to the public along with a dedicated Corporate Travel unit in Belfast.

“Initially I looked after the finances, but I grew more and more involved with the business both operationally and strategically and when the MD approached retirement in 2010, I took over the reins,” he says.

A couple of years after that, Selective Travel Management merged with World Travel Centre and, as Keith Graham says, a brand new chapter started then.

The growth of the merged company has been remarkable.

In effect, the new entity has grown from its roots to become one of the leading Travel Management Companies (TMC’s) in the UK & Ireland marketplace.

From the company’s relatively new base in the restored Murray’s Exchange building in central Belfast, a team of 77 people looks after the travel needs for a mix of Corporate SME’s, Government Bodies and Education Sector clients from all over the UK. Keith Graham has recently taken over a new role as Managing Director of the Selective Travel Management brand.

Selective Travel Management has struck on a relatively new niche marketplace a few years ago when it began to work with Universities up and down the British Isles.

“Universities are big internationally-focussed businesses these days, and they all have complex travel requirements,” says Keith. “Our role is to manage those travel requirements and to deliver the best value, while meeting the client’s Duty of Care needs.”

“That entails booking flights, organising hotels, and looking after quite a few other aspects of travel....cars, trains etc.

One of our Company Values is Passion and our staff are constantly striving to go the extra mile for our travellers.”

Selective Travel Management’s business is split evenly amongst our various sectors, and we provide the same high levels of customer service to all our customers no matter what their size of travel spend. The GB market has been a fertile hunting ground for Selective.

“One of our main areas of focus lies in understanding exactly what our customers want when it comes to their travel requirements, and in working closely with those customers on a day to day, basis.”

The entry in the University market came when Selective decided to tender for a European travel contract with a University based in GB. “It was a £3 million contract, and would have been one of our biggest clients at that time. We came a very close second and missed out by a very narrow margin,” says Keith. “During the feedback session, we picked up vital information that led us on to the successful appointment to a Higher Education Framework Agreement that serves the University travel marketplace. Our recent successful re-appointment to this combined Framework has now an estimated travel budget of up to £100 Million.”

Recent successes during November has seen Selective Travel Management winning new Travel Contracts totalling £4 Million per annum, adding to their existing extensive portfolio.

Selective Travel Management operates a Dedicated Travel Team system with small teams allocated to specific clients across four sectors – Universities, Government, Corporate SME’s and Charity Organisations.

“We don’t want to become a call centre,” says Keith Graham. “Our teams work closely with their clients on a one-to-one basis.

The team liaise with our clients continually and they forge close working relationships with those

people. That’s important to how we do things here at Selective.

We listen and understand our customers travel requirements.”

Selective Travel Management and the World Travel Centre Group are working together, through Investors in People accreditation, a sign that they’re focused on their people, who ultimately deliver the high customer service on a daily basis.

Clients are offered a choice of how their travel is managed.

Some prefer self-booking tools based on Selective’s booking software complying with their Travel Policies, while others like to pick up the phone or send an email detailing their travel requirements.....and leave the rest to the team at Selective.

“A One brush approach does not fit for most Corporates,” Keith adds. “We get to know what they prefer and how they like to operate. And, when it comes down to the actual travel, we’ve got regular clients who like to fly with one airline or another,

and others who prefer one brand named hotel to the others.... for a variety of reasons.”

“We are a fast-growing company and growth is great, but it’s all about how you manage that growth and support it with appropriate staffing and Company Structure. We won’t allow ourselves to grow at the expense of customer service, as that would work against our unique service ethos. At Selective Travel Management, we’re looking for sustainable growth and we’re in it for the long run.”

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Eye on Finance While our quarterly business barometer research suggests firms in Northern Ireland feel broadly optimistic about their prospects for the year ahead, they are also acutely aware of the risks that threaten to deflate such buoyancy and continue to be confronted by some difficult challenges.

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gainst this backdrop, companies must decide whether now is the time to adopt ambitious growth plans, or whether they should be more conservative.

For the 25% looking to grow their businesses in the next 12 months, the most obvious strategies are to find

CASE STUDY 1

Industry: Wholesale and distribution Product: Asset based lending (ABL) Facility: £3,860,000/€5,500,000 Unhappy with regular technical issues and fears that their lender would not be staying in Ireland, this clothing distributor needed to find a new funding requirement.

A £3.8m full asset based lending (ABL) facility was set up, comprising invoice discounting along with additional funding based on the value of their property and stock. The client had a very complex purchasing cycle and Close Brothers offered an innovative solution to significantly improve their cash flow and enable substantial business growth.

The IDeal™ invoice discounting system expelled any previous technical concerns while capital generated from the ABL facility also cleared the customer’s outstanding overdraft.

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To grow or consolidate? new customers and to diversify their product range. By contrast, for the 65% that believe their business will stay the same, a more defensive strategy makes sense, perhaps by placing greater attention to efficiency and productivity.

Whether it’s to grow or consolidate, the range of finance options now available is encouraging, with the use of asset and invoice finance increasingly on the rise.

October figures from the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) revealed that new asset finance business grew in the UK by 5% in August 2015 compared with the same period in 2014 – the twenty-third consecutive month of growth.

Quarterly data to the end of June 2015 shows that asset finance provided through leasing and hire purchase increased by 16% to £7.4 billion, compared with the same quarter in the previous year. Plant and machinery finance and commercial vehicle finance grew at double digit rates in Q2 2015, with new business up by 10% and 11% respectively.

According to Q2 2015 statistics from the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA), UK figures show a 1% increase in total sales compared to the same period 12 months prior, whilst year to date figures indicate a 2% increase.

Our business barometer research tells us that of those using invoice finance across Northern Ireland, 43% say it’s cheaper than other options and a further 43% say it’s the best way to access cash for the business.

As a commercial finance provider, we understand the challenges facing

Northern Ireland businesses and are actively helping them reach their goals. We have a Head of Sales for both the asset and invoice finance sides of the business, looking after our new client acquisition team of nearly 20 staff across the island of Ireland. Our client services teams play a crucial role in business operations and local client managers, auditors and credit managers work hard to ensure we are driving customer focus and quality service.

We have invested in building our team, and we continue to develop our product offering to meet the changing needs of the market.

Two new asset finance products, operating lease and contract hire, have been launched to further broaden the suite of options available.

As the year draws to a close we look to the future with optimism.

Firms need to consider the opportunities that lie ahead and to begin to position themselves to take advantage, including planning for future funding needs.

CASE STUDY 2

Industry: Print Product: Refinance Facility size: £175,000/€250,000 Established 35 years ago, the customer is a professional wholesale printers, providing trade and wholesale services throughout Ireland and the UK. Following continued expansion of the business they embarked on a project to purchase larger premises. A proportion of funds were readily available, however they needed additional finance to topup and complete the transaction.

Close Brothers refinanced an existing printing press which released the required level of cash to enable the new investment.

The move meant the organisation remains track for continued growth, expansion and new business.

Close Brothers is a leading merchant banking group, providing lending, deposit taking, wealth management services, and securities trading. We employ 2,900 people, principally in the UK, and are one of the largest 250 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information on Close Brothers Commercial Finance and how we could help your business, please visit www.closecommercialfinance.com or call our local sales team on 028 9099 8957

Eye on Events (1)

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(1) Sharon Thorpe, Tori Hayhurst, Sophie Logan and Zoe Fletcher. (2) Gareth Murphy, Brenda and Richard Buckley. (3) Michael Flannigan and Julie Sexton. (4) Gareth Murphy, Emma McIlveen and Cllr Ben Mallon. (5) Lorna Murphy, Bronagh and Chris Marshall.

VERTIGO ADDS SPA INVESTMENT Leading activity destination We Are Vertigo, which was opened two years ago by Gareth and Lorna Murphy, is now offering the ultimate in multi-tasking with the opening of a luxurious new £100,000 Spa at the Newtownbredabased site, which has created 10 new jobs and brings the total investment at the site to more than £2 million.

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he innovative family entertainment venue, which boasts an adventure centre, trampoline park and endless ski slopes, now offers an extensive range of luxurious treatments in the Spa at We are Vertigo, including facials, nail treatments, waxing, tans, full body and deep tissue massages.

The Spa, which is ideally suited to compliment corporate activity days with five opulent treatment rooms and a range of luxury Aromatherapy Associates treatments, is also a boon to parents. Enjoy an indulgent spa experience while your children, over the age of five, enjoy an unrivalled play experience on the high ropes, climbing wall and soft play Adventure Centre with a dedicated member of staff when booked in advance.

Lorna, a successful businesswoman who has extensive experience in the fashion, film and beauty industry says there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

“We have created a destination which has something for all ages and walks of life, whether you’re rewarding your staff on a team-building day, or simply looking for some much needed pampering while the kids play and burn off some energy, everyone can Indulge in the sanctuary of the spa for a bit of ”me time”. Choose from luxurious facial and body treatments from Aromatherapy Associates, award winning tanning services by Vita Liberata, and manicures pedicures and gel nails by leading brand Essie.

“With five treatment rooms, including a couples room where partners and friends can enjoy the Spa experience together, We Are Vertigo are also

Maggie Humphries, Elizabeth King and Lorna Murphy.

perfectly positioned to cater for the often time-poor corporate market.

“The addition of the Spa will create a unique experience for large groups from the business community, and of course parents.

It is somewhere you can relax for the duration of their chosen treatment and get totally spoiled.

“Clients are bringing children, can benefit from a dedicated member of staff supervising

them for the duration of their Spa treatment, if booked in advance.”

“We’ve had amazing feedback about our latest venture, and are very excited to welcome customers into the last word in luxury. I do believe that we’re all time-short these days, the Spa at We Are Vertigo really does provide the ultimate in multi-tasking and relaxation. Where else could you burn off energy (yours and the kids), relax and walk away tanned and glamorous?

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Eye on Family Business

Family Business Brought To Life...

Fathers, Sons & Daughters (Part 2) The August/September edition of Business Eye featured an interview with three of the partners at Harbinson Mulholland. Their message? That the firm is a specialist when it comes to working with family businesses here in Northern Ireland.

But it was the photograph that caught a lot of peoples’ eyes. It featured Harbinson Mulholland Partners Paul Mulholland and Darren McDowell with Darren’s three children... each dressed in business suits & ties.

Last month, Harbinson Mulholland Partner Patrick Leonard and his daughter Sarah, 25, chart the progress to date of Sarah’s high potential web-based retail venture, Beauco.

In this edition, Jeremy Harbinson and his son Ben, also 25, talk about Ben’s fledgling website design and video business.

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en Harbinson has always had an interest in video and media production.

His father remembers how, as a child, he produced his own form of video storyboards. No surprise then that when he got a bit older, he persuaded his parents to buy him the necessary kit and he’d be off recording bands performing at church or elsewhere.

“I was producing music videos for bands when I was still at school,” says the former Campbell College pupil.

With more and more local businesses here using video on their websites and in other digital channels, Ben Harbinson could see a gap in the market.

He teamed up with William Ashenhurst, the website design half of the partnership, to set up Four Creatives (www. fourcreatives.com) a locally-based web design/video agency.

The new company produces a wide range of video and web content for a number of clients in the local business community... including Harbinson Mulholland itself, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the East Belfast Partnership, Discover Outdoors (Scout Shop) and Streamvale Open Farm.

“Ben always had the talent for this, and he convinced me that this was what he wanted to do and that he had the appetite to do it... and succeed,” says Jeremy Harbinson. “All I had to do was to come along behind him, if you like. Making sure that he was pricing things correctly, looking at the marketing of the business and that he started out on the right financial footing.

