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Around Noon announced as one of the fastest growing companies in the UK
Around Noon the Newry Based food to go manufacturer has been announced as one of the fastest-growing companies in the UK.
The firm, which employs over 300 people mainly in Newry and acquired a London business earlier this year, has been listed in the prestigious Sunday Times Fast Track 100 – published at the weekend.
Only two Northern Ireland companies have made it into the closely followed league table this year – the other being Mac Fit-Out and Construction another Newry success story.
Around Noon appeared at number 72 in the listing, with sales having grown over 54 percent on average per year over the past three years.
The award organisers said of the company: “Sandwiches, wraps, salads and cold pressed juices are among the products produced by this company under its Scribbles brand. The business was established in 1989 at home around the kitchen table by husband and wife Francis and Sheila Chambers, 58 and 57. The Co Down-based firm is now run by their son, Gareth, 32, chief executive, and chairman Howard Farquhar, 59, after the pair led a management buyout in 2016, when sales hit £14.4m. Since then it has acquired Sweet Things bakery and Slough-based Chef in a Box, both for undisclosed sums.”
Around Noon CEO Gareth Chambers says: “We are very pleased to be included in the Fast Track 100 which includes a wide range of truly outstanding companies from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Over the past three years, we have developed our business very significantly, including adding some great clients, acquiring other companies, and expanding our business with existing customers. Being included in the listing is great recognition for our team who continue to put huge effort into further developing and growing Around Noon.”
Around Noon’s customers include blue-chip brands like Starbucks, Henderson Group and Insomnia Coffee company. It manufacturers a range of innovative food-to-go products from its base in Newry as well as in London, including sandwiches, wraps, salads and cold pressed juices.
See the listing at www.fasttrack.co.uk
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Following the Regional Leaders Summit in Belfast at the weekend Newry & Armagh MLA Conor Murphy has said that there is a great potential for the Newry, Mourne & Down Council area to develop, trade, investment, cultural and education links with China.
The MLA who met with Chinese Consul Madam Wang and other senior Chinese officials, has been involved with exploring the potential of developing a "City Connection" with a City in China and he has urged Newry, Mourne & Down Council to "seize the moment"
Mr Murphy explained "My late colleague deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness had been instrumental in developing a strong and increasingly positive relationship and bond with partners in China. In April 2012, Vice-Premier Madame Liu Yandong visited Belfast and launched the Confucius Institute which has flourished and developed remarkablyand in June 2015 China established its own Consulate in Belfast.Invest NI has established Offices in Beijing and Shanghai. Along with the Executive Bureau in Beijing, thus representing a long term commitment to develop and grow our relationship with China.
"I believe that Newry Mourne and Down now has the opportunity to become involved in partnerships with China which will help create jobs, promote prosperity and at the same time promote mutual understanding of our different cultures".
The Newry & Armagh Elected representative continued
"The Executive Bureau have already assisted both Belfast and Derry & Strabane Councils in establishing links with major Chinese cities so I have been working with them for some time to explore similar opportunities for Newry Mourne & Down. I have informed the Council that the region of Changchun in China is keen to explore a partner with this area. Changchun is the capital of northeast China's Jilin province."
According to the 2010 census of China, Changchun had a total population of 7,674,439 under its jurisdiction.
Known locally as China's "City of Automobiles",Changchun is an important industrial base with a particular focus on the automotive sector. Because of its key role in the domestic automobile industry, Changchun was sometimes referred to as the "Detroit of China." Apart from this industrial aspect, Changchun is also one of four "National Garden Cities" awarded by the Ministry of Construction of P.R. China in 2001 due to its high urban greening rate".
He stated his belief that the Council should explore areas for cooperation.
"I believe at this early stage the Council should agree to explore areas for cooperation and mutual benifit which should then lead to a formal agreement.
There in particular is a keen interest from Changchun to investigate partnerships in Life & Health Sciences and Agriculture.
The Sinn Féin MLA concluded by saying that he believed their was exciting potential for this coming together to create jobs and promote prosperity.
"Companies from across this Island see that the great potential for them to prosper in the Chinise markets is endless.
"Chinese companies see Ireland as a natural base for expanding into the wider European, African and Middle East markets.
