Ulster Business February 2024

FEBRUARY 2024 Price £2.30 (€2.60)

FEATURE

Why it’s time for a new planning ‘green lane’

IN FOCUS

The NI software firm aiming to get listed

Building a business with social impact Ross Lazaroo-Hood on growing Clearer Group and getting back to his Co Antrim roots

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Contents

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06 News

37 77 Office environment & fitout Motoring

The latest news and exclusives from across the world of Northern Ireland business

We take a look at the challenges faced by the office market amid energy changes

Volvo’s new XC60 Black Edition turns heads while Dacia gets a new Duster

18 Cover story

51 Jobs & recruitment

92 Lifestyle

Ross Lazaroo-Hood of Clearer Group on developing a business with social impact

Why is the gap between salaries here and elsewhere in the UK the largest on record?

John Mulgrew pays a visit to Lunn’s to check out the new Rolex Certified Pre-owned range

22 In Focus

55 Risk management & security

94 Travel

New York tech chief Glenn Weinstein on plans to grow software firm into a listed company

31 Energy, waste & environment We ask if it’s time for a planning ‘green lane’

Why building the best line of defence is key

A bucket-list trip to California’s golden Coachella Valley exceeds expectations

63 Healthcare

96 Technology

The Stormont Brake could be engaged to prevent EU dental laws hitting NI healthcare

From budget to advanced: we take on the top fitness smartwatches

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FEBRUARY 2024

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EDITOR’S COMMENTS

It’s time to focus on green energy

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lanning is never too detached from business, and it’s something you’ll likely see considerable coverage of in this magazine.

and renewable development is one which has come to the fore of late.

And for that reason, how it operates, and operates efficiently, remains incredibly important.

There have already been calls for a form of prioritisation for renewable schemes here, from solar to wind and battery storage.

We’re plateauing in terms of our green energy generation and without significant investment in on-shore (alongside longerterm more ambitious off-shore) we’re unlikely to get anywhere close to an 80% target by 2030.

But while I’ve turned a lot of attention towards the workings of the planning process, new developments, delays, speaking to those in charge at Stormont and examining the various reports into the system which we have here which continue to be fairly damning in their critique, energy

It came to the fore in the last few weeks when two major schemes, from the same developer but in separate locations, were either refused permission or recommended for refusal. While it’s a complex issue, the majority of the reasons again are surrounding the visual impact on the area.

It’s at the core of almost everything we physically create, any business we establish or school we build.

This is something which always needs to be taken into consideration, but as Steven Agnew of RenewableNI has previously said, we need to get over the ‘eyesore’ element and focus on the clean energy needs.

In this edition I’ve written extensively about the need to look at a new ‘green lane’ for major renewable schemes. And we must also look towards the significant time frame in terms of the appeals process. Schemes in the system already are unlikely to be looked at by the Planning Appeals Commission until 2025/26.

It's something we need to look at improving if we want to become the modern green economy everyone is striving for. ■ John Mulgrew

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FEBRUARY 2024

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NEWS

A month in numbers

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The number of new jobs being created by US firm DailyPay in Belfast.

22,000 The number of homes which a new wind farm, which is appealing planning refusal, could power.

100

The number of new jobs which could be created by Wren Kitchens with its first stores in NI.

£50m The total value of a new apartment development in Liverpool which has been built by Co Down’s Graham.

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Belfast software firm to continue to ‘double workforce’ before IPO

Glenn Weinstein

Belfast-based tech firm says it’s aiming to continue to double its workforce size here as it heads towards a stock exchange listing.

Cloudsmith is now headed by New Yorker Glenn Weinstein. It was founded in 2016 Alan Carson and Lee Skillen and helps businesses manage software on the cloud.

The firm recently hit the 60 staff mark.

But according to Mr Weinstein, it’s aiming to double staff numbers again and again as it grows towards an IPO down the line.

“It is software engineers that build and maintain and operate our product, but it’s also marketing people, its salespeople, their operations people, things like finance and HR. Really every function in the company is represented here in Belfast.

“We’re competing with software companies that have gone public, that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange which have hundreds of millions in revenue and thousands and thousands of customers.

“And that’s the trajectory that we’re on – we will no doubt achieve similar global reach and importance… [there’s] no specific plan to grow from X to Y, just basically make our product the number one. “… the idea that you’re listing eventually would be firmly in the longer term scope.”

He says the ultimate goal of the firm and its founders are to have “every software organisation in the world relying on our software”.

“Cloudsmith sells our product to any large software organisation,” Glenn says.

“It’s a really important security product that any large organisation should have. So as a result, we really target two types of companies.

“The first are software companies where the entire company is the software, a company like PagerDuty… and then the other target customer, just large enterprises of any kind that have significant software operations, which is to say pretty much all of them. “[That’s any] Global 2000 company which is typically going to have hundreds of software developers there.

“They have great need for our tool to secure their software supply chain. So we have companies that would fit that mould… large, large corporations would be the other target customer.”

He said the firm is “not content to sit still”.

“We’d like to try to double the size of the company, and then double it again, and then double it again,” he said.

Read the full interview on page 22-23

NEWS

Tesco opening new Express store in Belfast city centre student area

By John Mulgrew

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esco looks set to open a new store in the growing student heartland of the north city centre in Belfast, Ulster Business can reveal.

The supermarket giant is planning a new store on the ground floor of the LIV student accommodation building which sits on the corner of York Street and Great Patrick Street, and close to Ulster University’s new campus.

A number of major student accommodation have been, and continue to be, developed in the area.

Tesco has now submitted plans to take on the unit, which had been on the market as a retail property.

The new outlet would be the chain’s latest Express-style store for the city centre, joining

FEBRUARY 2024

one located on Donegall Place and another on Royal Avenue, close by.

Tesco remains Northern Ireland’s most popular supermarket, with 34.9% of the market share here.

It’s grown that share by more than 12% over the 12 months to December 2023.

Over the past year, Tesco benefited from more frequent visits and new customers, which contributed an additional £106m to its overall performance.

However, discount grocer Lidl continues to see the strongest growth among the big multiples, with its market share increasing 22.9% year-on-year.

Sainsbury’s and Asda also performed well during the year, with both reporting strong growth year on year and closing on 16.7% and 15.9% market share respectively.

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NEWS

By John Mulgrew

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major wind farm scheme which was refused the planning green light has benefits which “significantly outweigh” concerns raised, developers have said.

Magheramore Wind Farm, based close to the Maghermore Road outside Ballycastle, was turned down for permission by Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council’s planning committee.

Now, developer RES has lodged an appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission for the 24MW scheme. It says it could power more than 22,000 homes if given the go ahead.

The wind farm would have seen six turbines, with a maximum blade tip height of 150m, built, alongside associated infrastructure including external electricity transformers, underground cabling, control building and substation compound.

RES submitted a planning application and accompanying Environmental Statement in August 2019 to Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council, but the plans were turned down last year.

It received 160 objections and 12 letters of support.

Some of the objections to the wind farm included the visual impact, impact on tourism, residential amenity and the environmental impact on a section of designated planning policy.

It was found to be “unacceptable in terms of impact of visual amenity within the Sperrin’s Area of Outstanding Beauty, landscape character and the integrity of the setting of a State Care Monument and two scheduled monuments”.

“This proposal is considered unacceptable at this location having regard to the Northern

Quotes of the month

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Appeal lodged for Co Antrim wind farm refused permission Ireland Plan 2016 and all other material consideration,” planning documents said.

It says the proposed scheme site is situated on an “upland plateau in the north eastern part of the Sperrins Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”.

Jennifer McCorry, senior development project manager at RES, told Ulster Business: “Naturally, we were disappointed with the council’s decision to refuse the scheme, especially given we are in a climate emergency and need to generate more electricity than ever from renewable sources to eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels.

“We still firmly believe that Magheramore Wind Farm is a sensitively designed scheme and that the benefits of this project significantly outweigh the concerns raised.”

The developer says if consented,

Magheramore Wind Farm “would deliver a £1.6m-£2m boost to the local economy during construction alone, and once fully operational, would be capable of generating enough clean, low-cost electricity to power around 22,700 homes every year”.

“Following Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council’s refusal of Magheramore Wind Farm at committee last November, we have carefully reviewed the grounds for refusal and have decided to appeal the decision.

“We [recently] submitted an application to the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) and now await confirmation of a date. Despite the resourcing pressures that PAC has recently confirmed it is currently facing, we are hopeful that a solution is found soon to keep Northern Ireland on track for meeting its legally binding climate change targets.”

“The primary reason for the growth in the wage differential is the proportionally larger public sector in Northern Ireland.”

“A ‘green lane’ for renewable developments must be considered if we are to help lead the way in the move away from fossil fuels.”

“This new investment will see it design and manufacture its new line of passenger seats which will help further its export growth ambitions.”

Gareth Hetherington of Ulster University in this edition of Ulster Business.

John Mulgrew writing in this edition around speeding up planning.

Joe Kennedy III speaking during a visit to Collins Aerospace.

NEWS

Growing NI wage gap with UK ‘due to large public sector’ T

Gareth Hetherington

FEBRUARY 2024

he size of Northern Ireland’s public sector is the primary reason for a growing disparity between wages here compared to the rest of the UK, it’s been claimed.

The Department for the Economy’s labour market statistics for December also highlights an unusual discrepancy. According to the report, earnings in NI are now 11% below UK earnings: “the largest difference on record”.

Gareth Hetherington of the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre believes “the primary reason for the growth in the wage differential is the proportionally larger public sector in Northern Ireland, which has experienced lower earnings growth compared to other parts of the UK. Gross weekly public sector earnings in

NI increased by just 0.1% in 2023 compared to 3.7% in the UK public sector.”

Andrew Webb of Grant Thornton said: “You would assume that in a very tight labour market you would start to see wages bidding up, so that gap appearing was surprising to us.”

However, hiring expectations are particularly strong at present. Economists believe a new economy is emerging off the back of the Windsor Framework and Brexit.

Export performance seems to be holding up well and growing rapidly. And the public sector is providing a cushioning effect, giving NI a solid economic and labour market base.

Read the full article on page 51-54

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NEWS

New EU safety rules ‘could hit GB to NI sales on Amazon’ Amazon has warned sellers about new rules

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mall retailers in Britain trading through Amazon have threatened to stop selling to Northern Ireland due to impending new EU requirements.

From December 13, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) will apply here. It requires retailers selling most non-food products into the EU and NI to provide additional details on online listings and labels.

There will also have to be a picture displayed online, and safety information and warnings in the language of the country of sale.

But some small merchants on Amazon say the rules may put them off selling goods here.

Posting on an Amazon seller’s forum, one said: “We sell fridge magnets. Would love to know what safety information is required for those products – do not eat, maybe?”

Another said: “Like many, as much as this would be a real shame, it would be more cost effective to simply stop supplying to NI.” Neil Johnston of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, which represents big retailers, said: “We have been in contact in recent days with officials in the Department for the Economy and with members’ companies, including Amazon, to discuss the requirements that the GPSR, and indeed the Windsor Framework, will place on companies wishing to sell into either the EU market or Northern Ireland from later on this year.”

“NIRC members are striving to ensure that consumers... continue to

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have access to the same broad range of products as the rest of the UK.” Amazon will remove listings which aren’t GPSR-compliant from December 13.

It said: “Amazon allows sellers to reach customers across the world, including in the EU, and we continue to make it easier for sellers to expand their businesses.

“Safety is a top priority at Amazon and we require all products to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

“We have informed sellers about the EU GPSR... to remind them about the new legislation and relevant requirements.”

Philippa McKeown of the Consumer Council said: “Any potential for there to be reductions in choice and availability would be a concern for the Consumer Council and those we represent.

“This is particularly the case in the current challenging economic environment where the ability to shop around can help consumers secure best value for money.”

The UK Government said it planned to continue using an existing EUcompliant system.

“We have announced our intention to indefinitely recognise CE marking, meaning businesses can sell across the whole of the UK with one conformity marking,” a spokesman said.

“We plan to provide more guidance in this area to UK businesses shortly and will ensure outstanding questions are addressed.”

NEWS One of Fujitsu’s office in Warrington

Legal challenge over government attempt to award £125m contract

FEBRUARY 2024

By Brett Campbell

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Stormont department’s attempt to award a £125m contract to the Japanese tech firm at the centre of an ongoing public inquiry into the Post Office scandal has been stalled by legal action.

The Department of Finance’s (DoF) Land and Property Services (LPS) branch launched a six

month procurement process to find a partner to deliver a “modern digitally-enabled ICT solution” to replace its existing system back in 2022.

It’s understood that Fujitsu – which owns the firm that designed the controversial Horizon IT system – emerged as a frontrunner following the tendering process.

It’s believed the outcome has been challenged by a competitor who missed out on the 15-year contract that has an estimated value of up to £125m (excluding VAT) and includes the option for a three-year extension.

“The new solution will be user friendly, customer focused, support web-based technologies, digital self-service platforms and seamlessly connect and integrate with the LPS Enterprise Integration Platform to share and consume data and business events,” the contract notice states.

A DoF spokesman told the Belfast Telegraph “the LPS Land Registry IT system procurement has not been awarded and is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings”.

“The department cannot comment further at this time.”

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NEWS

Major new retailer taking old Debenhams site at CastleCourt

By John Mulgrew

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major high street retailer is taking on the former Debenhams store site at Belfast shopping centre CastleCourt, Ulster Business can reveal.

It’s understood brand discounter TK Maxx will move into the city centre spot, which has been largely vacant since Debenhams went bust in 2020 – taking on a huge 40,000 sq ft ground floor unit.

CastleCourt lost its key anchor tenant when Debenhams entered administration. It’s since invested significantly in the centre, with a number of new outlets opening their doors, alongside entertainment offerings and The Avenue cinema.

According to CastleCourt’s own website a new “retailer” will be opening at the huge unit from spring 2024. It’ll be taking the majority of the ground floor space left behind when Debenhams exited, sitting beside the new New Look store.

TK Maxx is currently located not far from CastleCourt at Donegall Arcade – a property owned by Sports Direct chief Mike Ashley, who

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formerly owned Newcastle United.

That retail location is spread across three floors, while the new unit at CastleCourt will see TK Maxx based on one large ground floor site.

Last year the centre announced it was adding four new businesses. That included Miniso, which sells toys, tech and stationery, creating some 15 jobs.

Poundland also opened a new store in May, adding a further 10 jobs, while New Look made its return to the shopping spot with am 8,000 sq ft unit, adding 15 jobs.

And long-term tenant Exclusive Designs also took the 8,000 sq ft unit vacated by Poundland, opening its doors in June.

The upper floor at CastleCourt has been partly filled by a cinema, named The Avenue, which opened in March.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last year, manager Leona Barr said that “hopefully towards the end of the year, we’ll have more news about the rest of that space on the ground floor”.

“We’re in very advanced talks with other retailers but I can’t talk about it as it’s

sensitive at the minute. It’s looking good for CastleCourt.”

CastleCourt is owned by Northern Ireland property company Wirefox.

And last year, Australian-owned bakery Muffin Break arrived at the centre as part of a £200,000 investment, creating 15 jobs.

The chain already has one location in Newry’s Buttercrane Shopping Centre and is aiming to further increase its Northern Ireland footprint, actively looking for new franchise opportunities across the country.

Owned by the FoodCo Group, the first Muffin Break bakery café in the UK opened its doors in 2001 and has now a footprint of 65 outlets nationwide, including its two Northern Ireland locations.

Speaking at the time of the four retail announcements, Gareth Howell from Wirefox, which owns CastleCourt added said it’s the firm’s ambition to “make CastleCourt a top retail, leisure and hospitality destination in Belfast City Centre”.

“We look forward to more announcements for our shoppers and the wider area as the year continues.”

RETAIL & WHOLESALE

Henderson Group invests over £2.5m towards sustainability goals in 2024

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enderson Group will invest over £2.5m into further sustainability commitments in 2024.

It comes after the group made great strides in sustainably futureproofing their business last year, switching on 1,494 solar panels which cover 75% of the most newly-built group warehouse at the business’s headquarters in Mallusk, representing an investment of £900,000.

At the end of 2023, the group’s retail company announced a contract with bp pulse, bp’s electric vehicle charging business, which will see the installation of a new network of ultra-fast and rapid electric vehicle charging points throughout their 100+ Henderson Retail operated SPAR and EUROSPAR sites. By the end of the year, there were already over 40 installed, with completion of the project expected by 2025.

Alan Abraham, group logistics director says the solar panel installation is the fourth biggest roof-mounted solar installation in Northern Ireland to date.

“As a group that is operating five companies, over 100 retail stores, four busy distribution warehouses and a fleet of lorries, we have stringent and ambitious sustainability goals that we have made a strategic part of our business going forward.

“The refrigerated group warehouse is a huge consumer of energy, not only do we have to keep all stock chilled 24/7, but it will also be used to power our refrigerated commercial fleet, so installing these solar panels makes a big impact.

“It is the equivalent of taking 309 cars off the road – an annual saving of 320,263kg in CO2 emissions. In addition, our strategy on mechanical handling equipment in our warehouses is going through a transition to convert to lithium-ion battery technology,

FEBRUARY 2024

Stephen Hamilton of Henderson Group with Easton Boyd and Ailsa Wilkins from bp pulse and Ron Whitten from Henderson Group, pictured at the first of 200 rapid and ultra-fast EV charging points to be installed at Henderson Retail sites this year

which reduces energy consumption by 20% than the previous lead-acid battery power.”

This year will see the next stage of Henderson Group’s solar power project, with panels planned to be installed on Henderson’s Hyde Park warehouse, which will service Henderson Wholesale’s ambient range of products alongside the refrigerated Henderson Foodservice warehouse. It means the business will have one of the top three largest solar installs in Northern Ireland.

Henderson Group’s Carbon Zero Steering Team have been following both their own targets for the group, alongside government targets for 2040, and in recent years the Group has implemented some important changes to reach those targets.

Mark Adrain, group property director added that with almost 70 retail projects lined up across Northern Ireland for 2024, sustainable practices and fittings are a priority. “In 2023

we invested over £49m in building and renovating new 21st century stores for our local communities, while upgrading many of our existing stores and supermarkets.

“Upgrades included switching to low energy CO2 refrigeration systems, while converting all lighting to LED, allowing us to reach our target of 5% energy reduction year-on-year. We also have trials continuing for solar panels to power refrigeration units.

“The projects for 2024 will see an expenditure of over £2.5m that will help us continue on the path towards our sustainable goals.”

Alan Abraham said: “Our main business is supplying over 500 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores across Northern Ireland, we are very proud that any waste from our warehouse is extremely low and is donated to foodbanks, community fridges and volunteer kitchens.

Absolutely nothing goes to landfill from our sites and hasn’t for many years.” ■

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PLANNING

‘Funding, accountability and appeal reform needed’ to improve NI planning

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ufficient funding, accountability and a reform of the appeals process should be at the heart of planning reforms here, it’s been claimed.

Much of industry has been calling for improvements across the planning system here in Northern Ireland, including speeding up applications and prioritising major schemes and developments.

Now, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce has outlined a series of areas in which it believes could improve planning here as we head towards net zero, as well as “facilitating economic growth and deliver much needed affordable housing”.

Two reports in 2022 criticised elements of the system which were not working. A Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report said Northern Ireland’s planning system is not fit for purpose and risks causing economic damage, while the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the system is “not working”.

The new proposals from the NI Chamber include ensuring the system is “properly resourced”, that there are mechanisms for the “prioritisation and effective resourcing of projects at all stages of the process which will deliver for renewable energy and energy decarbonisation targets”.

It also says the Assembly should be able to hold the system to account, that there should be renewable energy schemes prioritised, and that there could be reform of the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC).

