Ulster Business May 2024

Deloitteonhelpingcompaniesdealwiththe changesrightacrossouragri-businesssector

FEATURE

Isittimeforinterestrates tostarttakingatumble?

ROUNDTABLE We examinethebigskills challengesaheadforNI

Contents

Thelatestnewsandexclusivesfromacrossthe worldofNorthernIrelandbusiness

18

Coverstory

Deloitteonhelpingcompaniesdealwiththe changesrightacrossouragri-businesssector

22

Roundtable

DanskeBankbringstogethertheexpertsto chatabouttheskillschallengesahead

33

Banking& businessfnance

Willwestartseeinginterestratestumbling? 47

Commercialproperty &construction

IsplanningimprovinginNorthernIreland?

61

Exports

PavelBarterexaminestheindustrieswhichwill helpfueloureconomyintheyearstocome 67

Grocery&food

GlobalfastfoodgiantMcDonald’ssaysit’s madeitsburgersbetter...buthasit? 77

Motoring

PatBurnstriesoutanewhybridalongwitha spaciousSkodaandsmallKiaSUV

84

Photocall

Alookatwhat’sbeenhappeningacross NorthernIrelandoverthelastfewweeks

92

Review

JohnMulgrewspendsaweekwithtwoof Tudor’slatestsportswatches

94

Travel

AstayinculturalcapitalPaphosmakes CatherineMurphylongto return

96 Technology

Adrian WecklertakesonSamsung’sworkhorse smartphoneandatop-endlaptop

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EDITOR’S COMME NT S

Sectorsstill inthe wake ofpandemic

We probablylargelylookat thebusinessandsocietal landscapearoundusand thinkwe’re verymuchin a post-Covid environmentandhavemovedonfrom thosemonthsandyearswhichwere likenoother

Butwhilethelatest UlsterBusiness Next 200showssizeableprofit andsalesbumps amongourleadingSMEs, a degreeof footfallhas returnedtothehighstreet,and more ofusare intheoffice,atleastpart time,thenumbersacrosssomesectorsare stillseverelyimpactedbyarguablythemost disruptiveyearswe’veeverexperienced.

Takemotoring,forexample.Newcar salesinMarchacrosstheUKwere up considerablyonthesameperiod a year

earlier, whilenumberswere upfortheir 20thconsecutivemonth.

ButsalesforMarchwere actuallystilldown almost a third onpre-pandemiclevels.

Hospitalityisstillhaving a toughtimeand we’velostseveralbusinessesinjustthelast fewweekshere,manyweigheddownwith heftyoverheads,ratesandtaxburdens.

Andthere remainstheimpactontourism here.Someofourbest-knownspotshave seen a bigsurgeindomesticvisitors,butare actuallyseeingEuropeancountriescoming backveryslowly, whileemergingmarkets havestalledconsiderably We’vealsoseen a hittobusinesseswhich flourishedduring thepandemic,suchas‘glamping’.However there are strongsignsthattourismwillget

backtowhere itoncewas,with a decentPR pushhelpingsellustotheworld.

Welcometothiseditionof UlsterBusiness. Ourfrontcoverstorythismonthiswith Deloitte,lookingatthe‘Future ofFood’. We alsohave a packededitionfeaturing a host offeatures,news,analysisandprofilesof someofourbiggestandbestbusinesses.

PavelBartertakes a lookattheinterestrate marketandaskstheexpertswhetherwe’ll seelowerlevelsinthemonthsandyears ahead,andalsolooksattheexportsfuelling oureconomyinthenearfuture.

I hopeyouenjoythisedition,andwe’ll catchupsoon. ■

JohnMulgrew

Publisher UlsterBusiness c/oMediahuisUKLtd Belfast TelegraphHouse,33ClarendonRoad, ClarendonDock,BelfastBT13BG

Printer W&GBaird GreystonePress,CaulsideDrive, AntrimBT412RS www.wgbaird.com

Editor JohnMulgrew,j.mulgrew@independentmagazinesni.co.uk

Advertising JudithMartin,j.martin@mediahuis.co.uk

Graphicdesign SusanMcClean,MediahuisIrelandDesignStudio

Coverphoto KelvinBoyes/PressEye

@ulsterbusiness www.ulsterbusiness.com

A month innumbers NI ‘glamping’ business Further Space enters administration

3.2%

TheUKrateof infation,whichhas recentlyfallen.

£22m

Theinvestmentinthe McConnell’sDistillery and VisitorExperience atCrumlinRoadGaol inBelfast.

0.9%

Theaveragepricedrop oftheingredients whichgointoan UlsterFry,accordingto thelatestsurvey.

35

Thenumberofyears family-ownedandrun KeystoneGroupis markingthisyear.

ByJohnMulgrew

OneofNorthernIreland’sbiggest ‘glamping’businesseshasgone intoadministration, UlsterBusiness can reveal.

FurtherSpaceoperates11sitesacross IrelandandtheUK,featuringso-called glampingpods,oftenatpicturesquelocations.

Setupin2017itgrewintoabusinesswith morethan60luxurypods,withaspirations ofexpandingtheoperationtowelcomemore than2.6millionvisitorsacross650locationsas partofagrand10-yearplan.

Butadministratorshavenowbeen appointedtoFurtherSpaceLtd.It’sbelieved 11FurtherSpacesites remainopentotry andmitigatecustomer,landlordandother stakeholderinconvenience,whilethevalueof theassetsare realisedandpotentiallysoldon.

It’sunderstoodthreestaffhavebeenkepton tosupportongoingoperations.

StuartIrwinandIanLeonardofInterpath Advisoryhavenowbeenappointedasjoint administrators.

FurtherSpacesaysithadworkedin partnershipwithlandownersonsustainable diversifcationprojects.

“FurtherSpacetakesauniqueapproach totheglampingmarketbypartneringwith rurallandownerswhoownpiecesoflandin one-of-a-kindlocationstocreatemicro-tourism

glampingpodsitesundertheFurtherSpace brand,”itpreviouslysaid.

“Ratherthanafranchise,thelandowner retainsthelandandbecomesthehost.”

Launchedin2017andco-foundedbyDavid Maxwell,bytheendof2022,FurtherSpace hadaround58luxuryglampingpodshere, beforeexpandingoutsideNorthernIreland.

However,MrMaxwellisnolongerlistedasa directorofthebusiness, resigningasadirector inAugust2023,accordingtoCompanies House.

ItoperatesacrossNorthernIrelandand Scotland,withlocationsincludingGlenarm Castle,Ballycastle,LoughErne,TheDark HedgesandTheMourneRegion.

Thefrmsawaperiodofgrowthand expansionduringthepandemicinthewakeof peoplewantingtoavoidcontactwithothers, thusstayinginself-catered‘pods’whichdidn’t requirecheck-inoranyotherhumancontact.

Thecompanyhaspreviouslysaidthat“as theglobalglampingmarketisanticipated togrow10.9%ayearto2023,thescaling businesshasambitionstodeploy500 accommodationunitsacross85locationsby May2025”.

Thebusinessalso receivedadditional investmentin2021,whichwasaimedat fundinggrowthplanstoexpandacrosstheUK andIreland.

OneofFurther Space’s glampingpods

‘Fundamental reform required’ of planning with return of Executive

Theremustbeenfundamental reformofNorthernIreland’s planningsystemfollowingthe returnoftheExecutiveand fully-workingAssembly,it’sbeenclaimed.

Thelatestplanningfguresshowlocalapplicationdecisiontimesare actuallytakingthanlongerthanthistimelastyear.

ThelatestfguresfromNISRAshowtheaverageprocessingtimesfor localapplicationsduringthefrstninemonthsof2023/24stoodat20.4 weeksonaverage.Thatexceedsthe15weektarget,andisanincrease of2.4weeksfromthesameperiodayearearlier.

However,theprocessingtimeformajorapplicationshasfallen, althoughstill remainswellshortofthe30weektarget.

Whilethemost recentstatisticsbroadly refectanimprovingpicture intermsofthetimetakento reachadecisiononanapplication,they stillinmanycasesfallwellshortoftheexistingstatutorytimescales,says DavidFryoftheConstructionEmployersFederation.

“WithanNIExecutiveandAssemblybackinplace,webelieveit isvitalthatakeydeliverableoverthe remainingofthismandateis

fundamental reformtoaplanningsystemwhich,atthisstage,the homebuildingandwiderconstructionindustryhaslittleconfdencein.

“Some13yearsonfromthe2011PlanningActwhichbeganthe processofpowertransferthathasledtoourcurrenttwo-tiersystem,we frmlybelievethatenoughtimehaspassedtotakestockoftheplanning systemtodayandthechangesthatiturgentlyneeds.”

Readthefullarticleonpage47-50

Interest rates coulddrop to 3% in 2025 butno return to ‘abnormallows’

ByPavelBarter

Interestratescoulddropto3%bythe endofnextyearbutwillnot return totheabnormallowsfeltduringthe pandemic,it’sbeenclaimed.

Thecurrentbaserateof5.25%haslargely beenfuelledbyhighinfation.Butthelatest fguresshowthatisnowfalling.

Thelatestconsumerpricesindex(CPI) measure ofinfationslowedto3.2%inthe12 monthstoMarch.

AndrewBailey, governoroftheBankof England(BoE), recentlysignalled“encouraging signs”thatinfationisfallingandindicatedthe Bank’s MonetaryPolicyCommittee(MPC)does notneedto reachits2%infationtargetin ordertocutinterestratesfrom5.25%.

“Ithinkbytheendof2025we’llbe lookingatabout3.5%.”Andrew Webb,chief economistatGrantThorntonIreland,said.

“Bytheendof2025,theconsensusisthat itwillbearound3%,maybehoveringaround 3.25%.Thatcouldbringpositivechangeto peoplewhoare impacted.”

DrEsmondBirnie – senioreconomistat UlsterUniversityand a memberoftheNorthern IrelandFiscalCouncil – struck a noteofcaution. “Some reductionlateronin2024islikelybut maybenotbyasmuchaspeoplehadpreviously hoped.It’s 5.25%atthemoment. I wouldn’t expectmore than0.5%declinebytheendof thisyear.”

TheBank’s baserate roseintandemwith highinfation.ButinFebruaryinfationdropped

Quotes of the month

to3.4%:itslowestlevelinovertwoyears.In March,globalconsultancyfrmKantarindicated thatgrocerypricedinfationhadfallento4.5%, itslowestlevelsinceFebruary2022(downfrom a peakof17%inMarch2023).Initsannual report, Tescoannouncedfoodinfationhas “lessenedsubstantially”.

Richard Ramseypredictsinfationfgures “atorcloseto2%”are imminent.“Atthe turn ofthisyear, orearlynextyear, wecould seethemgoingbelow1%whichisbelow theMPC’s target.TheBankofEnglandis

“There’sbeen very low unemploymentnow since Covidandwehave a huge skillsdefcit – 80% of the workforce in2030isin the workplace now. ”

DanskeBank’sCarolinevan derFeltzspeakingduringa roundtableinthisedition.

thinking,‘Ifinfationisfalling,weneedtostart reducinginterestratesbecausehigherratesare slowingdowntheeconomyandimpactingon consumerandhouseholdspending’.”

However, anyoneexpecting a return tothe bargainbasementlowsoftheearlypandemic maybedisappointed.“Peopleshouldn’t think weare goingtogobacktothoseabnormal lowswhenbankrateswere at0.1%,”Richard Ramseysays.“Thatwas a freakoccurrence.”

Readthefullarticleonpage33-36

“People shouldn’t thinkwe are going to go back to those abnormallowswhen bank rates were at0.1%.. thatwas a freakoccurrence.”

UlsterBank’sRichard Ramseyspeakingabout interestrateshere.

“There ismuch to celebrate inoursector...as the second largest contributor to the economy,wepunch well above our weightin terms of ourscaleand reach.”

StephenKellyspeakingat thelaunchofthisyear’s ManufacturingMonth.

Governorofthe

BankofEngland

AndrewBailey

Popeyesisunderstoodtobe openingitsfrstrestaurants inNorthernIreland

Fried chicken brand Popeyes to openfrstNI restaurants

FriedchickenbrandPopeyeslooks settoopenitsfrst restaurantsin NorthernIreland,it’sunderstood. TheUS-headquarteredchickenbusinesshas

agreeddealstoopenitsfrst restaurantsin Northern Ireland.

Thefrmannounceditwasplanningon rollingoutmore than300locationsrightacross

Belfastcity centre building

theUK,andinitiallyhaseyedsitessuchas Glasgow, CambridgeandCardiff.

ButaccordingtoCBRINI,ithasalsoagreed dealstoopenspotshere.

Popeyes,whichcompetesdirectlywith globalchickengiantKFC,hasaround3,400 restaurantsacrosstheworld.

Itsaidithas a goalofopening350UK restaurantsoverthenext10years,afterrapid growthincontinentalEuropein recentyears.

Thebusiness rolledoutitsbrandintoSpain andSwitzerlandoverthepasttwoyearsbut saiditseestheUKasits“nextbigopportunity” forgrowth.

PopeyeswasfoundedinNewOrleansin 1972andislaunchingintheUKaspartof anagreementbetweenRestaurantBrands International,RingInternationalHoldingsand hospitalityveteranEliasDiazSese,co-founder ofPopeyesUK.

Popeyesisthelatestfriedchickenchain toexpandintoNorthern Ireland,andfollows Canadian-ownedMaryBrown’s,whichopened itsfrstlocationhere inLisburn.

‘to

be razed’ to make way for studentscheme

ABelfastcitycentreoffcebuilding couldbeknockeddownto makewayforanewstudent accommodationscheme,itcanbe revealed.

NorwichUnionHouse,locatedbetween CastleStreetandFountainStreet,was initiallyduetobedevelopedtomakewayfor amixed-useschemetoincludeahotel.

Anapplicationtodevelopthesiteasa £60moffceschemewasapprovedin2020.

Butnow,ESNUHLtd–adevelopment companylinkedwithCo Tyrone’sMcAleer andRushe–nowwantstoknockthe existingbuildingdowntomakewayfor studentaccommodation.

Thatcouldinclude retail,gymandcinema. Thedevelopmentwouldcoveraround 376,000sqft.

Thedeveloperhasnowsubmitteda proposalofapplicationnoticeforthe plannedscheme.

Previousplansincludedaneightstorey,

144bedroomhotel,butitwaslater removed fromtheplans.

In2020,anoffceschemeforthesite closetoBankBuildingswasgiventhego ahead.

ThatschemewouldhaveseenNorwich UnionHouseknockeddownand replaced witha231,000sqftdevelopment thatwouldincludeoffcespace, retail,

restaurants,cafesandbars.

Thebuildingwasawardedpermissionby BelfastCityCouncil.

“Theapplicationoriginallyproposed ahotelaspartofthe redevelopment proposals.However,thiselementhasbeen removedfromtheschemeand replacedby additionaloffceaccommodation,”planning documents read.

NorwichUnionHousein Belfastcitycentre

Lunn’s opensnew Tudor watch boutiqueinBelfast

Luxurywatchandjewelleryfrm

Lunn’s hasunveiledIreland’s frst Tudorwatchboutiqueintheheartof Belfastcitycentre.

LocatedintheprestigiousQueen’s Arcade inthecentre ofBelfast,thenewlyopened showroomwilloffercustomersthefullrangeof Tudorwatches.

Theboutiqueencompassesthe Tudorstyle with red,black,andgreycolourhuescombined with a mixture ofhigh-qualityfnishes. Theboutiqueis a refectionofthebrand’s commitmenttoqualityandprecisionhas earnedthebrand a reputationforexcellencein thewatchmakingindustry

The Tudorboutiquewillofferwiderangeof men’s andwomen’s watches,including a range ofclassic,sport,divingandheritageinspired watches,aswellastheexclusiveBlackBayFiftyEightBronzeBoutiqueEditionwhichisavailable onlyat Tudorboutiques.

Andvisitorstothestore willhavethechance todiscovertheverylatestlaunchesfrom Watchesand Wonders,whichwere recently unveiledinGeneva.

“We havedeveloped a fantastic relationship with Tudorovertheyears,andweare thrilled tooffciallyopentheboutique – thefrstofits kindinIreland,”JohnLunn,managingdirector,

Lunn’s theJewellers.

“ThecityofBelfasthassomuchtoofferand asthepopularityanddemandforthisglobal brandcontinuestogrow, weare veryproud thatBelfastnowoffers a dedicatedspacefor Tudorfansfromacrosstheisland.

“Theopeninghastakenplacewhilethe latest Tudortimepieceshavelaunchedat Watches & WondersinGeneva. We look forward tohostingthelatest Tudorofferingin

thisspaceverysoon,alongwiththededicated BoutiqueLimitedEditionBlackBay58Bronze whichweare veryexcitedabout.”

A spokespersonfor Tudorsaid:“Lunn’s jewellershavealwaysbeen a strongpartnerfor Tudor, performingbrilliantlyfromit’s existing locationinthemainstore.Lunn’s elevated restorationoftheQueen’s Arcadetimed perfectlywith Tudordesire topartnerwith themforouronlyboutiqueinIreland.”

Thenew Tudor boutiqueat Queen’sArcade

Belfast PR frm MCE acquired by Cavendish

BelfastPRfrmMCEhasbeenacquiredbycommunications businessCavendish.

MCE,foundedbyPaulMcErleanin2006,hasoffcesinBelfast andhas recentlyexpandedintoDublin.

Itspecialisesincorporateaffairs,strategiccommunicationsand governmentaffairs,workingwith a numberofhigh-proflebrandsand bluechipclients.

MrMcErleanjoinsCavendish,whichhasoperationsacrosstheUK andIreland,asmanagingdirectorforIreland.Meanwhile,MCEboard directorsSymonRoss,BenMallon,DawnHeskethGuilfoyleandLouise De’athwithalsojoiningthecompanyinsenior roles.

“JoiningforceswithCavendishmarksanexcitingnewchapterfor MCE,”MrMcErleansaid.

“Iamthrilledabouttheopportunitiesthiscollaborationbrings, allowingustocontributeouruniquestrengthsto a wideraudienceand offeringclientsenhancedservicesand resourcesaswellasbroadening opportunitiesforourstaff teaminjoiningoneoftheUK’s leading agencies.

“Having recentlyestablished a baseinDublin,ourintentionistogrow

theCavendishfootprintevenfurtherontheislandinthemonthsto comewhilecontinuingtoprovidevalue-addedservicestoourexisting clients. I amverygratefultoeverybodywhohascontributedtotheMCE journeyandam reallylookingforward tobuildingtheCavendishbusiness inIreland,northandsouth.”

“Thisacquisition reaffrmsourdedicationtoaccelerateourevolution into a consultancy readytoserviceclientsinanincreasinglyglobal, social,andhybridworld,”CarlDaruvalla,chiefexecutiveofCavendish Consulting,said.

McKeeverHotel Groupunveils completed £1m

FamilyrunMcKeeverHotelGroup hascompletedits£1minvestment intheDunsillyinAntrim,including anupgradeofits40bedrooms. McKeeverHotelGroupsaidit’s partof

investment

thegroup’s three-yeargrowthplan,with £3mincapitalexpenditure acrossitsfve venues,whichalsoincludeCorrsCorner, TheDunadry, AdairArmsandLetterkenny’s DillonsHotel.

EddieMcKeeverofMcKeever HotelGroupwithKrisandKate fromtheDunsillyHotel

Ithas refurbishedandupgradedthe40 bedrooms,aswellastheeventspacesand lobby

Thehotelhasbeenchangedextensively afteritwastakenoverbyMcKeeverGroupas a bar25yearsago.

Thefamilythen redevelopedthevenue and reopeneditin2005as a hotel.The groupsaidtheimprovementsare drivenby thehotel’s closenesstoBelfastInternational Airport,itsaccessibilityviatheM2andnew housingandbusinessdevelopmentsin greaterAntrim.

EddieMcKeever, managingdirectorat McKeeverHotelGroup,said:“The£1m investmentinTheDunsillyHotelispartof ournewfuture-focusedstrategyannounced lastyear, andwhilethefacilityhaschanged a greatdealsinceweboughtitin1999,we haveensuredithasneverlostitsstrongsense ofcommunity

“Theend resultis a much-neededmodern lookandfeelwhichwillmeettheneedsof ourchangingandever-expandingcustomer base.”

Henderson Technology: EDGEPoSbrings premiumdestinationfortopsolutions

EDGEPoSisanaward-winning EPOSsoftware systemdeveloped byMallusk-basedHenderson Technology.

Designedby retailersfor retailers,EDGEPoS supportsall retailbusinessneedsbyoffering retailers a real-timesolution,andcarefully addressesthekeyareasofsecurity, operational effciencyandbusinessdevelopment.

In responseto recentsuccess,Henderson TechnologyhasappointedBRISK Technology asanauthorisedEDGEPoS resellertothe retail sector

Withextensiveexperienceininstalling computernetworks,ITandEPOSsystemsfor clientsofacrossmanysectorssuchas retail, restaurants,cafes,pubs,hotelsandevent venues,BRISK Technologywilluseitsexpertise toofferEDGEPoStonewcustomers.

DarrenNickels, retailtechnologyoperation directoratHenderson Technology, said:“We selectedBRISK TechnologytobeanEDGEPoS resellerbecauseoftheirextensiveexperience andthepridetheytakeindeliveringexcellent customerservice.Theirteamofengineers, trainersandsupportdepartmentsallshare our samehighstandards.

“EDGEPoScanbeusedinmany retail environments,andweseethispartnershipas a

keywaytobringEDGEPoStooperatorslooking for a leadingEPOSpartner We lookforward to workingwiththeteam.”

BenNesbitt,managingdirectoratBRISK Technology, said:“We are delightedtobe partneringwithHenderson Technologytotake EDGEPoSintonew retailsectors.

“Throughourexperienceofinstallingand supportingEPOSsystemsanddeliveringan end-to-endsolutiontocustomers,itbecame apparentthatthere was a gapindifferent retail sectorsfor a fullyfeatured retailsystem. We haveseenwhat a fantasticproductEDGEPoSis; it reallystandsoutfromthecrowd.”

Onepetstore to recentlyinstallEDGEPoSis PoshPetslocatedinBelfast.

“Theservice I have receivedfromHenderson Technologyhasbeenfriendly, effcientand professional,”ownerMartynHalliday, said.

“Ilovethewaythetilllooksinmystore– itis modern andsimpletouse.More importantly thebackoffcefunctionalityhaschangedmy life.

“Themargin reportisfantastic. I amincreasing

salesanddecreasingmystockholding.Before EDGEPoS I usedtohavetocometothestore onmydayoff andittookme a wholedayto placeanorder Now I doeverythingfromhome inonehour Finally I cantake a dayoff.

“Icouldn’t recommendHenderson Technology andEDGEPoShighlyenough.Investingin EDGEPoSiswellworththemoney Itispaying foritselfmanytimesover Itissavingmeat leastoneday a weekintimewhichmeans I nowhavemuchmore insightintomymargins, productsandstock,allowingmetomake wiserdecisionsandrunmybusinessismore confdently.”

Henderson Technologyunderstandsthat retailis a constantlychangingbusinessand knowsthebenefts retailtechnologycan offerforward-thinkingbusinesses.EDGEPoS streamlinesoperations,improvesaccuracy, and provides retailerswithvaluableinsightsthat helpsenhancecustomersatisfactionanddrives growth. ■

For more information ortofnd out how you canget a freetailoreddemonstration,visit www.henderson.technology, email sales@henderson.technologyor telephone02890941900.

DarrenNickels,Henderson Technology,BenNesbittandPaulElyfromBRISK TechnologywithKristineMooreof Henderson Technology

MartinHalliday, ‘Delboy’and MartynHalliday ofPoshPets

Whythepressureisonemployers toimpresscandidatesinthe interviewprocess

ByJohnMoore,managingdirector,HaysNI

Theterribleinterviewisariteofpassagewhichmostofus willhavegonethroughatsomestageinourcareers.

Whetheritwasacaseofcompletelyfreezingandforgettingyour carefullypreparedanswers,ramblingonfortoolong,gettingthefacts wrong,orsomeothermishap,weprobablyallhaveadisheartening storyaboutajobwedidn’tget.

Ifyou’reanemployer,there’sprobablyaverygoodchanceyou’vebeen ontheothersideofthatprocess,willingcandidateswhoarehavinga shockertodowellandovercometheirnerves.

But,inamarketwherethecompetitionfortalentisstillferce,the onusisverymuchonemployerstomakesuretheinterviewprocessisa positiveone,whatevertheoutcomeforapplicants.

New researchfromHayshasshownthatmanyemployersarefalling shortwhenitcomestoprovidingthatexperienceandarelosingouton talentfromthewordgo.

The research,which receivedalmost11,900 responsesfromemployers andprofessionalsacrosstheUK,includingover360fromNorthern Ireland,foundthat51%(53%inNI)ofemployeeshavehadanegative interviewexperienceduringaninterviewprocess.

Themain reasonforanegativeexperiencecitedwaspoor communicationandalackofclaritywhenitcametothestepsinvolved (40%overalland43%inNI).Otherfactorsincludedtheinterview showinganorganisation’sculturedidn’talignwiththejobseekers’ values(36%inUKandNI)andtheinterviewersthemselvesbeing unprepared(37%and32%inNI).

Therewerealsoplentyofpeoplewhocitedafamiliar refrain,thatthe hiringprocesswasfartoolongandcumbersome(33%and31%inNI) orthattheprocesshadalackofstructure(36%or28%inNI).

Whereitgetsinterestingisthatour researchalso revealedaroundhalfof allprofessionals(47%and52%inNI)weredeterredfromaprospective employerduetoapoorexperienceduringtheinterviewprocess.Many jobseekerssaytheywereputoffbytheprocesstakingtoolong(38% inUKandNI),componentsofthejobbeingdifferenttowhatwas advertised(36%acrosstheboard),underpreparedinterviewersand anunorganisedoverallstructure(40%and35%inNI),aswellasthe peopleandculturenotbeingasexpected(28%inUKandNI).

Anyonewhohasinterviewedfora roleknowsmostemployerssaythey willbemakingadecisionverysoonandwillbeintouch.

Whilenearlyathird(31%and30%inNI)ofemployerssayittakesthem uptooneweektonotifyanapplicantifthey’vemadeittotheinterview stagefollowingthesubmissionoftheirapplication,morethanaquarter (27%total)ofemployersconfessittakesbetweenonetofourweeksto getintouchwithsuccessfulapplicants.

Forsome,thewaitinggameneverends,aslessthanhalf(45%overall) oforganisationscontacteveryapplicant regardlessofwhethertheywere successful.Morethanhalf(54%intotaland60%inNI)ofjobseekers sayemployersarenotgoodatprovidingdetailedorconstructive feedbackfollowingtheinterview, regardlessoftheoutcome.

Ifemployerswanttocompetefortalent,it’sclearmanyneedtoup theirgameandmakesuretheirapplicationprocessisagreenfagfor jobseekers.It’scrucialtogetoffontherightfootwithprospectivestaff, byclearlycommunicatingwhattheinterviewprocesswillentail,being considerateoftheirtimeandprovidingfeedbackwherepossible.

Iftheydon’t,organisationsriskfallingatthefrsthurdleandlettinggo oftalentbeforetheyhaveevensecuredit.Ultimately,interviewsare asmuchaboutajobseekerassessingtheappealofanemployerand organisationastheyareaboutanemployercontemplatingthesuitability ofanapplicant. ■

BelfastInternationalAirportcloses inonpre-Covidpassengerlevels

BelfastInternationalAirporthassaid 1.3millionpassengerstravelled throughitsterminalssincethe beginningoftheyear,signallinga return topre-pandemiclevels.

Accordingtotheairportoperator, Vinci Airports,themost recentquarterlytraffc resultsshowthatBelfastInternational reached 98%ofpre-pandemicpassengernumbersin thefrstthreemonthsoftheyear.

