Ulster Business - June 2014 by Ulster Business

JUNE 2014 Price ÂŁ2.30 (â&#x201A;Ź3.75)

Rising High How the Danske Bank team is shaping up for the future ICT in the spotlight: How mobile accessibility can open up a world of possibilities

Wealth Management: Top tips on the best investments for your money

ISSN 1363-2507

9 771363 250005

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Contents 6 News

36 Printer progress

71 Corporate cares

The revolutionary new bicycle product taking Kickstarter by storm

How 3D printing is all the rage in today’s manufacturing world

All the winners from the Business in the Community Awards

14 Cover story

47 76 Manufacturing uncovered Pat Burns rubber

We talk to three of Danske Bank’s top bankers

Bank of Ireland UK hosts the top minds in the sector for a round-table discussion

The latest motoring news and views from our tame racing driver

18 David Meade

52 Money matters

84 Who goes there?

The mentalist gets down to the dirty business of sales

Where should you put your money in today’s investing climate?

The roundup of the month’s best events from around the country

24 App delight

62 Learning curve

92 Gadget corner

Why the growing popularity of apps should change the shape of your business

Why it’s never too late to go back to school

Adam Maguire rounds up all the latest gadgets

71 62

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Sources: IDG Research Services on midsized businesses in Europe and North America

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Why our welcome needs to be all inclusive

elcome to the June edition of Ulster Business. As we go to print, the spotlight in the wider economy has once again fallen on inward investment, a vital part of the recipe which promises to help rebalance the economy here and make Northern Ireland a great place to live.

Put yourself in their shoes, trying to answer questions from prospective investors from around the world about the headlines they’ve been seeing over the last few weeks which essentially say Northern Ireland doesn’t welcome minorities. It suddenly becomes a lot harder sell and other regions with more liberal attitudes find themselves jumping up the list of potential investment destinations.

Under normal circumstance this column would have been celebrating the tranche of job announcements from companies like Ernst & Young, Wrightbus and Spence & Co over the last few weeks but as usual we’re left trying to work out how to overcome the actions of a few.

We know the majority of citizens in Northern Ireland abhor such an attitude but unfortunately it only takes a few idiots to tarnish a reputation and that’s why we must come down hard on the perpetrators.

Around the world Northern Ireland is known for its welcome to strangers but that reputation will slip if the racial attacks of recent days continue and will be replaced by an altogether more sinister reputation, particularly if those of power and influence fail to denounce such persecution more fervently. Not only is it a sad indictment of our society but it also causes untold damage to the attempts of those trying to bring overseas investment to Northern Ireland.

We have had enough problems with religious division over the last few years, never mind bringing an intolerance of different race into the equation. Global companies need to see that Northern Ireland is a multi-cultural, welcoming country if they’re to invest here and the rest of us need the same if we’re to be proud of our homeland.

Publisher Greer Publications 5b Edgewater Business Park Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast BT3 9JQ www.ulsterbusiness.com Tel: 028 9078 3200

Editor David Elliott

Art Editor Stuart Gray

Manager Sonia Armstrong

Production Manager Stuart Gray

Printer W&G Baird Greystone Press, Caulside Drive, Antrim BT41 2RS www.wgbaird.com

Deputy Manager Sylvie Brando

Cover Photo Darren Kidd@ PressEye

Greer Publications © 2014. 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 Greer Publications.

JUNE 2014

It would be easy to brush the subject under the carpet in a column like this but it’s too important an issue for the future of our society and for our economy to ignore.

Sales Executive Chris Black

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NEWS

Briefs Drinks company C&C has reported a ramp up in profits after a strong performance across its businesses on the island of Ireland and Scotland. The company behind Magners, Stella Artois, Bass and Tennent’s – the latter being the name under which it trades in Northern Ireland – notched up operating profits of €126.7m for the 12 months to the end of February, a 10.6% hike on the previous year. Integration of the Gleeson distribution business and Scottish wholesaler Wallace Express – both recent acquisitions – helped boost trade in the Scottish and Irish markets and helped C&C move toward what it describes as a “customer centric, multi-beverage business model”. Continued pressure on disposable income means more people will be holidaying at home in the coming years, according to new research from Barclays. It found expenditure by domestic tourists – those also who live in Northern Ireland who holiday in Northern Ireland – will grow by 24% over the next four years and will contribute £462m annually to the economy by 2017. That growth will be driven by the increasing cost of living which is expected to see holiday makers bypass overseas holiday destinations. Northern Ireland’s economy is recovering, but still lagging behind the rest of the UK. That’s the view of PwC chief economist Dr Esmond Birnie following the release of the latest GDP data which revealed the UK economy grew by 0.8% in the first quarter of the year. “The good news is that the UK economy is now firing on all cylinders; the less good news is that Northern Ireland needs to see significant acceleration to close the gap with other regions and the UK average,” he said. His comments chime with other economic indicators which suggest Northern Ireland’s economy has been slower to get out of the starting blocks compared to other UK regions.

Jyrobike set to take Kickstarter by storm

he Northern Ireland company behind a new bicycle product is hoping to take the world of crowd funding by storm after launching on Kickstarter.

in the quickest and easiest way possible. For the last two years, we’ve been working on a new bicycle that is aimed at helping children learn to ride in a single afternoon – by any measure, our goal is no mean feat.”

Jyrobike is the brainchild of chief executive Robert Bodill and claims to drastically speed up the time it takes for children to learn to ride a bicycle without the use of stabilisers.

He’s aiming to secure $100,000 (£60,000) through the crowd funding website before July 3 and will offer Control Hub’s and Jyrobike’s in exchange for pledges from $129 (£77).

It’s aimed at three-to-eight year olds and uses the balancing principle of a gyroscope, in the form of a flywheel, placed in the front wheel to improve stability and keep riders upright. The gyroscopic force can be controlled to suit each child’s ability and adjusted wirelessly by parents using a remote control. The product was launched on Kickstarter in London by Mr Bodill and will be available either as the Control Hub for attachment to 12 inch or 16 inch bicycle wheels or, in the future, as a full bicycle offering. “Our inspiration comes from that perfect, wonderful moment of joy and freedom,” Mr Bodill said. “Our passion is designing a bicycle that transports as many people as possible directly to that moment of delight,

As Ulster Business went to print $99,000 had been raised.

HOW IT WORKS Jyrobike invented a patented Control Hub that is able to intelligently generate a stabilising force that resists the toppling force of gravity on the bicycle. The technology is based upon the basic and well-known scientific laws found in all gyroscopes or flywheels. The Control Hub, behaves according to standard gyroscope rules and resists any angular force acting about its transverse axis.

NEWS

Belfast Harbour profits jump by 42%

buoyant performance by the agrifood and wind sectors helped Belfast Harbour post a bumper performance last year.

It recorded pretax profits of £26.2m for 2013, a 42% ramp up on the previous year, handling 22.7m tonnes. The harbour said a 45% boost to dry bulk cargo – most of which is handled by grain importer W&R Barnett and destined for animal feed – was behind much of the performance, in addition to a sharp increase in trade associated with the renewable energy sector. Tonnages handled related to the latter climbed to 200,000 from just 3,000 in 2012, and mostly involve work carried out through the offshore wind energy terminal built by the harbour last year and leased to DONG Energy and ScottishPower Renewables.

Belfast Harbour had a busy 2013, handling nearly 23m tonnes.

Freight was another strong performer for the harbour, particularly for roll-on/roll-off business which climbed 8% on the year.

“Record levels of profit have enabled the Harbour to commit £60m towards further projects to benefit the local economy. This is necessary to accommodate a projected 68% increase in trade over the next 15 years and ensure that Belfast Harbour remains forward-looking as the island’s most modern gateway to overseas markets.”

Len O’Hagan, Belfast Harbour’s Chairman, said the profits will be reinvested in infrastructure.

The harbour said it has committed over £60m on expenditure projects and also revealed it paid £6.6m in tax for 2013.

JUNE 2014

A Month in Numbers 4,762 The number of new cars registered in Northern Ireland in May, a 12% jump on the same time last year. The boost reflects an increase in consumer confidence as buyers only tend to buy big ticket items, such as cars, if they’re feeling financially secure.

Villiers reiterates autumn deadline for tax decision Secretary of State Theresa Villiers.

£300m The mooted figure which will be chopped from Northern Ireland’s block grant if a decision to grant corporation tax-setting powers to Stormont is given the thumbs up. Westminister has committed to answering one way or another before the autumn budget statement but will, because of EU aid laws, have to cut the amount of money it gives Stormont by the amount lost in tax revenue.

20 The number of new jobs created by pharmaceutical company Almac at its Craigavon headquarters. It’s looking for everyone from project co-ordinators and project managers to supply chain managers, project leaders and design managers.

4% The drop in sales witnessed by Tesco in the first three months of its financial year, the third consecutive quarter of contraction. Questions have been asked about the supermarket giant’s strategy but it still managed to pull in a not-too-shabby £3.3bn last year in profits.

£3bn Tthe latest annual revenue from football clubs in the Premier League, a figure which has doubled in just seven years.

he Secretary of State has reiterated Westminister’s commitment to deliver an answer on whether corporation tax setting powers will be devolved to Stormont this autumn. Theresa Villiers, in a statement issued just after the Queen’s speech, said the government “remains on course to make a final decision on the potential devolution of corporation tax powers no later than the Autumn Statement 2014”. The minister gave no hint in relation to whether the campaign, backed by business organisations, was likely to be given the go-ahead by the Prime Minister, but did focus on a plan to rebalance the economy here as mentioned in the Queen’s speech. “It (Queen’s speech) also reaffirms the government’s commitment to rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy and building a shared future for all.

She said Westminster and Stormont were working to implement the measures contained in Building a Prosperous and United Community, the economic pact signed between the Prime Minister and First and deputy First Ministers, and said an update on how that’s going will be revealed soon. And Ms Villiers said it is key that politians here work together to secure a future for all in Northern Ireland. “It is vital that the Northern Ireland parties work intensively in the coming weeks on seeking an agreement on flags, parading and the past. The Government remains fully engaged in this process and will continue to support the party leaders in their efforts to reach an agreed way forward. And we remain determined to press ahead with measures contained in the economic pact to boost the private sector and ensure continuing economic recovery.”

NEWS

New car registrations jump again in May

ne of the most accurate measures of confidence in the economy has shown Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumers are becoming more secure about their finances. New car registrations jumped by 12% in May on a year-on-year basis, with the keys to 4,762 new cars handed over at forecourts here. Consumers only commit to buying socalled big ticket items such as cars when they are feeling confident about their financial situation so economists use the registration data to gauge sentiment. The latest data means 27,819 new cars were sold in Northern Ireland since the start of 2014, a 14% hike on the same period in 2013 and the best performance of all four UK regions.

The Ford Fiesta remains the most popular new car in Northern Ireland.

While the boost has been welcome, there is still some way to go before the market returns to the buoyant days of 2007 when 68,000 new cars were sold for the year as a whole. Between then and 2012, 21,000 fewer new cars were registered in Northern Ireland as

the effects of the global downturn took hold. When it comes to the most popular marques on a year-to-date basis, the Ford Fiesta comes top of the league table with 1,059 new cars registered, followed by the Volkswagen Golf at 921 and the Ford Focus at 801.

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JUNE 2014

NEWS

In Brief A £1.5m investment by entrepreneur Shane Braniff will create 15 new jobs at the first distillery to be licensed in Northern Ireland for 130 years. Echlinville Distillery is behind the Feckin whiskey brand and is also relaunching Dunville VR Irish Whiskey, once one of the best-known brands in the world until the closure of the distillery in Belfast 80 years ago when prohibition in the US cut off one of the spirit’s biggest markets. The new distillery is based at the Echlinville Estate at Rubane, just outside Kircubbin and hopes to tap into a growing demand for whiskey both in Northern Ireland and around the globe, Mr Braniff said. One of the most recent law firms to have set up a Northern Ireland base has moved into new offices and unveiled plans to create more jobs in the months ahead. TLT NI has just been given the keys to 6,500 square feet of office space in Montgomery House in Belfast having grown its employee number to 54 currently from five when it first arrived in the city in 2012. The firm has offices in Bristol, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as a separate shipping finance team in Greece, covers real estate, banking and finance, renewables and pensions at its Belfast office, overseen by five partners. A family-run Antrim hotel group has bought its first business in the Republic with the purchase of the Letterkenny Court Hotel. The McKeever Hotel Group bought the three-star establishment for an undisclosed sum – the asking price had been €900,000 – and said it plans to create 27 new jobs and retain the 30 staff currently in place. It has already started a major restoration, investing £400,000 to refurbish the ground floor and to build a new function room with a capacity for 70 people. The Letterkenny Court Hotel had been in receivership but will fit in well with McKeever’s other hotels, according to managing director Eugene McKeever.

Central bank won’t forget Northern Ireland

Michael Newey, centre, is pictured with Kyle Alexander OBE (left) of the Strategic Investment Board and David Gavaghan (right), chief executive of Titanic Quarter. Mr Newey was speaking to RICS members at the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast.

he governor of the Bank of England will pay due attention to the fledgling recovery in the Northern Ireland property market before deciding to raise interest rates, the global president of the Royal Institute of Charted Surveyors has said. On a two-day visit to Northern Ireland, Michael Newey told Ulster Business Mark Carney is likely to use more subtle means to dampen the booming housing market in London and the south east of England. “Carney had a reputation in Canada for using broader controls to prevent house price bubbles and I think he’s going to use the same tools here, Mr Newey said. “We’ve become so used to low interest rates that it wouldn’t take much movement for some people to be put in difficult financial positions.” Concerns have been raised that the central bank would raise rates from the current all-time low level of 0.5% before the Northern Ireland property markets, and economy, had a chance to recover fully. “He (Mark Carney) has been quite cautious on interest rates so far and is using slightly different tools, such as assess lending

criteria, as a way to slowing demand rather than the blunt tool of interest rates. “I suspect if we were sitting here with the same sort of approach as 20 years ago interest rates would already have moved.” Mr Newey said it was key not to focus too heavily on the London property market, one which has a huge amount of overseas investment compared to other regions of the UK. But he said one problem is apparent across the region. “We have to sort out the housing supply challenge in the UK. That’s a tough ask because by definition you’re either using green field or brown field sites or increasing density. After a year as Global President of the RICS where he got to visit cities around the world, he felt the latter option is best. “Arguably, increasing density is the most logical approach as you’re minimising pressure in transportation infrastructure. High rises and very high rises can be quite attractive for a number of reasons and it’s the most logical way to manage increasing demand for housing.

NEWS

Gin just the tonic for new distillery

Strong £ brings challenges for exporters

Shortcross Gin developed by Co. Down husband and wife team at Rademon Estate.

By Brian Telford, Head of Treasury & Markets, Danske Bank

David Boyd-Armstong stands in front of the magnificent copper still at Radmon Estate Distillery, holding a bottle of Northern Ireland’s first locally produced craft gin, Shortcross.

orthern Ireland-made gin could soon be gracing the tables of the world’s best bars and restaurants following the creation of a Downpatrick distillery. Rademon Estate Distillery has already supplied its Shortcross Gin to selected pubs and restaurants here from its base at the estate of the same name outside the County Down town. Husband and wife team Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong who run the company use the estate’s own water supply to make the gin, and distil it in a “bespoke copper still” in what they claim is the only craft distillery in Northern Ireland. They describe Shortcross Gin as having a “unique and uplifting aroma reminiscent of a summer meadow... a classic yet contemporary flavour with an exceptionally smooth and long peppery finish.” Shortcross Gin is currently being distributed by James Nicholson Wine Merchants and is available in James Street South, Hadskis, James Street South Bar & Grill, Ox Belfast, Balloo House, The Parsons Nose, The Poachers Pocket, Muriels Café Bar and The John Hewitt.

JUNE 2014

t the time of writing this column, the pound is sitting at approximately 81.5p against the Euro – its lowest level since January 2013 and well below the recent high of 91p seen in 2011. Over the past 12 months in particular, sterling has been steadily strengthening and some forecasters are now even suggesting there is potential for the rate to reach 77p over the next 12 months. A strengthening of sterling is a statement of confidence in the UK economy and, at this time of year in particular, presents good news to holiday makers. But for local businesses and particularly exporters the strengthening pound also brings about its challenges. When it comes to exporting to markets outside of the UK, the strong pound can be damaging to the UK competitiveness and concerns have been expressed that this could derail efforts to increase export levels. The challenge therefore for local firms is to look at other ways to remain competitive, be it cutting costs, innovating or finding new ways to sell in new markets. With Northern Ireland export sales to the wider UK as well as outside the traditional Republic of Ireland or other European markets having grown over the past three years, it would seem that local exporters are applying market diversification as a primary mitigant to these challenges. Additionally, despite the strong pound, globally there remains a demand for high quality, value adding products and Northern Ireland firms have consistently demonstrated strength in this regard across a number of sectors. The opportunities are still there for Northern Ireland exporters, we may just need to work differently to secure them.

Brian Telford can be contacted by emailing brian.telford@danskebank.co.uk or calling 028 9004 5000

NEWS

Ulster Bank: bulging Twitterolitics order books boost economy The column keeping Northern Ireland’s politicians limited to 140 characters. We start with Enterprise minister Arlene Foster. What’s wrong with the Northern Ireland economy? We need to continue to grow our private sector in high productivity sectors that pay above average wages #nieconomicstrategy #rebalancing What’s right with the Northern Ireland economy? Our young and well educated workforce underpin a strong FDI record, success in key export markets and rapid growth in R&D spending How do we do focus more on question 2? Innovate, export, invest in skills, encourage entrepreneurs, make it easier to do business and champion @ MATRIX_NI sectors #redtapeni #boostingbusiness Export is meant to be the saviour of the economy but only a few companies actually sell overseas. How do we change that? Support innovation, invest in R&D and develop skills. @ investni provides export advice, market information & helps companies to explore new markets We have some brilliant entrepreneurs but we need more. How can government encourage entrepreneurship? Provide a flexible and innovative system of support to enable individuals to take first steps & develop business ideas #accesstofinance #businessangels #addressrisks Northern Ireland’s relatively large public sector – a help or a hindrance to the economy? By reforming the public sector we can serve our people better, while also stimulating innovation & growth in the private sector #SBRI Businesses say banks aren’t lending, banks say businesses aren’t asking for credit. Who is telling the truth? Demand & supply issues need to be addressed to ensure that businesses can access the finance they need to grow #workingtogether #agrifoodloanscheme Tell us something we didn’t know about the Northern Ireland economy. We export more to @Thailand than to @Finland, @Sweden, @ Austria, @Hungary and @Greece combined! #diversification

The construction industry was one of the top performing sectors in May.

ctivity in the Northern Ireland economy grew again last month as a flood of new orders kept businesses busy, according to a new survey released by Ulster Bank.

Its Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for May found companies here experienced the biggest boost to new business since the survey was started back in 2002. Bulging order books mean the upward momentum should continue for some time to come, building on a number of other firsts. May also saw the manufacturing sector see the fastest rate of growth in employment since the PMI began while the construction sector reported the fastest rate of growth in business activity on record. The recovery for the latter sector needs to be put into context, however. “It should be noted however, that no sector of the economy experienced the record rates of decline that the local construction industry has experienced,” economist Richard Ramsey said. “Therefore, what we are seeing is a period of catch-up from very low levels of activity.” He said the positive result signals an upturn for the housing sector but pointed out the number of housing starts in Northern Ireland was still falling in the last quarter of 2013. And when it comes to export, the survey also reveals a strengthening sector. “To date, Northern Ireland’s economic recovery has largely been driven by the robust recovery in Great Britain,” Mr Ramsey said. “This has been evident with new orders growth, which includes both domestic bound sales and exports, consistently outperforming the export orders growth. “However, it is encouraging to note that last month firms reported their fastest rate of growth in export orders since the credit crunch first began in August 2007. This suggests that improvements in our largest export market – the Republic of Ireland – are feeding through to Northern Ireland businesses.”

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COVER STORY

Danske Bank: Core values and customer care Doing the business â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Richard Caldwell, Robert Garrett and Ivan McMinn.

COVER STORY

ake three senior bankers, roast in the glass dome at Victoria Square on a warm day for 40 minutes under the glare of a photographer and then interrogate in a boardroom for an hour. That’s the recipe which Ulster Business followed to get underneath the skin of a local bank which has found itself in good health quicker than its main competitors. Danske Bank returned to profit in 2013 but it wasn’t until the release of its first quarter results for 2014 that the extent of its progress became clear, with over £17m in pre-tax profits recorded. As most banks are still wrestling with the last and deeply ingrained vestiges of the credit crunch, the Danish-owned bank has reduced the impairments in its Northern Ireland business to a manageable level and got on with the business of banking. The question most people would like to know – particularly other bankers – is how has it got there? Ivan McMinn is Head of Corporate Banking at Danske and believes the bank’s customers could hold the answer to that question. “Some of the greatest advocates of what we do are the customers that we’ve brought over from other institutions,” he said. “That is a reflection of where we are as a bank.” Ivan’s corporate banking division focuses on customers with a turnover in excess of £15m, so a nod of approval from them is well worth it. Tellingly, Danske has managed to more than double its share of business with the top 200 businesses in Northern Ireland during one of the toughest periods in banking history when others were leaking customers at a rate of knots. In 2007 it had a 21% share of the top 200 businesses, whilst today it counts 46% of those goliaths of industry on its books.