"The groundwork has been done and now I hope that Newry Mourne & Down Council will grasp this opportunity and take a lead in developing and growing a relationship not only with Changchun but with China."
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Southern Regional College (SRC) in partnership with Newry Mourne and Down District Council recently hosted an innovation showcase event for local businesses - “Ready, Steady, Innovate” in Bagenal’s Castle, Newry.
Businesses of all sizes and from a range of sectors attended to hear how they could benefit from funded support to help their business innovate, compete and grow. Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Cllr Mulgrew welcomed those businesses in attendance.
Cllr Mulgrew stated, “Innovation is not the preserve of science and technology businesses, all businesses have the potential to innovate and this Collaboration event between the Council and Southern Regional College has highlighted the many types of support available to businesses locally to help them take their business to the next level.”
Brian Doran, SRC Chief Executive stated, “It is encouraging to see the range of support available to local businesses on their doorstep. It is also important that support providers work in partnership for the benefit of local businesses and it is certainly evident from today’s event that this is the case in the NMDDC catchment area.”
The Business Support and Innovation centre at SRC outlined the bespoke technical support as well as the mentoring and guidance that the college offers to SMEs, which can be either partially or fully funded. Lorraine Acheson from InnovateUK was the guest speaker at the event. Innovate UK is the UK's Innovation Agency. It is the primary mechanism by which the Government funds and supports businesses in innovation activities and Lorraine outlined the funding and support available from InnovateUK. Other local support agencies included InterTradelreland and Invest NI who were also present on the day to inform businesses of the support available to them.
If you have an idea or concept that could potentially help your business to grow and if you need support to take that concept further, then contact the Business Support and Innovation Centre at SRC on 028 3025 9664 or email betterbusiness@src.ac.uk. The local team of experts can discuss your ideas with you and explore the potential for support.
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Newry, Mourne and Down Energy and Sustainability Officer, Ciaran Og Mussen has taken the title of ‘Best Energy Manager’ at the Sustainable Ireland Magazine Awards 2017 on Wednesday 22 November in the Crown Plaza Hotel, Belfast.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson Councillor Roisin Mulgrew said “In his role Ciaran Og impressed the judges with the range of projects he has been involved with during the five years he has been in his current role as Energy and Sustainability Officer with the Council.
Ciarán Óg deserves this award as he has displayed enthusiasm and expertise in his area to implement a successful energy management system for the Council, carry out energy efficiency projects which combined have created annual savings of over £86,000 per annum and has promoted energy efficiency awareness both within the Council and to the wider public in the district.
"One of his first projects was to bring in an energy metering and monitoring system for the top energy user buildings across both Councils and from this Building Managers are able to track their usage of electricity, water, oil and biomass.
"From the energy monitoring system Ciaran Óg produces monthly reports on energy usage to Senior management and building managers to create accountability for each manager for their buildings energy usage. This has helped many managers identify areas of wastage and to take action to tackle wastage thereby saving money and helping the environment.
"Further to the monthly reporting Ciaran Óg has introduced an ‘Energy League Table’ with a monthly scoring system recorded and at the end of the year a winner of the Councils ‘most improved’ energy efficiency award is announced.
"Ciaran Og has also led a number of capital energy projects including; increasing insulation of buildings, upgrading single glazed windows to double glazed windows, providing Solar PV systems to a range of Council buildings and replacing lighting systems with more energy efficient LED lights.”
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In one of their most successful years to date Newry-based mac-group has been named Fit Out Contractor of the Year for the second year in a row at the Fit Out Awards in Dublin.
The specialist firm is a contractor in the construction, refurbishment and fit-out of office space and commercial buildings. Established in 2002, it currently has offices in Newry, Dublin, London and Birmingham.
Now in its sixth year, the Fit Out Awards set the benchmark for excellence in the execution of world-class fit outs.
mac-group has overseen many of Belfast’s major office developments including Citi, Diageo, CBRE and BT and is currently overseeing a complex £11m refurbishment project of River House on High Street in the heart of Belfast.
Paul McKenna, Managing Director of mac-group, said: “The business continues to go from strength-to-strength and 2017 has been one of our most successful years to date. This award win is further proof of mac’s reputation as a leading contractor in the construction sector.
