Ulster Business - September 2017

TM

SEPTEMBER 2017 Price £2.30 (¤2.60)

A pedigree stable How Barclay Communications are primed for growth with a world-beating array of products and an unbeatable level of service

IT & Technology Top tips to make sure your business is up to speed

Round-table

The challenges and opportunities facing the manufacturing sector

ISSN 1363-2507

9 771363 250005

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Contents 6 News

53 Energy

77 Motoring

All the latest from the Northern Ireland business world, digested here for you.

John Simpson assesses how attractive our energy infrastructure is to potentil investors

Diesel, petrol, electricity or Punjana; Pat “Zero Emissions� Burns takes any. Find him here.

14 Cover Story

61 Employment Law

84 Appointments

Britt Megahey reveals ambitious growth plans for the future of Barclay Communications.

Every boss will encounter some form of staff conflict. We find out how to resolve it.

One of the most popular sections of the magazine, oddly. See if your new hire is here.

24 IT & Technology

69 Round-table

92 The Chairman

We run through nine technology health checks to keep your business fit.

Some of the best brains in the manufacturing industry chew the fat on the big issues.

Our international man of corporate events has been out and about. Did you meet him?

35 Conferencing & Events

74 Business Breakfast

96 Technology

What do the organisations which have held major conferences in Belfast make of the city?

Chowing down on the first meal of the day with the new owners of the Dunadry Hotel.

Weckler is back to test drive a new Macbook Pro and two pairs of action headphones.

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61

92

53

69

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

The manufacturing conundrum

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ack in the days when Northern Ireland was a place the world turned to when it wanted something made, there wasn’t much trouble finding enough skilled labour.

Roles at the behemoth manufacturers of the time - such as Mackies, Gallahers, Scirocco and their ilk - would attract a queue of applicants for posts stretching from the shop floor right up to the boardroom. They were employers of choice, whose workers wore their company emblem with pride.

Only remnants of those names exist in today's business world, and it would appear only remnants of the skilled workers who once dominated the landscape here still exist.

As you’ll read in this month’s round-table discussion held at Bank of Ireland headquarters in Belfast, the manufacturing sector of today is struggling to find enough people to fill its ever-growing vacancy list.

Asked what was the greatest challenge facing them on a dayto-day basis, the bulk of the companies present said they were having huge difficulty finding the right staff with the right skills and the right attitude.

are perhaps more eager to go into careers which they can identify more with, such as IT. That’s understandable in some respects, but hard to fathom in others, particularly as some of the new wave of manufacturers in Northern Ireland today are making hugely exciting things with hugely exciting technology in hugely exciting geographies.

Perhaps we need to shout about this brilliance a little, maybe shine a light on its innovation, to give our young people something to aim for?

We’re going to make a commitment to do just that because the companies we met around the table were inspirational and Ulster Business is going to take up the invitation to visit them in the near future. Hear what they have to say on page 69 and enjoy the rest of the magazine.

As always it’s jam packed with the latest news, views and analysis from the Northern Ireland business world. If the last month has proven anything, it's that the days when business quietens down over the summer are over. ■ David Elliott

There was a feeling that today's school leavers and graduates

Publisher Ulster Business c/o Independent News & Media Ltd Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG Printer W&G Baird Greystone Press, Caulside Drive, Antrim BT41 2RS www.wgbaird.com

Independent News & Media Ltd © 2017. 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.

SEPTEMBER 2017

Editor David Elliott

Production Stuart McKinley

Manager Sonia Armstrong

Cover photo Elaine Hill

Deputy Manager Sylvie Brando

Contact 028 90 264260

Sales Executive Sarah-Ann Gamble

Online www.ulsterbusiness.com

Free to download. Free to read. ulsterbusiness/app 5

NEWS

A month in numbers £300m The expected value of commercial property transactions in Northern Ireland during 2017, according to agents Lisney. They said the UK election had slowed the market but activity should pick up during the second half of the year.

167,568 The take up of Belfast’s Grade A office space in square feet in the first six months of 2017, according to Lambert Smith Hampton’s Belfast Office Market Report. That’s down 28% on the same time last year. It said there is currently 100,000 square feet of space under offer.

£420m The amount of money home buyers borrowed in Northern Ireland in the second quarter of 2017, up 24% on the same time last year, according to UK Finance. That works out at 3,800 loans.

£118,100 The average value of those loans which, when compared to average salaries, works out at a multiple of 2.57

14.5 The percentage of gross monthly income used by people in Northern Ireland to service capital and interest payments on their mortgage.

39 The average age of a borrower in Northern Ireland.

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From left is John McGrillen (CEO at Tourism NI), James McGinn (Manager at Europa Hotel) and Michael Williamson (Director at ASM Chartered Accountants)

Hotel sector notches up a record year

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he fall in the value of sterling has helped the Northern Ireland hotel industry record another bumper year, according to a widely-watched report.

ASM Charted Accountants’ hotel industry survey revealed that occupancy levels hit a record of 77.9% in 2016, just ahead of the previous high the previous year of 77.5%.

Encouragingly, the growth in demand hasn’t just been confined to Belfast but has been felt in rural and resort/spa hotels as well, although Derry City’s performance was muted. However, the overall buoyant outlook was bolstered by a 4.1% ramp up in the average room rate to £77.95.

Michael Williamson, Director of Consulting at ASM and the report’s author, said the drop in the value of the pound was behind the sterling performance by helping to draw tourists here from outside the UK. “Without doubt, the almost instant decline in the value of sterling on the back of the EU referendum result in June 2016 boosted our competitiveness as a destination and in Belfast especially this made a tangible difference to the demand for accommodation in the second half of the year.”

However, he said the hotel sector would probably have put in a good performance in the absence of the currency move.

“It would wrong to credit all of the progress achieved in 2016 to the exchange rate movement,” he said. “ There was already underlying growth in many areas outside of the capital city, while in Belfast, the opening of the extended Waterfront Hall has massively improved its appeal to the meetings, conventions and exhibitions segments – a very important and high spending tourism market that we expect to add materially to the demand for accommodation in future years.”

Looking ahead, he said the large number of hotel rooms currently being built in Belfast – which will add one third to the supply of room stock by the end of 2009 - will likely weigh on overall demand for rooms in the short term.

“It’s hard to see how the demand for rooms can grow at this level in the short-run, so I fully expect there to be some decline in average bedroom occupancy rates from 2018 onwards,” he said. “But let’s remember that we are coming off a very high occupancy rate, so the impact may not be severe as that experienced during the last wave of development in 2009 and 2010.

“Importantly, our star is in the ascendancy, so there are reasons to be optimistic that tourism still has lots of growth potential in which case we expect average occupancy rates in Belfast to return to high levels relatively quickly.”

NEWS

Coffee aroma proves tempting as BGF’s invests again

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Pictured are Gemma Hamilton, an investor from BGF’s Northern Ireland team with Bob & Berts’ owners Colin McClean (left) and David Ferguson (right)

orthern Ireland coffee chain Bob & Berts plans to double its store numbers and create 600 jobs as part of an ambitious expansion plan. It is being backed with an investment of £2m from BGF Partners, as well as with expert industry help on its board. The artisan coffee company already has 16 shops in locations including Coleraine, Portstewart, Stranmillis, Lisburn, Omagh and Dungannon and plans to grow that number to 30 in the coming years.

It was founded in Portstewart by Colin McClean, his father Arnold and brother-in-law David Ferguson. Bob & Berts is the third business in Northern Ireland to secure funding from BGF’s £2.5bn pot following its investments in housebuilder Braidwater and waste management experts RiverRidge. BGF makes long-term investments and holds non-controlling stakes in the companies it supports. As part of its investment, industry expert Mohan Mansigani will be joining the board of Bob & Berts as the company’s non-executive chair.

Mr Mansigani has held a number of senior management positions in the cafes and restaurant sector market and was instrumental in establishing the growth model for Costa Coffee in the UK. Gemma Hamilton, an investor from BGF’s Northern Ireland team, will also join the board of Bob & Berts.

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NEWS

Quotes of the month “What they’re doing is an utter joy.”

The term used by food critic Jay Rayner to describe his experience at Bull and Ram in Ballynahinch, which is thankfully opening a new restaurant in Belfast.

“Saying that Northern Ireland has good produce is like pointing out that Hockney isn’t bad at the whole art thing.”

Mr Rayner in his Observer review.

“In 2014, I looked at the different locations across the island of Ireland. I came to the conclusion that Northern Ireland was the best location for my company.”

FinTru founder and chief executive Darragh McCarthy tells John Mulgrew why he decided to set up his company in Belfast. He’s planning to grow headcount at the firm to 1,000 from 200 currently.

“What’s needed now is a pragmatic approach on all sides – this is an issue of mutual interest. A significant step up in engagement between the UK Government, Irish Government, local policy makers and businesses is needed.”

Trevor Lockhart, Deputy Chair of CBI Northern Ireland responds to the UK Government’s announcement of a future partnership paper on the UK-Irish border.

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Castlecourt snapped up for £125m by Holywood investor

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ne of Northern Ireland’s newest investment companies has bought CastleCourt Shopping Centre in the biggest single commercial property deals in Northern Ireland in recent years.

Holywood-based Wirefox Investment Group - owned by BJ Eastwood, grandson of bookmaker and boxing promoter Barney Eastwood – bought the centre for £125m from Hermes Fund Managers.

The new owners said they planned “significant capital expenditure” on the 365,000 square foot complex and will release details of the plans in the near future.

Commercial estate agents Savills NI acted on behalf of Wirefox and will manage the property in the future alongside current agents CBRE.

BJ Eastwood

than previously predicted, we expect Wirefox to reap the benefits of this high-profile acquisition.”

Castle Court is anchored by Debenhams, has an annual footfall in excess of 12.5 million and the city’s largest car park, with 1,600 spaces. Other retailers based at the centre include Boots, Argos, Vodafone, Toys R Us, Dorothy Perkins, Jack & Jones and Costa.

Ben Turtle, Head of Office at Savills Northern Ireland, said Wirefox will reap the benefits of the investment.

Savills said there is strong interest from several exciting new entrants, which is likely to further enhance the retail offering over the next few months.

“Despite the shock of Brexit and ongoing political uncertainty, the retail sector in Northern Ireland continues to perform strongly, with positive retailer performances and robust letting activity,” he said. “With consumer confidence at its highest level since the third quarter of 2015, and the economy expected to grow at a faster rate

CastleCourt was originally developed by John Laing in the late 1980s on a site formerly the Grand Central Hotel, which played hosts to guests such at The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. In 2004, CastleCourt underwent a significant refurbishment to upgrade the existing food court, car park and customer facilities.

NEWS

Tyrone accountant bound for Bogotá

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Sinead Fox Hamilton ACA is pictured left with with Pamela McCreedy, Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society

Tyrone accountant will represent Chartered Accountants Ireland at the ‘One Young World’ conference in Bogotá, Colombia, later this year after winning the ‘Young Chartered Star’ 2017 competition. Sinead Fox Hamilton ACA, from Dungannon qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2011 before training with with KPMG in Belfast and working in industry for a number of years. She has since moved into a career in recruitment in the finance sector in Belfast with specialist firm McKinty Associates. To enter the competition, Sinead wrote an article on her career and particularly impressed the judging panel with her activity as an advocate for the Chartered Accountant qualification, and her honest portrayal of her path to qualification, and balancing a demanding job with a professional education programme.

Sinead will represent the Institute at the international conference from 4 - 7 October 2017, along with other representatives of the Chartered Accountants Worldwide network.

BELFAST

SEPTEMBER 2017

9

NEWS

Woodland manufactures 57 new jobs

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Rasharkin manufacturing company has created 57 new jobs as it attempts to double its turnover.

Woodland’s expansion is part of a £4m investment in a marketing suite for its bathroom and kitchen furniture.

It’s targeting exports to Great Britain and the Republic and said the new jobs will generate £1.1m in salaries each year.

Invest NI has offered £471,624 towards the creation of the posts, as well as the upskilling of staff and development of Woodland’s Epicor resource planning software.

Managing Director of Woodland, Brian McCloskey, said the company has ambitious plans.

“Our growth strategy in recent years has focused on positioning Woodland as a complete design and solutions provider. As a result, we have made encouraging progress in securing contracts to design, manufacture and supply cabinets to major distributors throughout Great Britain.

“We have also experienced strong growth in the hotel and aparthotel sector for our contracts division by delivering projects in

Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI, (centre) is pictured with (L – R) Brian and Connor McCloskey, Woodland

London, Edinburgh and Dublin. And, we’ve secured the contract to manufacture, supply and install the bedroom and bathroom furniture for the 304 bedroom Grand Central Hotel in Belfast.

The new jobs, 30 of which are in place, include production operatives and roles in design, sales and IT. CEO of Invest Northern Ireland Alastair Hamilton welcomed the investment.

“Woodland is an established manufacturer in Co Antrim, underpinned by a cycle of new product development and design that continually keeps it ahead of its competition.

“Invest NI has been working closely with Woodland to support its growth. Our support has helped the company increase its workforce and grow its exports which in turn is benefitting the local economy. I look forward to watching Woodland’s continued success.”

Record overnight visitors in first three months of 2017

M

ore people than every visited Northern Ireland in the first quarter of the year, new figures have revealed.

He said currency fluctuations have helped.

“The depreciating pound also continues to present opportunities and our own research confirms the positive results, with hotels generally reporting an excellent six months to June 2017. Growth is evident from all markets, and overall the feedback we’ve received from the industry suggests an optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year”.

There were one million overnight trips taken in the three months to the end of March, a jump of 6% on the same time last year and a record.

The data, produced by the government’s statistics division NISRA, also reveal visitors – both from from “out-of-state” and those originating from Northern Ireland - spent a record £170m, a 7% increase on last year.

Tourism NI Chief Executive John McGrillen said a targeted campaign aimed at wooing more visitors across the border had been particularly fruitful.

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John McGrillen, Chief Executive of Tourism NI

“This was a joint campaign with the accommodation and visitor attractions sector stepping up their advertising and promotion in the Republic of Ireland market and helping to deliver growth by encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more.”

Guesthouses, guest accommodation and B&Bs also experienced significant levels of growth during the first half of the year.

According to Tourism NI’s latest industry barometer, more than three-fifths of attractions have reported increases in visitor numbers compared with January to June 2016.

NEWS

Deloitte signs two-year sponsorship with Ulster Women’s Rugby team

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Pictured are Jackie Henry, Senior Partner at Deloitte NI and Ulster Rugby players (L-R) Peita McAlister, Brittany Hogan, Claire Johnston and Hannah Beattie.

eloitte has agreed a new two-year sponsorship agreement with Ulster Rugby to become the lead sponsor of the Ulster Women’s Rugby team.

Jackie Henry, Senior Partner at Deloitte, said the sponsorship deal is in keeping with Deloitte’s strong track record of supporting sport at all levels.

“Deloitte is delighted to be the new sponsor of the Ulster Women’s Rugby team. Female participation in the sport has grown significantly in the past few years and this partnership will help promote women’s rugby to a wider audience. This has been a great year for women’s sport in Ireland, with the Women’s Rugby World Cup final soon to be played here in Belfast, and we felt the time was right for Deloitte to throw its support behind the women’s game. Diversity is one of Deloitte’s core values and we are committed to playing our part in helping to raise the profile of women’s sport and helping to get more women and girls to take part.”

Deloitte was a major sponsor in the London 2012 Olympics and has played a major role in Ireland’s bid to host the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2023.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

11

NEWS

Darragh McCarthy

FinTru pledges to grow headcount to 1,000

By John Mulgrew

A

Belfast financial firm is aiming to grow into a global outsourcing giant employing 1,000 staff - five times its current workforce, it can be revealed.

FinTru founder and chief executive Darragh McCarthy said his company has doubled its workforce each year, since it was formed in 2014.

The former Morgan Stanley banker and Cork native said he could "easily see us being a thousand people plus" company.

"We are going to be 1,000 people plus the way we are going. We are running at 100% capacity."

FinTru provides outsourcing for some of the world's biggest investment banks.

In 2014, the company announced it was going to create 80 jobs in three years. But three years later, that number is set to soon crack 200.

The company has been heavily recruiting through its academy scheme, which is run alongside the Department for the Economy.

Its workforce has doubled each year, for the

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last four years. Belfast offers a high-skill, low-cost base, with staff here working in outsourcing across a range of areas, from regulation to legal services.

"FinTru's strapline, is that we provide high quality, cost-effective, near-shore outsourcing for financial services," Mr McCarthy said.

"Our clients are investment banks. Post the crisis, the investment banking model has been challenged, both on a revenue and a cost front."

Banks either have a choice to hire 'on-shore' consultants, working in the City and on high wages, or outsourcing to locations, such as India and the Philippines.

"The motto is, stack them high and sell them cheap," he said."We at FinTru believe there is an opportunity for the quality akin to the on-shore consultant, but at a cost akin to the outsourced entity. We have been met with remarkable success with our clients.

"We are working at 100% capacity and we are continually hiring people. So, right now we have really strong momentum. We have six main products: legal, risk, compliance, 'Know your customer' (KYC), operations and consultancy."

Last month it revealed its seventh Assured Skills Academy will offer a further 20 graduates the opportunity to launch a career in the growing financial services industry here.

Earlier this year it announced plans to create 160 jobs.

FinTru set up its Belfast centre in 2014, based on the Dublin Road. Since then it has expanded to offices at the Gasworks, and has employed 117 graduates through the Assured Skills academies.

Applicants will undertake a six-week training programme delivered by Belfast Met and Ulster University.

Mr McCarthy set up FinTru at the end of 2013 and since then has expanded to employ 185 staff here.

"In 2014, I looked at the different locations across the island of Ireland. I came to the conclusion that Northern Ireland was the best location for my company," he said.

"I thought there was an opportunity in the 'Know your customer' (KYC) data utility. I jumped in with two left feet, if I'm honest, and decided I was going to do it.You then realise that setting up a company is a lot harder than you think." â–

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

Striding ahead Britt Megahey, founder of Barclay Communications, uncovers the secrets of the firm’s success and tells Ulster Business about its big plans for future growth

A

fter 20 years in business, some companies run the risk of becoming stale. Success can dull the hunger for more success and many firms watch their growth trajectory tail off compared to those enthusiastic early days.

Not so for Barclay Communications, the Belfast-based business communications company which has retained a thirst for growth and shows no sign of dimming, even after two decades.

In that time the group has gone from a staff of just two to a multi-geographical business with a headcount of 200, and growing.

At present it is on the lookout for another 50 to join its business, both here in Northern Ireland and across its other regions in GB and the Republic.

Most impressively, revenue has jumped from a standing start in that time to £20m a year to make it the largest independent communications company in Northern Ireland, and there is a very realistic goal of taking that figure to £30m within 12 months.

SEPTEMBER 2017

A jump of 50% turnover in a year? There’s nothing stale about that.

So what is behind such stellar growth and such a confident outlook for the future?

No better man to ask than chief executive Britt Megahey, the man who has driven the company every step of the way since those early days.

“We have a compelling offering. None of our competitors offer such an extensive range of products - all of which compliments each other – combined with a level of service which stands above the rest,” he said.

That’s a bold claim but one which holds water. Take the list of products.

There’s mobile solutions, the basis on which the business was built and which include mobile broadband; landline, which includes fixed line, broadband and VOIP services; digital services, which includes business mobile support, business IT support and digital services; as well as WorkPal, Barclay Communications’ mobile workflow management system for field workers.

“We have customers who have five or more products with us. They like the fact we’re a one-stop shop and can supply all their needs in a quality service.”

The level of service is so good it helps customers save money.

“We make sure we keep our current customers happy by remaining in close contact with them. It’s something they appreciate and something which helps us win new customers.”

A good example of how it goes about that process is Barclay Communications’ constant bill review.

“We can tell them where they’re overspending, we can tell them where we can save them money, put them on new tariffs and add new bolt-ons if they need it. Unless we, as a provider, are alerting customers then they won’t know they’re spending too much.

