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One of the biggest technical conferences ever in the electrical industry is being screened at Newry Omniplex 4 July.
The 18th Edition seminar will be beamed live via satellite to 40 cinemas simultaneously.
Electricians in Newry and surrounds are being encouraged to take part with more than 2000 electricians from around the country already signed up to attend.
Regulatory bodies NICEIC & ELECSA will be transmitting the live talk on the 18th Edition, one of the biggest technical conferences ever in the electrical industry.
The conference will look at the new wiring regulations, which come into effect in the UK from July 1.
“This is a complete first for the electrical industry and we are keen that as many locations as possible around the UK get involved,” commented NICEIC and ELECSA’s Marketing Director Mark Smith.
“It is amazing to think so many electricians will be dotted around the UK at one moment in time to learn about the upcoming changes.
“It promises to be a ground breaking moment. We would encourage anyone who has not signed up yet to do so and play their part in this one off event.”
The 18th Edition seminar will be broadcast from the Faraday Theatre, at The Royal Institution, London. Hosted by industry experts Darren Staniforth and Alan Wells the talk will focus on the changes included in the new regulations and what it will mean for electricians in their day-to-day work.
The live seminar and cinema event will take place from 9am on Wednesday, 4th July.
Tickets are £5 and can be booked online by visiting www.18edition.com/cinema
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Several new reports have been issued by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council detailing present position of Newry city and making suggestions for future business facilities.
The Strategic Outline Business Case commissioned by Deloitte discusses the financial viability of a new Civic Centre and Theatre as well as new hotel and office developments for the area.
The report was welcomed at last weeks special meeting of the Newry Mourne and Down District Council’s Strategic Projects Working Group.
If elements of the report were in place the report suggests Newry could likely expect to attract new investment from outside the council area and reinforce its position as a regional gateway city between Northern Ireland and the Republic while also increasing civic pride.
Two other in-depth studies on both the office and hotel sector in the city by global real estate consultancy CBRE were also commissioned.
CBRE found that Newry currently suffered from a low provision of office accommodation, and this would only likely be overcome if speculative development was encouraged by a public-sector body such as the Council. Their report outlined how economic growth, employment levels, business rates income would all benefit from new occupiers locating in the city, attracted by a pool of well-educated talent and taking advantage of attractive occupation costs. Their report also highlighted the success of office development schemes in nearby Belfast, where locations such as the Gasworks, The Harbour Estate, the Science Park, and Titanic Quarter were all developed speculatively and now enjoy high levels of occupation.
Commenting on the Hotel Report, Brian Lavery from CBRE said: “Based on our market analysis we believe there is capacity for a hotel development in Newry City. There is currently limited supply which cannot meet the demand from, in particular, tour operator businesses. An increase in the supply of rooms will sit hand in glove with the Council’s drive to generate more business and tourism footfall in the area.”
Councillor Mark Murnin, Chairperson of Newry Mourne and Down District Council, said “As a council we want to create the right environment for the city to flourish in the years ahead, and these reports offer the right roadmap to do just that. Newry is already a great place to live and do business, but we have only scratched the surface of its true potential.
“The Civic Hub will modernise and transform the work of the Council, while the proposed new theatre and conferencing centre will help regenerate the city centre and be a fantastic attraction for all our citizens and new visitors to Newry. In addition, if we can attract more hotels to the city, then the flow of tourists will increase. Likewise, if we can encourage the development of new offices, then more companies will be attracted to locate here, delivering new employment opportunities for people living in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area.”
Liam Hannaway, Chief Executive of Newry Mourne and Down District Council, said:
“This is a hugely exciting time for Newry. We have identified where we can have the biggest impact in forging a city which is able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best on the island in the coming years.
“If we create the right conditions and take steps to address the market failure highlighted in the reports, then we can put in place the infrastructure to build a robust economy and a leading tourist destination, reflecting a forward-thinking Council. The building blocks are already there; we just need to get moving.”
The next stage of the process will now see the procurement of a range of integrated consultants and advisors; surveys and inspections of the Town Hall and Sean Hollywood Arts Centre buildings; the collection of baseline information on current visitor numbers and expenditure; the development of a procurement strategy; soft market engagement with potential delivery partners; the development of an outline business case and development of project management and project governance documentation.
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Three Million pounds is to be invested at Warrenpoint Port to facilitate the purchase of a new crane and the refurbishment of two further cranes at the harbour.