“As part of a subsequent, more strategic,

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It’s been claimed funding, accountability and appeal reform are needed to improve NI planning process

review process, the Executive should consider both, the recasting of the PAC in a similar vein to that of the Planning Inspectorate in England with full operational independence but with a top-level accountability to a specific Executive minister, and an alternative suitable sponsor department for the PAC, such as the Department for Infrastructure, to better align its role and function within the wider Northern Ireland planning system,” it says.

our planet, we really need to take action now.

“A well performing planning function is key to instilling confidence in the market for potential investors and to enable the development of the required infrastructure, when it comes to connectivity, services, energy and reducing our carbon emissions,” Suzanne Wylie, chief executive, NI Chamber said.

“We know the critical nature of planning for enabling development and the confidence that certainty in planning performance can bring for potential investment in the region,” Philip Stinson, director, Turley said.

“It is also vital for local businesses, many of whom are eagerly waiting to invest, subject to the planning process which regrettably, has been holding too many of them back. If our planning system is to deliver for them and for

“Reform of the existing system presents an opportunity to enable significant economic growth, particularly in renewable generation with ambitious 2030 climate action targets fast approaching.”

The report was developed in partnership with planning consultancy Turley.

“It is also vitally important to achieving renewable energy targets. The recommendations follow our review of the key functions of the planning system and focus on delivering a number of improvements that can be readily implemented in the short term to enhance the planning system now.” ■

RECRUITMENT

Workers don’t feel prepared for the adoption of AI in the workplace

By John Moore, managing director, Hays NI

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t’s a topic that is in the news every week, but how much do you really understand about AI? For a lot of us, if we’re honest, the answer is probably ‘not that much’.

In fact, new research by Hays has found that three in five (60%) workers across the UK don’t feel like their employer is helping them to sufficiently prepare for the use and adoption of AI in the workplace.

This figure has gone up from 55% in the last survey carried out by Hays on this topic six months ago.

Our research also demonstrated that AI isn’t going anywhere as over a quarter (27%) of organisations are currently using AI tools, compared to 21% six months ago, and one in five workers are now using an AI tool as part of their role. Though the majority of workers (80%) have still not used AI in their workplace, it seems likely that this upward trend of AI usage will continue.

It appears that most of us are not against using AI in work, as our survey of nearly 15,000 professionals found that a quarter (25%) think AI tools will actually have a positive impact on their job. Many believe that AI could present an opportunity for workers and businesses to save time and energy spent on monotonous or time-consuming tasks, thereby increasing efficiency in the workplace.

However, the fact that many people simply don’t feel comfortable in their own capability to use AI in their workplace is a potential stumbling block.

Despite the negative headlines that sometimes surround AI, there are still only a small number of professionals who believe AI will negatively impact their job (this figure dropped from 12% to 8% in our research).

Most people understand that AI is meant to be a tool to help us work better and will not replace them in their job.

More employees (36%) actually now believe that AI won’t have any impact on their job, compared to six months ago (31%). Of course, a lingering sense of uncertainty remains around how AI will fit into the world of work, with our research showing a slight rise in professionals who are unsure of the impact AI will have on their job, from 29% to nearly a third (31%).

Part of this is down to trust. While we’ve all marvelled at the ability of the large language models that power AI systems like ChatGPT to write articles, poems and essays in seconds, there are still too many instances of them making up “false facts”.

FEBRUARY 2024

The feature noted that if you’re using an AI model to sell shoes online and it’s 85% accurate, that’s great, but if you’re using it to land aeroplanes, there’s a problem.

But companies are still investing in AI and on a more positive note, the number of employers experiencing extreme skills shortages when it comes to AI usage has reduced from 24% to 15% in the last six months.

However, it seems that employers are still falling short when it comes to supporting their staff in upskilling in relation to AI. The number of employees who do not feel their employer is helping them to prepare for the use and incorporation of AI in the workplace has increased in the last six months, from 55% to 60%.

The ‘AI Revolution’ may leave many behind if employers are not equipping their staff with the skills and knowledge that they need through training.

While well over half (57%) of employers expect to allow their staff to use AI in the future but say that they will monitor this usage, there are still some employers who are less fond of the new technology as our research found that 22% of employers expect to ban the use of AI in future.

Whatever approach you choose to take, there’s no doubt it will be important to understand the advancements in AI technology and their implications for your business. ■

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NEWS

Chain Reaction Cycles shutting its Belfast store

By John Mulgrew

company, of an unconditional €150m funding commitment that had been put in place to provide operational financing for SSU and its subsidiaries.”

C

hain Reaction Cycles looks set to shut down its big Boucher Road store in Belfast just three months after some of the brand’s parent companies went into administration.

It said this effectively removed any future funding facility for the companies.

The firm’s parent firm, Wiggle, entered administration, last year. And in October Chain Reaction Cycles Ltd and Chain Reaction Retail Limited also followed suit.

And it said “the directors took immediate professional advice to better understand their responsibilities” and to consider “all the options available following the dramatic change of financial circumstances”.

Now the company’s major Boucher Road retail base is shutting its doors. Signs are now on the windows saying “closing down sale” and “everything must go”.

And the store also said it’s closing its doors next month on a Facebook post from staff.

The Chain Reaction store on the Boucher Road in Belfast

It says the directors decided it “would be in the best interests” of the firms, Chain Reaction Cycles Ltd and Chain Reaction Retail Limited and Hotlines Europe Ltd, to place them into administration with immediate effect.

and Chain Reaction Retail Limited and Hotlines Europe Ltd – it said the poor performance leading up to its administration was due to both micro and macro factors.

Some six years ago, Chain Reaction Cycles had four locations in Northern Ireland and 275 employees. Now there are around half that number of workers.

The post says it will “continue to serve all our customers through” its website.

That included the end of lockdown impacting bike sales, continuation of global overstocking, freight costs being high and a corporate requirement from its parent form to “focus on volumes rather than margin”.

Its story began in 1984 when George and Janice Watson set up a small bike shop called Ballynure Cycles in the village of the same name.

“With the store closing soon, we are offering some incredible deals as we sell through our remaining stock. Please feel free to visit us in the coming weeks.”

It also said there was “poor implantation of a new IT system that led to a disruption in sales… particularly in own brand products during April through to June 2023”.

The future of Chain Reaction Cycles, which trades as Wiggle CRC, now looks uncertain.

“The holding company Signa Holding has experienced some well-reported challenges during this year and on October 16, 2023, SSU unexpectedly announced the termination by Signa Holding, its parent

“We regret to inform you that our retail store located on Boucher Road, Belfast, will be closing its doors next month,” it says.

“We sincerely appreciate the support from all our customers over the past 12 years.”

In the latest from the administrator – in proposals relating to Chain Reaction Cycles Ltd

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In 1989 the firm moved to bigger premises in Ballyclare and changed the name to Chain Reaction Cycles.

Their son, Chris, started out by sweeping the shop floors and later ensured the shop’s stock reflected new trends in cycling, like mountainbiking. Two years into a university course, he left to concentrate on the family firm and developed its mail order side, eventually setting up chainreactioncycles.com in 1999. ■

JOBS

Ed Zaval, DailyPay, Mel Chittock, Invest NI and Paul Hill, DailyPay NI

US fintech firm creating 300 NI jobs

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“Northern Ireland offers a highly attractive investment location as it has a well-educated workforce, a cost-competitive business environment, and excellent support from Invest NI.

The New York-based firm works with companies to give workers access to their earned wages ahead of pay day.

“We have already got our Belfast office up and running and recruited 100 staff and intend to have all the jobs in place by mid-2025.”

It’s already hired nearly one third of the workers in customer excellence, product and software engineering it needs here.

Invest NI has offered the company support for the roles and advisory support on setting up an office in Northern Ireland. Many of the roles are hybrid working, with two-thirds in customer excellence and the remainder in product and engineering roles.

S fintech company DailyPay is creating nearly 300 jobs in Belfast paying £42,500 on average in a £24m investment and its first overseas expansion.

Economic development agency Invest NI said DailyPay’s commitment to set up here was secured after its US team had sold the benefits of establishing an office in Northern Ireland.

The firm set up its office last year at McAuley House on Castle Street in Belfast.

Ed Zaval, chief customer officer at DailyPay, said the culture, education, and people in Northern Ireland were key in its choice of Belfast.

“DailyPay has built an award-winning, trusted, first-of-its-kind technology platform that is revolutionising the way employees are paid while dynamically changing the way money moves,” he said.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our talented team to augment the US engineering and customer support functions and open up opportunities for expanding our international reach.

FEBRUARY 2024

Mel Chittock, interim chief executive of Invest NI, said: “The success of the NI Investment Summit showed that Northern Ireland has a clear ability to deliver a world-class experience for investors.

“DailyPay has joined a well-established cluster of software development companies who have come to Northern Ireland because of our talent pool, ease of access to the European market, and business-friendly environment.

“With an average compensation of £42,500, the new jobs will deliver over £12m to the local economy in additional salaries.

“The jobs will enhance the capability of our workforce and, in particular our important financial services sector, by exposing it to new technologies which will contribute to strengthening our economy and deliver the Department for the Economy’s 10x vision.” n

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Ross Lazaroo-Hood

COVER STORY

Bringing social impact to the forefront of a business journey 18

COVER STORY

Ross Lazaroo-Hood has built a successful career founding and running an international insurance firm but now he’s turning his attention growing his ‘social impact’ business and organisation Clearer Group, based in Co Antrim and close to his native Larne, and giving back to the community he grew up in

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or entrepreneur Ross Lazaroo-Hood it’s clear Northern Ireland and his home town remain close to his heart.

And the Larne man has a philanthropic approach when it comes to business.

While Ross has been in business for more than 20 years, his current focus is on Clearer Group – an organisation with social impact at its core.

He’s focused on growing his Clearer Group business, co-founded with his business partner– a business which includes Clearer Water (naturally purified water from Co Antrim), mixers Clearer Twist, premium workplace water solution Hydration Hub, Soilèir packaging and distribution and his family’s charity The RUSA Foundation, helping those most disadvantaged.

“The RUSA foundation – coming from a council estate and a single parent family, it’s about being in a position to give back,” Ross tells Ulster Business.

“With Clearer, it was looking to have a business back home. Having been in England for nearly 30 years. It’s about now being in a position to give back to the wider community.”

Clearer Group is a “social impact” business which ensures the people working for it and the community surrounding it are an essential part of the journey.

“Everything I look and am a part of, I look at ‘how can I give back?’, either through advice or help, or philanthropy,” he says.

Clearer Water is a socially responsible employer, and we always look to build on our sustainability message and champion our mixed ability team, providing training and career development for additional needs plus socially disadvantaged young people.

And Clearer Group has also now expanded

FEBRUARY 2024

to include Clearer Twist – producing a range of high-end mixers for use right across the hospitality sector.

Ross says the overall group is planning to grow its product range and expand its international reach, while maintaining the core ethos of the company – helping those who are most disadvantaged.

“My co-founder and I were asked to acquire Clearer Water in 2022, after careful research we knew the story behind Clearer Water was as rich and unique as the source from which it flows.

The mixed ability team brings an impact on real lives but overall needed major investment, rebranding plus a plan for growth with a brand awareness programme implemented,” he says.

“This led to a decision to embrace a new journey, especially for me outside of Insurance by resigning as group chief executive of Landmark Holding Group and Landmark Underwriting, moving to the strategic board as owner/director, to take on the new role of cofounder/global chief executive/co-chairman of the Clearer Group.

“In less than two years the group now includes the flagship Clearer Water, Soilèir Packing & Distribution, and our newest product the awardwinning Clearer Twist which has been created using a high alkaline water with a pH of 9.4 which means less sugar, less calories, just pure refreshing great taste on its own or paired with your choice of spirit.

“The original ethos is one that we are committed to for the long term, positively impacting our team, community, as well as wider society. We empower and champion a diverse mixed ability team through our inclusive employment practices we will continue to celebrate those with mixed abilities, driving transformative social impact by closing the gap on disability inclusion in the workplace and we are proud that our team gets a chance to not

only shine but actively contribute. We want to be a beacon of social change, speaking about our ethos, echoing the centuries of history that have shaped the very land from both my family comes from, our unique source and the water that helps people.”

It recently launched its new mixer range – Clearer Twist Premium Tonic, Clearer Twist French Pink and Clearer Twist Ginger Ale with more planned in 2024.

Clearer Twist is hitting hotels, bars and restaurants across island of Ireland, Great Britain, Cyprus and Turkey, allowing customers the chance to experience the unique flavours first-hand.

Ross also has further ambitious plans to bring more to his native Larne in the months and years ahead in a bid to give back to the town in which he was born and raised.

“We’re working on doing four events in 2024 to help the area to be more focused on community spirit,” he says.

Ross is also an active angel investor, with shareholding and board positions in different industries such as The Agency UK, Clearer Water Antrim Coast Half Marathon, Arma Karma, and three others due to be announced this year.

“Outside of work I invest my own time into The RUSA Foundation, a charity that I co-founded to provide a better future to those in grass roots competing sports and underprivileged communities, families, and disadvantaged children.”

And Clearer Water has also just signed two major 10 year agreements with the Irish Football Association.

It is now the title sponsor of Northern Ireland’s premier cup competition, and it will now be >

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COVER STORY

Ross Lazaroo-Hood and Sitki Gelmen from Clearer Water announce the company’s sponsorship of the Irish Cup alongside Stephen Bogle (left), head of sales and marketing at the Irish FA

known as the Clearer Water Irish Cup and our hydration/water partnership with all the Northern Ireland National football teams.

“It’s a tremendous moment for Clearer Water and the IFA,” Ross says. “Our company’s ethos of producing ‘water that helps people’ is delivering again, in bringing strategic longterm partnerships.

“I believe it takes time for a partnership to grow and connect with people, together over a longer-term view is a better way to build both a partnership brand through joined up strategies that change together and brings opportunities to both.”

Ross has also just launched a new podcast – In Conversation with RLH – with the first episode featuring his friend and co-founder of estate agency Purplebricks available now on Youtube.

“My podcast is a curve ball to be honest and one I didn’t expect to be asked to host, especially for a wee lad from a council estate in Larne, but one I’m grabbing with both hands,” he says.

“I have a number of guests lined up for 2024 and I can’t wait to share their stories from the boardroom, back to the beginning and now the present.”

Ross started his business journey over 25

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years working in the insurance industry in London, after quitting an architectural degree at Queen’s University Belfast for a course in business management with insurance at University of East Anglia.

“My background had its challenges, as being diagnosed with dyslexia, it brought my early disadvantages to instead seeing it as a superpower using those skills and passion into insurance, which is complex plus highly detailed, before setting up on my own an insurance company, Landmark, in 2017,” he said.

Ross says the group in the next five years will look ahead at growing all the Clearer products as international brands.

“We’ve already expanding from the island of Ireland to GB, we’re moving into Turkey and Cyprus this year and hopefully the US, Canada and potentially Asia. It’s about getting a global footprint for the Clearer brand, celebrating great taste.

“Clearer Water is an exciting water brand, one in only a short period of time that has established itself as an equal among its market peers on taste, and we have won several awards that our hardworking team and products have achieved on their own merits, including being named within the top 200 ethical companies and brands in the world 2024 by The Good Shopping Guide.

“We are established in the hospitality industry as a premium water to those prestigious venues within Northern Ireland, growing now into Great Britain and internationally during 2024 bringing our message of the ‘The Water That Helps People’.”

Looking ahead he said: “It’s exciting time for the beverage industry and for us it’s all about growth and brand awareness.

“The plans for Clearer Twist will see the range grow and impact that middle ground in the marketplace that has been forgotten, a gap for us to gain market share promoting our Twist Pour Enjoy range which will become more visible over the coming months.”

Soilèir Packing & Distribution is a division of the group which has already won contracts with WOW Hydrate, Daylesford Farm, Kilbroney to distribute and provide contract packing solutions.

“At Clearer Water we have looked to sport for our marketing plans, we see many examples of sporting collaborations where good partners grow together, creating lasting impressions on those potential customers, while building trust with existing ones.”

“We are excited about many announcements and new products planned for 2024/25 but as always –no spoilers.” ■

IN FOCUS

‘We want every software organisation in the world relying on our software’ Glenn Weinstein now heads up Belfast-based software firm Cloudsmith, a business aiming to list on the stock exchange and grow into a company whose tech is used by the bulk of the world’s software giants.

He speaks to John Mulgrew

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ew Yorker Glenn Weinstein is aiming to expand his tech firm into a listed giant used by thousands of the world’s leading firms.

He now heads up Cloudsmith – a firm helping businesses manage software on the cloud – founded by Alan Carson and Lee Skillen in Belfast just eight years ago.

And the firm recently hit the 60 staff mark. But according to Glenn, it’s aiming to double staff numbers again and again as it grows towards an IPO down the line. “[The founders] were looking for a tool, a cloud based tool to help them build software couldn’t find one so they decided to build it themselves,” he told Ulster Business.

“And then they decided to start a company around this, and found a lot of local support from not just Invest NI, but also Catalyst.”

Glenn started as chief executive at the company in August last year, and was previously co-founder of Silicon Valley start-up Appirio, which he successfully exited after a decade with its sale to Wipro. He’s also been chief customer officer at Twilio for four years.

Cloudsmith recently his the 60 employee mark, as well as securing almost £9m in series A2 funding, led by MMC Ventures.

The company says it will use the funds to scale operations as it serves its global client base, including leading software companies such as Shopify, PagerDuty, Font Awesome, HP and EnterpriseDB. “Most [staff] are here in Belfast, a handful in Dublin, England and in the US. But this is definitely the centre of gravity right here in Northern Ireland,” Glenn says.

the New York Stock Exchange which have hundreds of millions in revenue and thousands and thousands of customers.

“And that’s the trajectory that we’re on – we will no doubt achieve similar global reach and importance… [there’s] no specific plan to grow from X to Y, just basically make our product the number one. “… the idea that you’re listing eventually

Glenn has a long career working in technology and within the markets which are particularly relevant to his new role as chief of the Belfastbased business.

“It is software engineers that build and maintain and operate our product, but it’s also marketing people, it’s salespeople, operations people, things like finance and HR. Really every function in the company is represented here in Belfast.

He spends around 40% of his time here and the remaining in his native US.

“We’re competing with software companies that have gone public, that are listed on

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Glenn Weinstein

Really every function in the company is represented here in Belfast.

IN FOCUS

to continue to stay headquartered here in Belfast, that we will extend our global reach as we start to pick up more customers across Europe across Asia. “… I think the roots and the heart of this company will always be in Northern Ireland.”

Before a life as a company investor and chief executive, Glenn was formally a naval aviator in the US Navy.

“I graduated from the Naval Academy in the United States, and that’s a real leadership laboratory,” he said. would be firmly in the longer term scope.”

He says the ultimate goal of the firm and its founders are to have “every software organisation in the world relying on our software”.

“Cloudsmith sells our product to any large software organisation,” Glenn says.

“It’s a really important security product that any large organisation should have. So as a result, we really target two types of companies.

“The first are software companies where the entire company is the software, a company like PagerDuty… and then the other target customer, just large enterprises of any kind that have significant software operations, which is to say pretty much all of them.

FEBRUARY 2024

“[That’s any] Global 2000 company which is typically going to have hundreds of software developers there.

“They have great need for our tool to secure their software supply chain. So we have companies that would fit that mould… large, large corporations would be the other target customer.”

He said the firm is “not content to sit still”.

“We’d like to try to double the size of the company, and then double it again, and then double it again,” he said.

But despite ambitious plans for growth on the horizon, Glenn says Belfast will remain home for the company.

“We don’t see any constraints on our growth,

In 2021 Cloudsmith raised £11m, with the goal to hire 60 new employees and implement plans to boost its presence in the US. Then in 2019, the company raised £2.1m in seed funding led by Frontline Ventures and co-investors MMC Ventures and Techstart Ventures through its Invest NI fund Techstart.