Theairportwhichiscurrentlyundergoing a£100m revampsawpassengersnumbers increaseby30%onlastyear.

Aircraftmovementsattheairportwerealso up25%onthepreviousyear,withtheairport seeingalmost11,00aircraftmovementsfrom JanuarytoMarch.

VincisaidthatBelfastInternationalAirport’s strong recoveryisalsoevidencedbyits increasedGBandEuropeanconnectivity.

Airlineshaveboostedtherangeofdestinations nowonofferwithsevennew routesdueto

startin2024aswellasincreasedfrequencies onarangeofdestinations.

EasyJetissettolaunch routesto Tunisiaand LarnacainCyprus,while RyanairandJet2have alreadylaunchednewfightstoMalta.

AndJet2willalsobelaunchingnewservices toBodrumin TurkeyandTUIisintroducing summerfightstoCyprusaswellasnew routestobothSalzburgand Turinaswinter destinations.

TravelSolutionswillcontinuetheirpopular fightstoBulgariaandItalyandBalkanHolidays willcontinuetooperateBulgariayear round.

DanOwens,chiefexecutiveatBelfast InternationalAirport,said:“Thesefguresare extremelypositiveandclearlyshowBelfast InternationalAirport’scontinuedstrong recovery.

“Weareexpectingabusyyearaheadwithan extensiverangeofdestinationsthatwillboost thelocaleconomyaswellasprovidingfurther choiceforlocaltravellers.

“Our£100minvestmentplancontinuesat paceasournewsecuritybuildingisontrackto beoperationalthissummeralongsidefurther terminalenhancements.”

InOctoberitwasannouncedthattheairport wouldbeundergoinga£100m revamp,the “biggestinvestment”inits60-yearhistory.

Theprojectincludesanoverhaulofsecurity, meaningliquidsandlargeelectricalitemswill nolongerhavetobe removedfromluggage.

The£25msecurityfacilitywillfeatureStandard 3x-rayscreeningequipment,eliminatingthe needforpassengersto removeliquidsand electronicsfromtheirhandluggageatsecurity.

Theinvestmentplan,announcedbyoperator VINCI,alsoincludesanimprovedairside departureareawithadditionaldeparturegates, extraseating,newshoppingfacilitiesandan extensionofthe retailandimmigrationareas.

VinciacquiredBelfastInternationalin2018for anundisclosedsum.TheFrenchfrmoperates morethan70airportsin13countries. ■

The future of food

Theglobalfoodsectorisfacingarangeofnew challengeswhichwillleadtolongtermchanges inhowweproduce,distributeandconsumefood. Theseglobalchallengesarealsohavinganimpactin NorthernIreland,whereagri-foodisakeysectorfor thelocaleconomy. UlsterBusiness foundouthow Deloitte ishelpingcompaniesheretodesignand deliverthe‘Futureof Food’

Itiswidelyacceptedthatgrowing populationsaroundtheworld, combinedwiththeplanet’slimited resources,will requireusallto rethinkthe processesforglobalfoodproductionand distribution.

Inaddition,thefoodindustryis responsible forahugeproportionofcarbondioxide, methaneandnitrogenemissionsgloballyand contributestootherareasofconcernsuchas deforestation.

Butcreatingafoodsystemthatfeedsthe worldinanequitable,healthy,andsustainable wayinthefutureisgoingto requirearadical transformation,thescaleofwhichisonly startingtobeunderstood.

“Future-proofngthefoodsystemisahuge systemicglobalchallengeandsustainability concernsaddtochallengeslikeprice volatility,risingcostsandchangingconsumer preferences,”AisléanNicholson,partnerat DeloitteinBelfast,says.

Deloitte’sChrisNugent, AisléanNicholson, MarieDoyleandJason Starbuckpictured outsideBethanyFruit MarketinBelfast

“However,atDeloitte,wealsoseeimmense opportunityinthe‘FutureofFood’andthink thefoodindustryhashugetransformative potential–fromfostering regenerative agriculturepracticestoharnessinginnovative technologiesforeffcientfoodproduction, distribution,andconsumption.”

Locally,ouragri-foodsectorhasgrown signifcantlyin recentyears.Itisacore componentoftheNorthernIrelandeconomy, withgovernmentfguressuggestingthesector isworthmorethan£1.8bn,oralmost5%of NorthernIreland’stotalGVA.Thecapabilityof thesectortofeedapopulationfvetimesthat withinourownbordersistestamenttothe innovationandambitioninthesectorlocally. Thiscontributiontoglobalmarketscreatesa greatopportunityforNorthernIrelandtobea leaderinthenew‘FutureofFood’era.

Deloitte,whichhasateamofmorethan1,000 peopleinBelfast,iscommittedtoactively shapingthisfuturebysupportingitsclientsand partnersintheirjourneytowardsasustainable, effcient,vibrantandhealth-consciousfood industry.

“Throughour rolesworkingwiththeleading agri-foodbusinessesinIrelandandglobally weseefrst-handthescaleofthechallenge increasingday-to-day,includingeverything fromtraceabilityandprovenance,riskand reimaginationofsupplychains,toincreased automation,”JasonStarbuck,partnerat Deloitte,says.

Withagricultureaccountingfor26%of NorthernIreland’sgreenhousegasemissions, agri-foodbusinessesandthefarmersintheir supplychainwillneedhelpintheformof incentivesandinitiativestomakeprogressin reducingtheircarbonemissionsandadopting moresustainablepractices.

Andwithweeklyheadlinesaboutpooryields duetosustainedbadweather,heightened volatilityinthepricingofcommodityproducts, orsupplychainissuesforkeyingredients causedbyglobalgeopoliticalevents,itwould

beeasytothinkthatalotofthechallenges facingNorthernIreland’sfoodsectorare beyondthecontroloflocalagri-food businesses.

ButChrisNugent,directoratDeloitte,saysthat suchchallengesarehelpingtodriveinnovation inthefoodsector,bothgloballyandlocally. “Weareencouragedandinspiredbythe resilienceoflocalclients,andtheirstrategic intenttoperformandinnovatethrough theseglobalheadwinds.Thisyear’sDeloitte Technology,Mediaand TelecomsPredictions reporthighlightedhowembracingtechnology likeartifcialintelligenceforcomplexdata analysisisenablingandfutureproofngamore sustainableapproachtofarming.

“Weseeclientsdesigningandinvestingina rangeof‘agtech’solutionshavingapositive impactonharvests, reducingtheuseof pesticides,energyandwaterandenhancing farmyields–andoverallbusinessperformance. We’realsoseeingtechnology revolutionising traceabilityinthefoodsupplychain,”hesays.

“Themostforward-thinkingcompaniesare usingthechallengesfacingthesectorasan impetustotakepositivestepstowardsbeing moresustainable,identifyingnewsources ofvalueandstrengtheningtheirbrand reputationsatatimewhenconsumersare becomingincreasinglyinformedaboutthe choicestheymake.

“Lendersandinvestorsarealsoseekingto understandhowbusinessesapproachthese areas,toassesslevelsofriskaroundfnancing, andthelikely return,aswellastomeettheir ownsustainabilitycommitments.”

Deloitteisactiveintheagri-foodsector globally,workingwithlargescalemultinational producers,butalsowithindigenous marketleadersontheislandofIreland.Its teamsacrossNorthernIrelandandIreland areworkingwithclientsonimproving performance,sustainabilitystrategiesand reporting,growthstrategies,cyber resilience anddigitaltransformation.>

ChrisNugentandJasonStarbuckinsideBethanyFruitMarketontheCregaghRoad,whichsellsawiderangeofproductstothelocalcommunityaswellasdeliveringtobusinesses acrossthecity,andisownedbyformerjournalistPhilCoulterandwifeKirsten

● Sustainability reporting –Deloitte teamsarecurrentlyengagedonsustainability reporting readinessprojectswithanumber oforganisationsinthefoodandagrisector, helpingthemtounderstandthescopeof reporting requiredandtodevelopsystems andprocessestocollectandprocess relevant information,whilealsoprovidingassurance overmetrics reported.

● Growthstrategies –Businessesare rethinkingstrategyfrombeingapointin timeexercise,toaconstantdiscussionforthe Executiveteamandinvestingindatadriven choicestobetterunderstandmarketsand customers,withspeedtoinsightconsidered apriorityKPI.Deloitteisworkingwith clientstobalancethecompetingtensionof “protecting”and“performing”acrossthe FoodSystem,includingthe roleofM&Ato bolsterportfolios.

● Digitaltransformation –Clientswantto betterconnecttheirmanufacturingoperation andassetsthroughtechnology,ensuring investmentisvaluefocussedandpositioned toenhancecustomerandteammember experience.

● Performanceandeffectiveness –DynamicFinanceischangingthetraditional businessfunctionto responsivecapability. Deloittesaysitisseeinganumberoffoodand

agriorganisationsacceleratethisjourneyin supportofperformanceinwhatistypicallya tightmarginandcostvolatileenvironment.

● Zerofoodwaste –Organisationsare fndingnewsolutionssuchasutilising foodwasteinanaerobicdigestionplants whicheliminatewasteandinsteadproduce biomethanethatcanbeusedtogenerate electricityorbeintroducedtothegas network,aswellasaby-productthatcanbe usedtoproducefertiliserproducts.

InthenextfewyearsDeloittebelievesthe focusforNIbusinessesintheagri-foodsector willbesustainability,digitaltransformation, andtheuseofAI,andachievingbusiness growthinatougheconomicclimate.

“Sustainability reportingwillcontinuetobe anareaoffocus,”AisléanNicholsonsays. “While regulatoryimpactcanbeperceivedas beinglimitedtolargerbusinessesatpresent, thebreadthof reporting requiredbylarger companieswillmeanthatmanyNorthern Irelandagri-foodproducersandsuppliers inthesupplychainoflargesupermarkets orinternationalcustomersmaybeaskedto providedataontheirownoperationsorthey maybecapturedbythelowerthresholdsof theEUCorporateSustainabilityReporting Directivewheretheyhavesignifcantcrossborderoperations.

“Gettingthatdataconsistently,accurately andeffcientlywillbeakeytargetformany, butthisinturnislikelytoleadthemto considertheirownstrategyandhowtheycan infuencethatdatabymakingsoundbusiness andenvironmentalchoiceswhichcouldgive themacompetitiveedge.”

Deloittealsobelievesthatthecombination ofatightlabourmarket,morelimited immigrationopportunitiesandtheneedto driveeffcienciesandproductivitywillserveto increasethefocuson–andinvestmentin–automationanddigitalisation.

MarieDoyle,partneratDeloittesays:“This couldincludedevelopinga roadmapforhow abusinesscanadoptemergingtechnologies toleverageperformance, reviewingexisting technologyandperformancetoassesswhere theorganisationcanimprove,through toensuringthatforthosebusinesses undertakinginnovative researchand developmenttodriveperformance,takefull advantageofincentivesandgrantsavailable tothem.

“Companiesmustbeinnovative,adaptable, andwillingtoinvestinnewtechnologies andpracticesiftheyaretomeetthemajor challengesofchangingcustomerpreferences, increasedcompetitionandtheneedtobe moresustainable.” ■

COVE R STORY

GrandCentral Stationon track to openinautumn

Belfast’sGrandCentralStationison tracktoopenitsdoorstothepublic thisautumn.

Thestation’sinternalftoutiswell underway,alongsideworktothebus stands,railplatforms,trackandsignalling infrastructure.

Overthecomingmonths,activitywill intensifywiththecommencementofmajor public realmworkaroundthestationwith roadenhancementstomaintainpedestrian safety,enhancewalking routes,accessibility andcycling.

JohnGlass,directorofinfrastructureand

projectsat Translinksaid:“Asengineering worksrampuponthiscomplexproject,itis importantthatpassengersandthewiderpublic areawareoftheimplicationsoftheseworks andprovidedwithtimelyadviceandguidance tohelpthemplantheirfuturejourneys.

“BelfastGrandCentralStation,settobe Ireland’slargestintegratedtransporthub ontheislandofIreland,offersanexciting opportunityto reimaginethecitywhere morepeopletravelonpublictransport,walk, wheelandcycle.Overthecomingmonths wehopepeopleconsiderchoosingcleaner, greenertravelchoicesandstartthecity’s transformationtacklingtheclimatecrisisand transitiontoahealthiercityand regionfor everyone.

“Todate,throughcarefulplanning,the workhaslargelyprogressedwithminimal impactonpassengersorthewiderpublic. To ensurewekeepthecitymoving,weare introducingarangeofspecialmeasuresand mitigationstoencourageactiveandpublic transport.”

BelfastGrand CentralStationis nearingcompletion

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The big skillsdebate: tackling the issuesand challenges ahead

Forseveralyearsnowwehaveheardemployersfromarangeofsectorssaytheyare strugglingtogettherightskillsandtalenttomeettheirneeds.AsNorthernIreland looksathowitcreatestheworkforceofthefuturethroughtraining,upskillingand reskilling, DanskeBank broughttogethersomeexpertstodiscussthekeyissues

Businessesarestrugglingtogettheright people–whataretheskillsissuesand challengesfacingus?

AngelaMcGowan: Thelabourshortage problemseemstohaveeasedslightlyin recentmonthsduetolowerglobaldemand andslowereconomicactivitylocally.But nonetheless,businessesarestillcomingto CBIwithlingeringissues.It’sarangeofareas –fromweldersinmanufacturing,togetting fnanceandengineeringpeople,forexample.

CarolinevanderFeltz: There’sbeenverylow unemploymentnowsinceCovidandwehave ahugeskillsdefcit–80%oftheworkforcein 2030isintheworkplacenow.

GraemeWilkinson: Therehasbeena softeninginthelabourmarketoverthelastsix months.Butthecrisiswhichwearefacingisn’t

goingtogoawayoverthenext10years.Ifyou lookatthesupplyoflabour,ourdemography isn’tinourfavourandisn’tgoingtochange anytimesoon.It requiresasignifcant policy response–intermsoftheExecutive challenges,it’stopofitslistofpriorities.

Ifyoulookatadultparticipationinlearning, wearethelowestanywhereinEurope–around16%.Thattomeisthesinglebiggest challenge…weneedtogetmorefromthe peoplewhichwehaveinthelabourmarket, andthat requiresaninvestmentinskills.

CarolinevanderFeltz: It’saboutlooking atthehiddenunemployed,tryingtogetthe economicallyinactiveintotheworkplaceand focusingonhowwecanuntapthat.

GUESTS

CarolinevanderFeltz, HRdirector DanskeBank

ChrisMartin, headofsustainability, DanskeBank

CarolFitzsimonsMBE,chiefexecutive, YoungEnterpriseNorthernIreland

AngelaMcGowan, chiefexecutive,CBI NorthernIreland

KristelMiller, Professorof entrepreneurshipandsmallbusiness development,UlsterUniversity

Graeme Wilkinson, directorofskills, DepartmentfortheEconomy

TamasinFraser, managingdirector, OmnipowerRenewables

JohnMulgrew, editor,UlsterBusiness

KristelMiller: IfwethinkaboutproductivityintheNorthernIrelandeconomywehave tobemoreeffectivewiththelabourmarket whichwealreadyhave. We havethisuntapped pooloftalent–thehiddenunemployed.In NorthernIrelandthelargestgroups[ofthose notworking]arewomenandindividualswith disabilities,andthoseover50.

[Totacklethoseareas]therearealotofgreat programmes–theLabourMarketPartnership, differentupskilland reskillprogrammes,and collegesofferingprogrammes…somepeople havesaidtheyfeelabitlostinwheretogo withintheskillsecosystemasthereissomuch outthere.Acollaborativeapproachisvery muchneeded.

CarolFitzsimons: Thereisahuge roleto considerhowwe recruitaswellashow

CarolinevanderFeltz

AngelaMcGowanand

GraemeWilkinson

we retrain.LargerorganisationshaveHR departmentsand resources,butifyouarean owner-managedbusinessyoudon’thavethat expertisein-house.

We arealsodealingwithagenerationwhich hashadhugedisruptiontotheirlearning. Alloftheskillswhichwesaywewantas employers–thosehumanandinterpersonal skills-theyhavehadthoseaspectsoftheir educationdisrupted.Thereisaconversation aroundhowweactually recruitandonboard youngpeopledifferentlyandgobacktosome ofthosefundamentalsaroundcommunication skills,decision-makingandteamwork.

We areincreasinglyhearingaboutsocalled‘greenskills’.Whatismeantby ‘greenskills’?

ChrisMartin: Whenwetalkaboutgreen skillsgenerallypeoplearetalkingaboutbeing involvedinenvironmentally-friendlyproducts andservices, renewables,forexample.Butit’s alsoaboutadaptingprocessesandexisting jobs,alongwiththegeneral‘greeneconomy’ supportthroughareassuchasprofessional services.

TheUKGovernmentsetatargetoftwo milliongreenjobsby2030–thereis really signifcantgrowthheadingtowardsnetzero

andthegreeneconomy.Thatisgoingtobe asignifcantdriverofjobsgoingforward andcreatealotofopportunities.Partofthe challengeofgreenjobsiswetendtothink aboutthoseveryspecifcornicheskills, butwhenyouthinkaboutsomethinglike retrofttinghouses,italsocoversskilledjobs likeelectriciansandplumbers.Notallgreen jobsarewhitecollarjobsforpeoplewith universityeducations.

GraemeWilkinson: Businessesarestruggling withit–youareseeingbuzzwordsand thinking‘whatdoesthisactuallymean?’.The realityisit’sthinkingabouthowyoucando thingsinamoresustainableway.

Howimportantwillthedrivefor sustainabilitybeinshapingtheskills agenda?

ChrisMartin: Fromasustainabilityperspective youarelookingatcoreskills.Alotof sustainabilityjobsatthemoment,thenontechnicalones,areverymuchaboutlearning onthejob. Youneedpeoplewhohavethose skills,whocanoperateintheworkplaceand canbeonboardedproperly.

The‘Challenge:Biodiversity’programmewe havedevelopedwith YoungEnterprise,has justkickedoff–wehave20schoolsand1,500 pupilsinvolved,whichisveryexciting.That projectwillstarttolookatsomeofthecore

SK IL LS ROUN DTABLE

CarolFitzsimonsMBE,ChrisMartin, TamasinFraser, CarolinevanderFeltz,AngelaMcGowan,Graeme Wilkinson,JohnMulgrewandKristelMiller

skillswhichpeoplearegoingtoneedinthe future. We talkaboutagreeneconomyand newjobcreation,butwhatweneedtobe cognisantaboutaswellisthesunsettingof jobsaswetransitiontoagreeneconomy.

TamasinFraser: It’sasmallpoolwhichwe aretryingto recruitfromworkingingreen energy.Theon-the-joblearningisimportant –thereareafewgreatcourseswhichthe DepartmentfortheEconomyhassponsored. Asaprivatesectororganisationwehavea role and responsibilitytosupportthepublicsector aswell.RenewableNIisworkingwiththe LocalGovernmentAssociationtoputtogether trainingexercisestohelpthepublicsector understand.

CarolFitzsimons: Thisgenerationcoming intotheworkforceexpectsbusinesstobe sustainable.TheyhaveitintheirDNA.Our generationhasto retroftthatintotheir mindset.Thenextgenerationfeelslikeall careersneedtobegreencareers.

Whatspecifcskillsarewelackingand howdowegoaboutdevelopingthem?

CarolinevanderFeltz: Ourminds automaticallygravitatetowardsITand technology.ButIthinkastechnology continuestopervade,thehumanaspectis veryimportant.Soit’saboutlookingathow youleadandmanagedisparateteamsand relationshipmanagement.Leadershipskillsin general–thinkingabouthowyoucanadapt andleadmulti-siteorganisations.

CarolFitzsimons: Transversalskills

andcoaching,forexample,areabout environmentallearning.It’saboutcreatingan environmentinbusinesseswherepeopleare constantlywantingtoupskillanddevelop.

AngelaMcGowan: Ithinkoneofthebiggest challengesforallgovernmentsistryingto predicttheskillsthataregoingtobeneeded inthefuture.Somesectorswillshrink,while otherswillgrowandwedon’tknowaboutthe newindustrieswhichwillemergeinthefuture. Itwouldbehelpfultohavealive register,for companiesto registerandtellpolicy-makers ‘thisiswhatI’mmissingnowandthisiswhatI willneedinthenearfuture’.

GraemeWilkinson: It’sbeena realchallenge forusinsidegovernment–whatarethe typesofskillswhicharegoingtobe required overthenextfveto10years.Thelanguage betweeneducationpartnersandbusiness needstobeclearer.

CarolinevanderFeltz:It’smovingsoquickly –bythetimeyoucomethroughathreeor fouryeardegreeit’soutofdate.Howpractical isthatinhelpingbusinesses?Shouldwebe lookingmoreatshort-termmicro-credentials instead?

KristelMiller: Ithinkweneedlivedashboards ofwhatisgoingon.That’sahardtask–that wouldinvolveaneffortbetweeneveryone tomakesureit’supdated.Ifwearethinking aboutwhatskillsweneed,wedon’tfully know,butwedoknowaboutcertainsetsof skills.Forexample,digitalliteracy–youdon’t needtoknowaboutallthekeytechnologies

asthatisgoingtochange,butifyouhave digitalliteracyyou’llbeabletodealwith that. We needtobeabletoseewhat skillsbusinesses require. We canthenbe responsiveanddesigntheseshortcourses.

Bankshaveworkedtogethertoidentify thetopskillswhichwillbeneededin fnancialservicesinfuture.Couldwedo thesameforNIasawhole?

CarolinevanderFeltz: Withdemand forskillsoutstrippingsupply,theFinancial ServicesSkillsCommission,apartnership ofbanksandfnancialservicesemployers, identifed13futureskillsthatareneeded nowandinthefuture.Inoursector,thebig challengesarearounddata,digitalliteracy andsoftware roles,butdemandforpeople withcreativity,agilityand relationship managementskillswasalsohigh.

AngelaMcGowan: Ithinkemployers wouldloveaplacetogoandsay‘thisis what’smissingfrommyabilitytoexpand mybusinessrightnoworinthefuture’. Companiesworkwithfveyearplans,so theyhaveagoodideaofwhatskillstheywill needinthemediumterm.Askingbusinesses andhavingthatdataisveryimportant,as wellashavingthatagilityforyoureconomy toprovideshort-termcoursesdependingon howthatchanges.

TamasinFraser: It’sgoingtobehardto haveacourseforeverysubjectorjob role, butifyouarefocusingonSTEMsubjects, forexample–thatissotransferrableacross manydifferenttypesof roles.

SK IL LS ROUN DTABLE WI TH DA NS KE BA NK

CarolFitzsimonsMBE,Chris Martinand TamasinFraser

CarolFitzsimons: Thereisachallengearound howwevaluelearningforthepurposeof applicationintheworkforce,ratherthan alwayshavingtobeaccredited.That’svery diffcult.ButIlovetheideaofamoresectoral approach–businessdoesagilitybutit’smore diffcultforpolicymakers.Thesortofskills wearetalkingaboutarethecreativityand decision-makingones,whicharehardto assess. Youseethemandthink‘Iwantmoreof that’.That’s reallyhardtoassessatinterview.

ChrisMartin: There’sacommonalityof foundationalskillsthatwe reallyneedtosee. Youcanthenbuildthetechnicalskillsontop ofthat.

Whatmechanismsortypesorschemesare availabletohelpbusinessesandstaffto upskill?

GraemeWilkinson: Ourprojectionisfor almost30,000greenjobsby2035.Gordon ParkesfromNIENetworkshaschairedagroup lookingatgreenskills.

We havealreadystartedtointroducenew programmes–wehaveonedeliveredbythe ConstructionIndustry TrainingBoard(CITB), higher-levelapprenticeshipprogrammes,so thereisquitealotofprovisionoutthere.

AngelaMcGowan: Thesectoralapproach toplanningskillsworkswell.Itcaninvolve lookingatwhereweneedasectoral interventionfromgovernmentwhenabigskills gapexists,forexample,theCBItookasectoral approachtothelocaldigital/softwareskills defcitbackin2019/20.Oritcaninvolvefrms collaboratingforthegreatergoodoftheir sectorandorganisingbespoketrainingfor sectoralneeds.

Howdoweincreaseproductivitylevelsin NorthernIreland?

KristelMiller: We needtodomoreto understandthebehaviouralelementswhich areinfuencingthesehiddenemployed groups.Therearealotofprogrammesand interventions,butthedialhasn’tmovedin manyyearsin regardstoeconomicactivity. Peopleoften referencethefnancialelement whenitcomestomotivationsforenteringthe workforceornot,butitgoesfurtherthanthat.

CarolinevanderFeltz: Theinfrastructure needstobeaddressedandhopefullyitwill benow. We have10,000peoplewhoarein caring responsibilitiesathome,ourchildcare provisionalsoneedstobeaddressedasthereis ahugeopportunityforbusiness,andthereare around26,000offwithillness. We arelooking athealthintheworkplace,accessibilityand fexibleworkingwithanopenmindset.

TamasinFraser: Sometimeswecanbeguilty ofbeingveryspecifcinour recruitment–

maybenothavingitbroadenoughthat peoplethink‘Icouldn’tapplyforthat’. We mayneedtobemorefexible.

CarolFitzsimons: Ithinkhowwe recruitis soimportantandthesuccessofhigher-level apprenticeshipshasdemonstratedthat.

AngelaMcGowan: Thereisalsoaneedfor moreemployersupporttoensurefrmscan getpeopleengagedintheworkforceeven whentheyhavehealthproblems.TheCBI willcontinuetoencouragegovernmentto expandtax-freeoccupationalhealthbenefts toactivatebusinesses’ roleinpreventing employeepoorhealth–whichhasahuge impactonproductivity.

CarolinevanderFeltz: It’sclearthereisa lotofworktobedoneonproductivitybut alloftheinitiativeswe’vementionedtoday arehopefullypointingNorthernIrelandin therightdirectiontomakethemostofits potential. ■

KristelMiller

AngelaMcGowan andGraeme Wilkinson

CarolFitzsimons

LinenGreenshopping villagesoldfor£4m

TheLinenGreenshoppingvillagein Co Tyronehasbeensoldfor£4m,it hasemerged.

TheMoygasheldesignerspotwasoneof severalmajorcommercialpropertydeals whichcompletedinthe firstquarterof2024, accordingtoCBRENI.

Italsosaysthetake-upofofficespacehere was almost50%higherthanthesameperiod a yearearlier

CBRENorthern Ireland recordedofficetake-up at99,931sqft,whichwasalso a 36%increase onthe finalquarteroflastyear, with18deals completedduringthethreemonths.

There were some18officedealscompletedin total,withthethreelargestdealsaccounting forjustover52%oftotaltake-upandthe remainderofdealsat7,000sqftorless.

AndcommercialpropertiessoldinNorthern IrelandduringthequarterincludedtheETAP HotelinBelfast,whichsoldfor£7.35m), BannatyneHealthClubinHolywood,for £3.5m,andHomebaseinOrritorRoadRetail ParkinCookstown,whichwentfor£3m.

“Ithasbeen a slowstartto2024forthe Northern Irelandcommercialpropertymarket intermsofoverallinvestmentlevels,but

inflationarypressure iseasingandmarket sentimentisimprovingfollowingthewelcome return oftheNorthern IrelandExecutive,”Brian Lavery, managingdirector, CBRENI,said.

“With90%ofcompaniescommittedto re-establishingtheirphysicalpresencebythe endoftheyear, theofficemarketisin a more stabilisedpositionand,withseveraldealsgoing intolegals recently, thishopefullysignals a positive2024ahead.

“TheendoftheStormonthiatushas releasedthehandbrakethathasbeenon thecommercialpropertymarket,creating a more certainandattractiveenvironmentfor investorsanddeveloperstoturn challengesinto opportunities.”

