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The newly published National Planning Framework (Project Ireland 2040) includes several references to the Economic Corridor between Newry and Dundalk regions and a recent meeting in Dundalk by the Joint Committee between Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Louth County Council discussed the strengthening of the cross border network.
Newry is mentioned ten times in the Framework with National Policy Objective 44 stating "In co-operation with relevant Departments in Northern Ireland, to further support and develop the economic potential of the Dublin-Belfast Corridor and in particular the core Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry network and to promote and enhance its international visibility."
The Joint Committee meets on a regular basis to monitor and discuss a range of development projects aimed at strengthening links between the two districts. Anthony Abbott King, Senior Planner from Louth County Council, provided a presentation at the meeting on key areas of the National Planning Framework and in particular cross border references.
Mr King informed the Committee that the framework will set the direction of growth for Ireland over the next 20 years, focusing on strengthening the infrastructure and attractiveness of urban centres. The government has provided a 10 year capital programme for implementation of these targets, which include resources to strengthen and support the Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry cross-border network.
Joint Chairs, Councillor McAteer and Councillor Corrigan welcomed the presentation. Councillor Corrigan commented, “The Project Ireland Framework has been published at a time of uncertainty with Brexit and a fluctuant economic climate. I welcome this framework, which has been well structured and look forward to its implementation which will support the Economic Corridor on both sides of the border.”
Councillor McAteer said, “It was very encouraging to see Newry featuring in the Project Ireland Framework. We as two Councils look forward to working up co-operation actions feeding into the Dublin-Belfast paired cities economic corridor and the marketing of this internationally.
“Both Local Authorities had liaised on the draft consultation document in November 2017 with each submitting a response to the Framework. This ensured that the content of submissions had a shared message, with both emphasising the value of promoting and developing the Border Corridor between Dundalk and the Newry areas.”
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A Newry-headquartered firm has invested a quarter of a million pounds in a shared, community-driven and fully serviced Coworking office space initiative in Monaghan Street in Newry.
Flexi Work Space in Newry was officially launched today by property development and investment firm Parker Green International, following its major investment in the project. It is the developer’s second venture of this kind, following a fit-out of the Merrion Buildings in Dublin in 2016 for serviced office use also.
Located in the heart of Newry City, the space is at the centre of the busy Creamery Quarter and is within close proximity to a plethora of cafes, shops and local businesses.
Flexi Work Space’s members can take full advantage of a flexible working environment, world-class IT infrastructures and front of house support for as little as £75 per month.
Garrett O’Hare, Chief Commercial and Operations Officer, Parker Green International commented: “We are thrilled to launch Flexi Work Space in Newry, during a time when Coworking is growing rapidly across the globe.
“Flexi Work Space has been thoughtfully designed to deliver a modern, creative workspace that inspires our community of members, and sparks innovation and collaboration.”
The site also includes stylish break-out areas, privacy booths, complimentary artisan coffee and high-speed broadband. Furthermore, tech and business social meet-up events will take place at Flexi Work Space regularly, and attendance at these is included in the membership packages.
Mr. O’Hare added: “We have always been very focused on the psychology of how people interact, particularly when it comes to the built environment.
“We believe that people will deliver their best when they are given the opportunity to work in creative office accommodation, which is why we dedicated so much time to the design of Flexi Work Space, ensuring that we created an inventive, welcoming and vibrant space for our members.”
For more information, visit: www.flexiwork.space
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Blockbusters Environmental Services based in WIN Business Park, Newry have recruited six new staff with support from Invest Northern Ireland and has just won a new contract in Great Britain as a result.
The company who currently employ 18 staff will be providing its specialist drainage and environmental services to an award-winning UK construction and fit-out contractor for its London based construction projects.
Blockbusters specialise in drainage maintenance, civil works, oil contamination and no-dig pipe rehabilitation technology. The company provides a range of services to both private and commercial customers including CCTV drain surveys, septic tank and sewer cleaning, drain unblocking & repairs, and grease trap cleaning.
Speaking about the company’s rapid growth, Co-Owner Antoin Smyth said: “Hiring six additional staff increased our capacity to take on more work. We have been able to invest more time and energy into building relationships and following up leads among water and utilities companies in Great Britain. Without this additional workforce we would not have been able to secure this new business.”
The company’s success follows trade support from Invest NI which included meetings with potential buyers in GB.
“Working in partnership with Invest NI enabled us to explore opportunities in London and make valuable contacts which helped us win this new business,” adds Antoin. “The advice and guidance we are receiving, as well as financial support, is hugely important, helping us build our profile and maximise the opportunities identified in our target market.”
Invest NI has offered Blockbusters Environmental Services over £30,000 in the last three years towards job creation and market development activities. The company has also benefited from technical support to gain ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accreditations.
Mark Bleakney, Invest NI’s Southern Regional Manager added: “It has been a good year for Blockbusters Environmental Services and I’m delighted that the firm’s business development strategy is delivering results.
“Our support has helped the company create employment opportunities in Newry, Mourne & Down and pursue valuable sales opportunities outside of Northern Ireland. It’s a great example of how a company can use a range of our support to grow.