JUNE 2014

The reason firms are signing up to Danske is down to its overall offering, according to Ivan. “We have many differentiators,” he said. “We have attracted the best customers to Danske and we also have great people working across the full remit of the bank. Not only are our customer retention levels incredibly high but our customer satisfaction levels are the best both locally and across the Danske Group. Our staff attrition rates are also very low.” “We have every confidence we’ll provide the best customer service to business customers. That is supported by a very strong suite of products and underpinned by what is the best online banking system in the marketplace.” “When you put all of that together you get a highly regarded and robust offering for customers.” That offering is one Richard Caldwell knows well. Richard is Head of Finance Centres for Danske in Northern Ireland, managing business growth, customer satisfaction and staff development at each of the centres – in Portadown, Newry, Omagh, DerryLondonderry, Ballymena, Coleraine and Belfast – and for the agri-business team. Richard has a remit which covers around 7,000 SME businesses and it is an area of the bank which has shown impressive growth. He believes a back-to-basics approach to banking has helped build an enviable position in the market. “It’s about sitting down with customers and understanding their long-term plans so we can help with their funding requirements,” Richard said. “We take time to understand their business and develop a real relationship based on trust, honesty, integrity and doing the right thing by the customer – that’s what is so compelling about our offering and what I believe makes us different.” And while such an attitude has already reaped success, ambition hasn’t waned. “The challenge for us now is to use our number one position in the local market to significantly outgrow the market and the economy. We’re doing this by supporting >>

COVER STORY

our own customers and attracting quality new business, – both in the corporate segment and in our finance centres.” Central to that is Robert Garrett’s role as Head of Customer Service for Business Banking. It’s a new role established only last November and is primarily aimed at meeting customer requirements as the economy emerges from recession and companies look to secure additional funding. “At Danske, from the CEO down, there are three key focuses: customer attention, simplicity and efficiency,” Robert said. “My customer service role is to influence all of those points at a local level.” He’s also leading market research into customer satisfaction levels and keeping an eye on the views that non-

Danske customers have of the bank. “We benchmark the bank so that we can understand how we can improve overall satisfaction, something we score very highly in at present. But what we don’t want to do is to rest on our laurels and we are determined to keep striving to improve our lead in this area even further.” “Throughout the financial crisis we were able to operate in a business-as-usual mode, in a market where our competitors were under much more strain and that was recognised by both existing and new to bank customers”. Ivan believes a focus on more traditional banking values has proven worthwhile. “Even during the depths of the economic downturn we were an attractive bank to

come to,” he said. “We based our banking fundamentals around core values and steered away from positions where some of our competitors decided to go.” While the bank stands in an enviable position, there is no less focus on winning new business, or to skimping on service to current customers. “Competitors are looking at us and if we have the largest market share the chances are that they will come knocking on the door of our customers,” Robert said. “Yes we are always looking to win new business, but never to the detriment of the quality of service that we provide to our existing customers – a sustained focus on customer retention is a key pillar of our success.”

Case Study: Smiley Monroe commitment and expertise of our entire team. But it hasn’t all been plain sailing and, like many other businesses, the recession presented us with a number of significant challenges”. “After six years of sustained growth, we faced the stark reality of order cancellations and uncertainty. We took an uncompromising position on cost reductions, which unfortunately had the greatest impact on our employees.” “We had been exporting prior to 2008, however, the economic downturn gave our export focus new momentum. With the support of Danske Bank we also continued the investment in modernising our factory, improving procedures and streamlining processes to increase efficiencies in the business, and continued to invest in R&D and innovation.”

stablished in 1979, the privately owned family company Smiley Monroe is recognised as a global leader in the supply of endless conveyor belts to the mobile crushing, screening and recycling sectors. Exporting to over 40 countries across the world, the firm was recognised last year in the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) Top 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain report. Deputy Managing Director Nicola Wolsey explained: “2013 was financially the most successful year in our company’s history and the LSE accolade was testament to the drive,

“Our partnership with Danske Bank is very strong. Their support in recent years has been invaluable and we consider our banking relationship manager in particular to be very much part of our team here at Smiley Monroe. Danske Bank’s online banking platforms are second to none and its trade and export finance facilities underpin the export side of our business.” Supported by Danske Bank, Smiley Monroe emerged from the recession as a much stronger, leaner company. Having reported sustained growth in recent years, their focus remains on further expanding their global reputation for service and solutions.

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mileage of 8000 per annum, excess mileage charge 14.9p per mile. At the end of the Personal Contract Purchase there are three options: (i) pay the Final Payment/GFV (Guaranteed Future Value) to own the vehicle; (ii) part exchange the vehicle, where equity is available; or (iii) return the vehicle. Further charges may be made subject to the condition of the vehicle. We can introduce you to a number of finance providers. We may receive commission for the introduction. Terms and conditions apply. 18s or over. Guarantee/Indemnity may be required. Volvo Car Credit RH1 1SR.

BUSINESS PSYCHOLOGY

Proof positive ways to sell more We’re almost halfway through 2014 and sales teams everywhere are feeling the pressure of a new financial year’s targets. David Meade looks at how some simple and clever techniques can be used to boost your bottom line.

t’s a dirty word I know, but someone had to bring it up. You might not like to admit it, but for many people in your organisation, the word “sales” leaves a pretty grimy aftertaste. It can conjure up images of pushy posers with the gift of the gab that could make any unsuspecting prospect sign on the dotted line. You might have one of the strongest sales teams in the province which is pounding the pavements following leads and closing deals, but the truth of the matter is, boosting the bottom line is everybody’s business. As the saying goes, ‘we are all in sales’, though few organisations are making headway towards developing a strategic way to employ the fundamentals principles of effective sales across the entire organisation. Over the next few months I’ll be focusing on how some very simple changes to the way your organisation presents itself, its people, and its products can have a dramatic impact on your business now and into the future. During that time I want you to set habit and convention aside as we press the ‘reset button’ on your sales effort, unpicking the stimuli that make those around you want to push the ‘buy now’ button or sign on the bottom line.

Proof Positive Few psychological principles have more impact on the behaviour of an individual than ‘social proof’, but what is it?

In its simplest form, it is the strong psychological influence that is created when an individual discovers that a group of others is behaving in a certain manner. In other words, it’s “a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect the correct behaviour for a given situation... driven by the assumption that the surrounding people possess more information about the situation.” As human beings, we are programmed to observe, learn from, and reflect the actions of others around us or in our reference group and it seems there is no context where this is more prevalent than consumer behaviour. There’s a staggering array of evidence to back it up too; roughly 70% of buyers say they seek out user reviews online before making the decision to purchase, and genuine consumer testimonials are considered to be well over ten times more trustworthy than the product descriptions provided by manufacturers. The good news is this principle is quick and easy to exploit, and by the time you’ve finished this article you’ll be able to use social proofing in three hugely effective ways – and you can start today!

Crowd Wisdom All individuals want to be part of something. Whether that ‘something’ is a community or a clique, when organisations show that their products or services are being used or approved by large groups of people, their prospective clients feel the palpable urge

to at least try out the product that has the whole world buzzing. All of the greatest sales operations in the world use this strategy, and you can too with very little effort. Next time you’re pitching a solution to a lead or prospect, make a point of letting them know ‘we sold 12,000 user licences of this last week’ or ‘our new coffee blend has broken all records since we introduced it last month’. Doing so reduces the perceived potential risk that a buyer might feel when making an investment, since they know others have tried earlier. So whether you want someone to sign up to an email newsletter or try out a new restaurant, remember to tell them how many people have already made the leap and watch your sales jump too.

The White Coat It will seem obvious, no doubt, to use the opinion or endorsement of an expert but I’m certain most of your organisations are failing to exploit the huge impact of the specialist on your sales. Adding weight and credibility to your own blurb, they are much more likely to read, retain, and trust the information if it’s being backed up by an authority in the field. The numbers bear out too, with a 2011 study showing endorsements do measurably increase sales, and even cause a jump in share prices. Interestingly though, the experts can come from far and wide depending on your sector; cosmetics fly off the shelves with the right

BUSINESS PSYCHOLOGY

celebrity endorsement, but as social media continues to throttle traditional marketing models and consumers become ever-more commercially savvy and sophisticated – it’s the bloggers that are the new kings of opinion.

A friend Indeed Speaking of social media, the last technique for driving sales using social proof is a clever and potent amalgam of the two we’ve just explored. Crowds make us want to buy things the things that we can see they’ve already bagged. Experts that we trust make us feel safer about flashing our cash on products we are interested in.

into Twitter or Facebook. You’ll soon notice their back-end software is replacing their generic advertisements with those targeted with laser-point accuracy. “Four of your friends also bought this book” and “Your friend Amanda Carter is going to see Garth Brooks” are not only astonishingly effective at grabbing attention, but they harness a host of psychological triggers.

Back at the Office Of course, Amazon and Ticketmaster have a virtually limitless resource base to develop the

complex back end required to make these powerful systems work, but exploiting the ‘friend zone’ for your own purposes need not be so expensive. When was the last time you simply asked a customer to tweet about your product if they liked it, perhaps in return for entry into a prize draw? The fact is social proof is an extraordinary tool that you are undoubtedly underutilising. Harnessing the impact of crowds, experts, and trusted friends as part of your sales effort can reap tremendous rewards. I just hope no one finds out about my own Garth Brooks tickets.

Combining these two stimuli is arguably the most powerful persuader of all, and they’re never more powerful than when the previous purchaser AND endorser is a friend that we know personally. Try browsing Amazon or Ticketmaster while also, just in the background, being logged

JUNE 2014

Global CEOs plan for recovery PwC partner Honor Mallon shared the findings of the 2014 Global CEO Survey with delegates at the Institute of Director’s recent Leadership Day.

he annual Global CEO Survey – the world’s biggest annual survey of business leaders – is managed by PwC’s international research-to-insight team in Belfast and Honor Mallon says its messages are just as relevant here. When we asked more than 1,300 global business leaders from 68 countries what the future had in store, three global trends came up. First, technological advances are having a huge impact on the way companies do business. Innovation, empowered by technology, is now at the top of the CEO’s agenda as a mechanism for creating value. Second, demographic changes are creating social turmoil – everything is in flux from where and how people work to emerging social and political trends; collectively these affect how companies interact with their customers, supply chains and employees. Third, shifts in economic power continue. Last year the advanced economies struggled, while emerging economies surged. This year the advanced economies are mending, while growth in the emerging economies is decelerating and CEOs are revising their view of overseas markets. Combine these three global trends and CEOs have to make tough decisions about how to serve increasingly demanding customers, without compromising on quality or cost, in the ‘new normal’ of volatile economic recovery. But 81% of CEOs, agreed that technology and the so-called “digital revolution” will be the greatest transforming influence over the next decade. Customers are always a CEO priority, but capturing the talent that will help deliver

Honor Mallon

growth and profit is becoming a worry. Half of CEOs plan to hire more people in the coming year – up from 45% in 2013 – but almost two-thirds are concerned about the availability of key skills and the level of concern has risen by more than 10% since 2010. CEOs are responding, with 93% acknowledging the need to change their strategies for attracting and retaining talent, with plans ranging from retention strategies aimed at the female workforce to abandoning retirement to retain an ageing, but skilled and experienced workforce. So what messages does the Global CEO Survey deliver to Northern Ireland’s business leaders? First, information is power – it delivers insight and competitive advantage; and that’s why 1,300 CEOs participate – they want the power that knowledge delivers.

top of their priority list and so should every Northern Ireland business. Third, invest in talent. Driving insight, innovation and change needs people with the right skills supported by leaders who can nurture and grow talent as the business expands. But the workforce of tomorrow is diverse and flexible and is looking for a different kind of hybrid leadership. And finally – look beyond local markets. Only internationally competitive businesses are relatively immune from domestic economic upheaval and harnessing technology and talent to deliver innovative products and services is a natural stepping-off point towards exports.

Honor Mallon is a partner with PwC in

Second, innovation creates competitive advantage, where insight and knowledge collectively drive innovation. Our CEOs consistently put innovation at the

Northern Ireland and heads PwC’s global research-to-insight group, based in Belfast. She can be contacted at 028 9041 5745 or at honor.mallon@uk.pwc.com

SCIENCE IN INDUSTRY

A clincial approach Colette Donaghy is a MATRIX member and General Manager of Venn Life Sciences NI and explains why Northern Ireland needs to work hard to develop a quality research environment.

linical Trials are conducted and sponsored for the large part by the pharmaceutical industry with the creation of a new medicine taking on average between 10 to 12 years.

the UK was a first choice for clinical trials but this position has been challenged in recent years and recent statistics show a reduction of about 25% in the EU with trials moving to Asia, South Africa and Russia.

Following the preclinical stage, the sponsor files a new drug application and then moves through the trial stages I - III to accumulate the required safety and efficacy data required for the licensing of the product. Many products fail at the early stages and this adds greatly to the costly process of creating a new medicine.

We need to work harder to ensure we can deliver top quality research at a competitive price in a highly competitive global market.

Having being involved myself in clinical research for over 25 years through the pharmaceutical industry, I have witnessed the many changes which have taken place in the UK and European Union to ensure our research practices meet the exacting standards required by our regulators. The clinical research environment is a challenging and complex one and we need to balance the urgency to fill the gap for an unmet medical need with the requirement to ensure the product is safe and also effective in the desired population it wants to treat. The ultimate aim is to protect and improve the health of patients and we owe the many patients who generously give of their time to take part in clinical trials a great debt of thanks. The globalisation of clinical research has been inevitable and the UK must continue in its efforts to provide a welcoming environment for this research to be conducted. Historically

Increasingly, clinical trials are conducted by academic institutions, research networks and charitable organisations all of whom must follow the Clinical Trial Directive (2001/20/ EC). This is a positive development and indicates that the links between academia and the commercial world are continuing to grow. The importance and high value of clinical research to Life Sciences in the UK was highlighted very recently with Astra Zeneca’s rejection of Pfizer’s £69.4bn offer. Locally, it is encouraging to see Venn Life Sciences, a European Clinical Research Organisation establish a UK base in the

Northern Ireland Science Park. This is a real opportunity to show a global market what we can achieve here. We have first-class universities, first-class hospitals, and a wealth of innovative companies both established and emerging in the area of R&D that indicate our readiness to play an integral part in the exciting new drug and medical device development process. These companies and institutions offer high-value jobs which our graduates strive for and which we need to provide to ensure we can remain an attractive location for our graduates. MATRIX works with industry and academia to help build strong and collaborative relationships with identified partners both internationally and locally to promote the importance of Science, Technology and R&D to Northern Ireland. We want and need our graduates to be part of this growth, we need their new ideas, untarnished by “if it’s not broken don’t fix it” mentality to feed the wheel of innovation and play our part on the global stage.

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

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Appy Days

By David Elliott

Why a mobile strategy could reap big rewards for your business.

round 15 years ago, when getting to grips with my first ever mobile phone – a brand new Nokia 3210 – the idea that a hand held device would soon be able to screen live television, address the world of social media and check in for a flight seemed a little farfetched. There was no camera, there was no internet access but you could play a strangely addictive game called “Snake” and – crucially for a phone – make calls (it also had the battery life of an ox, something today’s power hungry devices can only envy). We all know how things have changed, with the old 3210 resigned to the museum and the new genre of smartphones able to do pretty

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much everything other than brush our teeth, although there’s probably an app for that too. Being able to tap into pretty much everything on your mobile device which you could do sitting in front of a computer has become the norm. From a consumer point of view they are now part of everyday life and for business they are providing an added opportunity to market goods and services. But not all companies realise the potential a mobile offering has. Even firms which are aware of the need to offer customers the ability to get information about their products don’t always realise just how high up their list of priorities it should be. Conall Laverty, founder at Woogie Studios in Belfast, said mobile should be topping the list of online offerings. “I encourage many companies I work with to adopt a ‘mobile first’ strategy – designing their products for mobile phones or tablet devices before they progress with designs for traditional desktop devices,” he said.

That view, Conall said, is backed by a shift in the manner in which consumers access the internet around the world. “The rationale is clear in terms of both global and local market trends. For example, Facebook said recently that over one billion of their users now access their service through mobile, and in Northern Ireland Ofcom has revealed that smartphone uptake has accelerated steeply over the past 12 months. A mobile web presence is essential for businesses, so what do you need to consider to bring your company up to mobile speed? One of the biggest decisions is whether to opt for responsive website or to go for the full-fat version of a native app. The former is essentially a website which will adapt to mobile devices to make it more easily read and more easily accessed. It’s normally less expensive to develop than a fully-fledged app but can be more difficult to use on some devices. Conall Laverty said it’s best to take a long hard look at what you want a mobile

presence to do for the company. “Businesses considering a mobile strategy should let the technology remain abstract until they are absolutely clear what it is they are trying to achieve. And for anyone looking into the question of responsive web versus native apps, I’d recommend they let the use cases and proposed feature set decide which is the best way to go.” It’s not an easy decision and to be absolutely sure, below are a few questions which might help you decide. Darren Lemon, General Manager at Eircom, said the growth of apps and the use of smartphones means an efficient and secure wireless network is vital for buisinesses. “From the smallest business to the largest corporation these increasingly powerful tools are here to stay and businesses need to adapt their strategies to allow for the safe and secure use of these devices within the work environment. The key is in planning, making sure your wireless networks are robust and secure enough now and in the future, and putting the proper procedures and processes in place to govern their use.” >>

How to decide whether a responsive website or native app is right for you: How do you communicate with your customers?

If most of your contact is carried out over the phone on in person, there is probably enough usability from a responsive website. If your customers need to access their account, buy or sell product on your site then a native app is needed.

What are you trying to sell?

Transactions need the functionality of a native app but for those looking to relay information, such as news, a responsive website should be enough.

Are your customers tech geniuses or technophobes?

If you know your they’re using a variety of different mobile devices then an enhanced website will be usable across them all. If you know they’re using just one device, then an app tailored for it will be more user friendly.

Do your customers want to work offline?

Native apps can be used when you can’t get mobile or internet coverage, responsive websites can’t.

How much do you want to pay?

Building a native app is generally more expensive than a responsive website, particularly given the fact it has to be tailored for different operating systems.

JUNE 2014

ICT QUARTERLY

What’s on your mobile? We asked a couple of Northern Ireland business people which apps they used most.

Mark Elliott, Business Development Manager, FarmWizard FarmWizard: The best app available! BBC News: Great for keeping up-to-date with breaking news.

Gareth Tolerton, Chief Technical Officer, Total Mobile

The Farming Forum: A mixture of news on the farming sector mixed with plenty of views. Ulster Rugby: As a supporter, this app keeps me up-to-date with the team. Twitter: I’m new to Twitter but it’s opened up a world of possibilities.

BBC News: The first thing I check in the morning. Flipboard: It puts all the tech news and other reading I want in one place. Evernote: It helps me manage all my notes and to-do lists on all my devices. Strava: Tracks my mountain biking at the weekends. BA: Check in and instant boarding passes on the move.

Paul Convery, Head of BT Business Pages by Apple: Mobile working is becoming the new norm so this word processing app is great at amending, creating or reviewing documents when I can’t get to my computer. BT Wi-fi: This is a great app for automatically connecting to any of BT’s 5.2 million UK hotspots. Google Maps: Recently I was in London and used the maps to navigate my way to the meeting. It is an essential when visiting a city I am not familiar with. BBC: I find this really helpful in keeping up with snow conditions for skiing during the season and for local weather depending on what’s on at home. BT Sport: I’m a massive sports fan so having the BT Sport app on my phone is the perfect way of keeping up to date on a whole range of different sports.

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Mind-blowing business of the month Company: Export Technologies Location: NI Science Park, Belfast What makes your business so mind-blowing? Our technology, the IRP, is a multichannel e-commerce platform that has transacted in excess of £1 billion of online sales for Northern Ireland companies. By using the IRP a company can have its website translated into any number of languages, localise in a market and operate in any currency. This reduces the barriers to entry and means the international sales potential is huge. How did you come up with such a mind-blowing idea? The origins of the business began in 2000 after a meeting in Queen’s University Belfast with a relatively small local bike shop – Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC). Out of this meeting we created a website for CRC and managed its e-commerce requirements into 2013 – it was a great business to work with and our technology played a part in helping the company to become the world’s largest online bike store. We have used this technology and applied it to a variety of different industry sectors, such as beauty, health, sport, jewellery and clothing. How do you compare with the competition? In the world of e-commerce, success is often judged by sales and we stack up well against the competition. We have a strong technology offering which combines online sales channel, stock control and EPOS. Combine this with a strong consulting ability and we have a strong offering. We work on a shared success model with clients, which is an added incentive to make things work.

Alan Skelton, Daniel Loughlin, William Bailie, Gerard Creighton from Export Technologies are pictured, from left to right, at the Aer Lingus Viscount Awards with Andrew Hunter and Julie Davidson from Aer Lingus.

How will your business look in five years time? We predict consistent growth over the next five years. We will be recruiting new staff in our current Belfast office, as well as recruiting solution partners to help sell the IRP product more widely. It is a strong market to be trading in, so we expect to be a much larger organisation in the next five years. How do you encourage innovation in your company? We started off as an R&D company and understand the necessity of keeping pace with technology. The Export team are heavily involved with e-commerce, and they are still constantly finding ways to improve the technology and consulting offerings. Innovation in our area is about understanding customer and what improvements will have most impact on bottom lines – so

most of our work is heavily targeted on increasing revenues and reducing costs. What is the next big mind-blowing product or idea for your company? To date we have been limited to a UK and Ireland customer base, but the latest system update, the IRP V3 will put us onto a wider stage. It will include the IRP World, which will tie in key services succinctly into the e-commerce offering. Tying together technology and services will create simplicity and make life easier for customers using our technology. What is the secret to your success? It’s very simple – find web traffic and convert it to sales. We have adopted this systematic approach for more than 10 years and continuing to focus on this will continue to bring us results.

MANAGED IT SERVICES FROM P2V SYSTEMS

he majority of companies require some degree of IT

documentation and formally hand over to the managed

support services or managed services, but the support

services team. This approach allows each customer to focus

required can vary so much from business to business.

on their business, leaving the IT to P2V Systems.

P2V Systems believes in offering something a little different and treating each customer uniquely.

The company recently delivered a project for Gateway Ticketing Systems UK in London. As usual, the client’s

Working with P2V Systems, you can beneﬁt from:

requirements were unique and they required assistance

• A tailored service

in the setup of a new customer installation and ongoing

• Fixed cost per month

monitoring and maintenance of the system.

• Remote monitoring and support for faster resolution of issues

Rob Udwin (CEO Gateway Ticketing) said: ” We contacted P2V Systems to help us get the system installed quickly and

P2V Systems recognises how much support requirements

to support the solution going forward. We got the system

differ and so tailors its services to customer needs and

online and running very successfully. The service delivery and

priorities. Each managed service contract is reviewed by a

success of this project made P2V Systems the obvious choice

senior consultant and then passed on to a Project Manager.

for our next system installation, which we have already

At this point the Project Manager will gather all site

begun working on.”

Contact P2V Systems if you require support for your systems, whether internal or external. Please get in contact and we’ll be happy to discuss with you. Tel: 028 9252 8528 or email: sales@p2vsystems.com

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Benefits of Wireless Infrastructure Management in the Cloud Near Limitless Scalability The Leaf architecture does not depend on a centralised controller for either wireless traffic control plane or wireless traffic data management. This key differentiating characteristic allows unparalleled scalability of wireless network environments without needing to upgrade or resize a wireless LAN controller.