“Getting off the ground can be the biggest challenge for small businesses. Once they do that successfully, it’s all about survival.”

“Dad and I tend to meet informally, maybe even over the dinner table, every couple of weeks. I’ll tell him about any problems or issues we’re having, financial or otherwise, we’ll chat about it and take it from there “And, when it comes to things like tenders, I’m only too pleased to be able to ask for a bit of help and advice.”

Video, says Ben Harbinson, might have come a long way on the corporate front but most

Eye on Family Business

have not realised the impact it can have on their market place and prospects. “Businesses don’t always understand and appreciate what can be achieved through the right use of video. By using good quality videos one of my clients is now selling more in a week than they previously did in a month. There is so much that can be done online these days.”

Jeremy Harbinson agrees that business means a whole lot more than finance. “People will always buy people,” he says.

“We know that in our business and Ben knows that it’s the same for him – and good videos

of your key people on your website tap into that fact!”

For his part, Ben says that handling meetings with clients and potential clients has been the most difficult and challenging part of getting Four Creatives up and running.

“Finding the right person to talk to and getting the message across effectively....they’re all things that you’re not taught during your education. It can be daunting at the start, but you do learn quickly. You have to learn quickly,” he says.

“It definitely helps to have a Dad who’s in business and who

has plenty of contacts around the business community. The fact that he’s an accountant doesn’t do any harm either....”

Looking forward, Ben Harbinson says that he and his business partners are focussed on growing the business and building its customer base. “We’d like to move into new offices and we’d like to be able to employ one or two others to help with what we’re trying to achieve.”

As for his Dad, Jeremy Harbinson is pleased with what he’s seen so far. “The two guys have achieved a lot.

They’ve started the company,

they’ve signed up clients, and they’re doing well.

“Ben even managed to work his way through marriage and the arrival of his first baby (now 16 months old). That’s an achievement in itself.”

Do businesses like Four Creatives get enough help from the various agencies and local councils? Jeremy Harbinson thinks not.

“There are bits and pieces of advice and help around, but it’s a very uncoordinated approach,” he says. www.fourcreatives.com

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Eye on Venues

The change of name from the Odyssey Arena to The SSE Arena, Belfast has to be one of the bigger commercial sponsorship deals to have taken place here. Easy to imagine, then, that it will have been the result of long hours of negotiation between the arena’s owners and the power company.

NAMING RIGHTS & ARENA NIGHTS... ANATOMY OF A DEAL R

obert Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive of the The Odyssey Trust (owners of the Arena, the Belfast Giants & W5), tells a very different story.

“Once we’d decided to go down this route, it took us about twenty minutes to meet and agree in principle,” he says. “We knew right from the start that we had a meeting of minds and that we both knew exactly where we wanted to go.”

Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of SSE Airtricity, is quick to agree. Talking alongside Fitzpatrick on the day of a U2 concert at the Arena, he says that SSE didn’t have to think long about the deal.

“As a company, we’ve always seen the very clear benefits of sponsoring big arena. We’ve done the same, after all, in both London and

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Glasgow, and we were very aware of how successful the Odyssey Arena has been in Belfast... and how Belfast had changed as a city.

“And its a decision that fits our business here in Northern Ireland very well. We’re a big player in the energy marketplace, with 250 employees here, new offices and 330,000 customers, and I think this move signals a real commitment from SSE to the marketplace here and to the growing customer base.”

The whole concept of naming rights has come to the fore over recent years, with the re-naming of both major arena venues as well as sports grounds. Dublin’s Aviva Stadium was one of the first big examples of the breed on the island, while on a smaller scale, Ulster Rugby’s home ground

has followed the same path and become the Kingspan Stadium.

“It’s a key aspiration for any big arena that wants to be taken seriously in a European context,” says Robert Fitzpatrick. “We’ve looked at a few opportunities over the years but it’s not easy to find the right one. The fit has to be right... and it has to feel right.

“The Odyssey Arena was approaching its 15th birthday. We needed to invest some money into it, and we were ready to make that decision without going to the commercial marketplace.

But when SSE came up on our radar, we started to think again.

“What struck us right at the start was that SSE understands the naming rights concept. So, once we’d made the initial contacts,

it took a fairly short meeting between the two of us to come up with a pretty solid agreement.”

Stephen Wheeler, for his part, is keen to get beyond the naming rights tag. “It’s not really about naming rights or anything as calculated as that. This is a partnership, and it’s a partnership which we’ve agreed for a ten-year period... and we’ll see what happens after that. We’ll be doing our bit to make the partnership a big success.”

The Odyssey Trust Chief Executive reckons that there is already clear evidence of that success.

“And I think we’re already seeing that recognition being reflected in the acts that we’re attracting to the SSE here in Belfast. In recent weeks, we’ve had Michael McIntyre, One Direction and U2 making a

Eye on Venues

(L-R) Robert Fitzpatrick with Stephen Wheeler.

“ The Arena facilities upgrade and refurbishment saw a £3 million investment with 9,000 new seats in the Arena bowl, improved digital infrastructure with more than 200 new digital screens, free high-speed wireless broadband, chip and pin payment service and an Arena app.” very rare indoor appearance and there’s a lot more to come that I can’t talk about at this stage.”

It was fortuitous – if completely accidental – that the Odyssey brand contained the letters S,S & E. “The first time we realised that we just knew that we were going down the right road,” Fitzpatrick smiles.

And SSE were quick to latch onto the coincidence in the advertising and branding surrounding the opening back in September.

If the agreement of a deal took place in a remarkably short space of time, the metamorphosis from Odyssey Arena to SSE Arena was also achieved in double quick time.

“We had a few big events at the end of June finishing up with a Neil Diamond concert. He’s hardly left the stage before we started ripping out all of the seats, installing the wi-fi network and re-branding the whole complex,” he says. “We had a 10-week window and with the help of SSE we managed to get everything finished in time for the opening and the Florence & The Machine concert on 9th September.”

The Arena facilities upgrade and refurbishment saw a £3 million

investment with 9,000 new seats in the Arena bowl, improved digital infrastructure with more than 200 new digital screens, free high-speed wireless broadband, chip and pin payment service and an Arena app.

The new App, which is now available, is the gateway to finding out about everything that’s happening at the Arena, the W5 Science & Activity Centre and the Belfast Giants ice hockey team.

Using the App, customers can find out about upcoming events, book tickets, buy merchandise and avail of special offers exclusive to the channel. It’s regarded as something of a raising of the bar when it comes to the customer experience.

SSE sees the sponsorship of the Arena is a way of connecting directly with its customers. Its customer data shows that new customers are being enticed over to SSE by the company’s SSE Rewards scheme.....a key component of which is the opportunity to enjoy events, upgrades and the new SSE Rewards Lounge at the Arena.

“Our SSE Rewards programme keeps us connected with our customers and provides those customers with a very tangible way of benefiting from being with us,” says Wheeler.

Those SSE customers have plenty to look forward to over the coming months at the SSE Arena.

On the menu over coming weeks are Simply Red, Def Leppard & Whitesnake, Mrs. Brown’s Boys, Andre Rieu, The Corrs & Slipknot.... as well as global superstar Adele.

And that’s not to mention a series of Belfast Giants games and a

visit recently from the top college ice hockey teams from the US. On December 20th, the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year event will be screened live from the Arena.....a major first for Belfast and the fastest ticket sell-out for any recent event at the SSE, U2 included.

The Arena itself won’t be the only part of the Belfast complex to benefit from SSE’s sponsorship.

The company and the Odyssey Trust have plans in place for new initiatives and a new direction for the excellent W5 interpretative centre....a multi award winner already when it comes to education.

“We see a real role for W5 in promoting STEM subjects here in Northern Ireland,” says Stephen Wheeler. “We’re a company based around science and engineering and we’re looking forward to working with W5 on news ways of connecting to the wider public and young people here in Northern Ireland.”

The synergies are fairly obvious.

SSE, for example, is the largest wind farm developer in Northern Ireland and it plans to develop our largest wind farm, the 115 megawatt Doraville Wind Park near Draperstown in the Sperrins.

Back at the SSE Arena, the early signs are that the partnership is off to a flying start.

“The reaction of everyone has been really positive,” says Robert Fitzpatrick, “and people have been quick to adjust to the SSE Arena name. It’s been amazing.

“You’ll only do one naming rights deal in a career,” he adds. “So it’s important to get the best one.... and we think we’ve done that.”

SSE – KEY FACTS • Since 2008 SSE has invested over half a billion pounds in growing our energy business in Northern Ireland • 250 direct and indirect employees NI (+820 ROI = 1050 all island) • Northern Ireland’s second largest energy provider with 30% of the total energy market • 330,000 gas and electricity customers (130,000 gas and 200,000 electricity) • Customers who switched to SSE Airtricity for cheaper electricity have saved over £20 million since 2010 • Northern Ireland’s largest provider of wind power (88MW) • Construction pipeline 40MW (Tievnameenta and Slieve Kirk Extension) • Plans to develop NI’s largest wind farm, 115MW Doraville Wind Park, at an investment cost of £150m

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Eye on Networking

AIB Start-up Academy Over a hundred local start-ups and entrepreneurs from all backgrounds joined hosts First Trust Bank in McHugh’s Bar in Belfast for a night of networking as the AIB Start-up Academy - a nationwide initiative that is seeking to build a community of entrepreneurs and offering them support, advice and guidance - visited Northern Ireland for the first time.

Philip Bain from ShredBank engages with a packed McHugh’s Bar at the AIB Startup Academy

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s well as networking, guests heard from two experienced and successful business leaders; Brendan Monaghan, founding Director of local IT consultancy Neueda and Philip Bain from ShredBank, who has just released a book for entrepreneurs called ‘Start to Grow’. The event also saw three local start-ups pitching their businesses to the audience; Rachel Gawley, founder of app development and gaming company AppAttic, Lee-Anne Daly, creator of children’s swimming aid, Orby Swim and Laura Nagamine from online retailer, Prettyinpetite.com The AIB Start-up Academy competition is now open for start-ups to win a place on an intensive training and mentoring programme with Irish Times Training in early 2016. To find out more about the AIB Start-up Academy visit http://www.irishtimes.com/ business/aib-start-up-academy

Local business woman Lee-Anne Daly, creator of children’s swimming aid, Orby Swim, shares her start-up story.

Philip Bain from ShredBank; Edel McCooe, First Trust Bank, Gary Quinn from the Irish Times and Brendan Monaghan from Neueda.

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Rachel Gawley, founder of app development and gaming company AppAttic pitches her business to the audience.

Laura Nagamine creator of online retailer, Prettyinpetite. com presents at the AIB Start-up Academy.

Eye on Law

Companies must act now to stay on right side of consumer law the impact its provisions will have on consumers, which is understandable given the range of benefits which the Act introduces to them.

William Curry, Corporate and Commercial Partner at leading law firm Arthur Cox, warns companies about the importance of ensuring they are fully compliant with the new laws contained in the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

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e have all, no doubt, at least one relative or friend who announces proudly around mid-November each year that they have their Christmas shopping completed.

For the rest of us, however, the December weeks leading up to Christmas will involve trips to shops or extensive online searches to buy presents during what is always the busiest time of year for the retail sector.

There will be a new dynamic to the shopping experience this year

following the recent implementation of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which could represent the biggest shake-up in consumer rights law in a generation.

The driving force of the Act was to simplify and strengthen the law governing the sale and supply of goods to consumers and businesses, with the Act also bringing the law into line with advances in the sale and supply of digital content.

