Welcome to the Chamber

CONNECTED is highlighting some of the Chamber’s newest members. Let us introduce you to the wider range of members that the Londonderry Chamber represents across the North West. Will your business be featured in the next edition?

#GrowingBusinessNW

Whatever the purpose of your visit to the Millennium Forum, a warm welcome awaits from our dedicated team. Located in the heart of Derry/ Londonderry, We are one of the largest, purposebuilt theatres on the island of Ireland, the Millennium Forum hosts a wide range of live musical and theatrical performances, corporate, and community events and provides space for creative learning for individuals and groups of all abilities.

Harbinson Mulholland are accountants and business advisors based in Belfast and the hosts of the NI Family Business Forum

With a team of 50, we work with a wide range of owner managed and family businesses across NI.

JACE Medical provides COVID-19 Testing and Health Screening to keep your workforce safe and business moving forward. The company provides testing for many of Ireland’s leading companies including Intel, Amazon, Aurivo, Engie, ESB, and many more.

Welcome to new member Tierney Tax Consultancy (NI) Ltd. Specialist Crossborder Tax Practice - Ireland and UK Tax, VAT & Customs compliance and advisory services. Welcome to new member QCD Solutions (QCD). They provide competitive business support solutions to solve issues, create value, maximise growth, and improve business performance including: Business Consultancy/Digital Services/Business Development (International Pathfinder Service)/ Project Management for Collaborative Innovation Partnerships/Supply Chain Management Services Initial consultations are free and will include advice on how funding may be available to cover or contribute to the cost of the services provided by QCD. QCD are an approved service provider for InterTradeIreland and Invest NI.

Allied Ship Supplies (Ire) Ltd was founded in 1998, and after two decades of growth, now trades from a 72,000 sq ft warehouse near Londonderry Port and Harbour. We currently employ four full time members of staff. We supply shipping vessels visiting ports in Ireland and the UK with all provisions including: hardwares, dairy products, soft drinks, underbond stores, beers, spirits, wines, tobacco and cigarettes, including both commercial and cruise liners such as P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises.

We hold HMRC Customs approvals such as our General Storage and Distribution Licence and Warehousekeepers and Owners of Warehoused Goods Regulations (WOWGR) certificate. These allow us to provide all services and goods in duty suspense and for export to our customers visiting the ports and direct export. Welcome to new member HURT. HURT is a voluntary organisation working for the community. They support individuals and their families in all stages of recovery from alcohol and other drug problems with a confidential and non judgemental approach.

Welcome to new member McColgan’s Quality Foods. What began as a tea shop in the heart of Strabane, County Tyrone, the McColgan family has been dedicated to innovation to create a superior product for their customers to enjoy. Today, McColgan’s is the largest independent producer of savoury pastry on the island of Ireland making sausage rolls, pasties, jambons, and quiche from scratch. These are sold in large quantity to the UK mainland, ROI, and continental Europe.

Established in October 2018 as a part-time tour guiding business, the role became a full-time one from the beginning of June 2022. I’m an accountant by profession but an historian by passion, and I encourage visitors to “linger longer in Londonderry and enjoy a dander around Derry”. I offer a range of premium and popular walking tours which can be customised and a range of flexible audio tours.

Welcome to new member Monroe Facilities Ltd - a professional facilities management company specialising in cleaning services. Offering highly specialist and routine cleaning services that are delivered to a very high standard, they are fully committed to pursuing the best industry practices and have health and safety, quality and environmental aspects at the core of our ethos. They are Safe Contractor approved, ISO 9001 (Quality) accredited and 14001 (Environmental) accredited organisation with highly skilled and trained staff. Works include: Industrial Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning, High Level Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, Window Cleaning, Specialist Cleaning, Power washing, Kitchen Cleaning, Graffiti Removal, Domestic and Commercial Cleaning to name a few. Monroe Facilities Ltd is committed to developing working relationships that support our customers core business function and are there when we are needed.

Welcome to new member Kingsbridge Private Hospital. Gain rapid access to surgeries and treatment at Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West, part of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group – Northern Ireland’s largest private healthcare provider. AGL Chartered Accountants are Small Business Experts, working with businesses across the North West. Our aim is to work closely with clients in order to improve their business, help them earn more profits, and reduce taxes where possible.

Institute Football Club is a semiprofessional association football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club, founded in 1905, currently play our home matches at the Brandywell while we look to return to a new stadium in the Waterside. We have an Academy for players aged 15+ to progress to the first team in order to ensure a club made up of predominantly local players and therefore one that fully represents our community. Our five year strategic plan is integral to the growth of the club by focusing on 1. Our home & identity, 2. Our football, 3. Our youth, 4. Our sustainability and 5. Our people, community, and relationships.