Redundancy Multiple geographically distributed data centres are used to host the Leaf Cloud Management System, thus ensuring that the management system continues to function even in the event of a catastrophic failure of one data centre.

High Availability

ireless devices have changed the way organisations and their users interact.

Mobile smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wireless enabled devices have driven the mindset that wireless networks must be ubiquitous, fast, and constantly available. These are demands that have traditionally put organisations and their users in direct contrast with their IT departments, as constructing and maintaining wireless infrastructures have typically been timeconsuming, complex, and costly endeavours. In its most basic form, cloud computing refers to the ability to deliver software, hardware, or infrastructure over the internet in real-time, with instantaneous access from any device with access to the internet – regardless of location and time. By provisioning these activities

in the cloud, organisations are able to abstract the day-to-day manifestations of these activities (running server hardware, installing software, maintaining service packs, etc.) from their IT organisations. With Leaf’s WaaS no centralised controller is needed. With greater computing power built into each Array/AP compared to traditional APs, functions such as application-level visibility and control can be executed directly at the network edge in each device. Specifically...

Ease of Management All management is performed remotely through a web browser. As the management function is hosted on the web, operational administrative tasks that are relevant to controller architectures are eliminated – the purchase, update, support renewal, and HW maintenance of a separate controller is not required.

In the event that the organisation’s link to the Internet is interrupted, client data traffic continues to flow normally – only configuration and administrative changes are impacted during an Internet connection outage.

Guest & Corporate Wi-Fi Provide secure guest and Corporate Wi-Fi access with visible branded landing pages with or without authentication.

Visibility A cloud based premises or Wireless WAN map will allow visibility of AP physical location as well as expected coverage for a particular AP.

For a Wi-Fi audit or to discuss the possibility of utilising Leaf’s WaaS please contact Tel: 028 9089 7650 or email: sales@leafconsultancy.com

Bright ideas for the Top 100. When the Progressive Building Society needed an intelligent IT partner, they chose us. Our smarter IT solutions are helping the Progressive strategically manage their IT assets and maximise services to their members.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working with Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 100 companies to deliver technology solutions with real business value. To find out how we can help your business talk to us. Belfast Office Concourse Building 1 Queens Road Queens Island Belfast BT3 9DT t +44 (0) 28 9045 4433 e. info@novosco.com novosco.com

The Datacentre Experts

TECHNOLOGY

Lock down your Wi-Fi network: 7 tips for the SMB

i-Fi gives Leaf’s clients freedom from wires, but it’s not secure by default. Data is transmitted through the air, and anyone nearby can easily capture it with the right tools. As discussed below, whether you have your own Wi-Fi network or use someone else’s, employing security measures is necessary to protect corporate data, online accounts, and user privacy.

Tide of science impresses at STEM event

Why Protect Your Wi-Fi Network? By default, Wi-Fi routers and access points aren’t secure when you purchase them. Unless you enable encryption, people nearby can easily connect to your network. At best, they just use the free wireless Internet for browsing and downloading, possibly slowing down your connections. However, if they wanted to, they could possibly access your PCs and files. They also could easily capture your passwords or hijack your accounts for websites and services that don’t use SSL encryption, such as some web-based email clients, Facebook and Twitter.

Why protect your connections on other Wi-Fi networks? When you connect to outside networks, such as hotspots in coffee shops, airports, and other public places, the connection is almost always insecure. Eavesdroppers don’t even have to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot to capture your traffic. And as with using any other unencrypted Wi-Fi network, they could possibly get hold of your passwords or hijack your online accounts. To check the security status of your Wi-Fi – and raise its security level as needed – follow these best practices: 1. Choose the right Wi-Fi security options. 2. Enable WPA2-Personal Security on your network. 3. Even better, establish WPA2-Enterprise Security. 4. Offer separate Wi-Fi for guests. 5. Physically secure your Network equipment. 6. Secure your Wi-Fi outside the office with VPN. 7. Ensure websites are encrypted outside the office. For further information, or to discuss your wireless requirements in more detail, please contact Leaf on Tel: 028 9089 7650 or email: sales@leafconsultancy.com

Paige Geddis and Joshua Taylor from Lisneal College with their model rockets which they designed to learn more about principles of aerodynamics. (Photography: Martin McKeown).

ome of the best young scientists in Northern Ireland got the chance to showcase their projects at a special event in St Mary’s College, Londonderry last month.

Sentinus North West Sci Fest saw around 1,000 school children show off their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) projects to local businesses and universities, as well as judges from the science organisation. Bill Connor, Chief Executive Sentinus, said: “The North West Sci Fest is a key example of how local businesses and universities can get involved to inspire and instill confidence and interest in STEM subjects among schoolchildren of all ages. “In Northern Ireland our main challenge is that the level of uptake for STEM subjects does not correlate with the growth in demand from STEM industries. One of our roles is to try and bridge this gap. We welcome local businesses willing to come on board as Sentinus ambassadors to provide school children with an insight into real life examples of STEM in action and embed STEM skills at a pivotal stage in their education. Sentinus is an educational charity working with over 60,000 young people a year in Northern Ireland to deliver programmes which promote engagement in STEM and inspire students to consider a career in the STEM sectors.

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There’s no business like a business show Odyssey buzzing as Smart Business Show draws in the crowds.

Pictured is Keynote Speakers Per Thorsheim and Terry Prone, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland Alan Hunter and Smart Business Show director Gillian Corry.

n the 29th of May 2014, the Odyssey Arena opened its doors to the first ever business-to-business innovation event, the Smart Business Show. The show was buzzing from the start with over 130 exhibitors meeting new clients and establishing contacts, whilst it was standing room only in the Marketing TalkZone. All were there to find out how to work ‘smarter’ and the show did not disappoint, with so many opportunities and solutions for businesses from leading UK, Irish and worldwide companies. Overall, the event proved that such a show is helping the Northern Ireland economy to bounce back from the downturn and early feedback suggested future Smart Business Shows are a must-visit destination for business owners and stakeholders from every type and size of enterprise.

Pictured is Smart Business Show Director Clive Corry, Microsoft’s Janet Rob and Finance Minister Simon Hamilton.

Taking place over two days, more than 3,000 visitors listened to inspiring keynote talks from world famous names such as Nick Leeson, Stephen Moffatt of IBM, Facebook’s Olivia Leonard, internet security expert Per Thorsheim and Microsoft’s Kieran McDonnell. Intercom’s Paul Adams, formerly of Facebook, Google and Dyson captured the attention of his Keynote Theatre audience, stating “we live in a time of great change.” He explained how media has evolved and demonstrated that the internet is only scratching the surface of its potential. If the crowds surrounding the Marketing TalkZone were any guide, this is where the focus of businesses currently lies. Each session was packed with visitors eager to learn how to gain more market share, much of which is of course internet generated.

The presence of the Google Webmaster Team providing one-to-one advice was a unique experience many visitors were keen to take advantage of. After so much concentration, the Innovat8 Café was an oasis of calm in which to make business appointments and hold meetings in a comfortable and relaxed way whilst at the same time enjoying some refreshment. The main focus now turns to April 2015 when the Smart Business Show will open at the RDS in Dublin. If you missed any of the keynote talks and want to catch up on the latest in the world of business, you can watch them now on our website www.smartbusiness.com

To keep up to date with further developments of the Smart Business Show and smarter ways of doing business, don’t forget to subscribe to the weekly e-brief on our Smart Business Brief website www.smartbusinessbrief.com

Manufacturing & Engineering

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Press to copy: the rise of 3D printing By Amanda Ferguson

from concept to reality in a matter of minutes; that is the promise of 3D printing.

The technique might sound futuristic but has been used by Northern Ireland’s manufacturing and engineering companies for a number of years and is proving a boon for research and development. One of the advantages of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file is its speed, as functional parts can be manufactured within a day, depending on the size and complexity of the project. Dr Scott King, is general manager of the Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE) Centre. NIACE is a technology hub for the research and development of engineering and materials technologies aiming to help the manufacturing sector grow and develop its capabilities so companies can compete better on a national and international scale. Dr King said: “We can now boast 13 participating companies based at NIACE from a variety of sectors, of which one of our participants is the UK and Ireland’s longest established 3D printing company, LPE. “LPE and our other participating companies, work together with academic staff from Queen’s University, Belfast and the University of Ulster to collaboratively develop world-class technology solutions. Dr King told Ulster Business 3D printing can play a vital role in the research that companies carry out in NIACE, and can significantly speed up development processes.

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

“Prototypes of test parts can be quickly made and tested using 3D printing, cutting out time and cost spent on more traditional manufacturing methods, and complementing the 3D design process,” he said. “We are delighted that LPE is a participant company in NIACE and working in collaboration with other participants, and we know that through their involvement, knowledge and expertise, real advanced engineering solutions are being created.” Former Shorts aerospace engineer Tom Walls is managing director of Laser Prototypes Europe (LPE). Formed in 1991, it is the longest established rapid prototyping and manufacturing bureau within the UK and Ireland.

The 3D printers at Laser Prototypes Europe.

“Starting out companies didn’t understand the technology,” he said. “Most of our business came from the UK, from England, and today the UK represents the vast majority but companies have embraced the technology a lot more. “Mostly engineering, aerospace, automotive, creative industry and architecture. There have been big developments in the sector over time. “3D printing has been established for a long time and the process and materials have improved over time,” Tom said. “As people start to use it for prototyping, they thought they could use it for production applications and functional tests. “It has come on leaps and bounds for cost and speed of process and we are able to get parts cheaper.” LPE has continued to invest in the latest technologies and materials, ensuring customers have access to the highest quality prototype models in the widest range of tough, functional materials.

Scott King from NIACE.

JUNE 2014

“The big thing people talk about now is metal sintering,” Tom said. “It’s called DMLS (direct metal laser sintering), the process enables you to produce metal parts instead. >>

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

“In President Obama’s State of the Union address the last two years he has referred to this. They see it as the future, the way to bring back home manufacturing that has gone to China. “The US government give millions to engineering centres to help companies understand it and find applications for it. “Europe always lags behind but companies we work with are coming back and asking what DMLS can do for us. “We are thinking about it. It will require a £500,000 investment. We see ourselves having it in the next year or two.” Since introducing in house-3D printing, Bangor-based water system company Whale have established a Technical Services Design Bureau offering advanced multi-material 3D printing. Whale technical services engineer Jim Sargent said: “Our suite of machines include Polyjet multi-material Stratasys machines and FDM (fused deposition modelling) printing techniques which enable us to produce 3D printed prototypes in a wide range of plastic and rubber materials including watertight, test-ready and transparent parts. The Polyjet technology allows Whale to produce multi material parts in one piece without assembly. Jim added: “Having such a wide range of shore hardness and the ability to print rubber or transparent parts, means that it is like having three 3D printing machines in one. “The 16 micron accuracy level gives us great aesthetic finish. As a result, we are able to create 3D printed models that can be put through rigorous tests in our laboratory, and can be spray painted to the highest polish finish for use in exhibition displays and to assist the selling process with customers.” The multi-material technology means Whale can produce rubber, over-molded, transparent and waterproof models, allowing it to recreate products and improve them in a more cost effective and timely manner.

“This has enabled us to increase our existing business and create new business opportunities, whilst maintaining the level of innovation our customers are accustomed to,” Jim added. Whale marketing manager Claire McCrea said: “3D printing is a real revolution in engineering and product design.

Some of the products made by Whale using its 3D printer.

“Since we introduced in house 3D printing into our new product development process, we have increased our speed to market for new products by an average of 20%. “Over the last five years, Whale has issued 17 worldwide patents, and 3D printing really facilitates our innovative culture. “Using advanced 3D printing has certainly helped us further secure our leading position in our core markets.”

How does 3D printing work? • 3D printing is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. • Objects are built up layer-by-layer, following a computer-generated design. • 3D printing is considered distinct from traditional machining techniques, which mostly rely on the removal of material by methods such as cutting or drilling. • A 3D printer is an industrial robot that is capable of carrying out an additive process under computer control.

The history of 3D printing • The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by American inventor Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corp. • Last month (May) he was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for his globally impactful and transformative work inventing and pioneering 3D printing. • He was recently nominated by the European Patent Office (EPO) for the 2014 European Inventor Award. • In the1980s the technology was applied first to prototyping. • Its expansion into job production, mass production, and distributed manufacturing has taken decades to develop. • Quality of machinery has improved over the years and the cost of producing items has decreased. • 3D printing is useful in architecture, construction, industrial design, automotive, aerospace, military, engineering, dental and medical industries, biotech, fashion, education, geographic information systems, food, and many other fields.

ENHANCING OUR ENGINEERING TALENT With increased focus on research and development as well as the use of pioneering technologies to drive forward growth in the engineering sector, the challenge going forward will be to ensure we attract the right people and skills to meet our growing needs, says Darren McVicker, Managing Consultant, Vickerstock Engineering Recruitment.

anufacturing and engineering have long been the bedrock of the Northern Ireland economy. Renowned the world over for our historic prowess in shipbuilding, local companies have not rested on their laurels and have built on our strong industrial heritage.

And while lessons have been learned and there has been a drive to encourage young people to study engineering – we need to do more to highlight the importance of engineering. Senior engineers too have their part to play. Yes, traditional engineering fields should continue, but these engineers also need to adapt to the rapidly changing nature of engineering.

Diversification is now the maxim for our engineering and manufacturing firms as they seek to build on their successes and we have companies the length and breadth of Northern Ireland changing tack, upping their game and moving into diverse fields. Just look at Harland and Wolff to see the dynamism that has seen the firm leverage their vast marine construction experience to move into the development and manufacture of renewable energy devices. Tapping into one of the fastest growing sectors in the global economy and also meeting a need to lessen our reliance on fossil fuels is paying off for the firm. The future for engineering will be very different from the traditional perception that many hold. Engineers will work to address pressing global issues from healthcare to sustainability, energy to productivity.

combine traditional engineering skills with a focus on research and development.

Engineers must engage with the latest technological advances, whether that is the development of low carbon technologies or biotechnology, or research into advanced materials such as composites.

Moving forward, government, business and academia need to work together to ensure continued growth. We must invest in emerging technologies and innovation to develop high-value products and materials.

Keeping pace is no longer enough as we compete with the likes of China and India and engineers cannot take a passive approach to their careers or to driving forward their industry.

Innovation and pushing the boundaries will ensure that not only are we changing with the needs of a globalised economy, but that we can compete in these markets.

Every day we place highly skilled individuals into challenging roles, which stretch the traditional perception of engineering. The talent available here is without a doubt of a global standard, but we need more. Industry and our successful firms can only continue to operate and perform on the world stage if we invest now in addressing the need for more quality engineers.

Vital to this, as well as a concerted effort on all fronts, is a focus on skills.

And just as the challenges facing us globally must be faced head on, so must the challenges facing the engineering sector.

Working at the coalface in engineering recruitment means I’ve seen the highs and the low this industry has faced. I’ve also seen the increasing need for high quality engineers who can adapt.

We need to leverage the expertise in firms like Bombardier, Wrightbus and others, who

As a sector, our success is dependent on recruiting, training and retaining key people.

Innovative engineering solutions to 21st century challenges see our engineering companies take their rightful place at the forefront of the local economy, but this will only happen if we invest and develop a strong supply of engineers now.

VickerStock, Northern Ireland’s leading specialist technical engineering recruitment agency, offer recruitment solutions and expert engineering advice to candidates and companies within the construction and civil engineering sector as well as a range of engineering sectors including; aerospace, manufacturing and production, supply chain, ICT, electronics and electrical, civils and infrastructure, utilities and renewables. Based in Belfast, offering both permanent and contract employment with NI’s most sought after employers in the engineering sector, the organisation’s overall goal is to match highly skilled engineers with the specific demands of each individual organisation they represent.

For further information visit www.vickerstock.co.uk or tel: 028 9031 3720

MANUFACTURING ANALYSIS

Not just making do

By John Simpson

The search for world-class advanced manufacturing.

he ambition is clear: Northern Ireland must build a successful economy. Because we enjoy the benefits of living in an open economy, only through international trading success will Northern Ireland people be able to enjoy the better living standards that come from increased trade in competitive goods and tradable services. A combination of skills, human ability and technical expertise could create critical parts of the multidimensional matrix which can underpin success. Of particular relevance, the Northern Ireland economy is relying more and more on its modern advanced manufacturing output and the increasingly linked output of tradable services. Fifty years ago, manufacturing and farming generated over half of all employment. Now, farming generates nearer to 5% of all employment and manufacturing less than 12%. Critically, although the numbers employed in farming and manufacturing have reduced, the volume and value of output from each of these sectors has increased sharply. The economic history of the last half century is well illustrated in terms of productivity changes. Year-on-year output per person has increased by an average of 2-3% each year. The success story lies in the improving technology, increased competitiveness and the application of research and innovation. This converts into a more successful economy where, in critical sectors, fewer people produce more goods and services. Fortunately, the nature of a modern economy means that there is still an

increasing role for more people elsewhere. The imperative for the years ahead is that Northern Ireland should generate increasingly competitive modern industries. Converting that ambition into reality is the challenge. Will competitive modern industries emerge from within existing businesses? Will they emerge because they arrive here with an external investor as foreign direct investment? Alternatively, will they emerge as a result of co-operation, shared thinking, or the stimulation of an anticipatory foresight analysis? This last question leads into the type of work now being undertaken as part of the Matrix programme, hosted by, but not driven by, DETI.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The imperative for the years ahead is that Northern Ireland should generate increasingly competitive modern industries.â&#x20AC;? The Board of Matrix, now chaired by Bryan Keating (himself a formidable expert in managing a number of modern IT businesses), has a remit to advise on the development, promotion and application of science and R&D in the private and public sectors. Through special studies it helps DETI in assembling evidence for future science and R&D policies.

More generally, Matrix hopes to increase the economic return from the application of science and innovation in Northern Ireland. The value of an organisation such as Matrix, with a Board which is able to reflect the interests and expertise of leading people involved in scientific and industrial research, is that it can draw on and share know-how that can influence investment decisions by businesses and also can better inform DETI and/or Invest NI as they promote new ventures. Matrix is attempting to provide answers about trends in scientific advance and innovation so that local businesses can not only compete with international competitors but can get ahead and keep ahead. This is a competitive arena. Other areas, including some within this corner of Western Europe, have similar ambitions. On its current agenda, Matrix is updating an earlier sectoral report on the scope for the development of Life and Health Sciences. It is also updating (partly to keep pace with an awareness of technical advances) advice on the changing prospects in Digital aspects of ICT. Both of these will be published later in 2014. There will also be considerable interest in how the Matrix experts assess the future for Advanced Manufacturing in a major review which is now in planning. The record of the Matrix Panel during its first five years now draws on an impressive series of sectoral reports. Eight have been published and are available to interested readers at www.matrix-ni.org. The subjects

MANUFACTURING ANALYSIS

offer a targeted agenda, signposting activities that have potential relevance to investors and official policy makers. They include: • Life and Health Sciences (a first review) • ICT • Agri-food • Advanced Materials • Advanced Engineering • Telecoms • Sustainable Energy • Intellectual Capability The critical test in any assessment of foresight type vision statements on the way forward for selected areas of economic activity is whether these studies, including expertise from a range of sources, are helping to modernise the economy and enhance international competitiveness. Direct cause and effect relationships will be an infrequent outcome. However, knowledge assembled and shared between individuals and organisations that can then make better decisions, contributes to many unquantifiable improvements. The Matrix concept involves many of the more able senior people in the main businesses and local universities. Through their continuing commitment, the members demonstrate both their interest and their belief in the wider potential benefits. One unavoidable dilemma: since the work of Matrix is published not only is there a potential benefit within Northern Ireland, but people in other places also have access to this review of development prospects. However, this is a trade-off where the greater good of a bigger area is a price worth paying. One possible synergy from the Matrix process is that the links established between businesses and universities may pave an easier route for local partnerships to exploit the funding available from the EU under the Horizon 20:20 programme. Northern Ireland still needs an increased flow of manufacturers and suppliers of tradable services with abilities to enhance the overall competitiveness of this region. A methodology is now in place. Delivery is awaited.

JUNE 2014

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

It’s time to be intellectual about your property Often overlooked, intellectual property (IP) can make or break your business if attention isn’t paid to the finer details. Dr Isabel Meenan, Chartered & European Patent Attorney at Ansons, knows IP...

ntellectual property (IP) is critically important for manufacturers in the United Kingdom and abroad because it impacts a company’s reputation as well their access to and influence on the market. With the recovering economy and associated emergence of new manufacturing start-ups, failure to secure IP rights can be disastrous. What’s more, protecting such rights can have the added bonus of tax relief.

in known products and technologies rather than revolutionary technologies.

Intellectual property is an umbrella term which refers to patents which protect technological innovations, for example resulting from research and development, registered designs which protect visual features and trade marks which protect brands. Protection of such intangible assets becomes especially important when innovation involves interaction with other firms.

It is vital to remember that if valid patent protection is to be obtained for an important new product, that product must not be disclosed to the public before a patent application has been filed. Only after a patent application has been filed should the innovation be made available to the public.

Patents are arguably the most important form of IP that can be held by a manufacturer due to the role of patents in protecting the innovative features of a product or product range. A patent owner has the right to exclude others from making or using his or her invention for a maximum term of 20 years. A UK patent can be obtained for an innovation which is new and inventive. The invention may be a new or improved product/device, process, or even a computerrelated innovation. In fact, the majority of patents are granted for improvements

The Patent Box enables Northern Ireland’s companies to opt to pay a reduced corporation tax rate of 10% on income associated with patented products and processes. Since April 1st 2013 companies that commercialise patents and develop new innovative patented products and processes have been eligible to opt in to this tax policy.

Registered designs can also be an effective means for protecting a manufactured product. While patents protect how things work, a UK registered design can be obtained to protect the appearance of the whole or part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, lines, contours, colours, shape, texture or materials of the product or its ornamentation. For a maximum term of 25 years, registered designs provide the owner with the exclusive right to make, offer, put on the market, import, export, use or stock a product to which the design is applied. Whilst designs and patents protect products and processes, trade mark registrations protect brand names, logos,

slogans, etc., i.e. those signs which are capable of distinguishing the goods and associated services of one manufacturer from those of another. Registration of trade marks will ensure swift action can be taken against those who would wish to take advantage of the hard-earned reputation of a particular manufacturer. Due to the fact that manufacturers carry out process and product improvements as an integral part of the ongoing drive to stay competitive in today’s economic environment, it is wise to have a regular review of these activities. For example, if you are developing an important new product, then you should consider applying for patent protection while the product is confidential and before any marketing activities have taken place. Additionally, companies should be sure to have a trade mark clearance search carried out. In order to avoid expensive entitlement disputes, companies should ensure that any IP generated in the course of a project is transferred to them, for example in contracts of employment and agreements with consultants. Equally, if you plan on outsourcing, it is crucial to have a well-drafted agreement in place that indentifies the ownership of IP rights and ensures that any work done by a contractor on your behalf and that generates new IP will ultimately belong to your company.