Since the Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force on 1st October, a lot of the commentary has focused on

Implications These benefits have been well documented, with a highlight being the creation, for the first time, of a specific timeframe of 30 days during which consumers can reject an item and get a full refund. The Act makes consumer law more accessible to consumers by using clearer language and making their rights to remedies more transparent.

Inevitably, there are a number of key implications for suppliers of goods and services which they must be fully aware of and, where appropriate, take the necessary steps to ensure that they are fully compliant.

Traders and corporates must realise that, under the new Act, in general business-to-business transactions are not protected by the new consumer conditions. Businesses will not, generally, be treated as consumers for the purposes of the Act and, as a result, cannot rely on the protections offered by it when buying goods from another business.

Tiered remedies More specifically, the Act introduces an explicit requirement that goods supplied must match the sample or model seen by the consumer.

This places a legal obligation on a trader to sufficiently identify, and bring to the attention of a consumer, any differences between the display product and the one that will be delivered.

Retailers must also take note of the tiered remedies and ‘final right to reject’ elements of the Act, which mean that they now only have one attempt to repair or replace a faulty product. If this fails, the consumer is entitled to ask

for a refund or price reduction.

Another new provision for retailers to keep in mind with regards to repairs is that, where the consumer requests that a number of faults be repaired and these repairs are provided together, this counts as a single repair.

Providers of digital content and products, such as smartphone apps, will also need to pay close attention to the detail of the Act as digital content is now treated as a new category of product for the first time.

They need to consider how they will both prevent and address claims from consumers for damage arising from digital services. This could involve the implementation of increased checks on security before digital media is supplied.

Digital media Additionally, suppliers of digital media may require the right to modify or change a programme after it is supplied to a consumer. This right may not be automatically included in supply agreements and suppliers may need to review their terms of business in order to ensure that they retain any rights required - and that they are fair under the new directive.

Like the early Christmas shopper, many businesses will have planned ahead and already have made any updates to their terms of agreement as required by the new Act. For those who have not yet taken such steps, it is vital that they do so immediately, in order to ensure full compliance and avoid being exposed to legal challenges from consumers.

The corporate and commercial team at Arthur Cox is well positioned to advise on how to ensure you are fully compliant with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 as well as providing general corporate and commercial law advice on all aspects of your business. For further information, call William Curry, or your usual Arthur Cox contact, on +44 28 9023 0007.

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Eye on Learning

A Master For All Trades

Ex-pat Ulsterman Colin Gordon, Managing Director of Manchester-based professional learning and development company MOL, has certainly been around - geographically, educationally and professionally.

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omewhat ironically, given that he dropped out of university not once but twice, this son of Portadown and current resident of St Helens is currently at the helm of one of the largest and fastest growing companies of

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its kind in the UK and Ireland.

The key to MOL’s success under the leadership of Colin is the unique and bespoke partnership it forms with individuals and organisations in a variety of sectors to enable them to learn, develop and excel.

In a commercial world which is fast learning that a degree isn’t necessarily the only or best answer to an individual’s or an employer’s needs, MOL is ahead of its time.

“Take me,” says Colin. “I went to Queen’s University to study architecture, but soon decided it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. After various sales jobs, I went back to University parttime to do a BSc in Economics and Business, but I found it impossible to fit set time lectures around work demands.

“Eventually, I went on to run a very successful consultancy business, one that didn’t require me to have bits of paper to my name. After I joined MOL that became important, however, so I completed the required studies and quickly achieved a number of professional qualifications culminating in a Masters in Strategic Human Resource Management.”

What Colin did possess was an entrepreneurial spirit and a skill for leading organisational change, talents which helped him carve a long and successful career as a private consultant to big national and international outfits throughout Europe.

A combination of shrewd commercial insight and common sense saw him deliver transformational change and commercial growth to businesses across a range of sectors, particularly those in the logistics and distribution industries.

Then he experienced an ‘if it’s Tuesday it must be the Czech Republic’ moment and realised he hadn’t seen his Larne-born wife Pearl and their son Curtis, now 22, for 170 days out of each of the previous two years. He decided it was time to make a change.

“What I brought to MOL was commercial nous and an understanding at senior level of the needs of diverse

professional and industrial sectors - a dose of the real world, if you like,” said Colin.

“The organisation had developed a suite of high quality programmes very clearly meeting client requirements, but we quickly developed a very clear applied focus around what drives and adds value to workers and organisations.

“Focusing on need requires a shift towards the application of theory and principles, rather than a focus on the theory and principles themselves.

People should ask: How is this going to help me improve what I am doing in my job?

How can this help me drive business and boost profit?”

In a globally competitive marketplace, Colin believes that local businesses need employees with qualifications benchmarked against the highest industry standards that are recognised by multinationals and governments.

To that end MOL is stepping up its offering in Northern Ireland by augmenting existing education services to provide a blended learning approach that will be customised across industry sectors to meet the needs of individual organisations.

Qualifications which are accredited by CIPD, CMI, CIPR, AAT, BIFM, City & Guilds and NFoPP, will be delivered by specialist local practitioners across seven platforms – HR, Management & Leadership, Facilities Management, Public Relations, Property, Construction and Electrical, and Accountancy.

“As a local man, I have firsthand knowledge of the high quality of the workforce in Northern Ireland and I know that frequently the most experienced are losing out to a new generation with the latest qualifications,” said Colin.

Eye on Learning “After very successfully testing the waters with the Construction Employers Federation, we are keen to forge ahead with further joint ventures with other representative bodies, employers and educationalists.

“We are building a team of local practitioners in Northern Ireland to service all of our development programmes and workshops, supported by online and distance learning methods and our 50-strong Manchester team. This will provide a bespoke service to individuals and organisations who need to be at their desk or out in the field but who equally want to formalise their experience and progress their career with academic and professional recognition.

“The bottom line is that a university degree may be essential for some things, but there are many other avenues to qualifications which may be more appropriate, convenient and useful in the modern world.”

Colin speaks from experience, old and new. His own son, Curtis, decided not to go to university because that route was not going to get him into a career that suited his skills and interests.

A bit of online learning and work experience later, he has landed a lucrative career as a junior games designer with TT Games and has been involved in creating Lego Ninjago and Jurassic World games for Time Warner.

“You can’t write off degrees – that is not what we are about,” added Colin, “but you can take a much more pragmatic view on how different routes to personal and professional development create a more vibrant, entrepreneurial economy.”

Contact MOL at...

One Central Park Northampton Road Manchester. M40 5BP T: 0345 203 2103 E: enquiries@MOLlearn.com

CEF and MOL Joint Venture Helps NI Workers take on the World

Brian Taylor of H&J Martin being congratulated on receiving his Level 4 qualification in Facilities Management by Colin Gordon MOL Chief Executive and John Armstrong CEF Chief Executive.

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Joint Venture which allows Northern Ireland workers to benchmark their qualifications against the best in the world is helping local companies win business across the global marketplace.

Converting on the job training in the management, construction and engineering sector into nationally recognised qualifications has significantly improved the tendering competitiveness of local companies.

John Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Construction Employers Federation, said their partnership with MOL had boosted the careers of employees who achieved their qualifications without having to juggle work with attendance at university or college.

Announcing a second year of courses, he explained: “Our partnership with MOL has allowed us to offer nationally accredited professional qualifications, benchmarked against the highest industry standards.

“This can really benefit local companies in tendering for business by formally recognising the skills and knowledge that we have in some of our most experienced managers.”

Colin Gordon Managing Director of MOL the leading national blended learning company working with the biggest companies in the UK explained.

“In a globally competitive market you need employees with qualifications that multinationals and governments recognise, benchmarked against the best in the world,” he said. “MOL has become a multimillion pound business by providing a level of professionalism that is now also on offer to companies throughout Northern Ireland.

“As a local man, I have first-hand knowledge of the quality of the workforce in Northern Ireland and I know that frequently the most experienced are losing out to a new generation with the latest qualifications.”

Colin said this posed a real problem which could only be solved with a completely different approach to recognising on the job training and experience.

This could be achieved either through joint ventures, like the one with CEF, or through a bespoke service to individual companies wanting to convert the experience of their most valued employees into recognised modern accredited qualifications.

“People who want to develop their careers no longer need to take time out from work to attend college or university,” he added. “The opportunity now exists to build your study around your life through blended learning programmes.

“Our programmes, which include courses in management and leadership, personnel development, and construction materials and property, are developed by industry professionals and continually reviewed to focus on the hottest contemporary topics.”

Both Colin and John praised the achievement of Facilities Management Level 4 graduate Brian Taylor of H&J Martin who worked for Virgin Media NI & Scotland for 15 years until Jan 2010 when he was made redundant.

He applied for 150 jobs but realised he did not have the qualifications to reflect his experience.

Despite that H&J Martin valued that experience and paid for him to do the course. This is the first qualification he has had since he was 18.

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Eye on Community

Belfast City Airport Making Noise At Sound Of Belfast

At the 2015 Belfast Urban Affinity Project are Chris Horner, Capital Projects and Engineering Manager at Belfast City Airport, with participants Thomas Menary and Seema Khan. The event, hosted by the Oh Yeah Music Centre and supported by the Belfast City Airport Community Fund, provided over 100 local young people with the opportunity to get involved in a range of exciting music related taster workshops.

George Best Belfast City Airport has helped provide over 100 young people with the opportunity to get involved in a range of exciting musical related taster workshops through a link-up with the Oh Yeah Music Centre.

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he Belfast Urban Affinity Project is an annual indoor music event delivered by the Oh Yeah music Centre which took place recently as part of the Sound of Belfast 2015 festival.

The aim of the project is to encourage participation and expose young people to the enjoyment of music as well as to introduce them to potential employment, training and volunteering opportunities in the music industry.

With the financial support of Belfast City Airport’s Community Fund, participants were able to enjoy a selection of taster workshops ranging from song writing, TV production, photography and radio presenting and dj-ing - with the

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help of Mairead Campbell from the BBC. The airport’s Community Fund has donated approximately £250,000 to a range of educational, environmental and community initiatives in the greater Belfast area and North Down since its inception in 2009.

Chris Horner, Capital Projects and Engineering Manager at Belfast City Airport, said: “It has been a pleasure to offer our support to the Oh Yeah Music Centre.

Their events are a fantastic way to engage and inspire individuals from the local community and encourage them to discover and develop their talents.

“We certainly share the centre’s

ambition of developing and supporting young people within our local community.

“With the help of the Urban Affinity Project we hope many of the participants have found some hidden talents that will stay with them for life. In addition, enhancing creativity and confidence will be beneficial no matter what career path they choose in the future.”

Charlotte Dryden, Project Manager at the Oh Yeah Music Centre, said: “We are delighted with the wonderful support we have received from Belfast City Airport. Being able to host events like this is really heartwarming as we see both young people and adults alike develop their skills and foster their love for music.

“As a charity we try to host as many events as possible that encourage individuals to pursue their musical talents and goals for their future careers, but without the support of local businesses such as the Belfast City Airport, events

of this scale would not be possible.”

Thomas Menary, who took part in the project, said: “I had a fantastic time at the centre.

Thanks to Belfast City Airport I was able to take part in workshops that provided a new and exciting opportunity to learn more information about the music industry and a chance to explore my talents with various instruments.”

The Sound of Belfast 2015 festival saw over 27 events in nine days, culminating with the Northern Ireland Music Prize and presentation of the Oh Yeah Legend Award to The Divine Comedy.