“The company is well positioned to build on this success and grow its customer base in Great Britain.”
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A major 25-year growth Masterplan has been produced by Warrenpoint Harbour Authority. The port ranks second in NI behind Belfast with 3.56M tonnes handled in 2017. On an all-island basis, Warrenpoint Port is ranked 5th behind Dublin, Belfast, Shannon-Foynes and Cork.
In 2017, the value of goods moving through Warrenpoint Harbour was £6.2 billion with £164 million of that direct international trade.
Clare Guinness, CEO, Warrenpoint Port spoke of the challenges of the timing of the Masterplan especially with Brexit looming.
“It has been prepared during a period of some uncertainty and is designed to prepare the Port and the surrounding area to deal with Brexit and other upcoming challenges.
“Working with our key stakeholders including Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, government agencies, Newry Chamber of Commerce and the local community, the Masterplan will help us further accelerate the growth of the Eastern economic corridor and beyond, whilst remaining acutely aware of our responsibilities as custodians of the marine environment.”
The plan forecasts a continued growth in trade following Brexit but also confronts the uncertainty around Brexits different scenarios.
The Masterplan document, which covers 2018-2043, aims to build on the port’s position as a major economic driver for the region.
The Port is a vital link in the supply chain for numerous businesses. It has the capability to handle a broad spectrum of goods including grain, timber, steel and cement and a full range of services including container and freight. Authorities at the Port, are anticipating 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.
Key Priorities
The draft document outlines key objectives including upgrading transport links to the Port, improving Port capacity and facilities, maintaining and growing its customer base and developing improved linkages with Warrenpoint town.
It identifies several key priorities to achieve these including:
Delivery of the Southern Relief Road
Redevelopment of the Town Dock in Warrenpoint Town Square
Providing open public access to an expanded Marina.
Commenting on the publication of the draft Masterplan, Liam Hannaway, Chief Executive, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, said “Warrenpoint Port’s draft Masterplan provides a welcome overview into the medium and long term objectives of one of the most important employers in the Newry, Mourne and Down district.
“The Port is a huge part of the local economic success story and, as one of its key stakeholders, we look forward to taking part in the consultation into the plans.”
Paul Convery, President, Newry Chamber of Trade and Commerce also commented “As a key driver for economic prosperity, the region benefits greatly from having Warrenpoint Port on our doorstep.
“We are delighted to see the Port’s ambitions to grow further and share many of the aspirations included in the Masterplan including the prompt delivery of the Southern Relief Road.”
The Masterplan is available to view at www.warrenpointport.com while two Public Information days will be held at Town Dock House, The Square, Warrenpoint on 2nd and 3rd May. The consultation runs until Friday 18th May.
Check out a short video below
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A 122 acre farm at Tullyhappy close to the Armagh Newry road has sold for £1.9M via auction.
A packed auction room at Best Property Services last week witnessed the sale which had a total guide price of 1.275M
By the closing date last month, 13 bidders had expressed interest and bidding had reached £1.241M.
The 3 lots on offer were 26, 72 and 24 Acres (no residence) and by the end of the first round of bidding in lots, the total had reached £1.285m.
When then offered as one entire lot, 2 local business men and adjacent property owners swiftly took the bidding from £1.3 - £1.9m in 24 bids until the hammer fell.
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A Lislea based steel fabrication company that has doubled it's workforce and trebled it's turnover in the past six months has won a contract worth at least £800K providing products to Holland and Great Britain.
BM Steel, established in 2004 has grown to become a leading provider of Component Parts and Bespoke Structures. The company is a major supplier to Cargotec Ireland and offers works in structural steel and corresponding architectural works and has recently completed projects in London and Scotland.
The contract is a joint venture with GB structural engineering firm, JB Towers, to supply the company’s products to DAEL Telecomm to service Holland and GB’s telecomm market.
Mike Mathers, Director of BM Steel said: “In the last six months we have doubled our workforce and almost trebled our turnover. This is due to our ambitious growth strategy and our focus on exporting to help our business grow.
“Exporting is literally transforming our business and we are very keen to expand further into the GB and Europe markets and grow our customer base globally.”
Mr Mathers continued “The support and training we have received from Invest NI has helped to increase our confidence in many areas from promoting and selling our products, to how to approach a meeting with a potential buyer”, added Mike.
The company has availed of a range of Invest NI trade support to help secure this new contract, most recently visiting the GB market where it met with a number of potential buyers.
Congratulating the company Alison Gowdy, Invest NI’s Director of Trade said: “Securing this major contract with one of Holland’s biggest players in the telecommunications industry, DAEL Telecomm, is not only a great result but will also open up more opportunities for the company. This experience has helped it develop the skills and confidence to make professional sales presentations and win new business.
“Supporting ambitious Northern Ireland businesses like BM Steel to identify new export markets, and then grow in those markets, is the main aim of the support we offer. BM Steel is a great example of a company which has seized the opportunity to build its business in global markets. We want to see more companies like this capitalise on their exporting potential.”