Welcome to new member Aeroblue. Aeroblue focus on delivering for their customers. They have experience in multiple industry sectors creating software solutions to improve production, sales, order fulfilment, and distribution, with a focus on helping customers reduce costs and optimising their operations. Having secured major customers delivering thousands of products per day, Aeroblue are continually working to improve their systems. They specialise in solutions for food business, from ecommerce, to production right through to delivery. Our systems save our clients time on business processes that would normally take hours or days when done manually, improving their operations so they can focus on what they do best. Welcome to new member ASM Magherafelt. ASM Magherfelt is one of the leading Chartered Accountancy and Business Advisory practices in Ireland offering a variety of services to clients across the province such as Audit & Accounting, Corporate Finance, Tax, Restructuring, and Insolvency Services. ASM have an outstanding reputation as providers of commercial business advice to managed businesses and professional practices alike.

Established in 1985, Foyle Hospice has provided specialist palliative care and support for more than 20,000 patients and their families. Referrals are received for patients with either a terminal or life-limiting diagnosis such as Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Foyle Hospice offers a wide range of care and support services through their In-Patient Unit, Day Hospice, and Integrative Care Clinic. Patients and their families can also receive specialist support in their own homes through the Community Palliative Care Team. Bereavement support is available for adults and children between the ages of 4 and 16 with counsellors and bereavement facilitators. All services are free of charge. With approximately 35% of their total running costs provided through the Health and Social Care Board the remaining 65% of the annual costs is as a result of the very kind and generous support of sponsors and donors across the community.

The Playhouse is one of the most vibrant and loved arts centres in Northern Ireland. Established in 1992 we are here to create community, celebrate diversity, and empower people through the arts. We are a global leader in using the arts to build peace, an award winning producing theatre - pioneering and showcasing new work across both real and virtual worlds - and use the arts and education to address deep rooted social issues and promote personal development and well-being. We matter to our locality, to the global communities we connect with, and the many diverse groups and individuals we engage with. We work as a community, for the community, employing our creativity and imaginations to continually innovate and give our best in order to offer a space to make meaning and a space that’s here for good.

Welcome to new member FMB Property Management Ltd. They offer domestic and commercial lettings in L’Derry and Donegal, along with holiday accommodation on the North Coast.

Welcome to new member Terex GB. Terex GB operates within the Terex Materials Processing (MP) segment of Terex Corporation, an American-owned, NYSE-listed global manufacturer of lifting and material processing products. ChallengeCurve is a specialist software Quality Assurance and Testing consultancy based in London, now operating in Derry. We work with Start-Ups and Corporates to help ensure their mobile apps and other business critical applications meet customer needs and are fast, performant, robust, resilient, and scalable.

We opened our Derry operations earlier this year with our Quality Assurance and Testing Centre of Excellence, based in the AMP Building, Ebrington Square. We look forward to meeting and working with other members of the Chamber.

Founded in 2006, LoughTec secure, manage, and connect I.T. infrastructure for businesses and organisations throughout the UK, ROI, and beyond. Their mission is simple: build trust through their people and by delivering an excellent service that exceeds expectations on time and within budget. Services offered: • Managed & outsourced IT support • Protection and security against IT threats • Working from home and remote working software solutions. Following sustained year on year growth, LoughTec has expanded its portfolio and offering into the cybersecurity sector, helping clients in defence, security, government, and banking stay secure and protected against the growing threat of cybercrime. If you have been in an accident, JMK Solicitors can help you! We are Northern Ireland’s largest personal injury and road traffic law firm. We focus solely on assisting clients right across Northern Ireland in recovering compensation following an accident. Since we were established in 2003, we have successfully helped many thousands of people recover compensation. This experience means we understand the stress, upset, and inconvenience an accident can cause.

Our team has vast experience of all the processes which must be navigated to make sure you get the best possible result. We pride ourselves on our friendly and helpful approach, so from your initial contact, we strive to fully explain how we can help you and we will let you know how best to proceed with your claim. We will explain anything you don’t understand and will let you know what you are entitled to claim for. To find out more, call 028 9032 0222 or visit www.jmksolicitors.com.

Welcome to new member Healthtek Ltd. Healthtek Ltd provide a range of services and trainings across the mental health, communication, business, management, performance, and service sectors using NLP, CBT, Counselling, Hypnotherapy which includes dealing with staff work stress, absenteeism, recruiting staff profiling, and court reporting.