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A closer look at the agri-food sector with Neal Lucas Neal Lucas, CEO of Neal Lucas Recruitment discusses the challenges and opportunities ahead for the agri-food sector with Tony O’Neill, Moy Park Director and chair of the Agri-food Strategy Board as well as Michael McKillop, Director, Glens of Antrim Potatoes.

he agri-food sector has been much lauded as a powerhouse of growth for the local economy but are the ambitious targets set by government achievable and how will our agri-food businesses, big and small, contribute to and benefit from this growth strategy?

is the time for action. “We in the industry are well aware of the growth potential that exists. If we can capitalise on this potential now, we can meet 2020 targets to grow turnover by 60% to £7bn and employment by 15% to 115,000. But this will not be achieved without both the financial and policy support of the Government.

Tony O’Neill, a director at Northern Ireland’s biggest company, Moy Park is confident that the industry is primed for growth and now

“We accept that the industry will also be required to invest for growth and this is something that Moy Park has been doing.

We launched our ‘Plan to Grow’ programme at the end of last year which aims to increase production in Northern Ireland by 400 poultry houses over the next two years.” The increase in demand for local produce is helping to drive Moy Park’s expansion plans but it’s not just the big players who are benefiting from the drive by supermarkets to source local. Michael McKillop, from Glens of Antrim Potatoes has witnessed

SECTOR PROFILE

mainly due to a preference for more convenient food – particularly amongst younger consumers,” said Michael. “This together with the rise in the level of imports of new produce, such as sweet potatoes is creating an altogether more challenging selling environment for potato processors across the island of Ireland,” he continued.

first-hand how local provenance can capture the attention of the big grocery players. “We have good relationships with all the major retailers and have achieved product listings across Ireland and the UK. Last year we had great success when we reintroduced the ‘Irish Lumper’ potato. It not only struck a chord with the media but also helped us secure a contract with Marks & Spencer. “The Irish Lumper had not been commercially cultivated since the Irish Famine of the 1840s. It was the predominant potato eaten by 80% of the Irish population and its demise, due to blight, was recognised as one of the main causes of the famine.” The success of Glens of Antrim Potatoes’ resurrection of the Lumper potato demonstrates how a creative approach can grab consumers’ attention in a competitive market. However, one of the main challenges faced by the company is the year-on-year decrease in the consumption of fresh potatoes. “While potatoes remain a staple part of many families’ diets, we are currently witnessing a decline in the market,

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“For the local food and drink industry, achieving substantial growth means export. Targets set in the Going for Growth report forecast that, with the right support, we can grow sales outside Northern Ireland by 75% to £4.5bn by 2020.” To tackle this, the company has invested in new product development and has launched a ‘Microsteam’ pack to appeal to the convenience market. They are also focusing their attentions on export markets – something which Moy Park agrees is vital to the future success of the industry. Tony O’Neill said: “For the local food and drink industry, achieving substantial growth means export. Targets set in the Going for Growth report forecast that, with the right support, we can grow sales outside Northern Ireland by 75% to £4.5bn by 2020. “For Moy Park export is very much on the agenda. We already export poultry throughout Europe, South Africa and Russia. China in particular holds huge potential but until trade restrictions on poultry from the UK are lifted, this market remains locked to us.

“We have been working with government to help this process along and Moy Park has been active in building relationships in the Chinese market” he continued. There are of course barriers to growth for Northern Ireland food and drinks companies. Both Tony O’Neill and Michael McKillop cite rises in energy and other input costs as significant. Skills shortages in the industry will also have to be addressed in order to achieve targets for growth. The Agri-Food Strategy Board’s ‘Going for Growth’ report calls for the formation of a single organisation dedicated to the development of all Agri-food skills and entrepreneurship. Moy Park’s Tony O’Neill attributes this skills shortage in part to a poor perception of the industry and lack of understanding and awareness of the career options available in agriculture and food production. “We must position ourselves as an attractive career option. It’s not just semi-skilled roles that are important – we need people with technical, marketing and business management expertise. We also need to create graduate roles to nurture our bright, young talent” he said. “Moy Park has seen the benefits of investing in new talent. We run a successful graduate recruitment programme and we work with organisations such as Young Enterprise and The Prince’s Trust to let young people experience the breadth of opportunities available in the food and drink industry,” said Tony. He concluded: “Agri-food is our largest indigenous industry, our biggest manufacturing industry, our largest single employer and most important exporter. It is one of the few industries to have recorded sustained growth during the recession and now is the time for government to step up and work with the industry to deliver on the growth potential that exists.”

THE DIASPORA FILES

James McIntosh The Portadown-born cookery writer, television presenter and brand ambassador for Aga on recipes, China and school jotters. to Tandragee about eight times a year. I’ve seen 38 states of the USA, a fair amount of Canada, Japan, Australia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, most countries in Europe, spent my gap year in Siberia (I know, what else does a man from Co. Armagh do!), been to north Africa, and seen more of China than I’m sure most have. As for Hong Kong, well, if I did not live in London Hong Kong would take 3rd place for me, I have found a chap who sells good spuds on Lan Kwai Fong.

Career history: After my A-Levels at Portadown College I studied for two years at what used to be the Catering College in Portrush, then I completed an MA in Home Economics at the University of Dundee. I moved to London and spent a year in food manufacturing and realised that was not for me! I spent some time working at the Le Cordon Bleu cookery schools writing their cookery books and student programmes before woking for Good Housekeeping Magazine doing similar for them. At this point it was time for me to go freelance. I’ve worked for many clients, recipe writing, doing cookery demonstrations and food styling. I’m the Global Ambassador for AGA Rangemaster and have launched their products all over Europe, USA and Canada and now China. I’ve written nine cookery books, won the award for Best Cookery book in the World a few times at the World Cookbook Awards, presented a TV series in China for China Food TV called Food Adventures on the Silk Road by touring 4,000 miles across China in a bus! The TV series won best TV series at the China TV Awards in 2011 and that was

the first time a Westerner had won a media award in China. I was honoured for my work in China by Farmers Weekly magazine in 2012 by Lord Coe presenting me with a gold medal for Britain’s food ambassador of the year. I’ve had a great career so far. Much still to do, I’m only 36, but you can find me every other month demonstrating in the AGA Shop Belfast on the Castlereagh Road. Where is home for you? Tandragee, most have never heard of it, but it’s a fabulous wee place between Portadown and Newry where Tayto Crisps and Speediecook Porridge come from. Where in the world have you worked or are you currently working? As the joke goes: if God intended us to fly he would have given us tickets. Personally I have bought very few myself and have been fortunate enough to have had many bought for me for work. I’m 36 and I’ve seen over 40 countries. As I type this I’m on a Dragon Air flight from Beijing to Hong Kong. I live in London, work every other month in China and somehow manage to get home

How did you get to where you are now? Blood, sweat and tears. I’ve had my ups and downs, my success and my failures, but I kept going. A good Northern Irish education has helped, massively and no matter where you go in the world you always seem to meet someone who went to Portadown College. It’s a very special school. Oh and the accent, everyone remembers my Northern Irish accent, I use that to my advantage. My TV series in China was used by the Chinese government as a great example of how to speak English during the school summer holidays of 2013. I did laugh thinking of Chinese children walking around saying “put it in the wok” with a broad Northern Ireland accent! Has your Northern Ireland heritage been a help or a hindrance in business? To be honest, I think we are really bad at marketing ourselves. When I was a child at school I remember my jotter saying “PONI” on the back, meaning Product Of Northern Ireland, however we have such special things especially our food and I don’t think we market Northern Ireland as a brand as much as we could. We have a deep culture too and a belonging that others just don’t have. We have roots that bind us to home that other people just don’t seem to have.

MANUFACTURING ROUND TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

Manufacturing – back in the limelight The spotlight seemed to miss the manufacturing sector during the boom years but a number of innovative and driven companies have helped bring it back to the front of the stage. Ulster Business and Bank of Ireland UK gathered some of the best minds in the sector together over breakfast to find out how the business of making things is performing...

Participants Neasa Quigley – Corporate Partner at Carson McDowell Ian Sheppard – Head of Business & Corporate Banking at Bank of Ireland Dr Vicky Kell – Director of Trade from Invest Northern Ireland Shane Nugent – Managing Director of Nugent Trailers Colin Walsh – Chief Executive of Crescent Capital and Chairman of the CBI Dale Guest – Director of Corporate Banking at Bank of Ireland Mark Nodder – Managing Director of The Wright Group and Former President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lorraine Hall – Sales and Marketing Director of Kestrel Foods Patrick Hurst – Chief Executive of Whale Pumps John Mathers – Regional Business Manager at Bank of Ireland UK David Elliott – editor of Ulster Business DE: How big a part does the manufacturing sector play in the Northern Ireland economy? Vicky Kell: It’s a significant sector. In terms of value of sales, manufacturing exports account for about one third of the total manufacturing sales for Northern Ireland. It is also a significant employer, accounting for about 11% of employee jobs and continues to grow with an additional 2,500 posts created in

JUNE 2014

Dale Guest (left) and Colin Walsh

2013, taking the total to around 77,000. It is vital that we build the private sector and the manufacturing sector is a key part of that.

DE: Shane, as a manufacturing company, do you feel a big part of the Northern Ireland economy?

DE: Colin, from the CBI’s point of view, is manufacturing important?

Shane Nugent: No. I don’t think manufacturing gets the right recognition that it should do, especially coming from a rural area where the sector is often the life-blood of the local economy but it’s not recognised as such.

Colin Walsh: Hugely important. The question is how big a part does it play in the economy and I guess the bottom line is, not big enough, which is why we are here. I have a curious schizophrenic kind of existence with this because we work with a lot of small firms who do nothing but export and manufacture things and then there are some quite large firms which seem curiously focused on the home markets and are quite weak at exporting. That is something we need to work on.

DE: Do you see it getting any better over the next few years? Shane Nugent: I don’t see it getting any better. I think we have to work at that. It occurred through the boom years where services took the lead and manufacturing was

MANUFACTURING ROUND TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

maybe neglected. There is huge potential for manufacturing, which some of the companies here have proven, but it needs hard work.

Ian Sheppard

DE: Mark, your company has become a huge part of the Northern Ireland economy. How have you got to that level and what is the future for manufacturing? Mark Nodder: I have huge belief in manufacturing as a wealth creator in terms of driving the supply chain locally and driving the knowledge base of the economy. I believe that the day you stop figuring out how to make things is the day you become just a service economy, and that would be a very dangerous place for us to be. Northern Ireland wouldn’t be the place it is without its long history of manufacturing. DE: What sort of issues do you face on a day-to-day basis? Lorraine Hall: We have seen a good level of success during the economic downturn. There has been a lot of encouragement for Kestrel Foods. We were a business start-up company nearly 20 years ago and, like many agri-food companies, we have continued to deliver growth during the downturn. We face a lot of competition on the international market but we have to expect that. Our product has to have very high levels of quality and presentation to compete both in the domestic market, and internationally. We face the same issues as everybody else – especially in terms of energy costs – there is a very expensive stretch of water to cross before we reach either the UK or any other international markets. DE: Ian, in terms of the companies you deal with at Bank of Ireland, what sort of challenges are they facing? Ian Sheppard: Some of the key issues Bank of Ireland find are around companies attempting to break into export markets. What we tend to find is that once a Northern Ireland company enters a market, as Lorraine said, its products are good, its service levels are good, and they tend to be very successful and its encouraging them to push on from that point. Getting them started tends to be the biggest challenge. Energy is

Vicky Kell

also an issue, especially for Northern Ireland companies that are part of a larger European or international group where they are being compared against manufacturing facilities in other regions. We are starting to see a lot of larger companies trying to look at alternative energy sources to try and mitigate that cost. Patrick Hurst: The biggest challenge for Northern Ireland is that it needs to recognise the significance of how much manufacturing contributes to the economy. It is a wealth generator and its history in this country is phenomenal. There is a massive legacy but we get tarnished with the more recent history as opposed to what made this country great all those years ago. And it frustrates the life out of me that the young generation don’t really get manufacturing. We have been working hard as an organisation to bring schools in, to take them around to see our factory, to look at 3D printing and injection moulding. The kids who come in are completely blown away. Vicky Kell: Patrick has talked about the legacy of manufacturing, but it’s also here right now and bringing us into the future. For example: 40% of the world’s material handling equipment comes from here, 30% of aircraft seats are made here, one in five computers have a part which is made in Northern Ireland. I can’t help but mention the Wrightbus success with one in three London buses made here. The defibrillator which is used on Air Force One and the White House is made here. We are very good at this but we don’t tell people about it and we need to build the Northern Ireland manufacturing brand.

Colin Walsh: The issue about getting people motivated and energised about manufacturing is fundamental here and it goes back to careers advice in the schools. Patrick’s describing having to do it himself but that’s because what happens in the schools now in terms of careers advice is awful. We have a fundamental breakdown of careers advice in schools, it’s completely dysfunctional and children get no introduction to these kinds of careers. They are still told to be an accountant, a lawyer, a bank manager, or a doctor maybe. We have some fantastic sales people that are falling into those careers by accident, not by any design or not by any course that welcomed them along that path. We can make it all day long but if you can’t sell it we are not going to be any further on. Lorraine Hall: I have to say I completely disagree with that. As a professionallyqualified Sales and Marketing Director with a Fellowship from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, I certainly didn’t fall into my career by accident or create Kestrel Foods and the Forest Feast and Acti-Snack brands by accident, it’s all very much by design. I have a team of international sales and marketing people which I would send to any country of the world to represent our brand, which I think is the reason why we are trading in 30 different markets internationally. There is a wealth of people in Northern Ireland who are more than capable of representing our products and our country on an international basis and I think it is very important that we don’t make it more complex than it is.

MANUFACTURING ROUND TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

Colin Walsh: I am not denigrating it as a career but I think your experience is the exception rather than the rule. We are long on engineers, we are long on accountants, we are long on lawyers and we are short on people who have that sales skillset. It is one of the hardest things to recruit into companies when you are trying to scale them up, particularly to international capability. Mark Nodder: I do think there is a disconnect there between the schools and manufacturing where it might be portrayed not for the high achiever. That’s super because we need professional engineers, but we need people who can acquire the skills to actually make stuff. Neasa Quigley: Children will look to their parents and their parents are the ones telling them that you need to study to become

a lawyer or a doctor or whatever. Even if their teachers are saying this is a really good career choice in manufacturing, if their parents are saying “you need to become a professional” then they are unlikely to follow the manufacturing path. The careers teacher can only go so far, but if kids at school think that manufacturing or engineering isn’t cool, it’s never going to be cool. So we need to have rock-star engineers out there. Shane Nugent: The careers teachers need to be educated in what is actually happening in industry. Their job is to get the kids into employment, not just a qualification. Our local grammar school careers teacher wasn’t aware of the amount of manufacturing there was in our area. When asked how many manufacturing companies there were he thought there was about six or seven, when there is actually about 250. John Mathers

Mark Nodder

Neasa Quigley

Shane Nugent

So there wasn’t much of a chance for the kids to be advised on where to get a job. Dale Guest: I think the key challenge is, how does Northern Ireland punch above its weight on a global stage, because there is a real vein of entrepreneurship in this country and it’s been tapped in the past, but how do we expand it, how do we foster it? That is the real challenge. How do some of the emerging companies emulate some of the success that has been demonstrated, not just now but throughout the last number of years? There are a few but there needs to be far more. Patrick Hurst: I think a lot of them are nervous about saying they’re doing well. You have no idea the talent in this country. For instance, you can jump on a plane and get fed by Lorraine’s products, when you land on the other side you can get picked up in one of Mark’s double-deckers, if you need to get a trailer to move house in Switzerland you can get one of Shane’s and then when you are having your rest and relaxation you can be in a boat bobbing around the lake using one of our pumps. The reality is the companies we are involved with, as a group around this table, are phenomenal, but you are not encouraged in Northern Ireland to talk about success. Neasa Quigley: We have a psyche in Northern Ireland that means that sometimes we don’t want people to see us doing well and we can’t celebrate that success and actually be truly thankful and encourage others whenever they are successful. We need to overcome that. We need to recognise success, give credit where credit is due and to say “we are good!”. We have a lot of talent. DE: How important do you think exporting is to Northern Ireland manufacturers? Dale Guest: It’s no secret that there is a real strategic focus on the importance of export. We are a small country, there is a limited market here, but on an international scale the market is endless. From Bank of Ireland’s perspective, we have funded a number of success stories across numerous industries and I think the real challenge is to assist in some of the developing companies to emulate

JUNE 2014

MANUFACTURING ROUND TABLE SPONSORED BY BANK OF IRELAND UK

Lorraine Hall

it’s a credible one. What’s different here to other markets is the very heavy reliance on bank funding given the very underdeveloped private equity market in Northern Ireland. It would be great to see more private equity in the market but that will happen in time. DE: Ian, are you finding more people coming forward asking for money?

Patrick Hurst

the success of the headline corporates. The challenge is to set our sights high. Vicky Kell: We need everybody around this table to be an advocate to encourage companies to take that initial step and realise they too can export, there is support there, and that we have something that is truly marketable on an international basis. John Mathers: We at Bank of Ireland have witnessed an increase in the demand for finance over the last couple of years and that would have been driven by exporting companies. A prime example is one customer which manufactures building products, a sector you would have thought really badly hit, but they switched their focus into the export markets and came through the difficult time relatively unscathed. DE: Lorraine, how was the export journey for you? Lorraine Hall: We founded Kestrel Foods in 1996 and right from the outset export was a key consideration for us. We knew that if we wanted to create a viable food brand we would need scalability and the Northern Ireland market just wasn’t going to offer that to us. That was a key strategic objective which we got right from the very start and it lifted the bar for us because the product had to have excellent presentation, it had to stand out on the shelf, it had to speak to people in many languages. Today only 7% of our business is in Northern Ireland, but it is still a really important market to us.

DE: Shane, you are breaking into the export market as we speak, how’s that journey for you? Shane Nugent: We are relatively new and have been exporting for three to four years now and are probably struggling with some of the challenges that some of the others had 20 years ago. You have to be able to go in and very quickly understand your market. You have to be flexible enough to adapt your products. Every market is a different challenge. We don’t have the right people here in Northern Ireland to help us with that. What we do have in our favour is our engineering and expertise and when I get people to come over here and take a look at what we have to offer, then we can listen to them and change the products and adapt to suit their needs. In the last three years we have pretty much doubled and most of that has come from export markets. It does work. DE: When you are trying to export have you found it easy to get finance to break into new markets? Shane Nugent: Easy is probably the wrong word, but finance is there. If you have the right structure in place, you have the right plan in place, it’s there. DE: Neasa, with some of the companies you are dealing with, is finance an issue as much as it was before? Neasa Quigley: I think if a company has a growth story funders will back it provided

Ian Sheppard: Absolutely. In 2013 Bank of Ireland approved £500 million of new lending to Northern Ireland companies. That trend continued right through the first quarter of 2014 and in the month of April we have approved over £100 million of new money for local companies. And that was to over 70 firms from start-up to large corporates, across all sectors, so we are really starting to see that confidence coming through in the demand for funding. That funding was for capital investment, expanding factories, purchasing plant and equipment and meeting increased working capital requirements. DE: What advice would you give to start-up manufacturing companies? Mark Nodder: Stick at it, because the reward is there. I have been fortunate in that the companies I have been involved in in Northern Ireland have already been scaling, so my hat is off to the heroes who actually mortgaged their house and sunk their life-savings into something that they truly believe in, and some of the guys round here who are true entrepreneurs. But I would urge start-ups to avail of all the support that is there. Wherever they go there is a support network here for companies at all levels and you need to use it because it can be a very lonely place being an entrepreneur. Lorraine Hall: There is no doubt that it is a very challenging route to choose but the rewards are enormous for entrepreneurship. Securing funding was difficult because it was much more to do with the maturity of our balance-sheet and our profitability than the fact that we were young people with fantastic ideas and a scalable concept. We grew through organic growth and despite the very challenging time for us as a business start-up, we worked with Bank of Ireland through those very early years.

Wealth Management

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Show me (where to put) the money David Elliott speaks to the people in the know when it comes to playing the markets.

“P

repare your portfolio for El Nino”. That’s the not altogether comforting message from one of the world’s biggest investment banks in a note to clients only a week or two ago.

are ones which will take advantage of us. The key is finding those in the former grouping which will return a bit of profit, but the problem is picking them out of a lineout is not an easy task.

Not much help there but a more in-depth read of the report finds a few pointers.

The reaction of most investors to such a statement would be to batten down the hatches, gather up your children and head for the safest investments in the land: gold, government bonds and canned food.

It’s not difficult in hindsight but unfortunately the ability to see into the future is a talent limited to the experts.

“Remain cautious of asset classes like commodities and gold, which are often used as inflation cushions,” the report said, pointing to an expectation that interest rates will rise soon but not too soon.

In reality, Societe General wasn’t trying to suggest that all financial markets are in for a period of stormy weather which appears once every seven years or so. If fact, it was trying to drum up a bit of interest for its El Nino Commodity Index, one dreamt up by the bank to allow investors to play the upcoming weather phenomenon which can introduce a level of volatility in commodity markets which would make even the most ship shape investors sea sick. Despite the fact the effects of El Nino are inevitably felt in Northern Ireland, SG’s new financial instrument is unlikely to be of huge interest to punters here but its emergence does highlight how the breadth of products available to investors is growing and ever changing. Although not at the levels witnessed at the height of the boom times in 2007, there is a plethora of investment products available for us to take advantage of, and obviously there

“Stocks are no longer cheap, neither bonds nor cash offer compelling value, and all could be vulnerable to increases in interest rates. That’s why we advise incorporating alternative strategies.” With that in mind we set out to find out whether they advise bulking up your equity portfolio, slimming down your pork belly liability or holding your precious metals. We first checked in on what the world’s biggest investment manager thought, naturally. Blackrock, which manages a cool $4.3 trillion, said in a spring update of their

2014 outlook “opportunities appear more elusive than at the start of the year”.