Glenn is splitting his time between his home in New York and Belfast. And as someone spending a working month travelling across the Atlantic he’s also keen to see a return to direct flights from Belfast.

“It’s a reasonably direct trip now,” he said.

“I’ve heard that there used to be a direct flight from Belfast to New York. I’d like to encourage the airlines to please reinstate that flight.” n

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ROUNDTABLE

Outlook: taking on the economic gauntlet in 2024 While we may be seeing some mild growth and low levels of unemployment here, there remain many headwinds and challenges for Northern Ireland. Ulster Bank brought together a host of industry leaders to discuss the problems needing solved, what’s ahead and what’s required in order to improve the landscape and create a more prosperous Northern Ireland

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he Northern Ireland economy is certainly making some positive strides – especially in the wake of a pandemic and global uncertainty.

But while there’s some slight upturn in growth, according to the latest Ulster Bank purchasing managers’ index, productivity remains a challenge for us here along with a squeezed public purse and a continued lack of an Executive.

“There’s a new remake of the television show Gladiators – if you remember the gauntlet at the end, it’s kind of like that with the economy,” Richard Ramsey, chief economist Northern Ireland, Ulster Bank, said.

“Even though interest rates have peaked, half of the total number of mortgages are on fixed rates which haven’t yet reset. You have people who are coming off [low rates] – that’s going to be double that. You have that coming through.”

Mr Ramsey told a host of business and industry leaders gathered at Ulster Bank’s city centre headquarters that both personal and business outlook “depends on who you are”.

“It’s households, rather than businesses,” he said. “You have these various different pockets – factors can determine whether you are feeling it tough.”

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While the latest surveys from the bank and others point to some level of growth, the rate is “going to be poor”.

The global landscape has continued to shift in 2024, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza alongside sizeable political upheaval in parts of Europe, South America and the US, while Brexit is continuing to play its own part.

Neil Johnston, Stephen Kelly, Richard Ramsey and Maeve Monaghan

The General Election could be pencilled in for November this year, and according to Richard Ramsey that means it’s likely there’ll be an additional financial update from the Treasury before then.

Northern Ireland is essentially at full employment, but that belies the true picture at the heart of the economy. “The working age population is actually declining,” Mr Ramsey said.

Richard Ramsey, Maeve Monaghan and Kieran Harding

And in terms of getting the right people, recruitment has never been more difficult for firms of all shapes and sizes.

“We’ve been saying to manufacturers for two years now – assume you’ll not be able to recruit anyone going forward again,” Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, said.

He said that’s been driven in part by fewer people coming into the NI economy to work

Roger Pollen

and that firms must make a shift to thinking differently.

“Low unemployment hides the highest level of

ROUNDTABLE

GUESTS

Guests gathered at Ulster Bank’s headquarters in Belfast city centre

economic inactivity,” Maeve Monaghan, chief executive of NOW Group, said.

Neil Johnston of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, who is also involved with Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke, said Stormont budgets are continuing to be squeezed.

“As an organisation which is supporting disabled people into work, the market has never been better, as employers are coming to us.”

Roseann Kelly, chief executive of Women in Business – which has recently launched Timely Careers, aiming to get more women back into the workplace – says it boasts a talent pool of experienced people who want to work, but which is largely untapped.

She says childcare is another key area which must be tackled here in order to help fuel that.

“You can sit back and try to manage this managed economy… but people will respond and create things,” Roger Pollen, head of external affairs NI, Federation of Small Businesses, said.

“They’ll pay higher wages or create better facilities – they’ll make it work for them.”

Richard Ramsey said: “If you were speaking to Stormont and saying ‘what do we need and the

FEBRUARY 2024

Sharon McNicholl, Belfast City Council Maeve Monaghan, NOW Group Neil Johnston, Northern Ireland Retail Consortium Professor Gillian Armstrong, Ulster University Roseann Kelly, Women in Business Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI Roger Pollen, Federation of Small Businesses Kieran Harding, Business in the Community Richard Ramsey, Ulster Bank John Mulgrew, Ulster Business

Sharon McNicholl, Professor Gillian Armstrong and Roseann Kelly

economy require?’ – the economy should all be about making the cost of living as cheap as possible for your electorate. Making it the most attractive place to live and work.”

Sharon McNicholl, deputy chief executive and strategic director of corporate services, Belfast City Council, said: “All of the things which are affecting individuals are also affecting bodies which are trying to provide services, and that’s impacting the service improvements and investments we would like to make.”

Looking at the public sector, Mr Ramsey said a more than decade high workforce size “is not sustainable”. “The overall pay bill is not sustainable,” he said.

“On the health side, that budget is going to suck the life out of the other departments… it’s all being spent on worthy things and improving peoples’ health, but it’s fighting a losing battle.”

Professor Gillian Armstrong, Ulster University, said there needs to be a more informed debate around economics and surrounding the reality of our finances.

“There is a lack of understanding among the public of the reality in terms of finances and how this all operates,” she said.

Richard Ramsey said all of wider society, business, public and private sectors must look together at what’s required for a successful and burgeoning economy here going forward.

“It’s a reset which needs to be done – we all need to be honest as to what is doable, sustainable and affordable, and what isn’t,” he said. ■

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One of Translink Metro’s battery electric vehicles

TRANSPORT

Sustainable travel… sustainable you Sustainable travel is an increasingly important and crucial part of out fast-paced world, with climate change the defining challenge of this generation, writes Chris Conway, group chief executive of Translink

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n our fast-paced world, personal convenience often takes precedence, but a transformation in travel towards a collective healthier lifestyle is gaining momentum.

Translink is steering the course, encouraging a shift from individual cars to sustainable transport. And, in doing so is helping to combat climate change, address social wellbeing, and promote active travel for all.

Climate change is our era’s defining challenge, with overwhelming evidence demanding swift and decisive action to collectively reduce emissions. Translink leads the transport transformation in Northern Ireland, steering

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the huge role public transport must play in the NI economy reaching net zero by 2050.

Our Climate Positive Strategy is a commitment to enhancing the environmental performance of our fleets, minimising the carbon footprint of public transport, and creating greener, healthier cities for future generations.

Chris Conway

Choosing to take your journey by public transport means you are opting for a sustainable, eco-friendly way to travel.

By taking the bus or train, you actively contribute to lowering emissions by personally reducing harmful greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

Public transport’s ability to transport many passengers at once, as opposed to few people in a car, optimises fuel consumption, making it a more environmentally friendly choice because overall emissions released into the atmosphere per person decrease.

TRANSPORT

An NI Railways train in Derry~Londonderry

Translink services are not simply a means of transportation. They can be a positive social experience, helping to alleviate loneliness which affects one in three people in Northern Ireland. Unlike solo car rides, public transport encourages interactions.

Our buses and trains are vibrant hubs of connection that help turn strangers into familiar faces. During your journey you can share stories, strike up conversations, and forge newfound friendships, breaking the monotony of solitary travel.

Ever run for a bus, walked to the station, or cycled to catch the train? If you have, you have combined active travel with your journey – a simple approach to daily travel that combines both exercise and public transport.

Offering a sustainable alternative to traditional car-centric commuting, active travel seamlessly integrates physical activity into our journeys,

FEBRUARY 2024

allowing us to burn calories at the same time as reducing our collective carbon footprint.

health, and safeguards the planet for future generations.

Do you want to reduce your anxiety levels, and arrive at your destination not only on time but in a better mood? If so, sustainable travel is for you and you will be able to face the day’s challenges with a positive attitude, rather than feeling reactive to the stress of a busy drive on the morning commute.

The road to a healthier today and tomorrow is open to all – just take that first step towards sustainable travel.

Children and young people who use sustainable travel to get to school or college have been shown to have increased concentration during their lessons, highlighting the positive effects on mental wellbeing.

This year can be the one in which you once and for all say goodbye to road rage, the stress of navigating congested streets and how personal car use contributes to climate change by turning your commute into one of sustainable travel. As the saying goes, you aren’t in traffic, you are traffic. ■ For more information, please visit www. translink.co.uk

Sustainable travel has the potential to transform Northern Ireland for everyone.

Choosing public transport as your way of getting around means you are making a healthier and sustainable decision that boosts physical well-being, nurtures mental

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HOSPITALTY

Revealed: The Ivy to open doors of Belfast restaurant this year The Ivy is set to open its doors in Belfast later this year, it can now be confirmed, two years after its first entrance into the Northern Ireland was revealed, writes John Mulgrew

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he luxury of London’s famous Ivy is coming to Belfast later this year, it can be revealed.

It’s understood the restaurant chain is now beginning fit out at part of the former Cleaver House building at Donegall Place.

It comes two years after this journalist first revealed the chain was taking over the site and bringing its first restaurant to Northern Ireland.

It’s also understood the restaurant could be open in time for Christmas this year.

Commercial property firm Osborne King secured the new letting on behalf of the building’s owner, while Finch acted for The Ivy.

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The Ivy Collection wants to turn part of Cleaver House into a new two-storey restaurant.

With the listed Cleaver House building, much of its external and internal character remains.

The building was originally constructed in 1888, designed by architect Young & Mackenzie, and was a department store until 1984.

The restaurant chain opened its original location at West Street in London more than a century ago. It now runs more than 30 restaurants across the UK, including cafes and brasseries. It opened its first location in Dublin in 2018.

The firm expanded with a series of different restaurant brands and concepts, such as Ivy Brasseries, Ivy Cafes and The Ivy Asia.

Early plans for the new Belfast restaurant include new work which will see internal alterations to strip back all modern shop fitouts, including fixed seating, kitchen equipment and stud walls back to its pre-fitout bare shell, according to an application for listed building consent. There will also be alterations made to re-instate timber shopfronts with full height glazing.

The original Ivy marked its centenary in 2017, and remains arguably London’s most famous restaurant.

It was first opened by Abel Giandolini as an Italian cafe in a building on the same site.

And some of those cited as fans of the restaurant include Laurence Olivier, Noel Coward, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and David and Victoria Beckham.

HOSPITALTY

The Ivy in London

Meanwhile, a table which hosted both Princess Diana and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher went up for auction in 2015.

“It’s The Ivy and they have started to strip out and fit out,” Gavin Clarke, director, Osborne King, said.

“They are on course and hoping to have it open at the tail end of this year.”

Mr Clarke said having a new high-profile tenant is a “good thing for the building and a great thing for Belfast”.

“It will make a real difference to that corner [of Donegall Place] and will brighten it all up.

We’ve been waiting for the right occupier,” he said.

likes of River Island moving in, there are other deals happening there with some in legals for new retailers coming to Belfast. There is a bit of positivity.

“The retail market has been struggling for a number of years but there’s real life in it.”

The Cleaver House building which will now play host to the restaurant was once occupied by the famous Robinson & Cleaver department store and now hosts businesses including Café Parisien, which is owned by the Galgorm Collection. It was sold to Dublin-based Furlong Construction Ltd for more than £16m in 2017.

“[Osborne King] was acting for the owner, a Dublin-based investment company.

Following its success over the decades the group has expanded considerably on the back of the Ivy name, further into London and then across the UK and Ireland with a series of different restaurant brands and concepts, including Ivy Brasseries, Ivy Cafés and Ivy Asia.

“The good news is Donegall Place is experiencing a bit of boost. You’ve seen the

One of the latest Ivy Collection restaurants, and the closest to us, is the one on Dublin’s

FEBRUARY 2024

Dawson Street, which opened back in 2018.

There’s a comprehensive menu on offer, from cocktails and other drinks, to starters, mains, ‘classics’, roasts and grilled meats, sides, sandwiches, desserts, and even cream tea.

Starters drawing the eye include steak tartare with Dubliner whiskey, creamed truffle potato, and a classic prawn cocktail.

The mains on offer include blackened cod fillet, The Ivy Shepherd’s Pie, and grilled sea bass.

Contrasted to that, Ivy Asia offers a host of dishes from across the Far East, including sesame crusted prawn dumplings, Wagyu beef, smoking barbecue lamb cutlets and kimchi fried rice.

Initial plans for the new restaurant, or restaurants, by the Ivy Collection, have been designed by English firm Pump House Designs, while Belfast’s TSA Planning is the planning consultant involved in the development. ■

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COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Two shopping centres and hotel kick off property sales in 2024

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he sale of two Northern Ireland shopping centres and a Belfast city centre hotel will lead the new year among £50m worth of commercial property deals, it has emerged.

Bloomfield Shopping Centre and Retail Park in Bangor and The Quays Shopping Centre in Newry are both expected to trade in the first quarter of 2024.

Meanwhile, the budget Etap Hotel in Belfast city centre is also agreed for sale, according to Lambert Smith Hampton.

previous years but the value of deals coming in at £51.2m, 25% below the five year quarterly average,” it said.

The largest deal of 2023 was the purchase of Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon for £46.5m by Killahoey Limited, while other substantial deals included the acquisition of Forestside Shopping Centre in Belfast for £42m

by Mussenden Properties Limited, a company owned by Michael Herbert, and Foyleside Shopping Centre in Derry, which was purchased by a consortium of local investors for £27m.

It also says the number commercial property transactions in Northern Ireland increased in 2023, with the highest number of deals recorded since 2018.

“Despite supply issues during 2023, investment volume exceeded expectations and has been remarkably consistent between 2021 and 2023,” Claire Shaw, senior research analyst at Lambert Smith Hampton, said.

Some 52 deals were completed, while investment volumes for the year increased to £341.4m, 24% above the five-year average and the highest total since 2017.

“There was also a continuing improvement in the depth of activity and a renewed interest in shopping centre assets, driven by rebased pricing and attractive returns.

“As expected, investment volumes in the final quarter of the year were subdued after a strong third quarter, with transaction levels in line with

“Looking into 2024, there are over £50m of deals either agreed or in legals. Continuing the 2023 trend, retail will be key to volume

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at the beginning of the year, with Bloomfield Shopping Centre and Retail Park, Bangor and The Quays Shopping Centre, Newry both expected to trade in the first quarter. Hotels will also make a welcome return with the ETAP Hotel, Belfast, also agreed for sale.”

And Jonathan Martin, director at Lambert Smith Hampton, said: “As we move into 2024, it’s encouraging that supply challenges didn’t lead to a reduction in volume or overall investment activity last year. The figures clearly demonstrate that investor appetite remains robust, especially amongst well-capitalised local investors who are poised to move once supply improves.

“Increased finance costs are likely to create challenges for some owners, and it is anticipated this will lead to increased stock levels, although the prospect of rate cuts later in 2024 will provide some assurance for both vendors and investors alike. The improving economic situation, potential return of the Northern Ireland Executive and the regions unique dual access positioning are all reasons to be optimistic for the Northern Ireland property market in 2024.” ■

ENERGY, WASTE & ENVIRONMENT

Is it time for a planning ‘green lane’?

ENERGY, WASTE & ENVIRONMENT

With a fresh appeal submitted for a wind farm scheme which was turned down for permission and may not be assessed until at least 2025/26, another development being recommended for refusal by civil servants and experts warning NI cannot meet its ambitious renewables targets without significant develop, is it time for a new planning ‘green lane’, asks John Mulgrew

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n the space of just a few weeks, two major wind farms were either refused permission or recommended for refusal here in Northern Ireland.

Both were submitted by Renewable Energy Systems (RES) and could potentially have delivered sizeable double-figure megawatts to the grid if given the green light.

Each of these applications is detailed and complex, of course, and I’m not going to pull apart and analyse each strand and balance up the main factor in their refusal – the potential harm caused to the landscape and general visual impact.

Schemes as significant as these must be given the proper scrutiny at a planning or governmental level if regionally significant.

But generally, the concept of fast-tracking solar, wind and other renewable schemes, however, is something we must consider. It’s something which has already been proposed

by RenewableNI and others.

In the case of appeals – that’s not to consider the considerabe planning processing wait times – RenewableNI says the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) won’t look at appeals for renewable schemes in the system until 2025/26.

According to the organisation, the PAC stated they were “experiencing significant resourcing pressures”.

“PAC has confirmed in a letter to a RenewableNI member that staffing issues will continue for the medium term.

“Planning timelines, combined with route-to

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market and grid challenges, mean we are already facing an uphill struggle to meet the target of 80% renewable electricity generation by 2030. We need planning consent for projects no later than 2027 to connect by 2030. In terms of planning, we do not have six years, we have three.”

If we are going to get serious about getting our renewables targets up to levels whereby we can feel confident of a strong, green future, not dependent on fossil fuels, then something has to change.

Essentially, we’re running out of time.

Of course, while we smashed through the 40% mark in the last energy strategy, the new 80% target by 2030 may, on paper, seem doable. But we’ve stalled, completely.

According to RenewableNI’s Steven Agnew our energy usage could triple in the years ahead, as we move towards EVs and heat pumps.

He’s previously told this publication that we all have to get over the ‘eyesore’ concerns that some have over the increasing number of onshore wind farms across Northern Ireland.

“We have to bring communities on board and maximise the benefits to those who host wind farms, but we have to accept that if we are going to tackle climate change, we need these technologies,” he said.

And while there are large-scale plans for offshore schemes – in the very early stages of what could be a decade-long proposition – he’ says we still need additional on-shore.

“The 1GW target from 2030 is definitely welcome. In context we currently have about

1.7GW of renewable generation,” he said.

The latest appeal from RES was for its Magheramore Wind Farm, based close to the Maghermore Road outside Ballycastle, which was turned down for permission by Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council’s planning committee late last year.

RES has lodged an appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission for the 24MW scheme. It says it could power more than 22,000 homes if given the go ahead.

It received 160 objections and 12 letters of support. Some of the objections to the wind farm included the visual impact,

ENERGY, WASTE & ENVIRONMENT

impact on tourism, residential amenity and the environmental impact on a section of designated planning policy.

It was found to be “unacceptable in terms of impact of visual amenity within the Sperrin’s Area of Outstanding Beauty, landscape character and the integrity of the setting of a State Care Monument and two scheduled monuments”.

RES has said the scheme has benefits which “significantly outweigh” concerns raised.

And just last month, the Department for Infrastructure issued a ‘notice of opinion’ to refuse planning permission for the Unshinagh

FEBRUARY 2024

Wind Farm between Carnlough and Glenarm in Co Antrim.

It was said the 14 turbine development, which would have maximum tip height of 180 metres, would cause significant harm to the landscape of the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the ecological impacts on protected species within the Antrim Hills Special Protection Area.

It says while “due cognisance was given to the contribution that renewable energy can make to both the economy and tackling climate change” that the perceived visual impact “outweighed the economic and environmental benefits”.

Whether we like it or not, speaking generally in terms of the visual aesthetic, we must increase the volume of on-shore wind – it has to go somewhere, and somewhere suitable to produce the power needed to ensure we at least make a stab at meeting our targets.

RenewableNI has already called for the idea of the prioritisation of such green schemes, and I believe it’s now time to take it seriously.

A ‘green lane’ and faster appeals process for such developments much be considered if we are to help lead the way in the move away from traditional fossil fuels.

And we need an Executive back to even consider such a proposal. We’re running out of time. n

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NEWS

Former Belfast Telegraph offices could become new conference venue for city

By John Mulgrew

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he former Belfast Telegraph could be turned into a new conference venue for the city, it can be revealed.

While the print hall on the ground floor of the former newspaper office has been used as a temporary events and gig space since 2017, Belfast City Council – which bought the building in 2016 alongside Co Tyrone developer McAleer & Rushe – now wants to develop it into a conference centre.

Those behind the new plans say it will “not compete with the likes of the ICC Belfast but would instead complement other conference centres within the city centre focusing more on being a casual venue attracting businesses, organisations and individuals to host exhibitions, product launches, and much more”.