For more information about how your school, group or project can apply to the Belfast City Airport Community Fund, please visit www.belfastcityairport.com For more information on upcoming events at the Oh Yeah Music Centre, please visit http://www.ohyeahbelfast.com/

Eye on Charity

A HUGE thank you from Action Cancer

Massive PR: Julie McCabe, Brittany Breslin, Jessica Fok and Helen McAleer from Massive PR raised a fantastic £800; enough money to screen 10 ladies, through a quiz night and raffle in the Hudson Bar.

As Action Cancer’s Don’t Duck the Issue campaign draws to a close, even more businesses throughout Northern Ireland have been holding their ducks high to raise awareness of breast cancer. The campaign, kindly supported by Action Cancer Patron Gloria Hunniford, Hastings Hotels and Business Eye magazine, aims to raise £20,000 for the charity’s unique and lifesaving breast screening service.

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orporate Fundraising Assistant, Rebecca Dalzell commented, “We have been overwhelmed by the support of local businesses in the run up to and throughout October, which was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We would like to thank each and every business who took the time and energy to donate and fundraise. The creativity has been amazing, and we are now on course to achieve our target for the ‘Pink Duck’ campaign. We are urging businesses to send all money raised into us as soon as they can, so that

we can finalise the grand total from the campaign.”

Action Cancer is the only charity that provides a free breast screening service to women in Northern Ireland aged 40-49 and 70+. As with any cancer, the earlier it can be detected, the better chances of survival – if a breast cancer is caught in stage one or two, survival rates are 95%. For every 1,000 women we screen, we detect an average of 5 or 6 breast cancers. For more information or to book your breast screening online, visit www.actioncancer.org.

Peony Bridal: Elesbeth and Viveke Sayers will be supporting the Pink Duck campaign on their opening night of Peony Bridal in December.

Ulster Bank: The Complaint’s Handling Centre at Ulster Bank committed to raising funds for Action Cancer through their weekly ‘Dress Down Friday’.

They raised a brilliant £100.

Exploristics: The team at Exploristics raised enough money for 3 ladies to be breast screened through a series of fundraising ideas including a staff dingbat quiz- which got very competitive!

Tesab Engineering: Staff at Tesab Engineering got together held a Think Pink day for Action Cancer. Buns, cakes & games resulted in a huge £1,000.

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Eye on Accountancy

Eye on Accountancy

by Mark McNeill, ASM Chartered Accountants

ASM Chartered Accountants has just completed a hugely successful eight part seminar series entitled, The Cross Border Bureau, which was aimed at providing SMEs interested in growing their cross border trade with practical financial advice.

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n this article, Mark McNeill, director, ASM Chartered Accountants in Magherafelt addresses some of the common questions posed by businesses who are doing more business on a cross border basis: My business has developed to the point whereby I am starting to sell to more customers from the Republic of Ireland. Do I need to charge VAT on these sales?

If you are VAT registered then all goods you sell are liable to VAT. The question is in which country and at what rate. If you supplying goods to a business customer based in Ireland, provided they are VAT registered and can provide you with certain documentation, a “basket of evidence”, you will be able to zero rate the supply to them. This means that the supply will still be liable to VAT but at 0%. The customer will account for the VAT themselves in Ireland. If it is a personal customer who you are supplying from Northern Ireland you will continue to charge UK VAT at the applicable rate. The situation would be different if you were supplying services within Ireland or if you were to open your own premises in Ireland.

If I wanted to employ a salesperson to be based in Ireland but my business remains based in N Ireland what would my obligations be?

If the salesperson is a UK resident individual but carries out all of their duties in Ireland, as an employer you will be required to register and operate ROI payroll.

They will therefore have Irish

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TAX, PRSI and USC deducted from their salary. The employee will be assessed for UK tax purposes on this income but will receive relief for the taxes already paid in Ireland. If the salesperson is an ROI resident individual then an ROI payroll will be required, with all relevant Irish TAX, PRSI and USC deducted from their salary.

I see great potential for my business - can I get advantage of the lower tax rates in Ireland for all my sales to Ireland?

If your business is simply supplying goods from your NI base to customers in ROI you will continue to be taxed at UK rates on all your profits. If your business expands to open new premises in Ireland you may have created a branch of your UK business and as such may have to pay corporation tax in Ireland on an element of your profits.

These profits will be taxed again in the UK but with relief for the Irish tax already paid. In these circumstances it may be more beneficial to establish a new Irish Company and provided certain conditions are met such as the day to day control and management of the company being carried on within Ireland, you may be able to only pay 12.5% Irish tax on these profits.

An alternative would be to make a “branch election” to HM Revenue & Customs in respect of branch profits made in ROI. This would limit those profits to being taxed in ROI only and not also in the UK. Careful consideration needs to be given to all the relevant facts before an irrevocable branch election is made.

If I set up an ROI company how do I extract profits in a tax efficient manner?

It is often best to establish an ROI company as a subsidiary of a UK parent company. Such a structure can facilitate the repatriation of funds back to the UK through payment of dividends which, if structured correctly, will not be liable to tax in the UK or suffer withholding tax in ROI. If an ROI company is set up as a stand alone company it would be possible to make dividend payments direct to the shareholders which will be subject to income tax.

Again careful consideration needs to be given to the correct structure from the outset so that tax efficiency is maximised. __________________________ Cross border taxes can be a complicated area and these answers are only intended to provide a brief overview of the situation. Professional advice should always be sought before proceeding.

ASM Chartered Accountants are ideally placed to provide advice on cross border trading due to

having offices in both jurisdictions.

ASM have organised a series of seminars in conjunction with Inter Trade Ireland to assist businesses in taking the first steps in cross border trading.

Full details including dates and venues can be found at www.asmaccountants.com 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.

Eye on Interiors

Cultivating Culture Through Good Design “You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney

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ffice design and office culture tend to be synonymous with each other, and yet it is undeniably peculiar that an office would be designed before a company moves in to it. In an ideal world, a company’s culture should be the impacting factor of its office design.

But what is OFFICE CULTURE? It is a combination of qualities in an organization and its employees that arise from what is generally regarded as appropriate ways to think and act. It is the product of its history, traditions, values, and vision. This can be 4 competing values, or points of view – Collaborate, Create, Control & Compete.

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The notion of culture encompasses everything, interactions between teams, their processes and work practices. In today’s brand conscious society, it is important that a company’s cultural values are reflected in their environment. For example, if your teams are always communicating with each other, it makes little sense to partition your team’s stations with storage units. If you have an environment that just about fits your staff and their desks, but they have to leave the premises to engage with their teams more effectively, then you can quickly erode your office culture.

Manifesting a company’s culture through office design requires an understanding what your office culture looks like currently, and what your management and staff envision it to be in the future. It may seem obvious but it’s surprising how many companies

don’t bear this in mind when choosing a new workplace for their staff. Of course, cost is a factor but designing a workplace based just on affordability can have enormous repercussions in the long term.

The work environment can affect employee wellbeing, staff retention, staff satisfaction and we know that staff satisfaction affects profits. Designing your workplace to reflect company culture, company vision and staff behaviour will not only make your life easier but will boost your bottom line.

To find out more about how you could develop a positive office culture, contact Innov8 Office Interiors!

WHY SHOULD YOU INVEST IN YOUR

OFFICE CULTURE? ACCORDING TO STUDIES INSIDE SOME WORLD LEADING COMPANIES

Business areas that reaped the greatest benefit because of investment RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

COMPANY CULTURE COMPETITIVENESS 80%

70%

CUSTOMER LOYALTY

PRODUCTIVITY

INNOVATION 20%

15%

Spending on employee programs after investment

10%

5%

95% believe being recognized for workplace initiatives positively impacts the bottom line.

0% 70% 30% Increase

Decrease

Didn’t Change

www.innov8office.com hello@innov8office.com Evidence is taken from research by ‘Great Place to Work’ and Burson-Marsteller

Belfast Showroom 1-3 Glenmachan Street Belfast BT12 6JB T +44 (0) 28 9023 8180

Dublin Office 77 Sir John Rogersons Quay Dublin 2 T +353 (0) 1 649 9054

Eye on Agri Food

Taste Of Gold For ‘FreeFrom’ Food Specialist Sam Butler talked to Gerard McAdorey, managing director of Free-ist in Belfast, an award winning and market leading developer of sugar-free and gluten-free foods.

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erard McAdorey recently collected a prestigious gold medal in the Blas na hEireann, Irish Food Awards, for a sugar-free popcorn from Free’ist, the company he runs in Belfast which is now a key player in the expanding ‘free-from’ food sector in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The business is also building sales abroad especially in the increasingly obesity conscious Middle East.

McAdorey has used his knowledge and vast experience gained from a successful career in food sales and marketing to create a range of tasty snacks - chocolate, biscuits, jams and popcorn - for diet conscious consumers seeking products that are free from sugar and gluten.

Demand for these foods is growing beyond shoppers with conditions such as diabetes and coeliac disease to include those concerned about obesity, diet and generally healthy eating. Sugar, of course, is now being targeted by some nutrition experts and top chefs as being a threat to health and overall wellbeing. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, for instance, is campaigning for measures to curb sugar in fizzy drinks.

McAdorey formed Free-ist, a small business, to develop and market ‘free-from’ foods on the back of extensive market research and from his background in the industry as managing director of GM Marketing, the successful sales and marketing business he formed in Belfast more than a decade ago.

“GM Marketing had established a solid reputation through the distribution of household brands, such as Nestle’s Cheerios and Shreddies, throughout Ireland and in Great Britain. I was keen to expand the business by diversifying into my own range of products and had been conscious of a developing trend towards sugar-free and gluten-free,” he says.

This led him to explore the market and then to approach leading manufacturers specialising in ‘free-from’ foods. “We developed a portfolio of products, packaging and merchandising around Free-ist, the distinctive brand that we created. Above all, we set out

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to shape foods which didn’t compromise on taste in any way whatsoever,” he says.

“We then took them to major retailers in Ireland and subsequently abroad to test market them. The feedback was universally positive with retail buyers quick to appreciate our focus on free-from with outstanding taste,” he adds.

Key markets such as Britain and the Republic have been moving steadily towards both sugar and gluten-free options. For instance, the sort of new products from Free’ist and other producers drove gluten-free sales up 10 per cent last year. This market is also projected to hit £600 million by 2019. The products are claiming increasing shelf life with major retailers. The overall ‘free-from’ market has also grown by 38 per cent year-on-year over the past few years.

A focus on innovation has seen theFree’ist portfolio stretch to include almost 40 separate free-from foods including four cookies – hazelnut, choco chip, choco striped peanut cookies and coconut cookies; six chocolate biscuits – smooth milk choc, hazelnut choc, rich dark choc, dark orange chip, white strawberry choc, and minty dark choc; biscuits – tea biscuit and apple crumble; chocolate wafer bars and chocolate wafer sticks; and three jams – strawberry, raspberry and marmalade.

Other recent products comprise four popcorn flavours – three are sugar-free - sweet and

salty, caramel crunch, lightly sea salted and one no added sugar - nacho cheese. All of these are also gluten-free and low in calories, suitable for vegetarians. There are two breakfast biscuits - hazelnut and chocolate and cereal and milk - both are sugar-free as well as marshmallows which are free from sugar, gluten, eggs, dairy and fat.

Increasingly ‘free-from’ foods are becoming mainstream because more diet conscious consumers are looking for healthier alternatives that offer taste and quality and are also rich in vitamins.

Among customers of the initial ‘free-from’ product range are Tesco, Musgraves and online retailer Ocado as well as Carrefour, Spinney’s, Choitrams, Al Maya and LuLu, the biggest retailers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It has also recently secured significant business from Holland and Barrett, the leading UK specialist in health foods.