“Stocks are no longer cheap, neither bonds nor cash offer compelling value, and all could be vulnerable to increases in interest rates. that’s why we advise incorporating alternative strategies that can help broaden your diversification, protect against rising rates, and contribute to growth.” “Diversifying with alternatives means adding new asset classes such as physical real estate and infrastructure investments.” While the latter investment may still be retaining a defensive tack, the former – essentially houses, shops and offices – hint at a more buoyant outlook for the months ahead. That’s bearing in mind Blackrock are referring mostly to the US investment market, one which tends to lead the rest of the world’s markets and a good place to start. But what of our local advisers? Where do they think we should put our money? Here’s just a couple of opinions.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Conor Cahalane from Davy Private Clients Northern Ireland

“B

efore considering which asset classes may be appealing to an individual there are various personal factors that should be considered. These include, but may not be limited, to an individual’s personal circumstances, their risk profile and tax considerations. A client’s overall investment objectives (e.g. investment period considered and whether they want a regular income or a long-term growth in value) will also be a key consideration. “That said, we believe that the recovery in the global economy is now broadly based and that risks of systemic failure – which had been very real on many occasions – has been reduced. “In terms of investment assets classes we continue to be positive on both US and European equities. Although we don’t think

that equity market returns are likely to match those of recent years, nevertheless, high single digit returns in a low-inflation, lowinterest rate environment remain attractive. “For some time now, we have recommended a lower allocation to bonds in our model portfolios – we continue to believe that investors should hold fewer bonds than they normally do in light of prevailing low interest rates. “In principle any decisions on specific investments should be made in the context of developing a well-balanced multi-asset investment portfolio, which reflect your particular goals and helps you achieve the right balance between risk and return. However, these decisions should not be taken lightly and we would always recommend that potential investors seek professional advice in the first instance.”

Emily Waterworth, investment manager at Brewin Dolphin

nvestment strategy should be tailored to the requirements of each investor and it is important to establish a range of factors, including attitude to risk, desired returns, tax position and any ethical views. Each person’s aspirations are unique to them and clarification of expectations at the start of the process will guide any subsequent investment decisions. This will ultimately help to ensure satisfaction with the returns achieved. Constructing a diversified portfolio is widely accepted to be the approach which ensures maximum returns for the level of risk which is acceptable. This concept of diversification leads to a portfolio which is invested across a variety of asset classes and geographies, spreading the risk of the portfolio as a whole and providing opportunities to generate returns from different sources. The emphasis given to each of these will be a key driver of portfolio performance. It is important to consider macroeconomic trends as well as market dynamics and valuations across a broad range of investments and geographical regions. The resulting “asset allocation” of a diversified portfolio should be kept under constant review. For example, the defensive assets of recent years, corporate bonds, have recently seen sharp increases in issuance and deteriorating covenants. At the same time the prospects for developed market growth remain attractive. At present, we therefore retain our equity overweight but keep the focus of that allocation on the US and other developed markets.

JUNE 2014

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Lessons from Leeson

enjamin Franklin might have been onto something when he said, “Wise men don’t need advice. Fools won’t take it.” For it is one thing to be confident in one’s wisdom but it’s another thing to be wise and think you have nothing left to learn.

Madoff they are still doing the rounds and people are still being taken in. No financial market investment comes with a guarantee. Stick with what you know and if you are endowed with wealth, there are some better uses of your money at this time. Any economy needs investment and lending in order for it to prosper. We all have a rudimentary understanding of property.

So when asked to write about wealth management and traditional sources of investment, well funny enough I wasn’t so sure. In this instance I approach it with a certain amount of trepidation but it is only my opinion.

We understand the value of the property that we own and the general areas in which we live. Everybody has enjoyed/suffered at least one property cycle, the boom and bust and understands that this cycle will be repeated.

Stock markets are trading near, if not at record highs, and precious metals have settled back to more acceptable levels after the huge uncertainty in the market place and bonds are just bonds; boring. Investing in shares or equities is a tough thing to get right, unless you have deep pockets and time to waste. You can be lucky once, twice, maybe more times, but the odds are stacked against you. The facts are that most non-professional investors (that’s you and most definitely me) enter the market after it has already rallied 30% and exit equally poorly. That doesn’t give you too much of a consistent chance.

This has to be consolidated, coordinated and is common practice amongst a number of banks. This was the case in the Libor rate fixing scandal where a number of bankers are facing criminal prosecution and will undoubtedly be the case in the Forex and Commodity rate fixing scandals that are currently underway. Not painting a great picture am I, and no investment advice yet.

The stock markets are trading at record highs for one reason and that is, interest rates are at record lows in the major economic states and there is a considerable flow of cash into equities to try and generate some return.

Bonds typically have higher rates of return than deposit rates at the bank but are still not without risk, unless you are related to a previous holder of Anglo Irish Bank bonds, in which case the normal rules do not apply!

Financial markets are extremely efficient. They can be manipulated by the larger players and remember I used to do it, minute by minute in Singapore, but ultimately any anomalies are washed away. Rather more sinister manipulation rests in the rigging of closing prices and rate fixing.

I’m an advocate of education and empowerment. The more you know, the better informed questions you can ask and ultimately the better your decisionmaking process. I see no-end of get rich quick schemes based on little more than hot air and am amazed that post Bernie

By Nick Leeson, business consultant in GDP Partnership

SME’s are also crying out for investment, struggling to access bank finance and looking for other sources of funding. Many of these are sound businesses that have good assets at greatly deflated values and that will flourish in time. With recent relaxation in the pension laws and the massive increase in selfadministered pension schemes, therewith lies the opportunity. I’ve witnessed an increasing number of transactions where pensions have lent to both companies and individuals based on the security of the property, commercial or residential rent roll and a debenture over the business. This allows the business to grow, a worthwhile relationship to develop and the pension holder to receive at least fourfold return on their pension fund. It may not have the starry eyed attraction of a 65% return on investment but you will get a good return and you won’t get a phone call at 1am in the morning from an aspiring Nick Leeson stating that your money has disappeared.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Assessing risk on an individual basis

ur actions are often driven more by our emotions than we might imagine – particularly when we are making financial decisions, says Jonathan Dobbin, who heads the Barclays Wealth and Investment Management team in Northern Ireland.

Jonathan and his Belfast-based team use a range of asset classes to create client portfolios.

When it comes to investing, everyone experiences different levels of emotional involvement and tolerance of risk. He adds: “One of the most important things we can do is to identify what motivates and scares you when investing your money. We take new clients through our Financial Personality Assessment™, and by identifying their unique investment profile we think we can improve their chances of making more rewarding investment decisions.” Once Jonathan’s team has identified a client’s financial personality they use a full range of asset classes – from the traditional (cash, bonds, equities) to more advanced alternative investments – to create client portfolios which balance their appetite for risk and return. It is important always to bear in mind though that no matter what stance you take towards investment, you can still lose money.

Changing needs The Barclays Wealth and Investment Management team is well equipped to serve the ever-changing needs of clients in Northern Ireland. With diverse backgrounds from across finance and wider industry, the team uses their specialist wealth management expertise to support local business owners, entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals. With more high net worth individuals in the Northern Ireland gaining their wealth through inheritance the team is experienced in helping clients and their families on issues such as inheritance and succession planning. And reflecting the changing order of wealth creation in the region to entrepreneurship, the latest Barclays and BGF Entrepreneurs Index reported a rise in the proportion of high-growth companies (1) in Northern Ireland.

“Our team can advise business owners on both growth and exit strategies, and we have recently built successful relationships with individuals in the technology and manufacturing industries.” Clients can access international and private banking, financing, wealth planning, trust and fiduciary services, investment management and brokerage services, as well as the personal, corporate and investment banking expertise of the Barclays group, one of the largest financial services organisations in the world. (1) Companies in the UK with turnovers of between £2.5m and £100.

Jonathan adds: “With an increase in prosperity as the economy recovers, we anticipate a rise in demand for wealth management advice.

JUNE 2014

For more information contact Jonathan Dobbin at jonathan.dobbin@barclays.com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Big shot tips An insight into where the world’s most influential investors have been putting their money over the last few months.

George Soros Larry Fink

Worth an estimated $23bn, Mr Soros is the founder of the fund management company by the same name, one which doesn’t blink an eyelid at returns of 20% plus in a year. Energy companies again are apparent in his portfolio including Devon Energy, Marathon Petroleum and Baker Hughes. Chinese online retailer Vipshop has been a notable addition while radio technology company RF Devices has also performed well.

The co-founder of fund manager BlackRock is in charge of $4 trillion worth of other people’s money so knows a thing or two about where to put it. He’s made good money in the likes of computer giant Dell while the company is also active in the exchangetraded funds business.

Warren Buffett The Sage of Omaha, whose investment arm is known as Berkshire Hathaway, knows a deal when he sees one and if the last year is anything to go by then we should be buying petrol and baked beans. He teamed up with a venture capital fund to buy ketchup kings Heinz for a cool $23bn, splashed out a cool $4bn on ExxonMobil and also threw nearly $6bn at NV Energy.

Carl Icahn Jim Rogers Tune into financial channel CNBC and there’s a good chance you’ll hear Jim Rogers offering insight into the next big investment. Commodities are his thing; he predicted the sharp rally since 2004 and called the top for the likes of gold in 2012. He’s still not buying gold but is waiting for the precious metal to bottom out before hitting the buy button. He believes the current dip for gold and other commodity markets is just that, a correction to the longer term bull trend which will see markets head higher again in the medium term.

The chairman of Icahn Enterprises has been fighting accusations of insider trading but has nevertheless clocked up a pound or two on some pretty wise investments. Netflix has been a big winner for his portfolio and he’s been a backer of Apple.

NEWS

Profits jump 18% at Henderson Group

rofits have jumped by 18% at the company which owns the Spar and Vivo franchises in Northern Ireland, according to latest results.

Henderson Group supplies over 400 stores under the brands – and is also the parent company of trade suppliers Henderson Foodservice, Wholesale, Retail and Group Property – and made over £18m in 2013. The profit boost emerged on the back of a similar, but lesser, increase in turnover of just under 4% to £643m and alongside capital spend of £23m, which included development of its retail stores and purchase of the freehold on seven shops. It also bought an additional warehouse next door to its Mallusk base. “While wholesale profits were flat, as a direct result of the investment in retail price support for the benefit of our independent retail partners, the company owned store division has performed particularly well, doubling its profits from 2012,” Ron Whitten, Group Finance Director, said. “We believe that is because we are offering competitive prices and investing in training and recruitment to attract and retain the best staff and deliver excellent customer service.”

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group, left, and Ron Whitten, Group Finance Director at the Henderson Group.

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director of the Henderson Group, said changing shopping habits are changing the company’s offering. “Our research shows that consumer demands are changing, with shoppers spending more sensibly, doing “top up” shops to avoid wastage and demanding more locally produced fresh food.”

The rise of the ‘business partner’ By Luke Fuller, Director at Hays, Northern Ireland analysis experts with commercial nous. The ‘business partner’ is a much soughtafter position designed for senior finance professionals who can make an all-round impact on operations. By harnessing performance data to highlight opportunities and draw attention to potential problems, the business partner ensures management teams make better-informed decisions.

s the Northern Ireland economy leaves recession and returns to growth, demand for the ‘business partner’ grows with it. This role has evolved to answer two big questions: What is the effect of our spending across the entire business? How do we do it more efficiently? Rather than solely looking for core technical and statutory accounting skills, organisations now want to hire

JUNE 2014

Over the past six months, Hays in Northern Ireland has registered a significant increase in vacancies for finance business partners – a trend that is set to rise throughout 2014 as companies invest to drive forward growth. Typically, a business partner fulfils three functions: reduce costs; improve efficiency; and drive up profits. And for many financial professionals, the ‘business partner’ position offers greater job satisfaction, providing them with the opportunity to see how their input is having a direct impact on the company.

Employers want finance leaders who can inspire and motivate teams and encourage them to strive for excellence. For this reason, business partners must also be capable of effectively communicating clear financial messages across every tier of the organisation. Large businesses have been recruiting for this role for several years but smaller companies are now catching up. We have noticed that it is particularly popular in the FMCG sector, where margins and overall budget control is tighter. As businesses look to the future, bringing in the right talent at the right time will be crucial to sustaining momentum and driving the economy forwards. For further information and access to the latest job opportunities visit www.hays.co.uk/northernireland

BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING

Time is a great healer It’s fair to say the economy is well on the road to recovery and while that’s to be welcome, it throws up challenges as well as opportunities. Brian Murphy and Pamela Gillies from BDO know what to look out for and how to make sure your recovery is smooth. The Changing Market After six challenging years we are finally witnessing the first signs of a sustained upturn in our local economy. This optimism has brought with it a buzz in the marketplace that has been missing for too long. The new and more positive challenge facing businesses is to balance the opportunities for growth emanating from stabilisation with any lingering recessionary pressures.

Brian Murphy

of investment and the impact of servicing growth opportunities can take its toll.

Working Capital Management When the orders start flowing in and businesses expand at speed, working capital requirements can change dramatically and the risk of overtrading may set in, in many cases putting severe strain on the remaining financial and organisational functions.

The Transformation of Businesses

Managerial Pressures

Many businesses have transformed themselves into lean, mean, surviving machines, having streamlined over the last few years to stay alive, however it is easy to forget that one of the most dangerous times for a business is immediately after a recession, when a lack

In addition, resourcing this increase in demand from customers and supply chains also puts pressure on management teams who, although positive about economic recovery, may still be lacking in confidence when it comes to making proactive

Pamela Gillies

investment decisions for the future needs of their businesses. Due to the unusual longevity of the downturn, management may not in fact have had the experience of dealing with a ‘positive’ crisis, they could therefore find it difficult to adapt to new circumstances. The worst that they can do is to bury their heads in the sand – without adequate working capital and operating efficiencies in place, a large number of businesses are at risk of overtrading and falling at the first growth hurdle.

Structure and Restructure Every business needs to plan for these positive changes and the impact they will have on future structures, so anticipating new trends and preparing for all economic conditions. Every business must structure

BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING

and re-structure to meet the demands of the time, as part and parcel of a business’s lifecycle. Now is an ideal time to restructure when interest rates are low and when the economic indicators are positive. Many successful businesses in Northern Ireland restructured during the recession to meet its pressures – they must restructure again now to meet the demands of growth.

existing funding arrangements may not be appropriate, or the banking relationship may have run its course, in which case we can help find alternative financing for your business. Many new funds and lenders have recently entered the Northern Ireland marketplace, all with different appetites for risk and sector specialism’s. These could well hold the key to recovery.

Stakeholder Relationships

BDO’s Role

Often one of the most important variables in the success or failure of a business on the upturn is its relationships with its stakeholders, particularly a company’s relationship with its bank or lender. BDO, as restructuring advisors, recognise this importance and are able to present your company’s case to your bank or lender in the best possible light. BDO can help businesses to understand the options and to expedite or resolve any financial issues and communicate these to stakeholders. In some instances, the

BDO has extensive practical experience in dealing with the trading challenges that are synonymous with post-recession growth. During the course of the last 25 years, we have built a respected team of advisers with strong networks across the local lending community. Our team helps business owners to diagnose, identify and resolve the major issues quickly. We also have access to expert professionals in a wide range of specialist areas and we aim to assemble the right restructuring advisory team to meet

the businesses’ specific needs. The well practised communication skills of our team are of paramount importance in successfully implementing a restructuring process; where our over-riding objectives are to: • Restore confidence in the business; • Provide a base to enhance shareholder value; and • Promote growth and recovery. Restructuring should not be seen as a last resort, but as a leap of faith that can put businesses in the strongest position to maximise the growth opportunities a recovering market presents. Brian Murphy is a Partner in BDO’s Business Restructuring team and can be contacted on 028 9043 9009 or brian.murphy@bdo.co.uk Pamela Gillies is a Director in BDO’s Business Restructuring team and can be contacted on 028 9043 9009 or pamela.gillies@bdo.co.uk

SUPPORTING GROWTH Proudly serving NI businesses for 25 Years

BDO have been providing accounting services to Northern Ireland’s businesses over the last 25 years. Throughout that time our clients have grown in size and in number, and we have to. All because our mission has remained the same, to deliver exceptional client service. Thank you to all that have supported BDO throughout the years. We look forward to continuing the journey together over the next 25.

T: 028 9043 9009 www.bdoni.com @BDO NI BDO Northern Ireland is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct investment business.

JUNE 2014

PROFILE

Masterclass for Success Vincent Hurl, owner of Crosskeys Inn, Toomebridge, is the fourth student to be profiled in our “Studying Success” series. He has completed a Masters in International Hotel and Tourism Management at the Ulster Business School.

Why did you choose the course? The main reason was to help me focus on the future development of my business. The Crosskeys Inn has been used widely to promote tourism in Northern Ireland and sees visitors from all over the world. Since 2004 I have been working on a plan to add new accommodation and dining facilities to expand my offering to the tourism sector but unfortunately after receiving planning permission, the financial crisis set in and I couldn’t get the necessary finance from my bank. It was very disappointing as I believe unique projects like Crosskeys are essential for tourism, but it encouraged me to further my education in the hospitality field to help me make the best decisions about the future of my business.

After researching my options I decided that the Masters in International Hotel and Tourism Management at the Ulster Business School was the course which suited my requirements best.

Being involved in group discussions on tourism and hospitality issues was also very enjoyable and informative. I have to say that I believe it is one of the most rewarding experiences I have embarked on in my working career.

What attracted you to the Ulster Business School? I had been working in hospitality for over 20 years and had spent several years working with local tourism bodies in the development of the Crosskeys but I also wanted to gain a recognised qualification in the hospitality/ tourism field from a renowned university.

How will this qualification help in your future career? When I do start to expand Crosskeys I will be much better placed to manage that. The course has helped me identify tourism areas into which I can tap for the future growth of the business. The contacts I’ve made through the course have offered invaluable advice and will continue to do so. It has also helped me gain a wider view on the tourism industry in Northern Ireland and reinforced that the decision I made to start preparing for the expansion of my business was the right one.

The three day block module assignment based with the learning sets suited my work schedule. I liked the timetabled group lectures which meant I could allocate specific times to learning. Although it was difficult at the start I soon developed a routine for studying and really enjoyed it. It provided me with what I expected and more. What part of the course did you enjoy most? I have enjoyed all of the course, particularly meeting all the postgraduate students in the group from a wide variety of backgrounds, as well as the lecturers and the industry experts. I found it satisfying to overcome the challenge of familiarising myself with the in depth learning process after so many years.

Vincent Hurl, Owner, Crosskeys Inn, Toomebridge; Masters in International Hotel and Tourism Management, Ulster Business School.

Who do you admire most in the business world and why? The business community in Northern Ireland has come through a difficult time since the financial crisis in 2008 and I admire any local businessperson who has adapted and changed to steer their business through it. I particularly admire those working in hospitality locally who have managed to tap into the growing tourist market and make a success of their business despite these challenging times and the lack of availability of finance.

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

Management & Education

Sponsored by

MANAGEMENT & EDUCATION

Those managers who can, learn

By David Elliott

Think you’re too busy to go back to the classroom to learn some tricks of the trade? Think again…

ost managers are pretty sure of themselves. They have to be, to have climbed the business ladder and to be able to manage diverse processes, products, services and people. It therefore stands to reason they’d be the last people in need of any further training, especially given they’ve already proven their worth and because they are very, very busy people. “Nonsense,” would be the response of any manager with a reasonable sense of self. Managers, probably more than any other members of a company or organisation, need ongoing training and education to help them face the myriad of problems they face on a daily basis, issues which they often have to face alone without the safety net or support of peers at a similar level. Some reach the higher echelons of management through their expertise in, for instance, selling but can find themselves having responsibilities for managing people, accounts or human resources without the correct training to help them cope adequately. But it’s not always easy to take a step back and realise you need a little help, nor to admit it or, more practically, to find the time to upskill. Paul Quinn offers a good example of a manager at the top of his company who found huge benefits from going back to the classroom.

He was a student studying business studies in the 80s in London but didn’t finish the course, instead coming back to Northern Ireland to a sales position at Belfast tile company Armatile. Paul eventually worked his way up to managing director level, a post he’s held for a number of years and despite proving himself in the role, he decided to sign up for an MBA at the Ulster Business School at the University of Ulster.

“It was a bit of a struggle with time and I had to work on coursework over late nights and at weekends while still doing 40 hours a week but all in all it was a very good experience.” “The owner of the company is an accountant, the finance director is an accountant and both they and I felt a little uncomfortable that I didn’t have an accounting background so I thought it would be a good idea to head back to the world of academia,” Paul told Ulster Business. Given the company was growing apace, it wasn’t until 2009 that he started the course, one which wasn’t a walk in the park.

“Practically, it was difficult,” he said. “The finance part of the course was a struggle and although I wanted to learn it, it wasn’t an area I was overly interested in compared to the likes of the marketing side of things but once we got into so it wasn’t a problem.” In terms of time, the course was also demanding, but worthwhile. “It was a bit of a struggle with time and I had to work on coursework over late nights and at weekends while still doing 40 hours a week at the day job but all in all it was a very, very good experience.” While the course itself was helpful to Paul’s personal progression, it has also reaped benefits for the business itself. “It was great to be meeting people from outside business and I came away with some really exciting ideas and a strategic plan for the business which we’re in the process of implementing.” And it’s helped with the finance side of the business. “I feel very confident of going into those meetings now and asking questions about the finance of the business and that’s a direct result of the course. I’ve a good understanding of the answers and am well able to be critical.” Paul is just one example how it can pay managers to go back to school but there is also hard financial evidence. Research by the Chartered Management

MANAGEMENT & EDUCATION

Institute has found that those with Chartered Manager status – which Paul’s course awards – deliver around £362,176 in so-called added value to their organisations. Meanwhile, 87% of 4,500 MBA students surveyed from all levels, including 302 Chief Executives, and 550 HR Managers, found that postgraduate business school qualifications are the most effective management development tool available. And nearly 90% of those moved on to more senior roles within two years of completing their MBA. For the Ulster Business School, a close relationship with industry has helped it get a feel for the types of management education needed. Paul Quinn from Armatile who completed an MBA at the Ulster Business School.