The new full planning application has been submitted by planning consultancy on behalf of The Limelight Belfast Ltd. “The success of the building being used as an event space has been demonstrated through the various permissions granted at the site,”

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planning document say.

contributed to the night-time economy,” documents say.

“However, the extensive list of conference centre events that are scheduled to be hosted for the building demonstrates a growing market in the city centre for this type of use that will not compete with other venues within the city, but instead be complementary.”

“The previous temporary permissions as event space are not a major step change in use as to what is now being proposed under this application.

In a letter supporting the planning application from Clyde Shanks, it said it is “evident” from the success of the temporary use as a music venue – which has seen major acts appear there since 2017 – the proposed change of use to a conference centre is a “natural progression”.

“The success of the building being used as an event space has been demonstrated through the various permissions granted at the site.

However, the extensive list of conference centre events that are scheduled to be hosted for the building demonstrates a growing market in the city centre for this type of use that will not compete with other venues within the city, but instead be complementary.”

Temporary permission for use of the venue for events was granted to the Limelight on three occasions, the latest granted in August 2022 for an extension of time 18 months. That permission expires on February 2024.

An initial masterplan outlined a major mixeduse development for the site, called the Sixth, but no developer has taken the scheme on.

“The three previous temporary permissions that were granted on the site, permitted for the building to be used for event space purposes over a sustained period that

“It says with “no conference centres of this kind” within Belfast city centre that the “unique, creative and trendy nature of it will align with the aims/principles of the Innovation District within the city centre regeneration investment strategy”.

“It also says the plan is sufficiently flexible to cater for the variety of events expected to be held at the venue.

Events are likely to be similar in nature but are expected to vary significantly in size but with a maximum venue capacity of 2,600. n

HOSPITALITY

Tony O’Neill pictured at his restaurant Buba

Belfast restaurant Buba put on the market

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elfast city centre restaurant Buba has gone on the market but remains open and trading for the time

being.

No reason has been given for the decision to put the venue up for sale.

But restaurateur Tony O’Neill, who also coowns Italian restaurant Coppi with his wife, had warned recently that Buba could close for good as a result of lost custom following strike action by transport workers in the run-up to Christmas.

Mr O’Neill opened Buba in St Anne’s Square in early 2018 as a venue specialising in Mediterranean food.

But at the beginning of last year, he announced he would be relaunching the restaurant as a burger joint in response to rising energy costs and the cost of living crisis.

In December he said he was reviewing profits and turnover at the restaurant ahead of the strikes.

“We looked at our results a couple of months

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back, and this year is the first since Covid that bookings were strong,” Mr O’Neill said.

“Now it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under us again. A lot of us, ourselves included, are questioning things.

“Buba is a smaller restaurant, and if you take two days from it, it makes it too lean to survive.

“We now need to look at the question of if it’s viable to continue putting money into it because it’s becoming difficult to sustain.”

Now the venue is on the market though commercial property practice CBRE NI, which describe it in a brochure as a “very successful and reputable business”. Annual rent is £32,900 while a service charge of nearly £6,000 also applies.

Mr O’Neill said he did not wish to comment on the decision to put the restaurant on the market. Buba remains open from Thursday to Saturday every week.

In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph at the end of July, Mr O’Neill said even busy

restaurants were feeling the pinch from rising costs, particularly energy.

“Our electricity used to be about £2,900 to £3,500 a month and now I’m on a fixed rate of £5,900 a month for Coppi. And that’s not including rent and rates, which have gone up as well.

“I think there will be other closures but, overall, we will get through this stronger and better. We have an offering that stands head and shoulders above so many places.”

He said at the time that the trend for hybrid working had depleted lunchtime trade. “We tried opening Buba at lunchtimes but there’s no business, so we’re changing it back to night-time only apart from Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There just is no lunch-time trade at the minute in the Cathedral Quarter.

“It costs restaurants more to open for lunch.

The spend is three times lower at lunch. People aren’t going to be drinking and they just want a bargain at lunchtime.

“But it costs us exactly the same money to open for lunch as it does for dinner with the cost of the electricity, the gas, the staff, everything else.”

However, he said in July that he was thankful that Coppi remains a strong business. “We’re full most nights, which is really, really good for us. It’s a godsend that we are busy and the custom is definitely there. ■

OFFICE ENVIRONMENT & FIT-OUT

Tackling the office energy challenge

Sponsored by

OFFICE ENVIRONMENT & FIT-OUT

As experts and research highlights stark warnings that Northern Ireland’s office market could face challenges ahead as it battles with expected new minimum energy standards, is it time for landlords to act sooner rather than later? Ulster Business takes a closer look

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ew energy efficiency rules already in force elsewhere in the UK could put significant pressure on Belfast’s office stock in just a handful of years.

for any commercial building being sold, leased or rented across England and Wales.

It is predicated that the next change in EPC legislation, due in 2025, will see the minimum rating increase to ‘B’ by 2030.

Three quarters of Belfast’s office buildings could “become obsolete” in just six years amid new energy legislation coming into force, according to CBRE NI.

“With our research indicating only 25% of Belfast’s large office buildings are currently rated EPC ‘A’ or ‘B’, property owners and investors are faced with a stark choice: either make substantial investments to bring properties up to speed with EPC and ESG requirements or contemplate changing the use of these buildings altogether.

Legislation has already come into effect in England and Wales, with new EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rules also expected to hit Northern Ireland.

It’s expected a minimum energy rating will increase to ‘B’ by 2030.

Brian Lavery, managing director of CBRE NI, recently told 500 guests gathered at its annual property outlook event at ICC Belfast that it is only a matter of time before regulations, already in place in England and Wales, take effect in Northern Ireland.

So, is it time for landlords to get ahead of the curve and begin to improve lower quality offices in terms of places to work and also tackling the energy efficiency challenges?

“A seismic shift is looming over Belfast’s commercial real estate sector, as new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations, prevalent in Great Britain, will require significant upgrading or repurposing of Belfast office stock,” Mr Lavery said.

“In April 2023, the minimum EPC rating for commercial buildings was raised to ‘E’,

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“With regulatory change inevitable, it is imperative that landlords of older commercial stock act now to implement ESG strategies or risk being left with properties that are unlettable or difficult to market successfully.”

It’s an issue which was recently raised by law firm TLT in a previous edition of Ulster Business.

“The demand has changed quite significantly,” Judith Hewiston, real estate partner at law firm TLT, said. “We have been very much across hybrid-working at our own locations.

“Most teams have a mixture of time in the office, and at home. That is working well.”

The firm’s Kevin Murphy said that move towards net zero and a future-proof workplace is key for businesses from right across the sectors.

That includes new energy efficiency standards, already in place in other parts of the UK, which are likely to come into force here.

A seismic shift is looming over Belfast’s commercial real estate sector, as new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations, prevalent in Great Britain, will require significant upgrading or repurposing of Belfast office stock

TITLE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT & FIT-OUT

“That will force a lot of landlords into improving the energy efficiency for buildings,” he says. “It’s short-sighted if landlords don’t do it.”

In his closing remarks, Brian Lavery referred to the challenges ahead for the wider commercial property sector.

Also speaking at the recent CBRE event, Sir Timothy Smit KBE, co-founder of the Eden Project, said that “the looming crisis in the commercial property market requires bold action but presents unrivalled opportunity”.

“The changing landscape shaped by ESG presents unprecedented challenges for Northern Ireland’s commercial property sector in 2024. Political stability is crucial for investment and our politicians must play their part.

“Positively championing new technologies, materials and philosophies to make our buildings not only fit for purpose but also healthy for those that live and work in them, enables us to ultimately do the right thing.”

“The time to act is now. By embracing sustainable practices, fostering innovation and investing in our office stock, we can not only safeguard our environment but also ensure a prosperous and dynamic future

FEBRUARY 2024

for Northern Ireland.”

Meanwhile, the operator of a new high-end office block in Belfast has said there is a “reorganisation” of office space taking place as an era of long-term leases draws to a close.

Robert McFarland, who along with serviced office firm Formation Works operates The Kelvin on College Square East, said companies were now seeking flexible space for a year at a time instead of signing up for longer periods.

And instead of wanting to acquire space to fit out themselves, companies were signing up for ready-made fit-outs. >

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OFFICE ENVIRONMENT & FIT-OUT

Sir Timothy Smit KBE, co-founder of the Eden Project, and Brian Lavery, CBRE NI managing director

There has been an explosion of high-end new or refurbished offices in Belfast in the last few years, with buildings such as City Quays on the Harbour Estate, Paper Exchange, Eagle Star House, The Ewart Building and Custom House competing for occupants.

According to commercial property practice CBRE, rents for the best quality office space in Belfast are now £24 to £25 per square foot.

The five-storey building on College Square East now renamed The Kelvin has been fully refurbished and recently announced Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), a commercial property agency with 80 staff, as its first major tenant.

Gareth McMurray of Formation Works said he believed it would not be a struggle to fill

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the rest of the space but that expectations were high for the services which offices could provide – such as a concierge, catering and networking opportunities.

It’s about a deep understanding of each client’s needs, not just getting them onboard and leaving them to their own devices.

“For me it’s really important to have those personalised services and we hope to have a concierge outside those core business hours.

It’s about a deep understanding of each client’s needs, not just getting them onboard and leaving them to their own devices.”

While anchor tenant LSH is a large business in NI terms, Mr McFarland said much of the remainder is geared up for SMEs, which can request fit-outs to their own specifications.

And he said occupier demands have shifted since the pandemic, when companies adopted work-from-home policies.

Since then many have operated hybrid working models, with time split between home and office. n

OFFICE ENVIRONMENT & FIT-OUT

Ronnie Crawford

natural light, introducing biophilia, assessing the acoustic properties, ensuring we’re

Opentext’s office which was designed

by Calibro

Putting people first in the workspace Ronnie Crawford of design and fit-out firm Calibro Workspace looks at the ‘people-centric’ workplace and why employee wellbeing is key in 2024

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he workplace and how staff interact within it has never been more front and centre.

While some companies have already turned their attention to improving the places in which their staff work, with hybrid-working and an increasingly competitive employer market, the majority are now ensuring that people-centric design is essential, with employee wellbeing a key strand.

A workspace should be an environment which makes an employee want to attend the office, and bring about substantial benefits, coworking, and also be a place of solace when required.

“People-centric design considers a whole host of things,” Ronnie Crawford, managing director of Calibro, says.

“First of all, its about understanding the company’s needs, it’s goals and aspirations, where its heading and how its intending to get there.

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“Then its about truly understanding the people, the role they play in the organisation, their aspirations, individuals needs and what good looks like for them in the workplace.

“They are the ones who occupy the space, so how do they prefer to work, the productivity of their work and assessing everything that can impact or improve the quality of their work/ life, which is really important. Creating an environment in response to employees’ needs, fosters engagement, improves productivity, and can create a sense of belonging and community within the workplace.”

He says once you understand your people, it’s then about providing the correct types of spaces to meet those needs.

“Giving employees choice, flexibility of where they work, how they work is key,” he says.

“So, it’s not just about a 9-5 job behind a desk, there are focus pods, brainstorm booths, soft seating, collaborations areas, for example.

“It’s then about elements like maximising

minimising sound reverberation, lighting control, temperature control, wayfinding signage, providing visual guidance, aiding accessibility and so it goes on.”

And employee wellbeing continues to be at the core of this journey. “All of the features we’ve spoken of will contribute to improved wellbeing and people will enjoy coming to the workplace because they know that it caters for their needs,” he says.

“If peoples’ needs aren’t catered for, they won’t enjoy coming to work, they won’t be productive and ultimately the employer and the employee both suffer.

“Employee wellbeing has become very topical in recent years, but it’s something that has alway sbeen important to us.

“Of course, we realise it extends beyond workplace design, so that’s one of the reasons we have partnered with Inspire Wellbeing last year as our charity of choice.

“The partnership will offer our clients bespoke wellbeing services. From workplace wellbeing audits, tailored training, access to an online employee support platform, there will be a wealth of resources. Integrating the wellbeing offerings along with Inspire into our onboarding, design and aftercare service made total sense.

“We know when employee wellbeing in supported, overall happiness and job satisfaction improves, they are more engaged, more productive, and more likely to be loyal to the company they work for.” ■

OFFICE ENVIRONMENT & FIT-OUT

Titanic Quarter hotel ‘to create 130 new jobs’

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new hotel in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter which will bring 130 jobs has won a £28m development finance loan from the Northern Ireland Investment Fund (NIIF).

Work was started last month on the 228-room hotel at Hamilton Dock in Titanic Quarter, close to visitor attraction Titanic Belfast, by developer JMK. Now NIIF, which is managed by the lending team of CBRE, has brought it a step forward by providing its biggest ever loan to support the project.

When complete, the hotel will be branded as an Aloft Hotel and Residence Inn Aparthotel, operated under a Marriott franchise agreement. Its location is opposite a fellow Marriott hotel, the AC Marriott at City Quays.

A spokesperson for CBRE said the project aligned with the fund’s aims to enable property

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delivering a hotel with strong environmental and sustainability credentials.

“Having explored a range of funding options and solutions for this site, we are delighted to have committed a loan facility to finance the delivery of this project.”

projects which supported “innovation, businesses, energy efficiency, low carbon energy generation and job creation”.

The project will bring 130 jobs, with 60 during construction and 70 full-time roles at the hotel.

The NIIF recently increased in size from £100m to £150m, with the Hamilton Dock Hotel loan marking the fund’s largest loan since it was set up.

Herbin Duffield, director at CBRE said: “When the NIIF launched in 2018 there was sufficient debt liquidity and supply of new hotel developments in Belfast.

“The pandemic and rising interest rates have tested those conditions, and supply and debt liquidity is now more constrained.

“NIIF is addressing market failure and providing debt funding that will create jobs in a key regeneration area in the Titanic Quarter by

Zain Kajani, director at JMK said: “We are pleased to have the funding in place and break ground at the JMK group’s first hotel in Northern Ireland, adding further depth to our hotel portfolio in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and aligning with our expansion strategy and forward-thinking approach to drive sustainability.”

The hotel is being developed close by to the new Loft Lines scheme.

It’s a major £175m development which will see 778 new waterfront homes, with 627 build to rent units and 151 affordable homes, built close to Titanic Belfast.

Plans for the major build-to-rent scheme, in partnership with Lacuna Developments, include a water walkway and a park.

There will also be a nursery on the ground floor, along with a number of retail units. n

NEWS

it is clear from the increase in turnover… the company has continued to take a substantial share of the market from its competitors during the period.”

Kitchen company Wren to open two showrooms in NI creating 100 job

By Margaret Canning

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UK kitchens company is opening its first stores in Northern Ireland, bringing around 100 new jobs, it can be revealed.

Wren Kitchens, which is based in Barton, Yorkshire and has 110 showrooms around the UK, said it wants to open showrooms in Belfast and Londonderry this year.

A distribution depot is also planned for Kilroot Business Park in Carrickfergus.

A spokeswoman for the company, founded by serial entrepreneur Maurice Healey, said the venture marked a multi-million pound investment.

She said: “We will be leasing existing prime location retail properties – and will lodge any necessary planning applications in due course.”

This month, Wren Kitchens published a notice of its attention to apply for a licence to use a unit at Kilroot Business Park as an operating

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centre for 10 goods vehicles and five trailers.

Owners or occupiers of land or buildings near the operating centre who believe their use or enjoyment of the land would be affected can make representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Hillcrest House in Leeds by February 9.

Carmichael Logistics, a tenant at Kilroot Business Park, is expected to look after the logistics for Wren Kitchens.

In accounts for 2022, Wren Kitchens turnover was up 16% from £916.5m to £1.065bn – passing the £1bn sales mark for the first time.

It said there were many parts of the UK where it had no presence.

“The expansion of the company’s retail network continued during the year with new showrooms opening in Hereford, Kings Lynn and Crawley,” it said.

“Whilst this brings the overall total to 108 showrooms, this is less than half of the number of showrooms of some of our competitors, and there remains significant areas of the UK where the company has no presence.

“Additional locations have been identified and sites are being sought to address this issue, but as has always been the case, new properties are only taken on if commercial terms are appropriate.”

It said there were many parts of the UK where it had no presence.

“The expansion of the company’s retail network continued during the year with new showrooms opening in Hereford, Kings Lynn and Crawley,” it said.

Pre-tax profits were also up 23% from £100.6m to £112.2m. And £1bn in sales had been generated in the UK, while £11.4m was generated in the US.

“While this brings the overall total to 108 showrooms, this is less than half of the number of showrooms of some of our competitors, and there remains significant areas of the UK where the company has no presence.

In a strategic report filed with the accounts, the company said directors were satisfied with the performance for the year, adding: “While the kitchen market has benefited from an uplift in demand over the last two years,

“Additional locations have been identified and sites are being sought to address this issue, but as has always been the case, new properties are only taken on if commercial terms are appropriate.” n

Northern Ireland’s private sector has bounced back to modest levels of growth

ECONOMY

NI businesses see modest bounce back… but return to growth ‘hard to sustain’

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orthern Ireland’s private sector has bounced back to modest levels of growth but some sectors continue to suffer, new figures show.

Overall, business activity role slightly during December. But the latest purchasing managers’ report from Ulster Bank says data suggests the rise was in part down to completed outstanding business.

Levels of back orders fell sharply in December.

Firms worked through backlogs amid a further reduction in new orders, albeit one that was the least marked in seven months of decline.

Across the sectors, manufacturing, services and retail all saw a small uplift, but construction saw a contraction once again.

Northern Ireland fared better than some other UK regions – sitting just behind London, which saw more sizeable growth, while others saw a contraction.

“Seven of the 12 monitored regions and nations recorded higher business activity in December, the most since last June,” the report said.

“Growth was once again led by London (index at 58.2), where output rose sharply during

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the month. At the other end of the scale, the north east (44.5) recorded the most marked fall in output, followed by Wales (48).”

Richard Ramsey, chief economist for Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland, said: “Northern Ireland’s private sector returned to growth for the first time in six months in December.

“Retail and manufacturing joined services in expansion mode. Retailers saw a sharp rise in sales following seven successive months of decline.

“Manufacturers and services companies recorded more modest rates of growth while construction remains mired in recession.

Construction output has fallen almost continuously over the last two-and-a-half years while new construction orders have been falling almost continuously for three years.”

Mr Ramseys aid while December’s return to growth is welcome it “could prove difficult to sustain”.

“New demand remains weak with order books shrinking for the seventh month running,” he said.

“Retail was the only one of the four sectors

to record a pick-up in demand last month.

Despite subdued demand, Northern Ireland’s private sector continued to increase staffing levels, albeit at its slowest pace in twelve months. Recruiting staff continues to present difficulties for firms.

“Manufacturers reduced their headcount for the second month running with December’s decline the sharpest in almost three years.

This suggests some manufacturing firms are adjusting their business conditions to the reduced external demand.

“Inflationary pressures ended 2023 significantly below where they started the year. But there are signs of costs pressures ticking up again not least in terms of shipping costs with container ships being re-routed away from the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Supply-chain disruption could once again be a feature of the global economy in the year ahead.

“Higher wages were widely cited as a cost pressure in the latest survey while some firms mentioned increased material costs. Outside of construction, Northern Ireland’s private sector remains confident for growth in 2024.

But concerns about the lack of government at Stormont remain.” ■

Name: Gordon Milligan OBE Position: Chairman, National Museums NI

The column with an ear for experience...

How did you start out in your business?

My career has been marked by various senior roles across a variety of sectors both in the private and public sector including family businesses, aerospace, telecoms, agri-food and the public transport sector. I’ve also had the privilege of serving on boards in capacities as both an executive and non-executive director.

Having taken up the role of chairman of National Museums NI in October, I’m already impressed by the vision and commitment of the team, and look forward to leveraging my experience and network to build on the important service the organisation provides and the impact it has on society in Northern Ireland.