“In the past year we delivered two of Ireland's seven LEED Platinum rated projects and created 60 new construction roles. 93 per cent of the contracts completed in the past 12 months were repeat business which is testament to the quality of our work. Some of our biggest projects included the refurbishment of The Glasshouse Yard in London, a 12 month fit out of the new BMS pharmaceutical facilities in Cruiserath and the upgrade of six floors at the Royal College of Surgeons.
“The company has grown with the expansion of one of our UK offices and we’ve undertaken a brand evolution to reflect our success of securing projects of increasing scale and complexity.”
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Firms in Newry are being urged to consider a specialist loan fund for smaller businesses which has provided more than £6m in new loans since it was launched four years ago.
To date the Northern Ireland Small Business Loan Fund (the Fund) is estimated to have helped create over 150 new jobs and additional sales of almost £30m.
The Fund is managed by Ulster Community Finance (UCF) on behalf of Invest Northern Ireland and delivered in partnership with Enterprise Northern Ireland. UCF is a subsidiary of the social finance organisation Ulster Community Investment Trust (UCIT).
The Fund was set up to provide access to finance for small businesses, sole traders and partnerships which are keen to develop their business, but find it difficult to access funding through traditional sources.
William McCulla, Invest NI’s Director of Corporate Finance pointed out the fund is now in its fifth year and " the Small Business Loan Fund is continuing to make a significant difference to the business community in Northern Ireland by boosting business confidence and ensuring SMEs have access to the type of finance needed to support their growth and development.
“We are delighted to have offered this support to a range of businesses across Northern Ireland in sectors including IT, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Tourism and Retail, which has helped to create jobs, bring new products to market and help company’s realise their growth ambitions.”
The Fund provides loans of up to £50,000 to start-ups, micro enterprises and small businesses. As a revolving fund it’s expected that a figure in excess of £7m will be made available over the course of the fund’s lifetime.
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Several local businesses have been recognised with Great Taste Gold Star Awards for the quality of their produce. Deli Lites, Newry; Mourne Mountains Brewery, Warrenpoint and Rooney Fish, Kilkeel were all in attendance at the BBC Good Food Show where they were congratulated by Invest NI’s Director of Food and Drink, John Hood.
Mr Hood congratulated the food and drink companies recognised this year for the quality of their produce. Overall 80 producers secured 244 Great Taste Gold stars for 180 products including Hannan Meats who won the Golden Fork for Northern Ireland, 9 businesses secured wins at Irish Quality Food Awards and in the Blas Na hÉireann, Irish Food Awards 35 companies collected 42 awards, including Best Artisan, Best New Product and Best in Ulster.
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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council recently hosted a second Economic Forum in the Canal Court Hotel on Wednesday 8th November 2017, with a focus on strategic economic initiatives being driven by the Council to create opportunities for local people and local communities to thrive.
At the Forum, Chief Executive, Liam Hannaway, presented the potential advantages of a Belfast City Regional Deal for the Council District alongside KPMG, the advisory team on the City Deal, highlighting the potential benefits across investment, infrastructure and skills.
Mr Hannaway said: “Newry Mourne and Down District Council is delighted to be part of this first City Deal in Northern Ireland due to the economic geography of the region. A Belfast Region City Deal can deliver additional and inclusive economic growth for our area including more investment in infrastructure, increased innovation and drive a highly skilled labour market all of which will be positive for the people living and working in this Council area.”
However, he also stressed that a City Deal was not the only vehicle to attract investment, stating: “We will continue as a Council to consider every opportunity to attract investment which can deliver strategic projects for example, a comprehensive roll out of broadband for rural areas. We will ensure that our focus on economic objectives and initiatives deliver positive outcomes for everyone.”
It is expected that the UK Government will make an announcement affirming their commitment to a City Deal for the Belfast Region in the Autumn Budget on 22nd November. Other city regions which have benefited from a City Deal include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Swansea.
The Economic Forum which was attended by over thirty businesses and representatives from across the Council area, focused on other key initiatives the Council has also been working on, for example, a new paper on Brexit and the Border Corridor.
