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Local business Prestige Business Solutions Ltd based in Poyntzpass took a Highly Commended Award in the recent CIPD NI Awards HR Consultancy of the Year 2015
Prestige are a HR Consultancy formerly based in Newry and are proud to have won their award from the Chartered Institution of Personnel and Development their governing body.
The Awards which recognise excellence across the Human Resources and Personnel Development profession took place at Belfast City Hall last week and were hosted by BBC Presenter Donna Traynor.
Headline sponsors were Recruitment specialists Brightwater.
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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Naomi Bailie is delighted to announce that there will be discounted rates for small businesses, within the Newry, Mourne and Down area, to promote themselves at some of Ireland’s best Country Fair’s.
This announcement is the first in a programme of schemes to be rolled out by the Chairperson in a bid to create and enhance business and tourism opportunities for the district. The events which are being held in Shane’s Castle, County Antrim on 27 and 28 June and in Birr Castle, County Offaly on 29 and 30 August will be a fantastic opportunity for local business to showcase their product across Ireland and encourage sales.
Albert Titterington, Director of the popular Irish Game Fair & Fine Food Festival is encouraging local small businesses to make the most of this incredible offer and is particularly keen to have fine food, crafts or country living products exhibited at the events.
Albert was also responsible for the highly successful Country Lifestyle and Harvest Fair at Montalto Estate, Ballynahinch in September 2014.
Albert commented, “Although we were delighted with all aspects of the event at Montalto in 2014 and considered it to be an exciting addition to our suite of events, with doubts around the funding of events by Failte and the TourismNI in 2015 we were unable to progress our event planning in the manner we considered necessary to develop the event. The uncertainty over funding meant that we had to rethink our corporate event strategy for 2015 and concentrate our resources on our two long established events at Shanes Castle and Birr Castle. We would like to thank the people of the area for their support in 2014 and plans are in place to be back with you in 2016.”
Councillor Naomi Bailie stated, “I am looking forward to the event returning in 2016 as it proved hugely popular last year and contributed positively to the local economy. It is unfortunate that a full scale event is not going ahead but we are delighted to work with Albert to deliver a smaller harvest festival in the town in September 2015. Furthermore, the successful Battle of Ballynahinch re-enactment in the town centre will return and will no doubt be a huge draw. In this difficult economic climate the Council is delighted that a 25% discounted rate is being offered to local businesses to enable them to promote their products at the events scheduled in July and August.
For further information on the small businesses discount rates please contact : 028 4483 9167 or 028 4461 5416; email irishgamefair@btinternet.com or visit www.irishgamefair.com
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Local Newry Sandwich and snack firm Around Noon is in the running for a Brand Innovation Award at the Henderson Wholesale Local Supplier Awards.
Around Noon is a finalist in the awards run by Henderson Wholesale, owners of the SPAR and EUROSPAR franchises in Northern Ireland, to mark the excellent produce, practices and ranges of the companies it works with.
As a platinum sponsor of the three day event, the SPAR brand has a key presence at the Balmoral Show, further strengthening its links with the agri-food industry and encouraging its customers to enjoy the best of local produce.
The judging panel of the Local Supplier of the Year awards, which met this week, included Professor Chris Elliott, Professor of Food Safety and Director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's University; Freda Magill, UFU Rural Affairs Committee Chairperson; UTV business editor Jamie Delargy and agriculture journalist Richard Wright.
This year entries were made across five categories from suppliers of all sizes and types and across Northern Ireland. Categories include Enjoy Local Supplier of the Year, CSR focused Tomorrow Matters, Best Direct to Store Supplier, Brand Innovation Award and Overall Local Supplier of the Year.
Around Noon is shortlisted in the Brand Innovation Award category. The company based at Greenbank Industrial Estate in Newry employs 125 and supplies Henderson Wholesale with pre-packed sandwiches and snacks.
Neal Kelly, Henderson Wholesale’s Fresh Food Director, said: “The Balmoral Show is one of the most important events for the agri-community in Northern Ireland each year and, for us, it’s a great time to show our support for local farmers and suppliers and to highlight our focus on bringing the best fresh, local, traceable food to our shoppers.