What have you found the most challenging during your years of business, so far?

Without a doubt, Covid-19 brought major challenges. Dealing with the unknown and the impact it had on lives, whilst also ensuring business survival and the safety of those providing essential services. Swift strategic decision-making was crucial, but I think these challenges forced businesses to recognise the value of focusing on building resilience and being adaptable, and reaffirmed the commitment of business leaders to the community and employee welfare.

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How would you describe your management style?

I’d describe my style as collaborative, taking time to bring people on the journey with you whilst also being decisive and making things happen. Personal values and principles are at the core of my decision-making process.

Now that I’m part of museums and heritage sector, I can see that collaboration is essential, particularly at a local level. Enhancing our partnerships with various organisations and sectors will be key as we continue to reach diverse audiences, and develop and enhance our collections to enrich learning opportunities and wellbeing.

What would you change if you could go back and do it all again?

An interesting question made easier with the gift of hindsight. I’d define a clear vision of the career I wanted, and then assign the steps and development I needed to take to bring it to life.

Have you done it all on your own?

All my achievements have been surrounded and supported by great people. Within

business, the importance of building a great team of talented people with the right attitude, can’t be overstated. Additionally, the encouragement and unwavering support of my family has been instrumental to my success.

How would you like your business/ organisation to be remembered?

Across all my endeavours the goal is making a lasting impact by delivering solutions and services that add value to Northern Ireland’s continued progress. I will champion and guide National Museums NI as it continues to deliver inclusive and compelling museum experiences across all four of its museum sites.

This includes exciting plans to ‘reawaken’ Ulster Folk Museum and empower people to reconnect with heritage and environment in new ways.

Our museums are representative of the diverse Northern Ireland of today. They challenge perceptions and encourage discussion across various themes including the conflict of our past and its legacy, our heritage, and our response to the climate crisis, in a bid to inspire our visitors as they journey with us into our shared future.

What piece of advice would you give to a 20-year-old you?

Work hard to make things happen. Focus on continued development and prioritise building your network as it will be crucial to your professional growth. Don’t stray from your personal values and never allow them to be compromised in your decision making. Choose to work for leaders and organisations that empower people to be better. And above all, get a great mentor who can provide invaluable insights and guidance. ■

JOBS & RECRUITMENT

The workforce: investigating Northern Ireland’s growing salary gap

JOBS & RECRUITMENT

The NI labour market has seen an increase in the hiring intent of employers, so why is the gap between salaries here and elsewhere in the UK the largest on record? Pavel Barter takes a look

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he hiring intention of employers in Northern Ireland has increased by 43% for the first quarter of 2024, the highest rate throughout the UK, according to new statistics.

Manpower Group’s Employment Outlook Survey suggests while hiring intentions remain positive across the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is outreaching other regions such as London (where hiring intentions are 32%+) and Scotland (26%+). These results follow on from 2023’s high-performing labour market – and recent statistics from the Department for the Economy which revealed that employee numbers and earnings are up and “employment and economic inactivity rates have all moved in a favourable direction when compared to one year ago”.

Manpower, an international staffing firm, has seen “a massive insurgence of jobs in the

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financial sector, IT, communications and utilities sectors,” John Gargan, Manpower’s regional manager for Northern Ireland, says. “Over the last six months, we have seen a shift from manufacturing and industrial type roles to more skilled labour roles.”

According to Ulster Bank’s jobs index, catering, skilled trades and management are currently the top three areas of demand. “The construction sector seems to be looking for people in skilled trades,” Andrew Webb, chief economist at Grant Thornton, says. “There’s also been strong performance over the last while across hospitality and tourism in forward bookings for the year. People are looking for staff in that sector.”

Why are hiring expectations so strong at present? Economists believe a new economy is emerging off the back of the Windsor Framework and Brexit. Export performance

seems to be holding up well and growing rapidly. And the public sector is providing a cushioning effect, giving NI a solid economic and labour market base.

In recent years there has also been a focus on challenging the skills gap. Foreign companies are locating and investing in Northern Ireland.

Local universities are running STEM projects and conducting outreach programmes with employers, and companies are running their own academies. FinTrU, the financial technology company based in Belfast, for example, runs a financial services academy that upskills workers, allowing them take on roles in the £35,000 to £45,000 market. This buoyant labour landscape does not seem to be replicated to the same extent elsewhere in the UK. However, the Department for the Economy’s labour market statistics for December also highlights an unusual discrepancy. According to the report, earnings in NI are now 11% below UK earnings: “the largest difference on record”.

JOBS & RECRUITMENT

Andrew Webb of Grant Thornton was surprised when he saw the report: “You would assume that in a very tight labour market you would start to see wages bidding up, so that gap appearing was surprising to us.”

The reason may be historic. During the Troubles, England’s wage growth progressed

while Northern Ireland lagged behind: and it never quite caught up. NI’s labour market is different than the rest of the UK. “About 15% of our jobs are in wholesale and retail, whereas in the UK it’s about 12%,” Andrew Webb of Grant Thornton says. “Retail is not a higher paying sector.”

Gareth Hetherington of the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre believes “the primary reason for the growth in the wage differential is the proportionally larger public sector in Northern Ireland, which has experienced lower earnings growth compared to other parts of the UK. Gross weekly public sector earnings in NI increased by just 0.1% in 2023 compared to 3.7% in the UK public sector.”

Northern Ireland is more concentrated in lower paying sectors, in other words, which alongside the Executive’s inability to implement public sector pay settlements may account for the earnings discrepancy. Alongside this historical hangover, Northern Ireland’s labour market is still feeling the after effects of the

FEBRUARY 2024

pandemic, according to John Gargan of Manpower Group.

“Manpower’s English locations seem to have come out of the pandemic a lot quicker than Northern Ireland. Maybe some decisions are a bit delayed which is having a knock-on effect that has taken 18 months for us to catch up.” The Department for the Economy report suggests redundancies in NI were up over the year December 2022 to November 2023.

During the pandemic, the payout of furlough was contingent on the fact companies were not making redundancies. “As time moves on, those companies that were not viable, who would have struggled without that support, are now back struggling,” Andrew Webb says.

This may account for the hike in redundancies in 2023. The redundancies tend to be lowerskilled, notes John Gargan. “FMCG [Fastmoving consumer goods] and food output suffered a downturn over last year. The workforce in those industries is transitioning from lower-skilled to medium and higher >

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JOBS & RECRUITMENT

skilled roles. So although redundancies are high, they are not in the same type of role or job function where there are hiring intentions.”

Simultaneously in 2023, the total number of hours worked in NI increased by 3.7% – just under the pre-pandemic position recorded in early 2020 – which recruiters suggest may be another pandemic hangover as companies return to full production status.

What does the future hold for the NI jobs market? In April 2024, the minimum wage will rise from £10.42 to £11.44. Some recruitment firms assumed that the last two wage increases would cause a downturn in hiring. “In actual fact it hasn’t decreased,” John Gargan says.

“Companies were able to secure people at a near national minimum wage or living wage, so they saw vacancies closed down a lot quicker. Vacancies that may have taken maybe 120 days to close in the past have gone down to 40 or 50 days.”

The minimum wage increase may be a challenge for some employers, though, such as hospitality accommodation businesses.

“Sectors where margins are low will find that increase difficult,” Andrew says. “But an increase in minimum wage will also increase

Andrew Webb

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the spending power in the economy. There are a number of headwinds in the mix.”

driver roles. A lot of training was done last year.”

Recruiters predict the arrival of more academies and highly skilled roles in 2024, particularly around transport, logistics and freight sectors.

“Over the last five months those industries have been asking us for information around skills availability,” John Gargan says. “I predict we will see an influx of roles around customs and export officials. We also have a skills shortage in the logistics market around HGV

What should employers do in preparation for growing hiring intentions? Recruitment firms recommend that businesses offer attractive packages to people who are re-entering the workforce – flexible working hours, for example, and incentives for employees who are close to retirement. Also – attracting younger school and college-age candidates with parttime opportunities.

John Gargan suggests that employers explore job sharing, in which two or more people (on a part-time or reduced-time basis) perform a job normally fulfilled by one person working full-time: “Can two people do the same role as one? Is it an option to offer a job to two working parents who might share the same 40-hour role? I think that will help.”

Whatever happens, recruitment firms are certain that high hiring intentions in NI will continue across Q2 and Q3 of 2024. “The labour market is in a particularly strong place at the minute,” Andrew Webb says.

“There could be a bit of ebb and flow and a seasonality that kicks in around a slight increase in unemployment. But the overall forecast for the year picture of the year is continued strength in the labour market.” ■

RISK MANAGEMENT & SECURITY

Risky business: building the best line of defence Sponsored by

RISK MANAGEMENT & SECURITY

Why building the best line of defence is the first step for any business when approaching risk management and security, writes Pavel Barter

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n August 2023, details of almost 9,500 PSNI officers and staff were mistakenly published in response to a Freedom of Information request.

In his report, the commissioner of the City of London Police described the incident as “the most significant data breach that has ever occurred in the history of UK policing”.

The costs are expected to be as high as £37m

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while the personal damage is unquantifiable as an undisclosed amount of officers relocated and others sought to change their identities.

The breach illustrated how high stakes can be in the realm of risk management and security.

Simon Taylor, a director at Newry-based Proviso IT, which provides information and training for IT infrastructure and staff within businesses, believes “a lot of people get caught up in the day-to-day of working of their IT systems.

RISK MANAGEMENT & SECURITY Former PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne at a press conference following the major data breach in August last year

and a process for managing risk – but risk management is an ever changing landscape.

Last year, the UK government introduced the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act which it describes as “the biggest shakeup” to Companies House in its 180-year history.

The bill forces organisations to undertake thorough risk management of their fraud controls, grants the agency new powers to identify company directors, and holds companies responsible should anyone within their ranks commit fraud. Joe Hanna, head of risk management at WF Risk Group, points out that some organisations (charities and football clubs, for example) already apply a fit and proper person test (FPPT) framework as guidance to prevent corporate fraud. “The Companies House changes are similar to that,” he says.

A minefield of risk awaits every business. The number one priority for any business, advises Hanna, is to be honest with themselves. “They have to identify the key risks. There’s no point burying your head in the sand.” Joe has a client in England who leases a Victorian mill. “We’ve assessed the mill and it has no fire protection.

“Cyber-security tends to be forgotten about until there is an issue. Cyber crime poses a real threat to a business in terms of information leakage, GDPR and reputational damage.”

Cyber-security is only one brick in the wall when it comes to risk management and security. Businesses can avail of ISO 31000 guidelines – an international standard that provides principles, a framework

FEBRUARY 2024

Not everyone is located near a flood zone, but practically every business uses IT. While historical types of insurance are still essential, a business is statistically more likely to get hit with a cyber attack than a fire. Yet in the mind of some executives, fire insurance outweighs IT policies.

“Everything is connected in some shape or form to a system, network, AI or cybernetics,” Darrel McCartan, director of financial lines at Arden Insurance Brokers, says. “In the manufacturing industry you have exposure and connections to the Internet of Things.

Machinery – conveyor belts, for example – is all automated.”

According to risk assessors, education is essential when it comes to cyber-security because incompetency invites trouble.

“As a business you can do all your endpoint encryptions, multi-factor authentications, firewalls and virus controls,” Simon Taylor of Proviso IT, says.

“You can have systems and procedures in place. But the biggest risk to a system and to a business is its people.” Many high profile breaches, says Peter Knight, another director at Proviso, result from a lack of in-house training.

“They like their location so they have to build that lack of fire protection into their resilience model.” A business must address any weak link in their armour. Some businesses, Joe says, leave those risks until it is too late. “They have an ‘It’s never going to happen to me’ attitude… until it happens.”

“A lot of breaches started with email phishing, susceptibility or human error. It’s important that staff and management are aware of the implications of poor cyber-security. The cost of remediation compared to the cost of prevention is huge.”

Climate change and extreme weather events – recent flooding in Downpatrick and Newry, for example – are ongoing concerns for many businesses.

Cyber-security experts recommend that businesses introduce a security incident response plan that outlines minor, major and critical incidences.

“A lot of my work is dictated by insurance companies who ask clients for information about how they are dealing with flood risk, cyber or fire,” Joe says. “When that is highlighted to our insurance division, I survey the properties or get specialists involved.

We see if we can mitigate or reduce the risk and then give assurances to the insurance company.”

“As well as ensuring that the appropriate insurances and prevention measures are in place, businesses need to invest in tools to detect an intrusion into their network,” Simon Taylor says. “[A hacker] might be in your network for a long time before they are detected, so ensuring that the appropriate monitoring and prevention tools are in place is vital.” >

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RISK MANAGEMENT & SECURITY

Darrel McCartan of Arden Insurance Brokers

Darrel McCartan recommends that businesses ensure that data storage is backed up off line. “In my opinion, the key is limiting access among staff to things they actually use and nothing else. If you limit people’s access, then it immediately creates an onion effect.

“You need to think of layers of protection. If somebody is changing bank account details then you need to have a separate segregated contact list that has been tried and tested.

You need to have procedures and not just flippantly send money to people.”

Risk management and security extends to partners and suppliers. Their risk is your risk.

“You’re only as strong as the weakest link,” Joe Hanna of WF Risk Group says. “It’s the same for business continuity. If suppliers are in your chain and one of them – in a flood zone for example – can’t supply you with the materials you need, what do you do?”

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A business should have appropriate policies and procedures in place that adhere to good practice in terms of outsourcing. Companies need to continually assess their relationship with suppliers and choose vendors wisely. A proper vendor selection process should include auditing of the supply chain. Joe Hanna’s client in the Victorian mill, for example, has introduced a “backup plan” in the unlikely event that they suffer fire damage. “They’ve introduced arrangements with other suppliers to get them over that hump,” Joe says.

“If they did not consider that and a catastrophic event did occur, they could have gone out of business because they wouldn’t have been able to support their clients.”

In a worst case cyber breach scenario, the last protocol for a business is to have a suitable cyber insurance policy. “A lot of businesses don’t know what to do because it shuts down their whole infrastructure,” Darrel McCartan

says. “It’s like somebody shutting down all your organs and your body. How do you get the heart to start pumping again?”

A cyber policy provider will connect a compromised business with a 24-7 team with access to cybernetics engineers, forensic accountants, solicitors and PR people who not only investigate what occurred and figure out how to rectify it, but also deal with the aftermath.

Cyber-security threats are likely to deepen in 2024 with the advent of advanced AI, but common sense wins out when it comes to risk management and security. “You wouldn’t go outside and walk about with your money on the outside of your coat,” Darrel McCartan of Arden, says. “You put it in a wallet. You put it in your inside pocket.

You zip it up and you keep it tight. You should introduce the same procedures with your data.” ■

RISK MANAGEMENT & SECURITY

Troubled waters: Impact of Red Sea disruption yet to be felt

The Suez Canal crisis could leave many firms trying to balance the books as supply chain issues force price rises, writes Flávia Gouveia

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orthern Ireland businesses may soon begin to face rising shipping costs for items from components to garden furniture, as experts warn the full impact of ongoing disruption in the Red Sea is yet to be felt.

Attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial container ships attempting to cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes have resulted in hundreds of container ships being re-routed around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, said that while there had been no reports of supply chain shortages, some businesses were already facing higher shipping costs.

“Nothing seems to be stuck at the moment, people aren’t reporting supply chain shortages and that’s because they have some stuff in stock and this has happened relatively recently,” he said.

“So it hasn’t caused any huge concern in terms of shortages. What it has done though is led to a very sharp rise in shipping costs.”

Mr Kelly added that he had received reports of

FEBRUARY 2024

costs rising to “more than double” in a matter of weeks.

It has been estimated that diversions from the Red Sea around Africa adds about 7,300km, equivalent to between 10 to 14 days extra travel, to already lengthy journeys.

“If we have stuff in a container ship that’s being diverted for two or three weeks around Africa, that means that stuff that was due to come off, and stuff that was due to be loaded and go in the opposite direction in two or three weeks won’t make it, because that vessel isn’t available,” Mr Kelly said.

Mr Kelly added that the supply chain disruption from the Suez Canal obstruction in 2021 – where the canal was blocked for six days by the container ship Evergreen – took “about three months” to rectify.

Robin Mercer, owner of garden centre Hillmount, which has three branches, has also been contacted by suppliers about potential increases to shipping prices.

“We are in the lucky position where prices are coming down this year, really because coming

out of the Covid pandemic the cost of shipping containers was around $20,000, but at the end of the year they were back to around $2,000, which was a big drop in charges,” Mr Mercer said.

“But now because of the problems with shipping we’ve already got letters from suppliers to say that they are thinking about adding around another $2,500 to containers.”

Mr Mercer added that the potential cost increases are a result of the disruption forcing containers to take the longer route, adding to the cost of fuel, among a range of other things.

And he fears that the shipping delays will collide with Chinese New Year leading to further supply chain disruption.

Starting on February 10, Chinese New Year typically sees the Chinese economy shut for around two weeks.

“A lot of people like to get stuff shipped before the New Year, because then there is a period of time where nothing happens in the factories,” Mr Mercer said. ■

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NEWS

Kairos’ co-founders Andrew Trimble and Gareth Quinn

Former rugby star’s software firm sold to US firm

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sports software company cofounded by ex-Ireland and Ulster Rugby player Andrew Trimble has been snapped up by a US firm.

Teamworks, based in North Carolina, said the acquisition of Kairos – which was founded by Mr Trimble and Gareth Quinn – was the next step in its transformation of sports technology.

Kairos provides communication and messaging software for 100 professional sports organisations, while Teamworks works with 200 professional sports teams around the world.

The value of the deal has not been revealed.

“When we set out to revolutionise sport through technology, we knew we couldn’t do it alone,” Zach Maurides, founder and chief executive of Teamsworks, said.

“We’ve acquired companies with visionary leaders and like-minded individuals to help us build the future of sports. Kairos is the next great company to join us on this mission.

“With our combined expertise, additional resources, and a unified strategy, we’ll accelerate innovation and our development of

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an integrated operating system for elite sports organisations.”

top-ranked Men’s National Rugby teams use at least one of Teamworks’ 12 products.

Kairos’ 20 employees will now join Teamworks, along with Mr Trimble and Mr Quinn.

Customers of Kairos include teams in the Premier League, NBA, MLB, MLS, and Premiership Rugby.

And Teamworks paid tribute to Mr Trimble’s rugby career. “Trimble’s distinguished rugby union career includes representing Ireland internationally for more than 20 years and whose proven approach to empowering holistic sports performance will help guide future product development for the pro sports market.

“The decision to join Teamworks is a strategic move to align ourselves with the leader in sports technology, and one that shares our vision.

“Teamworks’ comprehensive operating system allows us to continue building and innovating for our pro sports customers on a solid and integrated foundation. It also allows our customers to adopt new purpose-built products faster within a unified platform.”

The US company’s portfolio now includes more than 300 organisations across more than 15 countries. It said, 91% of NFL, 85% of English Premier League, 83% of NBA, and 80% of

In 2022, Kairos secured £500,000 in funding from Whiterock Finance’s Growth Finance Fund. It has contributed to a larger amount secured as part of a recent fundraising effort.

Kairos announced in 2021 that it has been accepted onto the US Techstars Sports Accelerator, Powered by Indy, Class of 2021.

The company took part in a 13-week mentorship-driven accelerator programme, culminating with Demo Day, at which it showcased its progress to an audience of more than 500 investors from right around the world.

Throughout the three-month accelerator, participating companies worked with almost 200 highly respected mentors within the sports industry to refine their market strategies, better understand their customers, navigate obstacles in their path and accelerate the rate of progress through aggressive company goal setting and accountability. ■

HEALTHCARE

The NI ‘teeth border’

HEALTHCARE

The Stormont Brake could be engaged to prevent EU dental laws hitting NI healthcare according to the Northern Ireland Office, writes Liam Tinney

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he mechanisms included in the current post-Brexit arrangements could be used to prevent a proposed ban on silver fillings being fitted in NI, the UK Government has said.