“Diabetes and obesity are becoming huge health issues in the Middle East as well as the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe,” he says. “We see the trend for ‘free-from’ foods continuing to grow strongly in both short and longer teams.

We’ve developed the market relationships, operational flexibility and contacts with quality manufacturers to enable us to respond to growing business opportunities.”

Pick Up The Perfect Gift This Christmas An Afternoon Tea Voucher for a decadent treat!

Visit hastingshotels.com or call 028 9047 1066

Eye on Giving

GIVING... WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY Ken Nelson, CEO of LEDCOM, a leading social enterprise and business enterprise centre.

1. What are your thoughts, in general, on charitable giving?

A life which is all about getting, is an empty one and in the words of the supreme giver, “it is more blessed to give than receive”.

2. Is your giving personal or corporate or a combination of both?

It is a combination of both because I believe both individuals and organisations have a responsibility to support the common good.

3. How do you give to charity: monetarily, your own time as a volunteer or your specialist skills?

All three : through regular financial giving, through volunteering and in using my skills through “ in kind “ support.

4. What types of causes do you favour and why?

At a personal level, there are a number of causes which reflect my Christian faith and church involvement. This includes supporting those experiencing persecution and sponsoring children living in absolute poverty giving them the opportunity to attend school and church-based support so they have a safe-haven where they are known, loved and protected.

Through LEDCOM my colleagues and I are very committed to tackling unemployment and disadvantage.

We regularly measure our social impact through “in kind “ support which this year will equate to a value of over £100,000.

We positively encourage our staff to be involved in volunteering and to support community development activities through voluntary board

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and committee memberships.

Over recent years we’ve had the opportunity to work on projects in partnership with Business in the Community which have made a difference for disadvantaged individuals and groups.

5. Are there specific charities or causes that you give to regularly? How do you choose which to support?

I tend to focus on the charities and causes that reflect my interests and concerns, as well as being ones that I can have a long term commitment to, with regular updates.

As well as supporting various church based activities , I’ve an on-going interest in organisations such as Compassion and Open Doors.

Following a brain haemorrhage and stroke in 2013, I experienced at first hand the vital work done within the Acute Stroke Unit at the RVH and the Regional Acquired Brain Injuries Unit ( RABIU) at Musgrave Park Hospital. I’ve been impressed by the work done by NI Chest, Heart & Stroke and the Mitre Trust - a charity based at Musgrave Park - to raise money to improve patient services and to fund new developments at Musgrave.

6. Do you believe that companies and individuals have a duty to help others? If yes, why?

I firmly believe that everyone has a responsibility to help others. The poet John Donne captured this very well when he wrote, “No Man Is an Island”, emphasizing how we are connected as individuals and communities. The timeless

words of the “ golden rule” should motivate us to help and give : “Love your neighbour as yourself” and “ Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”

7. What is your message to business people who may be thinking about becoming more involved in strategic philanthropy?

Business and economic development is part of vibrant community life where through employment and entrepreneurship, individuals are enabled to help provide for themselves and their families, which in turn supports local communities.

Strategic philanthropy is not only a good thing to do for the benefit of the recipients - it makes good business sense at different levels.

It helps the communities where businesses usually draw their employees and customers from, thereby generating good will and positive community relations internally and externally. Business owners and employees better understand their corporate social responsibilities and why success

is about more than profit – it’s also about the legacy a business leaves for current and future generations.

8. Giving Northern Ireland was set up 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?

Yes I do, for all the reasons I’ve mentioned already.

There is a tendency to expect government to have all the answers – and funding – to tackle all of society’s ills.

That is unrealistic – it is vital that everyone plays a part in supporting individuals and communities that are struggling. This should be with the aim of not keeping them dependent, but facilitating them to find the solutions they need and to be as self-reliant as possible.

Giving Northern Ireland is well placed to help businesses and individuals think through how best to do that - and then make it happen.

Eye on Belfast

CENTRAL TO THE CITY’S DEVELOPMENT As Belfast City Centre Manager, Andrew Irvine has played a pivotal role in the evolution of Belfast over the past 15 years. He and his team work continuously at improving the business life, public spaces and safety of Belfast city centre.

In this interview, Andrew talks about the role Belfast City Centre Management play, what the pressures are, and what the opportunities for Belfast businesses are: 1. What is Belfast City Centre Management?

Belfast City Centre Management is a public, private partnership company funded jointly by Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Belfast City Council and the Department for Social Development. We are legally constituted as a company limited by Guarantee with a representative Board of Directors.

We are a team of 11, including seven operational/project staff, three administration staff, led by the City Centre Manager.

The organisation exists as an operational delivery. We deliver additional services to Belfast City Centre which measurable improvement under hree themes; Public Space Management, Safer City and Economic Performance.

2. What does your role as Belfast City Centre Manager involve?

BCCM is presently delivering 23 projects under the above themes.

My role is to lead the BCCM team effectively, managing the company in the delivery of these projects.

Internally this includes business planning, financial management including securing funding and staff leadership. Externally, my role involves developing and maintaining the close partnerships needed public and private sector organisations with a role in Belfast City Centre.

We carry out research work and crucial data for our funders such as;

- Retail footfall counts and retail sales tracking - Vacant property analysis - Public Space inspections and benchmarking - Traffic surveys - Impact reports on parades and protests - Post event reports on major city centre events BCCM does not in any way duplicate the activity of others but rather provides: 1. Essential additional City Centre Services; 2. A co-ordination mechanism to maximise private sector engagement and joined-up working in Belfast City Centre.

During the 2014/15 year we brought in £190K private sector funding to complement the public sector funding, to deliver essential services such as City Centre beat Police, Christmas Lights and Business Liaison Officers – these were just three of the projects we are involved with.

3. Who are your partners?

We have close partnerships with the Belfast City Council, Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, DSD, DRD Transport NI and the Police. We have created a virtuous circle of partners who work together through schemes such as City Healthy High Streets, City Centre Beat Police, Retail Crimewatch, Radiolink and Text Alert. These ‘safer’ initiatives

directly target repeat offenders making Belfast City Centre and very difficult place for them to operate.

We have worked to form solid partnerships between BCCM’s public and private sector Core Funders; the result is a team that shares my understanding and passion for the critical role we perform every day. Every member of the team is as evangelical about Belfast city centre as I am.

4. What projects is BCCM currently working on?

Christmas is traditionally the busiest and most important time of the year for many of the retailers with up to 40 per cent of annual turnover in this period. Since 2000, BCCM the installation, expansion and improvement of the Christmas Lighting programme in the city centre.

The Christmas Lighting Programme is an excellent example of public-private sector partnership and the effective delivery of a major civic project.

Another major project is the Belfast One Business Improvement Districy.

I lobbied successive DSD Ministers for BIDs legislation for over 8 years and, when the legislation came through in 2014, was delighted that BCCM was chosen to be the vehicle used to bring Belfast’s first BID to fruition. As Belfast ONE BID now forms as a limited company in its own right we give our best wishes to the Belfast ONE Board and assure them of our continued support.

5. In your opinion, what are the challenges that Belfast faces at present?

The major inhibitors of business in Belfast, historically, have been a slow planning system, high property rates and general political instability. I believe that planning, which is now in the hands of our local authorities, will be much more responsive to business timelines.

We need both political stability and property occupation taxes which are in-line with our competitor cities in Great Britain and Ireland.

6. And the opportunities?

As the economy slowly but surely strengthens, Belfast City Centre has so many opportunities presenting themselves.

The imminent arrival of the Ulster University is already delivering investment in the retail core, seen in the purchase of the old Bank of Ireland (the White Bank) and in retail lettings in Royal Avenue. When the 18,000 students arrive they will bring very significant life, vitality and custom.

Business Improvement Districts are a ‘game changer’. There is much talk of re-balancing the Northern Ireland economy, BIDs bring delivery to this.

Belfast ONE has just realised a £6m private sector investment in Belfast City Centre. BCCM is now seeking to progress the development of a BID for the ‘Main Office Area’, immediately to the rear of Belfast City Hall.

The opportunity is now to build Belfast City Centre as an attractive place to live, as well as work and play.

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Eye on Technology

Is Our PostRecession World Ready For Another Engagement With Digital Signage?

Based on the assumption that we are still on that imaginary road out of recession, many of our shops are getting a face lift and news of new shops opening up is becoming a regular occurrence. However, as I have mention in previous articles there is a constant battle raging between high street retailers and on-line stores.

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ake a normal Saturday and a walk up the local high street or round the local shopping centre that inevitably ends up in a coffee shop for a cappuccino or latte. Retailers need to capitalise on these casual shoppers and turn them into impulse buyers.

A recent IDC report suggests that by 2018, 62.8 billion pounds will be spent on digital signage, most of which will be to engage the high street shoppers to part with their hard earned cash.

So what exactly is Digital Signage? According to IT giant Cisco, Digital signage means different things to different people; it can mean a group of digital displays in a retail bank branch showing information about the bank’s products and services to customers in the reception or waiting in line; digital signs in a large department store showing real-time marketing promotions or Large touch screens in Public buildings and places of interest providing key background information including video media. These displays

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have a limited form of computing power built in or attached and are connected to the internet (The Cloud) and driven by a form of content management software.

With recent advances in high definition (HD) technology and more vibrant colours as standard in the latest large format screens, the retailers aim to grab the attention of shoppers and guide them to the point of purchasing. When customers arrive at the retailer’s door, their journey is encouraged by the content that’s shown on each individual screen. With each screen having its own IP address (an identifying network address) specific content can be sent to its expected audience. In other words, showing male content in the men’s department and female content in the female departments. Many large department stores now time monitor sales at each specific till and analyse the relationship of the sales at these tills in relation to the content sent to the digital signage screens. There is considerable evidence that sales of a product

increase as it’s highlighted on the digital signage screens and manufactures like that of clothing or perfumes etc now part or fully fund the creative to put together promotional campaigns.

This relationship between screen and till and the effect it has on sales, will drive the development in software that manages the content and further the dependence on the IT functionality of the retailer either in-house or contracted out. With the availability of good high speed cloud connections, retailers can have their in-store DS content managed from any remote location that enjoys a good high speed connection to the internet.

Pre-planned sales campaigns can be designed and set in place, then broadcast at some time in the future when the other aspects of the campaign are in place.

These large format screens have had to up their game to compete with smart phones and now live in restaurants, airports train stations and city undergrounds. We now order our happy meals with our children in McDonalds via touch screens accompanied by vibrant visuals to dispel any doubts we might have had in what to eat and only seek a human’s help to bring the meal to our table.

While DS is adding to the bottom line in both shops and restaurants, it can also be seen in schools,

government agencies, public offices (Tourist Information) and public transport terminals. Many of us now stand at the “petrol pump” and as we fill up, we are informed and entertained by a small screen at head level.

More and more business and organisations are now focusing on digital signage in providing a better customer experience. This new enhanced customer experience will create an enhanced informative relationship between seller and customer and should secure we all enjoy that Saturday coffee “treat” for a long time to come!

Contact: Trevor Bingham, FUEL High Performance IT E: editorial@itfuel.com

Eye on Internet

Essena O’Neill And The Cult Of Fake

By Gareth Dunlop, Fathom.

The power and hubris of global brands, the virtual nature of the web and the insecurities of teenage girls perfectly incubated 19-year-old Queensland model Essena O’Neill’s social media meltdown and its aftermath. The repercussions have included other Instagram stars admitting similar motivations and temptations, the promotion of hashtags such as #flauntyourflaws and #socialmediaisnotreallife, claims that social media is so false that even the meltdown was staged and the brands who sponsored her in the first place getting out of town as quickly as their legs could carry them.