Thelargestinvestmentsectorsofarthisyear hasbeen retail, representingnearly60%ofthe totalinvestmentspendfollowedbyalternatives at20%andofficesat17%,CBRENIsaid.

“DomesticNorthern Irelandinvestorscontinue tobethelargestinvestorswithinthemarket, representing83%ofthetotalinvestmentspend overthequarter

“Newenquiriesforlargeindustrialunitsare on therisebutwithvacancylevelslowinexisting developments,thechallenge remainsin finding newsuitablesites”.

MrLaverysaid:“We warnedinJanuarythat three-quartersofBelfast’s officestockmay becomeobsoleteby2030duetoupcoming EPC(EnergyPerformanceCertificate) legislation.Thatisclearly resonatingwith themarketas a numberofcompaniesare searchingfornewspacethatmeetstheirESG goalsdespiteexistingleasesnotexpiringfor a numberofyears.

“Thehotelsectorhasmaintainedits momentumfromtheendoflastyearwith a strongstartto2024,whileithasbeen somethingof a mixedbagfor retail,with themarket remaininghealthydespite a few administrationsbeing reported.Theout-oftown retailwarehousesectorcontinuesto performwell,asdoesthefoodandbeverage market.

“Trendsintheindustrialandlogisticssector remainconsistentwith2023’s picture whereby enquiries remainhighbutsuitablesitesare lacking,andvacancylevels remainlowin existingdevelopments.

“Obsolescence remains a threatforolderassets andthere couldbe refinancingchallengesfor loansthat reachmaturityoverthenext12 months,withmanylikelytohaveoriginated in a verydifferentinterestenvironmentand againstthebackdropofcontrasting realestate marketconditions.” ■

CostofanUlsterFrydropsby0.9%

ThecostofanUlsterFryhasfallen slightlyasinfationamongmany goodsanditemssoftens.

That’s accordingtotheUlsterBank’s latest annualbusinessbarometer, whichchartsthe costofthecomponentsofthepopularhearty breakfast.

Richard Ramsey’s researchtoproducethe annualUlsterFryIndexfoundthere was a 0.9% dropoverallinthepriceof a fry’s constituent partsinthe12monthstotheendofFebruary

Itfollowslastyear’s record-breakingincreasein thepriceofthebreakfastfavouriteasspiralling foodpriceinfationtookhold.

Pricesacrossitemssuchas butter, bacon,coffeeand milkfell,whiletheaverage costof a loafofbread rose alongsideporksausages, margarineandeggs.

MrRamseyproducesthe indexannuallytocoincide withthebank’s sponsorshipof theBalmoralShow, whichtakesplace inMay

Andthebank’s agriculture managerCormac McKerveysaidheavyrainwasthebiggest

challengecurrentlyfacingfarming,affecting theplantingofcropsaswellaslambingand calvingprocesses.

Thisyear’s UlsterFryIndex refectsthe slowdownintherateoffoodprice infation – thoughthetrenddoesn’t applyacrosstheboard.

Richard Ramseysaysthatwhile foodinfationhaseasedslightly, itisstillcausing a concern for households.

“We knowthatfoodmakesup a signifcant proportionofhouseholdspendingandisalso oneofourmostimportanteconomicdrivers intermsofthelocalfoodanddrink industry So,understandinghow thepriceofthesepopular fooditemschangeoffers a usefulinsightintothestate oftypicalhouseholdfnances andalsotheoverallhealthof theagri-foodindustry

“WhattheUlsterFryIndexis tellingusisthatwhilethepriceof everydayhouseholdessentialssuchas butterandmilkhavefallen,theyare still a longwayoff theirpreviouspositions,andthis iscontinuingtoput a squeezeonconsumer spendingpowers.

“Whileitmayappeartobegoodnewsinitially, the realityisthatmanyofthesepricedecreases are toosmallandinsignifcanttofully register atthecheckoutandit’s clearthat manyhouseholdsare still strugglingtocontendwith ongoingcostpressures onwhatwouldbe consideredasbasic, everydayhousehold items.”

CormacMcKerveysaid: “Twelvemonthsagothis sectorwasdealingwithfnancial pressuresbroughtaboutbyrisinginputcosts andfallingmilkprices.Despitesomeofthe fnancialburdenseasing,manyfarmersare still operatinginchallengingtimesparticularlythe weather

“Continuoushighrainfallthroughoutlate2023 andearly2024hashad a worryingimpactand willcausediffcultiesforlambingandcalving, forarablefarmerstryingtoplantspringcrops, andinterruptthefertilisingscheduleforthose involvedinsilageproduction.

“Allofthismaycausecashfowissuesandwe willbeengagingwiththosecustomersand identifyingwhere wecanprovideadditional supporttoalleviatesomeofthemore upfront costpressures.” ■

TitanicBelfast: freshinternationalacclaimfor jewelinNI’stourismcrown

TitanicBelfast haswelcomedovereightmillionvisitorsthroughitsdoorssince 2012,aswellasundergoingsignifcantcontinuedinvestmentinitstourismoffering. It’snowbeengivenatopgongthatplacesitalongsidethelikesofDisney World,and isrevampingitsproductonceagaininabidtoboostvisitornumbers,accordingto chiefexecutive

TitanicBelfastiscontinuingona missiontosellitselfasoneofthe jewelsinthetourismcrownherein NorthernIreland.

Andwhileit’sstillbuildingandbouncing backfromtheglobalpandemic,it’snow been regardedamongtheupperechelonsof internationaltourism–alongsidethelikesof Disney World.

It’salsoundergonesignifcantfreshinvestment in revampingitsofferingandgalleriesasit welcomesvisitorsfromthroughouttheUKand Ireland,alongwiththosefromacrossEurope, theUS,Asiaandbeyond.

“Intermsoftheinvestment,thisissomething we’vealwayshadplanned,”JudithOwens, TitanicBelfastchiefexecutive,says.“From dayonewe’vesetasidefundsto refreshour galleriesthroughouroperatoragreementwith MaritimeBelfast Trust.

“Ibelieveit’soneofthe reasonswehave hadcontinuedsuccess.Theoriginalplanwas todevelopthisbeforeCovid,butitgotin theway,andwethenheldoffto rebuildthe business.”

Butwhentheprojectcametofruitionit was rewardedforthatinvestmentafter walkingawayfortheTHEA Awardfor OutstandingAchievement– VisitorExperience Re-envisioned:LimitedBudgetfromthe internationalassociation representingthe

world’sleadingcreators,developers,designers andproducersofcompellingplacesand experiencesfromaroundtheworld. It’sthesecondtimeit’sbeen recognisedby theThemedEntertainmentAssociation(TEA), havingwonthe VisitorCentreOutstanding Achievement Awardin2014.

“Thereisalotofcompetitionoutthere,” Judithsays.“Weoperateonacompletely globalstageandthat’swhysuchindustry awardsareimportant.

“It reallygetsthatmessageouttherethatthis issomethingspecial. We’recompetingwith placesallovertheworld.Accoladeslikethis canmeansomeonestickingapinthemapand travellingacrosstheglobetovisit.”

JudithheadsupTBLInternationalLtd,which alsooperatestheSSNomadicandnearby TitanicExhibitionCentre.

“Wetakeastrategicapproachtotheawards weenter”Judithsays.“Eachofthemtakesa

JudithOwensMBE

JudithOwensMBE,chiefexecutiveof TitanicBelfastalongwithOperaAmsterdamacceptingtheTHEA

LimitedBudget,inHollywood,US

lotoffocus,timeandeffortfromourstaff.It’s importantforusandcredibilityisabigpartof thisbusiness.

“TheTHEA Awardsaren’tconsumer-facing, butbeingabletostandshoulder-to-shoulder withthelikesofUniversalStudiosand Disneywhenyou’refromNorthernIrelandis incredible.

“Wewerealsoaskedtodooneofthekeynote speechata recentmajorindustryconference intheUS.

“Wealwayssay,wearen’tthebiggestplayer intheattractionindustry,butwepunchwell aboveourweight.

“Aprojectlike TitanicBelfastin a countrywhich isdevelopingitstourismofferingisimportant – there are lotsofthemeparksatpopular destinationsacrosstheworld.

“Touroperatorsaregettingbackouttothe market.Oursalesteamdidmorethan600 face-to-facecallswithleisureoperators,we alsohaddozensofsalesandbusinessmissions ontopofthat.

“Whenwegooutandothersgooutit’sabout sellingNorthernIreland.Butdemandsare

highandpeoplewantmore–theywanta real experience,somethingwhichmakesthemstay longerandalsohavemoreofalegacyand economicimpact.”

Likemanyotherattractionsandbusinesses, TitanicBelfastwasshutforashorttimeamid thepandemic.AndJudithsaysthatledto considerablepentupdemandinthemarket, resultinginbigvisitornumberswhenthedoors reopened.

“Thisyearhasbeenoneofthebesttrading periodssincewe reopened,”shesays.

Judithsaysit’sthedomesticmarketwhichhas really respondedsince TitanicBelfast reopened itsdoors,whileotherinternationalmarketsare stillplayingcatchup.

“Attheheightofthesummerseasonbefore Covidaround90%ofvisitorswouldbefrom outsideofNorthernIreland.Now,it’smadeup morefromthoseclosertohome.

“TheUSmarkethascomebackfairlystrong butmarketssuchasGermanyandSpain aremuchslowerthantheyshouldbe,while emergingmarketssuchasAsiaarenotback.”

Judithsaysthepastsummerwas Titanic

Belfast’sbusiesttodate.“Thatwas driveninpartbybadweather–outdoor attractionsacrosstheUKdidn’tdoaswell, whileindoorsmashedit.”

Andonthebusinessside,Judithsaysthe corporatemarket remains“reallystrong” alongwithbuoyantbookingsforbanquets, awardsanddinners.

“Italwayshastobeaboutquality,”Judith says.“Wedoneincrediblywellbutyou havetostayaheadofthegame.Thereis always roomtoimproveandgrow.

“Thebusinesswillcomeifyourexperience isrightandyouareprovidingthatstand outproductinthemarket.

“Youhavetostayattheforefrontofthe attractionindustryandwecontinuallywork todothat–thebusinesscomeswiththat.”

Judithsays TitanicBelfastisworkingto developanotherproductthisyearand workingalongsideindustrypartnersand otherswithinthesector.

“It’saboutbringingsomedisruptive partnersintomakeusthinkdifferently,” shesays. n

AwardforOutstandingAchievement VisitorExperienceRe-envisioned:

Openreachinvestingmorethan £100mtoextendUltrafastFull Fibreconnectivityto97%ofNI

GarretKavanagh,directorat Openreach inNorthernIreland, talksaboutthemajorinvestmentannouncementwhichwill connect97%ofcommunitiesacrossNorthernIreland

Openreach,Northern Ireland’s largest broadbandnetworkprovider, has announceditscommitmentto investover£100mtoexpandandmaintain itsUltrafastFullFibre networkconnecting more than100,000additionalhomesand businesses,includingextendingits reach intothemostruralpartsofNorthern Ireland.

AsdirectorofOpenreach,GarretKavanagh overseesthisambitiousextensiontotheFull Fibre rollout.

“Thisyearwe’vecontinuedtobuildournew networkandourpurposeandstrategyat Openreach remainthesame,”Garretsays.

“We keepNorthern Irelandconnectedand we’re buildingthenextgenerationofdigital infrastructure,alreadyprovidingover87%of propertiesacrossNorthern Irelandwiththe abilitytoupgradetoUltrafastFullFibre.

“Thisfurther£100minvestmentprogramme willsignifcantlyextendtheOpenreach footprintinNorthern Irelandto97%without theneedforanyadditionalgovernment funding,takingoverallFullFibre coverage acrossthe regiontoaround99%.

Core tothisinvestmentisOpenreach’s commitmenttoensuringNorthern Irelandhas a future-proofbroadbandnetworkcapableof meetingeverincreasingdemands.

“We’re veryfocusedonourgoal,becausewe knowitwilldeliverthebestpossibleoutcome forourcustomersandhelppowerNorthern Ireland’s growthandambitionforthedecades ahead,”Garretsays.

“Thedigitalfuture ofNorthern Irelandis extremelypositive. Weremainthemost connected regionintheUK,supportinginward investment,andthisexpansionprogramme willallowfor a focusonprovidingaccesstoan increasednumberofhard-to-reachruralareas thattraditionallyhavemore limitedaccessto a fastand reliablebroadbandconnection.”

Openreach’s ambitiousplanextensionis centraltoNorthern Ireland’s digitalfuture and economicgrowth.

“We’re delightedtobeannouncingthis signifcantinvestmenttoourcommercialbuild programme.Thisfnalpushwillcontinueto have a transformativeimpactseenrightacross Northern Ireland,withsomevery remoterural areasbeingabletoaccessFullFibre technology forthefrsttime.

“Thistechnologyopensupendless opportunities.Bysupportingbusiness anddomesticaccesstotherightlevelof connectivity regardlessoflocation,peoplehave improvedchoicesonwhere toliveandwork, whichwillinturn accelerate a rebalancing ofgrowthacrossoururbanandlocalrural communities.

“Itwillalsosupport a sustainablefuture with

GarretKavanagh,directorat OpenreachinNorthernIreland

more andmore peopleabletoworkfexibly leadingtolesscongestionandlesseningthe otherassociatedimpactsofmasscommuting onourenvironment.

“We’re seriousaboutbeing a more responsible business,andhere inNorthern Irelandwe alreadyhave100electricvehiclesonthe road, withmanymore tojointhefeetthisyear

“We’re reducingourenergyconsumption andwastebyusinggoodsthatare from

recycledsourcesandbypartneringwithour keysupplierstocutpackagingandsingleuse plasticsfromoursupplychain. We’veeven begunourfrstsolarpanelspilotatoneofour exchangesandare proudthatweuse100% renewablepower.”

TheaddedinvestmenttotheOpenreachbuild programmewillmeanthatOpenreachcan continuetoinvestintheirpeople.

Garretsays:“Asever, our1,000peopleare

We keep Northern Ireland connectedand we’re building the next generationofdigitalinfrastructure, already providing over 87% ofpropertiesacross Northern Ireland withthe ability to upgrade to Ultrafast Full Fibre. This further £100m investmentprogramme willsignifcantly extend the Openreach footprintin Northern Ireland to 97% without the need for any additional government funding, taking overall Full Fibre coverage across the region to around 99%.

attheheartofourbusiness. We continueto investheavilyintraininganddevelopingour existingworkforce,we’vealready retrained hundredsofcopper-skilledengineerstowork onournewFullFibre networkandwe’ve madesubstantialprogressonbecomingmore inclusiveanddiverse. We knowthisis a long journeyfor a businessandindustrylikeours, butwe’re committedtobuilding a workplace thatfully representsthecommunitiesweserve acrossNorthern Ireland.”

Openreachisdeterminedandleadingtheway tobuilding a better, faster, andmore connected future foreveryoneinNorthern Ireland. Alreadywellestablishedas a core utilitywithin communities,UltrafastFullFibre isenjoyed bymore than50%ofpeopleonournetwork here andtheinfrastructure isinplaceformany more endcustomerstospeaktotheirservice providersaboutupgradingtheirbroadband connection. ■

To fndoutifyoucanupgradetoUltrafastFull Fibre,visitwww.openreach.co.uk

PwC adoptingnew ‘allIreland’ model

ProfessionalservicesgiantPwCsaysit willbeadopting a new“allIreland” modelasconfidenceincrossborder opportunitiesstrengthens.

PwCUKandPwCIrelandhavesaidtheyare buildingclosertiesthroughanagreement whichwillseethe firmscollaborateacrosstheir combinedbusinesses.

WitheffectfromJuly, thePwCnetworkwill takean‘allIreland’approachservicingclients acrossIreland.

PwCsaidthatthenewarrangement reflects confidenceinthegrowthprospectsfor businessesacrosstheislandofIrelandandwill strengthenitsabilitytodeliverforclients.

Itsaidthatthemoveissettobenefit internationalbusinesseswith a footprinton Ireland,withexpertsonbusinesspracticesand regulationsonbothsidesoftheborderworking closertogethertoprovideadvice.Thenew

arrangementisconsistentwiththeapproach takenatotherlarge firmsintheprofessional servicessector, PwChassaid.

CatMcCusker, marketseniorpartnerfor PwCNorthern Ireland,said:“AtPwCweare committedtosupportingourbusinessand ourpeople,aswecontinuetogrowatpaceto meetincreasedclientdemandacrosstheisland ofIreland.

“ByaligningourUKandIrishbusinessesweare inanevenstrongerpositiontocontinueour growthintheyearsahead.“Withourclients facing a convergenceofincreasinglycomplex challenges,frommacroeconomicvolatilityand geopoliticalthreatstoclimateactionandthe riseofGenAI,theinvestmentfromboth firms inan‘allIreland’modelhelpsallbusinessacross bothsidesoftheborderbybringingtogether thediversityandskillsthatare requiredtohelp ourclientscontinuetotransformandgrow.”

EndaMcDonagh,managingpartnerforPwC

Ireland,said:“Thiscloseralignment reflects PwC’s confidenceinthegrowthprospectsfor businessesacrosstheislandofIreland.

“Thiscollaboration,combinedwith recent investmentsinourPwCPrivatepractice,is furtherdemonstrationofPwC’s commitmentto privatebusinessandtoclientsinthesector “It providesPwCwith a realopportunitytowork withourclientsinlocalmarkets,usinglocal people,bybringingtogetherthestrengthof ourhuman-led,technology-enabledsolutions acrossbothNorthern IrelandandtheRepublic ofIreland.”

Aspartofthisagreement,PwCIrelandwilltake overtheUK firm’s auditpracticeinNorthern Irelandin a movethatisbeingdrivenby regulatoryandclientneeds.

Thenewmodelwillbringtogetheraround 7,500staff andpartnersfromeightoffices acrossNorthern IrelandandtheRepublicof Ireland. ■

CatMcCusker

BA NK ING& BUSI NE SS FI NA NC E

Notatthisrate…

Sponsoredby

Arewedueanimminentdropininterestrates andwhatmightthismeanforconsumersand businessesinNorthernIreland? PavelBarter speakstotheexpertstofndout

NorthernIrelandeconomistspredict thatinterestratesmaydropas muchasapercentagepointto 4.25%bytheendofthisyearandbelow 3.25%bytheendof2025.

ThepredictionsfollowcommentsfromAndrew Bailey,governoroftheBankofEngland(BoE), whosignalled“encouragingsigns”that infationisfallingandindicatedtheBank’s MonetaryPolicyCommittee(MPC)doesnot needto reachits2%infationtargetinorder tocutinterestratesfrom5.25%:thehighest theyhavebeenfor16years.

“We’llprobablyseethebankinterestrateback at4.25%attheendoftheyear,”Richard Ramsey,chiefeconomist,NorthernIreland,at UlsterBank,says.

“Ithinkbytheendof2025we’llbelookingat about3.5%.”Andrew Webb,chiefeconomist atGrantThornton,predictedevenlowerrates inthelongterm:“Bytheendof2025,the consensusisthatitwillbearound3%,maybe hoveringaround3.25%.Thatcouldbring positivechangetopeoplewhoareimpacted.”

DrEsmondBirnie–senioreconomistatUlster UniversityandamemberoftheNorthern IrelandFiscalCouncil–struckanoteof caution.“Some reductionlateronin2024is likelybutmaybenotbyasmuchaspeoplehad previouslyhoped.It’s5.25%atthemoment. Iwouldn’texpectmorethan0.5%declineby theendofthisyear.”

TheBank’sbaserate roseintandemwithhigh infation.ButinFebruaryinfationdroppedto 3.4%,followed recentlybyarateof3.2%.

InMarch,globalconsultancyfrmKantar

indicatedthatgrocerypricedinfationhad fallento4.5%,itslowestlevelsinceFebruary 2022(downfromapeakof17%inMarch 2023).Initsannual report, Tescoannounced foodinfationhas“lessenedsubstantially”.

“Theinfationstoryhasdramaticallyimproved overthelastnumberofmonths,”Andrew Webbsays.“Itfeelsasthoughhighinterest ratesarebehindusandwecanstartthinking aboutcuttingtheratesnow.”

RichardRamseypredictsinfationfgures “atorcloseto2%”areimminent.“Atthe turnofthisyear,orearlynextyear,wecould seethemgoingbelow1%whichisbelow theMPC’starget.TheBankofEnglandis thinking,‘Ifinfationisfalling,weneedtostart reducinginterestratesbecausehigherratesare slowingdowntheeconomyandimpactingon consumerandhouseholdspending’.”

Businessgroupswelcomelowerinterestrates, whichbringwiththemacheaperlending environment.Lowerratesmightimprove borrowing,encourageinvestmentsinthe movetowardnetzero,tacklelabourmarket challenges,andprovideanantidotetohigh corporationtax.Lowerinterestratesarealso alignedtoanupsurgeinconsumersentiment.

Around70%oftheNorthernIrelandeconomy is reliantonconsumerspending.“Afallin interestratesimprovesthefeelgoodfactor oftheeconomyandthewillingnessamongst consumerstoinvest:changethecar,upgrade thekitchen,”Andrewsays.“Ifthemortgage marketimproves,ithelpswiththegeneral economiccycleandcreatesupbeatsentiment.”

Buttheimpactofhighinterestrateshasyet

tobefeltbysomehouseholders.Duringthe pandemic,theFedcutratestoalmost0%. Householdersonfxedratemortgageswho purchasedhomeswhenrateswerelowwill eventuallybelumpedwithhigherrates.“Three yearsagomystepdaughtergotafve-year fxedratemortgageat1.69%,”Richard Ramseysays.“Intwoyearstimeshe’sgoing to rolloffthatfxedrateandshe’sprobably goingtobeinthe4%mark–atbest3%–

morethandoubletherateshe received.Ifyou havea recentmortgage,you’regoingtogeta betterdealasmortgagerateswillbefalling.”

Pricesarenotgoingbackwardsonthe supermarketshelves.Despitethefallinfood infation,foodprices remain25%higherthan theyweretwoyearsago:“andwe’renot goingtoseefoodpricescutby25%tobring thembacktowheretheywerebeforeour

currentinfationaryspike,”Richardsays.

Highinterestrateshavehadsomeadvantages, however.Theybroughtwiththemhighsavings rates.“That’soneareathatsometimesgets neglectedintheinterestratesstory,”suggests Andrew Webb.“Peoplewhohavehadthe abilitytosavehavebeenenjoyinghigher interestratesontheirdepositssothat’sbeen welcome.Buthighermortgagerateshave

GovernoroftheBankof EnglandAndrewBailey signalledencouragingsigns thatinfationisfalling

offsetthebeneftfromhighersavingsrates.”

TheInternationalMonetaryFund(IMF)has indicatedthatalthoughinfationisfalling, governmentsshould removeburdensome regulationsandimproveaccesstocapitalin ordertoboostgrowthandavoida“sluggish anddisappointingdecade”,whichKristalina Georgieva,managingdirectorofthe InternationalMonetaryFund(IMF),described>

TheBankofEngland’sheadquarters intheCityofLondon

as“thetepidtwenties”.Theriskof stagnatinginfationisevidentintheUKtoo, DrEsmondBirniesays.“Thecoreinfation rate[ameasureofinfationthatexcludes volatilepricessuchasfoodandenergy]is 5%or6%. Wagegrowthcontinuestobe rapidintheUKeconomy.That’swhyI’mnot convincedtheMPCisgoingtogoforalarge numberof reductionsinthelaterpartofthis year.Therewillprobablybemoremodest reductions.”

Localandglobaldisruptionsalsothreatento upsettheapplecart.Theseincludeelections intheUKandUnitedStates.“We’re headingintoanuncertaintimepolitically,” Andrew Webbsays.“Ageneralelection laterthisyearintheUKwillmeanachange ofgovernment,oradifferentconstructof government,sothat’sanuncertainpartof themix.”

TheBankofEnglandnoteddisruptionto shippinglanesintheRedSea.“Although shippingcostshavestartedtocomedown fromwheretheywereanumberofweeks ago,”saysRichard.“Theyarenowherenear wheretheywereduringthepeakofthe pandemicwhenyoucouldn’tgetgarden furniture,ftnessequipmentandsoon, becauseofsupplychaindisruptionsand becausemanufacturingproductionlineswere shutdown.”

TheBankofEnglanddescribedtheconfict intheMiddleEastasa“materialrisk”inthe statusofinterestrates. Tensionsbetween IranandIsraelarecompoundedbyfearsof aChineseinvasionof Taiwan.“Warstendto beaccompaniedbyinfation,”Richardsays. “WesawthatwhenRussiainvadedUkraine. Anescalationofwarsbringwiththemmore infationarypressures.”

Whenarewelikelytoseeadropininterest rates?TheBankofEngland’sMonetary PolicyCommittee(MPC)isduetohold anothermeetingtovoteoninterestratesin May.ButRichardRamseythinkstheBankis unlikelytostartcuttingratesuntilAugust: “We’reonthevergeofinterestratecuts butIdon’tthinkwewillnecessarilygetthat untilthesummer”.AndrewBaileydescribed itas“reasonable”toassumethatfnancial marketswerepreparingfortwoorthree ratescutsin2024.“Iamencouraged,”he said.

However,anyoneexpectinga returntothe bargainbasementlowsoftheearlypandemic maybedisappointed.“Peopleshouldn’t thinkwearegoingtogobacktothose abnormallowswhenbankrateswereat 0.1%,”RichardRamseysays.“Thatwasa freakoccurrence.” ■

Fibrustorolloutfullfbreto 81,000homesbynextsummer

Fibrussaysit’sontargetto rollout fastfullfbrebroadbandtosome 81,000homesherebynextsummer.

Morethan74,000homesandbusinesses acrossNorthernIrelandnowhaveaccesstofull fbrebroadbandfollowinga roll-outofProject Stratumbybroadbandprovider,Fibrus.

ItwasawardedtheGovernmentcontractin November2020toimproveconnectivityfor premisesunabletoaccessbroadbandservices of30megabitspersecond,inthemostrural areasofNorthernIreland.

Downand Tyronecurrentlyhavethehighest numberofconnectedpremises,almost28,000 and24,000 respectively,withafocusonthe last remainingareatoconnect, Templepatrick.

“Thisprojecthasbeenahugesuccessfor bothourselvesandthedepartmentinterms oftheimpactthisishavingontheruralhomes andbusinessesthatweareservingwithnew fullfbreinfrastructure,”DominicKearns,cofounderandchiefexecutiveofFibrus,said.

“Ruralcommunitiesareattheheartof ourbusinessandwe’vemadeasignifcant

contributiontoallareaswe’vebroughtourfull fbreinfrastructureto,throughjobcreation, communitydonations,sponsorshipsand volunteertime.

“Wewereawardedthiscontractjusttwo yearsafterlaunchingFibrus.Atthetimewe werebestplacedandmostdriventodeliver thisprojectasquicklyaspossibleforallthose peopleinneedofa reliablebroadbandservice, regardlessofwheretheylive.

“Now,threeandahalfyearsintotheproject, we’reextremelyproudofthespeedandquality ofourdeliveryofProjectStratum. Witha yeartogowe’rewellontracktocomplete ourtargetofconnectingmorethan81,000 premisesandlevellingupaccesstofullfbre broadbandthelengthandbreadthofNorthern Ireland.”

ShaneHaslem,chiefoperatingoffceratFibrus, said:“Whenacustomer receivesourservice andcomparesittothelastservicetheyhad fromaproviderusingtheoldcoppernetwork, theycanseethedifferenceinstantly.Because ofthisourbrandisgrowingandpeoplelove the reliabilityandspeedthatafullfbreservice givesthem.”

ManagedbytheDepartmentforthe Economy(DfE),with£175mofBritish Governmentfundingunderthesuperfast programme,alongwithadditionalfunding fromDfEandtheDepartmentofAgriculture, EnvironmentandRuralAffairs,Project Stratumisthelargestpubliclyfunded telecommunicationsinfrastructureprojectof itskindinNorthernIreland,putinplaceto levelupNorthernIreland’sbroadbandaccess andconnectunderservedareas.