The investment, which will significantly improve efficiency and increase capacity, forms part of a major drive to facilitate continued growth in trade at Northern Ireland’s second largest port.
Clare Guinness, CEO, Warrenpoint Port commented “We are delighted to announce this major investment in new and refurbished plant for the harbour that will enable us to maintain our already high standards of service to customers and bring us closer to our targeted growth over the coming years.”
The new crane will be built and supplied by Finnish manufacturer Konecranes at its site in Dusseldorf, Germany. Konecranes is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy lifting equipment.
The Model 3 Mobile Harbor Crane, which itself will weigh 300 tonnes, will have the capacity to lift loads up to 100 tonnes to a height of 42m above quay level.
Clare added “The new crane will significantly boost operations at Warrenpoint by allowing for the speedier loading and unloading of goods, as well as reducing downtime.
“We are also investing significant capital to refurbish two of our existing cranes at the Port to ensure they will continue to serve our customers for many years to come.
“The investments are being made to facilitate further growth at the Port as we gear up for trade in the post-Brexit era.
“They will also strengthen our position as a catalyst for economic growth in our community as we aim to boost the prosperity of local people and businesses.”
Warrenpoint Port, which last year handled a record 3.56 million tonnes of cargo, valued at £6.2 billion, deals with a broad spectrum of goods including grain, timber, steel and cement and offers a full range of services including container and freight.
Earlier this year, the Port unveiled a major 25-year growth plan which forecast a continued growth in trade following Brexit.
Authorities at the Port, anticipate a significant increase in trade over the coming decades with core roll on, roll off, freight expected to rise by up to 80% by 2040.
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Newry Business Improvement District (BID) have presented one of Newry’s biggest employers First Derivatives plc with welcome packs for their June 2018 graduate intake.
First Derivatives plc, the award-winning FinTech company, recruits across the global, talented graduates to begin their training in their Newry HQ. With an average of 50 new starts each month, from locations such as New York and Singapore, Newry BID worked with their members to create a Welcome Pack including offers and discounts to allow them discover their new base.
Rebecca Byrne, Newry BID said, “Newry BID are excited to engage with First Derivatives on this initiative, the company is one of the city’s biggest success stories, and we are delighted to be able to support them and their staff with the new packs and welcome them to Newry.”
Newry BID members from retail, hospitality and beauty sectors across the city are included in the Welcome Packs, including a map of Newry City Centre to ensure that the newest recruits don’t get lost in their new home.
Elizabeth Toner, Global Talent Acquisition Manager, First Derivatives commented, “We are delighted to work closely with Newry Business Improvement District in developing welcome packs for our new starters. Our graduate hires are flying in from all over the world to our HQ for the induction phase. Having young professionals from cities such as New York, Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong living it Newry, it is important they have a positive and welcoming experience during their time here. Our new brochure is an excellent way to highlight some of the hot spots here to enjoy.”
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It was a successful evening for local businesses at the fourth annual Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards with highly commended awards to Resonate Testing, Chancellors Road, Newry; Killowen Contracts, Burren and Cunningham Butchers, Kilkeel. Known as the BEFTAs the awards shine a light on Northern Ireland’s small business sector and recognised its top performers across 14 different categories, celebrating industry and business success as well as innovation, customer support and community contribution.
Resonate Testing, a commercial test house for organisations in need of certification services across all industrial sectors, was Highly Commended in the Innovative Business of the Year category while Kilkeel based Cunningham Butchers, and building and Burren civil engineering company Killowen Contracts, were both Highly Commended in the competitive ‘Family Business of the Year’ category.
Speaking at the 2018 Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards, Head of Business Banking at First Trust Bank, Seamus McGuckin, said “Northern Ireland’s small business community, which together with medium businesses and self-employed people account for more than 75% of turnover across NI’s private sector, should be immensely proud. If it wasn’t for their contribution, Northern Ireland as a region and as an economy would not be fairing as well as it is in light of ongoing economic and political uncertainty. The innovation, dedication and creativity showcased by this year’s BEFTAs finalists and winners sets an example to our future business leaders and upcoming entrepreneurs and we are proud to shine a spotlight on their operations. While each business is different, all the winners share a number of common denominators - agility, resilience, innovation and a focus on open, honest customer service. I offer my congratulations to all the entrants and winners and look forward to seeing how their businesses develop over the coming years.”
Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director of Business Eye, added “Given the number of entries received for this year’s awards and the energy and atmosphere at the ceremony, it’s clear that the BEFTAs have truly cemented themselves as a must-do in Northern Ireland’s business community. We received very strong entries from a wide variety of companies based right across Northern Ireland. They are very much an integral part of the business calendar here, and we’ve every reason to believe that they will go from strength to strength.”
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Newry and Belfast based legal firm JMK Solicitors have been awarded a Law Society of Northern Ireland quaility mark which recognises firms that achieve excellence in legal practice management and client care.
Assessors highlighted that JMK achieved “a very high standard” and the “company had gone above and beyond compliance with the standard”. They also praised JMK’s “pioneering” approach to having a paperless office with all files being managed electronically.
Maurece Hutchinson, Managing Director at JMK Solicitors, commented “We are delighted to have been awarded the Lexcel Quality Mark. This is great recognition for the professionalism and dedication of our 60 strong team. It also demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible customer service.
“As a specialist law firm operating solely in the area of personal injury claims and in particular cases relating to road traffic incidents, we will continue to make significant investment in our IT system and staff development to ensure we maintain the Lexcel accreditation”
Martin Rice, Managing Director of Next Level Impact, a management consultancy firm who assisted JMK through the process said:
“I would like to congratulate JMK Solicitors on their award. We were very impressed with how the firm approached the assessment. They have robust systems and processes in place to ensure they offer a consistently high level of service.
Established in 2003, JMK Solicitors operates from offices in Belfast and Newry, servicing clients from across NI. For more information, visit www.jmksolicitors.com
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Newry's Bravo Live Cuisine has been awarded the Best Buffet Restaurant at The 3rd Annual Northern Ireland Food Awards 2018.
Bravo saw off competition such as Cosmo (Belfast), China China (Belfast) and Moghul Restaurant (Belfast) amongst others at the Crowne Plaza, Belfast this week.
Ivan Lin, Bravo Live Cuisine had this to say about the prestigious award, “We would like to thank everyone that voted for us, to be honoured with the title of Best Buffet Restaurant at a National Awards Show is a huge compliment to us. We pride ourselves on our customer service and value for money so for Bravo to be recognised by members of the public in this way, it really makes it all worthwhile.”
Since opening in 2016, Bravo has become one of the most popular dining choices for customers in Newry and beyond with cuisines on offer from all corners of the world. From family get together’s to couples on a date, Bravo is sure to have something for everyone.
When asked about what makes Bravo stand out from the crowd, Ivan added “Our restaurant offers the best value for money when it comes to fine dining. With prices ranging from only £8.99 for all you can eat at lunch time and we also offer a 10% discount to students, Teleperformance staff and to those who are employed within The Quays Shopping Centre.”
Ivan also praised the great team of people behind Bravo Live Cuisine and thanked them for all of their hard work and effort.
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Newry based construction firm, CGDM Construction has announced that it is investing over half a million pounds in the construction of new office premises at Carnbane Business Park.
The investment will create 10 new jobs with the support of Invest Northern Ireland.
Invest NI has offered the company £74,000 of support towards the creation of the new jobs and marketing activities.
The company is due to begin construction on its new factory shortly as part of its plans to grow its business.
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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, in conjunction with local company First Derivatives, has developed a Welcome Brochure for foreign graduates working at the Newry headquarters of the tech giant to help them become familiar with the area. The booklet provides an overview of Newry, including its history, as well as information on living in the city, points of interest and attractions within the district.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Roisin Mulgrew said, “Newry is home to a strong concentration of international companies, which has a rich entrepreneurial culture that has fostered a plethora of unique small and medium sized enterprises.
“The Council is committed to providing the environment for business to thrive and ensure that residents in the district have the best quality of life possible. We are committed to working with our partners across the district to confirm Newry, Mourne and Down as a welcoming place for people from around the globe.”
Chief Operating Officer, First Derivatives, Adrian Toner commented, “First Derivatives was formed in Newry and will continue to be the headquarters for our growing international business. Newry is equidistant between Belfast and Dublin, and only an hour away from three major airports, which is ideal due to the global nature of the business. We have excellent relationships with a number of key stakeholders across the island of Ireland, and a very strong and welcoming community in Newry and the locality, which allows our employees to settle and thrive in the area.”
Newry is recognised as an ideal place to work and live due to its location and a strong welcoming community. The urban lifestyle the city can offer is attractive to international professionals, with the added bonus that the city is close to some of the most picturesque scenery on the island of Ireland.
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