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or those who missed the detail of the social media storm, O’Neill recorded a YouTube video for her 600,000 followers, explaining that the pressure of endlessly looking perfect and projecting an idyllic lifestyle was too much for her and she was consequently quitting Instagram and YouTube.

O’Neill’s use of video social media (YouTube) to earnestly inform me that social media is false has sent my internal irony-meter into its own very particular form of meltdown. Her follow up request on written social media (her blog) asking for donations for her new movement #letsbegamechangers (and to help pay her rent) recalibrates my irony-meter but pushes the cynic-counter back up to eleven.

But the cult of fake and the pursuit of online credibility is not a new phenomenon.

Perhaps this particular commentator’s response is simply showing his age, but upon reading about events, it’s hard not to be reminded of a decade-old research paper by BJ Fogg and his colleagues at the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab “ProminenceInterpretation Theory: Explaining How People Assess Credibility” with findings which appear as relevant in 2015 as they did back in 2002 when the paper was written.

The basis for the work is so common sense as to be self-evident, however Fogg argues

convincingly that it only seems obvious once it has been revealed. Prominence-Interpretation Theory suggests that two things happen when people assess credibility online; firstly the user notices something (prominence) and secondly the user makes a judgment based on it (interpretation). Both of these need to happen for the user to assess and act.

And so the link is established between credibility and action. In short, if a website owner wants to motivate a user to act, credibility (defined as the quality of being believable or worthy of trust) must be established. What does Fogg have to say about how this can be achieved?

His study involving 2,500 participants sought to understand factors that influence credibility. By some distance the design and appearance of the site was the single biggest determinant of trust.

Number two on the list related to the “information design or structure of the site” with “information focus” listed third.

I can hear Jobs’ words ringing in my ear “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

The remaining trust factor elements are dominated by the quality of site content, including perceived usefulness of the information, accuracy of the information, brand recognition, reputation of the site, the tone of

the writing, quality of website functionality, customer experience, past experiences and clarity of information and readability.

These core credibility determinants outperform even third-party trust marks, which in turn were the subject of a Baymard Institute 2013 study which sought to understand the relationship between site credibility and trust marks. Of the 2,520 responses garnered, 1,286 responded “don’t know or no preference” when asked which trust marks give them greatest confidence. Of those who responded, the most trusted ecommerce site trust brands in order are are Norton / McAfee / TRUSTe / BBB / Thawte / Trustwave / GeoTrust / Comodo.

Again crucially, all trust marks came second place to the factors outlined in Fogg’s seminal research in 2002.

I had the good fortune to make (most of) my teenage mistakes in relative privacy and whilst O’Neill’s public contradictions are an easy target, when it comes to online trust we do well to look in the mirror and establish credibility by giving the user what they wanted in the first place.

Gareth Dunlop owns and runs Fathom, a user-experience consultancy which helps ambitious organisations get the most from their website and internet marketing by viewing the world from the perspective of their customers.

Specialist areas include user-testing, usability and customer journey planning, web accessibility and integrated online marketing. Clients include Three, Ordnance Survey Ireland, PSNI, Permanent TSB and Tesco Mobile.

Visit Fathom online at fathom.pro.

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Eye on Events (1)

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(1) Group shot of swimmers from All-star and House of Commons teams. (2) Entertainment by the X Factor’s Jay James. (3) HRH The Duchess of Gloucester is greeted by Viscount Crichton and Ian Paisley. (4) Barry Jackson, Area Sales Manager, United Airlines, Raymond Stoner & Mukesh Sharma, World Travel Centre.

Statesmen & Swimmers Make a Big Splash For Hope For Youth NI K

ey political figures recently cast aside politics to participate in the prestigious Hope For Youth Northern Ireland Speedo Charity Swim Gala Dinner in London’s Porchester Hall. Now in its 27th year, the swim included famous faces like Ian Paisley Jr and Kirsty Blackman MP alongside world-class

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swimmers including Keri-Anne Payne, Michael Jamieson and Dan Bullock, who donned their Speedos to take part in the gala event pitting swimmers from the House of Commons against the House of Lords. Also participating were two swimmers from the City of Belfast Swimming Club, Iain Chisholm and Eimear Brown, who swam as

part of the all-stars relay teams.

Following the swim and award presentations by the charity’s chief patron HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, guests were treated to a top notch dinner including locally-grown beef from O’Doherty’s Fine Meats, Enniskillen and wine from Concha y Tora with entertainment by The X Factor’s

Jay James and The American Four Tops and auction by Tom Best of world-renowned Christie’s.

Sponsored by swimwear giant Speedo, the biennial event raised over £50,000 for Hope For Youth NI, which helps to fund crosscommunity groups in Northern Ireland that will enhance the lives of young people aged 11-18.

Eye on Events (5)

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(5) Chris Bryant MP, Kirsty Blackman MP & Ian Paisley MP. (6) Iain Chisholm, City of Belfast Swimmming Club, with teammates Keri-Anne Payne, Dan Bullock and Lieutentant Albany Mulholland. (7) David Robinson, Brand President, Speedo, Justine Whitby, Helen Yarnall & Sam Smithson. (8) Sean Conway, Gethin Jones, James Guy, Dan Bullock, Michael Jamieson & Keri-Anne Payne. (9) Lord Crisp, Lord St John, Baroness Suttie & Lord Addington. (10) Swimmers James Guy & Michael Jamieson. (11) Ian Chisholm & Eimear Brown, City of Belfast Swimming Club and Straight2Swimming. (12) Eddie Brocklesby & Kirsty Blackman MP. (13) Susie Freeman, Susie Freeman Travel & Viscount Crichton. (14) David Robinson, Brand President, Speedo & Andy Rubin, CEO, Pentland. (15) Andy Rubin, CEO, Pentland & Katie Rubin.

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Eye on Moving On

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 Thomas O’Doherty

2 Aaron Russell

3 Emma Fitzgerald

Leading local residential estate agents Simon Brien Residential has made a series of appointments. Thomas O’Doherty joins the firm as Associate Partner having worked in the agency business for more than 25 years.

Aaron Russell becomes an Associate following the merger of his own business, Cucoo, with Simon Brien Residential. Emma Fitzgerald joins the Property Management team at SBR, while Deirdre Steele has been appointed to the same team. Sarah Munn joins the Land & New Homes team at the firm from Randox Health while Tiffany Brien has become a Valuer at the South Belfast office. Aaron Mills becomes Senior Valuer bringing 10 years of experience to the business while Emily Conlon also joins the Property Management unit.

9 Michelle Black and Nicola Adamson have 10 been appointed as Account Directors with Morrow Communications, the Holywoodbased communications agency. Both will be responsible for the strategic direction and execution of communications campaigns for Morrow Communications’ portfolio of clients.

11 Wealth manager Davy has appointed Alan Werlau as a Senior Investment Strategist in its Private Client division. Werlau joins from UBS Investment Bank in New York. A founder of hedge fund Black Arrow Capital Management, Alan has also held previous roles at Deltec Asset Management, Bankers Trust and JP Morgan Chase as part of a 25-year career in asset and investment management.

4 Deirdre Steele

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5 Sarah Munn

6 Tiffany Brien

7 Aaron Mills

8 Emily Conlon

9 Michelle Black

10 Nicola Adamson

11 Alan Werlau

12 Deborah Archer

12 Deborah Archer joins Cleaver Fulton Rankin as Director of the firm’s Company Commercial Department and will specialise in the area of Banking and Finance. Deborah moves from the Banking and Finance Department of another large Belfast law firm.

13 Also at CFR, Kathryn Laverty has been appointed as a Solicitor in the Banking & Finance Department. She joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 2013.

Visit Belfast, the city’s destination marketing and management organisation, has 14 appointed Laurie Scott as its director of business development, who, having worked for Visit Britain in New York for more than seven years, joins Visit Belfast’s senior management team to lead its business development team across conference, meetings, cruise and travel trade sales.

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Sales & Marketing

Eye on Moving On 15 Declan Leonard has been appointed as a Chartered Surveyor at Lambert Smith Hampton.

He has four years’ experience as a surveyor in the commercial property industry. His new role will see him work within the Property Management Team, managing a varied portfolio of assets throughout the UK and Ireland.

16 Ciara Jordan has been appointed as Account Manager at Duffy Rafferty Communications. She has worked in PR and marketing for eight years and has been part of the DRC team for a year and a half.

13 Kathryn Laverty

14 Laurie Scott

15 Declan Leonard

17 Niall Harkin has been appointed as Head of Mortgage Intermediary Business at Danske Bank. He joined Danske Bank in 2009 and has held a number of roles within Business Banking, most recently as Head of Business Acquisition.

18 Laura Poots has been appointed Manager of Property Management & Block Management with Templeton Robinson’s Lisburn Road branch, having previously worked in a similar role with Victoria Square, Queen’s Square and Stranmillis Wharf.

19 Janine McNally has been appointed Sales Negotiator with Templeton Robinson in Ballyhackamore, Janine previously worked as a resource manager for a local engineering firm.

16 Ciara Jordan

17 Niall Harkin

18 Laura Poots

20 Roy Little joins the Residential Valuation & Sales team at Templeton Robinson in Holywood with extensive experience in property sales, residential valuation and sales for auction, and residential and commercial property lettings and management.

21 Jennie McEwan joins Templeton Robinson in Bangor as a Valuer, and has 15 years of experience in Residential Sales as well as Lettings and Management.

22 Jonny Brady has been appointed Sales Negotiator at Templeton Robinson’s Lisburn Road office. Jonny has extensive experience in property development.

19 Janine McNally

20 Roy Little

21Jennie McEwan

23 Lana Cairns has been appointed Marketing Manager at Find Insurance NI. Lana has over seven years’ experience in delivering successful marketing strategies and campaigns for high profile businesses in Northern Ireland. Lana will be responsible for devising, implementing and managing all marketing initiatives for Find Insurance NI. 24 Cliodhna Mulhern has been appointed as Account Manager at Elevator Promotional Marketing. She will be responsible for the creation and implementation of promotional campaigns for Tayto, Tennent’s NI, Danske Bank and Translink.

22 Jonny Brady

23 Lana Cairns

24 Cliodhna Mulhern

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Eye on Agri Food

Linden Tastes Export Success In Germany Sam Butler talked to Elaine Willis, head of Innovation and Business Development at Linden Foods in Dungannon, about the company’s new drive to accelerate the growth of its business in Europe.

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laine Willis is used to travelling the world in search of new business opportunities and product ideas for Linden Foods in Dungannon, now among our most successful and innovative meat processors.

She’s the head of innovation and business development at Linden and a key player in the team of marketers and chefs behind the creation of an eyecatching brand of premium meats, including an extensive portfolio of quality burgers, exclusively for Germany and other parts of Europe.

The Germans have a huge appetite for the type of quality grass-fed beef that Linden is marketing under the innovative Turf & Clover – Honest Irish Meat - brand. It’s also a brand with the type of environmental credentials that Germans demand. Linden’s Green Track is the company’s certified and accountable promise to farmers, people and customers that it is focused on delivering a sustainable future.

Part of Armagh’s Fane Valley Group, Linden launched the brand successfully at the recent Anuga food show in Cologne, the biggest event in its type in the food calendar this year.

Linden is now fielding a host of inquiries from potential buyers.

The company, as Elaine points out, already has significant sales in Germany through Kettyle Irish Foods in Lisnaskea, a group specialist in richly flavoured dry-aged beef.

