Ulster Business by Ulster Business

APRIL 2020 Price ÂŁ2.30 (â&#x201A;Ź2.60)

Managing director Stephen McCully on a bright future ahead and forging forwards towards greener power

NEXT 200 The best and the brightest across the Northern Ireland economy

Contents 08 News

54 Round-table

86 Photocall

The latest news from across the world of Northern Ireland business

Re-Gen Waste bring together a host of experts to discuss the future of the sector

A look at what’s been happening across the business community

16 Cover story

59 Business start-up

92 The Chairman

Power NI’s Stephen McCully on growing and evolving the leading electricity supply firm

John Mulgrew sits down with Silicon Valley (by way of Sion Mills) tech boss Sarah Friar

From a showcase of our manufacturing success to diversity, he’s been out and about, again

27 Next 200

74 Business breakfast

96 Technology

We showcase some of the leading SMEs from across Northern Ireland

Colin Neill of Hospitality Ulster takes Ulster Business up on the offer of an early breakfast

Adrian Weckler gets hands on with the latest and greatest handsets from Samsung

45 SME & family business

77 Motoring

98 My Day

Emma Deighan chats to a host of family firms at the heart of our economy

Pat Burns has been out on the road in the latest motors to hit our showrooms

We find out what Now Group boss Maeve Monaghan gets up to on a working day

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APRIL 2020

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

Unprecedented times for all of us

e are all now living in unprecedented times throughout each single strand of society, both locally, nationally and internationally. I doubt anyone could have predicted that much of life as we know it, would effectively be put on hold, as we try and address the spread of coronavirus, throughout the globe.

We’ve obviously featured coverage of the story so far and what businesses can avail of in a bid to help them survive, but this edition is still packed with the positives of the Northern Ireland business community, including our cover story with Stephen McCully of Power NI and our Next 200 special, which follows directly on from our

Top 100 and showcases the success stories of our leading SMEs. Businesses here face a tough few weeks ahead, in particular hospitality and retail, while other sectors are now feeling the knock-on effects of a nation increasingly at the point of shut down. But already we’ve seen the resilience and positivity of companies here, assisting across the sectors, whether that be producing food for health workers or offering temporary employment opportunities to those who now ﬁnd themselves out of a job. Ulster Business will be here alongside the business community every step of the way. Our new website will be full of fresh analysis, interviews, features and proﬁles from this edition, along with breaking news

Publisher Ulster Business c/o Independent News & Media Ltd Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock, Belfast BT1 3BG

as it happens, to keep everyone informed. We’re also aware that we can help get the message out there, if a business or organisation is trying to communicate with suppliers, customers or the wider society, and we will do so through the power of social media, our new digital presence and out next print editions. So feel free to drop me a line on Twitter or email, if there’s something you want to help reach a wider audience. Thanks once again to everyone involved in this edition, and previous magazines. We’re going through a difﬁcult period in our history, but together, we can work together, and get through it. ■ John Mulgrew

Editor John Mulgrew Magazine sales manager Mark Glover Sales executive Sarah-Ann Gamble Sales executive Judith Martin Production manager Irene Fitzsimmons

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Graphic design Susan McClean, INM Design Studio Contact: 028 9026 4262/028 9026 4260 Cover photo: Khara Pringle www.ulsterbusiness.com

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Ulster Business Magazine

Independent News & Media Ltd © 2020. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Independent News & Media Ltd.

APRIL 2020

NEWS

month IN numbers A

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Arlene Foster address media at Stormont Castle

£370m

The value of a grant package to help businesses in certain sectors deal with the initial impact of coronavirus throughout Northern Ireland.

NI facing unprecedented crisis

200

The number of companies making up this year’s Next 200 list. It showcases the best and brightest SMEs from across industries in Northern Ireland.

£8.7bn

The combined turnover of this year’s Next 200. Overall, sales rose among those on the list by more than 9%.

The number of months, at the time of print, offered as a business rates freeze. Many have called for it to be increased to 12 months, bringing it in line with the rest of the UK.

By John Mulgrew

orthern Ireland’s business community is facing its greatest challenge in more than a generation as it deals with mass shutdown in a bid to curb the spread of the global pandemic of coronavirus.

A grant package of £370m for small and medium-sized firms, mostly in retail and hospitality, along with a rates freeze, have been announced as initial measures to help companies and workers. From Michelin-starred restaurants and historic pubs to leading retailers, Northern Ireland firms have pulled down the shutters as trade takes a massive hit and operators help try and ease the spread of the virus. Annual events, mainstays in the Northern Ireland business calendar and beyond, have been cancelled – from the Balmoral Show, which sees more than 100,000 people in attendance, to awards bashes, festivals and charity fundraisers. Public buildings, leisure centres, libraries and schools have shut, while air travel is operating at a bare minimum, as borders are closed and people are being asked to limit contact with others. Banks have stepped in to announce some measures to ease business strains, including some offering periods of mortgage deferral. Initially it was Northern Ireland’s bars,

restaurants, cafes and hotels that were hit first, as the public reduced its contact with others amid government guidance to avoid large crowds. Sean Graham has announced it’s temporarily closed betting shops and Beannchor, which owns multiple bars and hotels, has temporarily shut down many of them and the temporary laying off of 800 workers. Outside hospitality, other sectors are calling for assistance in order to continue payroll and their continued futures. Several major companies have announced proposed redundancies, including significant possible losses at Newry’s MJM Marine – one of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing firms. There have now been calls for government to consider introducing a scheme that subsidises the salaries of workers under threat of redundancy due to the crisis. And there have been calls for a 12 month freeze on business rates for the rest of the UK, to be extended to Northern Ireland, where only a three month period has so far been announced. Elsewhere, Janice Gault of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation also urged MLAs to find out whether hotels that act as hospitals will be exempt from paying VAT.

NEWS

NI’s top SMEs see profits rise 8%

orthern Ireland’s leading small and medium-sized firms have seen profits rise by almost 8% in a year, the Ulster Business Next 200 list has revealed.

The annual list, which follows directly on from the Top 100 companies, showcases some of the leading companies here, boasting turnover from £26m to almost £98m. Overall, sales have grown by 9.2% to £8.7bn, up from £7.96bn and profitability has also grown by 7.7% to £540.3m from £501.8m. The year, travel business World Travel Centre,

APRIL 2020

which has a base in Belfast, topped the list, with turnover of £97.9m, up more than a third from £72.6m. Ulster Business editor, John Mulgrew, said: “We often here than SMEs are the bedrock and engine room of the Northern Ireland economy, and the latest Next 200 list is yet another clear example of that. “Our companies, from right across the sectors, have shown their strength and resilience – many posting both increased profits and sales. The rise follows a similar pattern to the fortunes of our Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies list for 2019.”

NEXT NORTHERN IRELAND COMPANIES 2020

2OO There were exceptional performances throughout the listing but as a potential precursor to inclusion in the 2020 Ulster Business Top 100, nine companies have exceeded the minimum turnover of £74.6m needed for inclusion in the 2019 Top 100 listing. See full coverage on pages 27-39

NEWS

Quotes OF THE month

Hospitality sector ‘running out of time’

The Sunflower Pub in Belfast

“The number one asset for any business is their employees and support staff. They must be protected.” The newly reformed NI Business Alliance calling on the Government to support salaries among workers here following the coronavirus outbreak.

“We particularly talked to the Minister about our shared belief that the UK Government needs to step in fast and introduce some form of employment support to help protect people’s incomes and jobs.” Belfast Chamber chief executive, Simon Hamilton, speaking after several business chambers met with Economy Minister Diane Dodds.

“Given the huge impact of coronavirus on the economy and with so many jobs lost, the UK needs to introduce a temporary Universal Basic income to support unemployed workers and their families.” Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, speaking about measures needed to protect the economy and workers.

housands of jobs and an entire industry are at risk as hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland pull down the shutters amid the spread of coronavirus, it’s been warned. Many bars, restaurants and cafes here took their own decision to temporarily close down, in a bid to protect staff and customers – limiting large groups of people from gathering. Already, most of Belfast’s leading restaurants, such as OX, Saphyre, Muddlers Club and Mourne Seafood have closed, while Bill Wolsey’s Beannchor group announced the temporary layoff of 800 staff, including the temporary closure of many of its businesses.

Pub staples on one of the busiest days in the year, St Patrick’s Day, shut their doors in a bid to help curtail crowds, while bars including The Sunflower and The American have now temporarily closed. And while a £370m grant package has been announced by First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill – primarily to help retail and hospitality businesses – the industry wants further steps as it says “we are running out of time”. “We welcome the announcement relating to the several grant schemes that they have brought forward based on rateable value,”

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said. “However, we need much, much more. Support needs to be immediately directed to, and felt by, our staff. We hope in the coming days that further targeted alleviation measures are brought forward with urgency. We need more support from Westminster also. This grant money will be burnt up very quickly. “We need to put our industry into a deep freeze. We need all bills frozen. The clock needs to be stopped. “Our people are being made redundant left, right and centre – into the thousands – and we cannot wait for grant schemes to trickle down. We are behind the curve and we simply can’t wait. We are running out of time.” He’s called on a range of additional measures, including a staff support package of £200 a week “so that they can put food on the table”. Speaking about the temporary closure of many of his businesses, Bill Wolsey, said: “Never in 43 years of business have I seen a crisis like this one, nor faced a decision like this. “This has been an emotional and extremely tough decision but if we do not act now, we will not have a business to return to. “We have made this decision because we feel we have to act responsibly in the best longer term interests of the group and its staff.”

NEWS

Supermarkets trying to cope with demand

upermarkets and other retailers are working in overdrive to ensure continued supply of food and other goods to customers as well as offering fresh job opportunities to those facing cuts in other sectors. In a bid to curb panic buying, big retailers have moved to place limits on the number of certain items customers are buying, while others, including Lidl and Iceland, have begun opening up for set hours in the morning for older customers only. Some of our own local grocery retailers are also now offering up new roles, targeted at those who may have recently lost their job elsewhere.

Henderson Group – which runs a host of brands such as Spar, Eurospar, Mace and Vivo – says positions have opened at stores across Northern Ireland, and within its distribution centre, located outside Belfast. Elsewhere, recruitment firm Grafton has said it now has a spike in job vacancies in health and food-processing roles.

APRIL 2020

A reporter wearing gloves films Glyn Roberts of Retail NI outside Stormont Castle

Meanwhile, food group Finnebrogue, is now actively targeting those within the hospitality sector, and others, amid roles at its facilities, as is poultry giant Moy Park. Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, responding to news of a £370m grant package for retail and hospitality businesses, said “the next step needs to be the introduction in Northern Ireland of the 100% small business rates relief for the next 12 months”.

NEWS

Coronavirus: what’s on the table to help our businesses? John Mulgrew looks at what’s being offered for businesses in a bid to help our companies across the sectors survive the coming weeks – an unprecedented period not seen here in peace time

s I type this, and despite being engaged on a day-to-day basis with the ebb and flow of business here, it’s still hard to come to terms with the situation we now find ourselves in.

And while this may serve as something of a loose guide as to what’s being done to support companies here amid the global outbreak of coronavirus, it’s changing and developing on a daily basis. But we’ll be keeping you up-to-date throughout the next few weeks online, on social media and in future issues. So far, the headline figure from a Northern Ireland perspective is a £370m support package, aimed at offering grants to businesses here – focusing on retail, hospitality and tourism, in an attempt to keep cashflow going. That will mean small businesses with a net asset value up to £15,000, receiving a grant up to £10,000, while a larger £25,000 grant will be offered to medium-sized companies. Those qualifying for the £25,000 grant must have a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a UK-wide stimulus package of as much as £350bn. It includes £330bn in loans, £20bn in other aid, such as a business rates holiday – longer than that here. Gordon Street at lunchtime in Belfast

One of Belfast’s bestknown publicans, Willie Jack, walks past his Duke of York bar in Belfast. Pic Elaine Hill

An initial announcement from Finance Minister Conor Murphy outlined a £100m freeze on commercial rates for just three months, and deferring the issuing of rates bill from April until June. And other areas, at the time of writing, appear yet to be address. The newly reformed Business Alliance raised the issue of areas such as extending HMRC time-to-pay tax suspensions, extending the small business rates holiday. There are also hopes of the Government guaranteeing the wages of workers over the coming weeks. But there are stark gaps appearing, at the time of print. For instance, the rates holiday only applies to commercial rates, therefore anyone selfemployed and working from a domestic property isn’t included.

NEWS

And the issue of self-employment goes further still. At the time of print, many of those working for themselves will have no income protection for the foreseeable future. The small business rates relief is currently focusing on the sectors which are being hit hardest, first, namely hospitality. But they do not include other sectors, such as manufacturing and construction – many of which are likely to feel the effects more strongly in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, sectors are also calling for measures to go further, as discussed elsewhere in this magazine. Colin Neill of Hospitality Ulster has called for a raft of measures to ensure, not only the continued future of our hospitality sector, but protect those who now find themselves out of work, with many more likely to follow. That includes a staff support package of £200 a week, domestic bills frozen for staff and a 100% rates holiday for a year. Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, has also said further rescue is needed, supporting payroll to guarantee there is an income floor, removing the stress and the panic in the workforce and the community. As I write this, I’d be more than happy for this piece to seem dated if it

APRIL 2020

The Dirty Onion on St Patrick’s Day which is now shut

means there is a fresh deluge of government support for our businesses, and that we’re headed towards something in the way of tackling a crisis no one could have expected. Again, we’ll not only be keeping readers informed, but also highlighting the positives and resilient stories of our firms here.

RECRUITMENT

Clear purpose is a significant advantage in the war for talent By John Moore, managing director, Hays NI

t has become increasingly apparent in the past few years that the reasons behind the career choices we make are becoming more deeply rooted in social purpose and the world around

us.

Whether it be helping to save the planet, working to improve communities, playing our part in enabling people to reach their full potential, or simply improving the lives of customers, more of us are looking for a sense of purpose in the work we do. It’s often noted that we spend a lot of our lives at work, so it’s no surprise we want a good reason to get up in the morning, something more than just paying the bills. A survey by LinkedIn showed more than half of all candidates now won’t accept a job offer if they don’t know or agree with a company’s mission, values and purpose. If that’s true, then business leaders in Northern Ireland who want to grow their organisations must be able to define, communicate and enact why those businesses exist. To fail means not giving people a good enough reason to want to work for us. And failing to engage our customers, our clients, our shareholders and our current employees. So, no matter the size or location of your business, purpose should be a priority. Research shows that organisations that have successfully defined, and importantly, act with a sense of purpose, outperform the financial markets and have employees who are much more loyal to that organisation. Your organisation’s mission is different from its purpose. Your mission is what you’re trying to accomplish, your purpose is why you want to do it. Your organisation’s purpose needs to feel authentic in the eyes of all your stakeholders so take time to define it and embed it in the organisation. Only when it is embedded into the lifeblood of your business, can you use purpose to attract the right, purpose-driven people to your business. Patagonia is often held up as a leading light when it comes to creating employee experiences. ‘We’re in business to save our home planet’ is their purpose, and as such, they offer a number of benefits which allow their employees access to a variety of charity and volunteer opportunities to support their environmental work, including attending protests. In September 2019, Patagonia closed their offices and stores around the world to allow employees to join youth activists protesting for action against climate change. That might not be your purpose, but the point is that when employees feel more connected to their employer’s purpose, they are more likely to

share their experiences across their social feeds, and with their friends and family, helping make you an employer of choice for like-minded others. It’s a big advantage if you can hire individuals whose values are aligned to why you exist as a business. PwC recommends identifying a few critical behaviours that will help you recognise the values you’re looking for. For example, at Hays, our purpose is centred around helping professionals and organisations thrive. One of the values we look for in those we hire is a passion for people. In turn, the behaviours we look for include the ability to build strong, long-term relationships with stakeholders. When assessing these values and behaviours in an interview, try asking a few value-based interview questions such as: ‘why do you want to work for us?’, ‘tell us about a time you made a positive impact at work’ or ‘what motivates you to succeed?’. You might be thinking, that’s all very good but my business here in Belfast or Derry or Portadown doesn’t have time for that, we’re too busy. But if you want to get the right people, purpose isn’t optional. It’s necessary to deliver value to your customers. A sense of purpose is what both your current and potential employees want to feel when they come into work every day. Purpose is the new way of doing business. ■

COVER STORY

Power NI: the changing face of energy Northern Ireland’s leading electricity supplier, Power NI, is on an upwards trajectory – developing a modern, diverse workforce, creating new products and solutions and preparing for a greener and cleaner energy outlook. Ulster Business speaks to managing director Stephen McCully about positive change within Power NI, as he prepares to hand the baton over to new leadership later in 2020, having been at the helm for more than 18 years

Michele Hanley, group HR director with Gillian McCaughtry, head of service operations

Stephen McCully

“T

he energy world is changing,” Power NI’s managing director Stephen McCully tells Ulster

customer empowerment and technological innovation and digitalisation, are central to this change.”

Business.

“We’re witnessing an unprecedented level of change in response to a global policy drive to decarbonise. Trends such as a cleaner more decentralised generation market, increased

As energy policy continues to evolve at a breath-taking pace as it addresses the challenges of decarbonisation and combating climate change, Power NI – Northern Ireland’s largest electricity provider recognises that local customers want to play their part in this transition and to this end has been actively developing, progressing and growing its products and services to appeal to this trend. And the Power NI story is very much a team effort from the ground up. It’s working to stay well ahead of the curve, building new business and consumer products and solutions, building an environmentally sustainable supply chain, achieving a progressive and modern workplace and looking to a future global context which will have an even greater reliance on electricity as an authentic renewable energy source. In numbers alone, Power NI paints an impressive picture. It boasts around 450,000 domestic customers and 43,000 businesses – representing 56% and 61% of the total Northern Ireland marketplace, respectively.

William Steele, Mark Liggett and Amy Bennington who spearhead commercial strategy

COVER STORY

“We are constantly innovating and changing. Innovation is such an important part of our business,” Stephen says.

both business and domestic sectors, however we aren’t complacent about that. Our price has to be right, and the service of the absolute highest quality. That tends to be key.”

customers. It has cultivated talent across a range of specialisations, from customer service, digital engagement, product innovation, marketing and business development.

Power NI is working to do that in both the services and products it provides for its customers, and in how it achieves the ambitious goal to remain the leading electricity supplier in Northern Ireland.

And for Stephen, when it often comes down to small variances in cost, he believes the level of attention to its customers is what helps set Power NI apart and give it a leading edge when it comes to tackling the competition.

Its workforce here has grown to around 370 staff – developing a modern and diverse workplace of which over 50% of its staff are female, in a once historically male-dominated industry.

Power NI is part of the Energia Group – an island-wide energy asset owner and provider of both electricity and gas customer solutions.

Power NI has two main offices for customer support outside its Belfast base, including one in Antrim and one in Omagh. More than 200 staff are involved in that side of the business, ensuring the firm’s customers have a dedicated team dealing with both business and domestic queries.

Northern Ireland’s electricity market opened to commercial competition in 1999, followed by domestic customers in 2010. Since then, Power NI has maintained its position as the largest supplier of electricity in Northern Ireland. “Sustaining a strong competitive position in the market is critical, for example the regulated price in the domestic sector which Power NI uniquely offers is currently the cheapest standard tariff in the market,” Stephen says. “We have enjoyed a high level of loyalty in

APRIL 2020

As part of the company’s development and process of clarifying its brand in Northern Ireland – the group has moved all of its business customers under the Power NI moniker, further strengthening the company as a local household name. This consolidation also helps Power NI be a force for good and play its part in helping businesses and the economy grow. This is indeed the key motivation behind Power NI’s business focused campaign – ‘Let’s grow together’. As part of its position as market leader, it puts a huge focus on how it deals with its

“That’s very important for us as a business – the aftersales service is key,” Stephen says. So, aside from its strong attention to customer service, what does Power NI do to help set it apart? Stephen says aside from increasing its green credentials, products and customer solutions are becoming an ever-increasing element of the business and its development. “It’s looking beyond the commodity of energy,” he says. “Customers are looking for solutions across a range of areas, such as electric vehicle infrastructure and charging. They are increasingly asking for innovative solutions around that and in general how >

COVER STORY becoming carbon neutral by 2050, Stephen’s also confident that the Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) wholesale market, which operates on an all-island basis, will be central to processing more and more renewables – Brexit withdrawal agreement permitting. “Today more than 40% of energy generation is from renewable sources, which is remarkable, given a decade ago it would have been just a few percent. This is an important milestone and represents good momentum for a target that ultimately will support a the net zero carbon goal.”

Gemma-Louise Bond and Gwyneth Compston who look after CSR and community engagement

they can make their energy sources and usage more environmentally sustainable.” Power NI is also set to power the first ever hydrogen-powered double decker buses in Ireland before the end of 2020, alongside Translink. “Customers are looking for expert forecasting insight and having the ability to be flexible regarding hedging of prices into the future. Manufacturing companies, for example, are interested in that, as it feeds into their local and international competitiveness.”

Power NI has also just introduced a smartphone app – with around 180,000 users – which has the potential to replace the traditional bill and payment system. It’s also helping customers through its unique Power NI Perks scheme, which Stephen says offers up “real discounts” for leisure activities to high street shopping, including local independents. “It’s also a way for us to engage with the business-to-business (B2B) sector in a value adding manner,” he says. Looking towards increasingly ambitious government targets, which includes the UK

But like many in the industry, Stephen is keen to see a new local energy policy framework progressed and brought to fruition – following three years without the focus of the NI Assembly. This is urgently required in order to help drive fresh targets and push towards an even greener and cleaner electricity supply chain. “Diversity of generation mix is also important. While one part of the day may be great for wind generation, it may not be for solar. So you need diversity of renewable sources,” Stephen says. “The next big tranche of renewable generation will undoubtedly feature off-shore wind. There are also a lot of opportunities from the bioenergy sector. These are both sectors that our parent group will be focusing on.”

Part of the shift is paying even greater attention to IT and data. “The company is becoming more about people and systems,” Stephen says. “Our technology is centralised within our group, with around 100 dedicated staff. Our core system includes billing and customer relationship systems, and we have created new and robust digital channels.” Power NI’s track record of developing innovative products include a new pre-payment system for domestic customers whereby they can pay and top-up their electricity using a smartphone app. The customers can also access useful information about their individual consumption patterns. “These digital channels are replacing the traditional bill,” Stephen says. “We have to strive to modernise because customers are being influenced by best practice in other sectors. We have to modernise at least at a similar pace, or even ahead of that.”