Anita Delivery was established in 2020, just four weeks before the Covid 19 pandemic. Anita Delivery provides an invaluable service to those who purchase items from local shops and need the items delivered. Need something from the shop? Get it delivered directly to your door with Anita Delivery! With the app you can: • Search through 1000s of products available to order from your local shops and businesses • Track your delivery in real-time from the store to your doorstep • Browse through your order history Download FREE on Apple Store and Google Play for express deliveries from your favourite local businesses and shops.

LISA HUTTON PROPERTY

A multifaceted background of 16 years’ experience in banking, financial markets, legal, compliance, and accounting has enabled me to build a solid property portfolio which is the foundation for limitless growth. I have experience in buying, selling, and renovating property since 2007 and have formed an aspiring Property Investment Company called Lisa Hutton Property Ltd. I live by the motto “where there’s a will there’s a way”. Hard work pays off and life’s possibilities are endless. Although it’s good to be optimistic it’s also important to be realistic. Experience in banking and accounting, especially the financial crisis and the regulatory storm that came thereafter, has shown that it’s important for a business to have sufficient buffers to weather any financial turbulence and to cashflow-forecast in significant detail. This is very relevant and applicable to a property portfolio. If you are interested in collaboration on a project or to invest in the company for fixed returns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. The next opportunity is just around the corner. Welcome to new member Men’s Action Network. MAN offers free advice, counselling, crisis intervention, and support in a range of issues such as Men’s Health Education, Health Promotion, and Wellbeing.

Welcome to new member Quay 8. Quay 8 in Shipquay Street opened in September 2021 following major refurbishment. Facilities include 14 guest bedrooms each with own kitchenette . A perfect central location to explore the city. Find out more visit

www.quay8accommodation.com

Foyle Search and Rescue is a registered, voluntary based charity, operating in Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland, but cover search and rescue operations UK and Ireland wide when required. The charity’s sole aim is the preservation of life in and around the River Foyle. Foyle Search and Rescue was set up by local people in 1993 in response to the alarmingly high number of drownings in the river and has adopted the role of preventing suicide and supporting families in the City. Our volunteers are from the local community and selflessly give up hours of their personal time every week to help those in need. We patrol the river on Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights, identified peak times of need, from 9.30pm to 3.00am, engaging with people in distress, maintaining lifebelts, and saving lives. We have an Emergency Response Pager Team, made up of our dedicated volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for incidents and emergencies outside of patrol times. This team are paged by the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) to respond to potential suicide attempts and incidents in and around the river. This team also acts as a body recovery team who search for any person missing in the river and recover the body with the greatest dignity. Alongside our aim ‘the Preservation of Life in and around The River Foyle’ we also provide safety cover at various events throughout the year e.g. Foyle Maritime Festival, Halloween, and various music events. Along with providing talks or visits to our base to various schools, community groups, and businesses, and we are also involved in education on water safety and suicide awareness within our local community. We facilitate the North West Bereaved by Suicide Support Group for families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide.

Foyle Search and Rescue is an extremely well thought of organisation throughout our City and further afield. Our organisation is a prime example of how a local group of volunteers can come up with an idea to improve their community and turn it into a fullyfledged Charity.

How does your membership

benefit you? with FinTrU Executive Director, Greg McCann

It is safe to say that 2022 has, to date, brought many exceptional challenges for all of us. From the war in Ukraine, to skyrocketing inflation, business confidence has been rocked by crisis upon crisis home and abroad. And while the pandemic appears to have hopefully subsided, our regional economy is still playing catch-up after three years of closures, disruption, and hardship.

Despite these challenges, FinTrU’s North-West offices have continued to grow our company’s global reach. In March, for the second year running, we were named by The Financial Times as one of Europe’s fastest growing companies. In April, we were thrilled to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of our ‘Outstanding Continuous Growth’ in overseas sales over the last six years. These awards are further recognition of the world-leading entrepreneurial acumen that defines the North West business community. The strength, vision, and camaraderie of businesses here is exactly why I was thrilled to join the Chamber’s board of directors earlier this year. The Chamber has been at the forefront of promoting the North West as a place to invest and do business for many years. Playing an active role in the Chamber’s regional engagement and advocacy work is something that I am very passionate about; and I have ‘the sleeves rolled up’, ready to bring more jobs, economic development, and prosperity to the North West. FinTrU set up base in the city in 2018 and with currently over 300 employees we have not looked back. Our region is rapidly gaining a reputation for industries like tech, fintech, and regtech, and there is a growing talent base in these sectors. Through the likes of our Summer Financial Services Academy, we continue to employ, develop, and promote the graduate base in our region, harnessing their talent and abilities to meet the needs of this expanding sector. Being a Chamber member means being an integral part of the business community. Earlier this year we had the President’s Lunch, a fantastic celebration of what has been achieved over a challenging trading period. The North West Business Awards were a fitting recognition of local business success, and FinTrU were honoured to win North West Large Business of the Year Award. In-person or virtual, big, or small, each chamber event, webinar, or networking session offers real benefits for local employers. A key priority for Chamber is seeing the region’s infrastructure grow to meet business demands. To build a strong, prosperous North West economy, investment in our road, rail, and air network, and our education sector is crucial. The world of work has changed, and our region is proving to be a leading destination for remote and hybrid practices. The Chamber is seeking to capitalise on this, and, through its engagement with Stormont, Westminster, and Leinster House Ministers, has been proactively seeking new economic opportunities for our city and the North West region. FinTrU are proud to be an active Chamber member.