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“What we are doing is building on the experience and knowledge of Maurice Kettyle, Kettyle’s managing director, to expand business throughout Germany,” she says. “We see Germany as a key market and as a platform for growth in other European regions.

Grass-fed beef from Ireland has also become extremely popular with German consumers. We are seeking to develop this by offering an exceptional range of meats with provenance, wholesomeness and outstanding taste from our totally integrated supply chain.”

Linden has developed a range of premium beef, lamb, poultry and pork within the Turf and Clover brand. The company is also unique in offering customers total traceability from feed produced for animals, through support for its network of farmers to processing operations in stateof-the-art manufacturing plants.

“We are very excited about our new brand and strategically chose Anuga, with a record 160,000 trade visitors from over 192 countries, as the ideal venue to launch our concept and gauge industry reaction,” Elaine continues.

“Trade buyers were quick to identify with the messages underpinning the new range.

Turf & Clover came about from our love of all things Irish – the rain, the rich soil, the green grass in lush pastures and our respect for the land and the dedicated people who nurture it. From our family of thousands

of farmers and their honest and sustainable approach to land and beast, we bring customers the best cuts of beef, lamb, pork and chicken – Irish born and bred and matured on our beautiful land.

“The fact that our beef comes from exceptional breeding farms in Ireland with a supply base which is the best in the world generated huge interest for our extensive range of over 30 gourmet burgers and cut portion control steaks.”

Elaine, a native of Pomeroy, has vast experience in food processing. She leads a talented team of chefs and marketers also charged with the responsibility of developing dishes for qualityfocused UK and Irish retailers such as Marks and Spencer and Lidl.

The team’s job is to stay ahead of competitors by providing original foods that will appeal to shoppers across the UK and Ireland, now stretching into other parts of Europe.

“We have extremely skilled, hugely experienced and knowledgeable staff who are

constantly innovating and researching consumer trends and eating behaviours,” Elaine adds. “We are continually talking to our customers about their business, their market profiles and their specific requirements.”

And it is a process that’s now being extended to Germany and other European markets.

“We succeed in a fast moving and demanding marketplace by doing the simple very well and always bear in mind that everything we produce goes to retailers who demand that it appeals to shoppers,” she adds.

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Eye on News

NORTHERN IRISH DESIGNERS CELEBRATED AT ANNUAL ARTHUR COX FASHION SHOWCASE Leading Northern Ireland law firm, Arthur Cox, has hosted its annual Fashion Showcase celebrating the work of local designers at The Merchant Hotel.

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he Belfast Showcase is the latest in a series of exclusive client events, also held by the firm in Dublin, London and New York, which support Irish designers by connecting them with the business community and potential clientele.

The autumn/winter collections of ten designers from across the island of Ireland were showcased with guests invited to meet the designers and view their key pieces at the pop-up boutiques after the main event.

Catriona Gibson, a Partner at

Arthur Cox in Belfast, said: “The Fashion Showcase provides designers with a network that will assist the growth of their business both in Ireland, and further afield.

“The creative talent on display at this event is world class, and we are delighted to help designers from Belfast, Derry and across Ireland showcase their work at an international level.

“With a diverse range of clients, Arthur Cox offers a fantastic platform for these designers to access business advice, whilst meeting potential

customers and sharing the story behind their brands and latest collections.

“Establishing these relationships between the labels and local business community is key to strengthening and ensuring future growth within the local design industry.”

The strong line up of creative talent, both established and up and coming, included Deborah Veale, Zoë Carol, Derek Lawlor, Kymaïa, Ruedi Maguire, Gráinne Maher Millinery, Shauna Fay, Jen Kelly, Polly McGettigan and Una Rodden.

The award winning milliner, Gráinne Maher, said: “The Arthur Cox Fashion Showcase provides invaluable access to a fully engaged audience.

“As a designer it is fantastic to reach

an audience and customer base much wider than I would usually have.”

The event was compèred by one of Ireland’s most in demand fashion stylists, Cathy O’Connor, who prompted each of the designers to discuss the thoughts and process behind their collection as it was showcased by the stunning models on the red carpet runway.

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Available to order NOW VAUXHALL FLEET Call 0870 010 0651 | visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/fleet Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. †= 2015-16 tax year. General Motors UK Limited, trading as Vauxhall Motors, does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their particular tax position. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (November 2015). The vehicles illustrated may not necessarily represent the correct final UK specification and not all the features or options described are available on every model.

Eye on News

AINE RETURNS TO HEAD UP CPL IN NI Cpl the Belfast & Dublin based international recruitment company which employs 22 people across Northern Ireland has announced it is opening a new office in Derry.

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he only indigenous recruitment company listed on both the London and Dublin stock exchange, Cpl recently appointed a new Northern Ireland CEO and the company sees the opening of the new office in Derry as part of a wider plan to significantly grow its market share in Northern Ireland.

Cpl is confident that there will be solid growth in the northwest through it being recognised, promoted and developed as a hub for several business sectors including digital creative, tourism, life sciences and engineering.

According to Áine Brolly, CEO, Cpl Northern Ireland and former Senior Vice President (SVP) with Invest NI in San Francisco, the business has targeted both expansion in the northwest and the acquisition of a locally based recruitment company as part of its strategy of rapid growth.

Commenting on the new opening and Cpl’s growth plans Áine said, “At Cpl we believe in developing our network regionally across Ireland and in Derry we see considerable opportunity for the labour market to evolve and grow.

In our first month here we have been positively encouraged by the client meetings that we have had, by the size, scale and growth plans of some of the local companies and we have secured several new clients with active roles in the technology, professional services, legal and financial sectors.”

Cpl has 36 offices across 9 countries and recently acquired London based Clinical Professionals Ltd, a leading UK based pharmaceutical and Life Sciences recruitment company. The company which also has an office in Newry enjoyed its strongest ever month in the Northern Ireland recruitment market in October with its new Derry office being located in the Northwest Science Park. Áine commented, “There is a real buzz and energy in the Northwest Science Park with a really diverse group of companies operating from it. More international businesses are starting to look at Derry as the Belfast market becomes more saturated across certain sectors and we anticipate more FDI going into the region. When this happens, we want to have a strong presence in the City to be able to

position ourselves to partner with a lot of these larger international companies” The company has cited the joined up approach between academia, government and industry in the City as being integral to the development of the local economy & as being part of its increasing attractiveness.

Commenting on Cpl’s wider growth plans in place for Northern Ireland, Áine continued “We are committed to developing our economic footprint across Northern Ireland and this will be through building on our three offices and reviewing opportunities to acquire a local recruitment business that is line with our dynamic approach within the marketplace.

“As the Northern Ireland economy develops around knowledge-based industries like ICT, Agri-food, Health and Life sciences, financial services and professional services it is becoming increasingly dependent on higher level skills. By 2020 over 50% of the local workforce will require these higher level skills and shortages will be particularly acute in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) disciplines, areas in which we have considerable experience. Our unique global connections paired with our insights and expertise will enable us to match local companies with our strong talent base across Northern Ireland, Europe and further afield.”

ESTATE AGENCY OPENS DOORS TO A NEW BRANCH AND NEW JOBS

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ward winning Bangor based estate agency Pinkertons, owned by local businesswoman Victoria Pinkerton, has announced the opening of a second branch in Comber with the creation of five new jobs. The opening of the second branch, which represents a £150k investment, brings the total workforce at Pinkertons to 15. The new branch in Comber will continue to provide the Pinkertons award-winning, full service agency offering across buying, selling, letting or renting within a comfortable and stylish setting.

In 2016, Pinkertons will be celebrating 10 years in business.

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Since it opened its doors the agency has picked up countless awards including Northern Ireland Estate Agency of the year and Letting Agency of the Year at The Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year Awards and, has become widely acclaimed for its excellent customer service delivery.

Like the Bangor branch, the new branch in Comber places the client at the centre of its service.

A stylish, comfortable and inviting setting allows clients to relax, feel at home and take their time whilst discussing their requirements with qualified consultants. Clients can use the latest in iPad technology to browse the latest homes available

or take details from the unique display panel. As part of the new opening Pinkertons has refreshed their website to include a unique property search feature providing exceptional ease for the user.

Making the announcement Managing Director, Victoria Pinkerton, said: “ We are delighted to be opening our second branch of Pinkertons in Comber – an exciting addition to our branch in Bangor. Our £150k investment has helped to secure 5 new jobs bringing our total workforce to 15. In 2016 we will be 10 years in business, with this in mind, we aim to continue with our forward thinking approach by ensuring that

Victoria Pinkerton (left) with staff members Peter Morrison and Erin Johnston

our customers receive the very best in products, services delivered to award winning standards.”

For further information visit www.pinkertonsni.com

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Eye on Motoring

PINT POT PEUGEOT PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT What is a GT badge doing on a car with a wee three-cylinder engine? Well, Peugeot is now calling its top trim ‘GT-line’ and very posh it is with deep front seats, drilled alloy pedals and other sporting hints.

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he 1.2-litre petrol engine is new to the Peugeot 208 though it has appeared on some Citroens. On the road it is more perky than its size would suggest with 0-62mph in under ten seconds and 118mph potential.

Come to think of it the original GTs of the 1970s weren’t much quicker!

Its output of 110PS compared with 1.6-litre petrol engines of the past and, in a compact car, offers plenty of everyday

performance. This is yet another small petrol engine that impresses as a alternative to diesel for those with average annual mileages.

The combined cycle economy is rated at 62.8mpg with emissions of 104g/km which makes it a friend of the company accountant.

Its BIK rating is kind at 15% and there is zero road tax in the first year and just £20 thereafter.

On the road, the 208 offers a peppy drive with responsive

handling though it does dart about a bit. Maybe this is because of the slightly debatable smaller steering wheel - this can block the view of the tiered instruments for some people.

My car came with a sixspeed auto box which is a big improvement on the normal fivespeed manual. The GT line package runs to 17-inch alloy wheels,

automatic air conditioning and lots of little cosmetic touches. Overall it feels a better finished article.

The starting price for the five-door version is £17,695 and my car was fitted with some reasonably priced options including Active City Braking (£250), Park Assist and Reversing Camera (£500) and Satellite Navigation with DAB radio (£400).

GORGEOUS DROP-TOP BMW 640d CABRIO IS A THING OF JOY It used to be easy to figure out what engine was in a BMW from its model number. Under the old code a 640 model would probably have had a 4.0 litre engine, maybe V8. Not any more, the 640d cabrio that I have been driving is a three-litre twin turbo diesel!

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think I have figured out why BMW has refused to ‘downgrade’ the badges to reflect the smaller engine. It is simply because the brilliant latest 3.0-litre is more powerful than the old V8s. Engine size is not everything when it comes to performance these days!

They still offer V8 petrol engines in the 6-series coupe and cabrio range, but, having experienced the power and refinement of the diesel, I would

not bother with them unless you have shares in BP. The diesel is not just the most frugal, but it is also the cheapest to buy and it is still a very quick car.

Smooth and almost silent, the 300bhp 640d is just an effortless performer. With the superb 8-speed auto box, it has the torque to pick up strongly in any situation. This makes for quick yet relaxed progress and

is perfect for the long haul.

The 640d makes the best business case with a stated 51mpg combined and emissions of 144g/km. This compares to a still creditable 35mpg combined for the three-litre petrol version.

The flagship 650i drops to 28mpg - all things are relative.

On the road, the 640d is well behaved and precise rather than sporting. You can dial up

various modes from comfort to sport that control the reactions of the gearbox and suspension. Underneath all this interfering technology it is still a rear-drive car though this is far from obvious at times.

Still the 640d cabrio is a thing of great quality and beauty.