Mick O’Reilly, Karen Malone, Dr Joe Devlin and Jenny Livingstone, members of the innovation team looking after strategy, the new app and electric vehicles

COVER STORY

Power NI’s Dr Joe Devlin, Karen Malone, Mark Liggett, Gillian McCaughtry (front), Michelle Hanley, Gemma-Louise Bond, Jenny Livingstone, William Steele, Gwyneth Compston (front), Amy Bennington and Mick O’Reilly

“At Power NI we buy from thousands of renewable sources, for example directly from households, producing more energy than they need from sources such as solar, through to larger wind energy developments.” The Power NI story is very much a team effort, and it prides itself on promoting diversity of thinking and perspectives across the business, and breaking down barriers for increased collaboration. “When I joined this industry over 35 years ago, it was heavily engineering focused and largely male-biased,” Stephen says. “Diversity is so important in the workplace as it is an asset for both the business and employees, in respect of fostering innovation, creativity and understanding toward customers. With increasing competition in the energy market it’s critical for businesses such as Power NI to be fully customer focused, and to be balanced in a broader people context by treating staff as well as our most loyal customers. It is also important for the make-up of staff to be representative of your customer base.” Power NI strives to develop modern workspaces – Stephen himself sits in the open plan office in Belfast – the business has also developed other agile work areas which promote increased team collaboration and more generally, staff flexibility and wellbeing.

APRIL 2020

“Today we can be much quicker at responding to staff needs and improving the generally amenity of workspaces,” Stephen says. “Our staff really appreciate this and tend to remain loyal because of that. The feeling of having a real say in respect of their office environment is very important. When you seek to be more innovative as an organisation it’s important that you value as many diverse instinctive perspectives as you can.” It’s a company which now has a larger female workforce than male – flouting the traditional conventions of the industry, historically. Power NI also has a burgeoning cohort of top young staff, as well as those who have been with the organisation for their entire career. Giving back is also something high on the Power NI agenda. The company puts a strong focus on its involvement and engagement with the communities it operates within, right across Northern Ireland. “Investing in the community is so important to us,” Stephen says. “There are lots of dimensions to what we do.” That includes its work with charities such as Age NI and those working to address core social issues such as fuel poverty. “It also allows the staff to feel really proud about what individually they can do to help their local community individually.” That includes its Helping Hands scheme, whereby staff

can support an organisation of their choice with £300, supported by Power NI, as well as investing £1,000 a month in deserving community initiatives via Power NI’s Brighter Communities fund. It’s also heavily involved in supporting Culture Night – the annual event in Belfast city centre which draws thousands to the streets and venues to celebrate the arts – as well as partnering with the Mary Peters Trust in supporting talented young athletes. Stephen is now preparing to step down from his role at the helm of a business, and the front line of a sector, which has undergone significant changes and evolution in his 18 years as managing director of Power NI. And turning to the future, Stephen and Power NI recognises that it operates within a sector that is embarking on exciting change, as the world moves away from carbon-based fuel towards a green future. “Electricity will play a central role in the local energy transition in response to a policy drive to decarbonise. And the talented team at Power NI have fully embraced this change with genuine enthusiasm to deliver tailored energy solutions to a much more empowered customer base, through a real focus on; quality, innovation and a passion to be a force for good within the community it serves.” ■

BUSINESS PROFILE

Backing the companies that will be the engine of NI’s future economy

ou don’t have to go far to find a small to medium sized Northern Ireland company that has at one time or another been marked as a potential scale up – a business with real potential to grow into a major player in their sector.

Unfortunately, the statistics show that while we have many brilliant high potential SME companies, many of those scale up contenders – for a variety of reasons – never manage to maintain the momentum needed to go beyond their initial growth phase. BGF, the UK’s most active and influential equity investor in small and medium sized businesses, last year identified over 350 potential scale ups in Northern Ireland – businesses with turnover of up to £150m, which had grown over the previous three years and had potential to scale even further. BGF provides long-term funding in return for a minority equity stake in the companies it backs. Initial investments are typically between £1m - £15m and BGF can provide significant follow-on funding as and when required. BGF’s £2.5bn fund has supported companies across every region and sector of the economy, including five companies in Northern Ireland – Braidwater, RiverRidge, Audit Comply, Bob & Berts and Uform.

individuals have typically been entrepreneurs themselves and therefore have the knowledge, experience, and a network to share with the companies that BGF supports.

While funding is undoubtedly a major factor in whether a business will successfully scale, it is often lack of access to a broader network and level of experience that holds SMEs back – this is something BGF has addressed by creating a talent network of more than 5,000 senior business people/ board directors who become non-executive directors to its companies. These

One example from BGF’s talent network is Jim Meredith, who is non-executive chairman of two BGF portfolio companies in Northern Ireland – RiverRidge and Uform. In addition, Jim is currently chairman of Augean plc, one of the UK’s leading specialist hazardous waste management businesses, and is the former chief executive

Jim Meredith

of Waste Recycling Group. Jim has also held a number of senior roles in the manufacturing sector. “BGF is supporting the companies that will be the engine of the economy of the future,” Jim says. “What I like about BGF is that it is making a decision to help SMEs at that point in time when the companies really have an opportunity to realise their growth potential and need that external help. I think that’s incredibly worthwhile if we want to grow our economy.”

BUSINESS PROFILE

RIVERRIDGE

He says that having spent his career working out problems and growing businesses, he, like many in the talent network, is in a good position to help others see opportunities and avoid potential pitfalls. “The role of a chairman or a non-exec director is about making sure owners and bosses keep looking at where the value drivers will be for their business in the future, but also making sure that they have the senior team of people and resources they need and that those people are working appropriately,” he says. “People like me have experience from other companies and in many cases know what management teams are facing. So, we can help entrepreneurs foresee some of the problems they haven’t got to yet, things that might get them in trouble, and put in extra tactics to help them avoid it. If I haven’t got experience of an issue, then someone in the BGF network will have. It is pretty powerful for that reason alone.” Of course, for many businesses, bringing in an external non-executive director or chairman is a big step. But Jim Meredith says it is beneficial to have outsiders who have not been influenced by internal politics to help structure a board for the next phase of growth and to provide experience of upcoming challenges such as acquisitions or restructuring. “We are there to act as a sounding board for the chief executive and other directors, to help them thrash out problems, challenge plans and provide strategic direction. We also bring an increased level of corporate governance they might not have been used to,” he says. “For RiverRidge and Uform it has been about challenging the businesses to really think about why they want to do something and making them explain it until they understand their own explanation. We want them to know why it is a good idea and how they will go about it.” “I’m excited about the growth prospects for both of these businesses.” ■

APRIL 2020

Brett Ross

elfast-based RiverRidge is now the most integrated waste management operation in Northern Ireland, offering a broad range of collection, treatment, and diversion from landfill solutions to many local authorities, public bodies and private operations.

The business was first backed by investment from BGF in 2016 and has seen its turnover grow by more than 60% since then, with BGF providing a series of following funding rounds. Growth has come from a combination of organic growth and the acquisition of a competitor, while investment into its treatment infrastructure has also allowed the company to significantly improve its margins and position itself for further growth over the coming years. “In the next five years the company is looking to double its EBITDA through continued expansion and further development of our treatment infrastructure,” Brett Ross, chief executive of RiverRidge, says. “Like every other business, we face challenges in achieving those goals. Retaining our strong management team and expanding it when required is perhaps the most significant challenge. In addition to this, the unpredictable nature of policy direction and macro-economic factors has always presented the management team with challenges.” The RiverRidge boss says while the business

was already thriving, investment from BGF has helped accelerate its plans and cement its place as a market leader. “The impact of BGF’s investment cannot be underestimated,” he says. “It is more than the fact that BGF provided RiverRidge with access to capital. The presence of a professional outfit like BGF on the board gave the team a far better appreciation of the level of governance required to successfully manage and grow a £50m turnover business.” Brett notes that the other chief executives of BGF portfolio companies is also invaluable, as it can be useful to talk to another founder who has faced a similar challenge in a different sector, who can offer a fresh and honest perspective because they are not competing for business. He is also quick to point to the benefits that the non-exec board members added after BGF got involved have brought to the business. “Our directors have been a source of guidance on a number of matters, most importantly during the financial restructuring that took place at the commencement of our relationship with BGF,” he says. “Their appreciation of what our senior debt funders are interested in and how to better manage the relationship has been invaluable. The non-execs have also provided us with insight into experiences and alternative approaches to problems that other companies within their large portfolio have encountered and overcome.”

BUSINESS PROFILE

UFORM

Eamon Donnelly

oomebridge-based kitchen door and component manufacturer and distributor Uform also has plans to accelerate its growth. Founded by Eamon Donnelly, his brother Paul and late father Eddie in 1993, the company was backed by BGF in late 2018 and currently employs around 340 people. Eamon says that even in a challenging environment, which has been impacted by Brexit uncertainty, sales to kitchen retailers continue to rise and sales leads from its biggest exhibitions have doubled, which he believes is down to the company’s focus on the quality of its products. “We have been investing heavily in the business to acquire new customers and grow market share in the UK. In Ireland, we have good market share and it is about adding value for our customers there,” he says.

Eamon says that the business of creating a kitchen has changed since Uform started because the kitchen has become families’ main living space and homeowners have much more choice. This year Uform launched three new kitchen ranges at trade show KBB and has expanded its offering by creating a new concept called ‘Beyond the Kitchen’ which as the name suggests is moving its products to other parts of the home. “We’re asking our customers, ie retailers, to think outside the kitchen by giving them a proposition that adds value and allows them to provide their customers with value. It centres on aspirational pieces of furniture outside the kitchen – things like bookcases, sideboards, media units – that we make to the same high specifications. It’s a natural step for us as our business model is about

putting the customer at the forefront of everything we do.” Eamon says that in a fast-changing sector which is very attuned to the performance of the economy, the support of BGF and its network has already proved valuable. “We had a board but it is now much better structured and the non-execs are challenging our thinking more. It doesn’t always go easy, but it has been a very positive experience having BGF involved,” he says. “We are trying to move the dial on growth in the UK mainland so we’re investing to scale the business – around £8m in the last three years. Even if we find we are not growing as fast as we want, we will still be investing heavily in the next three to five years because we have to be ahead of the curve. BGF understands that.”

Lord Davies supports Diversity Mark NI

DIVERSITY

iversity Mark NI, the awarding authority for Northern Ireland’s only independent not-for-profit Diversity Charter Mark recently hosted the Diversity and Inclusion Summit at Titanic Belfast, the first of its kind to take place here. Formally opened by David Sterling, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, the Summit, sponsored by Danske Bank, Allstate, Gilbert-Ash and Denroy examined the crucial issue of Diversity and Inclusion going ‘Beyond a Tick Box’. Keynote speaker Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE highlighted his view that brands will suffer if they don’t embrace Diversity now. He went on to speak passionately on the vast business benefits of Diversity and Inclusion highlighting the many academic studies which indicate that the next generation of young talent will not stay in an organisation if they do not sense a truly inclusive culture. In attendance was a host of experienced and passionate leaders and featured Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and Ruth Sealy, associate professor in management and director of impact at University of Exeter Business School. Christine White, head of business at Diversity Mark NI, said: “I was

APRIL 2020

Christine White, Diversity Mark NI head of business, Lord Davies of Abersoch, CBE and Nichola Robinson, chair of Diversity Mark NI

thrilled by the response from the inaugural Summit, the speakers spoke authentically capturing our theme on why Diversity needs to be more than just a tick-box exercise. One of the common messages shining through from each speaker was that for Diversity to be successful it must be championed by visible and authentic leaders. I am excited with the growing sentiment having over 70 progressive companies now working towards achieving and maintaining the Diversity Charter Mark.” If you are interested in pledging your company’s commitment to the Diversity Charter Mark visit www.diversity-mark-ni.co.uk

FULL FIBRE BROADBAND

The Northern Ireland digital revolution Fibrus is a new full ﬁbre broadband business which is set to revolutionise the way rural and regional consumers and businesses in Northern Ireland operate online, by investing over £100m in full ﬁbre broadband infrastructure. Ulster Business spoke to co-founder and chief executive Dominic Kearns

t would be an understatement to say that full ﬁbre broadband business Fibrus has hugely ambitious plans to expand its business across Northern Ireland, grow its already burgeoning top end team and showcase the next level of internet connectivity.

Fibrus has grown from a team of four to 40 in four months, with plans to double that by the end of the year, and roll out speeds of up to 10Gbps in towns and villages across Northern Ireland as part of a huge £100m investment.

“It will be future-proof for 40 or 50 years,” he says. “Our service is an end-to-end ﬁbre cable – based on a recent Ofcom report our service is 17 times faster than the current average download speed in NI, so it is extremely fast compared to existing traditional networks.” Fibrus has a plan to roll out broadband in many towns and villages across Northern Ireland. That will mean a new network for users, connected directly to a consumer’s home or business. Dominic Kearns

It is the brainchild of co-founders Conal Henry, former chief executive of Enet, and Dominic Kearns, who also founded and is executive chairman of Belfast based b4b telecoms group.

telecoms network in Northern Ireland is mostly a legacy, copper-based network. No one set out 30 or 40 years ago to build a broadband network – they built a phone network.

“We saw that the switch out to full ﬁbre was coming and shouldn’t be left to BT,” Dominic says. “We incorporated at the end of 2018 and spent six months on the road seeking substantial investment. We’ve got that now and have been up-and-running since August 2019.”

“These legacy networks won’t support consumer and business demand for high speed full ﬁbre broadband services. What we are doing is building future-proofed broadband networks. We are solely a broadband company and are focused on providing the best services in the market to consumers.”

He says the Fibrus team could reach 80 this year and add a further 230 indirect jobs. “Our project has attracted some of the best talent in the industry and we already have a team in place that is quite simply second to none – this isn’t your standard start-up,” he says. “The

The difference between full fibre and some other cable and traditional fibre networks, aside from being built from the ground up, is the sheer speed, bandwidth and capacity. Dominic says the network has almost infinite capacity.

Fibrus senior management team Conor Harrison, chief operating officer, Jenny Nuttall, chief finance officer, David Armstrong, sales and marketing director, Dominic Kearns, founder and chief executive, Thomas Grant, chief technical officer and Conal Henry, founder and chairman

“Our commercial roll out requires capital expenditure of £85m. That’s a lot of money going into the ground. It’s almost like the reelectrification of the country. “You won’t need to worry about whether your broadband service is working properly or not. Like other utilities, such as electricity, it just works. People can’t tell you how much electricity supply they get. Why? Because it just works. But people can tell you how fast their broadband speeds are. Why? Because it only works properly half of the time. “Full fibre will fix that. It’s far more reliable and you can turn it up or down as you please. “Not only is it important to have fast speeds, it’s important to have fast speeds anywhere in the home. We will work with customers to

FULL FIBRE BROADBAND

ensure they can get wi-fi in all parts of their home. “In terms of business there is a direct correlation between high speed fibre broadband, economic growth and increased productivity within businesses. Full fibre underpins a business’s ability to access information quickly, connect with their customers and partners globally, and drive a digital strategy for their business. It’s all about being reliably connected at speed. Businesses are trying to run more efficient models, including staff working from home – being fully connected can be transformational for business and society. “We are very keen to get our share of the market. We are very aggressive with our pricing. We are confident that when a customer experiences what full fibre broadband is all about, we will have a customer for life.” Dominic is also keen to reinforce the team effort behind Fibrus’s plans. “Our marketing plan is ‘local, local, local’. Our staff are ‘fibre champions’ and they will go into a community and educate them. They will be there weeks before any of the work begins – it’s about creating the trust with the consumers and showing them how we are delivering a really good service.”

APRIL 2020

Part of Fibrus’s strength is going into areas which have poor or next to no significant broadband network. “A lot of the people we will be serving will be in areas which in the past have been undersupplied – those are the people we will be supporting and the areas we are focusing on.” Reliability and speed remain key selling points of the new Fibrus network. “Our headline speed is 1Gbps, but our network can deliver up to 10Gbps. In terms of where the market is at, our ‘hyperfast’ 1Gbps tends to be the highlight of the service. Our entry-level package is 100Mbps, and we have our 300Mbps package, which is considered ‘Ultrafast’.” And Dominic believes another part of the strength of Fibrus is the level of experience right across the workforce, and its senior leadership team. “I would challenge anyone to find a more decorated team in terms of experience in the industry,” he says. “Our chairman Conal Henry has 16 years in fibre infrastructure and was very successful in that time.”

Chief finance officer, Jenny Nuttall was an advisor with BDUK, successfully developing and implementing the ‘value for money’ strategy for the multi-billion-pound superfast broadband programme in the UK. David Armstrong has joined as sales and marketing director having had sales leadership roles in Virgin Media both in NI and GB before joining Vodafone UK to successfully lead their business sales team in Northern Ireland. Fibrus chief technical officer, Thomas Grant oversaw the design, build and operation of Enet, the Republic of Ireland’s largest full fibre wholesale open access network. Fibrus’s current plans will see it delivering the network over four years right across Northern Ireland. “It’s about educating the people of NI about full fibre services, and that’s a big task for us,” Dominic said. “It’s about showcasing the life-changing service that Fibrus will provide to homes and businesses that live in the towns and villages of rural and regional NI.” ■

Conor Harrison, the firm’s chief operating officer, has joined the company from Virgin Media where he held several senior positions in both their Irish and UK operations.

JOBS

300 new home-based contact jobs created A

customer support business is creating 300 new home-based roles for Northern Ireland, it has emerged.

Sensée, which provides customer support for insurance firms, is creating the jobs here. It works with many well-known brands, including Bupa, Hastings Direct and Allianz, providing service and support for their customers. Invest NI has provided £900,000 of support towards the jobs, which the company intends to create by 2022 as it continues to grow its business.” The new roles include agent, manager and support levels with an average salary of around £19,000 a year, representing £5.8m in additional salaries in the economy. Rob Smale, Sensée chief operating officer said the positions offered security of full employment contracts, guaranteed hours and flexibility. “There’s also no commuting, saving our people time and money, and a social element that creates great teamwork and companionship,” he said. “Our skilled home-based service advisor team

work for well-known brands on an outsourced basis, either as continuously available resources or to handle peaks in customer demand. Currently we employ about 700 staff across the UK, all of whom work from home. “Our home-based adviser services are also attractive to businesses in all sectors, from healthcare to financial services and retail, with the great attitude of our homeworking team providing excellent customer service. It also reduces the carbon footprint and aligns with their corporate social responsibility aspirations.” Announcing the investment, First Minister Arlene Foster, said: “We are delighted to announce 300 new jobs for Northern Ireland. Uniquely these are not limited by geography, they are accessible to everyone no matter where they live. “The home-based work opportunities span a range of roles, including agent, manager and support levels, contributing over £5.8m in additional salaries to our economy. “As an Executive we are committed to strengthening our economy and commend Invest Northern Ireland for their work to secure

this significant investment.” And deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill, said: “We are committed to working together to bring about prosperity for all our people. Creating employment opportunities is an important part of this, as is working to remove the barriers faced by many people to get into employment. This includes people with disabilities or caring responsibilities. “These new jobs with Sensée provide a real option for people right across the north who will benefit from home working and give them an opportunity to get in to paid work and improve their quality of life.” Economy Minister, Diane Dodds said “the contact centre industry is experiencing a lot of change and the home working model is gaining traction with more companies”. “As well as offering flexible working for staff this approach benefits the environment including reduced energy use and costs. It will also open up rural communities providing employment opportunities for those not able to travel to work. These benefits directly align with many of our Programme for Government objectives.” ■

NEXT NORTHERN IRELAND COMPANIES 2020

2OO Sponsored by

1-34 Rank

Company

2020

Activity

Year ending

Turnover £ Latest sales

Previous sales

Profit/Loss Prev Profit/ Shareholder Employees before tax Loss Value £

World Travel Centre Ltd

31/10/2019

97,863,028

72,559,923

1,204,989

1,059,138

4,034,081

122

M.J.M. Marine Ltd

31/12/2018

97,724,671

49,525,052

17,446,963

7,831,517

24,364,792

272

Creagh Concrete Products Ltd

31/03/2019

95,569,507

71,229,871

154,996

400,248

15,622,329

580

Arity International Ltd

31/12/2018

87,975,262

78,649,835

-18,007,811

-22,346,988

31,619,338

T B F Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd

31/12/2018

78,963,074

67,358,407

2,079,927

2,034,959

4,333,877

169

Lynn's Country Foods Ltd

01/09/2018

77,985,256

61,125,913

5,025,783

4,044,439

21,925,110

444

Morgan Fuel & Lubes Ltd

31/03/2019

76,904,430

67,242,860

216,386

128,306

619,026

Whitemountain Quarries Ltd

31/12/2018

76,565,000

63,187,978

6,438,000

6,562,535

58,518,000

239

Andor Technology Ltd

31/03/2019

75,164,000

63,587,000

14,690,000

9,592,000

47,862,000

276

Lough Erne Investments Ltd (Ready Egg)