It comes after the British Dental Association (BDA) voiced its concerns over a potential ban on the use of dental amalgam for fillings in Northern Ireland from next year.

The European Parliament recently voted to move forward with the ban, but the decision is yet to be accepted by the European Council.

While Great Britain will experience disruption and higher costs due to the impact on supply chains, Northern Ireland will be hit with a formal ban as a result of post-Brexit arrangements.

The BDA have said the move would mean “longer procedures and higher cost materials”, which could force dentists away from NHS work and into private practices.

An EU amendment includes provision for member state governments to introduce remuneration measures for dentists to help with the transition, but the absence of the Stormont Executive means this cannot happen in NI if the ban is implemented.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has indicated that the Stormont Brake – a mechanism set up under the Windsor Framework – could be engaged to prevent the rule coming into force.

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However, the mechanisms are subject to the Stormont institutions being up and running.

“This proposal is still subject to further negotiations between the EU Parliament and the Council,” a spokesperson said.

“The UK’s position is similarly to phase down the use of dental amalgam but our priority remains that everyone seeking dental care can receive it when they need it.”

Northern Ireland’s Department of Health (DoH) have said they are developing plans to mitigate against the effect of any law change regarding dental amalgam.

“The Department of Health has noted the recent progress of the EU regulations on mercury, which includes dental amalgam, and continues to engage with relevant government departments on the practical implications of the proposed changes,” a spokesperson said.

“The department understands that the regulations are not yet final, with the EU Parliament and EU Council still needing to negotiate a final agreement in the coming months.

“Nevertheless, the department is developing plans to ensure that any changes can be implemented as seamlessly as possible and

HEALTHCARE

The Stormont Brake could be engaged to prevent EU dental laws hitting NI

this will include continued engagement with the GDS providers and the British Dental Association to ensure that issues of concern are addressed.”

The BDA recently claimed the proposal could have serious implications for dentistry in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

“While the BDA has long supported a phasedown in dental amalgam, it believes this rapid phase-out is neither feasible nor justifiable,” a BDA spokesperson said.

“There is currently not even the political space to rollout agreed uplifts in pay. More time for

FEBRUARY 2024

fillings means fewer appointments, cranking up access problems.

“Amalgam lasts longer and is easier to place than any of the current alternatives.

“Facing soaring costs, and flatlined investment, some practices are currently delivering NHS treatments – particularly those requiring laboratory work – at a financial loss.

“Added costs and reduced time will squeeze practices further, and likely push more out of the NHS.” Mercury-free “composite” or “white” fillings

are more commonly used in private dentistry, with the BDA estimating treatment times and costs are over 50% higher than using amalgam.

MEPs have backed an amendment saying EU member states need to “ensure appropriate reimbursement is made available for mercuryfree alternatives” to limit the socio-economic impact of the move.

The Scottish Government – which operates a similar system to Northern Ireland – has passed an amendment to its existing Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) legislation to mitigate these costs. ■

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CONOR LYDON TETRA TECH

How is business?

Business is good, our clients are continuing to increase funding for water and environmental projects, including climate change mitigation, water resources, energy transition, brownfield regeneration and biodiversity protection. With our market leadership in these key areas, we expect continued revenue growth in 2024 and further margin expansion. We also accomplished a significant strategic milestone in 2023 by acquiring RPS Group, which means we now total 27,000 employees globally and with more than 400 experts based here in Northern Ireland, we are also the largest multi-disciplinary consultancy in the local market.

How did you get started in the industry?

I’ve always had an interest in the environment and water. My father and sister both pursued careers in the water sector, so there must be something in that. I followed my ‘water’ related interests after leaving school at the end of the 1990s. This led me to complete degrees in earth science and hydrogeology. I enjoyed the balance of site and office based work that environmental consultancy offered me and I enjoy the sense of satisfaction delivering technical solutions to complex problems for our clients. Over the last 20 years I have focused on groundwater and geothermal sector.

Geothermal is an exciting and growing industry in the UK and is a necessity if we are going to decarbonise heating and meet our net zero targets. From a personal perspective geothermal

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Entrepreneur of the Month is an opportunity for me to make a meaningful difference by decarbonising heat using the natural resources we have available to us.

Typically, who are your clients or customers?

It has varied over my career, but in broad terms I work for both public and private sector clients.

My clients span a range of sectors from the energy sector, defence, government services and property. Planning drives a lot of my work. In practical terms this could be when my client is seeking to build something and requires technical support with the feasibility, design or consenting process. New developments or changes of use quite require that the impact on the environment is assessed. There has been a huge drive to deliver more sustainable development over the last decade and this has increased the demand for the services that we offer.

Do you enjoy what you do, and what in particular?

I am fortunate that I love my work. I love to problem solve and find cost effective technical solutions for my clients. As part of my role, I engage with our customers every day. Building trusted relationships is particularly enjoyable. My clients know that if they come to me looking for help I will treat their problem as my own and I will use the resources at my disposal to

develop a timely and cost effective solution to their problem.

What is the most difficult part of your job?

My job often requires me to wear multiple hats and take on a diverse range of responsibilities. In a fast-paced environment such as consultancy, this can mean that I am required to advise on financial, people and technical matters on any given day. You need to be adaptable and versatile for the daily challenges of running a consultancy business.

What are the challenges facing your sector and the economy in general?

Whilst there is huge interest from new entrants to the environmental sector, all of which are enthusiastic and want to make a positive difference, there is still a shortage of experienced high calibre environmental consultants.

Competition when recruiting top talent is therefore high. Tetra Tech pride themselves on hiring and retaining the best experts globally. We have also recognised the need to grow our own talent by investing in training and mentoring of our teams. We have early careers schemes which are helping us nurture the talent we need to tackle the environmental challenges we are expecting to face over the coming decades. This is so important and a key focus for our business. n

TECHNOLOGY

Samsung pushing the boundaries with new Galaxy S24 Samsung hasn’t skimped on using AI to enhance the traditional features of its latest devices, writes Adrian Weckler

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uring the recent launch of the Galaxy S24 series of phones, Samsung used the term “AI” 37 times to describe its various functions and capabilities.

In an era where physical design, camera tech and battery life seem to have become increasingly samey, it’s what’s under the hood that is now seen as a differentiator for Samsung with its latest wave of flagship devices.

For example, the entire series of S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra models can now do two-way call translation within the phone’s ordinary, native call app.

The ‘live translate’ feature supports both voice and text translations of your conversations and, Samsung says, supports 13 languages at launch.

If you’re using the keyboard, it can translate

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text in real time from the keyboard in the usual social media or email apps you normally use.

AI is also touted as one of the things enhancing traditional feature upgrades.

The camera on the S-series Ultra, with its extralong zooms, is normally seen as one of the top flagship phone’s main attractions.

Samsung now says that this year’s S24 Ultra is boosted by “AI photography tools”. In practice, this means that the phone’s “quad telephoto system” supposedly gives clearer optical quality zoom at the points where one lens is stretching itself, before it kicks into the next zoom lens.

This will be important for zooming at 3x or 4x, as Samsung has replaced the 3x lens with a 5x lens (it retains the 10x lens and ultrawide 0.6x lens).

While that means sharper images from 5x through to 9.9x than on last year’s model, it also risks producing blurrier images at 3x or 4.9x – as it’s relying on a cropped (or “pinched in”) version of the 1x lens’s view, rather than a better, dedicated 3x optical view.

Samsung claims that its new AI-infused “provision engine” can mitigate this compromise, but we’ll have to wait and test it to see.

On the positive side, that upper 5x to 9.9x range promises to be noticeably better than last year’s S23 Ultra, partly because of the addition of pixels that are 60% bigger (1.4 micrometres) and partly because of what Samsung claims is wider optical image stabilisation angles and enhanced handshake compensation.

But it’s not all AI. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 6.8inch physical screen is, Samsung says, 40% brighter at its peak (at up to 2,600 nits) than the S23 Ultra’s. That makes it easier to see and use outside in sunny conditions.

For some, the inclusion of a small stylus is an interesting differentiator between its flagship S-series Ultra phones (inherited from the discontinued Note series of phones) and highend flagship rivals.

As for the design basics, this year’s line up is slightly different for the S24 and S24 Plus, while similar for the S24 Ultra.

The S24 (6.2 inches) and S24 Plus (6.7 inches) each have displays that are 0.1 inches larger than their predecessors. The S24 Ultra, by contrast, stays the same at 6.8 inches.

Pricing starts at €919 for the Galaxy S24, €1,159 for the Galaxy S24 Plus and €1,469 for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. ■

REVIEW

Beef rib fried rice

Recipe: Big beefy ribs that even The Flintstones would be proud of Beef ribs are one of the most affordable, rich and beefy parts of the animal given some big flavours, smoke and slow-cooking, writes John Mulgrew

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ou’re likely to have to fork out close to £40 for a decent piece of seared lean meat in a restaurant in 2024.

And while much of that’s down to economic necessity for our hospitality sector – with beef prices rising and margins tightening – it means sometimes having to look elsewhere on the animal for big flavour.

But we also really have to pinch ourselves of the quality of beef producers which we have here, especially with the source of the main ingredient in this dish.

Hannan Meats in Moira has a truly spectacular range of cuts – from heavily marbled ribeyes to beef cheeks and hanger steak. You can also avail of big slabs of beef ribs. These are cut

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from the ends of the rib and forgo the heftier and more approachable muscle content on short ribs.

But this is essentially the same quality of dryaged beef you’ll find in the pricier cuts, but at a fraction of the price. We’re talking £2.50 a kilo. You can also try a decent local decent butcher for a similar cut.

What they do need is a bit of love, time and attention, but they’ll produce arguably the best slow-cooked, intensely rich, bovine flavour you’ve ever eaten.

If you’ve ever had fond flashbacks of your childhood thinking that the comical rack of ribs at the start of The Flintstones looked appealing, then this is about as close as you’re going to get.

Smoked and slowcooked beef ribs

This will also work with big fat beef short ribs, which should have a chunky cap of meat on top of a few bones.

But you’ll be facing a heftier price per kilo for those, somewhat defeating the point of using such an affordable cut.

Start with a dry-rub. There are some cracking beef blends online, including those from Angus and Oink, and mix with a touch of sugar and smoked paprika. Paint on a thin layer of dijon mustard and cover liberally.

There are a few ways of cooking these. Either blast them uncovered in a really hot oven for 15 minutes and then slow cook, cook at around 140°C in a charcoal barbecue for around three hours, or slow cook and then finish by smoking on the barbecue for about an hour at 160C.

REVIEW

The latter will give you the best of both worlds.

Fill the bottom of an oven tray with a can of stout, preferably smoked, and cook, sealed with foil, for between two and half and three hours. Remove and drain the cooking liquid.

Chill in the fridge or freezer.

varied as you can muster. But the following two will help the barbecued bovine go further still.

Place the ribs on a preheated charcoal barbecue, on indirect heat, lid down and at around 160°C or a touch higher to set a nice dark bark and crust.

You can heat the ribs up in a little stock in the oven before taking the meat off using a knife.

Now, remove the cooking liquid, lift off or skim the huge amount of fat which has risen to the surface, then reduce the liquor in a pot with some tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. Now, baste your slow cooked and seared beef ribs and serve. It’s a truly sublime thing to eat and entirely messy.

The leftover options are as interesting and

FEBRUARY 2024

Fried rice is your best friend when thinking of how best to use up any protein, and this suitably rich beef is the perfect addition.

Fry off half an onion on a low to medium heat in a small dab of beef fat with a piece of star anise before adding two cloves or garlic and a good chunk of fresh ginger. Season with black pepper and a touch of five spice, then add in the meat before giving it a light fry.

Add in cooked basmati rice, mix well and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in some frozen peas and season with soy sauce and a touch of chilli and sesame oil.

Create a gap and add in two beaten eggs, let them start to solidify and then mix with the rest of the dish. Serve up with some sriracha mayonnaise and thinly sliced spring onions.

Another option is making the best Spanish croquettes you’ve ever had. Essentially make a rich and thick bechamel sauce (make a roux with flour and butter then add whole milk in slowly and continue to whisk until cooked through) after sweating down a very finely sliced onion with a touch of garlic.

Carefully mix through chunks of beef rib, then pour the mixture onto a baking or oven tray.

Chill for a few hours then remove, form into cylinders, flour, egg and finish in panko breadcrumbs before frying in oil at a medium heat until golden brown, remove and dry off on kitchen roll. ■

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ANALYSIS

After the latest near-disaster… does the troubled 737 Max have a future? Travel writer Simon Calder asks can Boeing bounce back after two recent tragedies as well as the recent incident

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very tumultuous moment in very scary circumstance.” That is how Boeing boss Dave Calhoun described the latest safety issue with the company’s most successful aeroplane, the Boeing 737 Max. On Friday, January 5, Alaska Airlines flight AS1282 took off from Portland, Oregon on a routine flight to Ontario in California. The aeroplane was a Boeing 737 Max 9.

As the aircraft climbed above 16,000 feet – higher than the summit of Mont Blanc – a panel known as a door plug blew out from the fuselage. The seat next to it was one of very few on the aircraft that was unoccupied.

The plane immediately depressurised and the pilots declared an emergency. All 177 passengers and crew aboard flight AS1282 were safe when the aircraft landed back at Portland.

Since then, the entire fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft flying in the US has been grounded for inspections, which have already revealed “loose hardware” and “bolts that needed additional tightening”. Other operators are checking their aeroplanes.

“I got kids, I got grandkids and so do you,” Mr Calhoun, who is Boeing president and chief in an address to staff, said. “This stuff matters.

Everything matters. Every detail matters.

“We’re approaching this, number one, acknowledging our mistake. We are going to approach it with 100% complete transparency every step of the way.”

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But the latest “very scary circumstance” follows two avoidable tragedies that killed 346 people aboard two Boeing 737 Max aircraft– for which the manufacturer has now accepted responsibility.

The twin-engined plane entered service in February 1968, with the same fuselage crosssection (accommodating six seats abreast) and nose profile of the older Boeing 707.

Carrying 100 or more passengers comfortably and efficiently on short-haul flights, the 737 proved an immediate success. More than 10,000 have been sold, and more than 20 billion passenger journeys made.

Over half a century later, the fuselage and wing profile remains the same – but by now the slim, cigar-shaped engines of the first edition have been replaced with much larger, quieter and more efficient engines.

To maintain ground clearance they are mounted further forward, almost blended with the front of the wings. This workaround triggered airworthiness issues, with the engines posing a potential aerodynamic problem in what Boeing called “unusual flight conditions”.

When the ‘angle of attack’ – the angle between the direction of the nose and the airflow – is high, the engine nacelles (or housings) can contribute to the tendency of the aircraft to pitch up.

To counteract this propensity, special software known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was installed to

provide what Boeing calls “consistent handling qualities”.

The Boeing 737 Max started flying in March 2017 for a range of airlines. In October 2018, a Boeing 737 Max came down in the Java Sea, shortly after leaving the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. All 189 people on board Lion Air flight 610 were killed.

Then in March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed soon after take-off from Addis Ababa. The 157 passengers and crew died.

The cause of both tragedies was the MCAS software system that effectively wrestled control from the pilots and defeated all their efforts to save the aircraft.

It emerged that Boeing had not been transparent about the new software and its implications for pilot training. All Boeing 737 Max aircraft worldwide were grounded for almost two years while modifications were made and tested.

The US Department of Justice later said that Boeing was guilty of “conspiracy to defraud the United States” over the 737 Max certification.

The company agreed to pay over $2.5bn in penalties. Since then, in a market for narrowbodied aircraft where demand exceeds supply, the plane has a healthy order book. The first most popular variant is the Boeing 737 Max 8, which was involved in the two fatal crashes.

The slightly larger Max 9 flies for some airlines, and was the type that this month suffered

ANALYSIS

Alaska Airlines grounded its 737 Max 9 planes after part of a fuselage blew off during a flight from Portland Oregon to Ontario, California

what the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) called, with some understatement, the “inflight departure of a mid cabin door plug”.

Ryanair, doing things rather differently, flies a special variant known as the Max 200 (or 8200), which is a Max 8 adapted to carry more passengers. Europe’s biggest budget airline has also ordered an as-yet uncertified Max 10.

Boeing is also working on a smaller Max 7.

No UK carrier operates the Max 9, and neither does Ryanair. The only carriers with routes serving the British Isles are Icelandair (with four) and Turkish Airlines (with five, of which three are “parked” and not in use according to Planespotters.net).

According to Flightradar24 data, an Icelandair Boeing 737 Max 9 flew from Reykjavik to Heathrow and back on both January 8 and 9. The plane then flew to New York JFK, returning back on January 10. The impact of the grounding is most noticeable in the United States.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines are the main operators of the Max 9 and they have cancelled dozens of flights each day, affecting thousands of passengers.

January, however, is a month of low

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demand, so space should be available on other departures. As to it being grounded permanently, any aircraft could theoretically be prevented from flying if a fundamental flaw was found. This seems highly unlikely. But for Alaska Airlines to encounter a potentially fatal problem with an almost-new aircraft is alarming.

Peter DeFazio, a former US congressman who chaired the US House transportation and infrastructure committee until 2022, blamed Spirit AeroSystems – the Kansas-based company that supplied the fuselage. It owns the former Bombardier in Belfast, though it is not involved in making the fuselage of the Max 9.

He posted on X: “The door plug that blew out on the Max came from the same shoddy subcontractor that misdrilled holes in the plane – but hey they are cheap so why change.”

The company has said: “At Spirit AeroSystems, our primary focus is the quality and product integrity of the aircraft structures we deliver.

“Spirit is a committed partner with Boeing on the 737 program, and we continue to work together with them on this matter. Spirit is following the protocols set by the regulatory authorities that guide communication in these

types of circumstances and we will share further information when appropriate.”

And as for the future of Boeing? Speaking on PBS in the US, the respected aviation commentator Jon Ostrower said: “Boeing has tried to move beyond the tragedies that befell Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air back in 2019 and 2020.

“But what keeps recurring is a series of quality missteps that are not nearly as severe as we saw in those crashes… but certainly have not mitigated these quality escapes that cause tremendous disruption for Boeing, the airlines and, in this case, a very acute safety crisis for the Max, Alaska Airlines and the 171 passengers that were on board that airplane.

Dave Calhoun told staff: “Moments like this shake [our customers] to the bone, just like it shook me to the bone. They have confidence in all of us – they do, and they will again.”

The two fatal accidents and relatively low number of flights mean it looks disproportionately dangerous. According to Airsafe.com, the fatal crash rate per million flights is 3.08, compared with just 0.07 for the previous version of the Boeing 737. The rate for Airbus narrow-bodied aircraft, including the A320, is 0.09. ■

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MOTORING

Electric vehicle myth busting vital for fleet managers Despite the shift toward electric vehicles (EV) there is still a clear need to ‘clamp down’ on some of the urban myths preventing drivers from considering transitioning over to an EV model, writes Ciarán O’Neill, commercial director at Radius Vehicle Solutions

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ith many companies looking to adopt an EV majority fleet going forward, getting employees onboard and squashing misconceptions often associated with electric vehicles will need to be a priority and require clear internal communications.

Ciaran O’Neill

Although modern EV batteries are designed to last a significant number of years with warranty generally around eight to 10 years and 100,000 to 120,000 miles, there is often a misconception that they have a short lifespan. Today’s lithium-ion batteries are far more durable than older technologies used when EVs first came about and are capable of sustaining long-term use.