The price list starts at around £72K but the many tempting options can soon inflate that.

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Eye on Motoring

Improve Your Company Cash Flow with DFC’s Vehicle Management Programme We all want to make the most of our money- and that goes for whether you’re running the finance for a business or for your private life.

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uckily for you, Business Contract Hire promises numerous financial benefits, as well as providing convenience and peace of mind.

With DFC, our complete vehicle management solution takes all the hassle out of purchasing and managing your company vehicles, and the great thing is we only take care of the parts you want us to.

We can help you find the right vehicle, manage your fleet as a stand-alone service or just take care of that one thing you really hate dealing with. When it comes to Business Contract Hire we also offer RAC Telematics with every new vehicle as standard, so keeping track of your drivers’ behaviour and mileage is simple. But if you already have a vehicle and just want to add Telematics, it’s easy to get that too.

Or if it’s servicing and maintenance you want us to handle but nothing else… no problem. It’s about finding what’s right for your business and your budget.

So how can DFC’s vehicle management programme improve your company cash flow?

We know that when we hear from a business for the first time they’re usually squandering money without even knowing and enduring far too much hassle managing their vehicles. That’s money and effort that would be better spent in growing your business. And it doesn’t matter if you have 1 vehicle or manage a fleet of 100, we can show you proven methods to improve your company cash flow, whilst at the same time driving a brand new vehicle.

We want to save you time as well as money so we’ll always meet at a time and place that is convenient to you.

We’ll analyse how your vehicles affect your cash flow, your future plans and your legal responsibilities. Our approach is unique because we focus on your needs first before we ever discuss any

particular make or model. We’re completely independent with no ties or obligations to any manufacture or dealership, so you’ll make all the choices both prior and during your time as a DFC customer.

We lay out all the facts and make it easy to decide what works best for you and your business. Yes, we’ll guide you on all the options available so no matter what way you choose to finance you’re vehicle we will help you get the best deal on the market.

With DFC’s unique, holistic approach to vehicle management, we can improve your company cash flow in the following ways: Tax Benefits As you don’t own the vehicle it can be classed as a business expense, and can be deducted from any profits to reduce your overall tax bill. And because leases don’t have to be shown on a balance sheet, your company’s liquidity ratio, gearing and return on assets can be improved.

Free Up Capital You get brand new vehicles without all of the hassle and huge-upfront costs, freeing up money for you to invest elsewhere in your business. You won’t

need to find the initial funds to purchase the vehicles and instead you can invest this money into growing your business.

Cost Control A competitive, fixed monthly amount to pay, makes budgeting that little bit easier. You have the certainty of a low fixed monthly cost and the reassurance that every month you will know exactly what to pay.

Tackle Depreciation You can eliminate the hassle surrounding vehicle depreciation and maintenance. At the end of the contract you simply hand back the vehicle without worrying about how much it may be worth. There’s no need to pick and choose a model that will hold the value, but rather choose a vehicle that suits your need and your budget.

To find out more please call us on 028 9073 4222 or visit www.dfcbelfast.co.uk/vehiclemanagement-consultation

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Eye on Motoring

NEW HYUNDAI i20 HATCHBACK WINS NORTHERN IRELAND CAR OF THE YEAR The much improved Hyundai i20 was the overall winner of the 2016 NIIB Finance Northern Ireland Car of the Year Awards.

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hosen by members of the Ulster Motoring Writers’ Association from the many cars they have tested over the last year, the awards bring a local perspective to the latest models.

Chairman Jim McCauley commented: “The i20 has immediate appeal in its sophisticated styling, high quality interior and stable handling. Given the very competitive price, this is a quality package that represents excellent value for money, underwritten by a 5-year warranty.”

The individual category awards were: • Small car - this went to the Mazda2 for its roominess, driving appeal and sophistication.

• Family car - The SEAT Leon was rated as the top family car

Terry McLean, Hyundai Regional Manager, Jim McCauley, UMWA Chairman, Natasha Waddington, Head of Hyundai Press and PR and James Demspter, Regional Manager, NIIB Finance...

as it offered loads of space, particularly in the estate version, economical engines and sound ability on the road.

• Lifestyle car - The Suzuki Vitara won over the judges with its styling, practicality and packaging.

• Performance car - the Audi RS3 quattro took the chequered flag with its awesome acceleration, superb

road holding and excellent finish.

• Executive car - best business express was judged to be the Mazda6 Touring a fine handling big estate with bags of style and equipment - at a realistic price.

• Fleet car - The Skoda Octavia 1.6SE Business Line, was chosen by the NIIB team for price, BIK, residual value and reliability.

Regional Manager James Dempster,

who presented the awards, said: “As the leading independent funding provider to the Northern Ireland motor market, we are delighted to have teamed up with the Ulster Motoring Writers Association to deliver the 2016 NIIB Northern Ireland Car of the Year Awards.”

ALL-NEW ASTRA IS AN ECONOMY STAR WITH UP TO 91MPG! What have they done to improve a car that has sold over three million since it was first launched in 1989? Quite a lot for the seventh generation Astra us much improved in looks, dynamics, economy and technology.

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tarting in the car ‘gym’ the new design is shorter on the outside and bigger on the inside. The fitness routine has seen between 130 and 200kg of weight being lost through use of lighter steel and other materials. That has knock-on effects including better handling and more miles to the gallon.

Petrol choices start with an energetic 1.0 three-cylinder turbo with a claimed 67mpg combined that will appeal to city drivers. I was impressed by the sweet and responsive driving 1.4-litre petrol model which is rated at 51mpg combined. A sporting 200bhp turbo is to follow.

Fleet and long-distance drivers are catered for by the latest application of Vauxhall’s ‘whispering diesel’ that is subdued and offers strong pick-up. There is a choice of 108 or 148bhp. The lower output model is rated at 91mpg and with emissions of just 86g/ km making for low tax ratings.

Innovative touches include ‘LED lantern’ headlamps which dip automatically when a front-facing camera picks up oncoming traffic and have a very useful side beam to pick up pedestrians or cyclists in the side shadows. This camera also picks up changing speed

limits and can activate collision warnings and mitigation braking.

Prices are very competitive as they have to be in this class - up to £2,200

less than the outgoing car. The 1.0litre petrol runs from £15,995, the 1.6 whisper diesel from £16,995 and the 150PS 1.4 turbo petrol from £17,695.

For used VAT qualifying vehicles visit our website...

dfcbelfast.co.uk

Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

STYLISH AND DRIVABLE NEW MAZDA CX-3 CAN BE A MEAN MACHINE aerodynamics, produces economy potential on par with a hybrid!

Look at the headline figures for the new 1.5-litre ‘clean’ diesel - over 70mpg on the Combined Cycle with emissions of 105g/km. With 104bhp on tap it still manages to reach 62mph from rest in around 10 seconds with a top speed of 110mph - enough for most drivers.

I recently spent some time driving the 120PS version of a 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine. This does not have a turbocharger but is large enough to produce good torque to keep the fuel-sapping revs down. It features stop start, a very high compression ratio (for petrol) and a unique brake energy regeneration system.

It manages around 50mpg combined.

Mazda’s compact crossover car is one of its best lookers. Sitting taller than a hatchback and with lines sweeping upwards towards the rear, it aims to be a dynamic as well as a practical machine.

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he CX-3 also carries forward Mazda’s unique approach to efficient engineering called SKYACTIV which takes conventional engineering to new levels. A methodical honing of every aspect of the engines, transmission, body weight and

There are more powerful versions of the petrol engine and the diesel available with the all-wheel drive and six-speed automatic options Safety features include curtain airbags, Hill Hold Assist, Tyre Pressure Monitoring and Dynamic Stability Control as standard.

Inside, there is a more premium feel with a 7-inch touch screen atop the dash and quality details including

stitching on the fascia and door panels.

The CX-3 is priced from £17,595 for a front-drive petrol model, from £18,995 for front drive diesel and up to £24,695 for a top-line turbo diesel with all-wheel drive. An impressive car in appearance and as a driving machine but the shallow boot and tight rear compartment define it as a compromise of style over practicality.

Love to beat the competition Love the tiny whole life costs Love award-winning New Corsa

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Kind on BiK – from just 15%*

Quids in for Whole Life Costs

V Value for money – monthly BiK tax from only £29*

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A

New Corsa 1.3CDTi 95PS Design 5dr

B

Fiesta 1.5 TDCi 95PS Style ECOnetic 5dr

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Polo 1.4 TDI 75PS SE 5dr

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£20,769

B A

£20,971

Just keeps going... up to 91.1mpg†

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£19,262

J

Whole Life Costs – 3 years / 60,000 miles1

Zero VED

VAUXHALL FLEET

Call 0870 010 0651 | visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/fleet Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km).

New Corsa range: Urban 35.3 (8.0) – 83.1 (3.4), Extra-urban 57.6 (4.9) – 94.2 (3.0), Combined 47.1 (6.0) – 91.1 (3.1).

CO2 emissions 139 – 82g/km. † = Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. * = 2015-16 tax year. General Motors UK Limited, trading as Vauxhall Motors, does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their particular tax position. 1 = Whole Life Costs (3 years/60,000 miles) based on independently supplied data by CAP (November 2015). All figures quoted correct at time of publication (November 2015). Images shown for illustrative purposes only and may feature options at extra cost.

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business offers from volvo Cars in northern ireland

Model shown is XC60 D4 AWD R-Design

Model shown is V40 D2 R-Design

Business Contract Hire S60 D3 Business Edition from V40 D2 ES from

£210 per month* + VAT

£229 per month* + VAT

V60 D4 Business Edition from V40 D2 R-Design from XC60 D4 SE from

£229 per month* + VAT

£249 per month* + VAT

£263 per month* + VAT

XC60 D4 AWD R-Design from

£301 per month* + VAT

XC90 D5 AWD Momentum Geartronic from

£547 per month* + VAT

Initial rental

Month agreement

Annual mileage

Excess mileage (per mile)

BHP

BIK%

CO2

P11d

£1,264.98 + VAT

36

10,000

10.05p + VAT

150

18%

102g

£22,740

£1376.58 + VAT

36

10,000

9.3p + VAT

120

16%

94g

£21,140

£1377.24 + VAT

36

10,000

11.10p + VAT

190

18%

104g

£25,190

£1,498.32 + VAT

36

10,000

10.35p + VAT

120

16%

94g

£23,440

£1579.44 + VAT

36

10,000

13.95p + VAT

190

21%

117g

£31,605

£1808.10 + VAT

36

10,000

15.15p + VAT

190

25%

137g

£34,280

£3,286.20 + VAT

36

10,000

20.25p + VAT

225

27%

149g

£45,550

VAT may be payable at a rate of 20%.

S M W Belfast

Volvo Business Centre

Greers of Antrim & Coleraine

028 9068 6000 www.volvocarsbelfast.co.uk 028 9446 0066 www.volvocarsantrim.co.uk

Fuel consumption and CO2 figures for the Volvo Range in mpg (I/100 km): Urban 68.9 (4.1) – 19.1 (14.8), Extra Urban 85.6 (3.3) – 37.7 (7.5), Combined 155.2 (1.8) – 27.7 (10.2). CO2 emissions 237 – 48g/km. MPG figures are obtained from laboratory testing intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect real driving results. *Important Information. Business users only. Subject to status. Vehicle must be returned in good condition to avoid further charges. Subject to availability at participating dealers for vehicles registered 01/10/15 to 31/12/15. Not available with other promotions. Provided by Lex Autolease Ltd trading as Volvo Car Leasing, SK3 0RB.