“ProjectStratumhastransformedthe connectivityprospectsforpremiseswithout accesstonextgenerationinfrastructure,” EconomyMinisterConorMurphysaid.

“Alongwithongoingcommercialinvestment, thisinterventionhas reducedthedigital dividebetweenruralandurbanareasandhas helpedimprove regionalbalanceinmuchneededbroadbandavailability.

“Iwelcomethecompletionoftheservices deliveredbyFibrustoeligiblepremisesin theRandalstownarea,andIlookforward toseeingthecompletionofthe remaining areasoverthe restoftheProjectStratum contract.” ■

Financinggrowthandseizing opportunitieswithBankofIreland

BankofIreland’sdedicatedBusinessBankingteamsharessomeinsightand expertise,including MarkCunningham,headofregionalbusinesscentres, Liz McKee,headofcommercialfnanceand PaulMcClurg,headofBelfastbusiness banking,alongsideUKeconomist, AlanBridle

Thereareencouragingindications fromthelatestdataandbusiness surveysthattheeconomyis growingagainfollowinga“shallow” recessioninthelatterhalfoflastyear.

AlanBridle,UKeconomistatBankofIreland says:“Thisyear’sforecastshowsamoderate increaseinGDP.Fouroutoffvebusinessesare reportingstability,orgrowthandproftability, housepricesarestableandunemployment ratesarelow.

“ThelatestPMIsurveyssuggestprivatesector sentimentinNIisimproving.There’san expansionofactivityparticularlyintheservices andmanufacturingsectorsand,theoverall trendfornet recruitment remainspositive.

“Beyondthedata,newpost-Brexittrading arrangementscontinuetoevolve,the restorationofStormonthasimprovedbusiness andconsumerconfdence,andall-island businessactivitycontinuestogrow.

“Thatsaid,thecostofdoingbusinessisvery challenging.Businessesfaceincreasedlabour costs,signifcantbusinessraterises,andhigher energyandothercostssuchasinsurance.And forbusinessestradingininternationalmarkets, the renewedconfictintheMiddleEastand ensuingcrisesintheRedSeahavecaused supplychaindisruptionandhighershipping costs,bothofwhichcanimpactcostsand deliverytimes.”

Supportwithactivecashmanagement

Post-pandemicmanybusinesseshavestrong levelsofliquidity.Cashanddepositsheldby businessesintheNorthernIrelandbanking

system rosebyapproximately£4bnduringthe Covid-19pandemic,boostedbygovernment supportschemesandeitherpostponedor delayedinvestment. Withmorehealthy balancesheets,manybusinessesacross NorthernIrelandarelookingforwaystomake theirmoneyworkharderforthemandactive cashmanagementhasbecomeimportantfor fnancialcontrollersafteralongperiodofnearzerointerestrates.

Financialpartner

MarkCunningham,headof regionalbusiness centres,BankofIrelandsays:“BankofIreland hasbeenachampionofenterpriseand entrepreneurshipinNorthernIrelandforalmost 200yearsandthat’sbecausewehavebeen abletodelivertherightproductsattheright timestoensureourcustomerscanmaximise everyopportunity.

“Nowmorethanever,we’refocusedon buildingstronger relationshipswithallofour customers-whetherlong-standingornew tothebank–sothatwecanhelpthemgrow theirbusiness,expandtonewmarkets,and thriveintothefuture.

“Ourall-islandofferingensuresthatour customerscanbesupportedbyourpeople, ourproductsandourservicesacrossIreland, NorthernIrelandand,wecanhelpbusinesses throughoutthe restoftheUKtoo.”

Deposits

“Wehavedevelopedastrongofferingfor companieswhoarefundingtheirgrowth strategiestoensuretheirmoneyworks harderforthem,”Marksays.“Acrossoursix businessbankingteamswehavededicated depositexpertswhocanassistanybusinessin

AlanBridle, UKeconomist, BankofIreland

BankofIrelandBusinessBankingteam’sLizMcKee,headofcommercialfnance,PaulMcClurg, headofBelfastbusinessbankingandMarkCunningham,headofregionalbusinesscentres

maximisingthe returnontheirmoneyand,we havethedriveandambitiontobetheleading bankforbusinessdepositsacrossNorthern Ireland.

“Inthepast12months,ourteamshave deliveredbespokesolutionstobusinesses acrosstheprivate,publicandnotforproft sectorsand,wealsohaveaveryexperienced GlobalMarketsteambasedhereinBelfast whichisavailabletoprovidemulti-currency solutionstobusinesses,guidingandsupporting themastheytradeacrosstheworld.”

Businessdevelopment PaulMcClurg,headofBelfastBusiness Banking,BankofIreland,says:“Our experiencedBusinessBankingteamssupport localbusinessambitionswitharangeof productstofnanceworkingcapitaland stockingneeds,alongwithtailoredandfexible debtstructurestosupportacquisitiongrowth.

“Wehaveexpertsacrossthemotor, retail, hotel,hospitality,manufacturingandagri-food

sectors.Thisensureswehaveanin-depth knowledgeandunderstandingofsectoral trends,challenges,andopportunities,and canputthatknowledgetoworkforour customers.”

Refectingthehealthylevelofconfdence intheeconomy,inthelatterhalfof2023 andinto2024,BankofIrelandhasprovided supportformultipleacquisitionsand managementbuy-outsasbusinessesfulfl theirstrategicgrowthambitions,expandtheir customerbase,enternewmarkets,oracquire talentandexpertise.

“We recentlyprovidedonelocalcompany withamulti-million-poundunsecuredterm debttransactiontohelpwithanacquisitionin theRepublicofIreland,”Paulsays.“Withour all-islandoffering,weprovidedtheproducts andexpertiseacrossIrelandnorthandsouthto provideaseamlesstransaction.

“Therehasalsobeennotableactivityin themanagementbuy-outspace.A recent

completioninthemotorsectorsawthe incumbentmanagementteampurchase thebusinessshareholdingwithablended structureofcash,andamulti-million-pound premisesloan. We havealsoprovideda multi-million-poundunsecuredtermloan transactiontofundthemanagementbuy-out ofanequipmentsupplieraswellasfurther signifcantworkingcapitalto refnance banking requirementsandassistgrowth.

“Ourlocalteammanagedthedealstructure, ensuringsuffcientworkingcapitalandfree cashfowwereavailableforday-to-day operations,whileminimisingtheimpactof managementchangeandthelevelofequity input required.”

Commercialfnanceforday-to-day fundingandgrowth

LizMcKee,headofcommercialfnance,Bank ofIrelandsays:“Ourcommercialfnance teamhasbeenprovidingcustomisedfunding solutionstoourcustomersformorethan 30years. We helpourclientsaccessfunds quicklytoincreasetheirpurchasingpower. We proactivelyidentifytheirchangingfunding needsbasedonseasonalandsectoraltrends andprovideadvicetohelpthemfexibly managetheirfundingelements.

“Forcustomerswhoneedtopre-emptsupply chainissuesandstockupforpeaksales periodsattherightprice,wecanprovideup tosixmonthscreditonthosepurchases,and forotherswhoneedtobridgeacashfowgap betweensellingtotheircustomersandbeing paid,wecanfundthatgapbypayingour customersonthedayinvoicesareraised.”

Alocalteam

“Weofferourcustomerstheconvenience ofonlinebankingfortheirday-to-dayneeds withtheguidanceofourlocalteamwhen theyneedit,”Lizsays.“Ourbusinessbanking colleaguescanofferhelpwitheverything frombusinessdevelopmentthroughtonew andincreasedbankingfacilities,makinglocal decisionstodriveourcustomers’successacross NorthernIrelandandbeyond.” ■

To fndouthowourdedicatedbusinessteam cansupportyourbusiness,fndyourlocal BankofIrelandbusinessbankingmanagerat bankofrelanduk.com/business-team

Raven expands with complementar y acquisitions

Boutiqueinvestmentbanking, managementconsultancyand wealthmanagementservices frmRaven,hasconsolidated a number ofmarketleadingprofessionaladvisors intoonebusiness – offeringclients a completerangeofcomplementaryservices tosupportthefulllifecycleofcompany growthandwealthcreation.

Raven,whichisheadquarteredinBelfast,has broughttogether a teamofexperiencedand seasonedbusinesspartnersfromacrossthe businessadvisoryandtransactionallandscape.

CraigHolmes(managingpartner)andRichard Moorehead(partner, Raven Transactions) camefromHNHwhichtheybothco-founded andbringsignifcantM&Aandprivateequity transactionalexperience.

RyanPriceandAlisonPrice(partners,Raven Consulting)formerlyworkedinthe‘Big Four’for12andeightyears respectively before foundingBusinessAdvisorySolutions –a consultancypracticewhichhasdelivered adviceandoperationalsupportforbusiness informationsystemstolocalandinternational clientsformore than14years. Ryan,Alison, andtheircolleaguesnowformtheRaven Consultingteam.

SimonThompson(partner, Raven Wealth) previouslythefounderofCatalystFinancial Planning,nowRaven Wealth,bringswithhim 15years’experienceindeliveringfnancial planningandwealthmanagementadviceto bothprivateandcorporateclients.

JohnHaran(partner, RavenResearch),formerly thefounderandchiefexecutiveofHMC Global,hasactivelyengagedininternational sales,offeringguidanceandoperational assistancetoeconomicdevelopmentagencies worldwideformore than30years.

Thecompanyfocusesonfvekeyareas,

Strategy, Research,Consulting, Transactions, and Wealth,supportingtheirclientswiththe fulllifecycleofservicesorcanbeutilisedfor specifcprojectsas required.

CraigHolmessaid:“We viewStrategyand Researchasthecornerstonesofallgrowthand wealthcreatingactivities.Providing a strategic contextandplan,wepartnerwithdirectors andshareholders,enablingthemtostandback andevaluatewhere thecompanyneedstogo before ourconsultingandtransactionteams assistwiththeimplementationofthatplan.”

RyanPricesaid:“Ourconsultingteamenhance businessvaluethroughIT-enabledoperational improvement.Thisincludes reviewingthe challengesanorganisationmayface;andthe operationalsolutionstheyalreadyhave(or may require)inaddressingthesechallenges. We typicallyassessclients’currentsystems, processes,anddata;identifygaps – andwork withourclientstoenhancetheirexisting operatingmodels/systems,implementnew software solutions,drivedatainsightsand enhanceuserskills.Ouroperationsaddanother servicelinewhichisdesignedtofacilitate growthforRavenclients.”

Richard Mooreheadsaid:“Withinour transactionwork,weworkwithshareholders anddirectorstocreateand realisevalue throughtransactionalactivity Thiswillinclude M&Aadvice(sellingorbuying a business)and raisingdebtorequityfundingforgrowth.”

In respectofthe Wealthoffering,Simon Thompsonsaid:“We area fnancialplanningledfnancialadviceandwealthmanagement frm. We specialiseinprovidingindependent fnancialadviceandpersonalisedfnancialplans aimedatempoweringclarityandconfdenceto bothourprivateandcorporateclients.”

WhileRavenprimarilyoperatesthroughout theUKandIreland,itsinfuencespans internationally, havingadvisedandconducted transactionsanddeliveredconsultancyprojects acrossEurope,NorthAmerica,Asia,and beyond.Additionally, thecompanycurrently has a satelliteoffceinChina.

Thefuture ofRavenwillseeitcontinue toevolve,Craigsays.“Offeringadditional complementaryservicesandgeographiestoour portfolio,willenableustoconstantlyevolve withandforourclientbase.” ■

RyanPriceand RichardMoorehead

NIfirmsseebump acrossthesectors

NorthernIreland’sprivatesector “movedupagear”inMarchas output roseatthefastestratein twoyearsandoutpacedtheUKaverage,a surveyhasclaimed.

Allfourofthemonitoredsectorsof retail, construction,servicesandmanufacturing postedincreasesinactivityduringMarch, accordingtotheUlsterBankpurchasing managers’index(PMI) report.

However,themanufacturingandservices sectorssawthesharpestexpansions.

“NorthernIreland’sprivatesectormovedup agearinMarch,withgrowthinoutput,new

ordersandemploymentallaccelerating,” RichardRamsey,chiefeconomist,Northern Ireland,UlsterBank,said.

“Indeed,itwasthefirsttimein25months thatallfoursectors recordedanincreasein businessactivity.Similarly,allfoursectors postedapick-upinnewordersforthefirst timein33months.”

Successinsecuringnewordersandan improvingdemandenvironmentcontributedto theoutputgrowthseenduringtheperiod.

AccordingtotheMarchPMI,business increasedforthethirdconsecutivemonthand tothegreatestextentinjustovertwoyears.

Theincreaseinneworderswasthesharpestof the12UK regionsandnationsmonitored.

Businessconfidencealso rosetoanear-sixyearhighandwasthesecondstrongest sincetheseriesbeganinMarch2017.

Accordingtothesurvey,firmsalso continuedtoexpandstaffinglevels duringMarch,andtherateofjob creationwasthesharpestinseven months.

Acceleratingincreasesinbothinput costsandoutputpriceswerealso recordedinMarchandwerelinked tohigherwagepressures,whilethe ongoingdisruptionintheRedSea continuedtoaffectsupplychains.

“Encouragingly,asfarasneworders andemploymentareconcerned, NorthernIreland wasthetop

performeramongstthe12UK regions,”Mr Ramseysaid.

“Onalesspositivenote,inflationarypressures andsupplychaindisruptionintensifiedin March.Higherwagesandincreasedshipping chargeswerecitedasfactorsbehindrising inputcosts,which reacheda10-monthhigh.

“Theaccelerationininputcostswasmost apparentwithinconstructionand retail,with thelatterpassingtheseontoitscustomersby raisingpricesattheirfastestrateinayear.

“Ontheotherhand,serviceswastheonly sectortoseeinputcostinflationease.

“TheongoingdisruptionintheRedSeahas contributedtorisingcostsandhaslengthened supplierdeliverytimesforthesecondmonth running.”

Attacksoncommercialcontainerships attemptingtocrossoneoftheworld’sbusiest shippinglaneshave resultedindelaysand increasedshippingcostsastheyare re-routed aroundSouthAfrica’sCapeofGoodHope.

“Butthesechallengeshaven’timpacted onconfidenceinNorthernIreland’sprivate sector,”MrRamseysaid.

“Thisisbecausethescaleofthesechallenges ismodestcomparedtowhattheprivatesector hasexperiencedin recentyears.Indeed,NI firmsaretheirmostoptimisticaboutfuture outputinnearlysixyears.

“Allsectorsstillexpectoutputtobehigher inayear’stime,withmanufacturingitsmost optimisticsincethequestionwasfirstasked sevenyearsago.” ■

RichardRamsey

Howdidyoustartoutinyourbusiness?

You couldsaythefoodmanufacturingsector isinmybloodasmyfatherwasinvolvedin settingupGoldenBake –a leadingpuff pastry manufacturer – andduringtheschoolholidays I wouldhaveworkedonthefactoryfoor.I studiedatDublinBusinessSchoolandwenton toworkin recruitmentsupplyingstaff tofood manufacturingcompanies.

Followingthis I joinedKepak,thenonto GoldenBakeand I amcurrentlytheheadof salesandmarketingatArthurMallonFoods. MallonFoodsisonetheleadingsausage producersinIrelandandweare responsible forsomeofthemost recognisablesausage brandsinthecountry, includingKearns.Our NIsausagebrand,Hafnershasbeen a success storyforusasitisthethird bestsellingsausage here andwehaveplansfor2024thatwillhelp usgrowourmarketshare.

Whathaveyoufoundthemostchallenging duringyouryearsofbusiness,sofar?

Thefoodindustryhasseen a lotofchallenges overthepastnumberofyearsincludingBrexit, Covid,andinfation,toname a few Covid wasthemostchallengingasitaffectedevery partofthebusiness.From a salesperspective wehadtoadapttonewwaysofworking,the mostobviousofwhichisthatourin-person meetings,vitalwhenyouworkinsales,went onlineandsuddenlyeveryonewastalking aboutZoom.Itdoesn’t soundlike a bigdeal butwhenyouare workingwithfood,youneed tomakesure thatyourproductandcompany isbeingpresentedinthebestpossiblewayand formethatisusuallyinperson.

Howwouldyoudescribeyour managementstyle?

I wouldsay I am a collaborativemanager; I lookforinputfromallmyteamsand I like toempowerpeopletodriveideastheyare passionateabout.Whenitcomestomarketing,

Name: StephenO’Carroll

Position: Headofsalesandmarketing, ArthurMallonFoods

I tendtoletthecreativeteamleadand I would have a more handsonapproachwhenitcomes tothesalesprocessandensuingthatweare on trackandhittingourtargets. I feellikeit’s my responsibilitytoensure myteamhaseverything theyneedtodotheirjobssuccessfullyso regularupdateskeepsthingsmovingwhichis vitalin a fast-pacedworkingenvironment.

Whatwouldyouchangeifyoucouldgo backanddoitallagain?

I wouldspeakupmore.Thisadmissionmight comeas a bitofsurprisetothepeoplethat knowmebut I wouldhavebeenquietwhen startingoutinbusiness. I wouldkeepideas tomyselfandbelievethatotherswithmore experienceknewbetter.I thinkifyouhave a goodideayoushouldspeakup,backitupand makesure youare heard.

Howwouldyoulikeyourbusinesstobe remembered?

ArthurMallonshasbeenproducingsausages

since1972anditisthesamenowasitwas backthen – wemakequalityproducts.Quality isattheheartofthebusinessasweonly useIrishporkandhigh-qualityingredients. Consumereatinghabitshavechanged a lot sincethe1970s,andas a businesswehave adapted.Butaslongaswesticktoourpromise tomakequalityproducts,whichweofferat competitiveprices,weknowweare doingthe bestforourcustomers.

Whatpieceofadvicewouldyougiveto a 20-year-oldyou?

Slowdown.Beinthemoment,enjoythenow, travelandseeasmuchoftheworldasyoucan. I havetravelled a lotforworkbutit’s notthe samesogetoutandexplore astheexperience willstandyouingoodsteadforthefuture. Evennow,I canstillfallbackintotheold behaviourandlookaheadtoofaratthenext bigthingorprojectinsteadoftakingstock, enjoyingsuccesseswithmyteamandtimewith myfamily

Thecolumnwithan earforexperience...

Version1acquiresLondon baseddigitalbusiness

Digitaltransformationbusiness Version1hasboughtover aLondon-basedfrmforan undisclosedsum.

Version1,whichemploysaround500peoplein Belfast,hasnowtakenonFarsightConsulting.

FarsightConsultingisaUK-basedcompany withastrongtrack recordindeliveringdigital transformationprojectswithorganisations acrossthepublicsector.

Itheraldsastrongstartto2024for Version1 andmarksanothermilestoneinitsambitious growthstrategy,addingaround€20min revenueandanadditional133people.

Version1alreadypartnerswithFarsighton severallarge-scalegovernmentprojects, andthismovewillprovideacompellingand powerfulvaluepropositiontoallcustomers andprospectsinthisspace.

“Wewarmlywelcomeeveryonefromthe Farsightteamto Version1andareeagerto seethepositiveimpactthatthisacquisition willhaveforourcustomersandpotential customersinthepublicsectorspace,” Tom O’Connor, Version1chiefexecutive,said.

“There’snodoubtthatthisisaperfectmatch oftalent,experience,andexpertisewhichwe havealreadyharnessedacrossseveralprojects thatwealreadycollaborateon.Farsight operatesacloselymatchedmodeltoours,so wewillbeabletoquickly realisethesynergies andpassonthebeneftsstraightawaytoour customers. We lookforwardwithanticipation tomakingthishappen.”

PeteMasters,founderandchairmanof Farsight,said:“We’reexcitedtobejoining Version1. We shareacommonsetof valuesandaspirations,and Version1has demonstratedasimilarcommitmentto

developingpeopleandprovidinghigh-quality servicestocustomers.

“Ourcombinedeffortswillaccelerateour missionwhichhasalwaysbeentosolve complexproblemsinawaythatmakesa realdifferencetousersandtosociety. We’re proudofwhatwe’veachievedsofarandby combiningourcapabilities,wethinkwecan achieveevenmoretogether.”

ThedealissubjecttoclearancebytheNational SecurityandInvestmentAct2021.

Meanwhile, Version1hasalsobeenchosen byEngland’sNationalHighwaysasastrategic long-termpartnerformanagedservicesand collaborationacrossitsinfrastructureand platformsina£47.5mcontractaward.

Theannouncementbuildsonanexisting six-yearpartnershipwithNationalHighways, where Version1hasconsistentlyshown accountabilityandexcellenceindeliveryof transformativecloudadoptionprogrammes, whichinturnhashelpedNationalHighways tokeep roadsmorefree-fowingandenhance roadusersafety.

NationalHighwaysneededalong-term strategiccloudpartnertosupportthedelivery ofitssustainabletransformationjourneyand inturnfacilitateunprecedentedenhancements topublicsafety– reducingaccidentsand savinglives. Version1’sexperienceinagileand modernwaysofworking,particularlyinthe publicsectordemonstratedclosealignment tothevisionand requirementsofNational Highways. ■

Pamela Woods, Version1,CharlotteHurst,FarsightConsulting,EndaDiggins, Version1,Emily Toole, Version1,Pete Masters,FarsightConsultingandZahraZafarani,FarsightConsulting

COMM ERCI AL PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION

Planning: arethings gettingany better?

Fromprocessingtimesstillnothittingtarget,towastewatercapacityacting asabreakondevelopmentandcallsforreformofthesystem,planninghere stillfacesmanychallengesandhurdles,whileoverallprocessingtimesfor mostapplicationsareontheup,writes JohnMulgrew

There’salittlebugintheplanning portalwhich–closetoayearand halfafteritwentlive–I realiseis unlikelyevertobeaddressed.

Whilethe revampedportalisstillsuffering frombeinganimperfectsystem,it’sbeen tweakedandproddedsomewhatsinceit wasfirstintroducedinordertoimproveits functionality.

Butlookingatthewiderlandscape,the latestfiguresfromNISRAshowtheaverage processingtimesforlocalapplicationsduring thefirstninemonthsof2023/24stoodat20.4 weeksonaverage.Thatexceedsthe15week target,andisanincreaseof2.4weeksfrom thesameperiodayearearlier.

However,thereissomeimprovementin dealingwithmajorschemes. Average processingtimeformajorapplicationsbrought toadecisionorwithdrawalduringthefirst ninemonthsof2023/24was44.2weeks acrossallcouncils–adecreaseof16.2weeks comparedwiththesameperiodayearearlier, butstillwellbehindthetargetof30weeks.

&Newtownabbey,FermanaghandOmagh, andArmaghCity,BanbridgeandCraigavon haveachievedthistarget,andthisiswelcome, buttheobjectivehastobewidespread improvement.”

Andlookingatlargerplanningapplications, hesaidit’s“positiveto recognisethatduring thelastquarterthenumber…hasrisen, mirroringimprovementinconstructionoutput overallwhichincreasedby0.8%overthesame period”.

“Planningimpactsallofourlives,andtomeet thedemandforaffordableandsocialhousing, growoureconomyandtakeactiononclimate changethroughnetzeroenergyproduction, weneedwidespreadimprovement,funding and reformofthewholesystem.”

DavidFryisheadofpublicaffairsforthe ConstructionEmployersFederation(CEF).

thathasledtoourcurrenttwo-tiersystem,we firmlybelievethatenoughtimehaspassedto takestockoftheplanningsystemtodayand thechangesthatiturgentlyneeds.

“Frommuchstrongerstatutorytimescales forconsultees,toconsideringtheprincipleof deemedconsentwherestatutoryconsulteesdo not respond,or respondsubstantively,within thetimescalesthatallpartieshaveagreedto, tobringingforwardproposalson reformofthe PACinconjunctionwiththeDepartmentof Justice,weandotherssuchastheNIChamber ofCommerceandRenewableNIhavemade detailedproposalstotheDepartmentfor Infrastructure,whichmustbeconsideredasa matterofprioritybytheInfrastructureMinister andwiderExecutiveifwearetoensurethat wecandeliverthemuchneededeconomic growththatthis regionneeds”.

“Whilethemost recentstatisticsbroadly reflect animprovingpictureintermsofthetimetaken to reachadecisiononanapplication,theystill inmanycasesfallwellshortoftheexisting statutorytimescales,”hetold UlsterBusiness

“Whiletherehasbeenaverysmall reduction inprocessingtimeformajorapplications,the averageof44.2weekslagswellbehindthe 30-weektarget,”MichaelGordon,senior directoratindependentadviser Turley,told UlsterBusiness

“Allcustomersoftheplanningsystemwould liketoseethisextendbeyondasinglequarter intoadefinitive,sustainable,trend. We knowthatthreecouncils,includingAntrim

“Thatiswhy,withanNIExecutiveand Assemblybackinplace,webelieveitisvital thatakeydeliverableoverthe remaining ofthismandateisfundamental reformto aplanningsystemwhich,atthisstage,the homebuildingandwiderconstructionindustry haslittleconfidencein.

“Some13yearsonfromthe2011Planning Actwhichbegantheprocessofpowertransfer

Breakingdownthecalendaryear’sfigures, CiaranFox,directorattheRoyalSociety ofUlsterArchitects(RSUA),saidoverall, applicationswerearound10%lowerthanin 2022.

“Inthecalendaryear2023thesystem received 10,394planningapplications,”hesaid.“This was10%lowerthan2022anddownfrom over14,000in2021.This recentlowisaworld awayfromthe36,584applicationsthatwere receivedin2004.

“Despitethisdecliningvolumeofapplications thesystemcontinuedtostruggle.Between AprilandDecember2023theaverage processingtimeforlocalapplications,which makeup98%ofallapplications,was20.4>

Overallthenumberofplanningapplicationshas fallenandprocessingtimesformosthaveincreased

COMME RC IAL PROP ERTY & CONS TRUC TION

weeksacrossallcouncils.Thisisanincreaseof 2.4weeksfromthesameperiodayearearlier.

“Ofthe11councils,Antrimand Newtownabbey,FermanaghandOmaghand MidandEastAntrimweretheonlyonesthat werewithinthe15-weektarget.

“LisburnandCastlereaghwastheworst performerfromApriltoDecember2022at31 weeksandprocessingtimesgotworseduring ApriltoDecember2023,goingouttoan averageof41weeks.”

Hesayswhilesomecouncilsarebuckingthe trend,overalltheplanningsystem“gotslower in2023despiteafurther reductioninthe volumeofapplications received”.

“Thisisbadnewsfortheeconomyandfor meetinghousingneed,”hesaid.

“RSUAunderstandsthatdelaysarebeing causedbystaffshortagesinsomecouncils, limited resourcesinthestatutoryconsultee

bodiesandplannersnotbeingsupported totakedecisionsintheabsenceoftimely consultee responses.

“Feedbackfromcouncilsisthattheplanning portalisyettodeliverimprovedspeedof processing.Mostofthefrustrationswithnew systemidentifedbyRSUAinFebruary2023 remainunaddressed,althoughweunderstand thereissomeworkongoingbehindthescenes.

“NI Water’slimitedcapacityfordealing withwastewaterisactingasbrakeon development.Councilsarenowtypically grantingplanningapprovalswithnegative conditionswith regardtothewastewater issues.Thishasbeenapositivedevelopment butitdoesmeanthatmanyoftheseapproved projectscannotproceeduntilthewastewater infrastructureissueisaddressed.

“TheLocalDevelopmentPlanprocessis runningbehindschedule,byanumberof years,inmanycouncils.Thepublicationofthe planstrategiesandassociatedpoliciesinafew

councilshashadadisruptiveimpactaspreexistingapplicationsarebeingassessedagainst thenewpoliciesratherthanthepoliciesin placewhentheapplicationwassubmitted–oftenoverayearbefore.”