The paper which was led by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council was developed across eleven local authorities comprising the Ireland/Northern Ireland Border Corridor. It outlines the risks, opportunities and issues to be considered as a result of Brexit, to ensure the region can reach its true economic potential.
Mr Hannaway recently presented the paper to the Irish Ambassador, the Northern Ireland Executive Office and Nina Obermaier from the Michel Barnier taskforce team at a meeting in Brussels accompanied by Chief Executives from other border Councils.
Speaking at the Forum, Chair of Council Roisin Mulgrew said: “I am delighted to see so many businesses attend this Economic Forum. We must consider every opportunity to improve economic performance of this Council area, working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders and partner organisations including our outstanding business community in Newry, Mourne and Down.”
She added: “This area is a world class location for business and we are committed to developing a vibrant, connected and dynamic region. We are in a unique geographical location which strengthens our opportunities for growth and investment. Our role as the Council is to empower potential by working collaboratively with all key partners. “
The next Economic Forum will take place in quarter one 2018.
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A public consultation to help decide a preferred option for the long campaigned for Southern Relief Road is taking place in Newry, tomorrow Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November 2017 at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre from 10am to 9pm. All are welcome to attend.
The consultation is designed to help shape the design of the proposed Newry Southern Relief Road based on three shortlisted routes for the proposed scheme.
‘The Southern Relief Road around Newry is vital to the regions’ future economic success, especially in a post Brexit scenario’ according to a consortium of local stakeholders speaking ahead of a public consultation on the important infrastructure project. A group including Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade, Warrenpoint Harbour Authority, Seatruck, Regen Waste and Cronus Logistics have argued that the project should be given priority in future budgetary considerations by the Westminster government in the absence of a Local Assembly and Executive.
The scheme aims to provide a strategic transport link road between the key strategic corridor of the A1/N1 Belfast to Dublin route with the A2 and Northern Ireland’s second largest port at Warrenpoint Harbour. It is anticipated that the route will significantly improve journey times and journey time reliability for strategic traffic between the A2 Warrenpoint Road and the A1/N1, while also greatly improving road safety and traffic congestion within Newry City Centre. Previous economic business cases have demonstrated that improved accessibility to both Newry City and Warrenpoint Harbour will support and maintain sustainable economic growth and employment within the area.
Speaking at a pre-consultation briefing hosted in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council offices Peter Conway, Chief Executive, Warrenpoint Harbour Authority said, “There is an economic imperative that the Newry Southern Relief Road is taken forward, especially given the unique challenges presented by Brexit to our local economy. The Southern Relief Road will act as a strategically transport link between South Down and the Republic of Ireland and critically will ensure that Warrenpoint Harbour retains its position as the second busiest port in Northern Ireland, which in turn acts as a key economic driver for the whole region.”
“In view of Brexit, this major infrastructure project on the increasingly important north south corridor must be prioritised in any future infrastructure expenditure planning and budgetary processes now being undertaken by Westminster in the absence of a local Assembly and Executive.”
Mary Meehan, Chief Executive, Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade added;
“We welcome progress on this scheme to date and the recent securing of £1.2 million in European funding by the Department for Infrastructure through the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ for the design stages of this important project. This funding support underscores the strategic importance of this project and will now allow the Stage 2 Assessment to be completed including consideration of the input from this important public consultation phase. The business case is clear that the Newry Southern Relief Road will support and maintain sustainable economic growth and employment within the area and at the same time ease traffic congestion and safety concerns in Newry itself. We hope that with the additional £400m funding now earmarked for Infrastructure investment here and the fact that the latest scoping exercise has demonstrated it can be delivered much more cost effectively than initially anticipated, the Southern Relief Road will be given the priority it deserves.”
The Options
Option 1 starts on the A2 Warrenpoint Road along the frontage of Greenbank Industrial Estate and crosses the Newry River and Canal just to the south of Drumalane Quarry and then heads in a westerly direction towards the A1.
Option 2 sees the corridor extend further south as far as Rough Island and follow along Fathom Line before heading in a northerly direction up Fathom Mountain to the A1.
Option 3 starts further downstream than Option 2 with a bridge crossing near Narrow Water before joining the Fathom Line route indicated in Option 2
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