“This year we’ve extended the number of categories in our Local Supplier Awards, and have seen a huge increase in the quality and quantity of entries from our suppliers. We’re thrilled to have on board such a prestigious and experienced judging panel with top-level expertise in food safety, agriculture and business.
“We look forward to welcoming all those shortlisted and announcing the winners at our special breakfast event at the Balmoral Show.”
Other highlights at the Show include the SPAR enjoy local marquee where visitors can get involved in a host of family fun and taste a selection of SPAR’s new fresh own brand range, which celebrates the finest farmers, growers and producers in Northern Ireland.
The SPAR arena, a new addition to Balmoral this year, will host an array of entertainment throughout the Show’s three days. Finally, visitors to the Show can also pick up sandwiches, coffees and sweet treats from the fully functioning SPAR store that will sit prominently at the corner of Park Central West and Barbour Avenue.
Shortlist for Henderson Wholesale Local Supplier Awards:
Enjoy Local Supplier of the Year
Allied Bakeries
Avondale Foods
Fred C Robinson
Willowbrook Foods
Tomorrow Matters Award
Irwin’s Bakery
Mash Direct
Moy Park
Best Direct to Store Supplier Award
Irwin’s Bakery
Allied Bakeries
Doherty & Gray
Brand Innovation Award
Irwin’s Bakery
Around Noon
Mash Direct
Local Supplier of the Year
Karro Cookstown
Doherty & Gray
Willowbrook Foods
Daily Bake
Avondale Foods
The winners will be awarded at the Balmoral Show later this month.
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Warrenpoint based CTS Projects Ltd, which specialises in heating systems and energy efficiency solutions for homes, has secured a £4m maintenance contract with Abacus Housing Consortium.
It follows two further significant contracts secured by the company in recent weeks with Clanmil Ireland and OakleeTrinity.
The latest contract will see the company deliver a full range of heating response, repair and maintenance services for Abacus – a procurement consortium comprising of Clanmil, Abbeyfield & Wesley, Connswater and Hearth Housing Associations.
This will include response maintenance to heating systems and servicing of gas boilers and cover approximately 4,500 properties in Northern Ireland.
The company, which already employs 30 staff, is increasing its workforce by 10 in order to fulfil the demanding schedule of requirements for the Northern Ireland contract and the others which will cover the Greater Dublin area.
Founder and managing director of CTS Projects Ltd, Connaire McGreevy, said his company’s continued investment in their future growth plan had helped to secure these extensive contracts.
“We are delighted to have won these high-profile projects and to be able to bring 10 new employees onboard to ensure their smooth delivery.
“This is a significant and exciting time for our company and is firm recognition of the service that CTS Projects Ltd can deliver with our skilled workforce and growth plan.”
Earlier this year the company enhanced its existing premises at Milltown East Industrial Estate in Warrenpoint as well as purchasing a 70 acre site in Rostrevor on which to plant, harvest and grow willow as a renewable energy source to meet continued growth for their services.
Mr McGreevy said the company had experienced a steady increase in growth in recent years despite the challenging economic climate and these latest contracts were further testament in their innovation and their determination to deliver.
On behalf of the Abacus consortium, Adrian Redmond, Group Director of Assets at Clanmil Housing said “It’s really important to all of the associations in the Abacus procurement group that our tenants receive a first class maintenance service, and by working in partnership together to place this contract we are able to provide an enhanced service to our tenants that is also better value for money.
“We are delighted to welcome CTS Projects to the team and look forward to working with them to provide a great heating maintenance service for people living in Clanmil homes and in those of our partner associations.”
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More than one hundred staff from the Autoline Insurance Group put their walking boots on at the weekend and joined with their friends to climb Slieve Donard for the first major event of the company's ‘£40K for 40 charities challenge’
To celebrate Autoline’s fortieth anniversary year charities were invited to apply to the fund which aims to support forty different charities across Northern Ireland in the forthcoming year.
Michael Blaney, Managing Director of Autoline Insurance Group said, “We are delighted to have had such a fantastic turnout of staff and supporters for today’s event. This is the first of our major fundraisers in our aim to reach our £40,000 target by the end of the year. We have had a number of smaller events to date and have a gala ball, golf classics and marathon relays amongst other events planned for the remainder of the year, so we are well on our way.