Turley’sMichaelGordonsaid,followingtwo government reportswhichoutlinedanumber ofissueswithNorthernIreland’splanning system,it“ispasttimetotranslatethese recommendationsintomeaningful,positive change”.

“Thesteps requiredarewell rehearsed followingmultiplegovernment reports,most recentlyfromtheNIAuditOffceandprevious NIAssemblyPublicAccountsCommittee,”he said.

“InJanuaryalongsidetheNorthernIreland ChamberofCommerce, Turleypublisheda reportmaking10pragmatic recommendations to reformandimprovethelong-termpoor performanceoftheNorthernIrelandPlanning System.” ■

ChrisGuy,MillsSelig,JeanMcCullough,RelianceAutomation,GrainneMcVeigh,InvestNI,MaryMeehan, ManufacturingNI,RachelDoherty,AnchorHighSummit,AodheenDougan,ManufacturingNI,JohnMathers, Barclays,StephenKelly,ManufacturingNI,MaeveMonaghan,NOWGroup,andJohnnyHanna,KPMG

ManufacturingMonthreturns toshowcaseNI’sleadingfrms

SomeofNorthernIreland’sleading frmswillbeshowcasedwiththe returnofManufacturingMonthin May.

Itaimstoshowcasesthesuccessandstrength ofNorthernIreland’smanufacturingand engineeringsector.

LedbyManufacturingNorthernIreland,the entiremonthwillbededicatedtohighlighting thecompanies,workers,andleaderswho contributetomakingNorthernIreland’s manufacturingsectortheglobalsuccessstory thatitis.

ManufacturingMonth’sfagshipAnchorHigh SummitwilltakeplaceonMay30atTheSlieve DonardHotel,culminatinginaManufacturing HallofFamedinnertocelebratethosewho haveledtheirbusinesstocreatejobs,andwho arecontributingtolocalcommunitiesright acrossNorthernIreland.

“Thisyear’sAnchorHighSummitwillseea strongfocusonchallengingmanufacturing frmstobecomemoreneuro-diverseand

menopause-friendlyworkplaces,withtheevent settofeatureaspeakerlineupofindustry expertsandpioneeringleaderstoinspireothers tochangetheworldofwork,”thosebehind theinitiativesaid.

“ThemonthissponsoredbysomeofNorthern Ireland’sleadingcompaniesandorganisations includingBarclays,InvestNorthernIreland, MillsSelig,RelianceAutomation,KPMG,and SmartManufacturingDataHub.”

StephenKelly,chiefexecutive,Manufacturing NI,said:“Thereismuchtocelebrateinour sectorthisManufacturingMonth.Asthe secondlargestcontributortoNorthernIreland’s economy,wepunchwellaboveourweightin termsofourscaleand reach.

“Manufacturingandengineeringaccountsfor just6%ofthetotalprivatesectorbusiness population,butweemploy11%ofNorthern Ireland’sworkforceandaccountfor13.4%of ourlocaleconomicoutput,comparedtoaUK fgureof9.8%.

“Wecontinuetohave remarkablesuccess

athomeandoverseas,solvingproblemsfor customersandmitigatingagainstemerging existentialthreatstoourplanet.Thisisdue totheskilledandinnovativeleadersand colleaguesthatmakeupourmanufacturing population.

“However,atManufacturingNI,we’reacutely awareofthechallengesthatoursectoris facingincludingtheavailabilityoflabour, decarbonisationanddrivingproductivity throughtechnology.ManufacturingMonth, andindeedourAnchorHighSummit,isour platformtochallengeourmanufacturing leaderstothinkdifferentlyabouttheir businesses.

“Makingsurethatourlocalmanufacturing businessesareinclusiveforwomengoing throughmenopauseandindividualswhoare neuro-diverseissomethingweareeagerto explore.ManufacturingMonthisthetimefor everyoneinthesectortolookinwards,learn fromeachother,andimproveourpractices toensurethatwecreateenvironmentswhere allindividualsfeelvalued,supported,and importantly,wanttowork.”■

Freshplans forformerUTV headquarters

Freshplansare underwayforthe redevelopmentofthesite ofUTV’s formerHavelockHouseheadquartersinBelfast.

GenovaNorth WestLimited,throughLotusProperty, wantstobuild104 socialhousingunitsforfamilies,olderpeople,andpeoplewithmobility needs.

Thehomes,tobemanagedbyClanmilHousingAssociation,willinclude a rangeofone,twoandthreebedroomhousesandapartments.

LotusPropertysaidthescheme refectedhousingneedinthearea,with a focusonsustainabledesignand renewableenergy

Thenewplanningapplicationfollows a 12-weekcommunityconsultation whichstartedinJanuary

AlastairCoulson,managingdirectorofLotusProperty, said:“We have listenedtotheviewsoflocalpeopleandare pleasedtosubmit a scheme thatwebelievenowbetter refectsthecommunity’s expectations.

“We are gratefultoallthosewithinthelocalcommunitywhotookthe timetoengagewithusonourproposals,andweare nowsubmitting a schemewecanallbeveryproudof.

“We nowhopefor a timelyprogressionthroughtheplanningprocessto allowustomoveforward withdeliveringthesemuch-neededhomes.”

Worktodemolishthe Victorianpremises,hometoUTVfor60years,

Whatthenewdevelopment couldlooklikewhencompleted

beganasscheduledonJanuary8,despiteprotestsfromlocal residents andsomepressure groups.

Theyhadhopedthebuilding,whichhadpreviouslybeenusedas a base fortroopstoprovidecoverforBelfast’s bridgesduringtheSecond World War, couldbepreservedand repurposed,buttheirpleasfellondeafears.

Speakingwhentheconsultationwaslaunched,JanSloanofClanmil Housingsaid:“We are currentlyfacing a housingcrisisinNorthern Irelandwithsocialhousingwaitinglistsatc45,000 – thehighestthey havebeenin10years.

“AtClanmilweare committedtoplayingourpartinaddressing thisneed.Socialhousingalsohasanimportant roletoplayinthe regenerationofBelfastandincontributingtothecouncil’s ambitionto growthecityby66,000 residentsby2035.

“ThisisanotherlandmarkprojectforBelfastcitycentre andthetypes ofhomestobeprovidedhasbeencarefullyconsideredand responds directlytothehousingneedforBelfastnowandinthefuture.” ■

HavelockHouseonthe OrmeauRoadwhichhas nowbeenknockeddown

KeystoneGroup: marking 35yearsasoneofNI’sbiggest familybusinesssuccessstories

Fromitsinceptionin1989as a manufacturerofsteellintelstobecomingoneofthe UKandIreland’s largestmanufacturersofconstructionproducts,the Keystone Group hasblazed a trailofinnovation,sustainability, andqualitythroughoutits35 years,puttingitspeopleattheforefrontofeverythingitdoes

Whenbuildingcontroloffcer, SeanCoyle,formedKeystone Lintelsin1989,littledid heknowhehadjustformedthe cornerstoneof a Groupthatwouldgoon tocomprise18businessesand a turnover of£330m.

HeadquarteredinCookstown,Co Tyrone,the KeystoneGroupisnowknownasoneofthe UKandIreland’s mostinnovativeconstruction productsmanufacturer, operatingfromover 27sitesacrosstheUK,Ireland,Poland,and theNetherlands,withover1,500,000sqftof manufacturingandwarehousingspace.

Ithas recentlywelcomedits2000thstaff member, withmanyemployeeshaving remainedwiththeGroupforover30years. Yet despiteitssize,SeanCoylehasstatedit’s having a familybusinessethosthatiskeyto thegroup’s success:“We area biggercompany now, butweare still a familybusinessandwe’d liketokeepitlikethat.”

Echoingthosesentimentsisthenext generationoftheCoylefamily, whichistaking thecompanyforward intoitsfourthdecade inbusiness,alongside a board ofdirectors knownfortheirpioneering,innovative,and uncompromisingdrivetodeliverquality

productsandservicefortheircustomers.

SeanOgCoyleisnowchiefcommercialoffcer, KeystoneGroup,alongsidehisbrotherOwen Coyle,whoisdivisionalchiefexecutive:“It wasinevitablethatwewere bothgoingtojoin thecompanyat a youngage – there were the dinnertablestories,summerjobsandwork experiencewhichhelpedleadushere today,” SeanOgsays.

“Thestrengthofthebusinesshasbeenour abilitytodevelopstrongteamsandspotgaps inthemarketforproductsnotbeingmadein Northern Ireland.It’s alsoaboutourfocuson customerservice.I’mproudtosaythatinthe demandingsectorthatisconstruction,our customersknowtheycan relyonKeystone’s commitmenttodeliveringbothpersonalised serviceandquality.”

Keystone’s commitmenttocustomerservice isalsosettoprovide a welcomeboosttothe hotelsectorinBelfast.OnMay9,thegroup isbringing400leadingfguresfromthe constructionandmanufacturingsectors,from acrosstheUKandIreland,to TitanicBelfast for a gala35thanniversarycelebration,hosted byPatrickKielty TheKeystoneGroupwillalso welcomegueststoits recently refurbished Cookstownheadquarterswhichwasdesigned withstaff wellbeingas a keyfocus,before takingthemon a tourofitsinnovative manufacturingpremisesatthesite.

“Ourcustomersare alwayscuriousastowhat productsweare workingonnext,”Owensays.

A factorthat’s notsurprisingconsideringthe Groupboastssome110patentsrightacrossits variousdivisions,aswellasnumerousawards andbusinessaccolades.

“Whetherit’s championingbestpractices in fire safetythroughthedevelopmentof ourKeyfix non-combustiblecavitytray, or our revolutionarybrickslipKeywallwhichis cuttingindustrybuildtimes,theyknowour commitmenttoinnovationmeanswepredict marketneedsandthattheywillbenefit from thatwhen a KeystoneGroupproductcomesto market. We’veinvestedsomuchininnovation andithelpssetusapart.”

“Ourpeopleare alsoatthecore ofour ongoingsuccess.Ourheadquarterswillalways beinNorthern Ireland. We employpeoplein multi-disciplines,andweinvestinthefuture workforcethroughourKeyskillsinitiative, supportingourFurtherEducationCollegesto offerapprenticeships,traineeships,andwelding programmes.”

OtherbrandswithintheKeystoneGroup, includeIGLintels,IGElements,SmartroofLtd, andtheirlatestacquisitionShowersaveLtd. AnotherkeyfocusistheirKeylite roofwindows business – anareainwhichtheteamsawan

opportunityinthemarket:“That’s something thatwasn’t beingdonehere in Western Europe,”accordingtoSeanOg.

Owensays:“Theprimary fieldinwhichwe operateisinconstructionproductsandthe manufacturingofconstructionproducts.

“Thebulkofoursalesare intheUKand Ireland,withsome reachintoothermarkets, includingtheNetherlands,Australia,New Zealand,Canada,andmainlandEurope. We’re alsonowbuildingmarketshare intheeast coastoftheUS.”

“We havetheappetitetoinvestandexplore,” SeanOgsayswhileaddingthatpartofthe firm’s growthandabilitytoexpandhasbeen fuelledby a large18-personstrongmarketing team.“Thathashelpedcatapultusforward. We believeinoursectorandbelievethatwe standout.”

ButKeystoneGroupbelievesitcanalsoadd more productsandinnovationintoitscurrent portfoliointheUKandIrelandmarket, particularlythosewithsustainabilityatthe forefront.Owensays:“It’s aboutstayingahead ofthecurvewithsustainableandcarbonfootprint-reducingproducts.SeanOgsays

KeystoneGroupsigneduptotheinitialsciencebasednetzero targetsatanearlystage.

“We havetodeliverontheambitioustargets whichwe’vesetinternally, too.Eachoneof ourbusinesseshas a sustainabilitychampion andwehave a groupsustainabilitymanageras well.”

Lookingahead,thegroupbelievesitisagile anddeterminedenoughtoseekfurther ambitiousopportunities.

“Inthoseearlydaysandrightthroughtonow, it’s been a small,tight-knitcommunity,”Owen says.

“Ourjobistocontinuetohavecommunity spiritaswescaleup.It’s gettingthatbalance –weare agile,independent,andcanmakeour owndecisions,butweare investinginallofthe rightpolicies,plans,andprocedures.

“Whetherit’s thatched roofsinthe Netherlands,homesin Tyrone,ortheskylines ofNew York,we’re confidentKeystoneGroup productswillcontinuetobeusedtoenhance theperformanceandaestheticsofbuildings aroundtheworldforthenext35yearsand beyond.” ■

COMME RC IAL PROP ERTY & CONS TRUC TION

OwenCoyleand SeanOgCoyle

Asmanyas19,000newhomes‘delayed bywastewatercapacityconstraints’

Some19,000homesarenotbeing developedinNorthernIreland becauseofcapacityconstraintsin wastewaterhere,it’sbeenclaimed.

NorthernIrelandisnowfacinga“housing crisis”with19,000would-benewhomes andbillionsofpoundsworthofinvestment beingheldupbywastewatercapacitylimits, accordingtotheConstructionEmployers Federation(CEF).

ItcomesastheInfrastructureMinisterJohn O’Dowdruledouthouseholdwaterchargesas asolutionforthefuturefundingofNI Water.

CEFchiefexecutiveMarkSpencesaidthat homebuildersinitsmembershipclaimedthat wastewatercapacityconstraintswereholding uparound8,450homesequatingtojustunder £1bnofinvestment.

“Asweunderstandit,whencoupledwiththe proposalsofhousingassociationsandother developers,approximately19,000homesare todayunabletoproceed.

“Againstabackdropofa60-yearlowof housingcompletionsin2023andanevergrowingsocialhousingwaitinglist,itis

unquestionablethatwearethereforeinthe middleofahousingcrisisinNorthernIreland.”

HeurgedtheExecutiveto“face reality”about theimpactofbudgetarylimits.

“GiventheNIExecutive’sone-yearcapital budgetof£1.8bnfor2024/25–thesame incashtermsassome17yearsago–anda recurrentneedfromNI Waterfromthisofat least£500mperannumforthenextdecade, theExecutivemustfacetheurgent realitythat theoverallsettlementgoesnowherenearthe level requiredinordertodelivermanyofthe keyprojectswhicharelikelytoformpartofa ProgrammeforGovernment.”

He referredtoanNIAuditOffce report whichcalledfora“comprehensive review ofalternativearrangements,ledbysuitably qualifedexperts”inordertoimprovefunding inwaterinfrastructure.

“Itisthereforecrucialthatallpartiestakethe opportunitytodaytounitebehindthemotion andtheneedforafundamental reviewofthe governanceandfundingmodelofNI Water.

“Withoutthis,andintheclearcontextof theExecutive’sdecliningBlockGrantcapital

expenditure,weareputtingamajorinhibitor oneconomicgrowthandalso removingfrom anentiregenerationtheprospectofahometo calltheirown.

“Thatisadamningindictmentofany governmentanditisonethat,inNorthern Ireland’scase,hasbeenentirelypredictable.”

MrO’Dowd recentlysaidthatthe “challengesthatwearewitnessingwith waterinfrastructureisaconsequenceof underfundingforbasicpublicservicesover manyyears,bysuccessive Torygovernments”.

“Thesolutionthereforedoesnotliein charginghard-pressedworkersandfamiliesfor anessentialpublicservice.

“Iaminnodoubtthatwecancollectivelyfnd thesolutionbytrulyanddemonstrablyvaluing essentialpublicservicessuchaswaterand fundingthemappropriately.

“ThereisnodoubtthatNI Waterfacesmany challengeswithmoreinvestmentneededto bothmaintainwhatwealreadyhaveand alsotoprovidenewinfrastructuretokeep pacewithoureconomic,societalandclimate responsibilities.” ■

Councilcould stepintosave AssemblyRooms

BelfastCityCouncilisfacingcalls tosaveanat-riskhistoricbuilding by refusingto renewplanning permissionforthe Tribecadevelopment.

TheconditionoftheAssemblyRooms,a 250-year-oldlistedbuildingonthecorner ofNorthStreetand WaringStreet,hasbeen describedas“catastrophic”,withdry rotand wateringressacceleratingitsdecline.

AnEnglishcompanybehindthestalled £500m Tribecaprojecthasearmarkedthe formerhomeofNorthernBankasapotential boutiquehotel.

Acampaigngroupcalledonthecouncil“to takeimmediate remedialaction”and restore thederelictbuilding,whichitdescribedas potentialpreyforarsonists”.

TheAssemblyRoomsAlliancesaid:“Existing planningpermissionsfor Tribecaarerunning out,andthedevelopersareapplyingfor renewalsofplanningpermission.

“Giventheirfailuretoundertakeany meaningfulworkinthelastfveyears,wesee no reasonwhythese renewedapplications shouldbegranted.”

Thegroup,headedbyJohnGrayfromReclaim

theEnlightenmentcharity,saidithadbeen assuredthecouncilwasgivinghighpriorityto acquiringthedeterioratingbuilding“whether throughvestingorbypurchase”.

“Thatisindeedwelcome,thoughthebuilding mustbesecuredforpublicusesoonerrather thanlater,”itsaid.

“WebelievethatCastlebrooke[thefrm behind Tribeca]canacceleratethatprocessand dothedecentthingbydonatingthebuilding tothepeopleofBelfast.”

TheAssemblyRoomsAlliancehasdrawnup proposalstomakepublicuseofthespace, includingtransformingthebankinghallto accommodateupto300people.

Itsaid:“Thisshouldprovideasemi-permanent displayonthe remarkablehistoryofthe building,oneembracingthefamousHarp Festivalof1792,thedefeatoftheproposal tosetupaBelfast-basedslavetrading company,thefoundationoftheBallastBoard –forerunnerofBelfastHarbourCommissioners –andthecourtmartialsofUnitedIrish prisoners,includingHenryJoyMcCracken,at thetimeofthe1798 rebellion.Thisshouldbe demountabletofacilitateothermajorevents.

“Otherwise,thespaceshouldprovidea

multi-purposevenueforcultural,arts,and communityevents.Thesemightinclude concerts,conferences,drama,exhibitionsand lectures.Itwouldalsoserveastourvenue.”

Thegroupwantstoseethe restofthebuilding transformedintoaspacefora Troublesand peacemuseum.

Itsaiditwouldbelookingintoacquiringthe buildingindependentlyif“notimelyprogress” wasmadebythecouncil.

Thebuilding,whichdatesbackto1769,was addedtotheUlsterArchitecturalHeritage’s at-risk registerin2003.

CastlebrookeInvestmentssaidithad“worked proactivelywithallthe relevantstatutory authorities”toensurethebuildingwas protectedandopentoapotentialcivicusebut thatsuitablecommercialtermshadneverbeen formallyproposed.

BelfastCityCouncilsaid:“Offcersare continuingtoexplorethepossibilityof acquisitionand/orvestingofthe Tribecasite, asagreedbycouncil’sstrategicpolicyand resourcescommittee.

“A reportonoptionswillbebroughtbefore electedmembersforconsiderationindue course,alongwithanupdate reportonthe potentialtopurchasetheAssemblyRooms, alsoagreedbythestrategicpolicyand resourcescommitteeonFebruary23.” ■

TheAssembly

NImenswearboss Adam Finlay tells Margaret Canning how thepandemicchanged everything

ItsformalwearbrandRemusUomo maysoundItalian,butasAdamFinlay, managingdirectorofmenswear companyDouglas & Grahameexplains,it’s asNorthern Irishas Tayto.

ThebrandwasthoughtupbyAdam’s father DonaldanduncleRichard,thesecond generationofFinlaysinthebusiness,asthey travelledbetweenPisaandFlorencein1991on a fabric-sourcingtrip.

RemusUomoandsisterbrandsDaniel Grahame,DG’s Drifterand1880CLUBare stockedinindependentmen’s retailersand departmentstoresonbothsidesoftheborder

There are threestandaloneRemusUomoshops inDublinoff StStephen’s Green,aswellas GlasgowandBelfast’s VictoriaSquare.

“Bricksandmortarisstillimportanttous,” Adamsays.“Ourproductissomuchabout ftandformandaboutthetactilityofthe fabricationsweuse.”Andexpansionison thecardsforthebusiness,whichmarksits centenarythisyear

“Themostparticulartargetforuswouldbe strategiclocationsinGreatBritain. We’re veryconscioustobe respectfultoourexisting independent retailers,where forexampleon theislandofIrelandwe’re extremelywellservedbythatpartoftheindustry

“ButinGreatBritain,we’vealwaysfoundit thatbitmore diffcult.There’s notthatsame spreadoftheindependent retailersandsowe havegreatswathes…where wedon’t haveany signifcantbusinessatall.”

Itsambitionsare tosetupstoresincitieslike Manchester, Liverpool,Leeds,Sheffeldand Edinburgh.

‘It’shard to imagine formal wear makinga return tothe ofice’

RemusUomoisitsmostfamousbrand,andit’s noaccidentthatmostpeopleassumeit’s Italian.

“Itcameasmydadandunclewere onthetrain fromPisatoFlorencewhentheyusedtomake a twice-annualtriptoItalyforfabric-sourcing.

“Theconcepthadbeenbuildingforsometime andthat’s where itwasborn.RemusUomo

nowaccountsforaround50%ofturnover.”

Andhesayshemakessure hedressesin Douglas & Grahameasfaraspossible:“As muchas I can,absolutely,I justdressinD&G. It’s importanttobesoproudofyourbrandthat you’re puttingitonyourownback.”

Thecompany’s turnoverintheyeartothe

endofMay2023was£30.8m,upfrom £24.6m,andnowitstargetisto reach£50m inturnover Pre-taxproftswere £1.8m, downfrom£3.5m.IntheyeartoMay2022, turnoverhadmore thandoubledto reach £24.6m.

Butthepre-taxproftsof£3.5mwere exceptionallyhigh,hesays,followingthesale

of a propertyandshiftingofstockbuiltupin thepandemic.

The34-year-oldisexcitedtobecelebrating thecompany’s centenary, with a coupleofbig eventsplanned.

“It’s incredible, really, tothinkofitbeing100 yearsold, a markthatnotmanypeoplegetto. Myfamilyhavebeeninvolvedinabout80of thoseyears,allin.”

Adamjoinedthefamilycompanynearly13 yearsago,progressingfrombrandmanagerto designdirector, tobeingappointedmanaging directorinJune2022.

Hestudiedbusinessadministrationand managementatLancasterUniversity, including a yearat TexasA&MUniversity

Thebusinesswasfoundedin1924,with Richard ‘Dixie’Finlayjoining22yearslater Hetookownershipinthemid-1960s,with thebusinesslatertakenoverbyRichard and Donald.Adam’s brotherMichaelalsoworksin thecompanyasbranddirector

Manufacturingforitsmensweartakesplace theworldover, butthat’s been a gradualshift, Adamsays.

“Backinthe1970stheguyswouldonlyhave hadtotraveltowestBelfastorthenorthwest formuchoftheirproduction.

“Butthenoverthecourseoftimeitmovedto thenorthwestofEngland,thentoplaceslike Portugalandeastern Europe.

“Afterthatitmovedtoverysignifcantbases beingdevelopedinFarEastsothattodaywe haveimportantproductionoutofChina,out of Turkey, outofNorthAfricaandIndia,with somestillineastern Europe.”

Thepandemic represented a challengewith evenmore drasticeffectsthananything experiencedas a resultofthe Troubles,Adam says.

“Itwas a realdoseofperspective,too.This businessissoimportanttous,butattheend ofthedayitwasonly a businesswhenever somethingascriticaltodayanddailylifeas a pandemicwouldcomealong.”

Hesaysthat“companyfnanceswere stretchedtothelimit”withjobssaved onlythankstothegovernment’s furlough scheme.Itnowemploys124people.

“Gratefully, wecameoutofitwell,but I knowwhenspeakingtomydadevensome ofthemostchallengingtimesaroundthe Troublesthebusinesswouldhavegone through,thiswasexceptional.”

Memoriesoflockdownsare fadingbut there’s noquestionthey’vehad a lasting effectonmenswear

Withpeopleworkingfromhome,there was nomore needformeninoffce-basedjobs towearsuits,shirtsandties. A more casual lookhasundoubtedlytakenhold.

“It’s beenfascinatingtofollowbecauseit’s gonethrough a fewdifferentevolutions. Firstofallwehave a greatstrengthinformal productslikesuitsandshirtsandties.

“Butthere was18monthswhere noone wasgoingintowork,there were noevents, noweddingsgoingon,soyoucouldn’t have giventhestuff away

“Butthatprovided a surprisingopportunity forusasitallowedeverybodyaspartofthe chain,thoseworkingontheproductand thosesellingtheproduct,tothinkdifferently ifwewere goingtokeepsomelevelof commercethroughthatperiod.”

Nowthesplitbetweencasualand formalwearisnearly50:50,withcasualwear catchingupontheformal.

“Whatpeoplewantedtohaveinthe pandemicwasanythingyouhadthatwasin Jerseyfabricforloungewearandleisurewear

“Thenwehad a lovelybounceforsomeof themore smartcasualwearthemoment thingshadopenedup.”

Hedoesn’t thinksuitsandtieswillbemaking a strongcomebacktomostoffces.“It’s diffculttosaywithtoday’s lifestylethatwe canimagineveryformalwearcomingback totheoffce. I expectwe’llsee a bitmore of a movetowardstidiersmart-casual,”he says. ■

HastingsHotels completes£15m Europarefurb

HastingsHotelshascompleteda fve-yearupgradeofthelandmark EuropainBelfastina£15m investment.

The renovationincludedupgradestoits272 bedrooms,aswellastheLobbyBar,Piano Restaurant,themeeting roomsonthesecond foor.

Itspenthouseonthe12thfoorhasalsobeen remodelled,thecompanysaid.

“Itisnomeanfeattocompletely renovatea hotel,especiallywhenit’soneofthebusiest hotelsinNorthernIreland,”HowardHastings, chairman,said.

“However,thatiswhatwehavedoneand

arethrilledtohavenowfullyupgradedthe frontandbackofhouseattheEuropaHotel, representinga£15minvestmentoveraperiod offveyears.

“Aniconicpropertyandanimportant landmarktoBelfast,theinvestmentswere designedtomodernisethehotel’sfacilitiesand preserveitsrichhistory.”

ThehotelgroupcommissionedartistColin Davidsontocreateanewpaintingtomark theinvestmentintheEuropaHotelonGreat VictoriaStreet.The‘71’measuressevenfoot byfvefootandisanabstract renderingof thebusthatColinusedtotakeonhisjourney homefromschool.

“Fromcloseup,itisanabstractblazeof red

andyellowbrushstrokesandonlybylookingat itfromadistancecantheimageofthedouble deckerbusbediscerned,”HowardHastings said.

“Thepaintingevokesfondnostalgicchildhood memoriesofgrowingupinBelfast,forColin, myselfandIhopelotsofourguestsandis auniquenodtotheonceinageneration renewalprojectofthisspecialhotel.”

MrDavidsonsaid:“It’sa realprivilegeforme, notjustasanartistbutalsoamanwhowas borninBelfastandgrewupduringthedark daysinthiscity,tohaveapaintinghangingin thisiconichotelandtoseeit renewedonce againandlookingtothefuture.

“Thispaintingispersonaltobothmeand Howard.‘The71’isa reddouble-deckerbus thatwebothgottoandfromourdifferent schools,albeitabitfurtherdownthe roadand afewyearsapart.Thelovelysynergyinthis, isthatnotonlyis‘The71’amemoryofour childhood,buttheEuropawasalsoopenedfor thefrsttimein1971,soitmakesmefeelthat thispaintingismeanttobehereandthatisa delightforme.” ■

EX PORT S

Thefuture ofexports

AsNorthernIreland’s tradingenvironment hopefullybeginstosettle down,whatdoesthe futureofourexportmarket looklike,whatpotential doesithaveandwhat goodsandserviceswillwe beturningtointhefuture, asks PavelBarter

NorthernIrelandhasyetto release itsfullpotentialintheexport market,accordingtobusiness leaders.