“That is something which a lot of competitors promise to do but very few >

15

COVER STORY

deliver on. The fact that we do means we get a lot of customers calling in because they’re heard we offer a brilliant level of service.

“That is really nice to see and something we’ve worked hard for.”

Certainly it is an approach which is bearing fruit with the company expanding to include Northern Ireland, the Republic, England, Scotland and Wales. GB is particularly important.

“We have spent a lot of time building the Barclay Communications profile in the GB market and are now well known right across the region, from the east to the west coasts, north to south,”

established itself and become so successful we expect WorkPal revenue to overtake the revenue from the rest of our products put together with then next six-to-eight months.

“We launched it on the market at just the right time. I can see it selling right across the world because it is really answering a need from companies with field workers.”

It is for that reason headcount is on the rise, with around 12 people being taken on in Scotland and another 30 at the Belfast call centre.

While organic growth seems to be a nailed on cert, Britt said the company is also hoping to grow its business in an acquisitive manner.

Clean sweep in business, and in the arena Along with running a highly successful communications company, the Megahey family are also picking up accolades in the world of show jumping.

Based at the Templepatrick stables where the accompanying photos are taken, two of Britt’s sons Christopher and Harold are professional show jumpers.

Christopher has had three back-toback puissance wins this year at Liverpool, London and most recently at Dublin Horse Show

For WorkPal, the reach goes global, with discussions taking place for sales into Dubai.

It is a system which helps streamline the workflow process from initial job assignment to client invoicing, resulting in a user-friendly, end-to-end job management system.

“We’re on an acquisition drive and have been talking to half a dozen companies in Scotland and England and two in Northern Ireland about acquiring their business. It’s an exciting time where we are focused on growth more than ever before.”

And has he enjoyed the path the business has been on in the last 20 years?

“WorkPal allows people working in the field to record information digitally, rather than with reams of paper,” Britt said. “It has really

“We can only do that because we have a host of great staff, which is hugely important in a service industry such as ours.”

“It has been a passion. The key is to make the many moving parts work but when it comes together it is hugely satisfying.” ■

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TECHNOLOGY

Your choice: disrupt or disappear

By Aisling Keegan

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he world is changing. The volume of data that we are producing is growing exponentially. More data has been created in the last two years than the previous 5,000 years. That's a striking statistic that has repercussions for all parts of our lives - personal and professional. Technology is transforming how we communicate, share information, socialise and drive productivity and profits in business.

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Despite the pace of change, many businesses in Ireland haven't quite grasped how technology will change their market place or the significant opportunities it presents. What I'm seeing when I'm out meeting customers is that many are on the sidelines watching, waiting to see what will happen rather than actively engaging in the digital evolution that we all find ourselves in.

are using technology without thinking and enjoying this emerging 'experience economy' we're now living in - checking in for flights online, ordering food via apps, pre-booking taxis and even arranging for your laundry to be collected and delivered via apps on our phones - we are not seeing this level of adoption translate to the business world.

While many in their day-to-day lives

This is a problem.

TECHNOLOGY

have a huge impact on the businesses that survive and thrive as we prepare for 2030.

Dell EMC partnered with the Institute for the Future in California to explore how emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Robotics to name a few - will shape our world in 2030.

The report shows that, by then, we will become increasingly reliant on machines as the pace of innovation accelerates. Thanks to emerging technologies, from data analytics to enhanced processing power, we will enter the 'next era of human-machine partnerships'.

Technology will play a bigger role in helping us to manage and orchestrate many of our day-to-day tasks, allowing us in effect to become 'digital conductors' of ourselves.

Machines will crunch more data and do more work, but we shouldn't be alarmed that machines will take over. Due to the volume of work and the rapid pace of change, our problem-solving skills, intuition, judgment and emotional intelligence will be required more than ever. It will be the combination of these human skills plus the efficiency of the machines that will have a real impact.

So how can we collectively prepare for this change?

The technology-led changes that we are currently witnessing are described by some as the fourth industrial revolution. This is not just a passing phase - this is a seismic change. A real example is the movement by ridesharing apps as they begin to partner with car companies to roll out driverless taxis that provide transport needs 'on-demand'.

Moving away from fixed owned assets to virtual shared services is a real example of the impact of digital transformation and could reshape urban planning, the role of insurance companies, and even public policy as we know it.

According to Dell's Digital Transformation Index, only 5pc of business leaders worldwide classify themselves as digital leaders. This leaves 95pc as spectators, waiting and watching to see what is going on. This will

SEPTEMBER 2017

The most important step is to accept the need to digitally transform.

The Government has put in place many support structures through agencies like Enterprise Ireland and IDA to support companies on this journey. The Government has set an ambitious goal, for the country to become recognised as an Innovation Island by 2020. My advice would be to embrace these structures, take risks, think differently and learn from other companies who have already excelled.

Another key element for this digital evolution to be successful is for us to equip ourselves with the skills to become 'digital conductors' in both our professional and personal lives.

I would urge business leaders to take advantage of courses available outside of the

traditional education system to upskill and, most importantly, ensure you've a workforce with the right skill set to take you forward.

With nearly half of business leaders believing their firm might become obsolete within the next five years due to digital disruption, organisations need to have a proactive strategy in place for the future. This strategy should look at IT transformation, workforce transformation, and security transformation.

Firstly, IT transformation in the data centre will be required. Existing infrastructure will not be able to support a thousand times more data created by a thousand times more users. Businesses must embrace a hybrid cloud strategy and base it on a modern data centre enabled by the most comprehensive converged infrastructure portfolios on the market. Users can't build tomorrow's apps on yesterday's infrastructure.

Secondly, companies must adopt products and applications that conform with the future of work envisioned.

Only by adopting the latest technologies and applications, can your workforce transform and ultimately increase productivity.

Thirdly, with the workforce accessing applications and information remotely, security transformation becomes a necessity.

To protect against an ever-increasing number of cyber-attacks for example, it is critical to integrate within your business intelligencedriven solutions providing endpoint protection for data, systems and reputations.

Without it, business risk increases greatly. For a nation to digitally transform we all need to work together.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be universally adopted for business.

However, to be relevant in 2030, we must make this a boardroom discussion and all start transforming and adopting a pathway to disruption - otherwise, you risk standing by and allowing your business to be disrupted. â– Aisling Keegan is vice-president and general manager of Dell EMC Ireland

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Reviewing the past

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pproximately one in four workers have amended their social media status to secure their current job, highlighting the impact people feel social media can have on their job prospects.

Despite sacrifices employees are willing to make to their social media platforms in order to improve their job prospects, the survey found that just over one in ten Irish people are actually in their "dream job".

And 12% of those surveyed have changed their profile picture on social media, while 6% took the time to delete selected posts in order to secure their job, according to a survey carried out by recruitment firm Matrix.

Part of this may be due to the fact that little time is being spent preparing for interviews and researching or preparing for their current job.

Further highlighting the lengths people will go to in order to secure what they believe is their "dream job," two in three people surveyed said that they would be happy to miss out on a personal event such as a wedding or funeral to attend an interview for their perfect job.

Of those surveyed, women were more prepared to take a pay cut for a role with a high level of job satisfaction, with almost two thirds of women saying they would be willing to do this, compared with roughly one in two men.

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Fewer than one in three people surveyed said that they spent just one hour updating their CV, while only 22pc of those surveyed said that they spent less than one hour researching before their interview.

"It’s possible that candidates who don’t spend much time researching a potential employer or industry take jobs that don’t offer them long-term job satisfaction," Kieran McKeown, of Matrix, said.

"If you join the dots, this could well be a reason why 88pc of people say that they aren’t in their dream job," Mr McKeown said.

By Ellie Donnelly

Interestingly the majority of younger people surveyed believe that the dream job does not exist.

According to Matrix, the concept of a 'job for life' or the perfect role isn’t a priority for Millennials and Generation Z, as they pursue careers that "combine their creative and professional passions regardless of traditional employment norms".

UP-SKILLING Up-skilling is continuing to be popular among employees, and the research by Matrix backs this up, with three quarters of 45-55 year olds surveyed saying that they were willing to return to college to re-train for a role with greater job satisfaction.

"We anticipated that people in their 20’s and even 30’s might be willing to re-train to land the perfect job, but it was interesting to see such high figures in the older age groups, particularly given the temporary loss of earnings and overall time it would take," Mr McKeown said. ■

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FUNDING

Taking a step back can be a step forward for growth

By Austin Coll, Senior Manager, Small Business at Danske Bank

G

rowing a business is a difficult task no matter the size of your organisation.

more time to sales and marketing. Winning new business is obviously critical to growth, but in many cases businesses would benefit from putting more prestige in sales and marketing roles and developing those skills.

Hiring in or developing the right sales team can make or break your plans for growth.

Whether you are a multinational or a small owner-managed business, many of the challenges are the same. Regulation and red tape, securing funding, winning and retaining customers, marketing your products and services, dealing with competition or finding talented staff - there are many obstacles to overcome.

Many of Northern Ireland’s small businesses are successful at what they do and have very stable operations, while others have ambitions to grow quickly and to expand beyond their home market.

There are lots of companies that have successfully “scaled up”, however, it has been identified by business groups and government as one of the major challenges facing the economy both here in Northern Ireland and in a wider UK context.

To understand how we can help, Danske Bank undertook a significant programme of research involving our small business customers. We listened to their feedback and have implemented a structure putting specialist small business advisers on the ground right across our branch network. This gives customers access to expertise in their local area, someone to discuss their business plans with and explore funding options. The feedback to date has been fantastic.

Banks today also have to provide more than just access to finance. If we’re to help more local businesses achieve their growth ambitions, we must equip them with the right tools and information and signposts to additional support channels.

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Austin Coll, Danske Bank

Danske Bank’s partnership with Catalyst Inc is a great example of a how we are helping local business accelerate their growth plans.

It led to the creation of Danske Business Lab, a 16-week programme designed to help high potential businesses scale up their operations.

Entrepreneurs who have ‘been there and done it’ stress-test a business’ products and ideas helping to refine the proposition and avoid costly mistakes. Our customers who have participated have opened up their business to external critique and have benefited enormously. It’s also clear that there are lessons which are common to all types of businesses striving to reach their full potential.

Firstly, have a business plan. It may sound obvious but knowing where you want to take your business is one thing, knowing how you get there is another. Investing time in understanding areas such as market research, competitor activity, business goals, how to recruit the right people and grow your management team requires discipline, but the rewards can be fantastic. Equally important is regularly reviewing that plan and making changes along the way.

Danske Business Lab has also shown that almost all small businesses need to dedicate

Finance too has a big role to play and while traditional loans and overdrafts can still be a great place to start for small businesses it is important to understand the other options out there such as mezzanine or equity funding. Bringing in an investor can be a daunting prospect but for those with ambition it is another important consideration and we have seen some customers enjoy real success by combining different sources of finance.

Any potential investor or finance provider will want to know the financial position of your business so ‘knowing the numbers’ is really important. Finance Directors or Finance Managers can be a valuable addition to any management team and their presence will allow owners to concentrate on strategic planning whilst being confident that finances are in good hands.

It’s clear that many of our learnings involve getting outside help and therein lies a problem: one of the biggest roadblocks for small business growth can be an owner’s reluctance to cede some control to other people or invite external assessment of their business. It’s totally understandable, but owners who really want to scale must be brave, step back from day to day operations and allow others to critique the business or inject new ideas and expertise. Businesses who do that significantly increase the chances of scaling up successfully and reaching their full potential. ■

ICT Quarterly

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TECHNOLOGY

Nine tech health checks for your business Want to keep your business at the top of its game? Then make sure you have the right technology to remain competitive, says Adrian Weckler 1 HOW TO SMOOTHLY UPGRADE YOUR OLD WORK LAPTOP People put off upgrading to a modern, fast, secure laptop because of the hassle factor in moving files and documents. "I know where everything is on my current machine" is a common refrain. But you're risking a breakdown if you keep using an old machine, especially one over five years of age.

Transferring files is now much more easily done than in the past.

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A few downloadable services can do the heavy lifting, making sure that all your old files (and many of your programs or applications) are copied from one PC to another. They'll even keep the same user profile and locations so everything seems familiar.

Laplink's PCMover (laplink.com/pcmover) is one such option, starting at ÂŁ20.00.

However, like other such programs, this is done through a web link, so you'll need a reasonably good broadband connection.

If you don't want to spend money but just want to save some files, you can use one of the many free online storage services such as Dropbox or Onedrive. (Google Photos and Flickr give you almost unlimited free space for photos and videos, if that's a sticking point.)

2 UPDATE YOUR IT SECURITY PROCESSES AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROPER BACK-UPS In the last two months, separate waves of ransomware attacks have pillaged IT systems across Europe.

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TECHNOLOGY

Docusign and other 'digital signature' software have full legal effect in most business transactions and there is a growing number of small firms that will accept such signatures.

Even legal firms, considered the worst offenders for clinging to paper systems, are now doing it.

"We don't send physical letters. We simply send everything by PDF or by email," says Larry Fenelon, managing partner of Dublin-based Leman Solicitors, which has under 40 staff.

"If we receive physical correspondence, we date-stamp it, scan it and then it goes into an online intray, where it gets named, dated and assigned to a file. Docusign is a great tool."

4 CLEAN OUT OR UPDATE YOUR ACCOUNTS, BOTH ONLINE AND TELECOM According to the most recent Comreg figures, there are still 3,000 active dial-up internet services and well over 100,000 active ISDN lines in Ireland. Many of these are legacy connections that businesses still have going.

Some may connect devices payment terminals but others are simply overlooked, hiding in the morass of monthly bills that business managers pay without sufficient scrutiny.

Similarly, it's time to review which online accounts you're actually using and close some of them down. Do you still need that Yahoo or Hotmail email address? Is the information you supplied to that Zoominfo or LinkedIn account still accurate?

One of them, Wannacry, badly hit vulnerable institutions, such as hospitals and schools.

As a rule of thumb, the more up to date your IT systems are (newest operating system, recently checked security software, 'two factor' authentication for sensitive passwordprotected information), the better equipped you are to deal with such threats. But it's critical to have a working, up-to-date backups of the data you can't afford to lose.

This isn't that hard to do.

SEPTEMBER 2017

Online back-up and recovery services, such as Iron Mountain or Keep It Safe, perform a lot of the heavy lifting and are aimed at small businesses. If you're a sole trader, alternatives such as Crashplan.com are an effective, userfriendly alternative.

5 PAYMENT SYSTEMS: YOU NO LONGER NEED AN EXPENSIVE 'MERCHANT ACCOUNT' WITH AN IRISH BANK TO TAKE CREDIT CARDS ONLINE

3 SWITCHING TO A PAPERLESS OFFICE IS DOABLE FOR SMALL FIRMS

Thankfully, those days are fading. Services such as Stripe now let your website accept proper credit card transactions - like any other 'serious' business - without you having to jump through endless, tortuous hoops by one of the big three Irish banks. Take advantage of this: if you've always thought about trading online, allow your website to do so with one of these services.

A switch to more paperless methods is easier to do than before and can pay off in less time wasted shuffling and filing paper documents.

They're easy to incorporate for whoever is maintaining your site. >

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Secure Productivity

SECURE PRODUCTIVITY

Anywhere, anytime, any device.

TECHNOLOGY 6 UPDATE YOUR DEVICES TO THE LATEST OPERATING SYSTEMS The latest online access figures for Ireland show that almost 5% of our PCs are still using either Windows XP, Windows Vista or a defunct version of Windows 8. While lots of these machines are services specific utilities (such as ATMs or hospital scanners), some are still in use by small firms running shop or office gear.

In some cases, this is dangerously negligent and opens up a chunk of your ecosystem to all sorts of nasty malware and cyber attacks.

Remember: Microsoft is no longer providing security support to these systems.

7 GDPR IS NOT JUST FOR BIG CORPORATIONS You've probably read about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), an EU law coming into force next May. In a nutshell, it tightens up rules on data protection and data privacy, while massively increasing fines and penalties at the same time. Whereas small firms only had to worry about a slap on the wrist before, they now face administrative fines of thousands of euro straight from the Data Protection Commissioner's office (as in, no court date).

We've written a lot about this separately, but you need to bone up on the new obligations you'll face under the new law. You may also need to allocate related duties to a member of staff. There are a few international court cases under way that also may ultimately make you change your online storage or cloud providers.

8 HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU NEVER LOSE ANY PHONE CONTACTS EVER AGAIN There's one trick that anyone with any smartphone can do in 30 seconds to ensure contacts never again go walkabout with a lost or stolen phone. Simply save them into Google Contacts.

This is quite easy to do now, either on your old or new phone. Copy your sim contacts onto the phone (iPhone or Android) via 'settings' and then copy them again into your Google account (which is the same as your Gmail account). This now allows you to access your saved phone contacts on

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any phone, simply by adding your Google account in settings.

According to the most recent figures from Amarach Research, Irish people are abandoning offline methods of business, with

“

online sales here doubling in the last two years. A third of sales here now occur online, compared to just 17% two years ago. This

The phrase ‘that online stuff doesn’t apply to my business’ is one of the most dangerous utterances among Irish business owners.

”

9 START TAKING AN ONLINE SALES STRATEGY MORE SERIOUSLY

is expected to rise to 40% by the end of this year.

Whether you like it or not, your peers are already doing this. A recent report from the European Commission indicated that Ireland ranked first of 28 EU countries when it comes to small firms incorporating technology at work, a jump from third place last year. It said that Ireland scores especially well in ecommerce and online sales, compared to EU rivals.

A third (32%) of Irish small to medium-sized businesses sell products or services online, said the Commission. This is twice the average among European small businesses.

The phrase 'that online stuff doesn't apply to my business' is one of the most dangerous utterances among Irish business owners.

It's time to start taking your online channels much more seriously. ■

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AWARDS

Peter Allen from Deloitte with Colin Williams, founder of Sixteen South, launch this year’s award

Deadline approaching for 2017 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Tech firms from the worlds of software, hardware, communications, media, clean-tech and life sciences sectors are urged to apply for Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards

D

eloitte has issued a final call for tech companies across Northern Ireland to enter the 2017 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 programme before the deadline passes on September 15.

was winner of the Fast 50’s Rising Star award 2011 and 2012 before appearing on the main listing. It is now an established animation and production business gaining plaudits for shows including Lily’s Driftwood Bay and Pajanimals.

The awards rank Ireland’s fastest growing technology companies and recognise the indigenous technology businesses which have demonstrated exceptional growth in turnover over the last four years.

Speaking on the set of Sixteen South’s new show WildWoods at Clandeboye Estate, the company’s creative director Colin Williams said: “Winning the Rising Star award was a real morale boost to our staff when we won it. We were still a relatively young business and very much a creative company focused on IP creation for children, so to be ranked among the leading technology and software companies in Ireland was brilliant. It provided real validation for the company because of the prestige attached to the awards.

This is the 18th year the Fast 50 has been compiled in Ireland, with previous winners from Northern Ireland during that time including illustrious names such as First Derivatives, Andor Technology, Aepona, Novosco, Learning Pool, Seopa, Export Technologies and Texthelp.

Last year, eleven Northern Irish companies made the Fast 50 list, with Belfast-based Ozaroo Retail reaching number four, making it the highest ranking Northern Ireland business.

Swords-based eShopWorld, provider of ecommerce and logistics management solutions to retailers, won in 2016 for the second year in a row, achieving a growth rate of 2,596 per cent over four years.

Children’s television company Sixteen South

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venture capitalists and multinational companies and also provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to highlight their achievements and future ambitions in the global market.

“Many aspirational companies from across the technology landscape have won this award on their way to achieving great things. The class of 2017 will be in good company and this year’s awards will identify the next generation of dynamic Irish technology companies.”

Featured companies will also get a chance to compete to win the prestigious Deloitte 2017 Multinational Patron Awards, which are sponsored by global brands Google, Intel, LinkedIn, PayPal and Medtronic.