“There were a number of people who made this mountain climb happen who I and our organising team would like to thank. Life Adventures and their team of qualified mountain leaders, Hugh McCann’s Bar, Newcastle for the use of their premises for registration, Fresh Foods Centre, Castlewellan for kindly supplying food for the post climb BBQ, Harvest Juices, Camlough for water and Mickey Hughes for the bananas.
“We hope to have lots more support from local people and businesses in our quest to hit our fundraising target which will go directly to supporting many organisations that are doing vital work in our communities.”
For further information about Autoline’s fundraising events and activities check out their website www.autoline.co.uk
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Three local developers came out tops in a battle of the apps organised by innovative Belfast firm TotalMobile at the Ulster Museum over the weekend.
GrowApp, created by IT students Carl Meehan from Newry, Mary-Jane McBride from Kilkeel, and Dean Meehan from Newry, was deemed the winner by a panel of expert local judges from more than 20 bright ideas.
Aimed at parents of newborn children, the winning app is designed to enable mothers and fathers to track the progress of their child and to benchmark its development against expected norms.
Some 80 developers from across Northern Ireland participated in the 24 hour event which challenged up-and-coming software experts to create ideas inspired by sections of the museum that can be used to improve health and social care.
Simon McIntyre from TotalMobile, who was one of the judges, says: "We were delighted with the number of participants at the event, as well as the enthusiasm of the teams and the quality of their ideas. The developers spent more than 24 hours in the Ulster Museum working with experts from TotalMobile to come up with and flesh out their ideas. There were some fantastic concepts, but we felt that GrowApp was a clear winner with real potential."
With almost 80 up-and-coming developers participating, the event is thought to have been one of the biggest hackathons ever to take place in Belfast.
The hack was part of TotalMobile's #CodeforBetter movement which seeks to help come up with technology-based ideas to help alleviate some of the challenges faced by the health service.
Belfast-based TotalMobile has been building software solutions to get people working better for 30 years and works with health and social care providers across the UK who use its innovative mobile working solutions to save time and money.
The company employs some 140 people at Pilot Point, Belfast, many of whom are software developers.
The winning trio will share a prize of £1,000 provided by TotalMobile to help support them in their career development.
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From the first of April the new Rating Revaluation of Commercial property will affect a number of Newry businesses and will see rateable value for offices jump by 38% while the Quays and Buttercrane Shopping Centre rates will reduce by 20%.
The previous rate value was struck in 2003 based on 2001 rental levels so the delay in revaluation has raised quite a few issues in the rates list to be corrected. There won’t be an overall increase in rates revenue but there will be a rebalance to reflect movement in property values. The rate in the pound for the new Newry, Mourne and Down Council will be approx. 58p to 53.8p and this will partially offset any rates increase explains Brian Clarke, Surveyor, Best Property Services.
In Newry and Mourne some 3,949 properties including approximately 1200 shops, 730 offices and 99 public houses will be affected.
“As a result of the revaluation, rateable values for offices in general have risen by 38%, shops by 10% and warehouses up by 15%.
“It’s not all rises though - some properties will have a reduction rateable valuation notably both the shopping centres in Newry which will have a 20 % reduction in their assessment,” Brian adds.
There are approximately 73,000 properties across NI affected by the revaluation and property owners will receive notification form Land and Property Services advising them of their new valuation for the new financial year.
“If property owners are concerned about their new valuation there is an appeals process which we can support them through.
“We’re working with a number of property owners at present preparing appeals to be submitted post 1st April. Any appeal would have to be supported with rental evidence that would show that the LPS assessment is wrong and the process has only a 6 month window.”
For more information on Rates Appeals Contact Brian Clarke at Best Property Services, tel 028 3026 6811.
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Newry business Deli Lites Ireland has secured a new contract with one of Ireland’s leading retailers. The company has been awarded the new contract to provide Boots Ireland with a local ‘food to go’ solution across a network of its stores.
Deli Lites Ireland was awarded its first business from Boots Ireland in a competitive tender. It has already started supplying a broad range of products including gourmet sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps, filled rolls, packaged salads and fresh fruit pots. Boots currently has 80 stores in the Republic of Ireland.