President’s Annual Lunch 2022

The first major event in the Chamber calendar of 2022, the President’s Annual Lunch was held in the City Hotel Derry on 3 March. Speaking at the event to over 200 local business leaders from across the North West and beyond, Chamber President Aidan O’Kane said the return of the Executive after May’s Assembly Elections was crucial for investment and stability. Due to speak in-person in Derry, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney TD delivered a video message to attendees after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Fine Gael’s Northern Ireland Spokesperson, Senator Emer Currie, addressed attendees instead which included over 200 business leaders, politicians, and invited guests from across the North West.

Sponsored by Alchemy Technology Services, the event was hosted by broadcaster Claire McCollum and was led by the theme “Sharing Success in the North West”, a celebration of the strong links the city region has across the UK and Ireland. President Aidan O’Kane said that an absent Executive will deliver

John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services

nothing for the North West, leading to the loss of outstanding commitments like the expansion of Magee to 10,000 students. The Chamber President called on Stormont parties to work together to rebuild our economy postCovid and help businesses thrive, not just survive. “Today’s Lunch has taken place at a very significant time for the North West”, said Aidan. “After two tumultuous years, traders here are finally putting the pandemic behind them, now focusing not on surviving, but thriving and playing their part in the growth of our regional economy. “It was excellent to hear from Minister Coveney and Senator Currie, who both have shown strong commitment to the stability of political institutions here. Now, with another political crisis upon us, the collaborative spirit which guided the New Decade, New Approach Agreement are needed more than ever. Outstanding commitments like the expansion of Magee to 10,000 students, increased and improved rail provision, and the full roll-out of City Deal projects simply cannot be lost due to an empty Stormont.” Speaking as parties prepared for the Assembly Elections in May, Aidan reiterated the importance of strong and stable government for businesses in the North West. “The Assembly election is just weeks away, and an immediate and swift Assembly return must be the only priority of parties here. With Covid-19 restrictions now in the rear-view mirror, it is crucial that recovery and rebuild of our economy and hard-hit businesses becomes the focus of the incoming Executive and Assembly. The next mandate and new Programme for

John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services; Senator Emer Currie; Chamber President Aidan O’Kane; and Claire McCollum, host

Guests at the President’s Annual Lunch

Richard Moore, Children in Crossfire, the President’s Chosen Charity for 2022

Claire McCollum, host of the President’s Annual Lunch

Government must turbo-charge our economy and help businesses reach and exceed their pre-pandemic growth.” Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, praised local businesses in Derry and beyond, and stressed the importance of Stormont in delivering for the economy. “The North West is a unique cross-border city region, transformed from conflict to peace, to growing prosperity”, he said in a pre-recorded video message. “The creativity, resilience, and hard work of the business leaders of the North West has played an integral part in that change. The Derry Chamber plays a key role, including through the strong relationship with the Letterkenny Chamber, and the North West operates to a significant degree as a single cross-border economy.” “North-South cooperation is a key part of the Good Friday Agreement and

Steve Frazer, City of Derry Airport, and former Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Ald Graham Warke

Senator Emer Currie, keynote speaker

unlocking the potential of the all-island economy is a key benefit”, Minister Coveney continued. “Increased economic growth on this island benefits us all, threatens nobody, and is a dividend from the peace process we should all share. Therefore, protecting and growing the all-island economy is a major priority for our government and we will continue to support the development of the North West City Region as an integral component of this.” The lunch was sponsored by Alchemy Technology Services and also featured a brief address from Richard Moore of Children in Crossfire, the President’s chosen charity for 2022. “Each year the President’s Lunch offers our business community the chance to come together and celebrate the hard work and entrepreneurship that drives the local economy”, said John Harkin, founder and CEO of Alchemy Technology Services. “I was delighted to speak at today’s event, and I look forward to further collaboration with the Chamber in aid of its mission statement to help businesses succeed in a successful North West.”