25/12/2018

73,074,899

65,426,232

8,007,450

7,134,769

23,709,519

171

Decora Blind Systems Ltd

31/12/2018

72,727,704

69,638,740

4,057,406

5,430,201

24,008,134

792

Dennison Commercials Ltd

31/12/2018

71,559,394

55,077,134

3,028,726

2,914,452

13,931,098

230

Unilin Distribution Ltd

31/12/2018

69,117,486

62,475,052

1,637,303

1,536,008

13,713,363

Belfast Harbour Commissioners

31/12/2018

68,786,000

61,887,000

38,623,000

65,834,000

488,628,000

201

Skea Egg Farms Ltd

31/12/2018

68,434,386

66,724,103

2,757,626

3,168,527

21,522,689

138

Medwyn Holding Ltd

31/03/2019

67,379,478

50,286,157

7,881,032

4,315,527

31,647,138

348

Woodside Logistics Group Ltd

31/03/2019

67,337,270

64,407,177

3,577,779

3,000,361

25,993,424

518

Murdock Builders Merchants Ltd

31/12/2018

66,823,363

65,199,141

3,293,878

3,483,686

6,663,391

351

CDE Global Ltd

31/12/2018

65,776,927

61,932,106

5,074,190

6,745,561

21,628,252

307

Mutual Energy Ltd

31/03/2019

65,306,000

63,170,000

11,446,000

1,575,000

87,452,000

Ge Grid Solutions (Uk) Ltd

31/12/2018

64,977,000

72,854,000

16,109,000

11,848,000

62,926,000

233

Bemis Healthcare Packaging Ltd

31/12/2018

64,109,989

57,929,261

12,644,039

10,752,128

37,789,877

282

Cooneen by Design Ltd

30/11/2018

64,093,974

59,722,338

3,387,312

2,649,545

65,387,724

171

Noonan Services Group (NI) Ltd

30/06/2018

63,761,813

46,016,856

550,992

176,016

3,994,652

2186

Diesel Card International Ltd

31/03/2019

63,205,000

54,263,000

1,233,000

1,419,000

19,675,000

Avondale Foods (Craigavon) Ltd

31/03/2019

63,098,773

51,480,381

501,241

2,660,364

21,788,115

498

Commercial Shipping Company (Oils) Ltd

31/12/2018

62,617,932

55,416,476

1,095,914

1,004,691

5,490,401

Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd

31/12/2018

62,055,000

54,138,000

15,496,000

-99,000

280,902,000

119

Diageo Global Supply Ibc Ltd

30/06/2018

61,376,000

72,857,000

2,993,000

3,480,000

18,182,000

143

H & J Martin Holdings Ltd

31/03/2019

61,274,039

59,485,853

443,774

9,947,032

3,661,600

239

John Hogg & Co Ltd

30/04/2019

60,620,000

40,484,000

2,588,000

2,112,000

32,345,000

234

Lagan Homes Group Ltd

31/12/2018

60,581,703

43,329,704

4,565,564

5,818,260

2,014,536

Charles Tennant and Company (NI) Ltd

31/12/2018

60,509,249

46,491,956

3,695,700

3,525,885

23,338,647

Northway Mushrooms Ltd

31/12/2018

59,643,799

56,971,718

-13,721

146,221

5,894,480

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

35-68 Rank

Company

2020

Activity

Year ending

Turnover £

Profit/Loss Prev Profit/ Shareholder Employees before tax Loss Value

Latest sales

Previous sales

EM News Distribution (NI) Ltd

31/12/2018

58,751,000

61,439,000

2,180,000

2,073,000

3,425,000

121

Boreal Ltd

31/12/2018

57,490,007

50,896,399

-1,005,331

1,339,100

8,547,309

315

Roadside Motors Ltd

30/09/2018

57,009,902

54,432,542

557,963

422,475

7,242,031

134

Walter Watson Ltd

31/12/2018

55,787,243

51,581,323

3,182,191

4,034,851

24,070,123

238

Mallaghan (Holdings) Ltd

31/12/2018

55,490,125

47,132,541

1,988,470

3,215,090

20,995,063

290

Kane Group Building Services Ltd

31/03/2019

55,462,365

34,592,690

2,969,667

1,039,587

7,547,754

183

Drinks Inc. Ltd

31/03/2019

55,307,975

66,285,255

450,019

2,133,043

12,010,631

123

Galen Ltd

30/09/2018

55,281,750

53,700,636

7,296,149

5,447,513

52,344,324

Camden Group Ltd

31/03/2019

54,996,945

47,452,631

-3,168,656

-114,586

5,980,909

699

Huhtamaki Foodservice Delta Ltd

31/12/2018

54,989,861

50,335,026

4,001,410

3,310,159

32,701,490

354

Veterinary Surgeons Supply Company Ltd

31/08/2018

53,963,530

50,004,166

960,972

769,696

5,887,605

Property Management Services (N.I.) Ltd

31/12/2018

53,767,559

50,266,200

1,128,380

819,202

12,441,536

520

Heatons (N.I.) Ltd

29/04/2018

53,598,882

53,644,392

4,189,457

-270,746

20,487,502

507

Keystone Lintels Ltd

31/12/2018

53,307,108

50,109,740

4,046,871

3,213,252

14,317,033

465

Charles Brand Group Ltd

31/03/2019

52,823,012

83,024,117

3,122,008

4,581,364

16,003,291

106

Felix O'Hare & Company Ltd

31/03/2019

52,583,786

48,619,100

2,211,860

2,272,717

9,982,578

124

S.E.R.E. Holdings Ltd

31/12/2018

52,486,777

48,537,337

450,212

583,933

4,975,254

110

Portview Fit-Out Ltd

30/11/2018

52,339,234

43,096,587

10,250,104

5,500,891

11,208,777

Motis Ireland Ltd

30/06/2018

51,778,449

47,192,842

819,596

1,121,692

2,718,870

Denvir Holdings Ltd

30/06/2018

51,240,936

52,117,612

14,276,493

7,658,598

21,596,533

774

Tobermore Concrete Products Ltd

30/04/2019

50,744,527

42,949,161

11,902,412

9,138,001

40,501,004

242

J. K. C. Garages (Coleraine) Ltd

31/12/2018

50,631,714

50,633,401

962,213

1,065,287

7,921,265

Copeland Ltd

30/09/2018

50,194,726

46,769,660

2,500,383

2,542,302

24,435,174

225

Grafton Recruitment Ltd

31/12/2018

50,120,944

56,895,496

474,655

752,038

3,132,876

112

Morgan McLernon Ltd

31/12/2018

49,507,644

52,269,353

3,018,557

2,036,709

9,006,291

416

Premier Electrics Ltd

31/03/2019

49,376,029

42,855,328

5,737,894

4,859,189

15,707,461

Gaffer (NI) Ltd

31/12/2018

49,302,726

45,495,420

2,761,260

2,629,101

15,580,698

322

Evron Foods Ltd

31/08/2018

48,855,459

44,316,586

490,511

526,336

8,267,210

394

Desmond Motors Ltd

31/12/2018

48,204,585

47,608,852

166,286

156,600

3,657,896

Ballinaskeagh Grains Ltd

30/04/2019

47,699,365

39,016,849

251,478

720,597

4,595,567

Imed (NI) Ltd

31/03/2019

47,675,651

36,620,520

1,558,254

788,418

6,255,779

River Ridge Holdings Ltd

30/06/2019

47,409,404

49,889,800

1,667,419

656,313

4,405,955

254

Harry Corry Ltd

28/02/2019

47,218,970

46,936,942

2,373,992

6,459,176

13,500,892

701

James Tolland & Company Ltd

31/05/2018

46,595,949

40,852,587

705,748

656,920

4,141,178

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

APRIL 2020

69-101 Rank

Company

2020

Activity

Year ending

Turnover £s Latest sales

Previous sales

Profit/Loss Prev Profit/ Shareholder Employees before tax Loss Value £

Union Street (Lurgan) Ltd

30/04/2019

46,368,862

38,982,646

991,873

1,632,272

11,804,840

683

Geda Construction Llp

31/12/2018

45,833,429

35,383,293

7,315,660

6,571,801

5,556,985

Smyths Toys NI Ltd

30/12/2018

45,747,000

41,831,000

1,144,000

1,046,000

3,957,000

191

Belfast International Airport Ltd

31/12/2018

45,565,000

41,000,000

6,525,000

6,243,000

81,045,000

212

United Wine Merchants Ltd

31/12/2018

45,310,290

41,225,973

742,964

-1,415,419

8,604,018

McAvoy Group Limited - The

31/10/2018

44,921,281

59,858,058

-1,819,625

4,299,133

8,664,794

217

Equipment Sales Ltd

31/12/2018

44,605,406

40,026,635

2,247,589

4,225,819

14,488,744

Bawnbua Foods Ni Ltd

31/01/2019

44,375,315

43,360,513

685,551

510,427

5,293,235

204

Direct Medics Ltd

31/01/2019

43,483,614

40,974,945

2,207,350

2,920,547

9,733,187

355

Liberty Information Technology Ltd

31/12/2018

43,367,766

45,230,401

7,981,588

7,932,918

17,519,492

510

John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd

31/03/2019

43,194,434

35,375,381

1,684,219

1,504,180

11,298,546

168

Lagan Construction Ltd

31/03/2019

43,188,211

61,852,222

-761,996

-26,172

124,560

M-B Truck and Van (NI) Ltd

31/12/2018

42,919,906

35,275,999

861,766

716,372

5,579,709

130

Hannon Transport Ltd

31/01/2019

42,238,775

33,173,276

932,561

511,070

3,050,998

227

Greiner Packaging Ltd

31/12/2018

41,864,573

40,149,409

2,967,468

2,141,691

14,762,396

241

Ballyrobert Service Station Ltd

31/12/2018

41,768,919

37,927,256

409,214

244,585

2,760,017

Hastings Hotels Group Ltd

31/10/2018

41,185,098

39,632,526

3,195,817

5,235,783

46,363,222

1244

Circle K Energy Ltd

30/04/2019

40,857,000

36,798,172

967,000

-1,071,218

370,000

JMW Farms Ltd

30/09/2018

40,608,139

37,431,780

5,632,089

3,831,081

29,793,119

Howden UK Ltd

31/12/2018

40,538,000

54,368,000

3,162,000

7,699,000

67,636,000

160

Forestwood Agencies Ltd

31/03/2019

40,413,125

32,976,032

1,500,965

1,081,647

5,235,304

The Mount Charles Group Ltd

27/09/2018

40,002,132

33,952,958

1,509,228

543,125

8,073,706

1660

Shelbourne Motors Ltd

31/12/2018

39,876,172

39,100,794

1,139,457

889,466

5,576,114

118

K. Hughes & Co. Ltd

31/12/2018

39,875,566

29,640,136

1,923,240

1,235,181

8,107,070

154

Sangers (Northern Ireland) Ltd

31/03/2019

39,755,005

72,281,705

3,023,910

1,107,112

5,128,141

Praxis Care

31/03/2019

39,584,383

33,736,576

1,656,000

1,677,303

14,350,406

1230

Action Renewables

31/03/2019

39,341,919

23,947,973

399,722

459,552

1,242,079

Budget Energy Ltd

30/09/2018

39,204,073

30,561,189

-1,741,282

862,755

4,832,813

Terumo Bct Ltd

31/03/2019

39,149,180

47,397,424

4,813,667

1,430,448

14,367,881

284

C & J Meats Ltd

30/11/2018

38,869,284

43,806,693

185,180

265,882

1,172,985

Modern Tyres Ltd

31/12/2018

38,303,776

22,348,714

2,197,941

2,210,857

16,353,010

238

100

Frylite Ltd

31/03/2019

38,262,538

40,109,272

1,352,928

1,549,080

12,250,253

236

101

Quinn Building Products Ltd

31/12/2018

38,247,000

32,107,000

-7,090,000

-6,448,000

21,290,000

291

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

102-134 Rank

Company

2020

Activity

Year ending

Turnover £000s

Profit/Loss Prev Profit/ Shareholder Employees before tax Loss Value

Latest sales

Previous sales

£000s

102

NTR Green Energy Holdings Ltd

31/03/2019

38,113,000

30,464,000

8,072,000

7,201,000

114,752,000

103

RLC Langford Lodge Ltd

30/06/2019

38,098,000

38,047,000

5,141,000

4,987,000

13,007,000

276

104

John Mulholland Motors Ltd

31/12/2018

37,895,543

37,340,246

1,141,300

913,590

9,450,779

105

CB SME Holdings Ltd (Stothers)

30/06/2018

37,808,131

36,371,894

6,392,059

5,713,061

13,531,939

106

Novosco Group Ltd

31/12/2018

37,633,479

30,473,820

3,033,356

2,533,259

10,381,778

176

107

Edgewater Contracts & Specialist Joinery Ltd

31/12/2018

37,457,337

38,089,813

3,423,613

3,807,073

8,156,383

108

Huhtamaki (Lurgan) Ltd

31/12/2018

37,439,000

36,001,000

5,493,000

5,238,000

20,502,000

232

109

A&M Commercials Ltd

30/11/2018

37,322,393

45,002,822

2,005,709

998,078

9,345,654

110

Regency Carpet Manufacturing Ltd

30/06/2018

37,128,842

39,086,514

197,582

-81,632

12,612,402

133

111

Bam Contractors (N.I.) Ltd

31/12/2018

37,076,157

21,513,320

1,560,355

-434,300

4,418,254

112

The Baird Group Ltd

31/12/2018

37,026,206

32,036,626

466,814

838,415

10,828,364

264

113

Scotco Restaurants Ltd

23/12/2018

36,955,834

40,037,057

2,100,780

5,092,525

12,821,312

841

114

Prentice Portadown Ltd (Wifco)

31/12/2018

36,835,190

37,546,203

66,366

51,085

196,293

115

Kilwaughter Minerals Ltd

30/04/2019

36,771,476

30,070,183

7,665,678

7,681,120

26,306,278

178

116

Springfarm Architectural Mouldings Ltd

28/02/2019

36,706,122

35,076,252

1,194,044

554,405

5,235,260

210

117

Patmond Energy Ltd

30/06/2018

36,333,490

26,046,636

2,269,632

2,093,420

11,574,787

118

CFG Holdings Ltd

31/03/2019

36,315,097

35,927,532

301,016

544,184

3,313,523

333

119

Aidan Strain Electrical Engineering Ltd

28/02/2019

35,941,182

17,594,186

4,201,197

1,051,621

16,858,555

120

Magowan Tyres (N.I.) Ltd

31/12/2018

35,782,956

27,312,506

2,660,481

2,302,832

11,225,153

121

Vaughan Engineering Group Ltd

31/03/2019

35,731,043

17,578,706

307,825

47,394

3,695,436

132

122

Dillon Bass Ltd

30/06/2018

35,692,906

36,534,112

19,764

21,061

786,303

123

Bedeck Ltd

30/09/2018

35,594,113

35,243,722

1,413,737

-205,537

7,542,036

325

124

A.J. Power Ltd

30/06/2018

35,540,376

34,431,605

1,154,913

2,652,874

12,390,116

121

125

3 Interior Contracts Ltd

31/12/2018

35,180,265

25,314,708

-664,871

1,675,271

2,230,116

126

Pat Kirk Ltd

31/12/2018

35,175,515

26,944,618

564,851

991,589

5,055,130

127

BSG Civil Engineering Ltd

31/12/2018

35,080,352

29,303,893

6,189,909

2,903,809

39,474,890

128

Clanmil Housing Association Ltd

31/03/2019

34,997,988

31,275,200

5,667,558

4,563,867

46,092,342

182

129

Braidwater Ltd

31/03/2019

34,904,448

24,102,960

3,010,996

2,084,319

7,244,541

130

James F McCue Ltd

30/11/2018

34,877,034

35,865,747

1,861,253

2,873,200

10,926,718

138

131

Oakwood Door Designs Ltd

30/04/2019

34,876,074

29,312,915

4,174,744

3,533,672

3,690,235

182

132

Doherty & Gray Ltd

31/03/2019

34,740,148

37,657,544

12,748

-222,819

3,207,626

133

352 Medical Group Ltd

31/03/2019

34,486,304

25,495,045

-788,558

-1,947,594

401,959

313

134

Component Distributors Group Ltd

31/12/2018

34,325,169

31,654,955

357,573

551,161

4,783,506

187

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

APRIL 2020

135-167 Rank

Company

2020

Activity

Year ending

Turnover £s Latest sales

Previous sales

Profit/Loss Prev Shareholder Employees before tax Profit/Loss Value £

135

Wineflair (Belfast) Ltd (Liquorland)

30/09/2018 34,266,525

36,642,556

1,623,365

1,357,239

12,117,410

356

136

O & S Doors Ltd

31/12/2018 33,885,578

36,354,956

2,297,085

806,851

10,167,411

355

137

T. Met Ltd

31/12/2018 33,801,826

24,832,087

1,032,807

1,178,332

17,283,241

138

PRM Group Ltd

31/12/2018 33,658,717

29,990,195

680,384

392,708

6,200,040

139

T.G. Eakin Ltd

31/03/2019 33,631,196

31,803,150

15,974,036

16,078,387

30,074,892

140

John Mackle (Moy) Ltd

31/12/2018 33,617,129

28,006,183

804,947

877,001

7,544,211

221

141

The Old Bushmills Distillery Company Ltd

31/12/2018 33,552,000

31,610,000

6,634,000

6,904,000

177,952,000

111

142

Lw Surphlis & Son Ltd

30/06/2018 33,364,946

31,359,825

54,217

38,751

2,446,519

143

Michael Nugent Ltd

30/09/2018 33,123,651

29,660,501

1,139,786

809,412

3,181,668

144

Radius Plastics Ltd

30/12/2018 32,816,000

30,649,000

606,000

1,471,000

8,809,000

147

145

Springvale EPS Ltd

30/06/2018 32,589,659

31,700,453

6,295,457

5,517,472

10,006,176

120

146

Calor Gas Northern Ireland Ltd

31/12/2018 32,294,000

28,004,000

4,485,000

4,005,000

3,669,000

147

Millar Tractors Ltd

28/02/2019 32,149,369

34,676,165

982,258

1,029,422

8,281,074

148

Telestack Ltd

31/12/2018 31,945,450

25,645,011

2,255,266

1,530,549

11,072,551

155

149

Willowbrook Foods Ltd

31/01/2019 31,929,243

29,239,010

-315,236

792,952

5,256,473

113

150

Premier Cement Ltd

31/12/2018 31,491,068

29,110,207

8,696,584

-665,316

30,474,381

151

Richmond Marketing (NI) Ltd

31/12/2018 31,436,197

42,094,465

865,346

1,117,168

2,522,029

152

J.F. & H. Dowds Ltd

31/03/2019 31,081,810

36,808,954

598,713

562,460

5,637,177

165

153

Wilsons of Rathkenny Ltd

31/12/2018 31,054,491

30,480,275

459,455

318,428

8,449,503

154

Eos It Management Solutions (UK) Ltd

30/06/2018 30,772,170

16,623,730

4,115,885

1,288,573

9,096,842

155

W.D. Irwin & Sons Ltd

31/03/2019 30,590,532

30,161,769

-96,731

-670,420

848,018

325

156

Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Co Ltd

30/11/2018 30,570,376

10,945,302

10,916,050

165,921

38,235,036

157

O'Reilly's Wholesale Ltd

30/09/2018 30,454,494

30,587,738

17,483

-39,172

1,464,707

158

Applegreen Service Areas NI Ltd

31/12/2018 30,106,000

27,599,000

424,000

290,000

33,243,000

159

Mulgrew Haulage Ltd

31/03/2019 30,094,720

28,405,800

482,490

759,282

4,228,401

210

160

P.A. McKeever Ltd

31/07/2018 29,862,422

27,912,434

-184,606

632,144

2,449,568

232

161

Industrial Temps Ltd

30/04/2019 29,823,556

28,682,917

-2,708,850

1,153,839

6,236,825

1532

162

Marcon Fit-Out Ltd

31/03/2019 29,701,733

33,522,612

1,812,155

3,134,854

4,717,584

163

Kilmona Group Ltd

30/06/2018 29,695,454

13,642,048

6,850,452

13,830,121

27,554,747

301

164

Irwin M&E Ltd (Liberty North)

31/08/2019 29,612,154

22,820,701

1,512,496

887,549

3,014,756

152

165

Regen Waste Ltd

31/12/2018 29,586,607

26,752,966

3,164,015

3,823,233

14,576,643

196

166

BA Kitchen Components Ltd

31/03/2019 29,574,275

27,839,225

3,616,668

5,707,074

13,328,550

231

167

Bryson Charitable Group

31/03/2019 29,491,656

29,804,910

-682,804

-25,595

10,556,685

853

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

168-200 Rank

Company

2020

Activity

Year ending

Turnover £

Profit/Loss Prev Shareholder Employees before tax Profit/Loss Value

Latest sales

Previous sales

168

Fox Contracts Ltd

31/10/2018 29,348,537

27,960,872

1,611,772

1,421,004

8,081,420

194

169

Wilson's Auctions Ltd

31/03/2019 29,293,279

28,136,521

598,424

2,694,400

16,813,755

376

170

Uni-Trunk Holdings Ltd

31/12/2018 29,216,841

36,033,499

1,281,573

3,684,937

29,635,629

197

171

Mivan Marine Ltd

31/12/2018 29,045,264

16,921,997

3,246,847

1,017,323

4,954,226

170

172

Concentrix Europe Ltd

30/11/2018 28,995,000

30,765,000

1,975,000

3,868,000

17,359,000

1095

173

Glasgiven Contracts Ltd

30/04/2019 28,578,836

22,545,716

383,851

-443,886

2,021,187

174

Elite Electronic Systems Ltd

31/03/2019 28,519,710

22,564,114

4,325,633

3,875,768

13,268,354

221

175

John Woods (Lisglyn) Ltd

31/07/2018 28,488,350

31,098,112

-5,188,952

707,003

6,875,525

311

176

Mervyn Stewart Ltd

31/12/2018 28,460,329

25,515,063

460,786

407,598

3,069,968

177

Brakes Foodservice NI Ltd

30/06/2018 28,444,000

57,157,000

-4,133,000

-375,000

-3,961,000

190

178

Total Produce Belfast Ltd

31/12/2018 28,341,059

25,580,092

126,367

334,079

11,052,344

179

Ulster Independent Clinic Ltd

30/04/2019 28,623,936

28,153,174

-205,602

690,688

36,876,198

372

180

Toubkal Ltd

31/12/2018 28,031,810

18,433,982

1,969,810

1,731,891

8,366,935

181

Westbank Business Park Ltd

31/08/2018 27,902,860

26,826,612

4,326,118

2,158,657

19,206,869

182

Andrews Group Ltd

30/09/2018 27,796,000

25,975,000

1,173,000

1,414,000

5,701,000

183

UTV Ltd

31/12/2018 27,722,000

29,338,000

3,487,000

6,810,000

25,266,000

118

184

Niche Drinks Co Ltd

31/12/2018 27,375,785

14,782,888

-502,273

254,536

4,279,989

185

Harvey Group PLC

31/08/2018 27,322,875

31,400,959

236,813

483,672

5,383,465

186

Beverage Plastics Ltd

31/12/2018 27,263,839

26,948,584

-226,742

-163,145

14,712,643

101

187

Robert Capper Holdings Ltd

30/06/2018 27,206,541

21,368,599

515,569

157,775

9,764,667

134

188

H.M.T. Shipping Ltd

31/03/2019 27,194,958

25,781,488

1,309,415

1,375,581

5,028,661

104

189

North West Bookmakers Ltd

31/12/2018 27,151,000

27,977,000

638,000

-15,965,000

-30,452,000

389

190

Road Trucks Ltd

31/12/2018 27,147,153

23,665,544

889,080

896,583

9,422,119

191

McCulla (Holdings) Ltd

31/12/2018 27,118,954

25,041,011

1,829,227

1,506,465

11,556,144

235

192

Keylite Holding Ltd

31/12/2018 27,071,053

24,523,985

362,723

418,067

7,446,995

299

193

Acheson Holdings Ltd

31/12/2018 26,948,498

35,297,680

131,988

-4,025,868

5,172,757

375

194

MMD Communications (Holdings) Ltd

31/01/2019 26,938,911

26,684,795

-201,565

557,316

8,328,567

177

195

Ballygarvey Eggs Ltd

30/09/2018 26,808,797

23,274,033

3,324,729

2,960,044

19,279,365

196

Allen & Overy (SSF) Ltd

30/04/2019 26,803,838

23,501,004

2,076,156

1,802,747

982,175

345

197

Multi Packaging Solutions Belfast Ltd

30/09/2018 26,703,193

31,818,204

6,986,718

9,866,982

78,821,411

162

198

Sisk Healthcare (Uk) Ltd

31/12/2018 26,569,000

25,554,000

4,065,000

3,501,000

20,973,000

199

Antrim Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Ltd

31/03/2019 26,538,921

22,727,606

1,851,342

1,156,188

3,094,592

118

200

Heartsine Technologies Ltd

31/12/2018 26,317,056

28,849,471

162,380

7,706,741

13,572,604

164

Data provided by Dun & Bradstreet T: 0800 001 234

APRIL 2020

NEXT 200

Profits up almost 8% among NI’s SMEs

The Ulster Business Next 200 showcases the leading Northern Ireland small and medium-sized companies, with data provided by Dun & Bradstreet, following on directly from our Top 100 edition, ranking firms by turnover. Analyst Jonathan Cushley breaks down the numbers

n August 2019 the Ulster Business Top 100, the definitive Northern Ireland Companies list showed that the provinces major companies saw sales rise by 9.4%.