“Northern Ireland has lots of creative, innovative companies who work in the technology space and I’d encourage them to enter these awards and shout about their achievements.”

In recognition of the growing importance of Ireland’s financial technology sector, this year introduces a FinTech award sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank. Entrants will be evaluated over three years and will receive an allexpenses paid visit to Silicon Valley hosted by Silicon Valley Bank. ■

Peter Allen, partner at Deloitte added: “The Technology Fast 50 awards have celebrated innovation, entrepreneurship and intellectual property in the technology sector in Ireland for almost 20 years. These awards offer a glimpse into the future of the technology world for

The closing date for entries is 15 September 2017 and the winners will be announced on 3 November 2017 at the awards ceremony.

For details of how to enter, please visit www.fast50.ie.

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TOP 100 EVENT

Top night to launch Top 100 Photography: Kelvin Boyes/Presseye

The Ivory Restaurant was the venue for the launch of the Ulster Business Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies 2017, in association with A&L Goodbody, in August.

Supporters of the magazine gathered for an evening of drinks, canapĂŠs and, thankfully, a very short speech.

Ulster Business would like to thank everyone who attended and everyone who has supported the magazine over the last year.

Ulster Business team

Peter Morrow, Elaine Kerr, Stephen Roycroft and Bill Manson

Noel Brady, Janette Johnston and Clare Guinness

Peter Allen, Geoff McGimpsey and David Elliott

Amy O'Donnell, Ian Megahey, Carly Rodgers and Amy Stinton

Matthew Jeffrey, Barbara Creed and Jonathan Ireland

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Sylvie Brando and John Simpson

Claire Vaux, David Elliott and Ursula Henderson

TOP 100 EVENT

Melita Williams, Sonya Cassidy, Janet McKay and Kelly-ann Hoey

David Elliott, Barbara Creed and Richard McClean

Adrian Green, Lyn Canning Hagan and David Elliott

Lisa Griffin, Sonia Armstrong and Donna Parker

David Elliott

Matthew Jeffrey, Rachel Annett and Kevin Murphy

SEPTEMBER 2017

Caroline Harris and Kathryn Laverty

Damien Campbell and Maureen Fox

Cathal Geoghegan and Gavin Annon

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Addressing job satisfaction a major issue for employers: Hays

By John Moore, Regional Managing Director of Hays Northern Ireland

J

ob satisfaction is high on the list of requirements for both prospective employees and existing staff.

This was one of the main findings from our ‘What Workers Want’ report which surveyed the opinion of almost 15,000 employers and employees across the UK and Ireland - 785 of whom were based in Northern Ireland.

Not surprisingly remuneration remains the primary consideration with 55% of a decision to remain loyal or consider a move.

However company culture and reputation, career progression and benefits together make up 45% of the decision according to respondents.

We found that 42% of respondents were dissatisfied or disinterested in their current role, and that 62% of employees surveyed are looking to move.

We also found that a majority of those surveyed (61%) would be willing take a pay cut in order to work for an organisation that offered a better cultural fit.

Job satisfaction is therefore a major issue.

If professionals are willing to take a pay cut for aspects like a better cultural fit, annual leave and career progression, they should be viewed as vital areas of differentiation for organisations.

So here are three areas for employers to focus on: • Communication: make sure information is easily accessible and communicated consistently. That means continuity and consistency from how your organisation describes itself online, through to career review and everyday dealings with managers.

• Interview: employers should review their interview protocols to make sure the full

John Moore

benefits of the role are clearly highlighted.

Employers must be able to confidently and clearly articulate what is on offer during interview, including communicating their workplace culture effectively.

• Recognition: our survey found that staff at all levels prioritise recognition and respect. Employers should seek to promote achievements across the organisation, not just within the team. Use your staff’s milestones to reinforce what is available to them, such as professional development opportunities. ■

To find out more about the ‘What Workers Want’ report and to download a copy visit https://www.hays.co.uk/what-workers-want or call 028 9044 6900

Glasgow company opens new north west office

A

Glasgow company has opened a new office in Londonderry to help grow its business in Europe and the US.

Lithe IT, which provides business process services and software solutions, is hiring a Sales Director, Sales Executive, Marketing Executive, and a Software Engineer for the new base with salaries ranging from £25,000 to £50,000 a year.

It has been offered £24,000 of support from Invest NI. Brendan McNabb, Chief Business Development Officer, is from the North West region and was a strong advocate for locating the project in Londonderry.

“When we were considering where to place these new roles I was keen for Derry to be considered. As a local, I am very aware of the strong skill set here,” added Brendan.

“We will be skilling up the team on new technologies and they will be working closely with me to identify new opportunities and provide support to our existing and new customers.” ■

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Des Gartland (left), Invest NI, is pictured with Brendan McNabb, Lithe IT

Conferencing & Events

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CONFERENCING & EVENTS

A conference location of choice?

Emma Deighan looks at the fast-growing conference market in Northern Ireland and talks to the event hosts and facilitators who are shaping the business tourism landscape, as well as those who have held events on these shores ast year Northern Ireland welcomed a total of 4.6m visitors who between them contributed £850m to the local economy.

L

enabled Belfast to host 34 international conferences, bringing 50,000 delegates to the city with another 40 conferences already in the pipeline.

Within that figure is the accelerating business tourism category, one which is forecast to increase and which has piqued the interest of hospitality and event providers.

Meanwhile, the hospitality industry is serving future growth too as it gears up to offer an extra 1,200 rooms in Belfast alone. An additional 150 plus rooms will be made available in Derry.

And in a team effort, Tourism NI is working alongside various industry stakeholders to ‘share insight and harness joint creativity’ said Eimear, to send out a message to international players that Northern Ireland is ‘very much open for business’.

Last year, Belfast Waterfront unveiled a 7,000m2 conference centre which has

Eimear Callaghan, Tourism NI Business Solutions Manager, said: “It is an area within

Seeing a significant improvement in the conference market, Ann McGregor, NI

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the tourism and hospitality landscape of Northern Ireland that continues to go from strength to strength.”

W waterfront.co.uk @BelWaterfront

W ulsterhall.co.uk @UlsterHall

CONFERENCING & EVENTS

Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, who organises 60 large-scale events here annually, said promoting Northern Ireland’s conferencing assets abroad is key in maintaining the consistency of growth in this sector.

She told Ulster Business the Chamber hosted its largest event in its 233-year history thanks to the investment of those facilitating conferences.

“NI Chamber was the first organisation to hold a major event in the newly extended Belfast Waterfront following its £30 million transformation. The Champions’ Dinner which took place in May 2016 was a sold out event attended by more than 900 guests. It was the largest event to be held by NI Chamber,” she said.

In November NI Chamber also hosted its President’s Annual Banquet she continued:

SEPTEMBER 2017

“Both events were a magnificent success – partly due to the integrated extension of Belfast Waterfront which has doubled the size of the conference and exhibition facilities.”

Ann believes that extended opening hours for retailers and wide scale promotion of NI’s business facilities would be useful in attracting more business here.

“While facilities are wonderful we need to promote them internationally to potential business tourists and the new hotels being constructed in Belfast also need to be promoted outside Northern Ireland,” she advised.

Gary Robinson, Security Consultant and Founder at Uleska, has first-hand knowledge of an outsider’s perception of Northern Ireland as a business destination. In May this year he hosted AppSec EU - an international

cyber-security conference which was previously hosted in Rome, Amsterdam and Athens.

Gary’s five-day event took place at Belfast Waterfront and the Titanic Suite at Titanic Belfast. The event was attended by 730 delegates from the Americas, Europe and Asia, AppSec EU. “Attendees liked the conference being held in the city centre close to entertainment and businesses. Other conferences have been held outside major cities and this was less attractive,” Gary said.

“The conference was a success, with many attendees enjoying the chance to visit a city that's not on the usual conference circuit.

For many it was their first time in Northern Ireland,” he added.

Promotion and hospitality are areas for improvement Gary believes. >

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18/08/2017 15:55

Serving up the very best T +44 (0)28 9033 4400 E enquiries@ulsterhall.co.uk @UlsterHall W ulsterhall.co.uk

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18/08/2017 15:55

CONFERENCING & EVENTS

here. Titanic Belfast’s business visitor numbers are three-fold since it opened in 2012 said Laura Cowan, Head of Business and Leisure Sales there.

“There are many contributing factors, of course Titanic Belfast itself is a key driver for business but this coupled with improved air access, significant investment in local infrastructure and increased bedroom capacity has really made a difference,” she said.

“More hotel rooms would be a benefit. We were on at the same time as a few other events and rooms were hard to get,” he added.

“Once our team decided to bid for the conference we were very impressed by the assistance provided by VisitBelfast and InvestNI however we were not aware of that facility before we bid. Perhaps if others knew of the help they can be provided with, more folks from other sectors will think about bidding for conferences in their industry,” he advised.

In July 2016 Brian Branch, President and CEO of the World of Credit Unions, hosted a large scale event at Belfast Waterfront.

He considers the hospitality of the Northern Ireland public as one of the high points of coming to the city.

“We were moved by the friendliness of the Belfast people,” said Brian. “As for the new Belfast Waterfront, it exceeded our expectations and their team, along with that of Visit Belfast, have gone above and beyond to facilitate and enable us to host a successful event here.”

Belfast Waterfront said its scheduled events next year show that the conference market here ‘remains buoyant’ for 2018 bringing with it an influx of international business guests.

Among those guests is Dr Frank Amoneit from Frankfurt, host of the Euro Fed Lipid

38

Conference here next September. He said one of the biggest attractions of coming to Belfast was the competitive cost.

“English venues were out of our budget limits. This was the point when Northern Ireland came into the play,” he said.

Frank said the support from Visit Belfast and a subsidy by the City Council assisted in making organisation easier.

“We are non-profit and budget is always an issue for us,” he told Ulster Business. “All this made me comfortable to take a risk that I have never taken before; to book a congress centre that was not even built at that time.”

Belfast Waterfront is not the only venue benefitting from a surge in business tourism

“Customers constantly praise the warm welcome they get when they come to the city. When bidding for international business we work together with Visit Belfast, Tourism NI and other key partners to ensure a wider ‘city welcome' for organisers.

“We work together to join up the dots of their requirements and make it easy for them to do business with us,” she explained.

Business tourism may be a relatively new economic driver here but there is always room from improvement added Laura.

Competition from more established conference cities will always be present but one issue that must be tackled is that of skill shortages within the hospitality sector.

“There is a skills gap with demand for quality hospitality staff outstripping the current supply. Hospitality isn’t seen as a career choice and we need to change this perception if we are to sustain and grow our business tourism industry in the years ahead,” she concluded. ■

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18/08/2017 15:55

And the city has delivered against the expectations of its high profile visitors.

Natasha Haggart, group marketing manager – aviation portfolio, UBM EMEA, said of the Routes Europe event: “Belfast is a forward-looking city that has been revitalised over the last ten years and now is the perfect time for the city to showcase this to the route development community. Belfast Waterfront is ideally located in the heart of the city and makes a fantastic location for Routes Europe 2017.”

T

wenty years on from its opening, Belfast Waterfront continues to blaze a trail for event planners, both locally and farther afield.

And the venue has twice gained the accolade of runner-up in the prestigious AIPC World’s Best Conference Centre competition.

Over the years a cast of thousands from the worldS of business, politics and entertainment have graced its impressive stage – from World Council of Credit Unions to President Obama, Rory McIlroy to Kraftwerk.

Now, in little over a year since the venue opened its newly-extended facilities, the profile, number and range of events has spiralled – from awards ceremonies and consumer exhibitions to major international conferences - bringing significant new business opportunities for Belfast as well as raising the city’s profile as an event destination.

Events such as the major Routes Europe aviation industry event and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conference have brought delegates from across the globe – spending up to £488 per day whilst here, and bringing new business for local hotels, restaurants, shops and transport providers. Indeed in the year to April 2017 the Waterfront generated an economic return of £21m for the city from 34 major conferences and more than 50,000 delegate days.

As business continues to grow, the team at the Waterfront are set to welcome many more key events through the remainder of 2017 and beyond. Highlights include: π Radar 2017, International Conference on Radar Systems, 23-26 Oct 2017 π IDF World Dairy Summit, 29 Oct – 3 Nov 2017 π BBC Good Food Show, 10-12 Nov 2017 π Royal College of Nursing, 12-16 May 2018 Working closely with Visit Belfast the Waterfront team actively promote the city and venue all over the world. Through partnerships with local ‘Ambassadors’ - in the corporate, medical and academic sectors - Team Belfast actively supports high profile leaders in bidding for and organizing international events in their home city.

Many local leaders have found this support invaluable in demonstrating the importance of Belfast in their sector and in building national and international contacts.

So, whether local or international, Belfast Waterfront’s position as a catalyst for business growth is firmly established.

To find out more about the venue or to plan an event, contact the sales team today.

T:028 9033 4400; E: conference@waterfront.co.uk; W: www.waterfront.co.uk; Twitter: @BelWaterfront

And the winner is‌ For award ceremonies, gala dinners, exhibitions and conferences Belfast Waterfront is your number one choice.

Enjoy the best seats in the city at our stunning state-of-the-art conference facility, where you will be treated to a feast of flavours, spectacular settings and a service second to none.

We’re ready to welcome you!

Contact us today to discuss making your next event your most memorable yet!

T +44 (0)28 9033 4400 E conference@waterfront.co.uk W waterfront.co.uk @BelWaterfront #BelfastWaterfront

An inspiring venue for all occasions Five flexible function rooms featuring the latest in audio visual equipment In a business world you need a business hotel that inspires! Whether your event is large or small, business or pleasure, the dedicated conference and banqueting team at the 4* Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel will ensure it is an inspirational one.

Located only 1 km from Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel has gained a reputation for being one of Northern Ireland’s most professional, versatile and flexible four star hotels. Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel offers the choice of five conference suites accommodating up to 500 delegates in a variety of styles.

wines that will satisfy your guests. Residential delegates can enjoy complimentary use of the hotel’s exclusive Health Club, complete with swimming pool and outdoor hot tub, or can go that one step further and enjoy a luxurious pampering session in the Elemis Spa.

All conferencing suites and meeting rooms have natural daylight, with many of them boasting panoramic views over scenic Lough Erne.

The Hotel also offers both residential and non-residential packages with the possibility of private dining from specially created menus and

Bespoke Northern Ireland is a leading Destination Management Company with a unique team of Business Tourism experts, based in Belfast.

We are passionate about managing conferences, meetings and events showcasing our country as a wonderful business destination to our clients, locally and around the world.

With our combined expertise and bespoke services we allow you to concentrate on your core business, whilst we work in the background creating and delivering your business events.

Our commitment and passion creates unique and memorable experiences for you to showcase your business at its best and taking advantage of the excellent products our award-winning destination has to offer.

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For all Bookings and enquiries, call Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel on +44 (0)28 6632 3481 email events@killyhevlin.com or www.killyhevlin.com

WHY USE US?

OUR SERVICES

We are so much more than an Event Management company

We excel in the planning and delivery in the following services:

• As a DMC we use our local Business Tourism product knowledge and strong supplier partnerships to showcase the very best of Northern Ireland • We create a sense of pride for our clients through our tourism focussed business services • We design unique, vibrant solutions that will add value and interest to your meeting agenda, programmes and projects • Our bespoke packages and proposals save clients time, resources and operational costs, as well as increasing Productivity • Enjoy increased brand awareness and reputation through professionally executed events

• Full Conference, Meetings and Event Management • Motivational/Rewards Team Building Experiences and Employee Engagement • Inbound Business Trips, Trade Missions and Industry Tours • Meet & Greet Assistance • Corporate Hospitality & Golf Days • VIP Services • Breakfast/Lunch Seminars • Programme Logistics • Corporate Social Responsibility consultation and advice • Accommodation Management • Private Fine Dining

A unique corporate experience for Belfast Boasting Belfast’s most versatile space for business events Whether you are entertaining prospective clients, rewarding staff, hosting your best customers or simply wishing to escape above the City. Our unique rooftop setting offers you unrivalled views over bustling Belfast from the City’s largest outdoor entertaining area The Ivory offers exquisite menus to match our location and any occasion We truly make corporate COOL

3rd Floor House Of Fraser, Belfast BT1 4QG T: 028 9032 4577 E: info@theivorybelfast.com

www.theivorybelfast.com

Primed for future growth We hear from James Conlon, MD of NI’s largest independent Pro-AV specialist Niavac, who said the company is breaking boundaries for sight and sound following significant new appointments and acquisitions

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iavac, the Belfast-based provincewide audio visual (AV) systems integration specialist, has been in business for over 60 years.

Over that time the company has grown steadily, expanding its reach across the corporate, healthcare and education sectors, amongst others. It has acquired sound, hire and audio production company Loft Sound.

James Conlon, Managing Director of Niavac, welcomed the deal. “I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Steve Corr, the former Loft Sound Director, who will head up our hire-event services division. The acquisition has added a new dimension to our corporate event services providing large stadia and outdoor sound to the event portfolio.”

In addition to Steve, the company also welcomes Carl Jones and Philip Reid.

Carl has recently joined Niavac to manage the education side of the business following on from working with CAPITA/C2k as an education specialist for nearly eight years.

Philip joins the organisation as Financial Controller with a wealth of experience. He was previously Group Finance Director for Sliderobes over the last 25+ years.

“We have people here who are highly qualified sales and technical engineers and we have the best design capability,” he said.

“When contracts are awarded to builders and electrical contractors alike, they turn to us when they need confidence that our ‘complete package’ for the design and delivery of any required AV solutions can be met head on, whether it be PA/audio systems, digital signage or interactive technology” The offering has won a plethora of prestigious contracts from organisations which demand

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From left, Steve Corr (Hire Manager), Philip Reid (Financial Controller), James Conlon (Managing Director) and Carl Jones (Commercial Manager)

state of the art products and quality service which NIAVAC can offer.

In the healthcare world, Niavac has installed the first 4K high definition video conference suite at Belfast City Hospital, a first for Northern Ireland and one which allows surgeons and consultants to view lifelike images real-time so they in turn can provide the best possible patient care.

In the corporate world, Niavac has recently been awarded the installation of specialist AV technology at the Sytner owned Porsche showrooms in Belfast.

This system, which is soon to be implemented, has been fully designed by NIAVAC and will most certainly be state-of-the-art and awe inspiring.

For the Porsche contract, Niavac managed to compete against many prestigious Pro-AV London based specialists, as it does for many jobs.

As leaders in the education market, Niavac designed and installed the complete AV solution for Castletower School in Ballymena (due to open in September 2017), which will be the largest special needs school in Europe.

The significant task involved supplying 50 state-of-the-art Clevertouch Interactive screens, digital video walls and high end digital projection equipment for use across the whole of the schools new and modern build.

Niavac has also been awarded similar contracts to supply and install Clevertouch interactive screens to Foyle and Londonderry College and to St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon.

2017 has also seen Niavac shortlisted as a finalist for the AV Innovation Awards BEST CORPORATE PROJECT OF THE YEAR. Finalists were chosen on merit for an out of the box approach for their design and integration and were judged from various independent specialists from around the globe.

In the future, Niavac’s focus will be centred on growing the business across Design and Build plus Event Services whilst at the same time continuing to embrace new technology as it advances at a rapid pace.

If the last 60 years is anything to go by, it’s going be a busy future. ■ For further information please contact Niavac on 028 9079 3000 or info@niavac.com

SKAINOS CENTRE Skainos offers a wide range of hi-tech, low cost room hire and conference facillities in an award winning building in an easily accesible part of Belfast.

Skainos offers nine different rooms for hire which are available 8.00 a.m to 10.00 p.m.

Monday to Friday. The facilities are also available at the weekend. The rooms at Skainos are suitable for a wide range of uses including: - Interviews - Meetings - Functions and Conferences - Sporting / Arts / Cultural Events - On-site Catering (Optional) Every event is treated individually and professionally regardless of scale with space arranged to suit your exact requirements.

For more information about prices and availability please feel free to contact Gary Robb - Skainos Manager.