“We, at The Ulster Business School, pride ourselves on our MBA programme being one which is practical and relevant to local and national business and one which continually evolves in partnership with key stakeholders,” the MBA Course Director Trevor Cadden said. It runs the MBA programme over one year on a full time basis or either two or three years on a part time basis. Meanwhile, over at Queen’s University, a former US president features heavily in its management education focus. The William J Clinton Leadership Institute was created in 2011 and provides leaders of all levels – from those just starting out to those at board level – with courses in various disciplines.

“What we provide is high-end executive education for senior managers but we’re also helping them to develop as individuals with the will and the capacity to make a difference to the world around them,” Director Anne Clydesdale, Director of the William J Clinton Leadership Institute said. “There is no shortage of drive and ambition among our managers and leaders in Northern Ireland.

“We, at The Ulster Business School, pride ourselves on our MBA programme being one which is practical and relevant to local and national business and one which continually evolves in partnership with key stakeholders.” “It’s a privilege to work every day with people who are equally committed to that vision and are embracing what we have to offer.” It also works closely with both the business and public sector in Northern Ireland to develop its courses which include the MBA as well as an MA Human Resource Management, the MSc Finance and the MSc in Risk Management and Financial Regulation. Dr Geoff Simmons, Programme Director of the Executive MBA at the institute, also believes managers can add value, not just to themselves, but also to their company. “Managers taking on, for example, an Executive MBA at Queen’s University Management School, open the door to a grounding in all of the key areas of any business (e.g. marketing, accounting, human resources). For middle managers in particular, often specialised in their expertise and management remit, this is key to their potential to become senior managers with the ability to understand and manage across a business”.

JUNE 2014

MANAGEMENT & EDUCATION

There’s more to life than the day job

By David Elliott

UK Editor-In-Chief of The Huffington Post explains how to shake off an addiction to worry.

ove what you do but make sure what you do doesn’t take over your life.

That’s the advice from the woman who heads up the UK arm of one of the most successful news organisations to have emerged over the last few years, one which is taking on the incumbent news gatherers and winning. Carla Buzasi is UK Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post and has had a busy couple of years establishing the online media company on these shores. As such, she’s well placed to offer a gathering of the female corporate elite advice on how to make sure a passion for the job doesn’t corrode passion for the rest of life. In her speech to the assembled guests she admits to constantly checking emails while on a three-week honeymoon in the early days of setting up the UK arm of the business. She admits that marriage is now over but the experience has left her with some key lessons.

“We’ve all got to realise that we’re not doing brain surgery. We’re trying to create businesses.” “I love what I do and when you love your job it’s very easy to allow it to infiltrate everything else,” she told Ulster Business on the sidelines of the International

Pictured at the inaugural International Business Women’s Conference (IBWC 2014), hosted by Women in Business NI at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall are (l-r) US speaker and Entrepreneur in Residence with DELL Inc Ingrid Vanderveldt; Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive, Women in Business NI and Carla Buzasi, Editor in Chief Huffington Post UK. Photo M T Hurson/Harrions.

Business Women’s Conference in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall, adding that alleviating such a situation may not be as simple as putting up barriers between work and personal life. “I think we maybe need to focus more on work/life integration than work/ life balance. I use a lot of what I do in my personal life as ideas for articles we might run in The Huffington Post or topics we feel we should feature.” Such integration is perhaps easy for those working in the media to achieve than for say, accountants, and more practical measures may be needed to prevent work from taking over life.

“I’ve separated my work email from my personal email on my phone and make sure I turn my phone off at night when I’m out for dinner with friends. If you do that you’ll have better friendships and you’ll be better supported which means ultimately you’ll be better at what you do for a living.” By doing this, Carla said, we can prevent becoming “addicted to worry”, an affliction that is common to many top executives or business owners. “We’ve all got to realise that we’re not doing brain surgery,” she said. “We’re trying to create businesses – in my case we’re trying to create a website which has hundreds of

MANAGEMENT & EDUCATION

How Carla Buzasi became Editor-in-Chief “I was working at AOL and one morning the CEO Tim Armstrong sent an email out to the entire company that rumours were about to break that we were buying The Huffington Post. I was standing at the train platform on my way to work when I got that email and quickly found Ariana Huffington’s (the founder of the Huffington Post) email address and I emailed her to introduce myself. I asked if we could chat and I met her a month or so later for breakfast. Later that morning she announced at a news conference we were holding at The Guardian newspaper that not only were we launching The Huffington Post but I would be the editor-in-chief so there was no going back. I didn’t realise I had pitched myself for a job but it turns out I had.”

thousands of readers – but our health, our family and our happiness is ultimately more important than that. It’s about priorities and knowing when to say this is truly important and can wait until tomorrow.” Clearly the strategy is working. The Huffington Post is in 11 different countries, five different continents and has 78 million

JUNE 2014

unique visitors on a global basis a month and, through Carla’s leadership, has made a big impression here in the UK. “We’ve shown people want to have their own voice. The age-old media model which was an editor telling his or her readers, usually his, what they should know and what they should think is over.

“Having the traditional news alongside a platform for bloggers and commentators is really resonating.” The growing thirst for such a model means the future for successful print media will need a flexible approach. “I don’t think print is dead but they need to rethink their business models and I don’t think there will be as many print publications in five/ten years time as there are now.” “Brands are very important: look at The Guardian and the number of conferences they have now and the number of master classes they have. Brands which are looking outside what they have on the supermarket shelf and in a newspaper form will survive.” With that Carla Buzasi is off, back to London and back to the day job, one which it is plain to see she really does love.

MANAGEMENT & EDUCATION

Manager’s specials

By Jillyan Scott

What qualities should today’s managers have? We run down some of the key attributes. 6. Knowledgeable with tasks As manager, you are expected to be on top of everything. As such, make it a point to be privy on relevant details about your company’s products, methods, targets, clients, achievements, and developments.

7. Handles money matters well Issues about money are indeed very sensitive by nature, so it takes a good manager to handle them well. Therefore, familiarise yourself with rudimentary financial knowhow so that when money matters are raised, you will know what to say and what to do.

8. Organised 1. Discipline If there is one trait you need to consistently work on, it would be this. From coming to the work and conferences on time, to meeting (or even beating) deadlines, and to upholding company policies, you must be able to show how disciplined you are.

the upside. However, a good manager is able to put things in perspective even during the lean seasons. Thus, always try to see the blessing beyond misfortunes, and look for factors that can help you and your colleagues stay motivated.

4. Resilient 2. Confidence Some people say that the secret to doing things is nothing but confidence. But the catch is that for you to feel confident, you need to have a clear idea of what you’re doing first. Otherwise, your efforts will be for naught. Also, confidence can be easily mistaken for arrogance. So arm yourself with the appropriate competencies and experiences, and then share them with your colleagues. When they see that you’re confident because of your track record, you will gain their attention and respect.

3. Motivation With the world being round, you can’t expect that your company will only be in

Sometimes, what makes managers noticeably good is not just their ability to find solutions but how they respond to the pressure it brings. As a manager, you need to learn how to cope with stress gracefully, and if possible, without complaining.

5. Reliability The people you work with need to see that they can count on you for everything that has to do with your job. So first and foremost, ensure that you personally do your job well. You also need to make sure that those who are under your management accomplish their tasks, and that you are willing to provide assistance whenever there are lapses.

Misplacing files or forgetting important work-related events belong to management horror stories. To avoid these from happening, work on organising your schedules, filing system, and even your work area. Clear your desk of clutter and keep a day planner, digital or otherwise, which can help you track your appointments and tasks.

9. Has the legal know-how The legal aspect of managing a company can be a little tough since it requires a lot of learning, but once you get the hang of it, it won’t be as difficult. As a manager, you need to have a basic understanding of your industry’s legal accountabilities and of employment prerequisites.

10. Empowering To many, sitting on the manager’s seat is already a powerful position to be in. But as they say, great power comes with great responsibility. The thing is, even a person of authority needs to share his power for the company to progress.

Helping You to Develop Your Business The Ulster Business School is one of the largest business schools in Britain and Ireland and has worked with Northern Ireland’s businesses for over 40 years We can help you to develop your business through: • • • • • • • •

Bespoke and scheduled Management and Leadership Development Programmes Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) The Centre for SME Development The Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy (NICEP) Placements and Internships Business Events and Networking Sponsorships and Awards Innovation Vouchers

We are now accepting applications for our suite of executive education programmes which have been developed to meet the needs of businesses in Northern Ireland. Courses of study are available in the following areas; Accounting Business Administration Business Development Business Improvement Corporate Governance Events Management

Financial Services Hospitality Management International Business Leadership Marketing Tourism Management

For further information: E: n.read@ulster.ac.uk T: 028 9036 8880 E: m.fox@ulster.ac.uk T: 028 9036 8396

www.business.ulster.ac.uk

Further education colleges step up to game-changing technology

orthern Ireland’s further education colleges are grasping the opportunity to revolutionise the way in which we interact with the information concerning a building. This new technology – Building Information Modelling, or BIM for short, will be central to the resurgence of the building industry in the near future. The UK construction industry describes BIMS as ‘an innovative and collaborative way of working that is underpinned by digital technologies which support more efficient methods of designing, creating and maintaining the build environment. In essence, BIM embeds key product and asset date within multi-dimensional computer models that can be used for effective management of information throughout the project lifecycle – from earliest inception through occupation. Stephen Moss from South West College explains the impact of BIM: “BIM will have a significant part to play in the resurgence of the building industry across Ireland and the UK. BIM has the potential to reduce construction time, costs and claims. This may be achieved through better collaboration, using BIM, at every stage of a construction project – BIM data may be used to illustrate an entire building’s life-cycle from inception and design to demolition and reuse of materials. It may also allow for the extraction of quantities and properties of materials and to illustrate the scope of works, including management of project targets and facilities management throughout the building’s life. For the coming years it is predicated that building activity in the domestic economy will be centred on the vast challenge of retrofitting the existing private, public, commercial and domestic building stock to meet mandatory EU energy performance requirements. Through the introduction of technologies such as 3D Laser Scanning, BIM has the potential to help in the achievement of these EU

(L-R): Michelle Daly Research Lecturer at SRC; Mark McKane UUJ; Peter Trebilcock from Balfour Beatty Construction London; Rebecca De Cicco from David Millar Architects London; Melanie Dawson from the NI BIM Hub and Bronagh Harte, Research Lecturer at SRC.

targets especially in relation to large public/ commercial retrofit projects. The biggest driver for the adoption of BIM in the UK has been the recent government announcement that from 2016 the use of BIM methodology is mandatory on all public construction projects valued at £5 million or more – but this is only the beginning. All of this activity will require significant up-skilling amongst architects, engineers, surveyors, technologists and construction managers in the use of BIM.” Also driving BIM within Further Education is Southern Regional College (SRC). SRC has a total of six campuses across Armagh, Newry, Banbridge, Portadown and Lurgan. Keen to be at the fore of BIM development the college plan to develop for industry a suite of BIM training courses over the coming months. Bronagh Harte, Research Lecturer at SRC explains the advantages of using BIM: “BIM creates efficiency and users will get several benefits. As users become more proficient the opportunities to improve production are more pronounced. Early access to the information in the models helps everyone

involved on a project team gain more insight into their project. As a result, the team can make more informed decisions much earlier in the planning, design, construction or renovation process. This in turn has major benefits to project cost, scheduling and sustainability. BIM adds value across the entire lifecycle of building and infrastructure projects.” All the work outlined above is supported by the Connected project. Connected, funded by the Department for Employment and Learning, is a knowledge transfer project that involves all six regional colleges, The University of Ulster and Queen’s University. Lynn Connaughton, Connected Business Development Manager commented: “Connected is a brilliant concept that has proven to be an enormous success, both in raising the agenda of knowledge transfer and also cementing productive relationships between business and academia. Connected has supported the training and development of staff both at a HE and FE level in BIM, enabling BIM software to be introduced into teaching practice.”

For more information on engaging with our colleges and or universities contact Connected Business Development Manager: Lynn Connaughton Tel: 028 9068 4955 Email lynn.connaughton@collegesni.ac.uk

Professional Development courses offered by: • CIPS • ACCA • CIM • ATI • ILM • CIMA • CIPD New Higher Level Apprenticeship in Accountancy HNDs and Foundation Degrees available in Construction, Computing, Engineering, Hair and Beauty, Health and Social Care and Sport.

Part-time Courses Enrolling Now Check out our website www.belfastmet.ac.uk for further information

your journey continues...

Institute of Directors

CHARTERED DIRECTOR PROGRAMME STARTS IN N. IRELAND SEPT 2014, ENDS JUNE 2015

WITH 5-6 COHORTS STARTING EACH YEAR THIS IS THE MOST POPULAR DIRECTOR-LEVEL PROGRAMME IN THE ISLAND OF IRELAND. FIND OUT WHY! FURTHER INFORMATION & ENDORSEMENTS: Contact Programme Director Peter Martin on 028 9064 1131 or email: directordevireland@gmail.com PS: It’s fun too!

BUSINESS TOURISM

Fujitsu joins Business Ambassador Programme

ne of Northern Ireland’s most prominent business leaders, Fujitsu’s Greg McDaid, has joined the new Business Ambassador Programme which was established earlier this year to help promote Belfast as a world-class business tourism destination.

Greg McDaid, Client Managing Director at Fujitsu (UK & Ireland).

Greg, who is the company’s Client Managing Director for Northern Ireland and Scotland, has worked in a variety of industry sectors and has over 23 years of experience in business and in delivering complex solutions in the high-tech, services and manufacturing sectors. Visit Belfast leads the Business Ambassador Programme on behalf of Invest NI and Northern Ireland Tourist Board and manages a team of experts who specialise in bidding for and organising national and international events, conferences and meetings in Belfast and Northern Ireland. Visit Belfast, with its partners, are encouraging senior decision-makers or key industry players in Northern Ireland to help it on its mission to increase Belfast and Northern Ireland’s share of this fast-growing market and to help underline its world class facilities and ability to host major business events. Visit Belfast is particularly keen to enlist experienced and well-connected industry leaders in a variety of sectors but principally the key growth areas of ICT, Business & Professional Services, Financial Services, Renewables, Creative Industries, Life and Health Sciences and Agri-Food.

“Since we launched the Business Ambassador Programme, we’ve been overwhelmed by the strong industry support we have received and for the commitment and enthusiasm which has been shown by our local business community. “Having Greg on board is a further endorsement of the programme, which is much more than tourism. It’s about bringing your customers, suppliers and network to us and showcasing the very best of what Northern Ireland has to offer both as an inspiring destination to visit and a great place to do business. Speaking about his role, Greg said: “I am delighted to be part of this innovative initiative promoting Northern Ireland as a world-class business tourism destination.

network of staff, suppliers and customers we endeavour to promote Northern Ireland as ‘open for business.” Fujitsu first came to Northern Ireland over 35 years ago – won over by its skilled workforce, first-class infrastructure and competitive cost base. “I have no doubt that through the Belfast Ambassador programme more international companies will get the opportunity to see just how beneficial it can be to do business in Northern Ireland,” Greg said.

The aim of the Business Ambassador Programme is to attract more business meetings, conferences and events to Belfast and Northern Ireland. If you would like more information about the Business

Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, welcomed Greg as a new Business Ambassador, adding it was a coup to have such a well-respected advocate.

“With Japanese roots, Fujitsu employs over 170,000 staff worldwide which supports customers in more than 100 countries. Throughout our global

Ambassador Programme, please contact Sarah Gribben at Visit Belfast on 028 9023 9026, email sarahgribben@visit-belfast.com or visit www.visit-belfast.com/conference

Responsible Business Rewarded Business in the Community’s ninth annual awards for corporate responsibility in association with Electric Ireland took place on Thursday 5 June at Belfast Waterfront Hall. This gala event, attended by 500 people, celebrated organisations that are demonstrating responsibility through their actions towards their People, the Planet and the Places where they operate. The keynote address was given by geologist, explorer and global visionary, Susan Morrice, Chair of Belize Natural Energy.

The Winners Northern Ireland Responsible Company of the Year (Sponsored by Invest NI)

Allstate Northern Ireland Employability Champion (Sponsored by PwC)

“Responsibility is born from a business’ desire to, not only be profitable, but to add value to its workforce, the environment and the communities in which it operates in the course of making those profits. “Congratulations to Allstate Northern Ireland and to all other winners. I hope that the achievements of these companies will inspire others to enter next year and be rewarded for doing good business.” Roy Adair, Chair Business in the Community & Chief Executive, Belfast Harbour

Belfast City Council Environmental Improvement (Sponsored by Translink)

Broughgammon Farm Business and Biodiversity (Sponsored by AES)

Northern Ireland Water Education Partner (Sponsored by Allen & Overy)

2014 NI Responsible Company of the Year – Allstate Northern Ireland Allstate Northern Ireland is one of the region’s largest IT employers with over 2,300 staff. It has built a strong reputation for responsible, ethical business practice and is one of Northern Ireland’s most outstanding business successes. As a company that does not sell products or services here, Allstate NI places its focus on attracting and retaining highly-skilled IT professionals in a challenging labour market. Its Helping Hand corporate responsibility programme guides its activities in terms of the environment, its people and the communities in which it operates. Environmental initiatives started with recycling but have grown to include strategies which reduce water consumption (NI’s first Water Champion in 2013) and reduce carbon emissions Jeremy Fitch, Invest NI, presents Rose Kelly and Sonya Kerr, Allstate through promoting sustainable travel NI, with the NI Responsible Company of the Year 2014 along with Kieran Harding, Business in the Community. (2012 Big Tick Award for Ways2Work). Its award-winning HR, training and resourcing strategies include its ‘Energy for Life’ programme, a comprehensive benefits package and flexible working schemes. Volunteering is encouraged, with the company matching every hour of volunteered employee time. Community initiatives include its flagship programmes XtheTXT – Don’t Text & Drive initiative, which has reached over 15,000 students since 2010 and its Dragons’ Den type competition where employees can pitch new ideas for social entrepreneurship. Through this, six new projects were initiated where the groups received seed money, management support and company time to grow their ideas.

Media Partner:

Queen’s University Students’ Union Employer of Choice (Sponsored by Arthur Cox)

SHS Group Community Impact (Sponsored by firmus energy)

ASDA Northern Ireland UK Big Tick Phoenix Natural Gas for Santander Small Company of the Year Other companies also reaccredited in 2014 were: Allstate NI for the ways2work Award; Capita for the Elmfield Training Workplace Talent & Skills Award; Diageo NI for Workplace Talent and Skills Award and Moy Park for the Dairy Crest Rural Action Award

Community Leader Allister McComb Gateway Social Investment Ltd (Nominated by The Wright Group)

Sieff Future Leader Michelle Hatfield George Best City Airport HRH Ambassador Michael Ryan Bombardier Aerospace

Key Sponsor:

Employability Champion

Brendan Miskelly from category sponsor PwC and Paul Stapleton from main sponsor Electric Ireland present Jill Minne and Mary Cunningham, Belfast City Council, with the Employability Champion NI Impact Award.

Belfast City Council (BCC) is the largest of the 26 councils in Northern Ireland. It is responsible for delivering and providing an extensive range of services which play a key role in improving the quality of life of its citizens by helping to make Belfast a better place in which to live, work and invest. It spends nearly £170 million a year and employs over 2,600 people at more than 100 sites across the city. In 2012, BCC launched its four-year Investment Programme 2012-2015 to help boost the local economy, support businesses, create employment and training opportunities and provide important economic infrastructure. Developed by all political parties within BCC, it demonstrated collective city leadership to address the key economic, social and physical challenges facing the city. The Council identified the need to support people in all parts of Belfast to develop the skills and experience necessary to secure jobs, particularly young people who have been badly impacted by the economic downturn. 486 job opportunities were created along with 447 work placements for young people, people with disabilities and others who face barriers to work including single mothers and ex-offenders.

Environmental Improvement Broughgammon Farm is the first purpose-built farm in Northern Ireland which specifically aims to cut growing waste produced from the dairy industry. It specialises in Free Range Rose Veal and Cabrito Meat. The family-run farm is situated between Ballycastle and Bushmills. In 2011, Broughgammon Farm noticed there was no clear route to market for kid goat meat in Northern Ireland, often forcing farmers to record this as a waste product. The farm began working closely with neighbouring dairy farmers to rehouse their bull calves or ‘billy kids’ as meat animals and thus reduce their carbon footprint. Broughgammon Farm actively promotes the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and invests heavily in renewable energy sources including solar thermal heating, an air source heat pump, wind energy windmills, insulation, a wood pellet boiler and a wood stove among other initiatives. It firmly believes in the development of a sustainable food chain in Northern Ireland and is committed from leading by example through various sustainable initiatives. This includes the harvesting of an underutilised food source, seaweed. By drying it themselves using a solar thermal dryer and packaging it straight for the end consumer, Broughgammon Farm has diverted waste from landfill and created a revenue stream. Using renewable energy systems, the farm has seen a reduction in running costs. Coupled with the re-establishment of its windmills and the installation

Business and Biodiversity Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) is a government-owned company providing water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland. It is responsible for the supply of drinking water and the provision of

Terry A’Hearn, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Mark Miller from category sponsor AES present Roy Taylor, Northern Ireland Water, with the Business & Biodiversity NI Impact Award.

Terry A’Hearn, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, presents Charlie and Sandy Cole, Broughgammon Farm, with the Environmental Improvement Award along with Gordon Milligan from category sponsor Translink.

of a new hydro-electric scheme, the farm produced a profit which created a surplus of energy to be sold back into the grid. It has also used its renewable energies to educate employees and subsequently visitors and customers alike. Highly commended in this category were Translink and Delta Print & Packaging.

sewerage services for approximately 780,000 domestic, agricultural and business customers throughout Northern Ireland to a population of 1.7 million. NI Water owns approximately 94km² of land which it aims to manage sustainably while enhancing biodiversity. The organisation manages its approach to improving biodiversity through implementation of its Biodiversity Action Plan. This identifies recommendations and monitors progress on projects to enhance conservation and biodiversity within its landholdings, ensuring it meets biodiversity aims and objectives. The Garron Plateau in North Antrim was damaged during the 1960/70’s when drainage ditches were dug through the bog. The blanket bog is home to protected birds of prey including hen harriers, merlins and rare plants such as marsh saxifrage and bog orchid. NI Water took proactive steps to reverse the damage through a landscape scale approach. Working with farmers to reduce grazing density levels and using a contractor to block drains in the peat by creating peat, stone and plastic dams to raise the water table, this ‘re-wetting’ of the bog will restore natural hydrological conditions and promote colonisation by Sphagnum moss, an essential component of a functioning bog. Garron Plateau is now designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area of Conservation and Wetland of International Importance. Highly commended in this category was Translink.