Surprisingly figures compiled for the Next 200, those small and medium-sized companies with the potential to break into the Top 100 show a similar growth with sales increasing from £7.962bn to £8.697bn, an increase of 9.2%. The Next 200 listing utilizes analysis of figures filed at each companies financial year and that have been posted at Companies House

or in a couple of cases at the relevant registry responsible for financial filings. All company filings utilized relate to year-ends in 2018 and 2019 – only one company within the Next 200 listing is classed as overdue in filing at Companies House. SUMMARY Sales have grown by 9.2% to £8,696.5m from £7,962.4m and profitability has also grown by 7.7% to £540.3m from £501.8m – this profit percentage contradicts the figures produced by last years Top 100 which showed a profit decline of some 15% and reflects the strength in depth of the province’s business and entrepreneurial spirit.

SALES AND REVENUE Revenue is the income that a business derives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to its customers. Revenue is also referred to as sales or turnover. The strong performance of the Next 200 companies in generating revenue growth of 9.35% is exceptional as the performance takes into account a business environment in the province severely challenged by both the Brexit question and the lack of political stability due to the inactivity of the Assembly. There were exceptional performances throughout the listing but as a potential

NEXT 200

TOP 10 HIGHEST SHAREHOLDER VALUE Rank Company

Shareholder value (£m)

Profit/shareholder value - margin (%)

Next 200 rank

Belfast Harbour Commissioners

488.6

7.9

Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd

280.9

5.5

Old Bushmills Distillery Co Ltd (The)

177.9

3.7

141

NTR Green Energy Holdings Ltd

114.8

7.1

102

Mutual Energy Ltd

87.5

Belfast International Airport Ltd

Multi Packaging Solutions Belfast Ltd

78.8

8.9

197

Howden UK Ltd

67.6

4.7

Cooneen By Design Ltd

65.4

5.2

GE Grid Solutions (UK) Ltd

62.9

25.6

APRIL 2020

precursor to inclusion in the 2020 Ulster Business Top 100, nine companies have exceeded the minimum turnover of £74.6m needed for inclusion in the 2019 Top 100 listing. The nine companies are: World Travel Centre Ltd with a turnover of £97.8m leading the way, MJM Marine, Creagh Concrete Products, Arity International, TBF Thompson (Garvagh), Lynn’s Country Foods, Morgan Fuel & Lubes, Whitemountain Quarries & Andor Technology all posted results which have the potential for inclusion in the Top 100 this summer. Individual sales growth was equally exceptionally strong – World Travel Centre increased sales from £72.6m to £97.9m an increase of some 34.8%. There’s also a special mention to The Irish Salt Mining & Exploration Company Ltd which increased sales from £10.9m at year end October, 2019 to £30.6m in 2018 an increase of some 281%, also growing pre-tax profits to in excess of £10.9m. >

NEXT 200

TOP 10 MOST PROFITABLE COMPANIES Rank Company

Conversely 43 of the 200 companies posted reduced sales figures during their latest financial year. PROFIT Firms often make the mistake of focusing just on sales, operating under the assumption that greater sales/revenue means greater profitability when, in fact, their profitability is just one of a number of the key metrics. The companies that have been identified as the Next 200 achieved profitability of £540.3m in their last financial years trading, up 7.7% from £501.8m. This represents a pre-tax profit margin of 6.2% slightly down on prior year, which showed a margin of 6.3%. The figure of 6.2% however is significantly higher than the Top 100 2019 pre-tax profit margin of 3.6% and indicates that the Next 200 are performing exceptionally well in an extremely challenging environment.

Profits (£m)

Profit margin (%)

Next 200 rank

Belfast Harbour Commissioners

38.6

56.1

MJM Marine Ltd

17.4

17.8

GE Grid Solutions (UK) Ltd

16.1

24.8

TG Eakin Ltd

47.6

139

Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd

15.5

Andor Technology Ltd

14.7

19.5

Denvir Holdings Ltd

14.3

27.9

Bemis Healthcare Packaging Ltd

12.6

19.7

Tobermore Concrete Products Ltd

11.9

23.5

Mutual Energy Ltd

11.4

17.5

NEXT 200

11%

NEXT 200 GEOGRAPHY

15%

Belfast Co Armagh

20%

Co Antrim Co Down Co. Fermangh Co. L'Derry Co Tyrone

11% 33%

Each employee within the Next 200 accounted for £191,115 sales – sales/employee and for £11,874 profit – profit/employee.

It should be noted that 21 companies out of the listing actually posted losses – these losses totalled some £49.5m.

from the latest sets of accounts currently on file at Companies House and is subject to a high degree of fluidity.

SHAREHOLDER VALUE/NET WORTH Shareholder value is the value enjoyed by a shareholder by possessing shares of a company – it is the value delivered by the company to the shareholder.

Noonan Services Group (NI) Ltd (2,186) The Mount Charles Group Ltd (1,660), Industrial Temps Ltd (1,532), Hastings Hotel Group (1,244) and Praxis Care (1,230) are the top five employers within the listing.

The shareholder value of the Next 200 companies currently sits at £3.858bn, this figure is 52% of the tangible net worth of the 2019 Ulster Business Top 100. The shareholder return for the Next 200 listing equates to profit/shareholder value and as a percentage sits at 14%, approximately 2% higher than the figure for the Top 100. The sales to equity ratio defined as turnover/ shareholder value provides an indicator of how much money is generated by the business with each pound invested – for the Next 200 listing this amounts to 2.25. Just two of the listings have a negative shareholder value meaning that the company’s liabilities outweigh its assets. EMPLOYEES The Next 200 companies employ a total of 45,504 people; this figure has been pulled

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NOTES A date of February 20, 2020 has been used as a cut-off for the filing of accounts for the Next 200 listing. The listing has been compiled using a combination of data sources, including Companies House & the Dun & Bradstreet information database. When aggregating information from differing data sources, attempts have been made not to replicate turnover within group structures. Where ever possible data pertaining to holding companies has been used at the exclusion of subsidiaries.  Arity International Ltd is a subsidiary of Allstate Global Holdings Ltd, Allstate Global Holdings Ltd also owns Allstate

LOCATION As would be expected when reviewing the location of the 200 companies it closely mirrors the Top 100 listing, with 64% of Next 200 businesses located in the east of NI compared to 63% of Top 100 companies. The area is beginning to shift with especially Co Tyrone starting to manifest a stronger footprint. ■

Northern Ireland Ltd that achieved position 64 in the Top 100. Allstate Global Holdings Ltd does not file consolidated accounts meaning that both its subsidiaries make their respective listings on their own merit.  Budget Energy Ltd accounts relate to a 15-month period.  Grafton Recruitment Ltd accounts relate to a nine-month period.  Acheson Holdings Ltd accounts relate to a nine-month period.  Drinks Inc post balance sheet event resulted in company being sold to Musgrave Distribution Ltd with a company reorganisation stated to be due in March 2020. Musgrave Distribution Ltd sits at number 79 in the 2019 Ulster Business Top 100.

NEXT 200

Navigating challenging times By Johnny Hanna, partner in charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland

ooking down the list of names it’s clear this is a group of businesses which make up the heart of the Northern Ireland economy and which individually and collectively command an increasingly large portion of economic importance. With a year-on-year jump in profits of nearly 8% to £540.3m and increase in turnover of more that 9% to £8.7bn, they showed impressive metal despite operating in a less than certain economic environment.

Given the impact coronavirus is undoubtedly going to have on the Northern Ireland economy, that resilience will be tested like never before. While the challenges of succession planning, attracting talent and good corporate governance remain, at the time of writing the focus has now shifted. At KPMG we are helping our clients work through their immediate concerns and the issues they will be faced with as the pandemic spreads. These are just some of the major themes our clients are talking to us about. Dynamic planning The fluid and evolving nature of the Covid-19 situation has shown the need for agile and flexible planning. It is testing our disaster recovery planning programmes in very real ways. Practical measures which are helping deal with the disruption include: executive crisis steering groups meeting on a daily and or twice daily basis; continued re-evaluation of decisions as more information unfolds – yesterday’s answer is often out of date; and planning for a range of scenarios including the loss of availability of access to buildings, staff shortages, customer or supplier impacts.

Above all, communication is vital; misinformation is unhelpful. Maintaining momentum Productivity will undoubtedly be lost in many sectors. However, we need to manage against a presumption of cessation of all business activities just because people can’t physically be at work. Some ways to ensure as much productive activity as possible is maintained include: ensuring the availability of IT operations; scheduled regular team calls to discuss output, activities and targets; communicating with key suppliers and customers to clarify how much activity can continue during a closure; clarity over what activities will and will not be affected. It is also prudent to ask what assumptions you have over continued activities at your supplier or client, what your supplier or customer can do to facilitate you to provide as much continued activities as possible and communication protocols to deal with the fluid nature of things.

Funding Covid-19 business disruption will cause significant strain on cash generation and conversion. Companies need to preserve and drive out cash flows, optimise working capital and enhance visibility over the level and timing of funding requirements. Adverse trading conditions will inevitably lead to debt default and/or covenant breach events. Navigating through this will be challenging and requires evaluation of funding options with negotiating of refinancing, covenant adjustments and facility extensions. Lender relationships will need to be managed carefully as restructuring and/or recapitalisation options are worked through. Other important considerations include supply chain, tax, legal and crisis management. This is an unprecedented period in business for everyone. The ability to understand your business’s exposure to Covid-19 and, more importantly, strongly position it to face one of the biggest challenges for businesses in the modern age, will determine how we as an economy weather the storm. ■

NEXT 200

1 Selective Travel Management

The Selective Travel Management team with managing director Keith Graham (second from left)

hile the wider travel sector and movement of people across the globe is going through a tough period, almost entirely out of its control, looking closer to home it’s still refreshing to see the success of one of our burgeoning local firms. Selective Travel Management – part of the World Travel Centre group which files accounts as World Travel Centre Ltd here – has grown significantly over the last decade, going from a small independent business into a larger player in the travel management industry in the UK and Ireland.

Turnover across the business has soared by more than a third in the space of a year, with turnover heading towards the £100m mark at £97.9m, according to accounts for World Travel Centre Ltd, ending October 31, 2019. The latest accounts also show pre-tax proﬁts have risen from just over £1m to £1.2m, yearon-year. The company says that not only has

turnover increased, but proﬁtability and employee numbers have grown in line with expectations. Selective Travel Management is a full service travel management company, handling the travel requirements of various clients. The business operates across multiple industry sectors, including higher education, government bodies, charitable organisations and multiple clients right across business. The company says “moving away from ‘off the shelf’ bought platforms and concentrating our focus on developing our own technology has allowed us to be in full control of all our systems… this has allowed us to customise platforms around the customer, as opposed to the customer moulding themselves to the platform.” Keith Graham, managing director of Selective Travel Management, told Ulster Business: “While many businesses, particularly in the travel and hospitality sector, focus on the difﬁculties created by the local ‘skills gap’ we have shifted our attention to addressing the

issue with positivity and energy. “Our business was founded on great people and, today, we are fuelling our growth by helping those people constantly to learn and develop. “There is no shortage of talent here in Northern Ireland: what we need is the determination, leadership and the vision to fulﬁl our potential.” The company has landed several major contracts, including those within education, over the last couple of years. That includes a £6m deal with Newcastle University, announced in 2018, while a year earlier it announced it had won a contract to manage a £5m travel budget on behalf of the University of York, as well as a further £500,000 budget for York St John University. The company, which is based at Murray’s Exchange on Linﬁeld Road in Belfast, was set up in 1972 and is part of the overall World Travel Centre business. ■

NEXT 200

44 Huhtamaki

Foodservice

hat started off as one north Belfast man’s small ﬁrm printing business cards has blossomed into a giant of the foodservice packaging sector – now owned and operated by a multi-national business with huge international reach.

Huhtamaki Foodservice Belfast was established as Delta Print Limited in 1981 by entrepreneur Terry Cross, above a corner grocery store in Belfast, to manufacture business cards, letter headed paper and local civil service forms.

manufacturing capabilities serving customers in retail, consumer goods, branded foodservice and the ‘quick service restaurant’ sector. In May 2019, Huhtamaki Foodservice Belfast opened its new manufacturing facility in Antrim; a site dedicated to the manufacture of sustainable paper straws, the paper utilised being sourced from managed forests. Further investment in additional manufacturing equipment at the Antrim site is planned for 2020-2022.

The business grew into a 5,000 sq ft workshop and then into a purpose-built 17,000 sq ft factory in west Belfast through the development of its commercial printing operations before recognising the opportunities available in the printed packaging sector in 1990.

Currently employing 339 people across the two sites, both are invested in ﬁbre-based (paper) packaging manufacturing. This sector is set for growth within Huhtamaki’s established customer base and new business prospects as operators move to transition away from certain forms plastic packaging and into paper alternatives, where appropriate.

The former Delta Print and Packaging business was then bought by Finnish ﬁrm Huhtamaki Group, which took over Delta Packaging Ltd’s folding carton manufacturing operations capitalising on the Belfast business’s

The new site came alongside a signiﬁcant investment in support of McDonald’s commitment to paper straws, an initiative highlighted as being a key factor in their success at recent awards.

APRIL 2020

Patricia Lavery, site director for Huhtamaki Foodservice in Belfast and Antrim, told Ulster Business: “At Huhtamaki we are continuously looking for ways to improve the environmental performance of our products and to introduce new, more sustainable packaging innovations. “The launch of our paper straws is a good example of this. We are extremely proud to support our customers in their strategy to have a more sustainable and environmentally responsible supply chain.” It’s also marking 100 years in business. The company says “we know that our future success builds on our ability to create a long-term positive impact on people and the planet”. “Packaging will always be needed to support the everyday life of billions of people around the world and to help reduce food wastage. We continue to ﬁnd smart, socially responsible and sustainable ways to shape the future of packaging. We are ready for the next 100 years.” ■

NEXT 200

Dr Suresh Tharma, co-founder and chief executive Mark Regan

133 Kingsbridge T

Healthcare Group

he private healthcare business in Northern Ireland is one which is growing. And 352 Medical Group Ltd, now re-branded the Kingsbridge Healthcare Group, is one of those which is on the up.

The company was co-founded in 2006 by Dr Suresh Tharma and Mr Ashok Songra, and the pair have expanded their business to become one of the largest healthcare brands throughout Ireland, attracting patients in Northern Ireland, as well as from Donegal, Galway and Cork. The latest accounts for the company show it’s grown its turnover to £34.5m – up more than a third on the previous year’s trading. “We are on course this year to deliver a £5m increase in turnover and an increase in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation),” Dr Suresh Tharma told Ulster Business. “While our focus is very much on delivering a five-star private healthcare experience to all our

patients; we are looking forward to playing a major role in assisting local government deliver its new NHS waiting list targets, akin to the major role we played in reducing waiting lists between 2008 and 2012. In 2019, we also successfully acquired a minority Anglo-US investment partner which has resulted in an additional ward, a new laminar flow theatre and a new cardiac surgery service to be launched in 2020. “Last year, we were placed in eighth position in the UK nationwide table for hip replacements and 13th for knee replacements. This was a major achievement confirming our status as one of the most clinically safe and efficient hospitals in the UK.” Kingsbridge has also been shortlisted for ‘Private Hospital Group of the Year’ at the Health Investor Awards 2020, which is due to take place in London, in June. The company operates Kingsbridge Private Hospital on the Lisburn Road in south Belfast, and is also preparing to open six new top-end rooms, increasing capacity at the healthcare

facility by 30%, while there will also be a new pharmacy on site. The work is the first phase completed of an 18-month investment project to meet the increasing demand on services as a result of spiralling NHS waiting lists and more people coming from the Republic of Ireland for treatment. These include a new pharmacy and luxury rooms with flat screen TV, ensuite facilities and bespoke reclining chairs for patients and settee bed should visitors require, while artist Kathryn Callaghan has been commissioned to create artwork for each room. Last year the group landed multi-million pound funding from two major London and Washington DC equity investors. The fund, created by US-based 57 Stars LLC and UK investor Foresight Group, will be used to provide additional capacity, including beds and theatres, at the firm’s Kingsbridge hospitals in Belfast and Sligo. ■

NEXT 200

162 Marcon Martin McErlean, Marcon and Mirko Cerami, architect

arcon Fit Out is one of Northern Ireland’s leading fit-out businesses, and has been responsible for work as varied as McDonald’s restaurants and the tourism centre for one of Ireland’s literary greats.

“We are really pleased to be carrying out the exhibition fit-out within the new Museum of Literature Ireland. This is a wonderful project to be involved in and the international appeal of the museum will allow us to showcase our craftsmanship to the world.”

Closer to home, Marcon has been working on delivering a new collection of restaurants at Belfast International Airport.

The company, which is based in Antrim, carries out shop-fitting projects and major schemes at museums and heritage sites. It has worked for brands including fast-food giant McDonald’s, footwear brand Vans and consulting firm Grant Thornton.

Elsewhere, Marcon has also made Harbinson Mulholland’s top 50 family business list, which charts Northern Ireland’s own family-run SME company successes.

The collaboration with Horscroft Design saw firm deliver the Northern QTR concept at the airport for catering and facilities services company Mount Charles.

At the start of last year it was also revealed Marcon had signed a deal to work on refurbishing a museum at Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire in its first contract with English Heritage.

The new area will include a renovated Fed and Watered outlet, along with the addition of two new spots to eat.

Coming in at 162 on this year’s Next 200, the company posted turnover of £29.7m for the year ending March 2019, while pre-tax profits stood at £1.8m during the same period. Marcon was recently entrusted with the fit-out of one of Dublin’s most anticipated projects in recent years. UCD Newman House situated at St Stephen’s Green in the city will be transformed into the Museum of Literature Ireland, which is an ambitious €10.5m (£9.2m) scheme. Speaking about the scheme, Martin McErlean, heritage contracts manager, Marcon, said:

APRIL 2020

Whitby Abbey is a site of historical importance with 13th century ruins and many literary and artistic associations.

centre, including graphics and audio-visual hardware.

Marcon was also responsible for fitting out the exhibition for the dinosaur skeleton Dippy at the Ulster Museum. Dippy On Tour saw the dinosaur outside its London home of the Natural History Museum for the first time since its original unveiling in 1905.

It was the setting for some of Bram Stoker’s vampire novel, Dracula, and was also the backdrop for one of artist JMW Turner’s most famous paintings.

Marcon also recently announced a deal to work on the HMS Victory gallery at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.

It’s looking after the manufacture, delivery and installation of the museum fit-out in the visitor

It also worked on the fit-out of the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy. ■

SME & FAMILY BUSINESS

Putting your family business at the core of ours By Maybeth Shaw, BDO NI

number of challenges have tested the resolve of our local business community in recent years and for family owned business specifically, these issues have just ‘added to the list’ on top of the many commercial challenges they uniquely face. For over 25 years, our team in the BDO Centre for Family Business has been working with local, family owned businesses and we have helped many overcome the unique challenges they face. These have included issues impacting on their succession planning and other familyrelated issues that can cause disruption to business growth. Family first v business first The added challenge of managing family relationships and the emotional issues that arise is well known. Successful family businesses have to find a balance that meets the needs of the family while also sustaining the business. While the family is the number one priority in most family businesses, it is important to note that it is the business itself that enables family members to live their chosen lifestyles. The business must stay healthy. This is a real family business dilemma. Neither is wrong, but a family’s position between these two philosophies impacts several important decisions.

Merit v entitlement In practice, family business successors are not necessarily chosen because of their leadership skills, but rather because of their DNA. Also, family employees are often not subject to the same performance evaluations as other employees. Both of these can lead to disgruntled non family employees, in an environment where employee retention and recruitment are increasingly difficult. We all recognise that it isn’t wrong for family members to benefit in some way from their families’ successful businesses. However, that has to be balanced with the knowledge that unearned power and wealth can lead to the eventual demise of the business, as well as issues for the individual family members. Fair v equal A separate issue to identifying a successor to manage the family business is the issue of ownership. In many cases, the majority of the family wealth is embedded in the business. However, carving up the family business equally may not actually be fair. It can result in siblings working together, who might not have otherwise chosen to work together, or result in one child running the business for the benefit of all siblings. In some cases, family members are treated exactly the

same in all matters but this can cause further questions and sometimes negative sentiment in relation to spreading shares across those involved and not involved in the business. In other cases, to be truly fair, business owners may feel that they need to find ways to equalize the distribution of overall family wealth among their children. In the dilemma of fair versus equal, the goals of the business will often challenge the values of the family. My team of specialist advisers and I help familyowned businesses work through all of these dilemmas. We provide innovative, practical solutions to sensitive and challenging issues, including navigating the succession planning process, and have done so for many local second, third and fourth generation businesses. Being a trusted and neutral adviser, BDO helps move family businesses forward in working through these issues. For almost three decades, we at BDO have put local family businesses at the core of ours. We can help your family business too. ■ Maybeth Shaw is a partner within the BDO Centre for Family Business. She can be contacted at maybeth.shaw@bdoni.com or on 028 9043 9009.

SME & family business MARCH 2019

SME & FAMILY BUSINESS

The family business The family business and our core SME sector remains the bedrock of the Northern Ireland economy, with more than 102,000 family firms here, and a UK-wide employment of 13.4 million people. Emma Deighan speaks to three very different family firms about their journeys to success Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong

FIONA BOYD-ARMSTRONG Shortcross Gin

iona and her husband David distilled, packaged and posted the first Shortcross Gin in 2013 as a husband and wife business on the charming Rademon Estate in Crossgar, Co Down. Today that business has expanded to employ 15 staff and its trading activity is strong, with the exporting market offering more potential for greater things. Fiona says a mixture of passion, straighttalking and provenance are what have taken the brand so far, much of which she attributes to being a family entity.

“We are extremely passionate about what we do. It is, without doubt, challenging but it’s also rewarding. We have to be fearless in our ambition to uphold our values of distilling

uncompromisingly great crafted spirits but as a family business we have many frank and open discussions. We all share the same goals. We make mistakes but we move on.” It’s an approach that has paid off so far as the couple have successfully applied for a licence to trade and serve on-site. Meanwhile the product portfolio is set to grow with a new whiskey launch imminent. “We have been quietly distilling our Irish whiskey since 2015 and then we laid our first casks. We have been experimenting quite a bit so I think you should expect the unexpected when we do launch,” she says, hinting that the product may be unveiled later this year. It will sit alongside Shortcross’s original

juniper-led gin and its new distilled pink gin, Rosie’s Garden Gin, in the firm’s product line. Beyond the copper stills at Rademon Estate Fiona says there is a family ethos that is keeping business buoyant, it’s a spirit in its own right that Fiona wants to keep alive. “Family is a very important to David and I and our wider families, like everything we do here at our home, Rademon Estate is all about the next generation, we are simply custodians. “We have invested in building a distillery and bringing Shortcross from an idea to an awardwinning gin. Our future and livelihoods are very much part of the fabric in everything we do. We want and hope to create a legacy, for future generations of the Boyd-Armstrongs to lead forward,” she says.

SME & FAMILY BUSINESS

Sarah, Jonathan and Heather McCann

JONATHAN MCCANN Jonzara

stablished in 2008, Jonzara is a respected name in fashion circles here. The retailer, which stocks some of the biggest brands in female fashion, including Betty Barclay, Gerry Weber and Sandwich, began as a small fashion boutique for Heather McCann in Newtownards.