Battery life is influenced by various factors including temperature, depth of discharge and charging speed. Understanding these factors can help users maximize the lifespan of their EV batteries.

Charging times and charger locations are also a common concern among potential EV users, with false impressions leading you to believe it takes excessively long to charge your EV and chargers themselves are few and far between.

Although most drivers will only place a small reliance on the public charging infrastructure, there are approximately 465 public charge points in Northern Ireland and 1,500 in the Republic of Ireland currently.

Similarly to the advancements in technology for batteries, charging points have also developed significantly in recent years, vastly reducing charging times for many EVs. More fast charging stations are becoming available

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and with innovations such as DC fast charging and Tesla’s Superchargers, EV users are no longer spending as long waiting for their car to charge, which is a huge benefit of the newer technology.

Rapid AC units typically charge an EV to 80% in 20-40minutes and standard fast chargers are around three to four hours. The average 7kwh home charger adds approximately 25-30 miles of charge per hour and takes between four to eight hours with EV users rarely charging from 0% to 100% in one go.

With many of our clients taking to the roads on long-distance journeys, an understandable concern is whether EVs are a suitable alternative to a traditional petrol or diesel cars due to range. However, the average range of most electric vehicles is now 227 miles and

recent statistics show the average NI commute is 28 miles.

There are many benefits for companies and employees to switch their company cars to electric vehicles such as aligning with the values of environmentally conscious consumers, reaching corporate social responsibility targets, reducing carbon emissions and pollution which is crucial for combatting climate change and improving air quality.

The employee in turn, has their own benefits if opting for an EV such as a lower benefit in kind value, meaning less income tax to pay, but if the common myth conceptions are not addressed and reassured, businesses may find they receive pushback from employees who aren’t ready to take the step. ■

Motoring

By Pat Burns

MOTORING

Back in Black V

olvo Car UK has added more choice and style to its XC60 range with the introduction of the Black Edition.

As a new addition to the range, the XC60 Black Edition combines an all-black design with generous equipment levels and a choice of three powerful all-wheel-drive powertrains.

This new version is finished exclusively in Onyx Black and features a number of additional black details to give the car its unique look.

The Volvo logo, lettering, model and engine emblems, for example, are all in black, as are the 21-inch alloy wheels. The all-black look gives the premium SUV additional sportiness and elegance.

The dark colour scheme continues in the interior: a headliner in charcoal meets partial Nappa leather/textile front sports seats or full Nappa leather front comfort seats, both also in charcoal. The comfort seats feature ventilated upholstery, a backrest massage function and electrically adjustable side support.

The XC60 Black Edition can be combined with the two highest trim levels, Plus and Ultimate.

As a result, occupants enjoy supreme comfort.

In addition to the keyless entry and start system and handsfree power-operated tailgate of Plus

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versions, features onboard include a heated steering wheel, adjustable ambient lighting and air-purification with fine particle filtering.

Front and rear parking sensors and a surroundview camera system make manoeuvring in tight spaces simple.

Adding to this, the top-of-the-line XC60 Ultimate Black Edition comes with electronic air suspension with adaptive dampers, a head-up display, active bending headlights with adaptive shadow technology, a powered passenger seat and a 1,100W Bowers & Wilkins sound system, among other features.

Three powertrains are available: the 250hp B5 mild-hybrid petrol, and the T6 and T8 petrolelectric plug-in hybrids. The T6 combines a 253hp petrol engine with a 145hp electric motor, while the T8 has the same electric motor but a 310hp version of the petrol engine. In combination with their 18.8kWh (nominal) high-voltage battery, the plug-in hybrid versions can cover up to 47 miles on battery power alone. All versions have an eight-speed automatic transmission and allwheel drive.

On-the-road prices for the XC60 Black Edition start from £54,035 for the B5 Plus, rising to £69,385 for the T8 Ultimate.

Volvo has also announced that it will start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 in its Ghent plant in Belgium from 2025, expanding production capacity for its small SUV. The EX30 was launched last year and has already won several major awards, including The Sun Car of the Year and the Small SUV/ Crossover of the Year award from the Sunday Times.

Production of the EX30 started last autumn in Zhangjiakou, China. The decision to also build the EX30 in Ghent boosts production capacity for the expected EX30 demand in Europe as well as for global export, and reflects Volvo Cars’ ambition to build its cars where it sells them as much as possible.

The decision also adds production flexibility for what the company expects to be one of its best-selling models in the coming years. This approach is a proven concept for Volvo Cars, which builds its top-selling XC60 and XC40 SUVs in both Europe and China.

Volvo Cars has one of the most ambitious electrification plans in the automotive industry and plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030. Already by the mid-decade, it aims for half of its global sales volume to consist of fully electric cars. ■

MOTORING

It is time for T?

V

olkswagen is riding high at the moment as it’s the UK’s best-selling new-car brand for the third year running, as confirmed by figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Volkswagen was also one of the most popular electric brands in the UK, with two of its ID. models among the top-10 best-selling EVs in 2023: the ID.3 was in sixth place and the ID.4 was the ninth best seller.

The brand will bolster its EV offering in 2024 with the introduction of the ID.7 and ID.7 Tourer, while other highlights on the horizon include celebrations to mark the iconic Golf’s 50th anniversary, and the introduction of the new Tiguan and Passat.

In the meantime, the 2024 T-Cross has been given a revamped design, enhanced standard equipment, new technology features and a newly designed high-quality interior.

From the outside, the updated T-Cross is immediately recognisable by the new design of its front and rear, with new integrated LED

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headlights, LED daytime running lights and LED tail light clusters. Volkswagen’s IQ matrix headlights are offered for the first time on the T-Cross.

down the rear bench seat (60:40 split) creates a flat load area with a stowage volume of up to 1,281 litres (up to the height of the front seat backrests).

The central element inside the new T-Cross is the free-standing infotainment display. The standard touchscreen measures 20.3 cm across the diagonal, while the top-of-the-range version has a 9.2-inch display. The dash panel has also undergone a complete redesign with soft-upholstered and high-quality surface materials – as in larger Volkswagen models – and the same applies to the front door trims of the Style and R-Line versions.

Volkswagen has also increased the towbar load of the T-Cross from 55 to 75 kg. This additional 20 kg increases the maximum load that can act vertically on the removable towbar. The new T-Cross therefore offers greater scope for towing and carrying loads such as bicycles, including three e-bikes.

The T-Cross has always had one of the most spacious and versatile interiors of all compact SUVs. It impresses with its proven operating concept, well-arranged space for up to five people, a rear bench seat that can be moved by 140 mm, and an extremely flexible luggage compartment.

When all the seats are occupied, the T-Cross offers a luggage compartment capacity of between 385 and 455 litres when loaded up to the height of the rear bench seat. Folding

The new T-Cross is equipped with Travel Assist as standard. Depending on the traffic ahead and the permitted speed, the T-Cross can control its speed with automatic acceleration and braking. Within the system limits, Travel Assist can also include speed limits, bends and roundabouts in its control interventions.

At the same time, Lane Assist helps to keep the vehicle in its lane. The new T-Cross can assist drivers in traffic jams with the stop-andgo function, when fitted with a direct-shift gearbox (DSG).

Prices start at £23,965 T-Cross Life 1.0 TSI 95PS five-speed manual. ■

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MOTORING

Polish up your Duster T

he new Dacia Duster opens the next chapter in the story of a model that has sold more than 2.2 million units in its 13 year long career.

Ranking as Europe’s best-selling SUV across all segments in the retail market in 2022, around 1,000 Duster SUVs roll off the production lines at Dacia’s plant in Pitesti, Romania, every day – about one every minute.

Dacia has updated the Duster’s design. It still has the looks and solid, sturdy SUV character of its predecessor but has been brought up to date. Like the outside, the inside comes with all the essentials, including the 10.1-inch centre screen positioned in the driver’s field of view and at a 10 degree angle towards them while the new automatic transmission controls are driver-friendly.

The new Duster is built on the CMF-B platform, which plays a central role in Dacia’s industrial strategy. This platform was first used on the latest Sandero and Logan models, then on the Jogger.

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The 2024 Duster has more space for passengers and luggage than the previous generation, yet is only fractionally longer overall. The platform’s advanced engineering also reduces vibration and noise from the road, enhancing driver comfort. The CMF-B platform has also embarked the All-New Duster on its journey to electrification as it can accommodate powertrains using mild-hybrid and full-hybrid technologies.

The Duster is available with 4x4 Terrain Control transmission, which includes five driving settings.

It also features downhill speed control, which is especially useful on rough terrain and steep slopes. The system principally actuates the brakes to keep the vehicle’s speed under control (based on the driver’s input) at between 0 and 30 km/h. It kicks in regardless of the selected gear (including reverse) so the driver can ignore the accelerator and brake pedal and focus on steering.

The new model also introduces more

accessories including Sleep Pack. A bespoke design, it is a simple, removable and affordable three-in-one box containing a double bed that folds out in less than two minutes, a tray table and storage. The Sleep Pack measures 1.9m long and 1.3m wide.

The Duster is available with the Hybrid 140 powertrain, which Dacia adopted for the Jogger in early 2023. It is built with technologies that Renault Group has tried and tested, and comprises a four-cylinder, 1.6-litre, 94 hp petrol engine, two electric motors (a 49 hp powerplant and a high-voltage starter generator), and an electric automatic gearbox (with four engine ratios and two motor ratios).

It can also be ordered with the TCe 130: This is the first time Dacia has used this powertrain, which provides an initial degree of electrification. It combines a new-generation three-cylinder, 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 48 V mild hybrid motor. The TCe 130 powertrain is available with a six-speed manual gearbox in the 4x2 and 4x4 versions.

Prices have still to be released, but will start below £20,000. ■

MOTORING

Northern Ireland new car sales surge faster than elsewhere in UK

T

he growth of new car sales in Northern Ireland is now outpacing the rest of the UK, new figures show.

The volume of new vehicles powering out of showrooms in December rose by 17.9%, based on the same month a year earlier, according to The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

That’s up from a UK average of 9.8%, with England seeing a 9.3% lift, with Scotland on 12.9% and Wales on 12.4%.

Some 1,983 new cars were registered in Northern Ireland in December – up from 1,682 a year earlier.

And throughout the year, new cars sales here have risen by 18.2% – slightly outpacing the UK average of 17.9%.

It was the Nissan Qashqai at the front of

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the grid in terms of new car sales here in December, with 99 registered.

That was followed by the Ford Puma on 66, Peugeot 2008 with 66 and Hyundai Tucson on 62.

Some 1.9 million new cars reached the road during 2023 in the UK – an increase of 17.9%.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) uptake reached a record volume – up by almost 50,000 units with 314,687 new registrations.

And 2023 saw more BEVs reach the road than in 2020 and 2021 combined.

Over the past five years, BEV uptake has risen almost 20-fold, the SMMT said.

“With mainstream consumer demand flat, the industry is calling on government to support private buyers by halving VAT on new BEVs for three years,” it said.

“This temporary cut would give private consumers access to fiscal support at a level similar to that enjoyed by business buyers, enabling manufacturers to deliver larger volumes of zero emission vehicles.

“Combined with a retention of the business incentives that have already proven their value in increased EV uptake, the measure would accelerate the UK’s market transition. More drivers would upgrade their existing petrol or diesel car to a new zero emission alternative, widening the future supply of used electric vehicles and making investment in charge point roll-out even more compelling.”

And Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “With vehicle supply challenges fading, the new car market is building back with the best year since the pandemic.

“Energised by fleet investment, particularly in the latest EVs, the challenge for 2024 is to deliver a green recovery.

“Government has challenged the UK automotive sector with the world’s boldest transition timeline and is investing to ensure we are a major maker of electric vehicles. It must now help all drivers buy into this future, with consumer incentives that will make the UK the leading European market for ZEVs.” ■

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APPOINTMENTS

Hannah McVittie joins office design and fit-out firm Calibro Workspace as interior designer, following several years working in the commercial fit-out sector elsewhere in the UK. Darryl White joins office design and fit-out firm Calibro Workspace as pre-construction manager, with experience in project and contract management in the construction sector.

Peter Quinn has now joined office design and fit-out firm Calibro Workspace as head of delivery, with experience in project and operations management within the fit-out sector.

Matthew Judge is now quality inspector at SpringCo. He has more than five years’ experience in the engineering industry and in this time he has held a number of roles.

Dorota Lewandowicz has been appointed as quality inspector at Technical Metals. Ms Lewandowicz has eight years’ experience in quality logistic and supply chain management.

Aimee Thompson is business development manager at Technical Metals. She has more than three years’ experience in business development and has previously held a number of positions in the banking and advertising industries.

Gary Doyle is now group commercial director at Mount Charles. He will be responsible for the oversight of Mount Charles’ sales strategy across Ireland to meet the group’s sales and business targets.

Gavin Annon is now chief strategy officer at Mount Charles Group. He is responsible for developing and implementing business strategies across the Mount Charles Group estate and embedding the organisation’s culture and values.

Barry O’Hara has been appointed as operations director (RoI) at Mount Charles Group. He will have operational oversight of all Mount Charles sites in the Republic, as well as business development support.

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1 PHOTOCALL

1. Business leaders have attended the recent Annual Northern Ireland Economic Conference in Templepatrick.

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2. Belfast’s Welcome Centre is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Pictured are Mary Jo McCann and Gerry Lennon, Visit Belfast, Mark Thompson, Tourism NI, and Ryan Murphy, Lord Mayor of Belfast.

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3. Stena Line has signed a deal with Peel Ports Group, a major UK port operator, to operate from Heysham Port for the next 77-years until 2100. Pictured are Carl-Johan Hellner and David Huck.

4. Nigel Mannion of Titanic Hotel Belfast accepts the award for Ulster Gourmet Getaway of the Year at the Irish Hotel Awards.

5. Retail NI has announce the return of its Supplier Showcase event, which takes place on February 27 at Titanic Belfast.

Pictured are David Agnew, Bobby’s Foods, Colin Maxwell, nijobfinder, Glyn Roberts, Retail NI and Liam O’Connor, Biopax Limited.

6 PHOTOCALL

6. Partners from the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council-led Hydrogen Training Academy (HTA) have come together to recognise the successful pilot training project which has won five awards since its launch in 2021.

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7. Kukoon Rugs is actively recruiting for a series of roles in its busy Belfast showroom. It recently implemented a four-day working week across its business. Pictured are owners Clare and Paul Vallely.

FEBRUARY 2024

8. Mango has teamed up with the Northern Ireland Children to Lapland and Days to Remember Trust (Lapland Trust) aimed at expanding the reach of the charity’s impactful work for children. Pictured are Colin Barkley and Stuart Lally.

9. The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) has launched its annual competition to find the best Housekeeping Team in Northern Ireland.

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10. West Belfast solo street musician, Hannah Cairns, wowed audiences with her musical prowess to beat off stiff competition from Belfast’s most talented busking performers to win the Battle of the Buskers Competition at McEnaneys Bar.

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11 PHOTOCALL

11. Ulster Bank colleagues have once again partnered with the NI Hospice to support the charity’s annual Jingle Run event. The festive 5K dash took place at The Valley Park in Newtownabbey.

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12. Belfast City Airport has donated innovative technology to Newtownabbey-based Royal Air Force Air Cadets’ (RAFAC) Astra programme to support and upskill future generations.

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13. International medical devices business Eakin Healthcare has been certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ following a survey of its more than 700 employees.

Pictured is Gillian McAuley, chief people officer at Eakin Healthcare.

14. Pinnacle has appointed Jeremy Biggerstaff (centre) as its new managing director. He’s pictured with James Spencer, director of acquisitions and Ken Montgomery, executive chairman and founder of Pinnacle.

15. IFEX, NI’s largest hospitality and foodservice trade event, will take place on March 5-7. Pictured are Ciaran Campbell, Emma McIlveen and Sean Owens, IFEX Salon Culinaire, Belfast director.

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16. Kingsbridge Healthcare Group (KHG) is celebrating with Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West, in Ballykelly, taking delivery of a Mako Robotic-Arm Surgical System. Pictured are David Doyle and Anthony McKenna with Santa Claus (centre).

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17. Kennedy Centre Belfast has announced a 7% year-on-year increase in footfall during 2023.

Pictured are Shauna Milnes of CCU and John Jones, manager at Kennedy Centre Belfast.

FEBRUARY 2024

18. Norbrook team member Dearbhail McCullough serves hot meals at one of the company’s Senior Citizens Christmas Dinners in Newry.

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19. Lidl Northern Ireland is providing a new year boost for shoppers as the retailer confirms it has reduced the price of more than 500 products within its everyday range since October.

20. Apprentices and employers are being encouraged to release their potential during Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 2024. Pictured are Moira Doherty and apprentices Reece Magill and Isaac Forsythe.

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21 PHOTOCALL

21. Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel has achieved platinum level status for the first time in the 2023 NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey (NIEBS), run by Business in the Community (BITC).

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22. Kilcreggan Homes is expanding its residential accommodation offering with £85,000 support from social finance providers, Community Finance Ireland. Pictured are Damien Cassidy and Phelim Sharvin.

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23. Work has begun on a new £4.8m Hagan Homes scheme in Newcastle. Pictured are Ryan McGurk, managing director, Finmac Construction Ltd and Trevor Kennedy, director of construction, Hagan Homes.

24. Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council is hosting four job fairs in the upcoming months.

Pictured are Patricia McEvoy, Lord Mayor Margaret Tinsley, Maretta Nicolson, Nicola Mullen, and Maria Baker Ames.

25. Sprucefield McDonald’s has celebrated its milestone 30th birthday. Pictured are Doralyn Mercado, McDonald’s Sprucefield franchisee John McCollum, and Codie Tarroza.

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26. Cubo has provided its telematics and communication services to the iconic Coca-Cola Christmas trucks. Pictured are Robert Steele, Niall Delargy, and Jack Kennedy from Kennedy International Transport.

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27. Visit Belfast has joined with partners from across the city’s hospitality sector for a voucher scheme offering ‘the flavour of Belfast’ from more than 65 participating businesses. Pictured are Noelle Kennedy, Guillaume Rabillat and Stephanie Swail.

FEBRUARY 2024

28. Fibrus has secured a top spot in Deloitte’s 2023 Technology Fast 50 Awards. Pictured are chief people officer Linda McMillan and chief financial officer Colin Hutchinson.

29. Calibro Workspace has launched its strategic partnership with Inspire Wellbeing, with an event about enhancing employee wellbeing at work, at MCS Group’s office in The Ewart in Belfast.

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30. The b4b Group has announced the expansion of its services within Mallusk Enterprise Park, to support the opening of new social enterprise café B Social Deli. Pictured are Emma Garrett, Mallusk Enterprise Park, and David Armstrong, b4b Group.

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31 PHOTOCALL

31. Caroline O’Neill, founder of Digg Deep for Kids is pictured as the local charity announces it has raised over £190,000 in just two weeks.

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32. Esri Ireland says its digital mapping system has delivered savings of up to £5m for broadband provider Fibrus.

Pictured are Cade Wilkinson, Fibrus, Philip McLaughlin, Esri Ireland, and Riain Garcia, Fibrus.

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33. Metcollect Ltd, has taken on title sponsorship for Down Royal’s final fixture of 2023 for a fourth year running. Pictured is Geoff Angus, managing director of Metcollect and Emma Meehan, chief executive at Down Royal.

34. Sam Duffy and Maureen Ledwith, from Business Exhibitions Ltd, launch the 31st annual Holiday World Belfast Show which took place at the Titanic Exhibition Centre (TEC).

35. Richard Hogg (centre) has been appointed as the new chairman of Manufacturing NI. He’s pictured with chief executive Stephen Kelly and outgoing chair Con O’Neill.

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36. Tesco colleagues across Northern Ireland have once again swapped the aisles for the old B&Q Warehouse on Boucher Road to gift toys to families in need during Christmas.