SuzanneWylie,chiefexecutiveofNIChamber, calledfor“clarityoffocus”anda“strong confdentmessage”aroundthevalueof exportsandthebeneftsofdualmarket access.DarraghCullen,managingdirectorof EdgeInnovate,whichmanufacturesmining and recyclingequipment,told UlsterBusiness thereneedstobe“moreencouragementfrom governmentbodiestohelpbusinesses realise thatthechallengeofexportingisn’tasbigas theymightthinkitis”.

Accordingtothemost recentNorthernIreland Economic TradeStatistics(NIETS),in2022 65.9%oftotalsalesbybusinessesinNIwere withinNI.Some18.5%werewithinGB,while only15.6%(£13.3bn)wereexportstomarkets outsidetheUK.

A recent reportfromHeathrow,Exporting Excellence–SpotlightonNorthernIreland, createdwithhelpfromNIChamber,found that7,708businessesacrossNorthernIreland exportgoodsandthatafurther7,700more smallandmediumsizedbusinesseshavethe potentialtoexport–butdonot.

Thesestatisticsoffera refectionNI’s

economy–“small,micro-sized,dominated byfamilybusinesses,”SuzanneWyliesays. “Traditionallywearefairlyinsular,”Darragh Cullensays.“Ourleadershavetendedtobe insularfordecades,giventheconstitutional debatethathappenseveryday. We seemto befocusedonwhat’sgoingoninsidethe Northanddon’thavethesamefocusoutside ourcountrythatothermoredeveloped nationsmighthave.”

ThevastmajorityofNIexporttradeisin goods:pharmaandspecialistmachinery, advancedengineeringandmanufacturing, agri-food,construction,lifeandhealth sciences,digitalandcreativetechnologies.

Manyofthesebusinesses–likeBrookvent, aventilationsystemsmanufacturerwhich derives70%ofitsturnoverfromglobal exportmarkets–arethriving.“Northern Irelandhasmanufacturerswhoareableto providetheproduct,thequality,theservice, thatexportmarkets require,”saysDeclan Gormley,managingdirectorofBrookvent. “ManufacturingisatthecoreoftheNorthern Irelandeconomy.”

However,thesuccessofourgoodsexportsis not replicatedinservices.In2022,accordingto NIETS,therewasadeclineof11.1%inservice exports(£454m)fromNItotheEuropean Union(notincludingtheRepublicofIreland).

“Changesinour relationshipwiththeEUcould beimpactingontradeinservices,”Suzanne Wyliesays.“Forexample:changestomutual recognitionofprofessionalqualifcations,the lossoffreedomofmovementoflabour.This mayhaveledtouncertaintyforourbusinesses, whichNIChamberwillbeworkingonover comingmonths.”

NIbusinessleadersarelookinglongterm atourexportmarkets.Inthefuture, environmentalproductsarelikelytothrive. NetzerotransportcompaniessuchasArtemis Technologies(electricboats)and Wrightbus (hydrogenbuses)arepavingthewayforclean energy.“In10to20years’timeweshouldbe onourwayonthedecarbonisationjourney andamoresophisticateddigitalsociety,” Suzannesays.“Thereisanopportunitynow toensureNorthernIrelandisacentreof excellenceacrossdiagnostics,medtech,cyber andAI,exportingproblem-solvingsolutionsto globalchallengesacrossgoodsandservices.”

MostofEdgeInnovate’sproductsaregeared towardtheenvironmental recyclingsector “andthat’sonlygoingtogrow,” remarks DarraghCullen.“Whereit’sgoingtogrowand howquickisgoingtobelargelydictatedby individualgovernmentlegislation.”

TheRepublicofIreland,theEU26andNorth Americaarelikelytobekeyexportdestinations inthedecadesahead.DanielMcPartlan,an exportfnancemanagercoveringNorthern IrelandforUKExportFinance(UKEF),the government’sexportcreditagency,says: “Historically,theRepublicofIrelandandtheUS havebeenmajordestinationsforNorthernIrish exports,butwearenowseeingthe restofthe world realisewhatgreatproductsandservices areonofferfromNI–fromSouthAmerica totheMiddleEast,Sub-SaharanAfricato Australia.”

DeclanGormleyofBrookvent recognises opportunities“intheUS,NewZealand, Australia.Overthenext10or20years,>

though,theEuropeanmarketwillstillbethe majorfocusformostcompaniesinNorthern Ireland”.

“Americahasn’t reallyembracedthegreen revolutionyet,”DarraghCullensays.“We hopeit’sonlyamatteroftimebeforetheyup theirgameandstarttointroducethingslike landflltaxestopreventthedumpingofwaste intolandflls.Ican’tseeanythingdramatic happeningovernightintermsofwhat’sgoing oninAmerica,butthelongtermtrendis towardsthe reductionofcarbonemissionsand that’sgoodforus.”

ThereareobstaclestoovercomeinNIbefore businesses reachtheirfullexportpotential.A Heathrowspokespersonsaid:“Aftermeeting withbusinessesinNorthernIrelandwe

heardfrst-handtheirpriorities–increased sustainability,modernanddigitalcustoms processesandapipelineofskilledworkers readytofllfuturejobsinexporting.”

However,aconglomerateoforganisations–InvestNI,DepartmentforBusinessand Trade, IntertradeIreland,chambersofcommerce, businessandsectorassociationsandlocal councils–areworking“toencouragemore companiestoexportandincreaseintensity ofexistingexporters”,accordingtoa spokespersonfromInvestNI,whichhasover 100tradeexpertsandanetworkofover 30offcesacross23countriestosupport NIcompaniesontheirexportjourney.“Our expertsandadviserscoverallsectorsand provideservicesandactivitiesincluding:market scoping,leadgeneration,marketinsights

andmarket research,sector-focusedvisits, trademissions,exhibitions,andinternational businessdevelopmentevents.”

UKEF recentlyhelpedEOSITHoldings,atech frmfromBanbridgeinCoDown,secure $100minfnancingforitsexportdemands. UKEFhelpexportersfromNorthernIreland “accesstherightfnancingandinsurancefor exports,”DanielMcPartlansays.“Wearewellconnected,understandthelocallandscape andcanhelpyouunderstandyouroptions. We canalsodirectlysupportbusinesseswith accesstofnance.”UKEF’ssupportsincludea government-backedguaranteewhichhelps smallerfrmsaccessupto£25mintrade fnance.

Workinginexportmarkets requiresaparticular setofskills,notesDeclanGormley:“Ifyou’re goingtofocusonanyparticularmarketyou needaminimumof12to18monthswhere youhavetodoalotofthegroundworkto allowyoutodevelopthatmarket.”

Somentorshipprogrammes,inwhich seasonedexporterscanmentorprospective businesses,areencouraged.NIChamber, forexample,connectsbusinesseswithlikemindedcounterpartsthroughaprogramme. DarraghCullensays:“Oneofthechallenges forgovernmentinthenorthistogetnonexportingcompaniestotakethatinitial stepandstartexporting,experimentingand learning,andthenitbecomesmucheasierand thatwillleadtomorecompaniesexporting increasedvolumesacrosstheworld.”

IncreasingthenumberofexportersacrossNI willonlybenefttheeconomy.Amongstthe potential rewards,accordingtoInvestNI,are: “growthopportunitiesthroughincreased salesandenhancing resiliencefromeconomic shocks,improvingproductivity,driving innovation…andsustaininghighqualityjobs.”

Involvementinexportmarkets,saysDarragh CullenfromEdgeInnovate,“helpsyou increaseyourproductivitylevelsbecauseyou’re exposedtointernationalcompetitors.That encouragesyourbusinesstogetintobetter shape,becomeftterandmoreproductiveand competeinaninternationalmarketplace.There isaperceptionthatitisdiffculttoexportbut onceyoustartdoingitit’sabitlikeridinga bicycle. Youdon’tthinkanythingofit.” ■

DarraghCullen

Belfastcourthouse‘couldbe furtheropportunity’fornew whiskeydistilleryowners

McConnell’sDistilleryand VisitorExperiencehasopenedatCrumlin RoadGaolaspartofa£22minvestment,writes

Belfast’s CrumlinRoadcourthouse could representanotheropportunity fortheteambehind a new£22m distilleryandvisitorcentre atthenearby gaol.

JosephBabiecisoneofaround100investors, mostlyAmerican,toplough£22minto convertingthegaol’sA wingintoMcConnell’s Distilleryand VisitorExperienceatCrumlin RoadGaol.

ItwasoffciallyopenedbySpecialUSEconomic EnvoyJoeKennedy, theFirstanddeputyFirst MinistersandthreeotherExecutiveministers – includingEconomyMinisterConorMurphy, who reminiscedaboutbeingan A winginmate inthe1980s

Thegaolisalready a successfulmuseum,but acrossthe road,CrumlinRoadCourthouse isin a stateofadvanceddisrepairafterfailed attemptsto regenerateit.

AswellasUSmoney, thedistilleryand centre havebeensupportedbyInvestNI andtheDepartmentsforCommunitiesand Infrastructure.

MrBabiec, a Boston-basedinvestorand managingdirectorofBelfastDistillery Company, saidheandhisfellowinvestors had regardeditas a businessopportunity frstbefore becomingaware ofthebuilding’s history

McConnell’s IrishWhiskyitselforiginated inBelfastin1776buthadfadedfromview before itwas revived.Hesaid:“We cameto understandwewouldnever reallybeowners oftheproject,wewouldbestewardsofboth

JohnKelly,BelfastDistilleryCompany,FirstMinisterMichelleO’Neill,DeputyFirstMinisterEmmaLittlePengelly,and USSpecialEconomicEnvoyJoeKennedy,attheopeningoftheMcConnell’sDistilleryinformerA-wingofCrumlin RoadGaol

thewhiskeyheritageand a veryimportant building.”MrBabiecsaid:“We thinkthatjust asthere’s muchmore roomforIrishwhiskey intheworld,there’s more roomforvisitorsto comeandenjoyIrishwhiskytourism.”

Hesaidtheinvestorswouldalsoconsider otherprojectsinNorthern Ireland.“There’s the courthouseacrossthe road,there’s otherthings justhere onthecampustostartwiththen potentiallyotherspacesaround.”

Butheaddeditsinterestinthecourthousewas onlyintheearlystages.“We’re veryinterested inlearningmore aboutit. We understandother peoplehavetaken a runatitandit’s proven verydiffcultas a projectso I don’t wanttosay we’re defnitelycommittedtoit.”

EconomyMinisterConorMurphysaidhewas confdentinthepotentialofthedistilleryand

visitors’centre todrawtourists.

Butheadmitteditwas a differentplacewhen heknewitinthe1980safterbeingsentenced tofveyearsimprisonmentforIRAmembership andpossessionofexplosives.“Well, I was a residenthere,notvoluntarily, for a period…and itwas a verydifferentplace.

“It’s remarkabletobebackinhere toseehow thathastransformedanditprobablyepitomises thestoryoftransformationofmovingfrom confictanddivisionintowhere weare now

“I’mlivingpersonifcationofthat,havingbeen residenthere downthestairsforsometime,but I’mthrilledtobebackhere andit’s amazingto seethedifference.”

Thedistilleryalreadyemploys34peopleandis expectedtoattract100,000visitorseachyear ■

Recipe: aspicedribeyesteakand harissatoenlivenanymealtime

Alightlyspicedchunkof ribeyegentlycookedin gheeandservedupwitha harissa-spikedsauceand pomegranatecouscous isasimpleyetpunchy weekendmeal,writes

JohnMulgrew

Don’tplaywithyourfood.That’s whatwe’velongbeentoldfrom whenweweresittinginourhigh chairsormessingaroundwithourfriends atabirthdayparty.

Steakhasrulesattachedtoit.Ifollowmanyof myown.I’mnotapuristbyanymeans.

Someoftheoldschooltechniqueshavebeen thrownoutthewindowbythisgeneration ofcooks.Achunkypieceofsomethinglikea bone-inribeye,inparticular,beneftsfroma drybrine.Addingagooddropofoilordryagedbeeffattothepanwillonlyhelpachieve thatstunningcrust,andmovingittothehotter partsofthepanwillalsoensureyou reachthat desiredcolour.

Butwhilesimplicityandpuritymaybethe modusoperandionmostoccasions,especially whenworkingwithaparticularlychoicepiece ofmeat,it’snottheonlyway.

Theadditionofsomesubtlespicingcanmake thingsincreasinglyinteresting.

This recipeisasimpleyetpunchywayto enlivenastandardsupermarketsteak. You canpickupacoupleofsupermarketribeyes foraroundatennerthesedays,andwhile theymaynothavethedepthoffavourof somethingpricier,they’llworkperfectlywell forthis.

Takeyoursteakandsprinklealightcoatingof roughlyatwotoonemixtureofgarammasala

andcumin,agoodcrackofblackpepperanda heftydashofgoodsalt.

Coverandleaveforaround30to40minutes toletthesteakwarmup,forthespicestobed inandforthesalttobothseasonandhelp createalittlebitofacrust.

Themaindifferencehereisnotgettinga scorchingpan. Withthespicingit’slikelyto burn,sogetthingstoamediumheatandadd inadollopofcleanoilorideallygheebefore placinginyourmeat.

Getalittlelightsizzlegoing,butmoveyour steakaroundevery20to30seconds.Once you’rehappywiththecooking, removeand rest.

Getsomecouscousonthego,andwhen addingyourboilingwaterpopinachicken stockpotandseasonwell.Now,asit’s steaming,addoilorgheetoasmallpotand

heatlightly.Addinafewdriedcurryleaves, garammasala,cumin,blackpepperand garlic.Lightlyinfuseatamereticking-over temperature.

Whenyourcouscousis ready,carefullystrain theoilmixture,pourinandcombine,adding slicedshallots,afewchoppeddatesandsome pomegranateseedsforalittlefreshnessand texture.

Forazestylittlesauceatop,combinehalf Greekyoghurtandhalfmayonnaisewith agoodtablespoonofharissapaste,alight sprinkleofgarammasala,atouchofsugar,a squeezeoflemonjuiceandseasontotaste.

Now,plateyourcouscousandsliceyourribeye beforetoppingwithyoursauce.Forsome addedfreshness,chopsomecucumberinto verysmallcubesandlightlypickleineither vinegarorlemonjuicefor10-15minutes beforesprinklingontopofyourdish. ■

Spicedribeyewithcouscous andharissasauce

McDonald’ssaysit’simproveditscoreburgerrange withaseriesofchangesandproductiontweaks–but aretheybetter? JohnMulgrew paidavisittothefast foodgiant’sUKheadquartersinLondontofndout

Imade a decision,whetheritwasthe correctoneornot,tohave a burgerin Sohobefore jumpingontheNorthern Lineonmywayto a spotinnorthLondon tovisittheUKhomeoftheworld’s biggest purveyoroftheubiquitousfastfooditem.

Thebrown-brickedbuildingofMcDonald’s UK basesitsjusttoyourleftasyouemergefrom EastFinchley’s tubestation.There’s littlesignof RonaldMcDonaldorovertlyostentatiousyellow arches – just a simplesignandsecuritygate.

I’mhere becauseMcDonald’s hasbeen rolling out a fewsubtlechangestoitscore rangeof hamburgers,inwhatappearstobe a bidto seizeonelementsoftheburgerzeitgeistand improveitsproduct,while retainingthesame DNAit’s hadfordecades.

Essentially, thefocusison a newburgerbun –with a lightglaze,slightlysmalleranddrawing inspirationfrom a classicsweetbrioche, cookingtheburgerat a highertemperature, andinsomecasesaddingthe rehydrated

onionsontothepattywhileitheats,improving thecheesemelt,alongwithfresherlettuce, aswellas reducingthetimeburgerssitbefore beingservedtocustomers.

“[Thechanges]addupto a reallysignifcant improvementinhowtheytaste,” Tom O’Neill, McDonald’s headofmenu,tellsus.

McDonald’s appearstohavetaken a look aroundatthehigher-endcompetitiontosee what’s currentlyon-trendintheburgerworld.

Thebriochebunhashaditsrunfor a few years – withotherspotsnowfrequentlyturning tobespoke recipesortheclassicAmerican potatobun – whilethefranchisegiant’s move toincreasecookingtemperature foritsburgers in a bidtoboostcolourandcaramelisationis a nodtothedesiredoutcomewiththeeverpresentsmashburger

McDonald’s callsit a brioche-stylebun, however, itdoesn’t containanyofthatbuttery

dairyoreggyolks,insteadoptingfor a butter favouringto replicateit,whilebeingableto beusedacrosstherange – includingthevegan options.

“What’s changingisthewayinwhichthe grillimpactsthemeat – thesettingsare being changedtogetthebeefburgerhotterand secure inasmuchjuiciness,” Tom says.

Intermsofthechanges,theBigMacisstillvery much a BigMac.There’s no recipetweaksto thatsweetandtangysauce.

We’re presentedwiththreeclassicmenuitems – side-by-side – withtheirnewversion.That’s thedoublecheeseburger, quarterpounderand theBigMac.

Thechefpreparingourbovinetastingmenuon thisovercastLondonafternoontalksusthrough theprocess,andsayssaidburgersare being cookedastheywouldinoneofitsoutlets – for example,notcomingstraightoff thegrilland

into a bun,butheldintheholdingcabinetfor a fewminutes.

Firstupisthedoublecheeseburger I’vealways had a softspotforthis.It’s thequintessential hamburgerwhichhasbeen replicated numeroustimesbyothersinthedecadessince itwasfrstintroduced.

There’sa littletartnessandsweetnessfrom ketchup,acidfrompicklesandmildyellow mustard, a littlepopfromlittleonions – coming inatjustovertwoquid.

Thenewbunsdefnitelyallowfor a littlemore texturalcontrast,andtheslightlyshallower cutimprovestheratiowiththemeatand accoutrements.Overall,it’s theburgerwhich I noticedthebiggestdifferencebetweentheold andnewversions.

A quarterpounderisnextup.There’s slightly lessbeingtweakedhere aslargerrawonions gostraightontotheburger, insteadofthe

smaller rehydratedvariety Visually, thebun’s sheenismore appealingandthere’s perhaps a littlemore oozeandmeltfromthedairy

AndontotheBigMac.There are fewersesame seedsatopthesimilarlypolishedbun,and ratiosinside remainthesame.Thedifferences here are fairlysubtle,giventhere’s lessfocus onthemeltingofcheese,forexample,and thestaroftheshow remainstheinfnitely mimickedspecialsauce.

Thewheelisn’t being reinventedhere,and McDonald’s isensuringthatthat’s themessage whichgetsacross.

It’s still a large-scale,fastfoodbusinesswhich comesinat a particularpricepoint,with globalscaleandtechnologyatitscore,rather thantryingtojointhecraftandepicurean perfectionofhigher-endandmore expensive fare.

Butthere’sa timeandplaceforboth. ■

Theolddoublecheeseburgerbeside McDonald’snewimprovedversion

Trait: toppastriesmakethisgrowing NIcoffeebusinessworthavisit

JohnMulgrew paysavisittocoffeebusiness Trait,whichisplanningtodevelopa

newconceptcaféalongsideabakeryintheheartofBelfastcitycentre

Acrispy,butterypastryflledwith potatodauphinoiseandconft garlictoppedwithagrating offreshparmesaniscertainlyastrong openinggambit.

Thecoffeeshophasevolvedhereinthelast fewyears.There’sstiffcompetitionoutthere. Whilethebigbrandsproliferate,withsome nestledphysicallyside-by-sideonourhigh streets,there remainsinventivenessandcraft intheproductamongourindependents.

Forco-foundersMarkMcAllisterandMichael O’Neill, Traitfeelsverymuchlikeacafe businesswithafewkeyelementsbroughtto thefore,whetherthat’sinthecoffeebeing served,thefood,orthevisualaestheticat play.

WhileitstartedoutinComber–wherethe freshpastriesarestillmadeeachday–ithas nowbranchedouttotwoBelfastlocations. Butit’sabouttolaunchanewbakeryinthe citycentre–whichwillbeopen,allowing customersandpassers-bytopeakin–along withaconceptcafeontheOrmeauRoad.

Intermsofthefoodoffering, Traitisallabout pastries.Manyofthesweetandsavoury breakfastandlunchitemsonoffercentre aroundthatclassicmulti-layeredcroissant dough,andthecafechangesandswapsout differentvariationsonaweeklybasis.

Thatseesa rotationofaround14itemsa monthalongwithveganandgluten-free options,savouryandsweet.

paidavisittothusfarhavebeenconsistent. Simpleandclean.

There’ssomelocally-sourcedwoodfromCardy Timber,concreteandMcNuttwoolblanketson thebanquettes.

Onaninitialvisit,there’sapotatodauphinoise pastrywithconftgarlic.Thisisastepabove youraveragelittlebitonthesideofyour late-morningorearly-afternooncoffee.It’sa buttery,rich,creamyandlightlyherbaceous littleparcel,packedwithsoft,caramelised allium,andsharpandsaltycheeseatop.

It’sabitofaculinarytriumphandcertainlyups thegameonapre-packedsandwichfroma nearbysupermarket.

There’salsoacircularsupremecroissant.This shoutsatyoufromacrossthecoffeebar.The styleofpastryhasalreadybecomepopular elsewherethankstoitsvisualappeal.

Onthisoccasion,it’sasweetvariety.Outside, there’saheftydribblingofsoftfrosting,and inside,throughthoselayersofrich,crispy, butterypastry,isaheftyyetairypassionfruit creaminside.

It’slightandunctuousbuthasenoughzest andatouchofaciditytobalancethingsout. It’saboutasgoodassweetthingscome.

Thenthere’sthesausage roll.Thisisachunk ofporkgoodnesswhich,whilenotlengthy, isachunkyuprightfella.Thepastryisonce againsuitablyrichandbuttery,theswineinside isslightlyherbaceous,moistandentirelyall aboutthepig.Belfast’sGrapevineonceheld

thetitleofbestsausage rollinthecity,inmy opinion,butthisdefnitelyputsitselfoutthere asacontender,withlittlebitsofbrowningand caramelisationontheoutsideensuringalittle contrastanddepthoffavour.

Duringanothervisit,thistimetotheCollege SquareEastlocation,apickledfennelandfeta spiralpastryisonthecards.

Thisfollowsasimilartrackintermsofthe structuralmake-up,butpairslittlesaltypockets ofcheesewiththatvegetalaniseedhitfrom thefennel.

It’sperfectlybalanced,savouryandsizeable enoughtodealwithmostpost-noonhunger pangsonaparticularlymiserableweekday.

Alattepairswellwithsaidpastry,whilemy guest’slemonandpoppyseedcakegoesdown equallyaswell,pairedwith Trait’sbatchcoffee oftheday.

There’salottolikeabout Trait–theaesthetic andculinaryconsistencyacrossthelocations, whilestillhavingsomethingofitsownidentity.

Thislatestforayintothecitycentreispart ofanoverall£500,000investmentinthe business. Traitisalsonowtakingontheformer MichaelChandlerEstateAgentsbuilding ontheOrmeauRoadtodevelopanewcafe format,whichitsownerssayswasinspiredby otherspotssuchasthoseinKorea.

Intotal,bothsiteswillcreatemorethan20 jobsandplaceitamongtheindependent coffeebusinesseswhicharecontinuingto stretchtheirwings. ■

Why st ra tegy is a designproblem

RickMonro,directorofstrategyandexperienceatdigital developmentagency,BigMotivesaysstrategymustbeactionable andgoalswithoutanactionableplanaresimplystatements

‘DesignThinking’hashadmore than15minutesoffameover theyears,butitsheftyshareof columninchesinbusinesspublications showsnosignofabating.

Onanygivendayit’spossibleto reada frmendorsementofthebeneftsofDesign Thinkinginbusiness,before readingelsewhere ofitsimminentdemise.

PopularisedbydesignconsultancyIDEO duringthe1990s,andlatterlyStanford’s d.school,DesignThinkinghasits rootsdecades earlieramidstattemptstomakedesignmore scientifc.Themethodologyprovidesasetof principles,tools,andtechniquesthatguidethe problem-solvingprocess.

BigMotivecontinuestopromoteandpractise DesignThinkingasithasforyearsbecause itworks. We believethateverychallengeis anopportunityforgooddesign.Thisistrue forchallengesinservicedelivery,andalsoin business.Designisincreasinglyontheagenda fortheboardandseniormanagementteams ofprivateandpublicsectororganisationswe workwith.

DesignThinkingofferslegitimateprocess inaworldofguessworkdressedupas certainty.Nowhereisthatphenomenonmore pronouncedthaninstrategy.

In recentyears,someofthegreatandthe goodofstrategythoughtleadershiphavebeen integratingdesigntoolsintotheirworkasa meansofmakingstrategymoreprogressive,

morecreativeandultimately,moreeffective.

RogerLMartin,oneofthiscentury’smost progressivethinkersandwritersonstrategy, hasdescribedtheprocessofstrategy generationas“acreativeact”.Martin’s ‘Playingto Win’framework,frstpublished inthebookofthesamenamein2013,has evolvedtointegrateanumberofaspectsof DesignThinking.Theprocessespousedby Martincounterssomeofthemostcommon misstepsinthedevelopmentofbusiness strategy.

Mostimportantly,strategy requiresmorethan simplygoalsetting;itisaboutmakingstrategic choices.Anyonecanproclaimtheyintend theirbusinesstogrow.Butwhatistheother option?Anycompanycanclaimthattheir strategyis‘customer-focused’.Again,whatis thealternative?Thesearenotchoices.

Strategywithoutaclearly-defnedand articulatedproblemtosolveismerelyaplan thatmayormaynotleadtodesiredoutcomes.

Likeotherproblem-solvingmodels,Design Thinkingdemandsthatclarityisbroughtto theproblembeforeinvitingpossiblesolutions. Learningcomesfromsmallexperiments–whichcanfail–theoutputsofwhichfeedinto newthinkingandimprovement.

Thisapproachworksforstrategy,albeitthe conceptof‘failure’asapositivecontribution willnotsitcomfortablywithmostbusinesses. AsAmyC.Edmondson,NovartisProfessorof LeadershipandManagementattheHarvard

BusinessSchool,writes:“Failingwell.. requires ustobecomevigorouslyhumbleandcurious –astatethatdoesnotcomenaturallyto adults.Fartoooften…weliterallyfailtosee disconfrmingevidence.”

Anydesignprocessatitscoreisaseriesof deliberatedecisions,shapedbyconstraintsand opportunitiespresentintheenvironment.In thatsenseitsharesmanytraitswithstrategy.

Effectivestrategydesign,then,means; understandingtheproblem,uncoveringwhat themosteffectiveoptionsare,andchoosing specifcoptionsovertheothersandfocusing resourcesinsupportofthosechoices.

EvenleavingDesignThinkingasidefora momentandtakingaframework-agnostic view,webelievethefollowing:strategyisa hypothesis:nothingiscertain.Eventhemost heavily-informedstrategyisahypothesisabout thefuture,aboutwhatisgoingtowork. Strategymustbeactionable:goalswithoutan actionableplanaresimplystatements,and, strategyshouldbetestableandmeasurable –strategycanandshouldadapt,basedon learning.

Understandingoutcomes–whatthefuture lookslike,andwhatsignalswillindicateearly success–shouldfeatureintheprocessof defningstrategy.

Strategyshouldbeco-created:asa“creative act”,diverseinputshouldbewelcomed.It isimportantthoughtoachievealignment, notconsensus.Consensus requiresanod.

Alignment requirescommitment.An alignedteamwillmovefasterandwith greaterprecisionthanonewithoutit.

Morethananything,adesignapproach tostrategyshouldde-riskthesolution.