Today it has another store in Lisburn and a franchised Gerry Weber outlet in Newtownards. “As plans progressed we began to recognise an opportunity and my sister Sarah I both left our finance and mathematics degrees at Queen’s University Belfast to be part of the project,” Jonathan McCann says. With three members of the McCann family driving business from the beginning, Jonathan believes a shared investment in giving customers an authentic experience is what has driven expansion to three stores and a lucrative e-commerce business, which ships over 1,000 parcels worldwide daily. And further growth is in the pipeline, Jonathan says: “A multi-channel strategy is a core aspect to our business and we think this is an

APRIL 2020

important way forward. “Last year we relaunched our website and this has enabled us to offer our product worldwide. This has opened up a whole new list of challenges and we are working very hard to develop our infrastructure to cope with higher volumes of parcels and managing deliveries and returns globally.” The company is currently the largest Gerry Weber stockist in NI with a store dedicated to the brand. It’s an area that the firm is exploring further as other brands show interest in this kind of retail partnership. Thriving in one of the most challenging of sectors has been one of Jonzara’s strengths. It’s that balance of a high street presence and a healthy online site that has kept it safe. “Retail in itself is a very challenging sector. Things are changing rapidly and it is about trying to keep up. For us bricks and mortar is very important but e-commerce is a growing aspect of Jonzara and we are trying to use a balance of the two to give our customers the best possible choice and service.

“Consumer confidence is critical for our sector too and unfortunately issues around Brexit and now Covid-19 have the potential to be extremely damaging. The bulk of our stock comes from Europe so we are watching closely and planning as best as possible for import and commodity duty charges. We are also keen to explore more sustainable options within our fashion chain.” Being a family firm helps Jonzara face uncertainties with “complete support” Jonathan says. He says the shared passion is what drives it and its appeals to customers, but it can also cause a few arguments which he brands as a strength. Asked if he would be keen to keep the business a family one, he says: “Jonzara is slightly unique in that the first and second generation started the business together. At just 32 and 30, Sarah and I have no plans to retire just yet and indeed no third generation to pass the business on to at the minute. Our staff team has grown to 20 and while these individuals are not members of the McCann family they are very firmly part of the Jonzara family.”

SME & FAMILY BUSINESS

Caroline Willis

CAROLINE WILLIS Shelbourne Motors

aroline is the financial director of Shelbourne Motors, a Northern Ireland business that started as a forecourt back in 1973 when it became a Toyota franchise. To day it employs more than 150 staff across its Portadown and Newry showrooms where car marques have multiplied to include other brands, as well as used car sales, an accident repair centre, vehicle rental and valet centre.

took on overall responsibility for the business we have celebrated Shelbourne Motors’s 45th Anniversary in 2018 and officially opened a new £5m multi-franchise complex in Newry. “We made a commitment to build on our father’s legacy and never stand still, and we continue to go from strength-to-strength as one of Northern Ireland’s largest family-owned vehicle retailers.”

Caroline says Shelbourne Motors is “built upon an ethos of delivering exceptional choice and excellent customer service to our strong and loyal customer base”.

The priority for the firm now is to maximise its new and used car sales and its new site in Portadown will support that growth. It will also focus on its online retail presence following an investment in ‘ePlatform’, Caroline says.

“Since my brothers, Paul and Richard, and I

She says the insights passed through the family

from her father have supported the success of Shelbourne Motors, helping it to overcome a challenging and competitive environment. “Family connection differentiates us from non family businesses. We all have grown up in the motoring industry and have a genuine passion for the business instilled in us by our father. He has passed on tremendous insights into the successful running of well-structured and operationally sound vehicle retailer operates. “We are now entrusted with building on his legacy and it’s great that my brothers, Paul and Richard, and I are able to sit down together as a team and all have an input into the direction of the business in the short, medium and long term.”

HOME WORKING

Tech tools for small firms forced into home working Many companies are telling staff to work from home. But if you’re a small firm with limited tech know-how, where do you start? And what should you avoid? Adrian Weckler lists 10 must-have tools

ne of the immediate issues companies face with the coronavirus is getting staff to work from home for a period of days or weeks. For small firms, this might be confusing. Can a normal person set it up? Is new software needed? Are there any free, or low-cost, services that will do the job? What about IT support?

E-meetings, video and conference calls Remote virtual meetings are common these

days. Zoom is one of the easiest systems to use and is free for basic video meetings (with premium add-ons). Fuze is another good one that is particularly designed for business use. Google Hangouts is great for those who already have some of their work stuff in the Google product ecosystem. Otherwise, bear in mind that your office may have Skype already set up (because of Microsoft’s domination in office ecosystems). If so, you’ll need to use your Microsoft account details.

CRM systems A day or two out of the office is one thing; a few weeks, or days taken on a regular basis, is something else entirely. “Data input is probably the most fundamental element to ensure things continue seamlessly,” says remote working specialist and Abodoo founder Vanessa Tierney. “So CRM is really important. When you’re in the office, you might sometimes say that you can catch up with someone. But it’s critical that you have a structured system in place when working from home.” Salesforce is the giant in this

HOME WORKING

This is something that a few specialist software packages do well. The biggest is probably Logmein, although Teamviewer and Splashtop are decent alternatives. All three essentially let you ‘work’ on your office PC – with all its files and placed documents – directly from another device in another location, securely. Logmein has a remote support tool called Logmein Rescue, which may be useful in a situation where you need someone to offer live IT support to a number of remote PCs.

Slack and Microsoft Teams One of the advantages to using Slack or Microsoft Teams (both free with premium addons) is that it’s more immediate and pervasive than email. (That is also its disadvantage if you prefer limited interaction.) They’re very useful for keeping on top of things when you’re not immediately beside them. Asana (free with premium tiers), which is focused more on business users, is also well worth considering.

A virtual private network (VPN) Your office may want you to use a VPN for security and privacy reasons. If so, it will likely have its own solution. But there are plenty of decent general VPN services that are fairly easy to set up. NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two to try; they both cost a few euro per month.

6 space, although there are plenty of affordable alternatives, from HubSpot (free with premium add-ons) to Teamwork, Zoho and OnePageCRM.

Specialist remote access software If there’s a crucial workflow process under way on a particular computer (or a set of computers) in the office, and you haven’t had time to set up an alternative workflow system through a secure server or an online proxy, some remote access software can be used very effectively.

APRIL 2020

Signing documents online It remains a wonder how many believe that, to sign a document they’ve received over email, they need to print it out, sign it with a biro and then scan it back in. There are umpteen affordable digital alternatives to this without going through the rigmarole. Docusign is one of the best-known systems, although there are lots of other basic e-signature systems that are free with premium add-ons, such as SmallPDF.

Other basic office software Most businesses still use Microsoft Office. You can use common Office apps free online, but you may need an extra licence to use the apps in ‘native’ mode (with your work email login). I use Google Docs a lot, but some files

Data input is probably “ the most fundamental element to ensure things continue seamlessly

”

you’ll receive in Office can be fussy about how Docs react with them. For sharing documents, Google Drive is very useful, as is Dropbox.

A webcam and a bigger work screen Most recent laptops will have a webcam built in, but desktop PCs generally don’t. Remember that you’ll need to be heard as well as seen, so get one with a built-in microphone too. Logitech is reliable. For home working, the bigger your screen, the better. If you’re going to work from home for a while, it may be worth buying an external monitor (20 inches or more) to connect up.

Mobile broadband repeater If you commute into work from a rural area, one challenge you might have at home is bad (or non-existent) broadband. If so, you might need to look into a mobile repeater to get a mobile broadband signal. These devices boost what can be a weak mobile signal being received indoors into a decent one. But they’re dependent on there being a reasonably decent signal outside the house. Typically, repeaters involve a small antenna placed outside a building (on the roof or an outside wall), with a box inside the building to relay the enhanced signal. ComReg has a list of approved manufacturers for legal mobile repeaters. They include Waterford-based Stella Doradus. Companies that sell the equipment include Cork-based Novatel.

Noise-cancelling headphones This is a personal choice, but I find these invaluable, especially if you’re sharing the house with others when you’re trying to work. There are lots to choose from.

Sony’s 1000XM3 is still the benchmark, although I’ve tested some great alternatives lately, including Microsoft Surface Headphones and AKG N700. ■

SME & FAMILY BUSINESS

Remote control: Irish firm proves location no barrier to growth 3D Issue founder Paul McNulty is no stranger to home working in rural Donegal, writes Adrian Weckler

uilding and developing a digital company outside a city has its challenges. But what happens when you throw a global pandemic into the mix? Letterkenny-based 3D Issue is better set up than most to handle an indefinite period of remote working.

In some ways, the marketing tools company founded by Paul McNulty has had a headstart on being ‘remote’ for some years. Located firmly in one of western Europe’s most nonurban regions, Paul has had to tailor the job specification to a non-city backdrop since day one. “We didn’t have much choice,” he says, as we drive over the hills of Donegal to his office above an American burger bar on the outskirts of Letterkenny. “I wanted to build a product so I had to go looking for remote developers.” Now, 3D Issue has 17 people, 12 of whom work mostly in the upstairs office. But physical presence isn’t critical: they’re all set up to work on common platforms from wherever they want. “We use the usual performance platforms and CRM,” he says. “It’s quite easy to see who’s working at the time. We have all the correct protocols. But most of our staff have been with us quite a while anyway. There’s a great relationship in place.”

3D Issue’s main product is a suite of flipbooks, used to help marketers put together sales materials or presentations. It is currently working on a more advanced product, which it hopes will put it on a higher level with some of its multinational competitors. “Within 30 minutes, you can brand your identity and have a digital solution,” he says. “It’s really easy to use.” Most of its customers are in North America, with some based in Europe. Paul’s journey to this point is not atypical. Born and bred in Donegal, he went off to work in different countries, particularly the US. As a sales and marketing man, he started to find that the traditional methods of sending over a physical brochure to prospective clients were too clumsy and expensive. So he sat down and came up with a way of doing it digitally. 3D Issue was born. Does Paul think that 3D Issue could ever become a large employer in Donegal? “Never say never,” he says. “We’ve built all the platforms. Now we want to actually start targeting more companies and media agencies.” If he wanted to do that, wouldn’t he need a substantial hiring pool? For all its flexibility, remote working is not a first choice for ambitious companies looking to scale.

Paul concedes the point, but doesn’t agree that Letterkenny is stranded in the middle of nowhere. “If you look at the multinationals that are located around here, there’s actually quite a decent base to recruit from if you ever started to reach that scale,” he says, referring to firms such as Pramerica, Sita and Kirchhoff. “Besides that, the local college [Letterkenny IT] here has been very good. We’ve hired several graduates from there. So I don’t necessarily feel that we’re limited because of our geography.” Besides, he says, there is an under-reported

SME & FAMILY BUSINESS

3D Issue founder Paul McNulty

trend of people living in rural areas but working for companies quite far away. “There’s a guy that used to work for us who is now working for a company in Dublin,” Paul says. “But he’s still living in Letterkenny. He goes up once a week to the Dublin office for meetings, but the rest of the time he’s working from home. There’s quite a lot of that going on.” What about official support? It’s not unusual to hear firms in far-flung locations call for extra infrastructure or fiscal stimuli. Does Paul think that Donegal is hard done by in this regard?

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“I don’t think so, no,” he says. “To be honest, I don’t really focus on that. I suppose you might say that transport infrastructure isn’t great here. There’s no train line, so we depend on the roads, which aren’t great. But we just get on with things.” Like any other business, 3D Issue now has to factor in the economic impact that global retrenchment around Covid-19 will cause. Although this interview was conducted before schools and pubs were closed, it was clear that Paul was thinking of this. “It is concerning in how this is

going to affect every business,” he says. “It’s not just actual physical products and goods, it’s everything. Like everyone else, we’re facing a situation of selling something when others may be scaling back.” Paul says that the company’s new product was to be ready to go some time this summer. With a pandemic now in operation, it’s harder to predict when a launch might occur. “Whatever happens, this is a great place to build and grow a company,” he says. “It was the right move to set it up here.” ■

WASTE AND ENERGY ROUND-TABLE WITH RE-GEN WASTE

Waste: future growth and industry evolution on the horizon ATTENDEES Adrian Thompson (Technical director, WDR & RT Taggart) Andrew Cassells (President, The Local Government Technical Advisers Group) Glyn Roberts (Recycle NI and Retail NI)

Newry recycling and processing business Re-Gen Waste brought together some of the industry’s top experts together with Ulster Business for a discussion about the future of an ever-evolving sector and what it holds for all of us in a post-Brexit environment Joseph Doherty and Adrian Thompson

Ricky Burnett (Former chief executive of ARC 21) Celine Grant (Director of product sales, Re-Gen Waste) Joseph Doherty (Managing director, Re-Gen Waste) John Mulgrew (Editor, Ulster Business)

John Mulgrew: What’s the current state of the energy and recycling sector at the moment? Joseph Doherty: In the mixed-waste market we are currently diverting waste from landfill to energy creation, shipping waste derived fuel to Sweden. Landfills are closing, there’s reduced capacity in NI so we need to find other ways to deal with the waste. Adrian Thompson: I think there has been a dramatic shift, certainly among local authorities – treatment, rather than landfill. We now only have two landfills, so energy recovery is the mainstay going forward. Where that happens, and how it happens, are the main challenges for the so-called ‘black bin’ market. Looking at the recycling sector, there are pressures. We are dealing with global commodities – plastic, paper and card. Those markets are changing.

Glyn Roberts: There’s the Government’s Environmental Bill which effectively restricts exporting of waste to developing countries. That is going to be a challenge. Does it open up more opportunities, locally? Or does that put added pressure on to the existing sector? The key thing for where the sector is – it needs to be at the cutting edge of this environmental ‘new age’. It’s part of the zeitgeist – it’s where society is, and this sector has to be part of that. The recycling and waste sector has a huge opportunity to be part of the overall Northern Ireland economy. Ricky Burnett: It’s evolving. It’s becoming more mature. We are at that crossroads.

The interesting thing for me is the influence that manufacturers will have on this. The producer responsibility on packaging is just the start, and I don’t think people realise how significant the changes are going to be. It will mean manufacturers will have a bigger say in the sector, and they will become much more influential. Celine Grant: From my perspective on the recycling side, I think it’s quite concerning that the Government is trying to push for a more circular economy in the UK and Northern Ireland. But the bigger concern probably is yes, they want to bring things closer to home, but there are issues like energy costs – they are not

WASTE AND ENERGY ROUND-TABLE WITH RE-GEN WASTE

Joseph Doherty, Adrian Thompson and Celine Grant

putting the infrastructure in place to make that happen.

trying to deal with the waste as close to the manufacturing process as possible.

John Mulgrew: Looking at our waste, where is it now going and will this change?

With Brexit upon us, are there any advantages in the UK leaving the EU?

Joseph Doherty: Much recycling waste has been going to places, such as the Far East, but that is slowly coming to an end. Certain companies were not reprocessing the waste in accordance with regulations and they do not want to be seen as the ‘dump’ of the world. There are a lot of people who have been employed in those countries as a result, and have seen an economic benefit, but there is a question over how it was dealt with. Europe needs to deal with it at home, and the UK Government is looking to create the right environment by which investment can happen here. Andrew Cassells: There are a couple of key drivers. The main thing that has come around recently is the whole shift in terms of the climate change agenda. The speed in which it has taken off has been phenomenal. It’s a challenge to everyone… the other thing is the proximity principle. In other words,

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Joseph Doherty: Depending on how it looks, there is a potential that Northern Ireland could be seen a place with added value. For us, we could buy plastic bottles from England and ship it home at a lower tariff, add the value, for example sorting and grinding it, and then ship it into Europe. Northern Ireland (potentially) could be a place to add value, going to GB and into Europe. But the disadvantage is the labour. I think we will be at a disadvantage dealing with the Republic of Ireland. They will have access to lower-skilled labour, and NI won’t.

month. That then increased to 20 and 30 after the vote. With that instability, we are going back up to bigger turnover numbers. We are walking in to an impossible situation which forces us down the route towards big investments in technology… I’d hope that the waste industry will be able to allow people in, not meeting the points system.

John Mulgrew: And what does that mean from the labour perspective?

Ricky Burnett: There’s not a chance of that happening. Everyone will be fighting their own corner. Waste has always been the Cinderella industry. Northern Ireland is a small place. That has its challenges and its disadvantages, but it also brings some advantages and strengths. What is going to have to happen is the public and private sector will have to work closer together. There need to be forums set up where manufacturers, public sector and public sector providers start working more closely together. The challenge is the real pace of change.

Joseph Doherty: At the moment, difficult would be welcome, impossible is where we are possibly going. That’s where it almost becomes a shut door. We have around 150 lower-skilled staff in the plant. Before Brexit, we had around five staff turning over each

Glyn Roberts: I think the issue is the different sectors shouting individually, but I think there has to be a stronger, collective view around getting greater flexibility – giving the Assembly a say on the future arrangements. It should be a devolved matter. >

WASTE AND ENERGY ROUND-TABLE WITH RE-GEN WASTE Adrian Thompson: It’s another critical service. It has to be viewed in that manner. If there isn’t anyone there to do the job, it just backs up.

John Mulgrew and Glyn Roberts

John Mulgrew: What changes are we experiencing in terms of waste collection and what’s the public’s perception? Joseph Doherty: We have been in business for 16 years. In that time we’ve gone from having very few blue bins to having blue and brown bins in every household. Half of the waste that would have gone to a landfill is now being recycled. Andrew Cassells: We are collecting more waste than we ever were. The introduction of the brown bin – we didn’t collect green waste before, and there’s an argument to say that we shouldn’t be collecting it. Adrian Thompson: I think there is a requirement for green waste collection in certain places, such as urban areas. Celine Grant: I think another problem for the waste sector is that there is so much negative press – you don’t see the positives. When you see some of the coverage, it is often sensationalised. When we hosted an open day, it made people more aware of the industry – they saw firsthand how the waste is dealt with and where it actually goes. Do we need to have a shift alongside the public sector to drive home that message? Adrian Thompson: One of the things that has changed the public perception is David

Attenborough. Once they see littered oceans and animals being affected, right in their face. Glyn Roberts: It’s the big challenge of how you weave an economic system with one harmonious and never-ending bundle of recycling and re-use – from the consumer to the manufacturer and retailer, everyone has their part to play in this. Ricky Burnett: Everyone has their own role to play and everyone fits in somewhere on the chain. We need to get the forums together so the chain can actually meet and talk about how we derive these solutions. I think Northern Ireland has a lot of very smart and intelligent people, but just doesn’t lend itself to bringing them together in the right way.

John Mulgrew: Will there be a further move towards further automation within the waste sector, and what other changes are we likely to see? Joseph Doherty: We are probably going to be forced to go that way – surviving with fewer staff. However, the quality of automated sorting is not as good. An optic can pick 3,000 units a minute, but gets some wrong, whereas a person doesn’t get them wrong. Adrian Thompson: It’s a bit of a balance. With us, while there is a massive move towards automation, you still have the issues remaining. A machine is picking a material, but it can pick the wrong material. That leads to a potential contamination, so there is still that end requirement of quality control by staff. Ricky Burnett: I keep hearing the word ‘consistency’. Why not make packaging of a certain material, and you are only allowed to use that material. Once you get a level of consistency that will make automation so much easier. It will effect all the parameters.

Glyn Roberts, Ricky Burnett and Andrew Cassells

Andrew Cassells: It’s a discussion about what point in the process do you get the material out, and back into manufacturing? You can do a curb-side collection, the household is separating it, if you do blue bins, it’s all going in and you are separating it. We are talking about going one step before that. And DRS (deposit return scheme) is a step. You put a value on it.

WASTE AND ENERGY ROUND-TABLE WITH RE-GEN WASTE

Joseph Doherty, Adrian Thompson, Celine Grant, John Mulgrew, Glyn Roberts, Ricky Burnett and Andrew Cassells

Ricky Burnett: I think there are some wellfounded concerns over DRS. That it’s coming in too early. Let the producer responsibility bed in, and then look to do it. But it doesn’t look like it’s going that way and that’s a worry. Joseph Doherty: The worry for me is that we change to suit the changes in consistency. Then the DRS could come in and rip that out. Would we be better knowing where we are earlier, and then readjust?

John Mulgrew: Where does Northern Ireland sit in terms of places to invest in the next few years? Ricky Burnett: It depends on what you want to invest in. There are difficulties. A lack of devolved government for three years has presented real difficulties. There are things that could be done to make it more attractive. Glyn Roberts: The infrastructure piece is where it is all at now. Unless we sort it quickly, we are never going to realise the potential of this economy. It’s not just the big ticket things, such as the A5 upgrade and the York Street Interchange, but it is also about the infrastructure around towns as well. There are going to have to be a lot of difficult questions asked. The Budget being produced at the moment is going to be critical, and the new Programme for Government. It has to be about solutions. John Mulgrew: As we heard towards carbon neutrality by 2050, could we eventually see businesses and people having individual carbon allowances?

Celine Grant

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Ricky Burnett: It’s a bit easier to design a system around businesses than personal allowances. I think personal allowances are a long way down the line. You are looking at things such as lifestyle, and that is a really big

thing for people to get their head around. It’s different for businesses. Joseph Doherty: Until we really get people to accept making choices – but businesses are already doing that. Big energy users are already measuring in carbon. But at some point it will have to come. I think councils are going to be forced down the road of collecting the bins less often, or reducing capacity in the bin. Andrew Cassells: The reduction in frequencies in other jurisdictions have been driven by budget issues… it opens up the whole argument as well about who pays, and what groups in society can pay. You have to make it fairly straightforward for the householder. Those who want to recycle will do it, and will always do it. Adrian Thompson: You have to make it simple and easy to use for the general public, and that’s where you get involvement and participation. Glyn Roberts: I think there is a huge potential for this sector (waste) and its future growth. There are huge opportunities. With the right framework and support from government, I think the reprocessing sector really could be part of the next generation economy in Northern Ireland. ■

SERVICED OFFICES

Donna Linehan

Serviced offices give businesses the full package

et right in the heart of Belfast city centre, close to universities, further education colleges and major transport links, the Scottish Provident Building is without a doubt one of the city’s most aesthetically impressive buildings which also offers its tenants fully serviced offices through its sister company, VenYou.

