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The Site of the Tesco Extra store on the Downshire Road has been sold for the incredible sum of £30 Million pounds to Scottish Widows Investment Partnership suggesting that confidence in the business economy locally is on the up.
The development was sold by Turkington Holdings Ltd and includes the 90,000 square foot complex leased to Tesco for 25 years.
The Tesco store opened in June this year.
The site went on the market with an asking price of £27.3 million!
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Establishing a Property Claims Team last year has paid dividends in increased export sales for Newry based company Cathal Grant Design & Management Ltd (CGDM)
Invest Northern Ireland offered the design and build company £19,000 of marketing assistance to help boost awareness of CGDM’s insurance claim assessment service, and to support the recruitment of a new marketing manager. Following extensive marketing activities, CGDM has secured £190,000 of new business in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) during the last twelve months.
Mark Bleakney, Invest NI’s Southern Regional Manager, said: “Cathal approached Invest NI last year requesting advice and assistance towards getting this new part of the business off the ground and has benefited from marketing support to help achieve this goal.
“Securing this valuable business in RoI during the past year is good news for the company and testament to its commitment to growth. CGDM’s success received further recognition at the recent 2013 Greater Newry Business Awards where it won Best New Business and Best Young Entrepreneur.”
Cathal Grant, Managing Director of CGDM, said: “Developing a comprehensive service for resolving property claims as a result of loss or damage has been very well received by our customers, particularly in RoI, and we are delighted with the uplift in export sales achieved as a result.
“The new venture has helped to elevate our business performance and the sales we’ve achieved since its introduction have exceeded our expectations. Since starting up the business, Invest NI has been an invaluable source of support and advice. Its assistance with the marketing of this service has made an important contribution to our success. We aim to build on this position over the coming months.”
CGDM Property Claims offer an assessment service for customers which need to make an insurance claim for their property as a result of fire, flood, storm, or burglary damage. Its network of professional surveyors, engineers and skilled tradesmen oversee and carry out the required repairs. The team also negotiates with the customer’s insurer and all other professionals on their behalf, including loss adjusters, brokers, surveyors, contractors and solicitors, to bring a claim to a successful conclusion.
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Deborah Loughran has been elected as President of Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade at its Annual General Meeting yesterday in Bellini’s, Newry.
The election of the Office Bearers and Executive Committee was presided over by Mr Art Magennis MBE. Mr Declan McChesney, Mr Michael McKeown, Mr Peter Conway and Mr Aidan Malone, were elected for the following positions respectively, First Vice President; Second Vice President; Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.
In her acceptance speech, President Deborah Loughran stated, ‘it is an honour and privilege to be elected as President of such a dynamic, pro-active and highly respected strategic lobbying and networking organisation’.
‘The next 12 months will have a significant long term bearing on the Greater Newry Area. Newry Chamber will do all that it can to help local businesses to grow and prosper’.
‘Newry Chamber seeks to represent the interests of its members and the wider community at a local, regional and national Government level. As we emerge from a long and difficult recession the economic climate remains challenging for many local businesses; it is imperative for local businesses to have a strong pro-active Chamber fighting for their interests and those of the Greater Newry area. Newry Chamber has been the voice of the local business community since 1892. I, along with the newly elected team of Office Bearers and Chamber Executive Committee will strive to continue the good work of our forbearers over the next 12 months and beyond’.
President Deborah Loughran added, ‘Newry Chamber will continue to support its members and provide value added services to all. We have an exciting calendar of networking events planned for the next 12 months tailored to meet the needs of members providing important business information, advice and networking opportunities. Chamber Officials led by Chief Executive, Orla Jackson, will continue to work in partnership with other organisations to provide members with services and resources which will help their businesses to grow and flourish’.
President Deborah Loughran thanked the outgoing President, Cathal Austin for all the hard work, dedication and commitment he gave to the Chamber during his time in office.
President Deborah Loughran, thanked the Executive members and office staff for their continued support and stated that she looked forward to a busy year ahead at the helm of Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade’.