Media Partner:

Key Sponsor:

Education Partner Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union (QUBSU) is run by and for Queen’s students. The organisation aims to provide help and support for students as well as representing them and their views. It exists most importantly to make sure that students enjoy their time at the university and provides a platform for them to shape the future of the university With 15 of the 36 Neighbourhood Renewal Areas in Northern Ireland situated in Belfast, children and young people often face a range of issues which means they may not always have access to the resources they need when completing their homework. Considering this, QUBSU recognised that it had a dual role to play, both within the university and its surrounding community. A unique volunteering opportunity, the Homework Club initiative, was piloted in 2011 and aimed to provide a free, safe environment for children to complete their homework and have access to homework support through tutors. Working in partnership with local community organisations, this initiative helps children and young people aged from 5-16 years old get access to a range of resources, homework support (both one-on-one and group opportunities) and recreational activities. During the current academic year, 91 students actively volunteered for at least two hours per week with Afterschool Homework Clubs, whilst an

Employer of Choice

Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union receive the Education Partner NI Impact Award – Lucia Kearney, QUBSU, with Joanne Dunlop, Allen & Overy and Mark Earney, Chloe Patterson, Nial McShane, Catherine McGrade and Paul Stapleton, Electric Ireland.

additional 17 students are going through the recruitment process (eg safeguarding checks and induction training). It is estimated that, if paid National Minimum Wage (£5.03 for 18-20 year olds), community groups and BELB would be paying £1,000 a week for these tutoring services.

SHS Group is a key player in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector employing over 700 people throughout the UK and Ireland with sales of around £400 million per annum. Headquartered in Belfast, it employs 125 people and is the Centre of Excellence for all Finance, IS/IT, Corporate Marketing, Logistics, Quality Assurance and Customer Services. SHS Group promotes a workplace based on Trust, Respect, Integrity and Mutual understanding (TRIM) and its People Engagement Plan (PEP) is aligned with this ethos. Central to the plan is its Performance Development Review (PDR) which assesses performance and behaviours to identify training needs and career development opportunities. The PDR provides a set of competencies which identify how individuals can improve or excel within the group. These can include training courses, qualifications, mentoring opportunities and volunteering initiatives. In 2013, staff provided over 400 hours of volunteering activities including inspirational talks, managing sports day events and engaging with teachers at senior management level to support special projects and teacher development. Staff also engaged in bespoke Business in the Community initiatives including Silver Surfers’ Day and Time to Read.

Rosemary Lundy, Arthur Cox Solicitors, and Paul Stapleton, Electric Ireland, present Kellie-Ann Hoey and Arthur Richmond with the Employer of Choice, NI Impact Award.

Community Impact Since 2005, ASDA’s workforce has grown from 2,000 to 4,500 employees with 16 superstores plus a non-food ASDA Living and a Distribution Centre in Larne. ASDA has increased its market share by almost 10% and is one of NI’s leading supermarkets. ASDA commits to supporting its local communities through its Community Life programme. With unemployment on the rise and the average discretionary income decreasing rapidly in comparison to the UK, ASDA is committed to making a positive impact in each community in which it operates. It is structured around four key areas; healthier life, greener life, working life and local life. ASDA introduced a new role within each store called a Community Life Champion whose role is to co-ordinate and deliver the programme tailored to meet the specific needs of its store’s locality. These needs are decided by individual stores through listening groups, colleague feedback and customer surveys. Community support is provided through a range of activities from donations and volunteering to offering free space/facilities for community groups to healthy eating programmes for children. ‘Chosen By You, Given By Us’ is an initiative which is supported by the ASDA Foundation and operates in each store to provide financial support to local community organisations. These are nominated by customers or by

Michael Scott, firmus energy and Paul Stapleton, Electric Ireland, present Barbara Logan and Roy Warke, ASDA, with the Community Impact Award.

ASDA colleagues to receive a donation. Customers vote for their favourite nomination using green coins collected when they shop in store. Bi-monthly, a winning local charity receives £200 from ASDA and the runners up receive £50 each. Highly commended in this category was Parker Green International.

Key Sponsor:

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Santander Responsible Small Business Award Established in 1996, Phoenix Natural Gas is the leading distributor of natural gas in Northern Ireland, supplying around 300,000 homes and businesses. Its wide-ranging corporate social responsibility programme is called LIFE. (This stands for Leadership in the marketplace, Investing in people, Fostering community and Environmental responsibility.) LIFE provides a framework for the range of initiatives to positively impact the marketplace, workplace, environment and community. It involves all staff and supports the company’s business objectives and continued year-on-year growth. Phoenix Natural Gas has a long history of supporting young people through partnerships with organisations like the Gaelic Athletics Association and the Belfast Grand Opera House. It also has its own registered charity, Energy for Children Charitable Trust, which helps disadvantaged children in the communities it serves. In 2013, the charity reached two Steven Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community, presents Alex Megarry, milestones: £400,000 raised and 6,000 young people helped through its work. Phoenix Natural Gas, with the Santander Small Company of the Year UK Big Tick. By supplying a lower carbon fuel, Phoenix Natural Gas has prevented more than three million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from entering the atmosphere, with savings of around 275,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Phoenix Energy Advisors visited over 12,000 homes and businesses to provide essential energy awareness and saving advice in one year.

Community Leader Award Gateway Social Investment Ltd (GSI) is a not-for-profit subsidiary of Green Pastures Church in Ballymena and is entrusted with generating resources for the church through various social enterprise businesses. Under the leadership of Allister McComb, GSI has enabled Green Pastures Church to feed vital resources back into the community. Using his business acumen and experience as a former banker, Allister has played a vital role in the growth and development of a number of initiatives under GSI. Most recently he helped set up Advance Engineering, a manufacturing business in partnership with the Wright Group, which produces quilting parts for the automotive industry. Allister worked tirelessly to ensure the project generates potential and delivers excellence for its customers. Paul Stapleton, Electric Ireland and Tony Wilcox, Danske Bank, present Allister McComb, Gateway Social Investment Ltd, with the Community Leader NI Impact Award.

Sieff Award Winner Michelle Hatfield from George Best Belfast City Airport joined the organisation after working at a senior level in HR for over 15 years. Her initial challenge was to manage a number of industrial relations issues in a workforce that was, for the most part, directly employed. This led to the strategic decision to outsource 75% of the staff and facilitated a shift to leadership and development. Her contributions were recognised when she was promoted to the executive team in 2008 as Director of Corporate Responsibility & HR. In 2010, she successfully introduced a reporting area – People and Corporate Responsibility Matters. She also initiated quarterly executive team off-site meetings which provide an opportunity for the team to make decisions collectively and discuss key challenges affecting the business. Michelle believes in creating a culture which allows people at all levels in the organisation to perform at their highest level by ‘leading without title’ whilst taking the time to engage with employees and listen to what they have to say about their development. She introduced Personal Development Plans and implemented a People Forum which ensures the senior team lead by example, listen to employees and stakeholders and have meaningful engagement with the local community.

Kieran Harding, Business in the Community, and Simon Lucas, Marks & Spencer present Michelle Hatfield, George Best Belfast City Airport, with the Sieff Award.

HRH Ambassador for Corporate Responsibility in Northern Ireland Winner Michael J Ryan, CBE, Vice-President & General Manager Operations, Bombardier Aerospace had his term as HRH Ambassador for Corporate Responsibility in Northern Ireland extended for a further year. Michael has been deeply engaged with Business in the Community for over ten years and was Chair of its NI Board between 2005 and 2009. His leadership and vision have been truly invaluable, not only to Business in the Community but to his own company and the wider community. Michael has been at the very forefront of efforts to encourage long-term unemployed people back to work. He has chaired the West Belfast & Greater Shankill Employers’ Forum for a decade and invested over £1m from Bombardier Aerospace in the Forum’s development which has now expanded citywide. To date, it has helped over 1,300 people gain jobs.

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Executive Motoring

By Pat Burns

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EXECUTIVE MOTORING

The 2014 Budget – what does it mean for your business?

Get some Soul...

The 2014 Budget has made for some interesting reading for business providing company cars and it is all about reduced CO2.

Company Car Tax and your business The government has given clarification on the future of CO2 based Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax rules for company car drivers with details of the CO2 based bandings and rates given right up to 2018/19. Below are the main points that are related to Company Cars and Company Car Tax: • There will be no change to the lease rental restriction for cars with CO2 emissions exceeding 130gm/km which still qualifies for 85% offset against taxable profits. Businesses can still offset 100% on CO2’s under 130 gm/km. • From April 2015, the existing 5% rate of company car tax (8% for diesels) will apply to cars with CO2 emissions of between 0-50g/ km, while those with CO2 emissions of 51-75g/km will attract a 9% charge (12% for diesels). • One of the big changes is with regards to drivers of diesel engines. As from April 2016 the 3% diesel BIK tax charge is abolished, enabling diesel car tax rates to be the same as for petrol cars. • For light commercial vehicles, including ‘Double-Cab’ pick up trucks, the BIK tax benefit charge rises to £3,090 in 2014/15, or £3,581 if the employer also provides ‘free’ fuel for private mileage.

new, second-generation version of the Kia Soul, the original compact crossover, is now on sale priced £12,600.

It delivers SUV crossover styling, greater space in a higher-quality cabin, enhanced safety and sharper driving dynamics thanks to a new chassis based on that of the Kia cee’d. The new Soul is available with a choice of two efficient engines and five trim levels. The first Soul from 2008 demonstrated that Kia could design and engineer cars which were out of the ordinary, without losing its focus on practicality and value for money.

Capital allowances • In 2014/15, new company cars purchased outright with CO2 emissions between 96g/km and 130g/km are eligible for an 18% annual capital allowance until March 31st 2015, while those with emissions of 131g/km or above are eligible for only 8% a year. This makes contract hire a very viable option for businesses that previously would have purchased vehicles. • A 100% first-year allowance (FYA) applies to cars with CO2 emissions of 95g/km or less until March 31st 2015.m. • From April 1st 2015, to March 31st 2018, the CO2 emissions threshold for the 100% FYA is reduced from 95g/km to 75g/km. Leased cars are exempt from the first-year allowance. In summary CO2 will continue to play a very significant part in companies choosing vehicles and also those employees who are offered a choice of vehicles will find that once again the CO2 of the vehicle will directly impact on the company car tax they pay for their vehicle.

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All versions are front-wheel-drive five-door crossovers – Kia research has shown that while buyers desire the appearance, semi-elevated driving position and perceived safety advantages of a 4x4, they do not want the higher fuel consumption and taxation that four-wheel drive entails. As with the previous model, the new Soul offers buyers a choice of efficient 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol and turbodiesel engines tuned for driving flexibility. The diesel Soul has CO2 emissions of 132g/km and 56.5mpg. Kia has already announced that towards the end of 2014 there will be a fully-electric version of the car, called Soul EV – the company’s first global commercial EV – with zero tailpipe emissions. There are three regular trim lines – Start, Connect and Connect Plus – which will be joined in the summer by the Soul Mixx and Soul Maxx, with even more extrovert styling and higher levels of technology than ever before. New standard features on every Soul are a DAB radio, Flex Steer variable power-assisted steering and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Also fitted to every model are painted bumpers, door handles and side mirror casings, keyless entry, air conditioning, electrically adjustable door mirrors, electric windows all round, steering wheel-mounted controls, USB and AUX ports and six airbags.

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EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Vauxhall adds 4WD estate to Insignia range sensors constantly feed individual control modules with information on yaw rate, acceleration, steering angle, wheel speed, throttle pedal position, engine speed and torque. The front/rear power distribution is constantly adapted to the driving situation based on this information. Ultimate stability and higher dynamics are ensured by the electronically-controlled rear-axle Limited Slip Differential (eLSD). The eLSD controls the distribution of torque between the rear wheels, transferring drive torque to the wheel that has the most grip.

auxhall has launched a rugged four wheel drive estate version of its top selling Insignia. Known as the Country Tourer, the model is based on the Sports Tourer, but with all-wheel drive, higher ground clearance and tougher styling. The Country Tourer trim features generous standard spec including bi-xenon adaptive front lighting, power tailgate and front and rear parking sensors. On top of this, the Country Tourer Nav gets Navi 900 IntelliLink sat nav with 8-inch colour touch screen, multi-function touch-pad controller and an 8-inch digital instrument cluster as standard. Each model has a choice of two 2.0 CDTi engines, including a 163PS with start/ stop and a hot 195PS BiTurbo unit. The 163PS engine is available with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission, and the BiTurbo comes

with the automatic gearbox only. With its signature Griffin grille, now wider and deeper, the Country Tourer’s front styling is distinctively Vauxhall. Another feature is the anthracite-coloured protective cladding on the side sills and lower body sections, which gives the wheel-arches a more pronounced, flared look. The electronically controlled 4x4 drivetrain incorporates a Haldex clutch, and an electronic limited-slip differential to ensure traction on all surfaces. It constantly adapts to the prevailing road conditions, and can vary torque distribution seamlessly between the front and rear axles, as well as between the rear wheels, even before a wheel begins to slip. When necessary, the clutch controlling drive distribution immediately sends more torque to the rear axle. The 4x4 system’s

While offering better traction in slippery conditions, the sophisticated operation of this adaptive 4x4 drive system guarantees the highest levels of driver control and active safety in all situations. The Insignia Country Tourer can even provide propulsion when three wheels are on loose or slippery ground and only one rear wheel has traction. To reduce frictional losses and save fuel, the system automatically reverts to frontwheel drive whenever it senses that no adaptive interventions are required. Off road, the new Insignia Country Tourer also benefits from larger tyres and a raised ride height, in addition to its four-wheel drive traction. Ground clearance is 20mm higher than on a standard model, a major advantage when encountering loose, uneven terrain. The Nav models also come with 8-inch instrument cluster as standard. Customers can choose between two trim levels, Country Tourer, priced from £25,349 to £29,709 on-the-road, and Country Tourer Nav, priced from £26,499 to £30,859 on-the-road.

EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Scottish Motor Trade Association now in Northern Ireland

ith effect from 1 June, the Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) has expanded into Northern Ireland under the trading title of The SMTA, Northern Ireland Division. Martin Hutchinson (pictured), formerly IMI National Manager in NI, through his consultancy firm Motor Industry Services, will promote the SMTA to the retail motor trade in the region. He will also promote Scotsure warranty products to car sales operations and the range of services that the SMTA can offer to members in Northern Ireland. Equally important, is to hear from NI motor businesses to find out what services may be offered in the future as the ‘not for profit’ Motor Trade Association develops in NI. “The majority of the services we offer in Scotland will also be available in NI,” said Martin Hutchinson. “These include SMMT Vehicle Sales Data, representation to government bodies; representation

few members in Northern Ireland for several years now and the intention has always been to expand into the region,” said Douglas. “In order to do this successfully, three things needed to fall into place. Firstly we needed the right person to lead us in NI; secondly, we needed to ensure that the range of services and benefits we offered was suitable and, thirdly, the timing had to be right.

on trade groups; motor trade insurance, employment law advice; credit & debit card services; a technical support service, training, access and influence on courses and qualifications, health & safety expert / advice, sale of goods act and Legal advice. The SMTA, through bulk purchasing, offers great deals on goods and services such as tyres, oils and waste disposal and much more.

“We believe that in Martin Hutchinson we have the right man; we also believe that the range of services we can currently offer is appropriate and we also believe that the timing is now right. Without looking too far into the future we believe it possible that a Northern Ireland Motor Trade Association could be the end result of our expansion into the region; a trade association with its own Board formed entirely of NI members and run for the benefit of the retail motor trade in Northern Ireland.”

The Chief Executive of the SMTA, Douglas Robertson paid tribute to Martin Hutchinson’s expertise in the trade. “The SMTA has had a

Martin Hutchinson can be contacted on 028 9086 0053 or by emailing martin@motorindustryservices.org

Tiguan’s SUV success set to continue

hen it went on sale in February 2008, the Tiguan represented Volkswagen’s first entry into the growing compact SUV market. And it proved a huge success worldwide. Like the previous model, the latest Tiguan is unique in being available not only with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive, but also with the option of two front ends.

also once again bears a strong resemblance to its ‘big brother’ the Touareg. The latest Tiguan retains all the versatility and practicality for which the previous model

was renowned, being a four-door, five-seater. The rear seat is a 60:40 split bench that can be adjusted forwards and backwards by up to 16 cm and also reclined, while cargo capacity ranges from 470 to 1,510 litres.

One has a front end biased towards onroad driving with an 18 degree angle of approach while an ‘Escape’ model has a 28 degree angle of approach and additional technologies for off-road driving. Whichever version is chosen, all new Tiguans feature a new look dominated by horizontal lines on the front grille, bringing the model into line with other new Volkswagen models. The Tiguan now

JUNE 2014

EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Star Trekking

he Fiat 500 family continues to grow in size and appeal with the introduction of the 500L Trekking. The 500L Trekking has been designed to be as at home in the great outdoors as it is on congested city streets. It has a distinctively rugged crossover look with a raised ride height and M+S (Mud&Snow) all-season tyres, plus the clever Traction+ system. With eye-catching styling features including protective underbody shields and new diamond-finished alloy wheels, the 500L Trekking gives a sportier, more dynamic twist to the 500L concept without compromising its class-leading interior space and functionality. The 500L Trekking sits at the top of the 500L range and includes a host of large car features already packed in the 500L such as cruise control, the five-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Air Conditioning and six airbags. Exclusive to the 500L Trekking are specific bumpers, dark tinted windows, Traction+ and unique styling features. Just like the 500L, the 500L Trekking can accommodate five people in comfort, and has sufficient luggage space in its 400-litre boot to take five suitcases too. It feels spacious inside thanks to the extensive glazing and windscreen pillars that have

been split and tapered to give almost 360-degree vision. This, along with a suite of standard safety features, has already made the 500L a EuroNCAP five-star crash safety award winner. The 500L Trekking becomes the first Fiat to feature City Brake Control as standard. This system has been designed to watch over the driver and either prevent or lessen damage in low-speed collisions. The Trekking model also benefits from Traction+, an electronic system that controls the braking circuit to simulate the behaviour of a self-locking electromechanical differential. This means the front-wheel drive Fiat can tackle the sort of tricky terrain that other two-wheel drive cars would struggle on. There are four engines: two petrol and two diesel. The multiple award-winning 0.9 TwinAir Turbo 105hp and 1.4 95hp FIRE engine make up the petrol pair. The 1.4 starts the range at £17,095 while the TwinAir is priced at £18,590. In the diesel corner, Fiat’s clever MultiJet II technology appears in 1.3-litre 85hp and 1.6-litre 105hp formats. The 1.3 MultiJet is priced from £18,590, with the 1.6 MultiJet from £19,590. All engines apart from the 1.4 petrol feature Start&Stop. The 1.3 MultiJet with a five-speed Dualogic automatic gearbox is priced at £19,490.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bring the World to Belfast & Northern Ireland Events do not only boost our tourism economy; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an opportunity to invite customers, investors, partners and suppliers to you. There is no better way to showcase what we have to offer as a place to do business than hosting a meeting or conference in Northern Ireland. Become a Business Ambassador and we can help you to make it happen.

To find out more about the Business Ambassador Programme and the support available, please contact Sarah Gribben at Visit Belfast Tel: 028 9023 9026 Email: sarahgribben@visit-belfast.com www.visit-belfast.com/conference

APPOINTMENTS

Tim Reid has been appointed Director of Capital Markets at CBRE. Tim’s responsibilities include the disposal and acquisition of commercial property on behalf of private and other clients. Ciarán Conlon has been appointed Sales Specialist at Niavac Audio Visual. Ciarán recently graduated from The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts with a First Class Honours in Management. John Lilly has been appointed Private Banking Manager at Danske Bank. John joins Danske after 35 years at First Trust Bank, most recently as Senior Manager for South & West Belfast.

John Sloan has joined Danske Bank as Advice Partner. He will be responsible for recommending individually tailored solutions on products and providers from the whole market. Majella Murphy has been appointed Private Banking Manager at Danske Bank. She joins Danske from HSBC’s Private Bank team and will be responsible for providing relationship management service. Morgan McSorley has joined Danske Bank as Advice Partner from Hughes Financial Services. He will be responsible for recommending individually tailored solutions.

Will Grier has joined Danske Bank as Advice Partner Wesleyan Medical Sickness. Will is responsible for recommending individually tailored solutions on products and providers. IT consultancy Version 1 has appointed Lorna McAdoo as Head of Delivery Northern Ireland. Lorna has been working in the IT industry for almost three decades. Jorge Lopes has been appointed Country Director at Diageo NI. Jorge comes to the job from Diageo’s Irish office, where he was customer marketing director. His predecessor in Belfast, Michael McCann, has moved on to a new position.

APPOINTMENTS

Tony Grant has joined surveying company Malcolm Hollis’s Dublin office as partner to support the company’s growth in the Republic and in Northern Ireland through its new Belfast office. Kate Mingay has been appointed nonexecutive director at Mutual Energy. She brings a wealth of corporate finance and related commercial experience in the infrastructure sector. Christopher Murray has joined Mutual Energy as non-executive director. He is former Chief Executive of Phoenix Gas between 1995 and 2000 and is currently Chief Executive Officer of Xoserve Ltd.

Graeme joins eircom NI with over 20 years Direct Sales and Management experience in the telecoms and telematics industries. Graeme joins the business development team at eircom. Gillian Ritchie has joined law firm Tughans as an Associate Director in its Banking Department. She graduated in Law (LLB) from Queen’s University. Robert McKay has been appointed Partner with McCartan Turkington Breen in Belfast. Robert joined McCartan Turkington Breen in 2006 and was subsequently admitted to the Roll of Solicitors.

Andrew Morrow has joined McCartan Turkington Breen in Belfast as a solicitor. Andrew will be specialising in banking litigation, insolvency, debt recovery and repossession proceedings. James Fay has joined McCartan Turkington Breen in Belfast as a solicitor. James will be specialising in Civil Litigation and Criminal Law. Tanya Waterworth has joined McCartan Turkington Breen in Belfast as a solicitor. Tanya will be specialising in Personal Injury Litigation.

JUNE 2014

PHOTOCALL 1. Kevin Kingston from Danske Bank and Rajesh Rana and Michelle Asmore, both from Andras House, celebrate a £1m investment in new conferencing and banqueting facilities at the Ramada Plaza Shaw’s Bridge. Danske funded the expansion at the Belfast hotel.