Designed by architectural firm, Young & Mackenzie in the early 20th century, the Scottish Provident Building houses all the grandeur and charm that’s typical of Victorian and Edwardian-style buildings. Made from Giffnock sandstone, the building is beautifully designed and decorated, with high ceilings, plush carpets and furniture, eye-catching wallpaper with meetings rooms fully equipped to meet your every need. Aside from being one of the most stunning buildings Belfast has to offer, the Scottish Provident Building is also home to some of Northern Ireland’s most successful businesses including technology firms, financial companies, recruitments agencies and travel management companies to name but a few. Speaking about the services VenYou offers, client services director Donna Linehan said: “VenYou’s mission is to cater to each

business’ individual needs and to take care of the menial necessities to help alleviate unnecessary stress and to ensure that companies can get on with doing what they do best. “You may think that leasing an office in Belfast city centre would mean astronomical cost and long lease contracts, but not with VenYou. We offer the utmost in flexibility and only require a notice period of three months, allowing our clients to rent for as long or as little time as they need. One predictable payment also covers broadband connection, phone lines, rates, rent, furniture, electricity, cleaning and space management which are all provided by VenYou. “The Scottish Provident Building boasts a number of meetings rooms, which can accommodate up to 12 people. We can provide basic refreshments, catering and can even provide video conferencing. “It’s no secret that in today’s world in order to make a business succeed, it requires a lot of hard work and dedication. That’s why the Scottish Provident Building has provided a team that can take care of the simple things like answering the phone, cleaning the office and kitchen and can tailor to your technical needs.

The Scottish Provident Building

“With all the support that comes along with serviced offices, it’s no wonder more and more businesses are choosing to establish themselves in serviced buildings. According to a recent report carried out by Lambert Smith Hampton, grade A offices represent 52% share of supply in Belfast. “Whether you’re a company that has been in existence for years or whether you’re just starting out, the team at VenYou will do our utmost to ensure that all your needs are met. All you need to concern yourself with is the day-to-day running of your business.” ■ For more information, contact Donna Linehan, client services director on 028 9091 8500 or visit www.venyou.co.uk

Business start-up MARCH 2019

BUSINESS START-UP

Start me up: it’s all about the hustle John Mulgrew speaks to Silicon Valley entrepreneur, and Co Tyrone native, Sarah Friar, about what’s needed to make your business a success, the dos and donts, and the next step for her company Nextdoor as it expands its reach here and across the globe

or Sarah Friar, the hustle is all part and parcel of ensuring your business gets off the ground and onwards to the next level.

idea is not working, you need to be flexible enough to turn and go a different direction. It almost feels like those two pieces of advice can feel at odds with each other.

The Sion Mills businesswomen was back in her native Northern Ireland to help unveil the next development of Nextdoor – a now global social hub connecting communities together.

“(What I see) is teams start and they are excited, and then when they get into the graft stage where you really have to iterate, they often want to go and find another bright, shiny object… but it’s about this thing here, keep iterating.”

“It’s been a baptism of fire… we are now in 11 countries around the world. It’s a very global company. We are in 260,000 neighbourhoods and we blanket the US. We are now in one in five households. “NI is my personal (interest) and I love how well it has been doing. We are starting to see a tonne of neighbours coming on to Nextdoor.” As we chat in the Ormeau Baths – a now expanded hub for start-up businesses, particularly in tech – the topic of how a company goes about getting off the ground comes up. While in parts of the US – in particular Silicon Valley – there’s a huge swathe of investors with a constant eye on the market, Northern Ireland’s options, while growing, remain less prevalent than those across the water. “It’s about lots of hustle – you are going to get lots of nos,” Sarah says. “Everyone gets lots of nos… constantly networking comes into its own. “When you are early, you have to be really focused and prioritise. But you also have to be able to pivot at a moment’s notice – if the

“I find it good to have the brain space. I love to hike and be in the outdoors, to give myself space to think. The other thing is to take in a lot of feedback, and be OK that all the feedback isn’t good. The worst thing you can do is only speak to the people who love your product – you end up in this echo chamber. “The thing I see most entrepreneurs not doing enough work is customer insight. You need to pair the anecdote to the data set.” She says it’s crucial for companies, across the sectors, to engage directly with users, customers or potential customers, in order to figure our what works, and what’s of interest. “Watch what they are doing with the product,” she says. “Human nature is often that they tell you what they think you want to hear, or they imagine is happening, whereas the reality can often be very different.” But financially, how should a fresh business look at funding their first steps?

“It’s a raging debate, and it’s very personal. I sit in the camp of that I would rather get fundraising and build a bigger pie. If through the dilution – I would rather have a small piece of a big pie, than a big piece of a small pie. “I live in Silicon Valley, the privileged masses that have access to big amounts of capital. In my experience in NI, first of all that dream of VC (venture capital) is much harder. There are still a lot of hoops that companies are asked to jump through. For a lot of people, they have to give away a lot of their company. You’d be better to get to a milestone. I think bootstrapping has a real place as it keeps you very lean. I think you are more innovative, the more constrained you are. “In NI, I would lean in the beginning towards bootstrapping and friends and family. There is the beginning of an angel network starting. People have gone away, gotten a lot of experience, but want to bring growth back to NI. I’m one of those people. It’s why I love something like the Ormeau Baths.” And while the focus may sometimes be on the rise of the tech sector in Northern Ireland, Sarah says much of the inventiveness, creativity and export-driven indigenous businesses she has come across here, are those which are physically manufacturing a product. “I’m inspired by how much I see entrepreneurship happening across every vertical. Tech is easy because Northern Ireland as a market is too small to sustain a business of any scale – you are exporting bits and bytes.

BUSINESS START-UP

“What I have seen is innovation. I love when entrepreneurs build a product around a passion. Shnuggle is a great example of one such company. Sinead’s (co-founder) passion for baby product’s whether it’s bedding or nappies. Her first market was Europe.” Back to Nextdoor – an app which is now in almost every community in Northern Ireland – Sarah says it’s about getting a host

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of connections – public and private sector organisations – on to the system, such as police, businesses and local authorities. “It’s really good. What I have seen is that Sion Mills has got up-and-running, thanks to my lovely dad. Everyone is starting to do what you want them to do – people are asking for help from their neighbours, a recommendation, a lost cat or helping to find a local business.

At its highest level we want to cultivate kindness… a neighbourhood that people can rely on. We are starting to see that unfold.” On the revenue side, Nextdoor aims to attract advertising from local businesses, as well as helping organisations such as utilities, to connect users to localised information – such as a planned power outage. ■

NEWS

Andrea Brady, Riskonnect with Kevin Holland, Invest NI chief executive and Economy Minister Diane Dodds

300 new jobs for Belfast

US cyber-security firm is set to double its staff in Belfast with 200 new jobs while a risk management firm is adding 100 new posts here.

Rapid7, which has had a presence in Belfast since 2014, says its aim is to simplify cybersecurity. It was named Overall IT Company of the Year at the Belfast Telegraph IT Awards in November 2019.

Rapid7 is planning to take on approximately 49,000 sq ft at Chichester House in the second half of the year to house its growing European research and development centre. The new roles will be in engineering, development and customer advice.

Kevin Holland, chief executive of Invest NI, said: “Rapid7 is one of the US’s fastest growing software security companies.

Invest NI has offered Rapid7 £165,000 of support towards the creation of 30 of the new positions. Jamie Kinch, the vice president of real estate and workplace experience at Rapid7, said the firm was “committed to investing in the company’s global expansion, particularly in areas with impressive technical talent such as Belfast”. “Expanding our presence in Belfast, supported by Invest NI, will provide us with the space and resources we need to grow and attract the region’s top talent,” he said.

“Since opening its office in Belfast in 2014, it has utilised the exceptional skills and talent of our local workforce to grow its business in Northern Ireland. It is always fantastic to see another externally owned company reinvesting in Northern Ireland. In fact, over 70% of new investors reinvest here, which is testament to our appeal. “The senior-level jobs we are supporting will build upon the technical expertise already present at the company’s Belfast engineering site, helping to drive the company’s future innovation.” Rapid7 provides IT services to almost 3,000 firms and government agencies across the globe

The Boston-based company was founded in 2000 and also has offices in Los Angeles, Arlington, Austin and Toronto in North America. It has European bases in Reading, Dublin, Paris, Munich and Belfast and a presence in Asia and Australia. In 2014 chief executive Corey Thomas said the firm had been persuaded to set up here following encouragement from the First and deputy First Minister during a trade mission to Boston a year earlier. Meanwhile, a risk management firm has announced it is creating 100 new jobs, paying an average of £30,000, as it sets up for the first time in Belfast. Economy Minister Diane Dodds announced the investment by Riskonnect, which is based in Atlanta, during a visit to the US. Around 25 of the 100 new engineer and developer roles have already been filled by the Georgia company, which is making the move here with the support of Invest NI. ■

BUSINESS START-UP

Enterprise – the backbone of the NI economy Enterprise NI chief executive Michael McQuillan talks about the work the organisation is undertaking and what it’s doing to help business across Northern Ireland

he team at Enterprise NI (ENI) and across the Local Enterprise Agency network, work with thousands of entrepreneurs and enterprises every week. This engagement places us, critically, at the centre of local socioeconomic development, supporting the backbone of Northern Ireland’s economic stability and prosperity.

Delivering Exploring Enterprise and the Go For It start-up programmes, nationally, we develop awareness of the enterprise journey and support the development of entrepreneurial ideas through business plan mentoring and guidance. Through focused services we support, mentor and signpost businesses through survival, growth and scaling stages. Access to finance remains a key issue for enterprises. Enterprise NI is the official Start-up Loans delivery partner and has a team of experienced business advisers who work with applicants to help prepare their plan and funding needs analysis. The team also provide ongoing mentoring to successful applicants. We are also the delivery partner of the NI Small Business Loan Fund providing access to finance for micro/small businesses which are keen to develop but find it difficult to access funding through traditional sources. The ENI enterprise agency network is well-embedded throughout Northern Ireland. Our 28 member agencies manage 44 locations, where over 1,900 tenant businesses benefit from flexible tenancies and rents, accessible advice and signposting, high-speed broadband and contemporary meeting facilities. Engaging with our tenant-base and with local businesses through programme delivery, workshops, clinics and walk-ins – we are in contact approximately 3,000 businesses across Northern Ireland during any average week. This close interactivity positions us uniquely as being able to listen to and find out, how entrepreneurial business owners are feeling; how their businesses are performing; and what timely support, advice and signposting they need. Recently we launched Generate – an impactful business learning platform that delivers workshops, one-to-one learning and a range of online learning services. The content and transformational delivery is designed around what businesses have said they need. Participants

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engaging with the initial workshops on Generate have praised the immediate usefulness and impact of the learning content. In November 2019 we presented the findings of the inaugural NI Enterprise Barometer. It was the biggest survey of small and micro businesses, for many years. The findings are now influencing future policy around support for micro, small and self-employed business (99% of all enterprises in Northern Ireland). We plan to carry out the research again in 2020. Early dissemination of this year’s findings will coincide with an international enterprise conference. As this article goes to print, mind you, we are immersed in efforts to shape support and guidance for the 133,000 micro, small and selfemployed businesses in Northern Ireland in the light of the emerging Covid-19 crisis – focusing on the survival of the businesses and the wellbeing of their employees and owners. ■

For more information, get in touch www.enterpriseni.com

RECRUITMENT

Launch of 7twenty marks expansion for 4c Executive

c Executive, a leading provider of executive search services, is investing in a further expansion of the business with the launch of an exciting new division. 7Twenty Professional Search was officially launched at the ‘Building Winning Teams’ event at The MAC in Belfast.

Holly Hamilton pictured hosting the 7twenty Professional Search launch

Hosted by the BBC’s Holly Hamilton, speakers at the event included Ulster Rugby’s chief exeutive Jonny Petrie, and Bryn Cunningham, head of rugby operations and recruitment, alongside 4c Executive’s managing director Gordon Carson, and Gareth Hanna, head of professional search for 7twenty. The latest new division from 4c Executive, 7twenty was established in response to a notable gap in the market for a dedicated service specialising in the recruitment of middle management roles within core business services, such as HR, finance and marketing. According to Gordon Carson, its launch stems from “significant and increasing demand” from 4c Executive’s diverse portfolio of clients. “Since 2013, 4c Executive has been retained to fill over 300 senior level, business critical roles in a wide range of businesses across the private, public and third sectors,” he said. “On many occasions, we have been approached by clients asking us to partner with them in searching for candidates to fill their middle management roles, but we have had to politely decline simply because this service didn’t align with our existing business model. However, growing client demand has led to the development of a new service and that’s how 7twenty has come about.” Gareth Hanna said: “There is often a common trend that sees companies placing more emphasis on appointing the ideal candidate

for senior leadership roles and not spending enough time focusing on the equally-important middle management positions. These middle managers are the individuals that deliver the message from the decision-makers at the top of an organisation to the ‘front line’ staff. “The job description of a senior leadership position naturally differs from that of a middle manager, but companies will struggle to run efficiently without both, so it is crucial that companies place a greater emphasis on building and shaping versatile future leaders earlier in their careers. “7twenty will focus exclusively on finding the best available talent to fill middle management level roles in the core business services through search.

“A stumbling block that companies are facing today is the lack of available talent for roles that are being advertised. “At present, there is only a very small proportion of the labour market that are proactively seeking a new role at any one time, so it is possible that recruiting employers stand to miss out on the best candidates – most of whom will naturally be succeeding in their current role and therefore not looking or thinking elsewhere. “It stands to reason then, that depending solely on traditional methods of recruitment that rely on the candidate seeking out an opportunity are fast becoming outdated. “7twenty offers an innovative new solution

RECRUITMENT

Bryn Cunningham, Ulster Rugby with Gareth Hanna, 7twenty Professional Search, Holly Hamilton, BBC, Gordon Carson, 4c Executive and Jonny Petrie, Ulster Rugby

Holly Hamilton speaks to Gordon Carson and Gareth Hanna

to this problem by proactively tapping into this ‘inactive’ talent pool to seek out the best candidate for your role, complemented by advertised selection. “We already have a number of live assignments ongoing and have completed several appointments with clients across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.” Jonny Petrie, who was himself placed in his role as chief executive at Ulster Rugby by a process delivered by 4c Executive in December 2018, said: “We have already started working with 7twenty to fill a middle management role at Ulster Rugby. The launch of this new division for 4c has been very timely for us in helping to ensure that we have the right people in the right place.” ■

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The award is in recognition of its excellence in further education training in IT. The college was the designated Curriculum Hub for the Digital IT sector in Northern Ireland in 2017, resulting in the college leading training in information and communications technology across the region.

AWARD

The Belfast Met ethos encapsulates its commitment to ensuring that every student, irrespective of background, gains the skills to get a job. Marie Therese McGivern, principal and chief executive of Belfast Met said: “Belfast Met are honoured to receive our ﬁrst Queen’s Anniversary Prize for our work in developing a world class IT talent pipeline in Northern Ireland. We look forward to continue working in partnership with businesses in developing skills that will support economic growth in Belfast and beyond.” Damian Duffy, director of development at Belfast Met said: “This prestigious award recognises the achievements of staff and students who have been working with local and global IT organisations to place the college at the forefront of IT innovation and employability. Dr Jonathan Heggarty, director of curriculum and learner success at Belfast Met; MarieTherese McGivern, principal and chief executive, Belfast Met; Beverley Harrison, director of further education division, Department for the Economy; Kathleen O’Hare, Belfast Met board of governors’ member, and Belfast Met board of governors chairman, Frank Bryan

Prestigious UK honour for Belfast Met B

elfast Metropolitan College has received the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize – a UK-wide award recognising excellence, innovation and public beneﬁt in work carried out by UK colleges and universities.

Representatives from the college attended Buckingham Palace recently for the award

presentation from The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. This is the ﬁrst time Belfast Met has received a Queen’s Anniversary Prize, receiving the honour for developing the Digital IT curriculum in Northern Ireland. It is only one of four further education colleges to have received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize on this occasion.

“This accolade comes on the back of Belfast Met winning a number of national awards for employer engagement in recent years. There has not been a more exciting time to be working in the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland, and Belfast Met continues to lead the way in terms of national standing in the digital ICT space.” The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes have been running for over 25 years and are considered one of the most prestigious awards in the education sector. The scheme runs on a two-year cycle and is managed by The Royal Anniversary Trust. ■ Belfast Metropolitan College is the largest further and higher education college in Northern Ireland, providing education, training and skills to enhance individual, community and economic success. Visit www.belfastmet.ac.uk for more information

City of Derry Airport sees passenger growth

ity of Derry Airport is now the third fastest growing airport in the UK, according to official figures.

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), City of Derry Airport saw an increase of 9.7% in passenger numbers in 2019. The airport says this is an “amazing feat given the current challenging times in UK aviation industry”. “Uncertainty surrounding Brexit over the last few years has caused some fear in booking travel and the effects of this are demonstrated by the decline of some regional airlines.”

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Steve Frazer

The news of increased passenger numbers at City of Derry Airport comes as the airport recently welcomed a new airport manager, Steve Frazer, marking the start of a new chapter at the business. Moving from his previous position as director of engineering and deputy chief executive at Gulf Helicopters in Qatar, he brings with him more than 30 years’ experience in the aviation

industry at British Airways and Harrod’s Aviation. In terms of passenger growth in 2019, City of Derry Airport was topped only by London Southend Airport, which gained a 37.5% passenger increase, and Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which achieved a 15.2% increase, in an analysis carried out on all UK airports by the CAA.

ANALYSIS

Covid-19 crisis could bring businesses to the brink Covid-19 could trigger an economic downturn every bit as bad as the financial crash of 2008. It could even be worse, but it can only be hoped it will not drag on as long, writes Richard Curran

he financial crash was a top-down crisis. At the very top of the financial pyramid traded derivatives on sub-prime mortgages crashed. It lead to a liquidity crisis in the banking system. Illiquidity filtered down to banks, real estate, borrowers, employers and ended up with people losing jobs or taking pay cuts. Covid-19 is a bottom-up crisis. The impact of containing and controlling the virus affects people’s behaviour immediately as consumers and employees. It starts with the local cafe, restaurant or hotel and may then contaminate higher up the economic chain to international financial markets. The problems of the local corner shop are shared with the problems of the indebted international airline. The virus feeds up the corporate chain and can then undermine confidence in the wider financial system. The potential scale of the economic challenge means governments around the world are going to have to spend enormous sums of money to counteract the cost. Central bankers can do a certain amount. The Bank of England has cut rates. So too has the Federal Reserve. But with rates already so low in the eurozone, the ECB says it is up to governments to introduce a fiscal stimulus to stem the tide.

The difference between a central bank intervention and a national government one is taxpayers end up footing the bill at some point in the future, through higher sovereign debt, which has to be serviced and presumably paid back at some point. By the middle of last month, there were already signs of strain at the top end of the financial system. The US government bond market came under strain during the financial tumult. Some analysts said the market became “overwhelmed by liquidity concerns”. Bank of America noted illiquidity could stop the Treasury market from functioning. This is a $50trn (£41trn) marketplace where the US government raises its borrowing. It is also used as a benchmark for a raft of other assets around the world. Poor liquidity or extreme volatility here could have a domino effect. Closer to home, the Irish Government stepped up measures to protect people. The greater the protection needed, the greater the cost will be. So far the Government has pledged a package of measures totalling €3.1bn (£2.5bn) The bulk of this is made up of enhanced illness benefit payments. The rest is to support businesses. Yet already small businesses

are moving to lay people off as their trading income has collapsed. Can the State afford to compensate businesses for loss of earnings while also paying sick pay to those laid up or forced to stay at home because of the virus? We are likely to see a battle between big businesses caught up in massive short-term cash-flow difficulties and smaller firms that risk disappearing. Examinerships are likely to make a return. So too will closures. The Government has to be swift in implementing its business support schemes but must also be careful in how it drafts terms and conditions. You could end up with a situation where large firms, deemed to be “strategically important” can qualify for compensation or other support, while smaller businesses cannot. The state will not be able to support every business in Ireland. Already this crisis has echoes of 2008 and 2009. Banks will have to apply forbearance

ANALYSIS

Grafton Street in Dublin

on debt. Landlords will have to consider the same thing on commercial rents. Airlines will have to talk to leasing companies about how much they pay for planes sitting unused on the tarmac.

economy’s performance. With the US economy already showing signs of weakening, the explosion of Covid-19 has given him something to blame. After initially dismissing it as a hoax, he is now calling it a “foreign” disease.

The Government will come under pressure to cut Vat rates, local authority rates or delay tax payments. Cutting Vat now won’t be enough to encourage people to go out and shop, especially when advice is to separate. There are few people poised to benefit from this crisis. One is Roy Niederhoffer of a New York-based computer-driven hedge fund firm. RG Niederhoffer Capital Management’s flagship fund — one of the world’s oldest quant hedge funds – gained 37% this year, after losing 28% in 2019 when markets rose.

“This thing came out of nowhere. Well, it came out of China actually”, he told a group of bank executives at a crisis meeting in the White House. It didn’t inspire much confidence.

Mr Niederhoffer summed it up when he told the Financial Times: “This is a sad situation that has created the ultimate in conditions for our strategy.”

Mr Trump will throw any amount of money at the problem — other people’s money, that is. Having already racking up a deficit of $1trn (£820bn) a year and presiding over an increase in the US national debt to $23trn (£19trn), this crisis comes at a bad time for US federal coffers. Citizens will pick up the tab and pay the price at a later date, long after MrTrump has left the White House. So much of business is about psychology. Consumer confidence, investor confidence, risk v opportunity, are what makes business work.

Another might be US President Donald Trump, who staked his political reputation on the

Smaller service companies may be the ones to make a fundamental shift after this experience

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rather than corporate giants. It will also provide direct feedback, in perhaps a cruel way, to managers about people’s motivation, discipline and output. One boss of a small company I spoke to said some of his employees had done little, working from home. He had evidence one of them did little more than make two phone calls. Another small firm owner, with around 25 employees, told me they are all at home and everything is working very well. He is thinking of ditching the office or keeping a smaller space and sub-letting the rest. The causes of this economic shock are completely different to the financial crash. Yet some implications will be similar. It will expose vulnerabilities investors chose to ignore. Staff will expect their employers to pay them while they are at home minding children who are off school. Big companies may be able to do this for a while. But it will prove impossible for some employers brought to the brink by this crisis. ■

HOSPITALITY

AC Hotel: building on the brand in Belfast Two years on from opening, the AC Hotel by Marriott Belfast remains a busy destination for both business and tourist visitors. Its new general manager Malcolm Allan chats about growing the name and brand, and what’s around the corner

n just two years since opening its doors here – launched alongside its flagship Novelli at City Quays restaurant – the first Marriott in Northern Ireland and the first AC Hotel by Marriott in Ireland has already forged its place among Belfast’s top spots to stay.

businesses which count nearby City Quays offices and the wider Belfast Harbour area as home.

Located in the City Quays area of Belfast Harbour, the 188-bedroom development plays host to a raft of both tourists and business customers, from right across the globe.

“Our location and brand drive a mix of both leisure and corporate business.” Malcolm says. “Our guests enjoy panoramic views of Belfast’s skyline while enjoying all the benefits of a global brand. Marriott uses its global presence to drive awareness of our hotel and Belfast as a destination, attracting people who may not otherwise know Belfast.

The hotel achieved a four-star accreditation from Tourism NI, and within six months of opening Novelli’s also achieved its Taste of Ulster accreditation. The restaurant is the brainchild of top celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and has helped put the AC Hotel on the map here.

“The market is always very challenging. But we are able to remain competitive within the marketplace, and now have a strong position in the four star sector. We have been here for two years, and have been really welcomed to the city, as Marriott’s first hotel in Northern Ireland.”