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Newry man Michael Hannaway has been praised for his role in one of the world’s largest professional organisations when he handed over the reins of Chairman to his successor Paul Kendrick.
Michael Hannaway, who was RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Northern Ireland Chairman and continues to be a member of the RICS UK & Ireland World Regional Board, was applauded by his successor in the Northern Ireland role, Paul Kendrick.
Mr Kendrick, who takes over the reins as RICS NI Chairman for the next two years, said that Mr Hannway had played an extremely positive role.
“Michael’s time in office was certainly busy, with many achievements, such as the notable updating of the RICS Model Conacre Licensing Agreement and its adoption by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to be used in dual use situations. Michael has also put in a huge amount of work on member engagement, and I am certainly keen to continue his achievements in this area. I would like to thank Michael in the strongest terms for his efforts as RICS Northern Ireland Chairman over the last couple of years,” Mr Kendrick said.
Michael Hannaway was RICS Northern Ireland for two years, first taking up the role in October 2011.
Paul Kendrick will be Chairman of the 3000-member RICS Northern Ireland for a two year term beginning this month. He will lead the organisation’s Northern Ireland Board and oversee RICS’s local activities.
RICS, which has a remit to act in the public interest through its Royal Charter, has members across the land, property and construction industries in Northern Ireland. They include the chief executives of housing associations, leading academics, business leaders, senior public servants, and a range of other practitioners.
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Boots the Chemist, Buttercrane Shopping Centre scooped the top prize during the centre’s first ever National Customer Service Week celebrations (7-13th October).
The award comes hot on the heels of Specsavers winning the Best Customer Service (Multiple Retailers) accolade from the Greater Newry Area Business Awards 2013 while Thomas Cook, Buttercrane scooped Multiple Travel Agent of the Year at the NI Travel Awards this month.
Boots the Chemist was selected by customers for their knowledgeable and friendly staff and the team have been rewarded with a party kitty from the Management to kick start their annual Christmas celebrations!
Store Pharmacy Manager Celine McKenna said: “We were delighted to hear we’d won, especially based on customer feedback. We pride ourselves on customer service and training that Boots provide is wonderful. This is a fantastic endorsement of the staff efforts and they are thrilled with their party kitty prize.”
Boots were one of a number of Buttercrane traders who decided to get involved in celebrating the National Service initiative this year.
Throughout the week, uniformed Personal Butlers helped customers to carrying bags, assist with prams and even holding umbrellas for customers making their way to cars in the rain. They also picked up the car parking charges for hundreds of customers.
As part of the exercise, mystery shoppers were in the centre throughout the week and customers were asked to nominate stores which went that extra mile to give great service.
“The response was phenomenal,” Peter says. “Over 800 entries received praising stores and individual staff for the way in which they serve customers. Boots was selected as the winner but there was huge praise for a number of stores including M&S, Costa, Louis Boyds, Quiz, Topshop, O Brien’s, DV8, Argento and Cookstop among others and we’d like to thank the stores and particularly the customer for taking part in the event,” Peter adds.
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East Border Region launched their IOTA Programme at Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency this week. IOTA stands for Innovation, Opportunity, Training and Advice for potential new and existing businesses.
‘There are many ways to innovate’ was the key message at the official launch. The iOTA Programme is funded through the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Cross Border Programme, managed by the SEUPB.
Attendees included cross border political and local authority representatives, business support organisations, the SEUPB and higher education colleges and universities.
The Vice-Chairman of East Border Region Ltd, Councillor Alan McDowell welcomed guests and said “The iOTA Programme is an exceptional opportunity for potential new and small to medium sized enterprises in the East Border Region to develop their innovation capacity and capability by accessing skills, expertise and knowledge”.
iOTA offers a programme of innovation support under two strands, including training, road shows, innovation mentoring and advice, workshops, clinics and master classes. Dr Conor Patterson, Chief Executive of Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency outlined the cross border expertise including academic and practitioner delivery support that is available to support both new and existing participating businesses.