Telephone: 028 9045 8560 E-mail: gary.robb@skainos.org

Skainos Centre 239 Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 1AF E Mail: info@skainos.org

Inspiring Memorable Events

Titanic Belfast Head Chef Garreth Wilson serves up 45 new hospitality jobs

All aboard to help Titanic sail

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orthern Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction is on the lookout for new hires to fill 45 roles in its hospitality division.

Gala Dinners - Exhibitions - Conferences

The roles at Titanic Belfast will be across all areas of the hospitality department servicing the flexible suites located across the fifth and sixth floor of the venue, as well as the Bistro 401 and The Galley Café, as well as SS Nomadic.

Ride & Drives - Team Building Corporate Wellness - Incentives

Lloyd Jackson, Head of Hospitality, said the ramp up in headcount comes ahead of a busy event season.

122 Guestrooms - 5 Meeting Rooms

He called on people with a passion for five-star service who want to work to world-class standards to apply and said they would get training, mentorship and flexible working opportunities in exchange.

Over the last five years, Titanic Belfast has hosted over 1,500 business and leisure events including Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee lunch, G8 Summit Reception, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, The World Police & Fire Games International Conference, World Conference of Credit Unions, Giro D’Italia and MTV Sounds.

2 - 500 Delegate Capacity - 4 Restaurants Complimentary Wi-Fi - Private Dining Complimentary Parking Relaxation & Wellness Facilities

ENQUIRE TODAY 028 2588 1001 events@galgorm.com

It has served guests including Her Majesty The Queen, TITANIC director James Cameron and Presidential Candidate and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. ■ For more information, visit www.titanicbelfast.com.

46 Inspiring Memorable Events Advert.indd 2

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T i Ta n i c v e n u e s B e l fa s T Be Part of it this autumn!

Whether you are hosting a client reception, planning a conference, gala dinner or large scale exhibition, with capacity for 50 to 5,000 guests, Titanic venues Belfast has the perfect venue for every event! contact the team today to discuss the possibilities for your event email enquiries@titanicbelfast.com, Tel 028 9076 6396

t i ta n i c V e n u e s B e l fa s t. c o m

A warm welcome to a unique location…

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rumlin Road Gaol is one of Belfast’s most beautiful and historical buildings, providing a unique and architecturally stunning space for any event.

conferences in the Lanyon Suite, clients can be assured of a memorable event for all guests.

We recognise that wonderful food is an integral part of any successful conference or event. Therefore our head chef, Damian Blaney, has developed versatile menus consisting of the finest local produce that can be tailored to suit your needs. We are committed to using locally sourced products and offer a wide range of healthy food choices. From tasty lunchtime treats to formal banquet dinners, food and drink at Crumlin Road Gaol is always enjoyable, satisfying and refreshing.

The Grade A-listed building was built in the nineteenth century and today its impressive design is complemented by advanced audiovisual technology coupled with outstanding hospitality facilities, providing the perfect solution for your event.

From intimate meetings to exclusive use of the entire building, Crumlin Road Gaol is the ideal setting for conferences, seminars, product launches, drinks receptions, gala dinners, private parties, exhibitions, concerts, movie screenings and more.

We pride ourselves on providing unique and bespoke events for each of our clients, and CRG Conference Advert 178x130mm.pdf on being as flexible as possible, ensuring that

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every clients need is tailored to provide the highest quality experience for your guests.

Crumlin Road Gaol can cater for a vast range of event requirements, from small meetings in the atmospheric Governor’s Boardroom, to seminars and workshops in the 1 22/08/2017 Forbes Boardroom 12:20 or Tunnel Suite and large

With all room bookings clients have complementary access to our customised AV equipment, free Wi-Fi and free, secure on-site car parking for guests. You will also be assigned a designated Events Manager to aid the smooth running of your event beforehand and on the day of your event. ■

FREAKISHLY GOOD EVENTS MANAGEMENT. ND Events is a fresh and innovative Events Management Company in Northern Ireland. We thrive on producing incredible events for a wide range of clients. A young company, full of creativity and passion to deliver unforgettable experiences for our clients. We are deeply passionate about what we do, focusing on delivering and exceeding client objectives every time.

We have experience in organising a vast a rray of events including th e following:

Award ceremonies Company annivers ary celebrations Conferences Corporate hospitalit y Destination manag ement services Exhibitions Family fun days Gala dinners Office launches Product launches Showcase events

View our website for more information – www.ndevents.co.uk or for an informal chat to discuss how we can help you with your future events, please call Neil Dalzell on 028 9263 3232.

ND Events, 15 Market Place, Lisburn BT28 1AN Tel: +44 (0)28 9263 3232 Email: neil@ndevents.co.uk Web: www.ndevents.co.uk

MEDIATION

Mediation for a changing corporate nation Steve Tweed, Head of Mediation and Consultancy Services at Ampersand NI, explains how third party mediation can help smooth the path when it comes to managing reorganisation for companies large and small

P

ost 2008 a number of major companies across the island of Ireland faced financial crisis. In one major all-island firm, engagement was sought with the recognised trade unions to agree reduction in staff numbers, redeployment of staff, and restructuring of activities to protect the future of the business.

Imposition of such changes could damage employee/industrial relations, and lead to a dispute in the short term, with the potential costs and loss of income as well as reputation damage for the company. Third party mediation was the chosen route to support effective solution-finding and agreement in this case.

While economic recovery may be underway, lessons from the period remain important for business everywhere. Managing reorganisation in difficult circumstances requires considerable expertise not always to hand internally.

Many companies, large and small, follow the process that worked well, particularly post 2008 in the Republic, by engaging an independent third party to assist in achieving a mutually acceptable and timely agreement to implement necessary changes.

Certainly, third party intervention is used in Northern Ireland, but in my experience primarily for individual employee investigations. For a major collective bargaining dispute, the services of the Labour Relations Agency can be utilised, but with its resources stretched the use of an independent third party is an option being considered by more companies. The success achieved in the Republic is easily transported to a Northern Ireland context.

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experienced mediator, resulted in a number of critical changes being agreed:

Steve Tweed

Mediation/conciliation, whatever the label, can take many forms. However, in my opinion adopting a ‘text book’ or overly formulaic approach can be unhelpful, providing little in the way of alternatives being suggested to the parties. Trusted third party experience and expertise, across many years in the industrial and employee relations arena, will draw on that knowledge, seek to avoid potential pitfalls as well as securing outcomes, critically providing skilled guidance with a little direction to the parties which generally assists in yielding a successful outcome.

In difficult circumstances, mediation is not just about ‘holding hands’ with the parties - even if time allows for it. The process is about understanding and grasping the issues promptly, the circumstances, the options, and a direction towards an agreed solution which is sustainable and robust. When parties have already failed to find common ground, a pragmatic and direct approach by an experienced mediator will contribute to finding new pathways and securing an agreement.

For of the company mentioned earlier, a significant programme of change was envisaged and, with the support of an

e Redundancies – a reduction of approximately 10% of the workforce. With a voluntary approach being the preferred option, there was a recognition that the best severance terms affordable should be offered.

Unfavourable terms do not attract volunteers, and a lack of volunteers inevitably results in compulsory severance and the prospect of a potentially damaging dispute. There’s a delicate balance to be achieved by the mediator, with gentle direction, to steer all parties to consider proposals that edge them towards the overlap in objectives where an agreement is achievable.

An inevitable follow on from many redundancy programmes is the issue of redeployment, selection procedures and an appeals mechanism. To maintain independence the appeals process can also be managed by the agreed third party. e Head office restructuring and the closure of office locations – the same re-deployment criteria and appeals process can be utilised, and for predictability and security a re-location policy and procedure can be built into the process. This has the effect of increasing confidence into the entire programme.

The case outlined resulted in an agreement that implemented significant change in the workplace on a voluntary basis and with the agreement and support of employees and their representatives. The company is still trading and has returned to profit. Mediation/ conciliation facilitated by an experienced mediator and encompassing a little prompting and direction had the effect of moving all parties from a stalemate to an agreement in the relatively short time available. r

MAGNOFFICENT

S U P E R I O R S E RV I C E D A N D V I RT U A L O F F I C E S A D J A C E N T T O B E L FA S T C I T Y H A L L

028 9091 8200 | scottishprovidentbuilding.co.uk

PROFILE

Business person of the month NAME: MARK LATUSKE COMPANY: CLARENDON EXECUTIVE HOW DID HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN? In 1997, as a history and politics graduate, I’d no clear career path aspirations. However, I saw the potential and opportunity that an early ‘schooling’ in one of the big professional service firms could bring, and the range of roles and career options that could open up from there. As such, my career began in the audit division of KPMG in London.

months I’ve begun working with the team at Clarendon Executive, and I’m excited about helping to enhance the firm’s Coaching and Organisational Development offering to complement its already established track record of success in executive search.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE A CHALLENGE? As somebody who has built a career on working with individuals and teams to improve personal and collective effectiveness, the biggest challenge I have faced – and continue to face - is working with those who are either unwilling and/or unable to shift ‘the way they do things’.

Through experience I’ve learnt that if you boil it all down the thing that matters most is the importance of listening.

Not ‘pretending’ to listen but really tuning in to what is going on and crucially what is not going on

Experience suggests that in the vast majority of cases this mindset stems from a position of significant personal vulnerability - an appreciation that they need to change but a total lack of confidence in what the first step must be.

Throughout my career I’ve seen this challenge present itself frequently, and it’s something that never fails to fascinate and motivate me. The point at which you see a real and authentic change in the most initially resistant of people is incredibly rewarding.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE? Through experience I’ve learnt that if you boil it all down the thing that matters most is the importance of listening. Not ‘pretending’ to listen but really tuning in to what is going on and crucially what is not going on. Very often the real situation and facts are bubbling below the surface and just need time and a considerate ear to surface.

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“ WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND DO IT ALL AGAIN? Genuinely nothing. I believe that every ‘wrong’ turn I’ve taken and every success I’ve achieved has led me to where I am now in my career. For example, without my first misstep into the world of accountancy, I would never have had the opportunity to move from KPMG Audit to KPMG Consulting, and on to build a career in HR and People Change.

WHO OR WHAT HAS HELPED YOU GET WHERE YOU ARE? My first roles at KPMG and Accenture taught me a range of disciplines and skills that I still rely on to this day. There have also been mentors and individuals who have believed, supported and encouraged me, as well as a range of colleagues with whom I have both shared successes and worked with to learn from mistakes. In the last couple of

”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR BUSINESS CAREER TO BE REMEMBERED? I like to think there will be some individuals who believe that through my engagement with them, a significant and positive difference was made to their professional career.

WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A 20-YEAR OLD YOU? You are going to mess up a bunch of stuff – don’t worry about it, worry about how quickly you recover. ■

Energy

Sponsored by

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ENERGY

Energy provision: profitable enough for investors?

Professor John Simpson takes a look at the local energy sector has evolved over the years and asks what needs to be put in place to ensure continued investment by the private sector in the future 54

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xternal investors have invested large amounts in the provision of energy to Northern Ireland customers. All the largest energy businesses operating in Northern Ireland are owned outside this region.

Critically, these investors appear to be making an acceptable return on their capital and have been willing to increase their investments as the local market has developed.

Around 50 years ago the local energy market was a much simpler, less sophisticated, commercial scene.

First, there was no provision of natural gas. Whilst natural gas became a welldeveloped service in the populated areas of Great Britain and, to a lesser extent, in areas served by Cork and Dublin from the Marathon gas field discovered just south of Cork and Kinsale, Northern Ireland had to wait for the initiative that eventually brought natural gas through a special pipeline from south west Scotland.

The deal to give investors the reassurance to lay the gas pipeline was painfully slow in being approved and implemented. Many a discussion was constrained by doubts on whether the Northern Ireland market was big enough to sustain that investment.

Direct rule ministers were persuaded to give the necessary approvals.

ENERGY

Viridian emerged as the external owner of the newly-established network. An extensive local shareholding network was absorbed in a buy-out offer from Viridian.

Northern Ireland needs the assurance that the all-island grid will be developed to facilitate large cross-border electricity supplies in the years after 2020. At present cross-border interconnection is both delayed

The main energy businesses in Northern Ireland [see table] are now predominately owned and operated by companies headquartered outside Northern Ireland.

The key statistics reflect very differing performances for each of them.

(for north-south facilities) and disrupted

Main energy businesses in Northern Ireland Company

Ownership

Year end

GB & Aus

12.16

Firmus Energy

Guernsey

SSE Airtricity Energy

GB

Phoenix Nat Gas

Revenue £’m

Pretax profit £’m

Bal.sheet Equity £’m

£51.1

£10.2 a

£259.5

12.15

£26.5

£10.8

(£6.8) b

3.16

£234.2

£ 1.5

£12.6

NIE Networks

Ireland

12.16

£246.8

£50.2

£293.9

SONI

Ireland

9.16

£128.1

(£ 1.1) c

£ 18.7

Power NI

USA

3.16

£488.5

£34.7

£110.5

Energia

USA

3.16

£175.9

£11.9

£ 60.6

Coolkeeragh ESB

Ireland

12.16

£130.9

£24.2

£ 12.1

AES Ballylumford

USA

12.15

£111.6

£ 6.2

£ 78.2

AES Kilroot

USA

12.15

£113.6

(£7.3) d

£118.6

Mutual Energy [Moyle]

N.I.

3.16

£ 68.1

(£41.7) e

(£29.1) b

a. After revaluation of fixed assets £14.1m b. Negative equity reported c. Loss reported d. After impairment of assets of £24.0m e. After impairment losses of £55.5m

From the debate, Phoenix Natural Gas was created and, with enthusiasm, began to build a commercially successful market place focused, initially, on Greater Belfast. The natural gas evolution was, later, to mutate into more advanced organisational and financial model as well as extending to large areas away from Belfast, including the ‘Ten towns’ area and recently ‘gas to the west’.

The 11 companies listed in the table are part of an even larger number of businesses with interests in the local market.

Second, the local electricity sector had been consolidated into what became the public sector-owned Northern Ireland Electricity Service, NIES, owning and operating the distribution network and (mainly) oil burning electricity generating units. The critical decisions were to agree to privatise the electricity sector by inviting bids for the

There are several hundred wind farms ranging from small units linked to domestic premises to larger groups of linked wind farms with contracts that allow them to feed electricity into the grid. These wind farms pose particular operational problems for the systems operator, SONI, and the specification of contracts when the system

SEPTEMBER 2017

may have more wind power generated electricity than can be functionally managed.

Additionally, the capacity to generate an adequate supply of electricity is vulnerable to the implementation of emissions standards that will limit the continued viable operation of some of the generating capacity at Kilroot and Ballylumford.

Closure, or reduction, of significant capacity is expected by 2020.

main constituents. New owners were found at prices that, with hindsight, seem low for Coolkeeragh, Ballylumford, Belfast West and Kilroot as well as the transmission and distribution network.

because of the continuing fault in the Moyle Interconnector owned by Mutual Energy.

Security of sustainable electricity supplies through interconnection beyond 2020 is still in doubt.

In Northern Ireland there is a possible easing of the doubt about sustainability through the planning proposal from a private venture, owned by the Devine family, for a large new power station located in a Belfast harbour site using natural gas. >

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16/08/2017 11:58

???

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ENERGY

Each of these energy businesses is, to some degree, under the supervision of the Utility Regulator. As regulated businesses they are required to conform to different constraints, some in terms of price controls, others in terms of permitted total revenue. The energy supply sector is also subject to some degrees of commercial competition affecting prices and profits.

The published results for these businesses do not point to either generous profits or profit margins that are commercially threatening. That outcome may reassure the Regulator.

There is no easy demonstrable evidence of the overall and continuing trend in profit margins for these energy sector businesses.

Two features may offer some reassurance to the investors and customers.

First, the business owners are largely uncomplaining: quiet acceptance may suggest an acceptable rate of return.

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Second, there are several points at which some of these companies have been able to change their bottom line profitability not just through the demonstrated operating profits but also by posting variations in the value of their fixed assets or through adjustments caused by posting impairment charges. An expert assessment of the role played by exceptional charges or revaluation of assets and the way in which these changes affect declared profits could be commended.

The energy sector in Northern Ireland has diversified and restructured in ways that were not fully expected 25 years ago. The regulatory process does not seem to have impeded the arrival of new investors.

However, there are big questions still to settle for the future. Is the all-island electricity market going to function to the advantage of both jurisdictions, north and south? Is the support for further renewable generation to continue and, if so, how

“

The energy sector in Northern Ireland has diversified and restructured in ways that were not fully expected 25 years ago.

�

are the incentives to be framed? Is there a further role for Renewable Operations Certificates and, if so, how is this to relate to renewable incentives (if any) in Great Britain?

There are big continuing and developing policy questions, even without the aftermath of the unfinished RHI (renewable heat incentive) budgetary problems. â–

Electric Ireland sends ‘Gas to the West’

SME’s and larger businesses in the North West received a significant economic boost this month with the announcement that natural gas is being supplied to the sector across the ‘Gas to the West’ (GttW) project, for the first time.

Electric Ireland, part of the ESB Group, was announced as the first supplier to provide energy via the new £250M pipeline, which brings natural gas to most of the main towns in the west, with the company now becoming the only gas supplier to operate in all three gas distribution networks.

Following a seven month competitive process Electric Ireland won a £2.2M annual contract to supply major international dairy cooperative, LacPatrick Dairies with natural gas. The partnership will see Electric Ireland providing approximately 90million kWh of energy every year to power LacPatrick’s site at Atigarvan, including its new €40m milk drying facility.

The completion of the GttW project represents one of the largest infrastructural investments in the region for many years and presents businesses as well as households with the opportunity to avail of natural gas, for the first time, driving both economic and social benefits and supporting businesses’ energy efficiency.

Commenting on Electric Ireland’s contract with LacPatrick and the opportunity the GttW project presents to a range of businesses, Claire McAllister, Sales and Marketing Manager at Electric Ireland, said, “We are delighted to be the first supplier of gas on the first phase of the GttW project.

Natural Gas is a key focus for Electric Ireland and this contract, the largest single-site contract on the island of Ireland, underpins our commitment to grow our market share in the Northern Ireland gas sector becoming a leader in dual fuel supply “The GttW project enables businesses of all size to avail of the natural gas offering, providing the opportunity to improve energy efficiency, enhance competitiveness and support the potential for economic growth.

“At Electric Ireland we work closely with businesses throughout that process. We know that they want affordable energy and control over their energy costs and we offer them real, valuable support, providing access to day-to-day account management services and expert advice.

“For the first time, for businesses in the North West, we are looking forward to natural gas being part of that process.”

Electric Ireland See how we provide real, valuable support to your business.

Contact us today on ��� ���� ���� for more details.

Smarter Living

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ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

Creating an energy market to support economic growth Alan Campbell, Grid Development Manager at SONI, explains how an evolved wholesale electricity market and modern transmission infrastructure will support economic growth in Northern Ireland

A

t SONI we are constantly working to help improve business conditions and to facilitate economic growth in Northern Ireland.

At a basic level this means making sure there is enough electricity to meet demand on a daily basis, powering offices, factories, towns, cities and rural areas.

Beyond that, we support innovation and develop the electricity market to ensure it continues to operate in the best interest of consumers. A good example of this is the all-island Single Electricity Market (SEM), introduced in 2007 to lower the cost of electricity and maximise efficiencies between north and south.

To build on the success of the SEM, we are currently finalising the design of the Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM), which will be introduced in May 2018.

The introduction of the I-SEM will see new wholesale market arrangements deliver benefits to all consumers, and its advantages will include increased access to cheaper sources of electricity; a more open and efficient electricity market; and increased levels of security of supply.

Being part of the all-island market allows us to tie in to Europe’s Internal Energy Market.

This will comprise 20 countries coupled by 38 interconnectors ensuring access to significant levels of electricity supply, optimising crossborder flows and facilitating the efficient trading of electricity. Delivering the I-SEM will help us further integrate into this system.