And two years after opening its doors, Malcolm Allan is now the man at the helm of the business, with plans to develop and grow its reach further still.

Some of the AC Hotel’s highlights so far include being chosen by Marriott to host an international media trip – showcasing the expansion of AC Hotels outside Spain along with Belfast as a destination to 14 key lifestyle, design and travel media.

“Where we are, on the river between the social and cultural hub of Cathedral Quarter and the tourist and business hub of Titanic Quarter, is an ideal location to encompass everything Belfast has to offer” he said. “The views from the hotel are superb.” The AC Hotel welcomes guests from across the world, including corporate customers, due to its close proximity to a host of major international

Innovation is also helping keep the AC Hotel at the forefront of a competitive Belfast market – including being a leading pet friendly hotel in the city, boosting its green credentials and rewarding guests through the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme. French Jean-Christophe Novelli has also brought

Malcolm Allan

a stand out feature to the hotel with his signature restaurant keeping guests, and other visitors, in top end food, from breakfast, right through to dinner. “What is really important is that we aren’t a traditional hotel restaurant,” Malcolm says. “The restaurant is a really important part, and Jean-Christophe is integral. He brings, not just his experience and his skill, but also great engagement – he’s engaging with the customers and also upskilling the team within the hotel and helping drive them forward.” After taking on the new role at the helm, Malcolm says he’s been hugely impressed by, not only the strong team of 60 which has helped develop it, but Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole. “We’ve received such a warm welcome from local businesses especially those in City Quays, Clarendon Dock and the wider Belfast Harbour Estate with many using the hotel as an extension of their office to meet, dine and stay,” he said. “The support of Belfast Harbour Commissioners and its continued support of the hotel and investment into City Quays and Harbour Estate will help secure AC Hotel’s future and see the hotel and location continue to grow. ■

NEWS

Airlines move to replace Belfast routes following Flybe collapse

astern Airways and Loganair have taken over several routes from Belfast City Airport following the collapse of regional airline Flybe. George Best Belfast City Airport lost two-thirds of its passenger base and more than 500 weekly services to and from 12 destinations across the UK following the collapse of the Flybe airline. Now, Eastern Airways is taking on the Southampton route, while Scottish airline Loganair will be taking over two former Flybe routes from Belfast City to Aberdeen and Inverness. Eastern Airways’ general manager commercial and operations Robert Hage said it was a significant expansion. “Initially the Belfast City route will be daily and reconnects the south coast of England to Belfast for business and leisure, while inbound passengers have the London rail connection within the hour and access to the major cruise offering via the port.”

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There had been calls from the airport and industry to remove or phase out air passenger duty (APD) in a bid to help airlines and the sector as a whole. However, no such plans were announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak during his Budget last month. Airport chief Brian Ambrose has previously spoken with transport minister Kelly Tolhurst on the serious implications of Covid-19 for the airline industry. “This, coupled with the demise of Flybe, has positioned Belfast City Airport at the centre of a perfect storm as it seeks new airlines… safeguarding regional connectivity is essential if we are to thrive as an island off an island,” Mr Ambrose said. Since then, airlines have grounded planes across most of Europe, cut back schedules considerably while many countries have now closed their airports and borders in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus In a joint statement, the leaders of the CBI, IoD, Northern Ireland Chamber of

Commerce and Industry, and Centre for Competitiveness had also urged the Chancellor to scrap domestic APD. Construction firms who have built up significant business in Great Britain since the 2008 economic crash are among those most affected by the loss of the flights. They said the abolition of APD would “kick-start regional air connectivity in Belfast whilst assisting airports such as Belfast City as they pursue new airlines to fill these routes in a difficult environment”. Meanwhile, Belfast City Airport’s baggage handlers and check-in staff has plans for 95 redundancies at the site, a union has said. Swissport notified the union Unite of the commencement of a 30-day consultation on the job losses last month. Flybe, which ceased operations at the beginning of March, had been the largest airline operator to fly from the airport, accounting for 80% of the routes leaving from Belfast City Airport. ■

BUSINESS BREAKFAST

BREAKFAST GUEST: COLIN NEILL, HOSPITALITY ULSTER

VENUE: CHUBBY CHERUB, CHICHESTER STREET, BELFAST

notably on issues facing a shortage of labour – a fresh rates review which sees Belfast pubs in particular losing out, and now the impact of coronavirus is being felt across businesses.

The music, best known as the theme for Mario Puzo’s Godfather, rings out in the warm conﬁnes of Belfast’s Chubby Cherub on a chilly, early morning.

Little did either of us know that just a few weeks later, Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector would be facing its greatest ever challenge, with the outbreak of the virus leading to widespread closures in a bid to curb the spread.

eeling somewhat cloudy having not felt the effects of the caffeine in a cup of strong black coffee and all of a sudden I feel like Virgil Sollozzo moments before a young Al Pacino stands up and puts my lights out.

It’s the backdrop for a chat with my breakfasting guest. A man who could be identiﬁed from a thousand paces thanks to his penchant for bold, thick-rimmed glasses – something of a trademark. Colin Neill is at the helm of Hospitality Ulster – and business group which counts pubs, restaurants and hotels among its members. And he, like many others, are facing unprecedented times in the trade. First, Brexit brought its own serious issues –

THE BILL Porridge Granola Americano x2

£6.50 £5 £5.40

Total (plus service charge) £18.59

On Brexit, Colin says “despite the Prime Minister’s promises, there are going to be checks” between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. “Even if it’s delaying lorries, there is a cost there, never mind the cost of the checks. There are certain products, say a small supplier, where they then say ‘it’s not worth the hassle sending this to Northern Ireland’. “There is also the perception. There are going to increase electronic passport provision, so there should be no impact on visitors. But the perception… that could cause damage. Brexit is far from over.” On the breakfast front, Colin and I both go for a sensible option. My porridge comes adorned with accoutrements and is warming and hearty, while my guest opts for granola and fruit. Both are washed down with cups of good coffee. It’s refreshing to see what is, from the outside, a lunch and dinner spot serving up a host of interesting Italian staples, is also dealing with the early morning business and tourism breakfast offering.

For Colin’s sector, the UK Government’s restriction on worker visas – which would implement a salary threshold of £25,600 – could severely impact the volume of staff it gets from right across Europe. “The threshold is still a challenge. It should be about the salary for that job, rather than a set salary. With skilled labour, we have managed to get chefs in there… the challenge is for us is, soft-skilled, while 45% of our industry are managerial or skilled according to government line, we have lots of people we see as softskilled. You can’t have the managerial jobs if you haven’t people selling, serving and cooking the product. “What we have been arguing for is looking at saying to the Government, ‘if you gave us a two year visa’, that would address some concerns, and we could access that labour to ﬁll roles.” Skills and training are other areas in which Colin’s keen to see changes in order to help develop the industry here. “With our further education colleges, under 25 you get funded training, over 25, you don’t. “It’s also about mentoring our staff. In the UK and Ireland we sort of lived in that world of Downton Abbey, where the service was under the stairs and subservient. We still have that thing in our world. You go elsewhere in Europe, and being a waiter is a profession. It’s sometimes seen as a meantime job rather than a full-time job. There’s a big onus on our industry to change that image.” ■

BUSINESS BREAKFAST

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VERNON FOX LOUGH NEAGH DISTILLERS How is business? Business is definitely very good. Lough Neagh Distillers is really taking off and I’m very busy with my role as European lead for Digital Asset Delivery, an Australian software house currently setting up a base in Europe. The acceleration of both projects at the same time has made for an interesting period, with organisations securing key strategic clients. It’s a nice complaint to have. How did you get started in the industry? The opportunity to get into distilling and brewing was introduced to me a few years back while studying my MBA at Trinity College Dublin. I have a keen interest in Irish history and specifically how industry shaped the island. My hometown of Lurgan often gets some underserved stick – but if you look at its history and significance through the centuries, it was a leading hub for multiple industries, including distilling and brewing. For my professional career, I also studied information management and politics at Queen’s University Belfast. I’ve always held a keen interest in IT. I secured my first job with Mivan through its graduate training programme and over my 20year career, I’ve been lucky to work in amazing cities around the world. Typically, who are your clients or customers? Around 90% of our beer and spirts production will be for export, with an initial focus on the US market. Our sales land in Pennsylvania in the next few months and will rapidly extend our reach across the eastern US states. On the IT side, our key clients are large scale multinationals, utilities and operators. We’re currently working with some of the largest companies on the island and our reach into Europe is already promising. Busy times. Do you enjoy what you do, and what in particular? I’m extremely lucky that the team at Lough Neagh Distillers need little direction and while my IT role consumes most of my time, I love the energy and creativity that both projects provide. Notwithstanding, I really enjoy the

pace and excitement of a business in startup mode. Digital Asset Delivery is now more established, and I’m pleased to be supported by a great team in Perth while we’re building our team in Europe. What is the most difficult part of your job? Juggling all the tasks – there are sometimes not enough hours in the day, particularly when things ramp up. But it’s great fun. What are the challenges facing your sector, and the economy in general? I think some parts of the software sector can struggle from too much ‘bling’ – too many

products that can’t deliver on their promise. Ultimately, they become counterproductive. Breaking the mould with a disruptive technology such as ours is a challenge of mindset. I find that organisations which benefit the most are those with an open mindset and ready to tackle things head on. In brewing and distilling, there are licensing challenges and we would be keen to see reform in this area. This sector has a huge visitor appeal and there are mutually beneficial opportunities to be had for both the sector and the tourism industry at large. All said, there are plenty of opportunities ahead and I’m excited and energised to take them on. π

Motoring By Pat Burns

Sponsored by

MOTORING Hyundai Kona Electric

Electric/Hybrid: Is now the right time to consider a change?

n short, Yes. With advances in battery technology, infrastructure and financial incentives you would be very foolish not to explore what an alternative fuel vehicle could offer you and your business. The government is not shy in its commitment to CO2 reduction with a ban on all new petrol and diesel models by 2040 or sooner. As such vehicle manufacturers are now taking alternative fuel far more seriously. For years electrified vehicles have been on offer from the likes of Nissan, Hyundai, Peugeot and of course Tesla but now every major manufacturer including Volkswagen-Audi, General Motors and Ford have adopted the technology and are proceeding at pace. This year will see an explosion of both hybrid and full electric models enter the market and Skoda Superb iV

yet consumers still have concerns about how the technology works, range and recharge times. The Hyundai Kona Electric SUV, for example, boasts a range of 278 miles, 0-62 mph in 7.9 seconds and can be recharged to 80% in 75 minutes using a 50kW DC charger. When you consider 12,000 miles per year equates to less than 33 miles per day – range anxiety shouldn’t give you cause for concern. Of course, hybrids and plug-in hybrids negate this perceived problem entirely by combining a traditional combustion power unit with an electric motor. All electrified vehicles have the ability to charge their batteries by regaining energy when slowing or under braking and with that exception a hybrid vehicle is therefore powered

exclusively by a fossil fuel. Plug-In hybrids are different in that they allow you to top-up the battery from an external power source and in some instances allow you to run in full electric mode. The New Skoda Superb iV plug-in hybrid offers a range of 35 miles in electric mode and when combined with the 1.4 petrol engine generates an astonishing 218PS at only CO2 28g/km. Now for the really good news and the reason why now is the perfect time to take a closer look. As an incentive to encourage more business users into alternative fuel vehicles, from April 2020 benefit in kind rates will be cut to 0% for full electric vehicles rising to 1% from April 2021 and 2% from April 2023. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles will also see significant reductions depending on their CO2 output and electric range. The BIK (benefit in kind) for the Skoda Superb iV will be 10%, 11% and 12% over the next three years. When compared to a typical manual petrol hatchback, a 40% tax payer could save over £8,000 by going electric between now and 2023 all while reducing their carbon footprint. So, if your car is due for renewal or if you manage a fleet, a hybrid or electric option could be both a timely and financially rewarding move. ■

MOTORING

Putting sport back in the A3

he Audi A3 firmly established the premium compact class in 1996. Now, 24 years later, the fourth generation of this highly successful model is ready to make its mark.

The premium five-door compact once again sets new standards, incorporating an all-new digitalised interior and top end ‘infotainment’, new lights, powerful engines and a range of innovative assistance systems in a completely redesigned body. The cockpit is fully focused on the driver. It uses familiar elements from the brand’s bigger models and is equipped with a 10.1-inch touch display as standard. It can be used to adjust the settings of the media selection, navigation, and extensive connect services. The Audi A3 Sportback also comes with

a 10.25-inch virtual cockpit as standard, which is operated through the multifunction steering wheel. The displays relating to the MMI Navigation appear in the Audi virtual cockpit, which also has many additional functions such as a large view of the navigation map.

follow. With this engine, Audi is continuing is electrification strategy in the premium compact class.

All engines in the new A3 Sportback impress with their powerful torque and sophisticated running characteristics. Initially the new model will be launched with two engine versions, both with front-wheel drive: a 1.5 TFSI manual with 150 PS and a 2.0 TDI that outputs 150 PS as an S tronic.

A belt alternator starter (BAS) feeds a 48-volt electrical system that integrates a compact lithium-ion battery. When decelerating or during slight brake applications, the BAS can recuperate up to 12 kW of power and feed it to the energy storage unit. When driving off and accelerating from a low rotational speed, it assists the TFSI with up to 9 kW and 50 Nm of torque. With the MHEV system, the A3 Sportback can freewheel with its engine deactivated for up to 40 seconds to save fuel.

In connection with this dual-clutch transmission, the A3 Sportback is fitted as standard with steering wheel paddles. In a few months, a second version of the 1.5 TFSI with a mild hybrid system (MHEV) will

The Audi A3 Sportback is equipped with numerous assist systems that provide support when driving in the city or on long journeys. Prices start at £24,900 for the 150PS TFSI manual. ■

MOTORING

Upgrade for Volvo classics

olvo has unveiled refreshed versions of the S90 saloon and V90 estate, including a refined exterior design and a new, high end sound system by Bowers & Wilkins. In a broader portfolio upgrade, the company’s 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrain options are now available on every Volvo model, further boosting the company’s electrified offer. In terms of exterior design, Volvo designers have introduced a number of refinements on both the front and rear of the S90 and V90, including new foglights, a new spoiler design and a new lower front bumper. On the V90, the most striking feature is a brand-new rear light design, including full LEDpowered signature lighting and a sequential turn indicator. A range of new exterior colours and wheel options further improve options for personalisation. Inside, a comprehensively upgraded Bowers & Wilkins audio system introduces an even better in-car sound experience, thanks to new features such as an upgraded amplifier,

APRIL 2020

automatic vehicle noise cancellation and a new setting that mimics the sound of your favourite jazz club. Another new feature inside is an advanced air cleaner with a particle sensor. First developed for the Chinese market and now rolled out globally, it allows drivers to monitor interior air quality through the centre screen. If desired, the advanced air cleaner can clean the cabin air of almost all tiny particles within a few minutes. Both the new Bowers & Wilkins audio system and the advanced air cleaner technology are now available on all 90 and 60 series models based on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform.

Elsewhere in its model range, Volvo Cars is significantly expanding the number of its 48volt mild-hybrid powertrain options, making these engines available on every single Volvo model. Introduced on the XC90 and XC60 SUVs last year, the mild hybrids are now also available on all other 90 and 60 series cars, as well as on the XC40. The mild-hybrid powertrain options on the V90 Cross Country represent the first electrified variants in the history of the Cross Country range.

All models in the 90 and 60 series now also come with double USB-C charging points in the rear, replacing the 12-volt outlet.

Volvo’s mild hybrids offer drivers up to 15% fuel savings and emission reductions in real-world driving. The brake-by-wire system interacts with the energy recovery system and reduces fuel consumption and emissions by recovering kinetic energy under braking.

The wireless charging functionality for smartphones, first introduced on the XC40 compact SUV, is now also available on most variants in the 90 and 60 series.

Together with the Recharge car line of plug-in hybrids and fully electric cars, this means there is now an electrified Volvo model for everyone. ■

MOTORING

New 208 offers up the ‘power of choice’

he French have really sharpened their act when it comes the design and build quality of their small cars. Ulster Business was suitably impressed when it tested the new Renault Clio a few months ago and now Peugeot has upped its game with the new 208.

The styling, engineering and driving experience of this new range matches the Clio and is up there with the German opposition like the very popular Polo. The new 208 is also the first vehicle to showcase Peugeot’s new philosophy of the power of choice where customers are instructed to ‘choose your Peugeot, choose your powertrain’. Featuring the choice of diesel, petrol or all-electric powertrains, the 208 and e-208 are available in Active, Allure and GT Line trim levels. Standard equipment includes a new i-Cockpit with a compact multifunction steering wheel,

configurable head-up display, either a seven inch or 10 inch HD colour touchscreen (according to version) and seven satin chrome ‘piano’ toggle switches. The interior can also be personalised with a choice of eight LED mood lighting colours. All driving information can be easily accessed through the 3D i-Cockpit cluster which is a unique system that projects all the information on different layers giving a 3D effect. Inside, the new 208 is a stylish, sophisticated car and matches the feel and comfort of the beautifully engineered 508 which was launched last year. It handles superbly and driving it is a quality experience. Peugeot’s first new generation, 100% electric vehicle is the e-208 which uses a 50kWh battery and 136hp electric motor to provide a 211 mile range from a full charge under the WLTP testing. The 208 is also available with a choice of four advanced petrol engines and one highly efficient diesel. Petrol engines are all

1.2 litres with a choice of 75 or 100PS output matched to either a five-speed or six-speed manual ‘box or an eight-speed auto. The diesel unit is a 1.5 BlueHDi driving through a sixspeed manual. In Active trim, the all-new 208 starts from £16,250, while the all-new e-208 Active costs from £25,050. Active trim features 16-inch alloy wheels (steel wheels for the e-208), Active Safety Brake with pedestrian detection, electric and heated door mirrors and LED daytime running lights. The e-208 in Active trim also features pre-heating functionality and automatic air conditioning. All e-208 models come with three driving modes – Sport, Normal and Eco – and support rapid charging up to 100kWh, with an 80% charge taking just 30 minutes. Peugeot recommends using a wallbox charger, so the e-208 comes with a Mode 3 Type 2 cable as standard, which will charge the vehicle in 7.5 hours with a 7kW charging point. ■

The column with an ear for experience... How did you start out in business? I am a qualified social worker. I had first become interested in this field through voluntary work with the probation service. I followed this working as a project worker in a night shelter for homeless people in central Belfast for a year. I then studied for my professional social work qualification at Ulster University and worked as a social worker in London and Newtownards, before taking my first steps into management. What have you found the most challenging during your years of business, so far? A particularly challenging time was when the 17 trusts in Northern Ireland were rationalised into six, under the Review of Public Administration (RPA). Such large scale change, while necessary, created widespread individual uncertainty and organisational upheaval. It took the focus of senior and middle management away from the much needed strategic reform of services for a period and the new organisations took time to operate as cohesive units. How would you describe your management style? I like to think I am consultative while being comfortable with taking decisions and providing clarity of direction. I believe people give of their best when they are working to clear goals which they understand, identify with and have played a part in formulating. There is a huge amount of experience and commitment in Praxis Care and any leader would be a fool not to draw on that, both in the big strategic decisions and in the resolution of important operational dilemmas. However, not all debate ends in consensus and having considered the views, I am happy to explain my rationale, make a decision and move on.

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Name: Andy Mayhew Position: Chief executive, Praxis Care What would you change if you could go back and do it all again? There have been times, particularly earlier in my managerial career, when I have tried to change things too quickly. A good example was in the aftermath of RPA, when, in my managerial role, I had to merge two systems/ structures of community care services into one. I think I tried to get to a common structure for services too quickly. Bringing people along is important and I think on reflection I would have spent more time on that paced change more gradually. Have you done it all on your own? I have never achieved anything on my own. I have benefited throughout my career from more senior managers who encouraged and educated me and latterly relied on the support and advice of peers and the people who work for the organisation at all levels. Praxis Care is a complex organisation, operating across four jurisdictions and providing very individualised support and accommodation to people with complex needs. To get that right for one person involves collaboration internally and externally, involving a significant number of people. To get it right for most of our service users most of the time, and fix it quickly when it goes wrong, requires a culture of collaborative working across individuals and teams and organisations.

How would you like your business to be remembered? Praxis Care was created to help address a gap in the available support for people with mental health issues who were being resettled into the community. Over the years, the organisation has developed the range of services and expanded the service users groups to include people with learning disabilities autism and dementia. The common thread is our desire to develop services which address gaps in provision and provide opportunity for people who face the biggest obstacles to community living. Our success in developing a more individualised approach to service provision has driven the expansion of the organisation across NI, the Republic of Ireland, England and the Isle of Man. Our continued growth will rely on us continuing to innovate in light of research evidence and evaluation of what works and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, with feedback from service users at the forefront of that. I want the organisation to continue to be innovative, evidence based, and committed to learning at the individual and organisational level. What piece of advice would you give to a 20-year-old you? Have more patience. Listen more. Learn from, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be discouraged by the experience of others. â&#x2013;

APPOINTMENTS

Eoghan Fee is an architectural technologist with White Ink, who has gained 12 years’ experience working with architectural practices to deliver significant projects throughout the UK and Ireland. Rachel McCurry joins the White Ink team as an architect. She has embraced technological changes in the industry and is highly skilled in Revit, BIM, 3D visualisations and virtual reality. Rural Support, which helps farmers and farm families in developing their farm businesses, has appointed Veronica Morris, as its new chief executive.

Steven Culshaw is now chief technology officer at Thrive. Mr Culshaw previously headed up the technical teams of leading Northern Ireland IT firms. Adrian Maney has been promoted to director, logistics, customers and operational support at Ulster Carpets. Mr Maney has been with the company for 33 years. Joyce McIvor has been appointed as contract sales director for the UK and Ireland at Ulster Carpets. Ms McIvor has over 30 years’ experience within the business.

Leo Donaghy has been appointed as corporate and community fundraising officer at Self Help Africa, Northern Ireland. He has 20 years’ experience in professional fundraising. Victoria Milhench has been appointed as marketing manager for Applied Systems. She will be responsible for the firm’s marketing strategy in Ireland and will also work with the European and US teams for wider campaigns. Peter Gamble has been appointed as finance and assurance executive at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He will be responsible for transactional finance functions.

APPOINTMENTS

Alana McGovern has been appointed as HR business partner for Applied Systems. She will also be working with the corporate HR team on broader initiatives and driving them at the local level. Craig Rodgers has been appointed as technical director at Outsource Solutions. He will use his experience to lead the overall technical direction and projects team. Legal firm DWF has appointed David McNeice as director. He will head up the construction and infrastructure team at DWF in Northern Ireland, working across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Kristina Cunningham has been appointed as litigation and dispute resolution associate at Arthur Cox in Belfast. She will work across commercial, insurance, banking litigation, and other specialisms for its broad base of clients. FinTrU has appointed Karl Hanlon as chief commercial officer. With more than 20 years’ experience he will have responsibility for ensuring that FinTrU’s commercial model and offerings drive value for clients. Claire McElduff has been promoted to director of accounts and audit services at Gildernew & Co Chartered Accountants. She has 15 years’ experience advising owner managed business across Northern Ireland.