Theoutcomeofacrediblestrategicprocess isthattheorganisationcanconfdently standoverthe results,knowingthat decisionsareevidence-based,andcanbe rolledbackoradaptedbasedonlearning. Peopleacrossthebusinessororganisationwill knowwhattheircontributiontoachieving strategicgoalslookslike.

Theclaritydeliveredbyco-creatingasolution, andthealignmentitachieves,isabreath offreshairtomostbusinesses. We tendto connectwithchangeagentsinorganisations –peoplewiththevisiontoknowthatthere isabetterwaytodothings.Peoplewho understand,paraphraseAlanKay’s well-wornadage,thatthe bestwaytopredict thefutureisto designit. ■

RickMonro

Uncertaintyover SpiritAeroSystems’ future‘unsettling’ forBelfastworkers

There’shopeofa‘swiftresolution’asAirbusand BoeingbotheyeupSpiritAeroSystems,which employsthousandsofstaffinNorthernIreland, writes FláviaGouveia

Uncertaintyaroundthefuture ofSpiritAeroSystemshas contributedtoa“reallyunsettling time”foritscriticallyimportanteast Belfastoperation,ManufacturingNIchief StephenKellyhassaid.

InvestNIiskeepinganeyeonthesituation following reportstheworld’stwolargest commercialaircraftmakers–Airbusand Boeing–aresettodivvyupthebusiness.

MrKellysaidaswift resolutionwasessential fortheformerBombardierplant.

Buthedoesn’tbelievethereisamajorriskto thefutureoftheplant,wherewingsforthe AirbusA220aremade.

Hesaid:“Anairplanecannotgetupinthe airwithoutwings,thereforethefacility inBelfastisbusinesscritical,andtotryto replicatewhathappensinBelfastinanother placewilltakemanyyearsandwouldnotbe economical.

“So,tomeetthedemandthat’sthereand tomeettheexpectationsoftheircustomers, it’simportantthatthispieceofworkis concluded reallysoonandthatthere’ssome long-termstabilitybroughttothebusiness.”

AccordingtoReuters,theaviationgiantsare exploringhowtountangletheir respective tieswithSpiritthroughacarefullytimed “framework”deal.

BoeingsaidanacquisitionofSpirit,which itowneduntil2005,wouldconsolidate manufacturingandcreateasaferproduct.

ItwasspeakingafterasectionofanAlaska AirlinesBoeing737MAX9,featuringapart suppliedbySpirit,blewoutduringafightin January.

Itwasinitially reportedBoeingwouldbe unlikelytowanttokeepthepartsofthe businesswhichsuppliesAirbus,puttingthe Belfastoperationatrisk.

Recently,Airbusconfrmeditcouldbuypartsof theSpiritAeroSystemsbusiness.

MrKellysaidSpirit,withmorethan3,000 staff,was“criticallyimportant”forthelocal economy.

“It’soneofourlargestmanufacturing businesses,it’semployingthousandsofpeople directlyandindirectly,”hesaid.

“There’sprobablyanothertwojobsforevery

oneofthosejobsthatdependsuponthat businessbeinghere,includingthroughsupply chains.

“Thesearehighquality,advanced manufacturingjobs,whichisexactlywhatthe NorthernIrelandeconomyistryingtoachieve.

“Makingsurethatwhateveracquisition processiscurrentlytakingplaceworksfor BelfastandforNorthernIrelandisjustas criticalasmakingsurethatitworksforthe businessesinvolved.”

HeaddedSpirit,whichworksforanumberof aircraftmanufacturers,wasimportantinits “totality”.

Hesaid:“I’mnotsuggestingthatthere’sa recipethatcouldbebrokenupintovarious pieces,butbecauseofthehugelyand highlyintegratednatureofthebusiness,it’s importantthatthatintegrationissustained economicallyandpracticallyaswell.

“NorthernIrelandabsolutelypunchesabove itsweightintermsofqualityinthataerospace industry,certainlyaboveotherpartsoftheUK, potentiallyevenintheworld,intermsofthat integrationwiththesupplychain.

“Therehasbeenmassiveamountsofwork donewiththeSpiritbusinessanditslocal supplychain,andwearedependenton thoseguysbeingabletocontinuetoservice, whateverthebusinesslookslike.

“Sogettingthisrightis reallyimportantfor NorthernIreland,forthebusinesses,andfor thesupplychain”

SpiritAeroSystemsinBelfasthasbeen operatingatalossforyears.

Thebusinesstookamajorhitfromthe shutdownofaviationduringCovid,andwas forcedtoexita$70.3m(£57.2m)contract afterRussia’sinvasionofUkraine.

Pre-taxlosseswere$227m(£184m)in2022. AccordingtoReuters,industrysourcessay Airbusmayhavetoinvestover$1bntomake theBelfastwingsmoreaffordable,asittries tolifttheCanadian-designedA220jetoutof the red.

MrKellyinsistedconcernsaboutthe proftabilityofthebusinessarenotan indicationtheBelfastoperationisindanger.

“TheprimariesintermsofAirbusandBoeing reallyaredependentonthisbusinessbeing successfulandbeinginvolvedwithsuccessful programmesfortheirownbusinesses,”he said.

“It’sanunsettlingtimeforthepeopleinthe

businessandforthepeopleinthesupply chains,andit’scomingatabadmoment, becauseIknowthatdemandisquite signifcantlyrising.

“Butthingscanmovequitequickly,so hopefullyinthenextcoupleofweekswe willgetsomeclarityandsomegoodnews, becausethisneedstobe resolved really soon.”

Spiritbeganlifeasaspin-offfromBoeingin 2005and remainsakeysupplier,particularly fortheBoeing737.

In2020itacquiredtheBelfastoperation fromBombardier.BombardierboughtShort Brothersin1989.Theoriginalcompany

emergedfromLondonin1908,withShorts settingupanaircraftbuildingprogramme withHarland& WolffinBelfastin1936.

Thefacilitybecameincreasinglyimportant duringtheSecond World War, andby1948 ShortshadbecomeaBelfastcompanyinits entirety.

InvestNIsaid:“InvestNIisbeingkept informedoftheongoingdiscussions aboutthepotentialacquisitionofSpirit AeroSystems.

“Wearenotawareofanyimmediateimpact totheoperationshere,anditwouldbe wrongtospeculateonpotentialoutcomesfor Spiritlocallyasthesediscussionscontinue.”

Wrightbusrolls outelectricbuses inLimerick

Ballymena’s Wrightbusisproviding thebattery-electricbuseswhichare being rolledoutinLimerick,which isexpectedtohaveIreland’sfrstfullyelectric regionalcitybusservice.

Fifty-fveofthefrm’srapid-chargedouble deckStreetDeckElectrolinersarebeing used,allbuiltat Wrightbus’sBallymena headquarters.

Thecompanysaidthebusesmeancleanerair andquieterstreetsintheareasthey’reused.

Limerick’sbusservice,operatedbyIreland’s nationalbuscompany,BusÉireann,issetto becomeIreland’sfrstfully-electric regionalcity busserviceaspartofa€54minvestmentby theNational TransportAuthority(NTA).

Aspartoftheinvestment,the55buseswill servicemorethan2.1millionemission-free kilometresacrossLimerickcityserviceannually. Currently,34all-electricbusesareinLimerick aheadoftheirintroductionintoservice en-masse,withafurther21ofthesebuses expectedtoenterserviceinearly2025.

“WearedelightedtopartnerwiththeNTAin thedrivetozero-emissionpublictransportand tohaveplayedourpartinhelpingitdevelop Ireland’sfrstfully-electric regionalcitybus service,”Jean-MarcGales, Wrightbuschief executive,said.

“Weareattheforefrontofzero-emission technologyandhaveatremendous reputation forourfeet,bothbattery-electricand hydrogenfuel-cellbuses.

“Ourambitionistoseemanymoreofour busesbe rolledoutacrosscities,townsand ruralareasallovertheworld.”

ThenewservicewaslaunchedbyIreland’s Ministerfor TransportEamon RyanTDat Limerick’sColbertStation,andbuildsonthe successofIreland’sfrsteverall-electrictown busservice,whichwaslaunchedinAthlonein January2023.

Minister Ryansaid:“Itisgreattoseethe launchofelectrifedbusservicesinLimerick city.Thisfollowsonfromthesuccessful roll-outofafully-electrifedtownbus

serviceinAthlonelastyearandtheongoing decarbonisationoftheDublinbusfeet.

“Governmentiscommittedtothegreening ofourpublictransportservicesandtoday representsanimportantsteptowardmeeting ourclimatetargets,whilealsoprovidinga quieter,cleanerbusserviceforthepeopleof Limerick.”

Inpreparationforthenewall-electric service,BusÉireanndriversandmechanics haveundergoneacomprehensivetraining programme–morethan500hours–onthe driving,maintenanceandoperationofthenew feet.

AnneGraham,chiefexecutiveoftheNTA,said: “Thesezero-emissionvehicleswillnotonly provideasmoother,moreaccessiblejourney forourcustomers,butwillalsosignifcantly reduceCO2emissionsandnoisepollutionin theareastheyoperate.

“ThisinvestmenthighlightstheNTA’s dedicationtocreatingacleaner,greener andmoreeffcientfutureforthepeopleof Limerick.”

Speakinginadvanceofthelaunch,Stephen Kent,chiefexecutiveofBusÉireann,said: “Ourmissionistohelpmakelifebetterand thistransformative€54minvestmentinnew zero-emissionfeet,fundedbytheNTA,helps us reducegreenhousegasemissions,providing acleanerandgreenerpublictransportsolution foreveryoneinLimerickcity.” ■

TheRepublic’sMinisterfortheEnvironmentEamonRyan TD,BusEireannchiefexecutiveStephenKentandNTA chiefexecutiveAnneGraham

Motoring

ByPatBurns

Kiaservesupjust therightStonic

TheKiaStonicisasmallbutvery smartSUVandisbasedonaversion oftheRiosuperminiplatform.

Itwasupgraded recentlyandisnow poweredbyhigh-effciency,high-technology ‘smartstream’petrolpowertrains.

ItwasdesignedinEuropeatthecompany’s Frankfurtstudios,withinputfromthemain designcentreatNamyanginKorea.Originally intendedasacarsolelyforEurope,itisalso nowsoldinKorea,suchwasthe receptionit gotwhenshownthere.

Thereisastandardfour-modelline-upbased on‘2’,‘GT-Line’,‘3’and‘GT-LineS’trim levels.Allversionsofferanextensivepackage ofconnectivityfeatures,includinglinksto AndroidAutoandAppleCarPlaythrough pre-downloadedsmartphoneapps,while advancedelectronicdriverassistancesystems suchasforwardcollisionavoidanceassist,lane departurewarningandautomaticheadlight control. TheStonicandRioshareanidentical2,580mm

wheelbase,buttheStonicis70mmtallerand 35mmwider.The rearoverhanghasbeen extendedby70mmtomaximisepassengerand luggagespaceandaddtoStonic’sappearance ofSUVtoughness.Whileitmayonlybe frontwheeldrive,ithasthestylishlooksof somethingmuchmoreexpensive.

Theincreaseinoverallheighthasbeenputto goodusetoraisegroundclearanceby42mm comparedwiththeRio,givingahigherview outandtheenhancedfeelingofsafetywhich buyersciteastwoofthemain reasonsfor choosinganSUV.

TheStonicline-upkicksoffwith‘2’ specifcation,beforemovinguptoaneyecatching‘GT-Line’specifcation,followedbya ‘3’grade,andthe‘GT-LineS’fagship.

Safetyisplacedveryhighontheagenda,with ‘GT-Line’and‘GT-LineS’modelsfeaturing ForwardCollision-AvoidanceAssist(FCA)with pedestrianandcyclistdetection,lanekeeping assistsystem,driverattentionwarning,manual speedlimitassistandhighbeamassist,with ‘GT-LineS’versionsadditionallyfeaturingblind

spotcollisionwarningandintelligentspeed limitwarning.

DCTeditionsalsoboastblindspotcollision avoidanceforthe rearofthecar.Other advancedtechnologyfeaturesinclude rear parkingsensorsanda reversingcamerasystem, with‘GT-LineS’modelsalsofeaturingfront parkingsensors.

Otherequipmenthighlightsinclude rear privacyglass,electricallyfoldingdoormirrors, automaticairconditioning,aneight-inch touchscreennavigationsystemwiththevery latestKiaConnecttelematicssoftware.

The‘3’and‘GT-LineS’editionsboastthe latestenginetechnologyandcomesexclusively poweredbythe1.0-litre T-GDipetrolengine with48-voltmildhybridtechnology.The 98bhppowerplantismatedtoeitherasixspeedmanualorseven-speeddouble-clutch transmission.

TheSmartstreamengineproducesthesame powerasthepreviousKappaengine–98bhp –butenablesahigherpeaktorqueoutput whenpairedwiththeseven-speeddoubleclutchtransmission(DCT).ADriveModeSelect systemforDCTmodelsallowsdriversofeach versiontocustomisetheirdrivewith‘Eco’, ‘Sport’and‘Normal’modes.Pricesforthe Stonicstartfrom£20,760. ■

Skodahasannounceddetailsofits newsecondgenerationKodiaq.

ThenewKodiaqwilloffermorespacethanks toabigger910litreboot,anewinterior conceptthatintroducesSkoda’s‘smartdials’, plusahostofothernewtechnologiesand creaturecomforts.

ThatincludesLEDmatrixheadlightsandnew turnand remoteparkassist.

Sinceitslaunchin2016,theKodiaqhas combinedseven-seaterpracticalitywith Skoda’spracticalityandvalue. To date,more than850,000examplesofthefrst-generation modelhavebeendeliveredworldwidewiththe UKbeingthebrand’ssecond-biggestmarket.

ThenewKodiaqwithbeavailablewithfve drivetrainchoices,including,forthefrst time,aplug-inhybriddrivetrainoptionwith anall-electricdrivingrangeofmorethan62 milesandrapidDCchargingatspeedsofup to50kW.

Customerswillbeabletochoosebetween fve-andseven-seatermodels,withtwotrim grades,SEandSELavailablefromlaunch.A newSportLinevariantwilljointheline-uplater intheyear.

AscustomershavecometoexpectfromSkoda, thenewKodiaqSEcomeswellspecifedwith standardequipmentincluding18-inchMazeno

Morespaceandtech fornextgenKodiaq

alloywheels,LEDfrontand rearlights,heated frontseatsandkeylessstart/stopsystem. SEmodelscomewithLoftdesignselection asstandard,alongwitha13-inchsatellite navigationtouchscreendisplay,10.25-inch virtualcockpitandtri-zoneclimatecontrol.

TheSEmodelalsocomeswitharangeof safetysystemsasstandard,includingfront assistwithbraking reactiontovehicles, pedestriansandcyclists,blindspotdetection withdoorexitwarningandfrontcross traffcassist.SEmodelscanbespecifed withfveorsevenseatlayoutswiththelatter addingavariablebootfoortothestandard specifcation.

SELmodelsbuildonthegenerous specifcationoftheSEandadd19-inchRapeto alloywheels,LEDMatrixheadlightswith adaptivefrontlightsystem,allweatherlighting system,andall-weatherlightwithcornering function.TheSELmodelsalsofeatureecoSuite blackdesignselectionwithperforatedblack artifcialleatherand realleather,electrically adjustabledriver’sseatwithmemoryfunction, electricallyoperatedbootandkeylessentry andstart/stopsystem.

InkeepingwithotherSkodaSUVs,thenew Kodiaqfeaturesadistinctive‘four-eyed’

arrangementatthefrontwiththeuppermost headlightsfeaturingLEDmatrixtechnology. Thenew‘fyingarrow’shapeofthelight signaturepayshomagetothewingedarrow famousfromthebrand’slogo.

ThenewKodiaqalsofeaturesa10.25inchvirtualcockpit,a13-inchfreestanding infotainmentscreenwithsatellitenavigation and15Wwirelesschargingwithcooling functionalityfortwosmartphones.Thenew Kodiaqwillbesuppliedexclusivelywith automatictransmissionandashift-by-wire gearselectorthatmovestothesteering column,freeingupspaceinthecentralconsole area.

ThenewKodiaqisavailabletoorderwith twopetrolenginesandtwodiesels,withthe newplug-inhybrid(PHEV)engineduetobe releasedatalaterdate.Theentry-level1.5TSI e-TEC150PSfeaturesamildhybridsystemto boosteffciencywhilethehigheroutput2.0 TSI204PSenginecomeswithall-wheeldrive asstandard.

Dieselcustomerscanchoosebetweena2.0 TDIunitthatdevelops150PS,andamore powerfulversionofthesameenginethat generates193PSandcomeswithall-wheel driveasstandard.Pricesstartfrom£36,645. ■

TheC-HR goeshybrid

Followingonfromthelaunchofthe impressivenewC-HRattheendof lastyear, Toyotahasnowaddeda plug-inhybridmodeltothetopselling range.

The2.0-litreplug-in(PHEV)joinsthe recently launched1.8and2.0-litrehybridelectric modelsintheline-upandprovidesthesmooth driveofapureelectricvehiclewitharange ofupto41miles.Itautomaticallyswitchesto hybridelectricrunningwhenitsEVbatteryis depleted.

ThePHEVpowertraincomprisesa161bhp electricmotoronthefrontaxle,withenergy storedinahigh-output13.6kWhlithiumionbattery,alongsidea2.0-litreenginewith 150bhp. Togethertheseelementsproduce atotalsystempowerof220bhp,enabling 0-62mphaccelerationin7.4seconds.

Performanceismatchedbyefficiencywith fuelconsumptionfrom353.1mpgandWLTP combinedcycleCO2emissionsfrom19g/km.

Inafirstforany Toyotavehicleworldwide,the C-HRplug-infeaturesnewZFsuspensionto enhancehandlingandridecomfort.Asthe plug-inhybridisheavierthantheothermodels intherangeithasahigherpoweroutputand biggerbrakestoo.Allthiscombinestogether togivethecarasharperfeelthroughcorners andwhenaccelerating.AllC-HRsuseaCVT

autoboxandthemore responsivePHEVhasa 0-62mphtimeof7.4seconds.

Thepredictiveefficientdrivesystemcombines analysisof roadandtrafficconditionswith ongoinglearningaboutthedriver’s regular routesanddrivingstyletoautomatically optimisetheuseofthecar’sall-electricmode.

Itoffersa‘one-pedal’styleofdriving, providingupto80%ofthebraking requirement,dependingonwhichofthree settings–gentle,mediumandstrong–is selected,makingforeasierdrivingintraffic.

Fourpowertrainoperationmodesare available:EV,autoEV/HV,HVandcharging. EVmodeengagesbydefaultwhenthevehicle isstarted.Thesystemwillcontinuetooperate inEVmodeuptothelimitofitsEVdriving range, regardlessofhowhardtheaccelerator isused.

ThedrivercanselectautoEV/HVmode,in whichtheenginewillengagewhenextra powerisneeded, returningtoEVrunning afterwards.

TheHVmodehelpsmaintainthebattery’s stateofchargeandisengagedautomatically whenbatterychargerunslow.Itcanalsobe manuallyselectedbythedriver.

Thechargingmodecanbeusedwhenthe

driverwantstochargetheEVbatterywhen driving,usingpowergeneratedbytheengine.

TherangestartswiththeDesigngradeat £39,145andprovidesflush-fittingdoor handles,18-inchalloywheelswithamachined finish, rearprivacyglass,smartentry,anautodimming rear-viewmirror,automaticwipers, powertailgateandparkingsensorswith automaticbrakefunction.Thefrontseatshave integratedheatersandtheairconditioningcan beadjustedforleftandrightzones.

Thesafetyandassistancepackageincludesthe latest,thirdgeneration ToyotaSafetySense withfunctionsincludingpre-crashsystem, adaptivecruisecontrol,lanetraceassist, road signassistandautomatichighbeam.

Inaddition,thereisablindspotmonitor whichlinkstosafeexitassisttohelpprevent doorsbeingopenedintothepathofvehicles approachingfromthe rear.

TheExcelmovesthingstoahigherlevel: 19-inchmachinedalloys,bi-toneexterior paintwork,frontsportsseatswithsuede-effect upholstery,ambientinteriorlightingwith64 coloursettingsandapanoramic roof.

TheGRSportgradeaddsexteriorandinterior stylingflourishesandincludes20-inch machinedGRSportalloys,head-updisplayand JBLaudio. ■

MOTORI

UKcarsalessurgeby10.4%

NewcarsalesacrosstheUKhave seenamorethan10%surgeamid the20thconsecutivemonthof growth.

Some317,786newcars reachedthe roadin March–thebestperformanceforthemonth since2019,up10.4%,althoughstillalmosta thirddownonpre-pandemiclevels.

Growthwasagaindrivenbyfeetinvestment, up29.6%asthesectorcontinuesto recover followingtheconstrainedsupplyofprevious years,accordingtotheSocietyofMotor Manufacturersand Traders(SMMT).

Registrationsbyprivatebuyersfellby7.7%, withachallengingeconomicbackdropoflow growth,weakconsumerconfdenceandhigh interestrates.Thesmallbusiness registration segment,meanwhile,declined8%.

Petrolcars retainedthelion’sshareofthe market,at55.7%,with registrationsup9.2% yearonyear,asdieselvolumesfell2.7%to accountforjust7.3%ofdemand.

Meanwhile,uptakeofhybridelectricvehicles (HEVs) reached recordlevels,risingby19.6%

to44,550unitsand14%oftheoverall market,whilethebiggestpercentagegrowth was recordedbyplug-inhybrids,upbymore thanathirdto24,517units,or7.7%ofall new registrations.Conversely,whilebattery electricvehicle(BEV) registrationvolumes wereattheirhighestever recordedlevels, marketsharefellbyonepercentagepointfrom thesamemonthlastyear,downto15.2%. Registrations rose3.8%,withonlyfeets showinganyvolumegrowth.

“Marketgrowthcontinues,fuelledbyfeets investingaftertwotoughyearsofconstrained supply,”MikeHawes,SMMTchiefexecutive, said.

“AsluggishprivatemarketandshrinkingEV marketshare,however,showthechallenge ahead.Manufacturersareprovidingcompelling offers,buttheycan’tsingle-handedlyfundthe transitionindefnitely.Governmentsupport forprivateconsumers–notjustbusinessand feets–wouldsendapositivemessageand deliverafaster,fairertransitionontimeandon target.”

ThefallinBEVmarketsharewithinagrowing marketunderscorestheneedforgovernment

tosupportconsumerstospeedupfeet renewal,theSMMTsaid.

“LargefeetscontinuetodriveBEVuptake, thankstocompellingtaxincentivesbutwhile registrationvolumesincreasedinMarch, marketsharedeclined.Atougheconomic backdropmakesitevermorechallengingfor consumerstoinvestinthesenewtechnologies.

“Manufacturersthemselvesareoffering generousincentives,helpingmoredrivers switchtozeroemissionvehiclesanddeliver governmentandindustrycarbontargets,but thiscannotbesustainedindefnitely.

“Afullmarkettransitionneedsincentives notjustforfeetandbusinessbuyersbut private retailbuyersaswell,somethingthat wouldbringtheUKintolinewithothermajor markets. Temporarilyhalving VATonBEVs, revisingthethresholdfortheexpensivecar supplementon VehicleExciseDutynextApril, andabolishingthe‘pavementpenalty’on publicEVchargingbyequalising VATratesto 5%inlinewithhomecharging,wouldmake asignifcantdifferencetoconsumers,helping moreofthemmovetozeroemissionvehicles sooner.” ■

APPOIN TM EN TS

Sarah-JayneHunnifordisnowchief fnancialoffceratMountCharlesGroup. Sheisresponsibleforoverseeingthe fnancialandprocurementactivitiesacross thegroup,aswellasoverseeingstrategic planningofmajorinvestmentdecisions.

RorieMcBrideischieftechnologyoffcer atMountCharlesGroup.Heisresponsible forallaspectsofthetechnologystrategy acrossthegroup,includingdatasecurity andprotection.

ChrisAnnonisdirectorwithMountCharles Group.Heisresponsibleforthebusiness developmentofvendingsalesandselfdeliveredoperatingcontractsthroughout Ireland.

SimonAllenisnowmillmanagerat CAEMillatBalcas.Hehasbeenasenior memberoftheCAE Technical Teamforthe last12years.Inhisnewrolehewilllook tofurtherimproveproductivity,quality andcostofproductionwhileemploying innovativetechnology.

LauraAndersonhasjoinedtheteamat BelfastCathedral.MsAndersonwilllead effortstogrowfundraisingrevenuefor thecathedral,liaisingwithpotentialand existingindividualandcorporatedonorsto helpfundnecessaryrestorationwork.

KilleavyCastleEstatehasappointedCate Murdockasthedirectorofsalesand marketing.Shehasspentthelast20years workingacrosseducational,operational, andstrategicrolesinthetravel,tourism, andeventssector.

MargaretAllenisnowchiefoperating offceratNOWGroup.Shebringsmore than30years’experienceincontractand retailcatering,wholesaleandsupplychain managementtotherole.

ITfrmErgohasappointedJohnMolloy asgeneralmanagerforNorthernIreland. MrMolloywilltakethehelmofErgo’s NorthernIrelandoperations,supporting thecompany’sgrowingteamintheregion.

DonnaMcFaddenhasbeenappointed asoperationsdirectoratquarry andmineralprocessorKilwaughter Minerals.Shewillleadontheroll-outof Kilwaughter’soperationsstrategyand theimplementationoftheorganisation’s vision,purposeandvalues.

1. TheHealth TechSpring conferencehastakenplace inBelfast.PicturedareSimon Grattan,AlmacGroup, ProfessorJudyBradley, iREACHHealthandNICRF, JoannRhodes,Health InnovationResearchAlliance NI,DrStephenMcCabe, Momentum1.0andDavid Ribeiro,ARCRegulatory.

2. PicturedlaunchingBankof IrelandOpenFarm Weekend 2024areRichardPrimrosefrom titlesponsorBankofIreland,Ilse VanStaden,butcheratBallylagan OrganicFarm,and WilliamIrvine fromtheUlsterFarmers’Union.

3. Aircoachiscelebratingits anniversarythisyearandis markingtheoccasionbygiving away2,500passengerseats. PicturedisKimSwan,managing directorofAircoach.

4. ChiefexecutiveofThe FormulaEmmaMurrayand generalmanagerof recruitment marketing,SusannahHylands, picturedlaunchinganew EmployerBrandingandSurvey Insightsevent.

5. BelfastCityAirporthas announcedlocalmedicalservices charity,AirAmbulanceNI,asits CharityPartnerofthe Yearfor 2024and2025.

6. JustineMcGreevey,head ofHendersonGrouppeople development(left)andNeil Dunlop(right),learning anddevelopmentspecialist fromTheAcademy,withthe groupof30youngpeople fromBelfastandCork whoattendedaleadership workshopatHenderson Groupheadquarters.

7. Privatehealthcareprovider, JACEMedical,isexpandingwith thelaunchofthenewJACE PrivateClinicaspartofa£2.5m investment.Picturedarepractice manager,DelmaMcCurry,founder DrJohnTDoherty,andleadnurse, MarianPurser.

8. FinanceMinisterDrCaoimhe ArchibaldMLAhasurged businessestoparticipateinarates revaluationexercisetohelpinform futurebills.Sheispicturedwith AngelaMcGrath,thecomissioner ofvaluationatLand&Property Services.

9. AgricultureMinisterAndrew Muir(centre)haslaunchedthe nextphaseinhisdepartment’s partnershipwithDigitalCatapult. He’spicturedwithNevilleGraham, DaleFarm,SueMcGuire,Digital Catapult,FiacreO’Donnell,Encirc, andJasonRankin,AgriSearch.

10. Hafner’sSausagesgearsup forthebiggestNationalSausage Daycelebrationsattheendoflast month.Picturedarecomedians AaronButerandCiaranBartlett.