Protecting the single market has been highlighted as a key priority for the UK

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Alan Campbell of SONI

and Irish Governments in the context of Brexit, and there is agreement on the strong economic arguments for the all-island market to be not only maintained but enhanced after the UK leaves the EU. Another important area of focus for SONI is developing a modern and up-to-date transmission network to help deliver a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity across Northern Ireland. SONI’s priority project remains the proposed North South Interconnector, a 400kV connection between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

A Public Inquiry into the planning application for the project was held in February and we are hopeful that a recommendation will come from the Planning Appeals Commission before the end of the year, with a Ministerial decision following soon after.

When all consents are in place it will take three years to construct the new line, with a target completion date of 2020.

When built the North South Interconnector will allow the full implementation of the all-island electricity market and will be an important component of the I-SEM, ensuring maximum benefits can be delivered to consumers.

Regarding its importance to the economy, the North South Interconnector has support from Northern Ireland’s leading business organisations including Northern Ireland Chamber, CBI NI, Retail NI, Federation of Small Businesses, Institute of Directors, Institution of Civil Engineers, Centre for Competitiveness and Londonderry Chamber.

Looking ahead SONI will continue to work closely with businesses and employers on projects such as the North South Interconnector and the I-SEM to ensure we are doing all we can to support a strong economy in Northern Ireland now and for the years to come. ■

ENERGY

Prof Neil Hewitt is pictured with Ulster University Pro-vice Chancellor, Research & Impact, Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan

UU searches for energy storage solution

U

lster University has launched a search to find a way for homeowners to store electricity from renewable energy sources.

The €6.7m (£6m) cross-border research project will see the university work with three research institutes and 14 businesses to find ways to store energy during peak supply periods – for instance, during sunny days for solar energy and breezy days for wind energy schemes – for release during lower demand periods.

Known as the SPIRE 2 project, it has received funding of €6.7 million from the EU’s INTERREG VA programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Gina McIntyre, CEO of the SEUPB, said the programme will have a big impact.

“This is an innovative cross-border collaborative project which has the potential to make a lasting impact within the renewable energy sector, to benefit everyone in this region,” she said. “The EU INTERREG VA Programme recognises the tremendous growth potential of this sector, leading to

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new commercial opportunities that will enhance the local economy.”

Project leader Professor Neil Hewitt, who is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies at Ulster University, said the recent announcement by the Business Secretary Greg Clarke outlined how the UK Government intends to stimulate a drastic modernisation of energy markets.

“The SPIRE 2 project will help to deliver this by looking at how energy storage resources owned by homeowners and businesses can resolve the problem of the variability of output from renewable energy.

2 will also contribute to local economic growth. These positions are now open to applicants and offer an opportunity to be involved in strategically significant global energy research.”

It is expected that SPIRE 2 will generate at least eight intellectual property disclosures in areas ranging from thermochemical material storage to heat pump design and ways to prevent biofouling.

“If consumers can store energy effectively, that will allow very high levels of renewables to be integrated into power grids globally, at the same time as putting consumers at the heart of the energy system.”

The project’s partner organisations are Queen’s University Belfast, Strathclyde University, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Arbarr Group, Sunamp Ltd, Glen Dimplex Ltd, AES Kilroot Power Ltd, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Community Energy Scotland, B9 Energy Group, Climote, SSE plc, Energia, ESB Innovation, Ulster Farmers Union and The Authentic Food Company.

“The project will create 17 PhD studentships and will further develop six post-doctoral researchers. By creating this supply of highlyeducated developers, able to transform research ideas into commercial reality, SPIRE

Match-funding for the project has been provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland. ■

Employment Law

MEDIATION

How to resolve Disputes in the workplace can poison morale and hit productivity hard. Michelle Murphy QUESTION: I hold a senior role in a large software company and manage a team of 20 software developers. Managing a growing team can be a challenge but I enjoy it most of the time. However, I have a situation where two of my more senior team leaders do not get on. This has been obvious since the most recent hire joined the team. While neither has done anything that would cause me to discipline them, the morale of the team has definitely been affected by the tension between them. How do I resolve this?

ANSWER: Conflict resolution is an issue a lot of managers have to face and it can be unsettling for everyone. You need to take the right approach as early as possible to ensure it doesn't grow out of proportion.

Conflict can cause a toxic environment within the workplace so you need to totally understand the situation and act responsibly.

Management is not about popularity or

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avoiding a negative reputation but about ensuring you act in the best interest of the team and the organisation in an ethical manner. All managers and leaders must expect to have to deal with a conflict situation at some point so here are some pointers to consider.

1. Timing is key Avoiding the situation or putting it off until another day will not wash. You need to take action where you have evidence that there is a situation, which is negatively impacting others - and that there is a pattern to it.

Striking too early without proper information will lead to possible confrontation. But the other team members need to see that you are acting and can deal with adversity.

2. Know your employees Some employees may not understand the consequences of their actions, so you need to be able to understand their boundaries.

Ensure you can read the timing of when they do actually cross the line, understand their

behavioural tendencies, mindset shifts, etc, so you can reach them just before that point of 'no return'.

This can be achieved by having one-to-one discussions with employees on a regular basis or engaging in coaching sessions so all employees know what is expected and what is not acceptable.

3. There will be differences Everyone will view things from differing points of view - so you do have to listen, interpret the situation and respect cultural and generational diversity. Often your role may be that as a facilitator or mediator so your listening skills may take centre stage, but if tensions rise you need to ensure no one steps out of line.

4. Confront the issue Management is about doing the things most other people would not like to do, so you need to activate your management skills. Be the wise owl and deal with the

MEDIATION

staff conflict explains how to tackle one of the most difficult aspects of management with a deft touch situation, even if it seems trivial to you, as it could be a major grievance for one of the parties involved and lead to attrition down the road. The longer you leave the situation, other team members will start discussing it and question your management capability.

Your team needs to be able to trust you as a leader to deliver a safe, healthy and conflictfree environment 5. Build team cohesion There are several factors that must be present for cohesion within a team. They must share a common goal and collectively work towards it. Communication is essential and, above all, they need to understand that what they do together as a team is better than what they do on their own and so respect for each other is essential.

It is important to recognise that some people can work through conflict with no repercussions but others often feel overwhelmed, afraid or too proud to work through it. You need to foster an

SEPTEMBER 2017

environment where the workplace will embrace healthy conflict but not tolerate negative or toxic issues that will cause a breakdown in the culture you are creating.

a conclusion. It will test the fabric of the relationship when the tension is resolved and both parties can foresee a win-win outcome for themselves and the team.

A sprinkling of healthy conflict is not all negative and can foster growth as it allows people to listen, discuss and reach

For the manager, this will certainly hone their your own maturity in dealing with situations and not just brushing them under the carpet. â–

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TITLE ANALYSIS

Brexit and your commercial contracts Gareth Liddy, Head of Commercial Litigation at Johnsons Solicitors, explains why it is important to check all your existing contracts to future-proof against Brexit

T

he UK’s decision to leave the EU of course presents difficult political challenges but whatever the final outcome it will also present a complex range of legal challenges for many businesses.

An essential ‘first step’ for almost all UK organisations to consider is the impact of Brexit on commercial contracts and arrangements, particularly in relation to dispute resolution and governing law.

Given Brexit’s likely impact on exchange rates, the potential imposition of trade tariffs and the restriction of free movement, some pre-Brexit agreements may simply become unworkable post-Brexit.

With guidance and planning, businesses can help protect existing and new contracts to

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minimise the negative impact and protect against future Brexit-related difficulties.

absence of jurisdiction clauses, a business could be sued in an EU state under that state’s law.

Firstly, businesses must ‘sanity check’ existing contracts to identify all possible risks and, crucially, to futureproof these against Brexit where possible.

Whilst every business and sector will have its own set of unique circumstances, as a practical guide, organisations should:

Futureproofing measures may involve expressly providing for the commercial impact of Brexit or expressly stating whether references to "the EU" will include the UK, post-Brexit.

Contracts may need to make clear if references to "EU law" include legislation succeeding that law in the UK, or clarify which courts are to have jurisdiction in the event of a dispute.

It is important to note that once the UK leaves the EU, it will lose some of the protections of the Recast Brussels Regulation, meaning that in the

• Carefully consider how Brexit may impact upon the business and its commercial arrangements • Analyse all existing contracts and commercial arrangements to assess if they protect against Brexit • Identify any contracts that need to be renegotiated or amended • Futureproof contracts against Brexit Johnsons can provide strategic advice on how to analyse your contractual arrangements preBrexit and, importantly, minimise risk for your business. ■

The alternative route to resolution Therese Johnston, Managing Partner at James T Johnston Solicitors, explains why it can often pay to look to mediation when your business finds itself in a dispute WHAT IS MEDIATION? Mediation is a dynamic and structured process where a neutral third party assists disputing parties and their advisors in resolving conflict through the use of facilitative open discussion, communication and negotiation. Mediation focuses primarily upon the needs, rights, and interests of the parties. The mediator guides the process to help the parties find their optimal solution. Mediation, is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), which is a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. Typically the mediator assists the parties to negotiate a settlement or solution without making any decision or finding in a variety of areas such as commercial, civil, employment, partnerships, inheritance, construction and family matters.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM MEDIATION? At any stage of a dispute parties may seek to adjourn their legal proceedings before the courts to facilitate a resolution via mediation.

It is important that should the parties proceed to mediation that they all do so in a genuine attempt to resolve their dispute. Should the mediation fail to reach a settlement or solution or should a party withdraw, the parties are free to return to their court proceedings without prejudicing their legal rights.

HOW IS MEDIATION CONDUCTED? The Law Society of Northern Ireland has set up the Dispute Resolution Service where there is a panel of Solicitors and Barristers who are all trained in mediation law, practice and mediation skills. All mediators must conduct the mediation in accordance with the DRS Code of Practice and the EU Code of Conduct. The mediator will conduct the mediation by remaining impartial and will not provide advice to either party. They will assist the parties by establishing the issues in dispute and will work and encourage the parties to create solutions that will work for all parties in an attempt to settle the dispute.

The terms of any agreed settlement will be put into writing by the mediator for future reference by both parties.

WHERE AND HOW LONG DOES MEDIATION TAKE? Mediation will take place in a neutral location to suit all parties and where there are facilities with separate rooms for each of the parties, for the mediator and for refreshments such as a Hotel or Conference Centre. Most mediations are completed within a day but can last longer where there are high complex matters requiring an additional period of time.

confidentiality, control, increased compliance, mutual respect and support.

IS MEDIATION EFFECTIVE? Research has shown that parties who undertake mediation have a high success rate in reaching a settlement. It is also faster as the mediation process should be completed within 90 days; it can save legal costs and what is important for many is that it can preserve future business relationships between the parties.

For more information or advice please contact Therese Johnston, Managing Partner James T Johnston Solicitors, Donegall Chambers, 138-140 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2GY, tel 028 90246091 or email on Therese@ johnstonsolicitors.com

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEDIATION? The mediation process is private, confidential and voluntary. The mediator acts as a neutral third party and facilitates rather than directing the process. Mediation is becoming a more internationally accepted solution in order to end conflict and can be used to resolve disputes of any magnitude. The main benefits of mediation include cost effectiveness,

Therese Johnston has undertaken Mediation training and holds a Certificate in Dispute Resolution and Mediation.

Areas of interest include Civil and Commercial, Employment, Probate and Family. Therese’s profile details are available at Law Society Dispute Resolution Service at mediatorsni.com

LAW

Northern Ireland’s first Resolution Centre launched

A

s the demand for alternative dispute resolution in Northern Ireland continues to rise, the Bar of Northern Ireland has created a purpose-built facility to enable out-ofcourt mediation and arbitration services to be offered in an accessible and private space from 14th September 2017.

option as it may offer a more timely and cost effective solution with the added advantages of preserving the privacy and relationships of those involved. It is therefore no surprise that this alternative solution is being promoted by Northern Ireland’s leading barristers, and local solicitors.”

Located within The Boat – an iconic building in Belfast’s skyline – The Resolution Centre will offer bespoke facilities and services for clients to resolve disputes outside of the traditional court setting. Northern Ireland’s first and only dedicated centre for alternative dispute resolution, The Resolution Centre will create a venue within the local Belfast market for skilled mediators and arbitrators to use their specific set of core skills to assist parties in arriving at alternative resolution options.

The creation of The Resolution Centre is good news for both local and prospective international clients as it provides another addition to the advantages that the jurisdiction can already offer to them.

Traditionally a wide range of commercial, civil and family disputes end up being taken to court for resolution.

Whilst this remains a highly effective and appropriate route in many circumstances, the number of local disputes settled outside of litigation has

David Mulholland

been on the rise as parties seek, and are often encouraged, to explore other alternatives. The Resolution Centre aims to support this trend by offering a venue and a service which will help when the conditions lend themselves towards pursuing resolution by another means. In addition to handling commercial disputes, The Resolution Centre is therefore available for handling private cases including divorce and family law.

“A properly constituted legally-led resolution process can provide a range of advantages,” said David Mulholland, The Bar’s Chief Executive. “In certain situations it may be the most appropriate

Clients already have direct access to a wide network of skilled local solicitors and the ability to engage the Bar’s existing expertise in providing trusted and independent advice and representation in court alongside the significantly lower cost of commercial litigation in Northern Ireland compared to other locations.

In creating The Resolution Centre client choice has been further increased.

The Resolution Centre is open to be used by any practitioners engaged in providing mediation and arbitration services. It is well positioned within Belfast’s City Centre and is in walking distance of the courts and the Bar while also offering easy access via public transportation links.

Offering facilities including private room hire with access control and acoustically sealed rooms as well as a full AV suite including Wi-Fi, telephone and video conferencing, confidential paper disposal and wireless photocopying, printing and scanning and catering options, In addition to alternative dispute resolution, facilities within The Resolution Centre can also be used for meetings, training or seminars. ■ For more information on The Resolution Centre visit theresolutioncentre.co.uk or call 02890265700

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LAUNCHING THIS MONTH NI’s first bespoke alternative dispute resolution facility Choose from nine custom-designed rooms, available for hire individually or in combination. Suitable for small, medium and large mediations, arbitrations, meetings and events.

Our facilities include: •

Modern design

•

Confidential paper disposal

•

High speed secure wifi

•

Breakout spaces

•

Acoustically sealed rooms

•

Reception and tech support services

•

Telephone and video conferencing

•

Central location, car park and transport links

To book or to arrange a tour of our facilities in the Boat Building, Belfast call us on 028 9026 5700 or email contact@theresolutioncentre.co.uk For more information visit www.theresolutioncentre.co.uk

RECRUITMENT

Returnships hold the key to rich seam of talent Justin Rush, Director of Abacus Professional Recruitment, highlights an often overlooked section of the job market which holds huge potential for recruiters across Northern Ireland

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round 71% of businesses in Northern Ireland have had difficulty recruiting professional and management staff in the second quarter of 2017, according to the NI Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Survey.

The respondents cited a low volume of applications due to a lack of relevant skills and increased competition for staff. This is an ongoing trend and one which needs to be considered carefully in any recruitment strategy.

But there is an unmined seam of talent which could solve the problem.

Many local companies are missing an opportunity to improve their application rates and are not considering the significant benefits offered by returning former senior professionals into the workplace who have taken a career break.

The formal introduction of so-called ‘returnships’ is one of the latest recruitment trends adopted by leading blue-chip companies in the UK. The higher-level internships act as a bridge back to senior roles for experienced professionals who have taken an extended time off work due to family commitments for example.

‘Returnships’ can be contracts of three to 12 months and are mainly, but not exclusively, aimed at women returners who are typically former legal, accountancy, IT and financial services professionals. It allows the individuals to get back into work, refresh their skills and become better equipped to gain a future permanent role.

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Justin Rush

Employers which are open to such initiatives are able to access an untapped pool of experienced talent which many are overlooking. Don’t forget this is a group who are eager to impress.

The Women Returners Network, supporting women in the workplace, estimated that half a million female professionals currently taking a career break in the UK are likely to come back into the workforce.

In practice, the returner normally takes little time to get back up to speed, many say it is like falling off the proverbial log!

Successful initiatives such as PwC’s ‘Back to Business’ scheme and EY’s ‘Reconnect Programme’ demonstrate how both the company and returning individuals benefit from this dedicated initiative.

In reality, management may raise eyebrows at seeing a lengthy gap in employment in a potential appointee.

However in my experience, this gap is not as relevant to the recruitment selection process as many think. That is particularly when you consider the vital skills returners may bring to businesses.

Those professionals who have taken a career break invariably bring with them years of great experience. They have the skills and attitudes which recruitment companies like my own are tasked to provide in candidates every day, so they certainly should not be overlooked.

Just remember, you do not have to be a large business to introduce a returners initiative, the underlying principle (making it clear you welcome returners to apply) is something that today’s forward-thinking businesses can do easily.

It will certainly help address the worrying trend of low application volumes and poor quality. ■

Justin Rush is a career recruiter and Director at Abacus Professional Recruitment. He can be contacted on justin@abacus.jobs

ROUND-TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

Round-table: Manufacturing for the future Ulster Business and Bank of Ireland UK gather together some of the best heads in the manufacturing world to find out what makes the sector tick, what challenges it faces and how we can make sure it faces an exciting future PARTICIPANTS: Gavin Kennedy, Head of Business Banking NI, Bank of Ireland UK Kris Toner, Senior Manager Mid Corporate, Bank of Ireland UK Ashley Piggott, Managing Director, AJ Power Mark Cuskeran, Director, Manufacturing NI and Ulster Shredders Mark Fisher, Financial Director, Telestack Saunders Graham, Managing Director, Pollock Lifts

Left to right: Saunders Graham, Gavin Kennedy, Scott King

a lot of our members employ people from the European Union and rely on exports.

In addition, high energy prices are a big worry, but we’ve got to be positive and look forward.

Scott King, Director, CCP Gransden

Northern Ireland by looking to the Republic, Europe and further afield. We’ve experienced phenomenal growth over the last 24 months and we want to continue on that path so we have been looking at other options as well, absolutely.

STERLING FALL: FRIEND OR FOE? Rodney Saunderson, Commercial Director, Munster Simms David Elliott, Editor, Ulster Business David Elliott: What does the manufacturing sector look like at present?

Mark Cuskeran: It’s strong. There is steady employment, the devaluation of sterling has been very good for export and sales growth. However, the increase in import input costs has been hard for many companies to deal with. That has to be passed on to the customer or savings found elsewhere.

We’re all looking to 2019 and how the Brexit negotiations pan out, particularly as

SEPTEMBER 2017

DE: What impact has the devaluation of sterling had?

Mark Fisher: Given the bespoke nature of our equipment, there has been an element of higher demand for our product but there has been a lot of pressure from the increasing price of raw materials. We’ve experienced higher input costs of between 10% and 12% and we’ve had a number of challenges trying to pass this on in the price of our end product. It is an inherent pressure on our business at present. We are looking at a number of options at the moment, not just within the island of Ireland, but further afield.

If you look at the media, there are a number of large businesses which have already sought to maximise operations outside

Ashley Piggot: We look at the weakness of sterling as a huge advantage. We do have a lot of European-sourced material but we tend to try and balance it out through the years. We sell in dollars, euros, Swedish krona and are enjoying a benefit because of the weakness of sterling. Input costs are rising, yes, but we try to create natural hedges between euro sales and euro purchases.

Saunders Graham: Because most of our sales are into the UK, it has really established our UK customers. Where we might have been under pressure from Eastern European suppliers, we are no longer under that sort of pressure. They are looking at what they’re getting, recognising it is better and >

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ROUND-TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

realising there isn’t a cost advantage in going somewhere else. In terms of costs, we have the same problems as everyone else but have enough of a natural hedge to cover some of it. As for the rest, we have agreements lasting one or two years and also try to get our purchases in sterling rather than the currency of the manufacturer. It all sounds easy but it’s not. Also, we have been buying some of our more expensive components from the Far East.