Tomás Corrigan has been appointed litigation and dispute resolution associate at Arthur Cox in Belfast. He will also focus on the construction sector, advising on a full range of projects. Shelly Wilson is now works manager at Action Mental Health. She will have responsibility for the management and operational delivery of the commercial AMH Works training and consultancy services. Andy Fairchild is now chief executive of Applied Systems Europe. He will be responsible for aligning the firm’s UK, Ireland and broader European initiatives with the company’s global strategic direction.

APRIL 2020

PHOTOCALL

1. Firmus energy has chosen Air Ambulance NI as its nominated charity of the year. Pictured are Denise Curran, firmus energy, Kerry Anderson, Air Ambulance NI, along with Rochelle Magee and Caroline Kelly of firmus. 2. Hagan Homes has started construction of 18 new homes at Thaxton Village in Lisburn. Pictured are Ryan McGurk from Finmac Construction and Jim Burke, Hagan Homes. 3. Further.space at Glenarm Castle glamping pods is the first pod site to be awarded ‘guest accommodation certification’ and a four star grading by Tourism NI. Pictured are Peter Farquharson and Samantha Corr. 4. Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds MLA with Hospitality Ulster chief executive, Colin Neill after a meeting with the organisation’s board.

5. Ian Henry, director at the Henry Group, has been appointed as the new president of the NI Chamber. He’s pictured with past president, John Healy, and chief executive Ann McGregor.

PHOTOCALL 6. Launching the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2020 are Chris Keenan, Gary Taylor, Bronagh Clarke, Alan Cunningham, Debra Henderson, Fiona Derry, Alyson Magee, Allie McAuley, Clare Forster, Geoff Spence, Sean Clarke and Martin McClinton. 7. Secretary of State Brandon Lewis was given a tour of O’Neills Irish International Sports. He’s pictured with Kieran Kennedy, managing director of O’Neills Irish International Sports. 8. Bailies Coffee Roasters’ award-winning staff, Sarah Hannaway, Irish Barista Champion 2020 is pictured with Stephen Houston, Irish Brewers Cup & Irish Aeropress Champion 2019.

9. Stephen Gunning, chairman of Thrive, Steven Culshaw, the new chief technology officer, and James Scott, chief executive, announcing the new appointment.

10. Pictured at the launch of a major new cross-border conference at InterTradeIreland in Newry are Riona McCoy, Aidan Callan, Jessica Kane, Charlie Casey, Paddy Malone, Deirdre Maguire, and Colm Shannon.

APRIL 2020

PHOTOCALL

11. Pictured at a Tourism NI roadshow at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast are Brona Moffett, National Museums NI, Ciaran Doherty, Tourism Ireland, John McGrillen, Tourism NI and Janet Hamilton, Quaint Cottages Greyabbey. 12. Danske Bank and the NI Football League have extended their partnership. Pictured is Andrew Johnston, managing director of the NI Football League and Danske Bank’s Kevin Heavern. 13. Artemis Technologies’ commercial director David Tyler with Creative Composites’ managing director Jonathan Holmes to announce a collaboration between the two firms. 14. Geoffrey Weir, La Mon Hotel & Country Club with Stuart Carson, Rainbow Communications, and Megan Beverland, La Mon after completing a major investment, including in its telecoms infrastructure.

15. Pictured at the BelfastForward event are Belfast Chamber’s Rajesh Rana, Maria Vassilakou, Rob Walsh, former commissioner of New York’s Department of Small Business, and Lord Mayor of Belfast, Daniel Baker.

PHOTOCALL 16. Pictured at the launch of Phoenix Natural Gas’s LEAF scheme are St Finian’s Eco-School committee members Eva and Ryan with Michael McKinstry, Georgina Black and Londonderry Primary School Eco-School Committee members Sophia and Ellen. 17. Ryan Todd and Jonathan Topping of the Clayton Hotel in Belfast after revealing the next stage of a £6m investment refurbishment programme. 18. JP Lyttle of Genesis joins Emma Swan, Asda, at the Genesis bakery. The Magherafelt firm has secured two new product listings, with the arrival of its iced and coconut fingers to stores.

19. Bazaarvoice boss Keith Nealon and Belfast site lead Seamus Cushley at the company’s offices in the city centre. Bazaarvoice expects to recruit another 50 people to its local team.

20. Christine White, Diversity Mark NI with Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE, and chair of Women in Business, Nichola Robinson, at the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Summit at Titanic Belfast.

APRIL 2020

PHOTOCALL

21. Pictured launching the Co-Founders North West programme in the Innovation Centre in Derry are Catalyst’s Natasha O’Dea (centre) with Elemental cofounders Leeann Monk-Ozgul and Jennifer Neff. 22. Four Star Pizza has seen its online sales increase by 17%. Pictured are Jack Morris, Four Star Pizza employee and Brian Clarke, Four Star Pizza director. 23. Gordon McAtamney from butchers K&G McAtamney and Neal Kelly, Henderson Group fresh food director launch Henderson’s 2020 Fresh Innovation Awards. 24. Alison Madill, Malone Kindergarten and David Burrows, Benmore Octopus, in one of the its classrooms. It’s secured a new permanent forest school site just yards from its current location.

25. Stuart Harvey, Datactics, Mark Brown, Unosquare, Roisin Byrne, Hays Recruitment, John Healy OBE, Allstate NI and Dr Tom Gray, Kainos, launch the seventh annual BelTech Conference.

PHOTOCALL 26. Pictured at the launch of Ulster Bank’s Back her Business programme are Mary-Louise Fellowes, Loolyn, Bruce Fletcher and Les Matheson, RBS, and Gabi Burnside, Ulster Bank. 27. The Design Thinkers Academy is partnering with Big Motive in Belfast to create Design Thinkers Academy Ireland. Pictured are Big Motive’s managing partner Damian Cranney and design and UX director Stephen Shaw. 28. Adrian Doran, Sarah Friar, Aaron Keenan are pictured at Ormeau Baths as Nextdoor, the neighbourhood hub for communities across the world, has selected Belfast to pilot a new feature for local businesses.

29. Launching BuySupplyNI, a portal to simplify the process of connecting manufacturing companies to suppliers, are Invest NI’s Rose Mary Stalker with Mid and East Antrim chief executive Anne Donaghy and councillor Gregg McKeen.

30. Eversheds Sutherland’s Belfast partners Lisa Bryson, Gareth Planck and Matthew Howse, pictured in their new offices in Belfast city centre.

APRIL 2020

THE CHAIRMAN

The Chairman While we’re having to cut back on outdoor pursuits, the Chairman managed to get in a few business soirees before things started to get difficult

here’s little else in this world that the Chairman enjoys more than being conscious before the sun’s had a chance to raise its head up above the horizon. But it was the turn of an important showcase for Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector that got this fella up early. The MAC played host to the launch of Manufacturing Month – an event running throughout March, run by Manufacturing NI, to highlight the success stories among the sector.

Hosted alongside Ulster Business, editor John Mulgrew was joined by Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly, deputy Mary Meehan and a panel of experts to discuss everything from Brexit, to Flybe, coronavirus and the place manufacturing has within our economy. They were joined by Johnny Hanna, partner in charge at KPMG, Nigel Birney, head of trade credit at Willis Towers Watson, and Andy Hodgson from Siemens.

“While there may be a softening in some sectors you only need to leaf through a copy of Ulster Business to see the success stories of a wide swathe of companies, many familyowned and run, and many of the flagships coming from within our manufacturing sector,” John Mulgrew told those gathered. “Last year’s Top 100 edition, which showcases our largest firms, is one indication of that, and our Next 200 in April shows both sales and profits are up among our leading SMEs.” Those turning out included Siobhan Marley, Fran McKee and Sarah-Ann Gamble, along with Adrian McCourt, Tom Verner and John Mathers. Also making the trip the event were Ian McCreevy, Conrad Smyth, Mark McAllister, Leah Smyth, Julie McCallion, Andrew McBurney, Bill Montgomery and Noel Brown. Stephen Kelly told those gathered that “the manufacturing sector is innovating and flourishing across Northern Ireland.” “The skills base is distinct with educational institutions equipping our young people with the skills they need to develop the industry further. Global investment is strong, with areas such as Mid Ulster and the North West becoming central bases for leading international manufacturers to set up in.”

Elsewhere, Titanic Belfast played host to the Women in Tech conference. Speakers provided delegates with a day of industryfocused learning as well as access to high calibre education and development experts. Those turning out included, Gillian Armour, Sara Allen from Outsource, Roseann Kelly of Women in Business, Catherine McGinnity and Adriana Morvaiova from Sensata Technologies, Mairead O’Cuinn, Liberty IT, Tara EversCheung, Seagate, Debbie McQuillan of Kainos, and Sara Lyons, Belfast Met

And also taking place at Titanic Belfast, Diversity Mark NI held its Diversity and Inclusion Summit. In attendance were a host of experienced leaders including keynote speaker Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE, Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and Ruth Sealy, associate professor in management and director of impact at University of Exeter Business School. And back once again at Titanic Belfast, MLN hosted its Summit event. It showcased a host of top minds from across the world of business and society. It included film director Lord David Puttnam CBE, whose works have won 10 Oscars, 25 Baftas and the Palme D’Or at Cannes. Those attending also heard from former fighter pilot Mandy Hickson. She was the only female pilot on her Tornado squadron, flying jets for the Royal Air Force. Meanwhile, Sean O’Connor, co-founder of STATSports, was also there to discuss the huge expansion and growth of the Newrybased business. In 10 years, it has grown to become the world-leading provider of GPS player tracking and analysis equipment with offices in Ireland, London and Chicago. ■

THE CHAIRMAN

Bill Montgomery, Stephen Kelly and Noel Brown

Nigel Birney, Mary Meehan, Johnny Hanna and Andy Hodgson

Mark McAllister, Leah Smyth, Julie McCallion and Andrew McBurney

The Manufacturing Month NI panel at The MAC in Belfast

Nigel Birney, Ian McCreevy and Conrad Smyth

Siobhan Marley, Fran McKee and Sarah-Ann Gamble

Adrian McCourt, Tom Verner and John Mathers

APRIL 2020

Gillian Armour, Sara Allen, Roseann Kelly, Catherine McGinnity, Adriana Morvaiova, Mairead Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Cuinn, Tara Evers-Cheung, Debbie McQuillan and Sara Lyons

TRAVEL

Dominican Republic: heart-pounding and spectacular David Conachy pays a visit to a stunning corner of the Dominican Republic and finds it’s more than a suitable spot for relaxation and taking in the views 94

y the time you get to the top of the Montana Redonda – the round mountain – your heart is already pumping, and that’s before you experience the spectacular panoramic views of this beautiful little corner of the Dominican Republic.

The journey to the summit, a thousand foot above, is a hair-raising affair on board a rickety old safari bus. But it’s all part of the plan so there’s nothing to worry about – it’s just a rollercoaster really, albeit at a much slower speed. Once at the top, and having recovered from the fun of the steep ascent with its heartstopping moments, you quickly begin to absorb the unique views afforded by this round mountain top, a 360 degree look around from the Bay of Samana to the luscious green surroundings of the Montana Redonda.

TRAVEL

happy. The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now.” And the newly-opened Miches Playa Esmeralda is already a jewel in the Club Med crown, an environmentally-friendly beachside hideaway tucked away on the north-eastern shore of the island, just a 75-minute transfer from the international airport in Punta Cana. It’s a 93acre resort with a 2,000ft beach front which is as close to paradise as it comes. The Dominican Republic is famous for its beaches and beautiful scenery. It is home to more than 10 million people and the fact that it is the most visited destination in the Caribbean shows how much its successful economy is underpinned by tourism. The new Club Med resort is located near the town of Miches, in an idyllic setting that has been thoughtfully transformed into a dream holiday spot. The accommodation is themed, tailored to suit different needs into four boutique villages. Families with young children are likely to opt for Explorer Cove, near to the kids’ clubs and sports facilities; for families with older children or young adults, Caribbean Paradise is at the heart of the resort, full of lush tropical gardens.

If you want to relax, head for one of the hammocks or seats, or to the small cafe, but if you want something a little more memorable then head for one of the swings perched on the edge of the summit. Any of these swings take you right out over the edge of the mountain. You are strapped in so it’s perfectly safe, but at that height and given the incredible vista before you, it is a thrilling experience – simple fun, but thrilling and memorable all the same. The Montana Redonda is just half an hour from the newest Club Med luxury resort in the Dominican Republic – Miches Playa Esmeralda. Club Med was founded 70 years ago by Gerard Blitz – an entrepreneur and yoga enthusiast, who believed in mixing activity and sport with relaxation as the basis of the perfect holiday. In other words, my kind of holiday. His mantra was simple: “The aim of life is to be

APRIL 2020

I stayed in one of the junior suites, which was very comfortable, featuring a lovely living area, and then a double bed and two single beds, outdoor shower and a great view of the ocean. Everywhere on the resort was within easy reach, from the beach to the pools and to the sports and fitness areas. And also to the various restaurants (four in all), bars and wine bars and cafe. There is a huge emphasis on families throughout the resort, but nowhere is that more typified than the kids’ clubs, which really do go the extra mile. Club Med has also been working with the world famous circus performers, Cirque du Soleil, to enhance its resorts. One of the results of this coming together has been the creation of a circus-inspired playground and also a circus-themed family beach party with spectacular performances and displays. One of the real treats for, kids is the secret caramel room in the family restaurant, which

only opens for a short time each evening (once you know the secret knock for the door) and which is packed with all sorts of chocolate and candy treats for the, em, kids. On reflection, I feel I got a really good balance between exercise and relaxation. I was in training for the London Marathon while I was there and was a little worried before travelling that I would lose ground on holiday. The opposite was the case – so if you are into your fitness this is really a little gem. I began each morning with ‘Sunrise Yoga’. There are also various fitness programmes and classes to choose from, depending on what your particular interest is. As an early riser, I got my exercise and yoga over with early in the day and that freed up the rest of the time to either relax by the pool or beach, or to explore a little and try out some of the recommended activities. There are numerous spa treatments on offer on site and believe me it would be a shame to miss out on having at least one while you are there. Obviously, the experience on Montana Redondo was a real thrill, a real memory maker, but I also thoroughly enjoyed a beach horse riding session and a few very relaxing hours on board a catamaran, sailing along the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. There’s a great full day trip to explore some of the hidden wonders of the Los Haitises National Park, a popular ecotourism destination. We were brought on a guided trek through part of the forest, leading to a group of caves and to parts of the location where the hit TV show Lost was filmed. Other excursions in the resort and in the Miches area include indoor climbing, scuba diving, snorkelling, a speed boat trip, a halfday e-bike tour, paddleboarding, kitesurfing, kayaking and archery. Overall, I was really taken by the Club Med experience and its approach to holidaying, the philosophy of true relaxation and recuperation which drives its thinking and the ease with which it can cater for so many, and even wildly different, expectations. My time in the Miches sun was memorable. I came back refreshed and energised, and with a real sense of gratitude. ■

TECHNOLOGY

Galaxy discovery Adrian Weckler gets hands on with the top two new phones from Samsung, from an ultra-zoom handset to the latest in flip technology

Samsung Galaxy Flip Z £1,300

hen I first saw Samsung’s new Galaxy Flip Z, I had doubts. Many doubts.

For example: ‘Interesting, but the whole folding thing might be just an expensive gimmick’; ‘there’ll be too many compromises, I want features like the best cameras, the best screens and the best battery life’; ‘what’s so interesting about a folding phone anyway?’

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra £1,199 (128GB)

he title of ‘camera phone king’ rotates regularly between Apple, Huawei and Samsung (with occasional incursions by Google’s Pixel range). But now Samsung is back on top.

I’ve been using the manufacturer’s Galaxy S20 Ultra for the best part of a week and it’s noticeably a cut above on some of its camera functions. It’s most obvious on the S20 Ultra’s zoom. Frankly, it’s amazing. I brought the phone to north-west Mayo to test it. There was a storm. I pointed it at a lighthouse (Eagle Island) about a mile from the shore and zoomed the video in to its maximum (20x). It did an astonishing job. ‘Fine,’ you’ll say.

‘But what about in comparison to others, like Huawei’s P30 Pro or Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro?’ At the extreme end, it’s better than those two. In other words, it has a much better, clearer, higher-resolution image when pushed to its maximum zoom. There’s one particular reason for this. The S20 Ultra has a much bigger camera sensor in it. As in, it’s twice the size (1/1.33 inches) of the sensor in almost any other flagship smartphone and not far off the sensor size in highly rated semi-professional pocket cameras like Sony’s RX100 series. In layman’s terms, that means that it can do much more with the actual image. The resolution can be better. It can pick out more details in low light. And its zoom can reach much further.

All of this is evident with the S20 Ultra. If you pick its 108-megapixel camera mode setting, for example, you can make separate photos of tiny parts of the original photo without too much blurring or noise. Over the weekend, I tested it directly against both the P30 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro. While there’s little to separate the three for close shots, wide-angle photos or for portrait shots, there’s no question of which is better for video flexibility and telephoto. So is this perfect? No. I have no idea why Samsung let the zoom go to 100x – an obscene range even for a high-end DSLR camera. It simply doesn’t work. Above 50x or 60x, the photos are mushy, with individual details fuzzed out to oblivion. Yet 50x is still

TECHNOLOGY

I now have fewer doubts. In fact, I’ve grown to like it. This is a highly interesting, even compelling, phone. Indeed, it has one elusive factor that most phones covet and very few deliver: delight. I’ve had more people come up and ask for ‘a go’ of it than any other handset in recent years. And it really does work. No, the Flip Z doesn’t quite match the top specifications of its S20 and S20 Ultra siblings. But it’s not far off. It has what would be considered flagship features in most other devices. Crucially, that folding form factor is actually quite useful. Not just because it fits much more handily in your pocket or in your hand. But because it can be placed sitting by itself while you make a video call or watch something on YouTube or Facebook. This will suit a certain type of user in a way that no other smartphone can match. Before we go any further, a few clarifications: Yes, the 6.7-inch 21:9 (skinny) display actually folds over in the centre to give something close to a square. And yes, it is

an incredible zoom range, clearly better than anything else out there. So why promise 100x? Was it just too irresistible a number for marketing purposes? It’s also not quite as good at stabilised video as the iPhone 11 Pro. I’ve done some testing around this and Apple’s device is still slightly superior for smooth footage. The camera isn’t the only

APRIL 2020

glass, not plastic. In a manner of speaking, anyway. The glass is quite fragile and, to protect it from cracking or scraping, is covered by a very thin layer of plastic. (It’s still more markable than other phones; Samsung includes a warning about this in the box.)

Yes, you can see the crease crossing the middle of the screen where it folds over. It’s fairly clear whenever light bounces off it. But honestly, I’m largely over it (maybe in the same way we all got over the disruption of the ‘notch’ in newer iPhones).

No, there aren’t many protective cases available for it yet. The screen itself should be fairly safe as, when it’s folded over, the glass isn’t exposed. But the rear casing will probably chip or crack itself. So yes, it’s a consideration.

Now, a few other observations: (i) The rear casing is probably a bigger fingerprint magnet than any phone I’ve ever used. Again, a protective case would probably solve that. (ii) The cameras on it are good, but missing

a lens. It has two rear cameras: a regular (wide) and ultra-wide. Both are 12 megapixels and are very good. But it’s rare to find a flagship phone without a third telephoto camera (the one with the bigger zoom) now. Having said that, if there could only be two, Samsung was right to pick the ultra-wide instead of the telephoto. (iii) Battery life appears to be decent but not quite at the same level as Samsung’s more recent flagship phones. (iv) When fully extended out flat, the 6.7-inch screen is skinny. What I mean is that, unlike most large phones, you can just about get your hand around it. This is good for holding it and using it one-handed. These are my first impressions of using the Galaxy Flip Z. They may vary over time. But for the moment, this is a job well done by Samsung. Even at its pricey level, the Flip Z is the most interesting, compelling, fun phone of 2020 so far. ■

feature that the S20 Ultra excels at. While I’ll reserve discussion of these for my complete review later on, I’ll briefly mention its display and battery life as absolute stand-out features. The 6.9-inch screen renders at either 60hz (default) or 120hz. At the higher setting, the motion when scrolling or flicking is ridiculously smooth and buttery. The battery, at 5,000mAh, is also the best on the current flagship market. This is guaranteed to last you a full day, almost no matter how heavily you use it. Otherwise, its design is fairly unremarkable – it’s a large black slab, almost identical in looks to every other large flat slab. Even still, this is now the top camera phone you can get. ■

Uncovering the 9-5 NAME: Maeve Monaghan POSITION: Chief executive, Now Group 7am We’ve never had an alarm clock in our house but my husband wakes me every morning and it’s straight into getting the kids up, dressed, fed and ready for school. I’m not a real morning person but do love my two boiled eggs and toast. This part of the morning is spent saying the same thing over and over again until everyone is ready to go. 8am Kids dropped off, I walk the rest of the way into Belfast. We’re trying to reduce our impact on the environment so have one car – it requires good organisation but works most of the time and helps me get my daily steps in. 8.45am If it’s Monday I’ll be in our head office having internal meetings – either of our executive team which meets weekly to manage the strategic direction of the business or with a support services team. How our places and services ‘feel’ is very important to me so I often spend this time speaking to people and gauging how the organisation is doing. Otherwise I could be on the road to one of our cafes – maybe at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh to catch up with our partners National Museums NI or Fermanagh and Omagh District Council

which we are working with on an employment academy. When in Belfast I usually arrange my meetings in either one of our cafes – the Bobbin in City Hall or Loaf on Grosvenor Road. 1pm Lunch is never an issue if I’m at one of the Loaf cafes – I just need to be careful not to overindulge, especially when the team are trying out new traybake recipes. 2pm The afternoon might see me back at head office – perhaps catching up with our environment committee. We have eradicated single use plastic from our cafés and our corporate catering business – all our food is delivered in compostable packaging and we don’t use plastic cutlery or sell soft drinks in plastic bottles. 5pm I try to leave the office – I want our staff to know that while work is important, so is the time we spend with our family and friends. I think if you can’t be effective in your work hours and get the job done you need to revisit how you are spending your time. People often say ‘you seem to be so busy’ but for me it is more about making an impact.

6pm I walk home as often as I can – it’s three miles so it gives me time to unwind, process what’s gone on that day and get myself ready for the next part. I used to make calls during this time but now use it to listen to podcasts or just to think. 6.30pm Once home, if I don’t have a work event to go to or the kids don’t have a class, it’s dinner and homework time. My husband works from the bottom of the garden so he usually has things started and we get them sorted between us. 8pm The kids are all in bed by 8pm or so, and it’s usually a movie or some time on Twitter. I’m a bit hooked on social media so have to be really careful about how much time it consumes. 10pm I love my sleep and reading. I try to get at least eight hours sleep every night but it’s not always easy to wind down after a busy day so I read a lot. I read all kinds of books from Bosch to Brene Brown, I have a pile beside my bed at any time and it’s great to see our kids have inherited my passion.