11. BWUHLtd,the organisationbehindICC Belfast, WaterfrontHalland UlsterHall,hasannounced Inspireasitscharitypartner for2024.PicturedarePhil Cole,DanielleSheridan, RuairíMacMahon,Julia Corkey,LisaMcElherron, Tony McGuigan,ClareMcCann, andEllenFarrell.

12. Someoftheleadingindustry professionalswhotookpartin the WomenBreakingBarriers’ ConnectingtotheFilm World event,includingPaulaCrickard, Nicki Waddell,EllenO’Reilly, BriegeRadcliffeandDrJolene MairsDyer.

13. Picturedduringfnal preparationsfortheopeningof the refurbishedFiddlersRestin PortglenoneareAaronLaverty, venuemanager, RyanMcGlone, commercialmanager,Dormans HospitalityGroup,andCiara Duggan,frontofhouse.

14. Northern Ireland’s sporting heroeshave revealedthelistof 24schoolstosuccessfullysecure a placeonLidlNorthern Ireland’s SportforGoodprogramme. Picturedare hockeyhero Shirley McCayMBE,LidlCastlereaghstore manager, JonathanMcConnell andIrelandbadmintonathlete CiaranChambers.

15. Britvicwillonceagainserveas softdrinkspartnertoDownRoyal. AspartofthepartnershipBritvic will retainnamingrightsonthe ClubMixersMayDaymeeting. PicturedareKathrynHolland, DownRoyalwithCathyFox, BritvicNI.

16. CGI,whichestablisheda DigitalCentreofExcellencein Belfastlastyear,hasbrought its‘CyberEscapeExperience’ toNorthernIrelandforthe frsttime.

17. ProgressiveBuildingSociety haschosenAlzheimer’sSociety asitscharitypartnerduringthe 2024annualgeneralmeetingof shareholders.

18. FavourithaswontheBest InternationalProductLaunchat theNorthernIrelandFoodand DrinkAssociation(NIFDA)awards. PicturedareAlexMitchellandElla Freeman,GMMarketing,Gráinne Moody,InvestNI,andScott McIlroy,GMMarketing.

19. AoifeKerrfromOmagh,and childrenRosa,ConanandEnda, wereamongthefrstpassengers todepartontheinauguralJet2. comandJet2holidaysfightto MaltafromBelfastInternational Airport.

20. TheNorthernIrelandHotels Federation(NIHF)haslauncheda report,‘Hotels2024’,providing acomprehensiveanalysisof thecurrenthotellandscape, investments,andemergingtrends. PicturedareEddieMcKeever,NIHF presidentandchiefexecutive, JaniceGault.

21. Tescocustomersacross NorthernIrelandhave raisedover£10,000for CommunityRescueService (CRS),asearchand rescue organisationoperatedby volunteers.PicturedareElmo, KerryWhitehouse,Donna McCotter,andDominic McIlroy.

22. EconomyMinisterConor Murphy(left)hashighlightedthe important rolesocialenterprises playincreatingagrowing economy.Heispicturedwithchief executiveofSocialEnterpriseNI, ColinJessandIncredABLEstaff Jordan WilsonandKellySands.

23. TheSSEArenahasannounced acollaborationwithAmazon toimplementJust WalkOut technologyatthevenue.Pictured areDermotMcGinn,grouphead offoodandbeverageandClaire Cosgrave,associatedirectorof experience,arena,andestateat TheOdyssey Trust.

24. JudithOwensMBE,chief executiveof TitanicBelfast,is picturedwithdisabilityrights activistMichaelaHollywoodMBE attheannouncementthata ChangingPlacesfacility,designed forpeoplewithmultipleand complexdisabilities,hasbeen installedinthevisitorattraction.

25. Coleraine-basedGetSetGo, operatedbyMCLInsureTechLtd, hasintroducedabrand refresh, unveilingahostofinnovations. PicturedareGaryMcClarty, managingdirector,andRob Kearney.

26. UlsterUniversity’s25 futureleadershavetravelled toBabsonCollegeBoston. PicturedareProfessorCathy Gormley-Heenan,University Provost,Massachusetts GovernorMauraHealey, KatieLove,andBabson CollegeBostonPresident StephenSpinelliJr.

27. EconomyMinisterConor Murphy(centre)hashighlighted theimportanceofinnovationin drivinghigherproductivity.He’s picturedwithSamanthaCoster andDympnaCosterofBarnn Skincare.

28. CommerciallawfrmDavidson McDonnellhasannouncedtwo seniorstrategicappointments. PicturedareRaymondDuddyand BarbaraCreed,whohavebeen appointeddirectors,joininga directorgroupthatincludesRoss Davidson, VickyDummiganand DavidMcDonnell.

29. TheBritishBusinessBankhas announcedthefrstdealfrom theInvestmentFundafterfund manager,Whiterock,facilitated a£100,000loantoTheBucks HeadInninDundrum.Pictured areBronaghMcCormick,Mark Sterritt,Una WarnockandAlex Greene.

30. NorthernIrelandChamber ofCommerceandIndustry(NI Chamber)andQueen’sUniversity Belfast(QUB)haveformedanew partnership.PicturedareJoanne Mallon,Queen’sUniversityBelfast andSuzanneWylie,NIChamber.

31. EconomyMinisterConor Murphyhassaidthatanew economicchapterisopening inthenorthwest,during LondonderryChamberof Commerce’sPresident’s AnnualLunch.He’spictured withHubertO’Donoghue, GregMcCann,andAnna Doherty.

32. Morethan40organisations havenowsigneduptothe BelfastBusinessPromise, embarkingontheirjourneyto becomeaccreditedandshare goodpractice.PicturedareChris McCracken,BelfastLordMayor RyanMurphyandJenniBarkley.

33. AndyMcNeill,general manageroftheEuropaHotel, artistColinDavidson,and chairmanHowardHastings followingthecompletionofa £15minvestmentinthehotel.

34. BenergyBreakfasthas announcedplanstopartnerwith 77gymsacrossNorthernIreland. Thenewscomesfollowinga £130,000investmentbythe organisation.PicturedareBenergy founders,MarekBak,Jessica ThompsonandBenCochrane.

35. FionaandMartinConnolly, whoownandrunConnolly’sSpar inDownpatrick,haveannounced theclosureoftheirstoreafter 27yearsofservingtheirlocal community.Theyarepicturedwith LisaMcKee,storemanageratthe newEurosparDownpatrick.

36. Thewinnersofthe Departmentforthe Economy’sannualNorthern IrelandApprenticeship Awardshavebeen revealed. PicturedareDepartmentfor theEconomyPermanent SecretaryIanSnowden (centre)withwinnersJoanne McCubbinandAndrew Smyth.

37. Wizso,awatersavingstartup,hasbeenawarded£74,000 fromtheMarketImprovement FundrunbyMOSL,themarket operatorforthenon-household watermarketinEngland.Pictured is WizsofounderMarkGilligan.

38. Threenewfoodtenants,Mary Brown’sChicken,Chapter& Verse andFunstation,haveconfrmed theyareopeningatOdyssey PlaceinBelfast.PicturedareNicky FinniestonfromFinchwithGuy HollisfromMatagorda2.

39. ThepartnersatSpecsavers PortadownandCraigavon haveannounceda£280,000 investmentintotheexpansionof healthcareservicesavailablefor theirlocalcommunities.Pictured arestoredirectorsJPRice,Michael KennedyandColmCampbell.

40. Anew£75mequity investmentfundforNorthern Irelandhasbeenlaunchedbyfund managerWhiterock.Picturedis Whiterock’sGrowthCapitalFund team,whichincludesGraham Ferguson,Sarah Toner,David McCurley,JennaMairsandPaul Millar.

Tudorstalwarts hitting rightnote aheadofnewest

Tudor’sreleasesjustafewweeksagocertainlyreceived substantialcolumninches,buttwoofthebrand’spreviousrecent releaseshavealsocontinuedtofrmupitspositionassomeofthe bestvalueluxurywatchesonthemarket,writes JohnMulgrew

When Watchesand Wonderscame totownjustacoupleofweeks agoitalmostseemedlike Tudor wastheonlybrandgettingasubstantial numberoftongueswagging.

Ofcourse,eyesarealwaysonthebigger brother,Rolex.Butthe releasesthisyearwere

perhapsalittlelessloudwhattheinternet rumourmillhadbeensuggesting.

We gotalovelyGMT–almosttotally monochromewithblackandgreybezel–and acoupleofslightlytweakedmodels,alongside aposhversionofRolex’sfairlynew1908and, andquitefranklybonkers,44mmsolidgold

Deepsea.I remembertryingona rosegoldSkyDwellerinBelfastafewyearsago,soIimagine thisnewchunkyfellawillsurpassthatinheft. Actually,I’vehadalookonlineasitcomesinat athirdofakilo.That’salotofwatch.

ButwhileRolex’sGMTwassomewhatmild mannered,wefnallygotthe Tudoriteration

The TudorBlack Bay39mm

everyone(well,me)hadbeenwaitingfor. A39mmvariantwithaslimmercaseprofle andlikelyanodtothevintageintermsof aesthetics.There’salsothenew Tudor41mm inamonochromelookonastandardbracelet, fve-linkorverydashingandbalancedrubber strap.I’llhopefullygetachancetospenda fewdayswiththeseintheweeksahead–both arelikelytodrawmanyenquiresfromwouldbebuyers.

However,speakingofGMTs,it’sthewhite dialBlackBay41mmiterationwhichwe’re focusingontoday,alongsidetheverybalanced 39mmBlackBaywithbluedial.

Theformerwas releasedlastyearandfollows onfrom Tudor’sinitialblackdialversion,this timeoptingfortheopalinedial.It’snotpurely whitebuthasalittlesilverysheentoit,also.

It’sahandsomepieceandtakesmostofits casedimensionsandaestheticinspirations fromthestandardBlackBay41mmrange. We’vethesamerivetedbraceletandlug-tolug.Itisfairlythickcasedepth,cominginat 14.5mm,sothereissomelevelofheftonthe wrist.

Thedialitselfissurprisinglycleanand uncluttered,withthree rowsofsmalltext atthesix,snowfakehands, redGMThand, appliedcircularmarkerswith rectanglesatsix andnineandtriangleat12.

Theblueandburgundybezelmakesthisfeel slightlymorevintagethansomethinglike Rolex’scurrentGMT,giventhealuminium insert,anditfeelssturdyandsolidwhen clickingandmovingintoplace.

There’sthatlovelybitofdomedsapphire crystalwhich,again,elevatesalittle‘newold stock’feelabouttheGMT–lightplayswelloff itandyouhavethatvintagestylingwithout worryingaboutscratchingit.

Insideit’s Tudor’sCalibreMT5652movement, whichisCOSC-certifedwith70hoursof

powerandlikelytobesolidasa rock,witha retailpriceonbraceletof£3,780.

Thisisprobablyawatchwhichwearsslightly largerthanthe41mmmeasurementswould suggest,soifyou’resomeonewhotendsto wearwatcheswithalargercasesizethen don’tdismissthiswithouttrying.

Conversely,ifyouhavesmallerwrists and41mmtendstobeatthetopofyour horologicalspectrumthenvisityour Tudor boutiqueforahandsonexperience.

Butifyouareaftersomethingwhichcanwork withshortsanda T-shirtwhilestillfttingwell underacuffandbalancingwellwithmore formalattire,then Tudor’sBlackBay39mmis anotheroption.

Thebrand recentlyupdatedandunveileda hostofthesesimplifedsportswatchesacross arangeofcasesizes–from31mmrightup to41mm–withmorethanafewnodsto itsbiggerbrothersfromthehouseofHans Wilsdorf.

The39mmwiththebluedialisahappy medium,andisaclean,clearandbalanced pieceonthewrist.

There’snodatetoclutterthedial,instead,a deepbluesunburstdial,clean,typically Tudor markers,snowfakehourhand,screwdown crown,polishedbezelandafve-linkbracelet (takingmanyofitscuesfromRolex’sJubilee) withamixtureofbrushingandpolishing. There’s Tudor’s T-ftclaspinthere,too,allowing someonthefyadjustment.

It’sahandsomepieceandcomesinatjust 12mmthick,withtheCOSC-certifedCalibre MT5602beatinginside,anda retailpriceof £3,450.

There’slittlethatcouldgowrongwiththis oneintermsofitclashingwithanoutft.It’sa cleanandbalancedmarriagewhilemaintaining amoremodestcasesizethansomeofits divingbrethren.

IsitaDatejust(minusthedate)forhalfthe price,andonewhichyoucangoandbuy tomorrow?Notnecessarily,butitcertainlyticks alotofthethoseboxesintermsofstyleand specs.

Butit’salsoitsownthing.Thisisverymucha onewatchcollectionforsomeonewhowants acrackingdailywearwithextremelyhighbuild quality,butisn’tupforwaitingforsomething elsewithahigherpricetag. ■

Thewhitedial TudorGMT

Charming Cyprus castsa spellon a winterbreak

AstayinPaphos,therelaxingcultural capitalofthesun-soakedisland,makes CatherineMurphy longtoreturn

Icouldswimthreetimesaround Aphrodite’s rockinthequestfor eternalyouth.Icoulddiscoverwhat makesPaphosthearchaeologicaland culturalcapitalofCyprus.Icouldpacka picniclunchandhikethe Avakasgorgeon theAkamaspeninsula.

Butwhenit’s23degreesoutside–in November–whatI reallywanttodoislieback and relax.I’vechosentheperfectplacetodoit (andalloftheabovewhenenergylevelshave been restored)attheAsiminaSuiteshotelby ConstantinouBros.

SituatedacoupleofkilometresfromKato Paphosharbour,closetothecoastalvillage ofGeroskipou,thisfve-starpropertyisadults only,suitesonlyandplacesafrmfocus on relaxation. With110suites,115staff members,andamaximumoccupancyof230 guests,thevibeislow-keyandtranquil.There arenobigweddingsorpartygroups,although thehoteldoeswelcomesmallgolfngor activitygroupsduringlowseason.

AsiminaSuiteshasbeendescribedtomeasa homelyboutiquehotel,largelybecausemany ofthestaffhaveworkedthereforyearsand gettoknowguestswho returnyearafteryear.

It’saspaciouspropertywiththree restaurants (beachfront,alacarteandbuffet-youcan alsodinepoolside),twointerconnected freshwaterswimmingpools,agym,spa, indoorpoolandlotsofoutdoorspaceinwhich

to relax.Check-inisaleisurelyaffairinvolving ChampagneandcanapesandwhileotherIrish guestsgetbusyplayingatnearbygolfcourses ortakingpartinwellnessandyoga retreats, Iplantmyselffrmlyonthebalconyofmy spacioussuitetogazeatpalmtreesandthe Mediterranean.

Thehoteldoesn’tfeelboutiqueinthestrictest senseofthewordbutit’sinpristinecondition andverycomfortable.Iffve-starratingsare denotedbystaff-to-guestratio,personal serviceandlocation,thispropertywins.For me,thebestthingsaboutitaretheKymata beachfront restaurantandthebeautiful garden.

TheAsiminaSuitesissetnearthefarendof apromenade,whichtakesmebyfoottothe harbour.Guestscanalsotakeabusortaxi.

Iestablisha routineofsunriseandsunset walks,makingthemostofwarmwinterdays. Ipasscafes, restaurantsandsouvenirshops to reachthefort(whichisopenforvisits)and notethemixofPaphosvisitors–couplesofall ages,youngfamiliesandbuff-lookingthirtysomethingstakingpartinanoutdoorboot campatthehotelnextdoor.

OutsidemyAsiminacocoon,theopenairmuseumthatisPaphosawaits.Energy restored,Itakeahalf-daytourwithlocalguide MaryPatrokloutoexploretheRomanand Christianhistoryofthearea,stoppingoffat thearchaeologicalpark.

PaphoswasthecapitalofCyprusbetween2BC and4ADandtheparkishometoanodeon, forumandagoraaswellas royaltombsand thewonderfullypreservedmosaicfoorsof Romanvillas.

Drivingtowardstheoldtown,Marypointsout anuninspiring-lookingpieceofstonestanding nearanancientbasilica.Ibarelygiveita secondglancebutamtoldit’sStPaul’spillar, thestonetowhichStPaulwastiedandthen foggedforpreachingChristianity.Cyprusis consideredtobeamongthemostimportant Christiansitesintheworldasitwasthefrst missionforJesus’sdisciplesoutsidetheHoly LandandismentionedintheBible.

Duringmyvisit,morethan2,000yearslater, PaphosisbusierthanusualinNovemberas cruiseshipshavebeendivertedtotheCypriot portoverIsraelionesduetotheongoing confict.

Paphosoldtownpresentssomethingofa

conundrum:itlookslikeanewtown,andis describedbylocalsassuch.Thankstoamayor withvision,theoldtownhasbeen recently renovated;itsbustlingbazaars replacedwith moremodernversionsanditsstreetsfreshly paved.

Perhapsit’sbecauseIvisitatmiddayin November,butitfeelsasthoughthenewold townneedstimetosettleintoitslooksand buildcharacter.Havingsaidthat,it’sfunto drinkfreshpomegranatejuice,shopforcarob syrupandwatchcraftspeopleatworkatThe Placeartisancentre.

Theoldtownislivelierinearlyeveningwhen holidaymakersleavethebeachestostroll around.

It’salsotheplaceforfashionablenightlife–I stopoffatMuse restaurantforsundownerson theterraceandeatmezeatAgora,afriendly, affordable restaurantofferingveganand vegetarianmeze.Minimezewithhalloumi,

feta,stuffedpeppers,chickpeaandcouscous saladanddeliciousCypruspotatoeswasjust €12.

Youcandrivethelengthoftheislandintwoand-a-halfhours;oneofthemostscenicdrives isupintothe Troodosmountains(1,900m).

Anotherlocalguide,takesmeonadaytrip thatmixeseasyhikingwithwine-tastingand amountainvillagevisit. We walkforaboutan houralongtheforestedCaledonianaturetrail, talkingabouttheisland’smore recenthistory aswego.

Angelagivesmeabriefpoliticalhistoryof theisland,fromitsearlyrulebytheOttoman EmpirethroughBritishadministrationand subsequentSecond World Warannexationby theBritishtotheongoingdisputebetween TurkishandGreekCypriots regarding ownershipofthenorthoftheisland.It’sa complexhistorythat resonateswithIrish visitors.

Alongwithsoufaki–skeweredporkor chicken–it’simportanttoeatasmuch deliciousmezeaspossiblewhileholidaying inPaphos.

We dipintoStouKir-Yianni,a restaurantin anoldCypriotmansionhouse,forameze feastthatcostsaround€21perperson. Ifyou’replanningtovisitthevillageof Omodos,trytobooklunchinadvanceas restaurantsfllupquicklywithgroupsof eagertourists.

There’ssomuchmoretoexploreinPaphos –theturquoisewatersoftheBlueLagoon, Latchiharbour,ancientmonasteriesandon beyondPaphostoLimassol,Nicosiaandthe northoftheisland.

However,thepalmtreesofAsiminaSuites arecallingmeback.Some40%ofguests returntothehotelafterafrstvisitand, givenhalfachance,I’llhappilyaddtothat percentage. ■

Coastalviewsin Paphos,Cyprus

TECH NOLO GY

Review: Samsung’s workhorse smartphoneand top-endlaptop

SAMSUNGGALAXYS24

ItseemsthatSamsungnowcountsmultiple phonesasits‘fagships’. Two,inparticular, standout–theGalaxyZFold5andthe GalaxyS24Ultra.Butwhatabouttheplainold GalaxyS24?Itnowseemsalittlelostbetween Samsung’slow-endandmid-rangeA-series handsetsandtheverytop,premiummodels.Is itworthgetting?

IftheS24wasapetrolordieselcar,itwould beaGolf;premium-priced,butverysolid,very reliable,long-lastingandamongthebestat whatitdoesinitscategory.

Itdoesn’thavesomeofthe“wow”features oftheverytop-endphones,suchastheS24 Ultra’smega-zoomlens.Butitdoeshaveavery high-enddisplay,goodpower,goodbattery life,anexcellentuserinterfaceandsomenew AIfeaturesthatpromisetobeusefulasthey mature.

Samsungishangingalotofthisyear’sS24 rangeontheselatterfeatures,whichwe coveredearlierthisyearwhenassessingthe GalaxyS24Ultra(seeindependent.iefor detailed review).Butingeneral,theycover issuessuchasliveconversationtranslation–whichshowspromisebutisn’tthataccurate someofthetime–“circletosearchwith Google”–whichisgreat,butwhichiscoming tomostAndroidsmartphonesshortly–“Note Assist”andadvancedgenerativeediting.

Curiously,though,younowdon’t really needanS24toexperiencemostofthese,as Samsunghasexpandedthemtothecheaper andstillavailableS23modelsandthemost recentversionsofthepremiumfoldingphones –ZFlip5andZFold5.

ThatleavestheS24tradingonmoretraditional smartphonefeatures,whichitgenerallyaces. Its6.2-inchAmoleddisplayisbrighterthan lastyear’sS23,it’sloadedwithmore-thanadequatepower–thelatestSnapdragon 8Gen3chip–its4,000mAhbatterylifeis slightlybiggerthanitspredecessorandisfne foratleastaday’susageandtheoveralldesign

andfeelofthephoneinthehandis really quitenice.

Thecameras,despitebeinglastyear’s technology,are reallygood,incorporating a50-megapixelmainlens,a12-megapixel ultrawidelensanda10-megapixel3xoptical telephotolens.

Sothereisnowaytobeactuallydisappointed intheperformanceofthisphone:ifyou’rean Androiduserandyougetone,you’llfndit effortless,effcientandpowerful.

Theonlytheoreticaldrawbackisthatthere’s relativelylittledifferencebetweenthisand lastyear’sGalaxyS23;youwon’t reallynotice anypowerdifferenceandyoudefnitelywon’t noticeanychangeinthecameraperformance, barslightlyfastershutterspeeds.Ifyou’rea gamer,youmightnoticemarginally-enhanced performance,thankstoits“vapourchamber” beingalmosttwiceaslargeaslastyear’s model,meaningpotentiallylongerplaying timeswithoutneedingabreak.

Butotherwise,thisisalmostthesameasthe GalaxyS23.That’snottheendoftheworldas theS23was,andis,agreatphone.TheS24is basicallyaveryincrementaladvance.

SAMSUNGGALAXYBOOK4PRO360

Thereareafew reasonstoconsiderSamsung’s latestGalaxyBook4Pro360,apremium-priced 16-inchlaptop.

Thefrstistheformfactor,whichisa‘360’ screenthatgoesallthewayarounduntilit’s

back-to-backwiththekeyboard.

Whywouldyouwantsuchaformat?Maybe towriteonasagianttablet;thelaptopcomes withaGalaxySPenstylus,whichisvery responsive.

Ifyoudon’twantorneedthatfunctionality, usingitasastandalonedisplayisanother reasonableuseforthe360screen,which bringsintofocusthislaptop’ssecondcore strength–thequalityoftheAmoled,3K, 120Hzdisplay.

You’llstruggletofndascreenthat’sbetter quality,thanthisone.Itsanti-glarecoating works reallywell,too.

There’salsoapowerandbatteryargumentin favouroftheGalaxyBook4Pro360,asituses Intel’snewCoreUltra7processor.Notonly doesthismakethingszipalong,with16GBof Ram,itextendsbatterylifetooneofthebest I’vetestedina WindowsPC–solidlyeightto 10hours.

Thenthere’sthefactthat,asaSamsung laptop,ithasquickcompatibilitywithother Samsungdevices,suchasphonesandbuds.

There’sahugetouchpadunderneatha keyboardwhichI’drankasmid-tierfor performance.

Forme,thekeysarealittleonthefatside, butthereisalsoanumberkeypadonthe side.

Forconnectivity,yougettwoUSB-Cports,a USB-Aport,anHDMIport,aMicroSDcard portanda3.5mmheadphonesport.

Intermsofweakpoints,thespeakersarea littletinnyfora£1,799laptop.Thewebcam, too,ismerelyadequate.

But,overall,thebuildqualityontheBook4 360isverygood.It’sslimandfairlylightfora 16-inchlaptop.

WhocanIseebuyingthis?Someonewho isalreadyaSamsungdeviceowner–forthe ecosystembenefts–andwholovesagreat multimediascreen.

Orsomeonewhogenuinelylikestowriteon theirlaptop’sdisplay.Butitcouldalsoserve asagood,high-qualitygeneralpurpose16inchlaptop,too,albeitaverypriceyone. ■

Uncovering the9-5

NAME: ChrisShorthouse

POSITION: Vicepresident,client engagementforCGIinNIandScotland

5.30am

Mydaystartsbywakingupandmakingcoffee formywifeandI.Iwouldthengobackto bedandputonthenewswhilecheckingmy calendarforthedayandthinkingaboutthe thingsIneedtodo.

6am

Itakemylabradorsforawalk,alwaysa minimumof5km.Iliveinthecountryside,so thisisagreatwaytoclearmyheadandget readyforthedayahead.Iamusuallylistening toanaudiobookatthesametime.

7.15am

OnceI returnhome,Iwillmakeasecond coffeeandturnonmylaptop.Iusethe nexthourtocatchuponemailsand review documentswhichIdidn’tgettotheday before.

8.15am

Itakemydaughtertoschool.Shegetsherself readynow,soIamusuallycalledawaybyher shouting‘it’stimetogo’ratherthantheother wayaround.IfIamheadingtotheoffce,Iwill thenbeginthecommute.

9am

Callsnormallystartatthistime.Between 9amand10:30amisinternal reviewsonour strategicdealsandactionsforthenextfew days.Thesecallsensuretheteamallhaveclear direction.

11am

AsIleadsalesandbusinessdevelopment teamsIneedtimeforad:hoccallswithclients andinternalteams.Forexample,we recently broughttheCGICyberEscapeexperience toBelfastforthefrsttimewhichinvolved planninganddeliveringthesuccessfulevent

inCustomHouseSquareincollaboration withinternalCGImembersaswellasexternal deliverypartners.

Thisuniqueinteractivecybersecurityinitiative hasalotofmovingparts,andwewere targetingarangeoflocalNIstakeholder groups.Duetothevolumeofworkand planninginvolved,itneededfocusand collaboration,soItrytokeepthistimefreefor themorecomplexwork.OverlunchIwilltake callsonthemovewhileIwalkmydogsagain. Thesandwichisnormallyeatenoveremails.

1pm

Afternoonsareoftenspentondealstrategies andbidstoassistwiththeCGIgrowth strategyforNorthernIreland. We arecurrently targetinganumberofhigh-proflepublicsectorcontracts,leveragingourUKandglobal expertiseinsimilarsectors.Thisinvolves talkingtoexternalpartnersandworkingwith oursupportfunctionsincommercialand fnanceondealstructures.Ialwaysmakesure Iamspendinganhouradayatleasttalking toclients(whenwearen’tinlockeddown competitiveprocurements).

4pm

Lateafternoonstendtobeatimetostarton theto-dolistforthenextday.Lotsofemails, clientfollow-upsandmakingsureactions areclosed.Idospendmostofmydayeither inmeetingsoronthephonewithpeople, therefore,thequiettimedoesn’tcomeuntil alittlelater.

6pm

Ialwaystrytobedonefor5.30pm.I startearlybutfamilytimeisexceptionally importanttome.Usuallyatthistimeitwill beoffoutwiththedogsagain(andifit’s notrainingwithmywifeanddaughter.They arefairweatherwalkers).Thenit’sonto cookingdinnerandsomefamilytimeuntil 9pm.

9pm

For30minutestoanhour,Iwillgetthe iPadout,fnishoffemailsandanyother reviewingIneedtodo,orcangettobefore thenextday.Manyofmycolleagueswork similarhourssothereareoften Teams messagesbetweenusatthistimeoftheday relevanttothenextday. ■