DE: Gavin, as a bank, has the drop in sterling been a big issue for your clients?

Gavin Kennedy: Our UK Economist and Market Analyst Alan Bridle counted seven major devaluations in sterling since 1966.

Because of that trend people are trying to hedge as much as they can, either naturally or by using hedging products; this is a very important consideration for us and for companies. More people seem to be trying to move to natural hedges by moving into different markets. This gives them that natural hedge rather than only relying on financial products and means there is a move by some companies to start exporting, which is an interesting dynamic in the middle of Brexit. It is making people think a little bit harder and is stimulating ambition to look further afield.

Rodney Saunderson: In terms of our raw materials it’s a significant increase in cost, particularly because this year we’ve had good growth in sales. In terms of profitability, we are probably static because we are trying to recoup our raw material increase in terms of our cost base. It’s a challenge.

Kris Toner

Scott King: We primarily operate in aerospace, transportation and defence and are all targeting those technologies or those products which we know as high-value added. So we are really trying to use the knowledge economy side of things and put across the idea to the client that we could use cheaper materials but want to have the best possible product for you and the best solution for you. Some of our clients are not necessarily concerned about a price increase that is in the single percentages because they’re thinking about the whole lifecycle cost.

Kris Toner: For the manufacturing industry to really grow in Northern Ireland, yes, it does need to be outwardly focused and we have a key role in ensuring that the businesses that we support have the tools to help them export.

Mark Cuskeran and Rodney Saunders

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SCARCE SKILLS DE: There has been a lot of talk about the difficulty in getting staff with the right skills. Is this an issue?

RS: We’ve experienced a skills shortage in the last number of years, right from the shop floor, up to engineers, through to business development. There are a number of reasons. Engineering is probably less attractive in Northern Ireland because there are less engineering companies than there would have been historically. There are a lot IT companies and many young graduates are more focused on IT where they expect to get paid more. It’s a real challenge. There’s a business development role we’ve been trying to fill for the last two years. In the past there were programmes like Explorers - which a lot of us came through – where we would have sourced a lot of talent but there isn’t a similar programme any more. Low cost travel and the internet means graduates are much more prepared to be mobile in terms of their labour. They go to the UK, they go to America, Australia and beyond so the pool of talent is diminished and when we put these jobs on the website we get just four or five applicants. It’s a challenge getting people for the shop floor, a problem which is mirrored at our parent company in the US. We’ve changed the way we recruit in order to get the right people and the right skills. We were focused on aptitude tests which a lot of young people were able to pass but which the more experienced people who, may have done 20 years in Shorts or Harland & Wolff, maybe have not been so good at.

ROUND-TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

GK: That’s an interesting point. Speaking to IT and restaurant businesses there are similar challenges across different sectors. They are invested in a collaborative approach with colleges to build and develop training and apprentice programmes to address this.

MF: I completely agree. This year we will invest and grow our talent by 25%, but it’s been darn hard to do that. We’ve had to proactively liaise with a number of local highly bespoke recruitment agencies who are within the manufacturing and engineering sectors. We also invested a pretty significant amount in a recruitment event. We promoted it around the local area and attracted 150 to the event. Out of that 150 we have already received CVs for at least 75%, and last week we recruited seven new starts. It’s hard work and takes a lot of time and investment but we’ve started to reap the rewards.

MC: The training and retention of staff is very important. One of our membership base, Creagh Concrete have got a CAD Academy now because it’s hard to get mechanical engineers. To overcome that issue, they are training them up in their own CAD Academy.

They had, I think, 80 applicants for the academy and they’ve started 14 people in it.

SDC Trailers, who I was involved with, had their own welding academy and a fitting academy with eight trainers on board.

SK: We want people to come into our business who have experience in dealing with different types of fibres, carbon fibres or resins, so pretty specialised. It’s difficult to find people with the right knowledge that we need in Northern Ireland. Now we are very lucky in that we have a great team at the moment. We are growing slowly but it’s about bringing in the right person at the right time to support the growth of a certain project. One of the things we have done is invest in the people who are already there.

We have a really enthusiastic team who have a lot of pride in what they do so we make sure to support them, whether it be by going to college to study things like automation or robotics. We have also worked with Further Education Colleges and both universities about research and development projects. So we get exposure to some of the researchers out there and let them see what is going on

SEPTEMBER 2017

Mark Cuskeran

in the industry. And we bring summer interns in through Intern Europe from the likes of Germany and Spain who are bringing in some really useful skills at a very young age.

GK: Investment in existing people is something we too have done in the bank.

Businesses like ours rely on people to keep productivity up, to get results and for overall performance. To develop a performance culture it helps to have an external coach to build and support people leaders and help in their personal development. If they have any skills needs we fill them, if they have any performance issues, this helps them in achieving a positive resolution. We’re providing one-to-one confidential aid to our people leaders which helps them to become more productive and to do their jobs more effectively.

15% of our total employees are from the European community. I am concerned that in the next year they will start thinking about leaving. One of our European employees has been with us for more than 10 years with most others for quite a while. They have significant skills and experience which just couldn’t be easily replaced. If they were to go, what would we do, and how would we go about filling these positions? The other side of it is that we are constantly looking at how we can do things better in the factory.

And we’re looking toward higher degrees of automation. In that way we can cover our costs. So whilst it’s good to keep people, it’s also good to think about how you can do things differently.

AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE?

SG: When it comes to Brexit, for us there is a big problem brewing because about

DE: Would increased automation help reduce volatility in that area?

RS: Our challenge with automation is we >

Mark Fisher, Kris Toner

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ROUND-TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

don’t have the volume to justify that level of investment. So yes, automation would be great, but how do we ever pay for it? That’s a constant challenge. As it is we will never justify the capital investment. Our products are quite labour intensive, so for us it’s about driving up efficiencies.

SK: Yes, we have invested in automation but because it’s a big capital investment you have to have the right project, or series of projects, for it to work. Where we do have automation it’s complimented by the people who support and work it, because we want it to do certain things and still need the dexterity.

Use automation where it’s going to give you the compatibility, and maybe a reduction in the overall cost of the product too, but it has to be supported by the skilled workforce. It is somewhere that we are keen to explore further.

MF: Given the highly-customised innovative solutions we design and manufacture, the process doesn’t really lend itself significantly to automation. There are certain subprocesses we could look at but it would be a significant investment of somewhere between half to one million pounds. We’ve recently invested approximately £1.8m in a new paint and shot-blast facility so that was our focus.

There is scope to look at it but at the minute it’s something that wouldn’t lend itself to our business model.

DE: Kris, do you get many enquiries for large capital expenditure on automated technology?

Ashley Piggott

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Kris Toner: It has certainly increased over the last couple of years. But it is very much a cost benefit balancing act. Is the investment, justified by the cost savings or the increased volume? Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes it’s not. Recently we looked at a funding proposal where the business had been holding off investment for a number of years but the cost of maintaining the older equipment compared to the efficiencies delivered by the new automated equipment means they are now at a stage where they need to invest.

MC: When it comes to new capital investment we are seeing a lot of our members, if they’re not going automated, leaving the space in the assembly to go from semi-automated to fully-automated. We are in manufacturing 4.0 which is about smart factories. Yes, it is the way forward, it is going to come.

A BUMPY ROAD AHEAD? DE: Are high energy prices still an issue?

AP: Yes. Compared to big energy uses in the Republic we are at a 30% price disadvantage.

And it will only get worse because in the next few years we lose Kilroot Power Station as a result of emissions legislation and then we become a net importer via the inter-connector line. Then there’s the target to getting 40% of our energy needs from renewables by 2020, that is going to drive prices up further, although we’re only at 22% at the moment.

We are sitting with high costs and very, very tenuous supply.

DE: What about transport infrastructure?

MF: The upgrade of the A5 would be the key thing for us between Omagh and Ballygawley.

We export 95% of all our equipment and a common gripe amongst our hauliers is the road between Omagh to Ballygawley. But who knows when the impasse around the plans for the A5 will ever be resolved.

DE: Is lower corporation tax still a big draw for the sector?

MC: Anything below the line is very, very significant. The US is heading lower and other countries are moving in that direction of travel.

It is one of those nice things to have and gives businesses here more confidence.

MF: The key thing for us as a business and for manufacturing in general given the high level of innovation which manufacturing business have, is around research and development tax credits and the patent box tax relief. If you are an innovative business, generating profits and using these tax reliefs then you can find your tax bills can be 50%. It takes a lot of effort but is a massive opportunity.

SG: If you take R&D tax credits and rate relief, that’s far more important than lower corporation tax from our point of view.

MANUFACTURING POSITIVITY DE: Reading the most recent Northern Ireland Chamber Quarterly Economic survey, the positive performance in the manufacturing sector continues to drive Northern Ireland business growth. What does the sector need to do to maintain this?

MC: We have got a great sector, with a great history, great people, great universities, but we have challenges. There are a few areas we need focus on…We’ve got to push research and development, create new products, new sub sectors, and win market share. We do that by getting the right people and the right products. Every manufacturing company should be bringing new products on board each year because that’s what gives you a lift in your sales base and we’ve got to make Brexit a success - whether you are for it or against it –make the best of the challenges which are in front of us. ■

(L-R) – William Dunlop, Ciaran Mc Connell (JP Corry Managing Director), Colin McKeenan (H & T Bellas Tradecounter Sales), Gary Hunter (JP Corry Regional Director), Dave Shirley (H & T Bellas Assistant Branch Manager) and Michael Dunlop.

JP Corry celebrates opening of latest branch with Dunlop racing stars Local building supplier JP Corry celebrated the official opening of its newest branch, H & T Bellas, with local racing legends Michael and William Dunlop.

Following a complete refurbishment, the Coleraine-based builders’ merchants now offers an extensive new product range and enhanced shopping experience for local tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts.

To mark the redevelopment, racing stars Michael and William Dunlop joined JP Corry Managing Director Ciaran Mc Connell, JP Corry Regional Director

Gary Hunter and branch staff, in a ribbon cutting ceremony.

total number of JP Corry branches to 17 across Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the occasion, JP Corry Regional Director, Gary Hunter said: “We’re very proud to officially launch the re-opening of H & T Bellas. The branch has played an important role in the local community for generations, and we’re committed to maintaining this position in the area.

The newly-refurbished branch offers a full DIY and building supplies range as well as a doors and floors showroom and landscape centre.

“The feedback we have received so far has been fantastic, and the new product ranges introduced as part of the redevelopment will enable us to effectively serve the needs of the local trade and public in the coming months.”

The opening celebration was marked with a week-long launch event with giveaways, competitions, refreshments and key suppliers in-store.

JP Corry announced the acquisition of the business and assets of H & T Bellas in May this year, bringing the

To find out more about JP Corry please visit www.jpcorry.com

PROFILE

Business

Breakfast

BREAKFASTEERS: BRIDGENE, CATHERINE AND EUGENE MCKEEVER

By David Elliott

The column that doesn’t have time for lunch...

BREAKFASTING VENUE: THE DUNADRY HOTEL, TEMPLEPATRICK

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here is something about hotels which holdS a fascination for many people, this scribe included.

It’s why television shows like The Hotel Inspector are such a hit, with Forte’s own Alex Polizzi telling some idealistic operators the home truths about a business where the boss needs to have more skills up their sleeve than a Swiss Army knife has blades, skin as thick as leather and a smile as broad as a long-tailed shovel.

That many of them choose to ignore her advice is a mystery, but it does make for good television and satisfies the urge in many people to question the curtain, carpet or mood choices of some establishments.

You know who you are.

Once again we digress from the breakfast interview at hand, but there is little doubt this morning’s subjects need no lessons from Ms Polizzi.

In fact, such is the rise of the McKeever Group empire that it wouldn’t be a surprise if she’s searching the family out for some advice of her own, steeped as they are in opening, transforming and growing hotel businesses.

We meet in one of their newest additions, the Dunadry Hotel, a well-known and well-loved name which has been part of the McKeever stable for only a matter of weeks.

Sitting down to tea and toast in the restaurant, marketing supremo at the group Bridgene McKeever said plans are already afoot to revamp the hotel and sprinkle it with some of the fairy dust which seems to have worked so well at the other establishments in the portfolio.

“It’s such a beautiful property with such a warm following and we’re over the moon to have bought it,” she said, pointing out that it will fit in well with the other hotels.

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TITLE

Pictured at the announcement of the Dunadry’s sale from the Mooney family to the McKeever Group are, from left, John Mooney, Felix Mooney, Eugene McKeever MBE, Catherine McKeever, Bridgene McKeever, Eddie McKeever

They include Corrs Corner Hotel, Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim, the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena and Dillons Hotel in Letterkenny It was at the former where it all began, explained Bridgene, as her father and managing director Eugene joins us.

He started working part time at what was then a roadhouse aged only 12 before joining full time as a chef at 15, then head chef where he stayed for the next 11 years.

The first signs of entrepreneurship - which would become a theme of the group’s rise– then emerged when Eugene and wife Catherine opened their own restaurant in Randlestown which they ran for the next seven years before the opportunity to buy Corrs Corner presented itself in 1993.

With momentum building, they then took the decision in 1997 to become hoteliers by adding 38 rooms to the property and haven’t looked back since.

They then bought the Dunsilly Arms and, while waiting for planning permission to turn it into a hotel bought, ran and sold on the Balmoral Hotel in Belfast.

SEPTEMBER 2017

The Adair Arms in Ballymena in 2010 was the next on the acquisition trail, relaunching in 2012 after a £2m refurbishment, and then it was to the north west and the purchase and relaunch of what would become Dillons.

three members of the family – fellow director Catherine, Operations Manager Eddie and Marketing Manager Bridgene - are adept in their own fields when it comes to honing the hotel businesses.

The latest hotel to join the portfolio is the one we’re sitting in, the Dunadry, which was bought from another family company the Mooney Group only a matter of weeks ago.

That family business ethos is important, Bridgene said. “Because we’re a family business we’ve built up trust which has seen us through recession and helped us build the business in the last few years,” she said.

That’s quite a growth path, one which Eugene said hadn’t been set in stone from those early days, and had instead taken a more fluid path.

“It has evolved rather than been planned,” he said. “We have been presented with opportunities in the past and if they’re right for us we’ve taken them.

“It has to be in here, in the heart. You get a gut feel for a business and then it’s about if we reckon we can improve it, if we can add value.”

Eugene explains how his particular forte lies in cutting needless costs while the other

“We’re a very honest business with a lot of integrity and our customers like that.”

The family company has certainly come a long way and is unlikely to need The Hotel Inspector’s help anytime soon as it focused on the Dunadry.

“I’ve had a lot of people congratulate us on taking over the hotel and we’re excited about growing the business in the future,” Eugene said.

If the family’s track record is anything to go by, that growth will come sooner, rather than later. ■

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PROFILE

Working

Lunch DINER: CATHERINE CUNNINGHAM, THE PRESENT TREE DINING VENUE: HADSKIS, COMMERCIAL COURT, BELFAST

No matter, because this hazel tree was making itself known as Catherine set it on the (at the time) free table beside us to add a level of foliage to our lunch and offer inspiration while we heard about the business.

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Set up in 2013, The Present Tree is based at the farm where Catherine lives with husband and conservationist Andrew and where the pair have been growing and planting trees for the last 20 years.

rriving for lunch with the gift of a tree means you are always going to stand out.

This particular tree comes from Catherine Cunningham’s four-year old business The Present Tree which - in the same vein as Ronseal does what it says on the tin and Ulster Business does what it says on the masthead – specialises in providing trees as presents.

Not fully-grown Giant Redwoods – that would be daft, and the postage would be horrendous – but (I’m borrowing from the marketing material a little here) beautifully packaged trees which have been lovingly grown in the company’s nursery near Templepatrick.

Catherine arrives with a hazel for yours truly, not in a flurry of leaves and soil but in a fancy looking poster-type tube (the tree, not Catherine) which is tastefully designed and looks the part, but there’s no way it can have a tree inside it.

It was there that the idea emerged to combine her passion for trees and ancient heritage with her love of beautiful design to create longlasting gifts, gifts in the form of trees.

The combination has certainly caught on with the business growing sharply, not just with individual orders but also into the corporate world where it has supplied giants such as HSBC when it hosted its clients at Wimbledon.

The range has expanded to include holly, myrtle, olive, truffle tree, grapevine, cherry and many more while the package includes an explanation of the ancient symbolism of the tree you’ve ordered.

And Catherine’s energy and passion for the business has meant its growth path has remained on an upward path since those early days.

“I also knew that the reveal – when you open the package – needs to be magical, so that’s what we aimed for with our packaging.”

Making sure the next stage for the receiver is as easy as possible was also a must.

“And I also knew if I was going to take this to the mass market it had to be really simple. So rather than bare rooted trees we supply ours with compost in a biodegradable organic pot which can be planted straight into the ground with the minimal of preparation.”

With the product sussed, Catherine combined “the tiniest amount of money and a lot of hard work” and has ended up with a growing business with ambitions to become global.

Not content with already becoming a major exporter to the rest of the UK, she has her eyes set on the US and further afield in the future.

Not for the first time on these pages, your scribe was wrong, despite the fact the hazel tree symbolises wisdom, faith and inspiration.

In fact it did contain a tree, which this normally difficult-to-impress gift receiver greatly enjoyed unveiling to the assembled restaurant with a magician’s flurry and a loud“ta-dah”.

“Trees have always been a huge part of our life,” she told Ulster Business. “We had been giving our own trees as gifts for years and I thought ‘I can do something with this’.”

With that Catherine ordered trees from the top four competitors in the UK to see what she was up against.

On today’s evidence, it’s little wonder the business has done so well.

If anyone has brought a live tree into Hadski’s on Belfast’s Commerical Court I would be surprised, but perhaps Niall McKenna has used one for one of his more off-the-wall recipes in recent days.

“As soon as they arrived I knew I had something. I knew that I could make my business stand out by making the packaging luxurious and offering more of a story about the tree’s history.

During our lunch the hazel tree on the adjoining table has garnered plenty of attention and at least one person – our waitress – has promised to buy one from The Present Tree by the end of the day. ■

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Motoring

By Pat Burns

Sponsored by

MOTORING

Fast there, fast back…

By Pat Burns

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he Mazda MX-5 has always been a very popular seller in the UK, with over 120,000 models sold since its launch back in 1990. The Japanese manufacturer has just launched a new version of the MX-5 called the RF – Retractable Fastback.

Designed to offer a new style of opentop driving fun, while at the same time staying true to the underlying principle of the previous generations, the MX-5 RF’s ‘fastback’ styling gives it a unique appearance roof up or down, broadening the appeal of the world’s best-selling twoseater sports car.

As with the established Mazda MX-5 convertible, all manual models powered by the 2.0-litre 160ps engine feature a limited

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slip differential and 17-inch wheels; while Sport Nav manual models feature Bilstein dampers and a strut brace to further improve the handling. Plus, with the introduction of the £27,095 Sport Nav Auto, the current generation of MX-5 is offered with an automatic gearbox for the first time. The 1.5 litre 131PS engine is also available in both SE-L Nav and Sport Nav trim.

Developed to deliver enhanced cabin comfort and a refined ride, while at the same time maintaining the agility, performance and driver engagement of the MX-5 convertible, the suspension and electric power steering settings of the model have been specifically tuned for the Retractable Fastback. In addition, a sound-absorbing headliner used in the front and middle roof panels combines with sound insulation around the rear wheel housings to deliver a quieter cabin when the roof is closed.

The MX-5 RF’s retractable hardtop consists of front, middle and rear roof sections, and a rear screen. When the top is lowered the front and middle portions are stowed together, while the rear glass sits behind the seats, leaving the rear roof section in place to create a unique open-topped look, and a cabin feeling that combines a sense of open air freedom with the impression of being securely within the car.