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Time is running out for local small businesses and individuals to enter the 2018 Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards. There are 14 award categories to enter and the closing date for entries, Friday 27 April is fast approaching. You can find out more and enter at www.businesseyeawards.co.uk
Open to businesses based in Northern Ireland with 50 employees or less, top performers across sectors including technology, agri food, manufacturing and tourism will be recognised as well as a headline ‘Small Business of the Year’ award winner.
With 14 different categories, there will also be awards for Northern Ireland’s leading small business exporter, most innovative and customer focused businesses.
Winners will be crowned at a gala awards evening on Thursday, 31st May in Belfast.
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Newry firm STATSports have signed a deal to provide its player monitoring devices to the elite teams of one of the world’s greatest footballing nations, Brazil.
The deal ties up a long-term partnership with the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) which will see it provide its pioneering APEX Team Series GPS device to all National teams within the federation.
Gilberto Ratto, Marketing Director at the Brazilian Football Confederation said “Physical performance has become a key factor to achieving success in football, and GPS tracking enabled by STATSports equipment is a benchmark in this global market. We are confident that this partnership will be of utmost importance to efforts carried out by the Brazil National Team’s Coaching Staff”.
STATSports’ APEX Team Series GPS device will be worn by Brazil during this summer’s World Cup in Russia with other nations including world champion’s Germany, European champions Portugal, Belgium, England, Poland, Denmark and Morocco among the other nations availing of STATSports world leading technology during the tournament. The technology is also used by many of the world’s biggest sporting organisations across the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, MLS, NFL, NBA, Rugby Union and hockey.
STATSports will provide all CBF teams with its revolutionary APEX Team Series GPS device which tracks each athlete’s performance during practice sessions and games and provides direct and invaluable real-time feedback to coaching staff and players. The device worn by players measures and analyses physical attributes of players. It can provide feedback on many metrics such as distance covered, speed, acceleration and even insights on player load as well as the level of fatigue and injury risk of the athlete/player.
Guilherme Passos, Physiologist at the Brazilian Football Confederation said “We want to make sure we leave no stone unturned when it comes to our preparation for this summer’s World Cup and beyond.
Mr Passos continued “A key part of this preparation is the technology we use to monitor the load we are placing on our players during sessions. Having thoroughly assessed all available products on the market, it quickly became apparent that STATSports were the only provider who could match the ambitions of the Confederation. We are delighted to have everything finalised and to welcome STATSports as the Official Performance Monitoring Partner of the Brazilian Football Confederation for many years to come.”
STATSports, Co-Founder and CCO, Sean O’Connor said:
“This agreement with the Brazilian Football Confederation is huge for STATSports. Brazil are an iconic brand in world football, with a rich history of success. We look forward to supporting Brazil to further on-field success at this summer’s World Cup and for many years to come. For the CBF to swap performance monitoring provider at this stage in the build-up to a World Cup is a huge decision and illustrates the excellence of the Apex system which is used by dozens of international football’s leading nations.
“Our APEX device gives coaches access to real-time data on individual players and the team as a whole during training and matches. This means Brazil can tailor each training session to ensure that players reach peak condition come matchday, giving them the opportunity to perform at their best on the biggest stage.”
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History was made this morning for Newry based MJM Group, when crusie ship Azamara Pursuit sailed into Belfast for a massive refit by the firm. The work which will be carried out at Harland and Wolff involves complete interior refurbishment of the Royal Caribbean Cruise vessel.
It's an unprecedented, potential game changer both for MJM Group and the global cruise ship industry, as it represents the first time a cruise ship owner has awarded complete project management responsibility to an individual organisation. It is also the largest project of its kind in many years in a UK port and offers the opportunity to reinvigorate the ship building and repair industry in Belfast.
Gary Annett, CEO, MJM Group said, “We are delighted to welcome the Azamara Pursuit safely to Belfast following its two-week journey from the Bahamas. Watching her berth at Harland and Wolff is the fulfilment of long held ambition of MJM Group founder and Chair Brian McConville to bring a project of this scale to Belfast. This truly is historic not just for MJM Group but for the marine industry and there is a real sense that the eyes of the marine world are firmly on us and on Northern Ireland.
“This has the potential to open up Belfast for further work of this scale and to offer a major boost to the local economy. At any given time in the next couple of months there may be up to 800 of our people and crew working on the ship. We want all of these people, if they are not familiar with this part of the world, to experience some of what Northern Ireland and Belfast has to offer.”
Richard Twynam, Azamara Club Cruises Managing Director, UK and Ireland spoke of his delight at the refit taking place at Harland and Wolff in Belfast.
Jonathan Guest, Director, Business Development & Improvement, Harland & Wolff said, “We are delighted to be working with MJM Group in providing the berthing, support and other services for this fantastic project. We are all acutely aware of Belfast’s rich maritime history and it is great to be part of providing a major boost for this traditional industry here today.”
The Azamara Pursuit will be docked in Belfast for several months while the full refit is carried out and will then sail for to Southampton at the end of July ahead of its 'Newry' refurbished maiden voyage from Southampton to Norway on 1 August 2018.
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