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37. Robin Mercer, third generation owner of garden lifestyle business Hillmount, who has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s New Year Honours List.

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38. FWD Gold Medal Awards host Rob Beckett is pictured with Chris Palmer from Henderson Foodservice, receiving the award for Data & Insights, alongside Tiffany Oliveria from category sponsor American Express and FWD chairman Dawood Pervez.

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39. The Back for Business programme offers places to support emigrant entrepreneurs returning to the Republic of Ireland. Pictured are Shemaine Doyle, Brave, Seán Fleming, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, and past participant Barra Kelly, SHD Consulting Engineers.

40. Keith Hargest (centre) has been appointed director of planning consultancy for Gravis Planning in Great Britain. He’s pictured with Richard Bowman and David Kerr of Gravis Planning.

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LIFESTYLE

Rolex:

the new certified pre-owned programme changing the watch game Lunn’s in Belfast now showcases the new Rolex Certified Pre-Owned programme, with watches being given the green light from the firm itself alongside a two-year international warranty.

John Mulgrew paid a visit to see what’s currently in stock

T

here are few industries in which one brand – and one which sits in the upper echelons – can command an almost 30% market share.

But while Rolex has always been ubiquitous with success, entrepreneurship and business, alongside something of a byword for quality, its surge in demand and in the public consciousness in the last decade seems unabated.

And while it produces around a million watches a year – compared with boutique brands like Patek which makes considerably fewer – it remains that badge of quality, as well as flexing its horological prowess.

If you’re standing in a room of business people and chief executives, you’re likely to spot at least two or three black dial Submariners, the odd Datejust, and maybe a GMT.

While still revered by watch collectors, Rolex has also commanded its own position as the go to for a single watch collection by someone who simply wants something well made, striking and with serious provenance on their wrist.

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Demand can dictate availability in the watch world, and with the growing prevalence and interest in Rolex – firmly the largest Swiss watch brand out there – some customers may find a wait is in order, or pieces aren’t available to be purchased.

And while the used market for Rolex has grown, it’s also opened up an opportunity for less than perfect pieces or high-quality fakes to make their way in.

Rolex took the decision to meet that demand and market head on, something which would previously been thought of as an unlikely move for the brand, or any other high-end watchmaker.

The new Rolex Certified Pre-Owned programme, which is now available at Lunn’s in Belfast, is aiming to provide customers with some added security and certification.

LIFESTYLE

That includes a steel bezel Daytona. While it’s the newer ceramic bezel ‘panda’ which garners the headlines and sees prices shooting into quite frankly silly territory on the used market, the classic steel bezel and black dial cuts a fine fine silhouette.

It’s a solid but refined refined piece on wrist, at 40mm, shiny and gleaming, perfectly sitting under a cuff and equally at home with a suit as with jeans and a T-shirt, it remains clear why demand remains so robust.

Essentially, the new programme makes it possible to purchase pre-owned watches that Rolex itself has certified and guaranteed.

Each model includes a Rolex Certified PreOwned box and pouch and will come with a two-year international warranty.

Lunn’s also has a team of Rolex specialists and a Rolex Authorised Service Centre onsite, and is authorised to sell and care for Rolex watches.

At the moment, Lunn’s has a strong selection of pieces otherwise nearly impossible to get outside of the standard used or grey market.

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For those preferring a happy medium between the heft and price of an all-gold watch, a ceramic bezel two-tone Submariner is certainly one option.

There’s industry chatter that two-tone might be making a wider comeback, and this punchy blue dial sub is a statement piece, especially without going too big on case size or solid gold pieces.

But if you are after something which parks the subtly a touch, or you’ve larger wrists, the steel Sky-Dweller is one option in stock at present which commands an eye.

The Sky-Dweller is Rolex’s most complicated

standard release piece, featuring a 24-hour graduated off-centre rotating disc, making it possible to read the time in a second time zone or reference time, and a ring-command bezel.

It’s a bigger piece on wrist at 42mm and wears its size.

But if it’s simplicity and a watch fitting most wrists, with flexibility in terms of the scenario, then the smaller 36mm Datejust is a strong option.

About 10 or 15 years ago there was a slightly jarring lust for larger watches. The 42mm case size was likely thought of as a medium dimension, while certain brands brought out extremely chunky divers with 48mm options.

Thankfully we’re largely past that and seeing a return to a more refined a balanced watch.

While the Datejust 41 is a superb piece, there’s something understated yet punchy about its smaller 36mm brethren.

Lunn’s currently has a black dial with fluted bezel and Oysterflex bracelet in stock at the moment. It’s an interesting combination which works and sits perfectly balanced on a seven and a half inch wrist.

Generally speaking, demand is already strong for the pre-owned collection at Lunn’s and includes a range of everything from smaller (and more affordable) watches to a few big hitters and true classics. ■

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TRAVEL

Styles and substance in California’s Palm Springs A bucket-list trip to California’s golden Coachella Valley exceeded expectations for modernism fan Lucy White

I

t’s 29 degrees in the shade and a rivulet of sweat trickles from beneath my silk headscarf as I step out into the Canyon View cul-de-sac, its Daz-white modernist bungalows punctuated by gangly palm trees soaring into a Matisse-blue sky, a heft of mountains in widescreen.

I stop briefly for a photo outside a gleaming Ford Thunderbird convertible before being ushered into the house, my heart pounding in anticipation. Behind a chartreuse-coloured bar is a grinning Harry Styles, purple feather boa louche around his neck, a cut-glass decanter of whiskey and a bowl of nibbles further tantalising.

This is not some terrible fan fiction but an actual event; albeit Harry Styles is a life-size cardboard cut-out – because this very address featured in Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde’s 2022 thriller in which he starred. The plot had more holes than a colander but what it lacked in cohesion it made up for in aesthetics, with Palm Springs the real star of the show.

I’m in town for October’s Modernism Week, which previews the annual flagship festival in February 15-25 – and that is the reason I’m standing beside a faux Harry during a private house tour.

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And while there are no cinematic panoramas of the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto or Little San Bernardo mountain ranges from my spacious room at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, a more understated view whets my appetite: a bijou grove of lemon trees.

I dawdled to a lip-smacking breakfast of lemon and ricotta pancakes at the Grapefruit Basil restaurant.

Most of the hotel is outdoors – rather like Palm Springs International Airport – a meander of three swimming pools, a spa, fitness centre,

fireside al fresco terraces, and citrus and olive trees across its 11-acre site.

It’s in and around Downtown that modernist architecture takes the spotlight – acres of bungalows with bright white facades and acidhued doors befitting of the Atomic Age. The design movement emerged after the Second World War, with cheap utilitarian materials such as poured concrete, corrugated steel and breeze blocks fashioned into sleek geometric and affordable homes (with more ornate sub-genres ranging from Spanish Colonial and Swiss style to Polynesian – hence Palm Springs’s tiki bar penchant).

Such modest beginnings became subsumed by the Hollywood elite – Sinatra had a Twin Palms estate, with a piano-shaped pool, Marilyn Monroe liked it hot here, and Elvis and Priscilla spent their wedding night in the ‘House of Tomorrow’, last listed for $5.65m (this private home will reopen its doors to the public during February’s Modernism Week, after a two-year restoration).

Palm Springs still has star wattage: Leonardo DiCaprio rents out 432 Hermosa, designed

by Donald Wexler in 1964, while long-time resident (and reputed Laura Ashley fan) Barry

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Manilow has a mountainside retreat. Such properties can be ogled from open-top tour buses during the design festival – while next year hardcore nosey parkers can step inside the delightfully monikered Shag House (Shag being a revered local artist of retro cartoony tableaux) and Albert Frey House II, a ‘Desert Modern’ vision perched on Mount San Jacinto.

The Cahuilla native Indians long knew the healing powers of the waters, which now feed the sprawling Spa at Séc-he – a wellness temple of high-tech treatments, pools and thermal suites, combining ancient beliefs and 21st century technology (cryotherapy, flotation pods, salt rooms, water-beds with integrated crystals, each one chakra aligned). I skinny-dip in a private bath whose thermal waters last saw the Earth’s surface more than 12,000 years ago (thespaatseche.com).

Wellness is big business in Greater Palm Springs, it being a two-hour drive from smoggy, groggy LA. It’s a balm for Hollywood freak-outs and burn-outs and yet doesn’t feel Goopy.

Yes, I also had a sound bath – a mat-based meditation aided by the crash, bangs and wallops of Tibetan bowls and gongs – in La Quinta (gatherlaquinta.com), where Kris Jenner has a $13m home. But the valley is a melting pot of high and low art, culture, commerce and cuisine, with Latin and Hispanic residents making up nearly a quarter of the population, and around 50% of denizens identifying as gay.

Coachella is known throughout the world for its music festival. Turns out the event isn’t in Coachella at all, but at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, a neighbouring city, explains Indio-born Coachella resident Ruben Gonzalez.

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Born of Mexican immigrants, the charismatic philanthropist is not only actively involved in the local arts scene – he recently curated a 100ft-long must-see mural, painted by 100 Hispanic artists, tracing Latin history from the pre-Columbian era to the Zoot Suit riots, Frida and Diego, and the United Farm Workers movement – he also owns Ruben’s Ranch, a madcap outdoor playground of memorabilia and self-made sculptures where legendary Coachella Festival after-parties are held (and visits can be booked in advance).

Another otherworldly excursion is to the San Andreas Fault with Desert Adventures (redjeep.com). I’m whisked there in an open-top jeep for a two-hour hike through monumental topography, where rock sediment offers clues to historic volcanic activity. This barren section is just a snapshot: it extends some 1,200km, forming the tectonic boundary between the Pacific and North American Plate.

In these mountains, no one can hear you scream, says encyclopaedic guide Mike, referencing the natural sound insulation of sculptural rock around which desert critters dwell – coyotes, reptiles, insects, rodents, raptors.

There’s also an oasis where thick-girthed date palms commune around a stream emerged from natural aquifers beneath the desert floor, mockingbirds trilling in fronds above. It’s a far cry from the manicured utopia of polo, golf and country clubs.

Greater Palm Springs is an early to rise (hike), early to bed kind of place, with a daytime cocktail or two in between, if a chagaccino (hot mushroom drink; try atcafelajefa.com) isn’t buzzy enough. Or perhaps a daytime disco at the kitsch Paloma Resort in Cathedral City, where I stay for the other half of my trip.

Refurbished mini-bungalows idle around a pool where DJ Tina Turntables brings beats as guests bob around on inflatable fruit.

(Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, book dinner at its excellent adobe-style restaurant Sol y Sombra for sensational margaritas and tapas). This poolside spot is where I later marvel over the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, the Andromeda galaxy, and flashy Capella, through high-tech telescopes with Skywatcher Stargazing Tours (sky-watcher.com).

They also host stargazing soirees in nearby Joshua Tree National Park, which has a Dark Sky Reserve. Even with the naked eye the night sky is glitter, testament to Palm Springs’s lack of light pollution. I make a wish on a shooting star while somewhere someone plays New Kids on the Block’s The Right Stuff.

I spot precisely one cloud during my time in Palm Springs. Small, white, fleeting – the very opposite of the solid-gold moments in this welcoming place that’s so much more than a time warp, or throwback.

In the words of the guy I met behind the chartreuse bar: “Golden, golden, golden/As I open my eyes/Hold it, focus, hoping/Take me back to the light...” ■

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TECHNOLOGY

From budget to advanced: we take on the top fitness smartwatches It’s time to get moving; that trifle-belly won’t shift itself. What sort of tech gadget can help you? What basic model will get you started? What if you want something more advanced? Here’s a look at 10 of the best fitness smartwatches, from simple to serious, writes Adrian Weckler

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Huawei Band 8 If you want a basic, competent, easy-touse fitness tracker without too many frills or a hefty price tag, Huawei’s Band 8 is one of the best to consider. It has a bright, colour display that shows you clearly what you’re doing and makes it easy to see things like steps, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and lots of other things – it has 100 training modes.

It’s also waterproof to five metres, meaning it’s fine for casual swimming. There’s sleeptracking here, too, although not quite as good as on more premium devices. The accompanying Huawei Health app (all smartphones) is pretty good and makes it easy

to track your progress. Where it cuts corners is mainly the lack of GPS: this means that you can’t track the location of your runs or walks.

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Fitbit Charge 6 Overall, for the money, this is the best introductory fitness smartwatch for someone who wants to get active but doesn’t want to a giant machine on their wrist.

It arguably has all of the fitness and health sensors that even most athletes would need, together with a very good accompanying app that offers good analysis for the free version and segment-leading health analysis for the paid version.

Because of the advanced development in fitness smartwatches over recent years, the Charge 6 now includes high-end features such as an ECG sensor for keeping tabs, at a low level, of your heart’s health, as well as blood-oxygen readings, stress sensors and decent sleep-tracking. And there are dozens of different activities supported, including swimming. It also has its own GPS, rather than relying on your phone’s GPS signal.

3

Garmin Forerunner 55 This is a slight step up from the ultrabudget fitness trackers, but is worth considering as a really decent all-round core fitness trainer with good battery life.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2

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TECHNOLOGY

The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro

8

Garmin Fenix 7 For a range of people, including golfers, skiers and hardcore sportspeople, Garmin’s Fenix 7 is a fairly natural choice. It is arguably the most perfect long-life, sensor-rich, multi-sport, multi-activity dedicated fitness watch on the market.

Garmin’s Forerunner 55 has a really expansive range of ‘regular’ exercise and fitness routines, from running, biking and swimming to things like yoga and pilates.

It has relatively good battery life (around 10 days in if you go easy on the GPS) and supports an awful lot of what Garmin’s much pricier fitness training watches offer at under half the price.

You’ll get some smartwatch functionality here too, including notifications and music controls.

Basically, Garmin has taken a few years of expensive fitness and training features and boiled them into an affordable ‘lite’ version.

4

Fitbit Versa 3 This is a rare example of the last generation smartwatch being better than the current one. Fitbit has a Versa 4 model out, but I’d recommend going for the version before, the Versa 3, which is still widely on sale. The reason is that it has more key functionality than the Versa 4 in that it stores and plays songs from some services (Deezer) and lets you stream from Spotify (through your phone). The Versa 4, sadly, does not.

5

Garmin Venu Sq 2 Music Other than being a Garmin, with all of the honed fitness and health features that brings, the Venu Sq 2 Music has one killer feature that even some much pricier models omit — the ability to store music (up to 500 songs) and podcasts from the most popular music streaming service, Spotify, as well as Deezer or Amazon Music (but not Apple Music). This is brilliant when you don’t want to bring your phone with you on a walk or a run.

The screen on the Venu Sq 2 Music is also a nice, bright colourful Amoled version. You’re completely sorted when it comes to fitness and health features here, too, and the GPS sensor

FEBRUARY 2024

is joined by Glonass and Galileo sensors for greater accuracy when you’re out and about.

6

Google Pixel Watch 2 Since Google bought Fitbit, its own Google Pixel Watches have become noticeably more capable as fitness devices in their own right. This is a nice option for someone who wants those fitness tools — from tracking and training to sleep monitoring — but also something a little more like a general smartwatch. It’s also arguably more elegant than most other smartwatches out there, while not taking up too much space on your wrist.

7

Samsung Watch 5 LTE I’ve included Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 LTE for one reason: it’s the only model on this list that actually connects to a mobile network when you’re out and about. Or, more specifically, to one particular network: Vodafone. This means that you can leave your phone at home on runs or walks or cycles and still be available via calls or texts, as well as streaming music or podcasts from Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music.

WhatsApp, Instagram, X and Facebook aren’t available, but you can pay for things using the watch through Google Pay. As for its fitness credentials, it’s generally quite good with GPS and all the usual basics, as well as letting you add apps such as Strava.

It has more training and sport modes, more accurate GPS readings and better battery life than any other mainstream, high-end fitness smartwatch out there. It’s also nigh-on indestructible and usable in fairly extreme conditions. That makes it excellent for activities such as ironman competitors or extreme running events. Its onboard maps can also be handy for golf courses and skiing terrains.

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Apple Watch Ultra 2 While any Apple Watch is a competent fitness smartwatch, the Watch Ultra 2 comes with features that will interest those with more ambitious fitness plans, such as extreme sports.

Its main advantages over a regular Apple Watch are its extra toughness and robustness (it can be used in extreme temperatures and by divers at up to 100 metres depth) and its twotimes battery life (up to about 72 hours).

It also has slightly superior features in other ways, such as an unbelievably bright, bigger screen (for sunlight), a siren and a dedicated, customisable action button (not available on the regular Apple Watches), which is handy if you’re wearing gloves or are on a workout and don’t want to fumble with a touchscreen.

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The smartwatch you already have It’s important to stress that you may already be wearing a smartwatch that is more than sufficient for many fitness or health plans. Any Apple Watch, for example, will give you almost all of the basic metrics, as well as analysis through the Health app. Samsung’s Galaxy smartwatches offer the same. ■

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tenders. My home office is the perfect setting for this as it’s away from the buzz of the office and I can concentrate fully on developing tailored strategies that align with our clients’ specific needs and objectives. This period is crucial for nurturing existing relationships and laying the groundwork for potential new partnerships.

Uncovering the 9-5 NAME: Niamh Taylor POSITION: Managing director, Digital 24

6am My day starts with a quick email check to see what’s come in overnight. I use this quiet time to organise my day and prioritise work.

6.45am I love exercising early and will either have a personal training session or boxing class at Hooked Belfast. I find when I start the day with some physical activity, it gets my mind focused for the busy day ahead.

8.30am The Digital 24 office is in the Jennymount Business Park on the Shore Road in Belfast. We recently worked to hybrid working (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday are our office days) and it has been a game changer. I’ll go through my to-do list for the day and start to make my may through it.

10am I am responsible for overseeing our client ad spend and ensuring our strategies are datadriven and effective for our clients so we have a daily client catch-up on this. These meetings are more than routine check-ins, they’re essential touchpoints for strategy refinement.

My key focus is always on maximising the value and impact of every campaign we run.

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In these discussions, I delve into the specifics of the ad spend, analysing the data to ensure that we’re not only staying within budget but also optimising the spend for the best possible returns. It’s crucial to me that our clients feel confident in our management of their budgets.

I’m constantly evaluating the performance of our campaigns against the objectives set, ensuring that every penny spent is an investment towards achieving the client’s goals.

11am When I’m not in the office, I’m out meeting with suppliers, networking or providing mentorship. We also deliver a lot of digital marketing training so I am often out delivering strategy sessions.

1pm Every day, I touch base with our performance marketing director and Digital 24’s social and content lead to stay updated on their teams’ progress and find out about any help they might need.

1.30pm Afternoons can be a mixture of tasks. I generally use this time for deep work, where I immerse myself in researching new market trends, compiling proposals, and reviewing

As the day progresses, I work on strategic planning. This involves a thorough review of client reports, ensuring that our campaigns are not only performing but also evolving in line with client expectations and market dynamics.

Responding to new enquiries is also a key part of my role, as it keeps me directly connected with our clients’ evolving needs. Preparing documentation for prospective clients is done with a keen eye on Digital 24’s long-term goals, ensuring that our growth strategy aligns with our values.

4pm I check-in with the teams to review the day’s activity – what progress has been made, any client feedback, any challenges they have faced and anything they might need help with.

We use insights to refine our approach and are commitment to continuous improvement and client satisfaction – this is what strengthens Digital 24’s position as a leader in digital marketing.

6pm I take a final check through my to do list to ensure all is in order. Have dinner and then head to The Spa at Culloden. My husband and I are both members and we love to relax there in the evening and catch-up on our day.

8.30pm You will often find me back at my laptop catching up on emails, reflecting on the day and planning for the next day. I have a home account on social media which follows our journey of renovating our home and I enjoy spending time in the evening updating it with new content. ■