Building on the Mazda MX-5’s awardwinning design, the RF’s roof up style sets it apart. A 5mm increase in roof height aside, the RF retains the same overall length, width and wheelbase as the MX-5 convertible, but thanks to gently downward slopping buttresses that tuck in at the sides to create a teardrop shape, the RF’s elegant fastback silhouette accentuates the MX-5’s dynamic and contemporary sports car proportions in a completely unique way. ■

MOTORING

Prius gets A+

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oyota has seen an unprecedented 30 per cent surge in sales of its petrol-electric hybrid models in the UK in the first half of 2017, led by models such as the Prius Plus and the C-HR. Fleet buyers embraced the economic benefits of the technology even more, with a huge 43.2 per cent increase in sales year-on-year.

More than four in every 10 Toyota buyers in the UK now chooses a hybrid from the company’s range, which is the widest of any manufacturer.

Toyota has introduced changes to its Prius+ that take the quality of the driving experience to a higher level. The groundbreaking C-segment MPV – the world’s first to provide seven seats with full hybrid power – has undergone strategic revisions to its continuously variable transmission that provide quieter and more linear acceleration, more closely linking the driver’s use of the throttle to the increase in speed and the rise in the engine note.

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Toyota’s engineers have been able to maintain acceleration performance while reducing engine revs by around 1,000rpm, by using more electric power to support the performance of the 1.8-litre VVT-i Atkinson cycle petrol engine. The result is a more relaxed, smoother and quieter drive, reinforcing the hallmark quiet, responsive and quality drive of Toyota’s full hybrid technology.

The characteristically quiet cabin environment has been further improved through a series of additional sound insulation and absorption measures introduced in the door frames, the lower sections of the side and rear doors, the dashboard and the vehicle platform.

Using a compact, lithium-ion hybrid battery located neatly between the front seats, Prius+ is able to provide generous space for up to seven on board and deliver the exceptional fuel and emissions efficiency associated with Toyota’s full hybrid technology, with official combined cycle CO2 output from as low as 96g/km and fuel

By Pat Burns

consumption of 68.9mpg. Prius+ is among eight hybrid and plug-in hybrid Toyota models available in the UK, meeting the requirements of a wide range of customers.

True to Toyota’s commitment to continuous improvement, the Toyota Touch 2 multimedia system in Prius+ has been upgraded. Using the same, centrally mounted touchscreen, it has been made even simpler and more intuitive to use with new menu designs for both the overall system and (where fitted) its satellite navigation functions. Connection to the My Toyota on-line customer portal has also been made easier.

The 4.2-inch colour TFT multi-information display in the instrument binnacle is designed for clear communication of vehicle status data to the driver with least distraction. This now includes an initial key lock image that indicates the vehicle is ready to be turned on and a warning when the steering lock is engaged.

Prices for the Prius+ range start at £27,660. ■

MOTORING

Unleash your inner Sterling Moss

By Geraldine Herbert

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s the needle on the speedometer zips toward the red line and we nudge closer to the bend, I am reminded by my instructor to "brake, brake hard".

A few laps around this very twisty racetrack and the nuances of braking, accelerating and steering are finally being digested and I learn the crucial lessons of track driving; there is no coasting, no cruising and certainly no time to admire the view.

There is only braking and accelerating and nothing in between.

This is the Porsche Experience Centre, opened in November 2008 and built right next to the iconic Silverstone racetrack, the home of British motorsport. Such has been the success of the centre that it has become a blueprint for Porsche across the globe and a number of similar facilities have been developed around the world.

At the heart of it is a handling track that is almost five kilometres long and designed to emulate a winding rural road with blind corners, elevation and camber changes.

The track can be used as one continuous lap or split into six different test environments.

All sections can be used independently of each other and include Straights, Kick Plate, Ice Hill, Low Friction, plus there is an OffRoad section if you want to find out what a 4x4 can really do. All of them give you an opportunity to understand how the car's engine and chassis control systems work.

There is also a variety of track configurations and surface conditions on which the potential of Porsche cars can be explored and understood.

SEPTEMBER 2017

But the Experience Centre is much more than simply an exercise in speed. Two skid pans, the kick plate and ice hill, complete with water fountains are available.

the lower end of the range, the models are powered by 3.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engines, tuned to develop 365bhp (Carrera) or 414bhp (Carrera S).

The kick plate is a section of track that has a computer-controlled hydraulic plate to simulate over-steer, it randomly moves the car left or right, putting the car into a skid and as the car loses rear wheel traction you can experience and learn to control sliding on surfaces like ice and water. You also get a chance to switch off the safety aids like electronic brake distribution and traction control, which clearly demonstrates just how valuable these features are.

Having sampled the entire new range, the most fun I had on the handling circuit was in the Carrera S, it is light and just so agile and the most astonishing was from the 911 Turbo S in a full launch-control; by hitting the throttle and releasing the brake pedal at the same time it allows you to achieve the maximum acceleration of 100 km in under three seconds from standstill.

The ice hill has a 7% slope, an ultra-low grip plastic resin surface, and a sprinkler system which simulates sheet ice and will test even the most experienced drivers.

Coinciding with the recent launch of the new Porsche 911 range we had the opportunity to drive a wide variety of models at the centre. For 2016, the new 911 range, even at entry level, is now turbocharged in response to pressures to limit emissions and improve efficiency. At

So if you fancy driving a fast car fast, then can I suggest a Porsche Experience day in Silverstone. After a couple of hours with a Porsche driving instructor, all of whom have professional race-car-driving experience, you will not only see what a Porsche can do but you will also improve your driving skills.

And if you are thinking of buying one, all new owners get an invitation to the Experience Centre to learn how to properly control and handle their shiny new toy in a safe environment. â–

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MOTORING

Swift sure to fly high

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ith sales continuing to surge year on year, Suzuki is flying high and the all new Swift is sure to continue that trend. The new Swift is only available as a five door model, though due to the recessed rear door handles at first glance it looks like a three door. It is a fun car that combines space and high specification in a small package.

The new Swift is 10mm shorter than the outgoing model, while its wheelbase is 20mm longer, creating more interior room including 25 per cent more luggage capacity at 265 litres, or 54 litres more. It is also 15mm lower and 40mm wider, further accentuating its low and wide stance.

Additionally, the Swift has a wider front and rear track.

The new Swift rests on a new-generation platform called “HEARTECT” that delivers enhanced vehicle performance due to being light and highly rigid. This new platform

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is now lighter than before which has contributed to the car registering a kerb weight of just 890kg - 120kg lighter overall for the whole car. All models are built in Japan.

Standard equipment for all new Swift models in the range is comprehensive and the SZ3 model with the 1.2-litre Dualjet engine and manual transmission includes six airbags, air conditioning, leather steering wheel, DAB radio with Bluetooth and four speakers, rear privacy glass, LED daytime running lights, 15-inch wheels, body coloured door mirrors and front electric windows.

By Pat Burns

Advanced forward detection system, keyless entry and start and rear electric windows.

The SZ5 is available with a six speed automatic transmission as an option. The thought of an auto ‘box in a car with such a small engine may not sound very exciting, but in reality the combination works really well. The engine revs freely and the quick changing auto gearbox is smooth and efficient with a sports feel to it. The Swift may be small, but it has lots of character.

The SZ-T model is available with 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine and manual transmission and adds rear view camera, Smartphone link display audio, 16-inch alloy wheels and front fog lamps glass.

Its good news for customers if they want to replace their Swift after three years too as industry leading residual value specialists CAP have set a forecast retained value of 41 per cent for the SZ3 after three years or 60,000 miles – a higher mileage than many Suzuki owners would cover. The SZ-T model is only slightly behind at 39 per cent which places Swift significantly ahead of its main competitors.

SZ5 adds auto air conditioning, 16-inch polished alloy wheels, satellite navigation,

Available as a five-door model only, prices start from £10,999 for the SZ3 model. ■

PROFILE

Name: Michael Galway Position: Director, SSAS Solutions

A word from

The Wise and to grant loans to the sponsoring company. A SSAS can also be used to acquire agricultural and residential land (although not residential property), as well as shares, gold bullion, intellectual property and foreign currency.

That early experience with PwC clearly sparked an interest in pensions as six months very quickly turned into eight-and-a-half years – during which I went on to help manage the unit and then subsequently left in 2009 to set up SSAS Solutions, which is now Northern Ireland’s largest SSAS provider.

How did you start out in your career?

Shortly after graduating from Queen’s University, Belfast with a 2:1 in Finance, I joined PwC as a trainee financial adviser in early 2001.

Following an initial six months working within the financial planning and wealth management team, I moved to the specialist pensions unit where I focused specifically on Small Self-Administered Schemes (also known as SSASs).

Essentially, a SSAS is an arrangement that allows business owners and high net worth individuals to utilise accrued pension funds for the benefit of their business and to shelter their profits from tax in the process.

A SSAS provides a wide range of investment opportunities, but funds are most commonly used to invest in commercial property or land (typically to rent back to the owners business)

SEPTEMBER 2017

What have you found most challenging during your years in business?

Working within the pensions industry, one of the greatest challenges facing our business has been the continual changing of regulations and tinkering with the rules, by a succession of recent Governments.

This has left people struggling to understand pensions and what the benefits are – which is why obtaining specialist advice is so important.

On a more positive note, whilst continuous change does present challenges, some of the more recent developments have been very welcome indeed. Most recently, in 2015, new legislation was introduced that now allows unused pension assets to be passed down through the generations (potentially tax free) which really was a major step forward.

How would you describe your management style?

I think most people would consider me to be fairly easy to work with and that is how I like my management style to be. We are very fortunate to have a great team of people at SSAS Solutions and we have always encouraged them to question, challenge and

The column with an ear for experience...

bring forward new ideas – as we all have different strengths and perspectives and it is only by sharing those that we achieve the best outcome for our clients. Having been an employee for many years myself, I know how I liked to be treated and valued by my employer and always try to treat others in exactly the same way.

What would you change if you could do it again?

Very little, to be honest. SSAS Solutions was created from virtually nothing, without any funding or bank finance. It was literally just the two of us, myself and my business partner Allison Chambers, with two laptops and two mobiles.

In a relatively short space of time, we moved into our own offices (purchased through a SSAS of course!) and now have a team of 10 with plans to recruit more.

A surge in popularity for SSASs over recent years, coupled with the unique nature of our own particular SSAS offering – such as the fact that we don’t act as co-trustee of the schemes, leaving investment decisions and control in the hands of scheme members – has enabled the business to grow substantially with turnover last year hitting £1.1 million.

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

My advice would be to listen and learn from everyone around me and always be prepared to challenge and ask questions.

I also think finding a mentor early on in your career can make a huge difference, someone to learn from, both from their experiences and also their mistakes. You can have all the qualifications in the world, but you can’t buy experience – so learn as much as you can from someone who has it. ■

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APPOINTMENTS

Peter Smyth has been appointed as Client Relationship Executive at Ulster Community Investment Trust Ltd. He comes with over 28 years’ experience across a number of roles in Danske Bank.

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry has appointed Tanya Anderson as Head of SME Development.

Tanya will be responsible for advising and assisting members to achieve growth.

Jenny Moore has been appointed Associate, Employment & Corporate Immigration, at A&L Goodbody. She will advise public and private sector clients on all aspects of employment law and corporate immigration.

Ciaran O’Shiel has been appointed Associate, Litigation & Dispute Resolution; IP & Technology, at A&L Goodbody. He will advise clients on contentious aspects of intellectual property, information technology, data protection and media law.

A&L Goodbody has announced the appointment of Barbara Creed as partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution teaM. She has over 12 years’ experience in dispute resolution.

Steve Tweed opens Ampersand’s Belfast office as head of mediation and consultancy services with over 25 years’ experience across the UK & Ireland.

Kirsty McManus has been appointed National Director at the Institute of Directors Northern Ireland where she will work to strengthen its relationship with businesses, politicians and government.

Kevin O’Neill has been appointed as a registered Architect to HLM. He has completed his Part III Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice in Architecture.

Environmental Street Furniture has appointed Joe Booth as Business Development Manager for its Europe, Middle East and Africa region markets (EMEA). Joe has worked in the GCC area for many years.

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APPOINTMENTS

Michael Morrow has joined local research and development tax credit specialists Momentum Group. He is an experienced research professional and business consultant.

Arthur Cox has appointed Lizanne Jones as Partner in its Northern Ireland Property practice. She has 12 years’ experience of providing legal counsel to a range of clients.

Matt McKinstry has joined CloudMigrator36 as a Senior Developer.

Previously, he worked in various engineer and architect roles across a wide range of sectors.

Scott Wright has been appointed Business Development Manager at Rainbow Communications, where he will specialise in New System Sales and Hosted/VoIP Telephony Solutions Will Gibson has also been appointed Business Development Manager at Rainbow Communications. His main roles will include introducing new business to Rainbow and acting as the personal account manager for these new clients.

Geoff Sharpe has been appointed as Head of Corporate at Danske Bank. In his new role, Geoff has responsibility for the leadership and development of our Corporate Banking offering.

Niall Harkin has been appointed Head of Organisational Development at Danske Bank. He will focus on driving key initiatives to deliver positive transformational change in the business..

Nicola McKay has been appointed associate on the leadership team at HLM. She will helped lead operations at the design and architecture company having worked on Northern Ireland healthcare projects for the firm.

Steven Lennon has been appointed associate at HLM. He has been with the company for almost a decade and has extensive knowledge and design expertise.

SEPTEMBER 2017

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PHOTOCALL 1. A new data capture app designed to improve and streamline business processes has just launched. CoreChex allows for real-time recording and instant sharing of information.Pictured left to right is David Cassidy, Transport Manager, Darragh McConville, Business Development Manager and Anne Coyle, General Manager of Recon Waste Management alongside Emma Begley, MD of CoreChex Ltd

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2. Belfast software firm Locum Match Ltd is investing in jobs and R&D to enhance its competitiveness within the medical recruitment market. Moira Loughran (centre), Invest NI, is pictured with Michael Budden and Jonathan Clarke, Locum Match.

2 3. A young accountant will represent Chartered Accountants Ireland at the ‘One Young World’ conference in Bogotá, Colombia, later this year after winning the ‘Young Chartered Star’ 2017 competition.

Winner Sinead Fox Hamilton with Pamela McCreedy, Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society.

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4. Pictured launching a one-day masterclass for the retail industry is Naomh McElhatton, Smart NI and David Morgan, Velocity Worldwide. The event takes place on September 28th at The Culloden.

5. Food company Just Live a Little has secured a £25,000 listing with Tesco Northern Ireland for its new ‘super-flapjacks’ range. Picture left to right is Jonathan McWhinney (Packaged Food Buyer NI), Jill Crawford (Founder), Maya (Jill’s daughter), Ollie (Jill’s son).

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PHOTOCALL

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6. Hannah Megarry, Rory Copeland, Lisa McGrady and Danielle McKeefry (l-r foreground) start their legal training at Pinsent Masons, whilst colleagues Sarah-Louise Baird (Corporate); Meghan Kirk (Litigation & Regulatory); Matthew McMurray (Energy & Projects) and Louise Welsby (Infrastructure & Construction) join their teams as newly-qualified solicitors.

7. Property Consultants GVA NI has announced that Newry-based First Derivatives plc has signed up as the anchor tenant for The Weaving Works building in Belfast.From left is Paul Currid, Danske Bank; Aran Blackbourne, Karl; Catherine Harrison, First Derivatives and Jago Bret, GVA NI pictured at the new Weaving Works building in Belfast.

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8. Charity Children in Northern Ireland has launched Portadown Gets Active which will encourage 70 children from the area to stay active during the summer months with support from Almac. Pauline Leeson, chief executive of Children in Northern Ireland, Alan Armstrong, CEO of the Almac Group, and Paul Morgan from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust joined participants Simone Whitla and Jayden Cox.

9. Pictured is Michael McCormack, Managing Director of Musgrave NI and Trevor Magill, Wholesale Director of Musgrave NI at Musgrave MarketPlace Duncrue. Musgrave MarketPlace, which has announced a â‚Ź1.1m upgrade of its Duncrue store, located in Belfast.

10 SEPTEMBER 2017

10. Dungannon-based Woodmarque is successfully growing its business in Great Britain following investments in new equipment, business development and 16 new staff. Pictured, from left, are Jeremy Fitch and Brian Quinn, Woodmarque.

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PHOTOCALL 11. Dr Jason McKeown and Dr Pixie McKenna are pictured with Modius – the innovative weight-loss wearable device which has just been launched to the public. Modius, is the first product from award-winning Northern Irish neuro-technology company, Neurovalens

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12. Patrick McAliskey, managing director of Novosco, is joining the board of Holywoodbased creative agency Clearbox. Pictured are Anna Morris, and John Megaughin from Clearbox, along with Patrick McAliskey, right.

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13. From left is Ray Taylor, Operations Director of Aramark, and Keith Halliday, BIFM Ireland Region committee member is pictured at the launch of the BIFM Ireland FM Summit.

The summit is set to take place on Windsor Park on 17th November 2017.

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14. Busy Kids Daycare has opened a new nursey in Coalisland, creating 40 jobs.

Pictured are Bernie Kerr, Business Acquisition Manager at Danske Bank (right) and Martina O’Hanlon, Owner of Busy Kids Daycare (left).

15. Ciara McClafferty, Trading Director at Musgrave, and Desi Derby, Marketing Director at Musgrave, unveiled the exciting new Centra and SuperValu evening meal solutions at a special event at Harlem, Belfast in August. Guests were invited to the launch of a new menu ‘with a twist’ – the twist being that the meals served up were from the new SuperValu and Centra evening meal solutions ranges

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PHOTOCALL

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16. Preparing for a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event at Olympia Leisure Centre to encourage businesses to share in a £43 million Belfast City Council contract are, from left, IntertradeIreland Representative, Grant Gilmore; Councillor Deirdre Hargey, Chair of Strategic Policy and Resources Committee; and Shauna Young, Community Engagement Manager with property specialists, Heron Bros.

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17. Mercury Security Management has been appointed by Harvey Norman to provide security for a number of its stores in the Republic of Ireland. Harvey Norman Loss Prevention Manager Michael Neary (centre) was joined at the launch by Mercury Security’s (l-r) Ned Mujanovic, Paul Heaney, Joe Redmond and Liam Cullen

18. Wia, one of the leading Internet of Things (‘IoT’) cloud platforms, has secured a seed investment of €750,000 from Suir Valley Ventures. Pictured from left are: Senior Advisor High Potential Startup Division at Enterprise Ireland Mike Brennan; Wia Founder & CEO Conall Laverty; and Managing Partner at Suir Valley Ventures Barry Downes.

19. Ulster University has launched an EUfunded €6.7million cross-border research project to develop a range of consumerowned energy storage resources to meet current and future electricity market needs.

Prof Neil Hewitt is pictured with Ulster University Pro-vice Chancellor, Research & Impact, Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan

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20. Belfast-based Intelesens Ltd has been acquired by UltraLinq Healthcare, the Connected Health Platform of Renew Health Limited. UltraLinq CEO Stephen Farber, centre, welcomes the acquisition with Deirdre Francis, Intelesens CFO and Professor James McLaughlin, Intelesens cofounder and CTO.

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PHOTOCALL 21. Allen & Overy, Barclays, Citi and Santander have teamed up to host a summer networking party in aid of The Rainbow Project, NI’s foremost charity for members of the LGBT community.. Pictured at the event are: Kerry Beggs, Santander; Ciaran McCallion, Allen & Overy; Mark McCormack, Citi; John O’Doherty, The Rainbow Project; Sue Baines, Barclays; and (front) Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister.

22. An energy sustainability project led by Belfast Met has been given the green light after winning an Interreg North-West Europe funding bid for a €9.39m Gencomm Project.

Pictured (L-R) is: Paul McCormack, GenComm Project Manager; Peter Smyth, GenComm Finance Manager; Marie-Thérèse McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met; Glenny Whitley, GenComm Operations & Communications Manager and Damian Duffy, Belfast Met Director of Development.