Brian Reid, Managing Director of Deli Lites Ireland, the market leading food business for cafes and convenience outlets throughout the island of Ireland he formed in 1999, says: “We are delighted to have won this contract from one of the most important retailers in Ireland.
“The new contract is a marvellous endorsement of both the quality of our products and of the customer-led service that has become our hallmark over 20 years in business.
“What’s also important is the boost for our sales outside Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland, for instance, contributes over 60 per cent of our business. It’s hugely important and offers significant growth potential.
“We secured the business because of our established and successful track record in the Republic for the supply of consistently high quality products, our sharp focus on developing innovative food with our customers and the efficiency of our delivery services using our 35-strong vehicle fleet.
“Customers also appreciate the benefits in terms of fresh and tasty breads that we are able to supply from our own bakery here in Warrenpoint,” he adds.
Commenting on the contract for Deli Lites Ireland, Gavin Rooney, Commercial Manager, Boots Ireland, says: “The bid from Deli Lites Ireland was compelling. The company demonstrated a willingness to work as closely as possible with our food team in developing a comprehensive range of products that will appeal to our customers and also enhance our ‘food-to-go’ offering
“In addition, Deli LItes Ireland has the logistical capability to deliver consistently high quality products to our stores every day across the country,” he adds.
As well as its main production and new product development operations at Warrenpoint, located close to major motorway networks, Deli Lites has depots in Dublin and Cork. The company employs 185 people in Warrenpoint and has other high profile food solution clients in the Republic including the Costa chain of cafes and Applegreen’s network of fuel forecourts.
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Thanks to last years buy-out of troubled Antrim firm Mivan by local businessman Brian McConville things are really looking up for the interior fit out and specialist joinery company.
The firm can boast of more than 100 staff now employed (many of them former Mivan employees) and a multi-million pound order book for 2015 onwards,
Junior Minister Jonathan Bell and Minister for Regional Development, Danny Kennedy visited the company last week, to see how the company has bounced back exactly one year after the construction firm was bought out of administration by Brian who owns MJM Group in Newry.
In January 2014 Mivan entered administration following a number of difficult trading years. The company closed with the loss of about 250 jobs when it could not be sold as a going concern. In February 2014 owner of global marine interior and fit-out specialist company MJM Group based in Newry began negotiations to acquire the premises, assets and trading name with the view to creating in the region of 40-50 jobs. The deal was complete in March 2014 and in the 10 months since Mivan began trading again this expectation has doubled with more than 100 people now employed by the company.
Invest Northern Ireland supported the creation of 28 of these jobs and provided support towards the costs of an Interim Manager to assist the company in identifying and implementing organisational efficiencies and best practices.
Junior Minister Jonathan Bell said: "The revitalisation of Mivan is very welcome news for the local community in Antrim, our construction sector and the Northern Ireland economy.
“Working with Invest NI, Brian McConville has helped to harness the specialist skills that had been built up within the Global Marine and Fit Out Sector over the past 30 years and reverse the potential loss of a highly skilled workforce. Mivan’s commitment to continuous improvement and excellence will serve the company well as it focuses on securing new global contracts.”
Brian McConville, Chief Executive of MJM Group and Mivan said, “This time last year we acquired the assets of Mivan. We were working in the same field so there were synergies between the two companies. We expected fairly slow growth while we got back up and trading, however with the experience of the former Mivan staff who re-joined the company coupled with MJM’s expertise we have already exceeded projections.
“Mivan now has a healthy order book and is actively pursuing opportunities nationally and internationally. We have also been able to collaborate with MJM on a number of jobs in the marine sector bringing together the strength of both companies to deliver major international projects. We are delighted that we have been part of rebuilding Mivan and we are confident that in a very short space of time it will regain its place as one of the leading companies in Northern Ireland’s construction sector.”
Mivan was established in 1975 and celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2015. The company has worked on some of the world’s most prestigious fit outs in hotels, public buildings, cruise ships and private dwellings including One Hyde Park in London, Wembley Stadium, The Trafford Centre in Manchester, The Bulgari Hotel in London, The Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar and The Dome of the Rock Shrine in Jerusalem.
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