2. Minister for Employment and Learning Stephen Farry is pictured with Jenny McCaw, AbbeyBondLovis’s Training Manager after picking up the Investors in People awards.

3. The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) and SKIDZ charities will share £55,000 following the Hopkirk Gala event which brought international motorsporting personalities and 200 Minis to Belfast in February. Dr. Beatty Crawford, right, Chairman of the Paddy Hopkirk Gala Committee, is pictured handing over the proceeds of the Gala to Baroness May Blood and Paddy Hopkirk.

4. Stephen Roycroft, Claire Rutherford and Richard Ross are pictured at the Publicity Association Northern Ireland Radio Quiz Night at Ten Square Hotel. The annual event witnessed 14 teams from radio and TV stations as well as newspapers, magazines and advertising, marketing and PR agencies from across Northern Ireland. 5. Northern Ireland-born film star and award-winning wine producer Sam Neill, left, helps celebrate the opening of Yellow Door’s new restaurant in Balmoral Plaza, Boucher Road, Belfast at a wine & dine event for specially invited guests. He’s pictured with Yellow Door Director Andrew Dougan.

PHOTOCALL

7. Rockport School in Craigavad, has become the only school in Ireland – both North and South – to be accepted into the Round Square worldwide association of schools. Pictured with international flags representing countries in which there are Round Square schools are senior students from Rockport School with headmaster George Vance, left, and Headmaster of Gordonstoun School, Simon Reid.

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6. Full speed ahead as Charles Hurst drives renewable use – Brian Hood, Managing Director, BS Holdings Ltd and Colin McNab, Operations Director, Charles Hurst Group, unveil the first biomass heating and cooling system to be installed in the UK at Charles Hurst’s Belfast base.

8. Odyssey Arena has teamed up with web design & digital marketing agency The Web Bureau to create a new responsive website which can automatically adapt to suit all mobile devices. Pictured are Clare Tarbuck, Odyssey Arena’s Commercial Executive, Paul Haslam, Managing Director at The Web Bureau and Anna Greene, Digital Account Manager at The Web Bureau. 9. Eric Randall, director of Bryson Recycling, and Environment Minister Mark H Durkan experience first-hand a range of Bryson products helping to provide a pioneering approach to recycling across the UK. 10. Howard Hastings from Hastings Hotels is joined by Leona Kane from Broighter Gold to launch an exclusive Rapeseed Oil with Rosemary which will be used by the chefs in the group’s six hotels. Hastings Hotels teamed up with Broighter Gold to produce the oil using home-grown produce from the herb gardens of the leading hotel collection.

JUNE 2014

PHOTOCALL 11. A company claiming to be Northern Ireland’s first dedicated crowdfunding firm CoFunder (NI) will provide an online platform for firms to raise the money they need from a large pool of ‘funders’ on the open market. Launching the new company are (l-r) CoFunder (NI) Ltd directors Michael Faulkner, Gavin Gallagher and Aidan Doherty.

12. Founder of the famous Good Vibrations record shop Terri Hooley is pictured with Friday Night Mashup organiser Katie McQuillan. Terri will be speaking at the event on June 13th. US tech supremos Jon Vanhala and Matthew Gonzales, and Andy McCartney from Microsoft ventures in London will also address the event. 13. Chris Johnston, left, managing director of Scottish Provident Building in Belfast, with client services manager Donna Linehan, right, opening the final phase of Scottish Provident Building serviced offices with their very own butler.

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14. Celebrity chef Jenny Bristow is pictured at one of the many fundraising events which took place over the last two years at SHS, raising over £11,000 for local charity Marie Curie. In the ‘Bake Off’ fundraising event. She’s pictured with Arthur Richmond and Ashley Ginty. 15. Nick Fitzsimons, second right, Sales Director at Ecoplastic, is pictured at the opening of the Boyne Greenway Cycleway. With Nick are from left, Mark Smillie, Consulting Engineer, Roughan O’Donovan Consulting Engineers; Ian Donaghy, Contracts Manager, Clare Civil Engineering; and Pat Fitzsimons, Managing Director, Ecoplastic. The Downpatrick company is celebrating the completion of a €380,000 contract to build the cycleway.

PHOTOCALL

16. A dozen food businesses and retailers walked away with Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2014 last month during a gala evening held at the Culloden Hotel to raise funds for grocers’ benevolent fund, GroceryAid. Former Miss Northern Ireland Meagan Green, Claire McCann and Gwen Rafferty representing Mackle Pet Foods, the winners of the Best Marketing Campaign Award with Joanne Curran, Marketing Director of AV Browne, the main sponsor of the Awards.

17. Young film makers Curtis Patrick from the Boys Model and Kirstin Aston from Hazelwood Integrated College, both 16, on location at the Strand Arts Centre, honing their skills for the Strand Film Maker’s Club this Summer. Sponsored by Hughes Insurance – applications now accepted for the course, completely free of charge.

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18. Darren Given, who manages Swift’s SuperValu Lisnaskea, will be competing with retailers from across the globe after being shortlisted for the NACS Insight International Store Manager of the Year Award. He’s pictured with store owner Stephen Swift and staff at SuperValu Lisnaskea. 19. An historic Belfast building based in the city’s Linen Quarter and dating back to 1902 is undergoing a major redevelopment to regenerate two bars and a night club, creating 100 new jobs. Pictured outside the new Shiro is Zoë Watson, Marketing Manager, Gordon Devenney, O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates and Paul Langsford, Director of Shiro.

20 JUNE 2014

20. Charles Hurst Jaguar recently harnessed the Giro D’Italia spirit sweeping Northern Ireland, by hosting a corporate event as part of Jaguar’s sponsorship with Team Sky.

PHOTOCALL 21. The Young Enterprise NI Company of the Year Awards 2014 were held at Belfast City Hall on last month. Corey Duffy, Managing Director of IlumiNight, from Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh, is presented the Young Enterprise NI Company of the Year Award by Carol Fitzsimons, Chief Executive at Young Enterprise NI and Rob Heron, Partner at EY. 22. A new lounge has opened at George Best Belfast City Airport, operated by Swissport. The Aspire Lounge is aimed at both business and leisure customers. Pictured at the launched of the lounge are Shaun Weston, Dame Mary Peters and the airport’s chief executive Brian Ambrose. 23. Aspiring entrepreneurs will now have a new avenue to test their ideas and products with customers as Lean Startup Machine brings its three-day bootcamp to Belfast, this June. Pictured are Kerry McCorkell of Tughan’s and Niall Casey of Invest NI along with LSM organiser Diane Roberts of Xcell Partners. 24. Liberty IT has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the UK by The Great Place to Work Institute. Pictured, from left to right, celebrating the achievement are Patricia Meara, Project Manager; Dwayne Armitage, Software Engineer; Cathy Donnelly, HR Director; Brian Craig, Senior Project Manager and Ashley Morrow, Communications Officer all from Liberty IT. 25. Making a final call for entries to APM’s Project Management Awards is National Awards Judge Mike Browne, who is Course Director for the MSc Programme in Construction Business & Project Management, University of Ulster, with Rachel Overton, Corporate Representative, APM NI Branch.

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18 Boucher Way, Belfast BT12 6RE www.agnewcorporate.co.uk

SPORT

Former Ulster rugby player Andy Park who heads up Sportology.

A sporting life Andy Park explains why his sports management company is finding a welcome audience.

ake two ex-rugby players, throw in a golf pro in Dubai and a catchy name and you have Sportology Management, a sports management company with its sights set on some of the finest athletes in the world. The idea might sound far-fetched but Andy Park is in the process of making a name for himself in global sporting circles, particularly in his own sport of rugby, and also in golf. More known for his prowess on the rugby field – Andy was part of the European Cup winning Ulster rugby team of 1999 – he’s using his experience of the professional sporting arena to nurture some of the most exciting talent to emerge from Northern Ireland and beyond. On the rugby side of things, Sportology has on its books Ulster and Irish rugby’s brightest talents in Iain Henderson and Stuart Olding along with, Richard Lutton, Ricky Andrew and Jonny Murphy. When it comes to golf, Gareth Maybin is just one of the big names on the company’s books on the European tour, alongside Paul Cutler on the EuroPro/Challenge Tour and Sujjan Singh on the Asian Tour. Helping look after that side of the business is Justin Parsons, who heads up the Butch Harmon School of Golf in Dubai and looks after some of the world’s top professional players including the likes of Rory McIlroy and Ernie Els as well as coaching Michael Hoey on the European Tour.

So what sets Sportology apart from other sports management companies? “Obviously we’re focused on supporting and developing our clients as the key players in their chosen sport, but we also go further,” Andy said. “We are always on the search for sponsorship and make sure we drive revenue for players under our management to make sure they’re making the most out of their achievements.” That could mean media opportunities, something Tyrone Howe, a consultant to Sportology, is all-too aware of as a pundit on Sky Sports rugby coverage. On the other side of the coin, the company specialises in lining up businesses with exposure at sporting events in their chosen markets, whether that being in Europe, the US or Asia. “If you’re trying to break into Europe and Asia then we can make sure your brand is placed in the right market and in front of the right people,” Andy said. He should know, as the head of Belfast company INC Marketing, a business which continues to go from strength to strength. Sportology is another string to that bow and one which Andy relishes.

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18 Boucher Way, Belfast BT12 6RE www.agnewcorporate.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY

The Gadget Guide Technology journalist Adam Maguire reviews some of the most recently released and soon to be available gadgets.

Reviews HTC One mini 2 Utilising a now tried-and-tested format for phone launches, HTC is following the arrival of its latest flagship device with the debut of its slightly smaller, slightly cheaper cousin. As the name suggests, the HTC One mini 2 is a (somewhat) miniaturised version of the latest HTC One.

features – and all of this, unsurprisingly, makes for a smaller, lighter device. However, the HTC One Mini 2 still packs a lot of punch– with a responsive interface, and premium-feeling metallic structure. Given that its screen size is still big, the mini doesn’t look like a shrunken smartphone.

Its screen loses a half inch to clock in at a still substantial 4.5 inches – while the display itself sheds a few pixels to become a 720p standard.

That will be good news to anyone who covets the new HTC One, but cannot justify the price tag.

A few of the processor’s megahertz are shed in the process, as are some camera

The HTC One Mini 2 is available free on a number of network contracts.

Microsoft’s Surfaces have never been good tablets. They’re a bit ugly, they’re bulky and their operating system – Windows 8 – still lacks apps. Look at them as ultraportable, touchscreen laptops, however, and they don’t seem so bad after all. The Surface Pro 3 ups that ante, with a bigger screen (12”), more processing power and a host of productivity-focused accessories. All of this comes in a slimmer, lighter, better-looking and better-designed body.

Surface Pro 3 Microsoft is hoping for third time lucky as it brings its latest tablet to market – only this time, it comes with a re-focused marketing message. Don’t call it an iPad killer – that was

the unspoken message of Microsoft’s media event unveiling the Surface Pro 3. To some degree this was an act of selfpreservation, as few tablets compare well in a head-to-head with the apple in Apple’s eye. But it was also an astute and practical attempt to shift perception.

It remains to be seen if Microsoft’s pitch of ‘laptop replacement’ hooks people better than ‘iPad killer’, but it certainly gives them their best chance to date at breaking the tablet market. The Surface Pro 3 will launch in the UK in late August, retailing from £639.

TECHNOLOGY

Previews

The options for those looking to play digital music on big speakers has been limited – with the user either tethering the device via an ‘audio in’ jack or simply dumping what they have in favour of something new, shiny and expensive. Rocki – which was launched thanks to a Kickstarter fund – aims to offer a third way.

Rocki You could replace all of your old-but-perfectly-fine audio kit for something that wirelessly connects to your smartphone or tablet – or you could pick up what Rocki is putting down. With many now housing their entire music collection on pocket-sized devices rather than physical formats, the home stereo has been at a bit of a loss.

Its little gem-shaped box connects to a stereo and turns it into a wireless audio receiver, which users can push songs to through an app. With multiple Rocki attachments, music can be pushed to various or multiple locations, while the app also allows others to play their music if you wish. Rocki has just launched in the US and can be bought on Amazon.

Motorola Moto E Despite its damaged brand –being sold by Google just three years after it was acquired – Motorola still manages to churn out some decent smartphones, particularly in the budget end of the market. The Moto E could be its next underground sensation. Briefly king of the phone market thanks to its fashionable Razr device, Motorola has spent the past few years in the shadows of big players like Samsung and Apple – and even mid-sized rivals like HTC and Sony. But it can still make great devices – the low-cost Moto G being a prime example. Going by the Moto E’s specs, this will be an even more low-cost model than the aforementioned G – with a slightly slower processor, a slightly smaller screen and weaker camera functions. However, Motorola managed to get an awful lot out of the G. If it manages to do the same with the E – and for even less cost to the consumer – this could prove a hit. The Motorola Moto E is available sim-free for less than £100.

JUNE 2014

BUSINESS TRAVELLER

Name: Paul McMahon Company: President, Belfast Chamber of Trade & Commerce and Centre Director at CastleCourt the best hotels for long stays, but sometimes they offer the best location and the basic facilities on offer are more important than staying somewhere plusher but takes you longer to get to and adds unnecessary time to your long day! Keep a note of what’s best, where, so you always have this to hand when booking in the future. What’s your favourite App for passing the time? I am a creature of habit and still enjoy solitaire. It’s more fun these days as often it’s against the clock. Have you ever unexpectedly run into someone you know from home in a far flung destination? While I was sitting in Charles De Gaulle airport a rather familiar figure caught my eye! My brother was heading to a conference in India and had made a stopover. We managed to have a coffee and a catch up which was a pleasant surprise. I don’t see enough of him as he lives in England. What do you enjoy most about working internationally? The variety of different cultures, work environments and if I’m lucky, better weather! Every country has its uniqueness and I enjoy the different ambience that this creates. How often do you travel and why? My travel today is normally twice per month on business and usually twice per year for vacation. Other than your phone, what are the three things you couldn’t do without when travelling for work? A must is my laptop as it is home to my central filing system! Everything I need for meetings and dealing with clients and in today’s world is on there. My laptop is now much more portable, lighter, faster and can store music and films for when I have down time in the hotel. Another handy gadget that I carry is my multi device charger – you never want to run out of power these days! Have you found a good way to work while you are on the move? As everything is mobile these days, this makes life much easier. All my files are on my laptop, which are accessible using my tablet, phone and backed up on a cloud should I have a dreaded system failure! What would be your top tips for anyone embarking on a job that involves a lot of travel? I would advise anyone to find hotels that work for you and best meet your needs, and remember them! They may not always be

What’s your favourite city/country in the world and where has disappointed you? Favourite country for me is Italy. I love the food, the people, the weather and of course the wine! I can’t say I’ve been too disappointed by any country – yet! What do you look for in a good hotel? I’m happy enough if hotels are basic, but in today’s world I still like the facilities to be modern. The most important thing in a hotel is a good comfortable bed in a room that is conducive to sleep, Wi-Fi is also essential for business travel. Other things such as good food can be resolved in other ways such as local restaurants or fast food outlets etc. What’s the best airline you’ve flown with and the best hotel you’ve stayed in? On domestic and short haul I find it hard to beat BA. On long haul I enjoy Virgin the most. Best hotel that I’ve stayed in is the Mandarin Oriental in New York.

TRAVEL

Events boost hotel sector in 2013 – ASM

orthern Ireland’s hotel sector reaped the rewards of a series of high profile events last year with both occupancy and room rates heading higher. Those are the findings of the latest Annual Hotel Industry Survey from accountants ASM which said the Derry/Londonderry’s year as UK City of Culture, the World Police and Fire Games and the G8 Summit all helped to boost business for the region’s hoteliers. Average occupancy rates climbed to 74.8% from 73.2% last year while room rates reached £68.15, a 4% hike on 2012. Michael Williamson, Director of Consulting at ASM, said the sector depended heavily on the events of the last two years. “There is no question that these events have driven visitors into hotels, while helping to garner new respect and prestige for Northern Ireland as a whole,” he said. “Given the

Hotels, such as the City Hotel in Derry, have benefited from last year’s event-packed calendar.

challenging economic climate of the past few years, one wonders what might have happened to the industry were it not for the programme of events in 2012 and 2013.” Because the events were spread across Northern Ireland, it wasn’t just Belfast that enjoyed a boost. Mr Williamson said the City of Culture generated 15,500 additional room nights for Londonderry while Belfast enjoyed

its best year in terms of demand. “The programme of events over the past two years has proven that Northern Ireland can deliver them every bit as well and probably better than anywhere else. The wider tourism industry should be proud of this fact because it will be an important differentiator for us and should be all the encouragement we need to bid for other major events and tournaments in the future”.

McKeever expands with Letterkenny Court Hotel acquisition undisclosed sum – the asking price had been €900,000 – and said it plans to create 27 new jobs and retain the 30 staff currently in place. It’s already started a major restoration, investing £400,000 to refurbish the ground floor and to build a new function room with a capacity for 70 people. The Letterkenny Court Hotel had been in receivership but will fit in well with McKeever’s other hotels, according to managing director Eugene McKeever. “When we saw the Letterkenny Court Hotel we just knew it would be perfect as part of our family of hotels. It’s a great location in the town centre and has huge potential,” he said. “In September further work will be carried out on the 57 bedrooms and 26 apartments.” Eugene and Catherine McKeever look over the plans for the new hotel with marketing manager Bridgene and son Eddie, Group Operations Manager.

family-run Antrim hotel group has bought its first business in the Republic with the purchase of the Letterkenny Court Hotel.

McKeever Hotel Group bought the three-star establishment for an

JUNE 2014

The group already owns Corr’s Corner just outside Belfast, the Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim and the Adair Arms in Ballymena. “We have a clear vision of what we want to create at all of our hotels. Our staff are key to this success and we value each and every one of them,” he added.

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Business Diary

July 2014

date

event

venue

CONTACT

20 - 22 June

Lean Start Up Machine

The Hub, Commercial Court, Belfast Cost: FREE

For further information contact: www.leanstartupmachine.com/cities/belfast

24 June 09.30 - 16.00

BITC Employability Mentor Training Organiser: Cohort Two

Work West, Glen Road, Belfast Cost: FREE

For further information contact Martina Reilly on Tel: 028 9046 0606

24 & 25 June 9.00 - 5.00

Transitional Leadership Programme Organiser: CO3

CO3, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, BT Cost: £350

For more information Tel: 028 9024 5356; Email: Nora@co3.bz

30 June-4 July 09.30 - 15.30

ECDL 5-day Crash Course Organiser: Tr@inIT

Tr@inIT Northland Row, Dungannon Entrance Fee: POA

For further information T: 028 8772 9376; Email: info@trainit.co.uk or visit www.trainit.co.uk

5 July 09.00 - 16.30

Ethical Selling Techniques Organiser: Consensa

Consensa Head Office, Belfast Cost: £414.00

For more information visit www.events.nibusinessinfo.co.uk

9 July 09.00 - 13.30

Design Advice Clinic Organiser: Invest Northern Ireland

Invest Northern Ireland, Newry Cost: FREE

For more information visit www.events.nibusinessinfo.co.uk

9 July 10.00 - 17.00

Design Advice Clinic Organiser: Invest Northern Ireland

Invest Northern Ireland, Bedford Street, Belfast Cost: FREE

For more information visit www.events.nibusinessinfo.co.uk

22 July 09.30 -16.30

Excel Advanced Organiser: Mullan Training

Mullan Training Centre, Belfast BT2 7GS Cost: £192.00

For more information visit www.events.nibusinessinfo.co.uk

31 July 07.30 - 09.30

Global Role Breakfast Briefing (with Northern Ireland’s new MPs) Organiser: CBI

University of Ulster, Belfast Campus

For more information email: anthea.savage@cbi.org.uk

If you would like to promote an event or conference please contact Sonia Armstrong (soniaarmstrong@greerpublications.com) FEBRUARY 2014

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PEOPLE IN

BUSINESS

OUTLOOK FOR 2014 OUTLOOK FOR 2014

OUTLOOK FOR 2014

the world. The training provided an excellent grounding in business, and then when in practice you got the opportunity to really get under the skin of a business, understand it and learn from successful entrepreneurs. If you hadn’t been in business what would you have liked to have done? Become a ski instructor. I love being in the mountains particularly in the winter and spending your time skiing all day would be hard to beat. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most) how important is money to you? Having enough money to lead your desired life is important, but the people around me and those I have as friends are the most important.

Fact File Name & Job Title: Paul Henry, Director, Osborne King. Career: Chartered Accountant with key roles in real estate, corporate finance and insolvency. Trained with Price Waterhouse and held subsequent positions with Industrial Development Board (precursor to Invest NI), venture capital, PricewaterhouseCoopers, ASM Chartered Accountants and Osborne King. Chairman of the Ulster Society of Chartered Accountants: the society has over 3,500 members working across the public and private sectors in Northern Ireland. Interests: Actively involved in sports and the community.

What was your first paying job? It was in a bakery, and that was where I first learnt how to make dough! What do you like most about your current role? The people I work with and the variety of challenges that arise each day. Real estate is a dynamic sector and has undergone huge change in recent years. Are you switched on 24 hours or is there a time when you switch your phone off? We all live a highly connected life, but when away from work I control it on my terms. Sport is wonderful release that

way, as you must give total concentration otherwise something will go wrong. Has your personal life suffered because of your career? At times yes, but not to a lasting detrimental extent. Those close to me are very supportive. At times getting deals over the line takes time, significant effort and impacts upon others but I have a very good personal life. What do you consider your best business decision or idea? Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant. It is a global passport that can help you explore

What are you currently reading (other than these questions)? I enjoy reading authors such as the late Tom Clancy, who was very contemporary in his fiction and also JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Both these authors provide characters who are great role models. What do you worry about (if anything)? I am not a worrier but do have genuine concern for the wellbeing of work colleagues and friends. What advice would you give to the 18-year-old you – what do you wish you’d known when you started out? Nobody is ever as good as you first think they are, and most are not as bad with hindsight. Develop the feel for when you can trust someone. Which person, living or dead, would you like to have met, and why? I have had the privilege to meet the first man to step on the moon, Neil Armstrong. He, together with many others, pushed the frontiers and was courageous. He took risks and gained the rewards, a great lesson for all in business. When are/were you most happy? When I am in the company of close family and friends.

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