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23 23. Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry is getting ready to tee off its annual Golf Day at the prestigious Royal Belfast Golf Club on 29 September. Pictured L-R are: Beth McMaw (Director at Forde May Consulting); Ann McGregor (Chief Executive of NI Chamber) and Gerry May (Managing Director at Forde May Consulting).

24. The Hannon Group has announced that the launch of its new business Hannon Coach will create approximately 40 jobs in Northern Ireland this year. Pictured are Steve Thornton, Stena Line Belfast Giants, Judith Harvey, Odyssey Trust Company, Neil Walker, The SSE Arena, Belfast, and Aodh Hannon, Hannon Coach.

25. Cancer Focus NI team (l-r) Rosie Forsythe, James Creighton, and Jillian Wallace were delighted to receive £2,000 from the Provident Good Neighbour Community Programme which recognises projects that make a real difference in the local community.

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EVENTS world – was also is sparkling form, alongside bass line supremo Matthew Jeffrey.

No matter where you turned there was a behemoth of the business world.

The Chairman The summer season is normally quiet when it comes to corporate functions. Not for The Chairman, however...

I

t’s hard to believe that it has been a year since the last Top 100 Companies launch by those venerable people at our very own Ulster Business (see pages 32-33).

We were back this year in that venue with the views, the Ivory Restaurant, which holds a lofty position at the top of House of Fraser in Belfast’s Victoria Square.

It was another packed house and The Chairman had a splendid evening with the movers and shakers of the Northern Ireland business world.

Gary Irvine, Clare Guiness, Joanne Stuart, Stephen Moore, Peter Allen, Jannette Jones, John Hunter, Andy McBride, Tracey Hamilton, Lyn Canning Hagan, Adrian Green, Chris Brown, Anna Morris, John Megaughin, Grainne McGarvey, Niamh Griffin, Kris Toner, Symon Ross, David Cullen, Catherine Agnew, Seona McGrath, Rachel Sinton, Corinna Keenan, Sarah Stitt, Cathal Geoghan, Janet McCay, Kellie-Ann Hoey, Noel Brady, Peter Morrow, Stephen Roycroft, Stephen Felle, Elaine Kerr, Ursula Henderson, Claire Vaux…I could go on but there are too many to mention.

And of course the stalwarts of Ulster Business were there in force - Sonia Armstrong, Sylvie Brando, Sarah-Ann Gamble – making sure everyone had a good time and there was no glass of bubbly left unturned.

Executive Suzanne Wylie, it was off for lunch at Queens where The Chairman got the chance to talk business with Will.

Also there was David Gavaghan from both the CBI and Aurora Prime Real Estate, as well as Zimbabwean travel guru Mark Marais, both of whom are heavily involved in Sport Changes Life, the charity which provides an opportunity to raise the aspirations of young people on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ronan Corr from the best-named company in Northern Ireland – Beezer – was representing the tech community alongside friend-to-Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In representative in Northern Ireland and Moment Health founder Nuala Murphy.

Representing the world of screen was Nicola Lyons while Michael Graham, Chair of South Belfast Partnership Board and also with Aurora, was giving a good run down of the commercial property market here.

What a night, oh what a night.

Others there included Chris Webster from Ulster Rugby, Graham Slane from Scannervision, Briege Arthurs, CEO of South Belfast Partnership, and Professor David Phinnemore from Queen University.

Lunch in one of the most iconic buildings in Northern Ireland? What time should I arrive and what’s the dress code?

A great lunch with some inspirational people listening to one of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs speak.

It was with this invitation The Chairman found himself in the Senate Room at Queens University for a fine glass of red and bite to eat, although in truth the real draw was the guests.

What more could you ask?

Some of the finest minds in Northern Ireland business and academia had gathered to hear from Will Chang, the boss of Californian real estate company Westlake Realty Group, owner of the San Francisco Giants and Chair of USA Rugby, amongst other achievements.

When it comes to seafood, Northern Ireland has some of the best in the world.That’s certainly the opinion of The Chairman and has recently been reiterated by very good friend Kim Lenaghan who was down in that hub of all things fish related, Portavogie.

What a delight to bump into A&L Goodbody’s legal eagle Barbara Creed, a partner who knows the world of litigation inside out and who stoically stood for the numerous photoshoots which come with being a key sponsor.

She was there to hand over the gong for Best Seafood Supplier at the Food Awards Northern Ireland to those stalwarts of the sea, Still He was in town to watch the USA at the Women’s Rugby World Cup but was also dipping Waters. into the business world under the guidance of Managing Director Paul Carson was there Far East returnee and one-time aerospace guru to accept the award while communications Martin Craigs who, alongside son Kain, was keeping the sporting and business high flier busy guru Ruth Kimbley was busy working your pr magic in the background. while in Northern Ireland.

Jonathan Ireland – that doyen of the communications, music, crime and good suit

Having met with Belfast Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister and Belfast City Council Chief

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Then it was back on with the yellow macs and out to sea… ■

EVENTS

Calling for nominations in Northern Ireland to enter the 2017 Best Kept Awards Community Achiever Award are Doreen Muskett MBE, President of the NI Amenity Council; Joe Mahon, Patron of the Northern Ireland Amenity Council and Michelle Hatfield, Director of Human Resources and Corporate Responsibility at awards sponsors Belfast City Airport

Will Chang, Westlake Realty Group, owner of the San Francisco Giants and Chair of USA Rugby, with Belfast Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister on a recent visit to Northern Ireland

Clare McCollum and U105 Presenter Frank Mitchell, join SuperValu Customer Manager, Geoff Johnston (centre), to let people know that the deadline for nominating your local SuperValu SuperStars has been extended until August 31

Top illusionist David Meade is pictured at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast with students Mark McMurray (16), Andrew McMurray (15), April Harrison (14), Rachel McMurray (14) and Zara Chapman (16). David is urging young people across Northern Ireland to submit their entries for the 2018 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, ahead of the fast approaching deadline of 25th September 2017

Four Northern Ireland food and drink companies have been assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to win new business in international markets, estimated to be worth nearly half a million pounds collectively. Niche Drinks, B Free, CocoMojo and Rooney Fish have secured orders to supply their products in China, the United Arab Emirates and Europe.Des Gartland (left), Invest NI’s North West Regional Manager, is pictured with Robin Young MBE, Niche Drinks.

Peter and Jenny Monroe outside the Water’s Edge B&B, a converted police station, with Tourism NI’s Caroline Adams. The couple were awarded a five star rating by the agency

SEPTEMBER 2017

Still Waters’ won Seafood Supplier of the year at this year’s Food Awards Northern Ireland. Pictured is Paul Carson, Managing Director, Still Waters and BBC radio personality, Kim Lenaghan

Marc Mallett and Rose Neill from UTV Live and Joe Lindsay from Getaways ,BBC NI in St Anne’s Square, Belfast to launch the 2017 call for entries for this year’s RTS NI Programme Awards

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TRAVEL

The Damatian way

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t's 9am and the Riva is already busy.

It seems a little early for tourists to be in the cafĂŠs lining the sunny seaside promenade in the city of Split, Croatia, but it turns out to be locals getting their morning fix - coffee.

and a UNESCO site. Around the year 293, the Roman emperor Diocletian chose this site on the Adriatic Sea for his magnificent retirement home. He spent 10 years building it, with 16 towers (three remain) and four entrance gates, plus a vast array of rooms and quarters.

As in many towns in Dalmatia, there's a tradition of having a coffee before work or during a break and it's not just about caffeine: people gather to meet, gossip or people-watch at all times of day. Chatting over a coffee is a big part of the daily social scene.

The interior has changed over the centuries, as it moved from being a palace to a town and today, in the warren of tiny streets within the walls, homes, shops and restaurants are mixed in with the historical sites and ancient architectural features.

Fortified with caffeine, I set off to explore Diocletian's Palace - Split's main attraction

A good place to start exploring is to enter from the Riva through the Southern Gate,

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By Yvonne Gordon in Split, Croatia

which leads down into the palace cellars a network of more than 50 underground rooms which was only excavated in 1956.

The layout of the cellars gives an idea of the original floorplan for the palace's main level and Game of Thrones fans will recognise some of the basement rooms as Meereen and the spaces where Daenerys kept her dragons. Souvenir and gift shops in the central passage provide a cool area to potter in in hot weather.

THE PEOPLE'S SQUARE From the cellars, steps lead up to the peristyle, formerly the palace's central courtyard and a popular meeting spot.

TRAVEL

Lined with pillars, it was once guarded by 12 granite sphinxes, which Diocletian brought from Egypt, and just one remains today, dating back 3,500 years. The small octagonal Cathedral of St Domnius was originally built as a mausoleum for the emperor and later converted to a cathedral.

Climbing the bell tower gives a lovely view of the town and the port.

From here, I follow the sounds of Klapa singers into a stone vestibule which leads to the emperor's former quarters and then wander around the maze of little streets, coming to Trg Brace Radic (known as Fruit Square) and Narodni Trg (called the Piazza), ducking and out of shops, sometimes getting lost and sometimes doubling back on myself.

I stumble upon the green market for fruit and vegetables and on the other side of town, the fish market, both buzzing with locals, tourists and people from the mountains and the islands selling their fresh produce.

Next day, it's time to explore some of the Dalmatian Hinterland surrounding Split and the first stop is Klis Fortress, 14km from the city. This is a beautiful stone fort on the top of a hill, with a series of green tree-lined terraces and views right down to Split and over to the Dalmatian Islands.

Once the seat of Croatian kings, due to its strategic location at a mountain pass, over the years the fortress was heavily booby-trapped with all sorts of deterrents (like holes in the ceiling to pour boiling oil through), but that didn't stop various invaders.

As my guide, Ana, shows me the different parts which were added on or left behind by different occupiers - including the Ottomans, Venetians, Austrians and most recently, the Game of Thrones production team - I learn about Dalmatia's complicated history, from the Greeks and Romans to the Barbarians, Hungarians, Venetians, French and AustroHungarians right through to Yugoslavia and present- day Croatia.

SEPTEMBER 2017

LAVENDER BAGS FOR SALE In the small town of Sinj, half an hour from Split, an equestrian competition called the Sinjska alka takes place every August, to celebrate a miracle said to have been performed by the Virgin Mary to save the town from the Ottomans. The church has a painting of Our Lady of Sinj while a small museum (alka.hr) tells the story of the pageant with costumes, weapons and some fun interactive games.

Back on the coast, Split is also the gateway to the Dalmatian Islands, popular for their beaches, olive groves, wineries and hiking trails, as well as tiny piers and church towers, all of which enjoy a sunny, Mediterranean climate. The island of Hvar is popular with the jet set as much for its nightlife as its quiet coves. Although there are ferries from Split (two hours), I decide to halve the journey and try the high life, arriving by speedboat into Hvar town.

Near the main square are stalls selling lavender products. Lavender was once one of the island's main industries. A climb to the fortress Fortica Spanjola behind the town gives panoramic views of the town and the small Pakleni Islands in front of it.

After a few hours exploring the lavender fields, villages and trails of Hvar Island, last stop is a café in the main square - the town's 'living room', where parents chat, kids play, business people have meetings and tourists plan their itineraries. Also here is Hvar's Theatre, one of the oldest in Europe, dating back to 1612, but watching what goes on in the square provides all the entertainment needed - and of course, coffee.

GETTING THERE EasyJet flies from Belfast International Airport to Split from £32.99 one way.

WHERE TO STAY Double rooms at the Hotel Park (hotelparksplit.hr), just outside town on Bacvice Beach, start from €272 per night. Try its Chef’s Table experience, which includes a market trip with the chef to source ingredients. For more on Split, see visitsplit.com. ■

How to avoid car rental charges

By Pól Ó Conghaile 1. Photograph scuffs and scratches Car rental companies have different definitions of 'damage' (some say scuffs need to break the paint, others use minimum size criteria, for example).

Before you sign, check the car for damage, taking photos of any dints and scratches, and get staff to approve them with you on the form.

2. Don't trust the key return box Popping your keys into a box seems like a handy way to save time, but it can be a shortcut to trouble... and credit card charges appearing after you get home.

3. Buy car hire excess insurance Basic car rental insurance policies require the customer to pay the first portion of any claim - a hefty sum that can soar well over £1,500. But reducing the excess can be costly too, in many cases doubling the daily rate of your car hire.

A solution? Take out a car-hire excess policy before you travel.

4. Book in advance Holidaymakers rocking up to car rental desks without a booking in July or August are asking to be ripped off. For the best deal, book in advance.

6. Book for a few days - not the full holiday Do you really need a rental car for the full duration of your holiday? Consider booking for a few, concentrated days of activities rather than one or two weeks.

7. Don't forget the fuel Rental companies charge hefty premiums to refuel their cars. Be sure to fill up before you return... making time to locate a service station near the drop-off BEFORE you leave for the airport.

8. Location, location, location Airport rentals are handy, but they can also be more expensive. Think about renting closer to your accommodation.

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TECHNOLOGY

Tech review: Apple adds a touch of class to new top-of-the-range MacBook Pro

By Adrian Weckler

MACBOOK PRO 13 TOUCH BAR, FROM £1,249

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pple MacBooks have bucked the trend among PCs for years, steadily increasing market share compared to other brands. This is because they are, by and large, premium machines that are easy to use and have more than enough power to do what the vast majority of professional users ask of them.

They are also more pleasingly designed, aesthetically. One proof of this is that most Windows PCs now have several models that look like MacBooks in some way.

That being the case, what can Apple do to keep its advantage?

Aside from its operating system and software, Apple believes it has a new attraction for high-end MacBook Pro models. This comes in the form of its ‘Touch Bar’ - a touch-sensitive Oled strip at the top of the computer’s keyboard that has a number of shortcuts depending on what program you’re using.

When using the computer in a general way, it has useful controls such as screen brightness, volume and a shortcut to Siri. When you’re using specific applications, such as Safari, it lets you change window or immediately conduct a new search.

In the App Store, it switches to buttons offering ‘top charts’, ‘featured’, search and so on. The idea is that the Touch Bar can be programmable for bespoke applications.

I haven’t had long enough to figure out whether it would establish itself as a longterm workflow process habit, but I find myself using it a little more than I thought I would.

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That said, it sometimes has me reaching to touch the screen as I forget that it’s only the Touch Bar that can be tapped to control functionality.

One unfettered touch-based gain that the new model has is its Touch ID security. Like an iPhone or iPad, this uses your fingerprint to unlock the machine and speeds up access considerably.

There are probably two distinct markets for this higher-end MacBook Pro Retina with Touch Bar. One is an existing MacBook user who is looking to upgrade, while the other is someone looking to switch in to a high-end system from another platform. I live mainly in the first camp and own a 2015 MacBook Pro. As such, I was interested in whether the differences would prove substantial.

TECHNOLOGY

Two to try The model I had for review was the topof-the-range 13-inch Touch Bar and Touch ID model. It had 512GB of storage, 8GB of Ram and a 3.1Ghz Core i5 processor. From a power and speed perspective, I couldn’t ask for more for my tasks - writing, editing photos, running some video and using multiple web applications simultaneously.

This can haul quite a load.

From a workflow perspective, there are some noticeable variations other than the Touch Bar and Touch ID access.

The main ones are the ports and keyboard.

The 2017 top-end model I had has four Thunderbolt 3 (USB C) ports. The advantage is that these help the laptop charge astonishingly quickly. The disadvantage is that some legacy external devices, including storage drives, now need an adapter.

The other thing missing compared to my 2015 MacBook Pro is a memory card port.

I take quite a lot of photos with standalone cameras (as well as the odd bit of drone video) so it’s a pity for me. However, it’s not a deal-breaker. I use a memory card adapter for my iPad Pro without fuss. It wouldn’t bother me unduly to bring an adapter around with this laptop.

WRAPS TALK WRISTBAND HEADPHONES (£21.47 FROM AVOCA) What's the biggest hassle with budget earphones? Next to falling out of your ear, it's the tangled mess they get into. Wraps are a pretty nifty way around that. They're designed to be worn as a wristband, which means they're easy to immediately locate and rarely get tangled.

The Wraps Talk model I got also comes with a microphone, which lets you use them as a handsfree accessory for your phone.

The keyboard is a little different. It’s keys are shallower without quite as much feedback.

It’s not an advantage over the old one, but I didn’t notice much difference. One definite advantage is that the new MacBook Pro is slimmer and slightly lighter. This matters a great deal to me, especially in an era when the (even lighter) iPad Pro is starting to rival to any laptop for portable working.

Other motivations to upgrade include an excellent, expanded touchpad, improved speakers and a superb HD screen.

Apple’s new top-end 13-inch laptop is probably competing with its own sister devices, primarily the new beefed-up MacBook and the MacBook Air. But if you have the extra cash, this is a hell of a laptop. ■

SEPTEMBER 2017

SONY WS413 (£69.99 FROM CURRYS) If you haven't entirely converted over to music streaming services, Sony's waterproof wireless sports MP3 earphones are worth looking at. With 4GB of internal storage, you can hold a few hundred songs in almost any format. Tucked into your ear, they can withstand all manner of moisture, including full immersion to two metres.

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MY DAY Uncovering the 9-5

also ensure we showcase the Borough at events to embrace investment delegations so I target and plan resources to ensure that Council maximises every opportunity. This council has already committed £100m to its capital plan, bringing forward high quality innovative investment and working closely with other investors and stakeholders. One such example is the Southern Regional College who are making £100m investment in learning and economic development with their capital plans.

This area continues to receive the highest number of planning applications for residential dwellings and this is borne out by the high number of building control applications, demonstrating that the Borough is a great place to live, work and invest.

3pm Council regularly engages and works alongside stakeholders to bring opportunities and investment to the area and to make sure that we continue to be a strategic location for global companies.

Name: Nicola Wilson Position: Head of Economic Department, Armagh, Craigavon and Banbridge Council 8.45am Arriving at my office my day starts when I greet my team and quickly connect with everyone to set, review and lead on priorities for the week, within the economic agenda and the context of Council’s corporate plan and community plan.

The economy is Council’s number one priority. Supporting business development and job creation are key targets including our pledge to support businesses in creating 2020 jobs by 2020.

11am For me no two days are the same which makes my job exciting and varied. A key task throughout the day is to keep our Elected Members informed, showcasing our Borough as the number one region in which to invest, do business and visit.

We are the second largest Council in Northern Ireland and home to a plethora of global leading companies that are progressive, innovative leaders in their markets such as Almac, Moy Park, Glen Dimplex, John Hogg Group, Linwood Foods. I spend time meeting with our industry leaders going out to their sites listening to issues and discussing the best ways our team can help their business.

1pm Much of my time is spent talking to investors, financial institutions and demonstrating attractive regeneration and acquisition opportunities. I

Afternoons can be spent with our public sector stakeholders – Invest NI, Tourism NI, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Department for Communities. However most of my time is spent working directly with the private sector. The Borough is established as the Food Heartland of Northern Ireland and is a centre of excellence for AMME (Advanced Manufacturing, Materials and Engineering) as well as Life and Health Sciences, with the jewel in our crown being Almac, Northern Ireland’s largest life sciences company. My team and I have worked closely with industry leaders within the food and hospitality sectors and we facilitate the Food Heartland Forum which won two prestigious awards in the NI Year of Food and Drink Awards 2016.

My role in supporting and enabling business is globally focussed and part of my working day is spent building international partnerships and selling our Borough as a key destination to investors. Council was represented at the Florida International Medical Exhibition last year and this afternoon I have spent time preparing to welcome the Tampa Bay Medical Association, Florida to our Borough in the Autumn, setting up key presentations, working with the US Consul Dan Lawton and his team to arrange visits and meetings, showcasing the investment potential.

5pm I don’t finish at 5pm. I will often attend Council Committee meetings, networking events and events to widen our sphere of influence as an economic region.

Free Time In my free time, I am the vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Southern Regional College and have the privilege of contributing to the leadership and strategic development of learning and further education across the Borough.

On top of that as a wife and parent to two children with the recent addition of a dog, any other spare time I have, I make sure that its real quality time with my family and we really enjoy being together and walking the beaches of Dundrum.

Confidence

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