Speaking at the launch, Lorraine McCourt, Director with the SEUPB, said: “This project represents a significant investment under the EU’s INTERREG IVA Programme. It will provide some much needed support to micro-enterprises and SME’s on both sides of the border with the overall aim of supporting the continued development of a more sustainable economy.”
The iOTA Programme will take the process of innovation to businesses by road shows throughout the region and will seek to enhance understanding of the process of innovation and make local businesses more aware of the benefits of innovation in their businesses.
The Programme is open to individuals, SMEs and micro enterprises in the following council areas in Northern Ireland – Ards, Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Down, Newry and Mourne and North Down as well as Counties Louth and Monaghan in the south of Ireland and will be delivered by a cross border consortium led by Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency.
For further information or to participate on the iOTA Programme, please contact: Jane Magill, Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency on Tel: 0044 (0) 2830267011 or Email: jmagill@nmea.net
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Important local employers including leading companies including Norbrook, First Derivatives, Teleperformance and MJM Marine are just some of the many companies taking part in the the up-coming Jobs Fair in the Canal Court Hotel on Wednesday the 13th of November from 10am to 5pm.
The event is being organised by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) and will offer a range of job opportunities to the public.
The job fair is free of charge to attend and will offer jobseekers the chance to discuss various job opportunities with leading local companies.
A range of support organisations, including the Department’s Careers Service and Employment Service, will also be present to provide individuals with information, advice and guidance on a range of training and employment schemes including the Youth Employment Scheme that can assist individual’s progress towards work and better employment prospects.
For a full list of participating employers and organisations, visit www.jobcentreonline.com/
Commenting on the launch of the Newry Jobs Fair, Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry said: “This event brings employers, support organisations and jobseekers together under one roof. The Job Fair has something for everyone and I would encourage anyone, whether in work, unemployed or simply assessing education and training options, to explore the services which will be available on the day.”
Calling on young people to become involved in the work experience opportunities available through the Department’s Youth Employment Scheme, Minister Farry said: “The Youth Employment Scheme aims to help improve young people’s employment prospects by giving them real work experience. There are a wide range of work experience opportunities on offer at Jobcentre online for young unemployed people to avail of, which will improve their employability skills, and allow them to compete on a more equal basis with more experienced workers.”
For further information about the Newry Jobs Fair contact DEL Employment Contact Manager Clare Mooney on 028 3025 3149 or Tanya Henry on 028 3025 3103. Further information is also available on www.nidirect.gov.uk/newry-jobs-fair-and-advice-forum
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The economic and social importance of culture has been a key theme in Derry/Londonderry City of Culture recently as representatives from Kilkeel Credit Union joined hundreds of others from right across Ireland to converge in Derry for their annual ILCU Chapter Officers’ & Insurance Forum.
Under the banner ‘Working Together For Members’, delegates explored key issues impacting the lives of its almost 3 million members across Ireland North and South. Economist and commentator David McWilliams provided an insight on where the British and Irish economies are currently headed, and gave his thoughts on what needs to be done to drive the economy forwards, saying
“Over the course of the next couple of years, nobody is going to wave a magic wand at the top. Local economy is crucial to keep things going when the macro economy is uncertain.”
Looking at the British and Irish economies, he reflected on the changes ahead for both, urging the Irish Government to acknowledge their position, and said only an acceptance of the reality in which they find themselves will facilitate real change to their future.
Of the British economy, David compared the UK today to Britain of the 80’s, with continuing low interest rates and the recent privatisation of Royal Mail reflective of that era, highlighting the UK as “an example of a country that is serious about recovery”. He said:
“The British Economy is recovering, engineered by a Tory government who want to win the next election. David Cameron is willing to risk a housing boom – the jury is out as to whether that is the right thing.”
David spoke of the continuing high levels of immigration and unemployment in Ireland, North and South, and calling on his own experience of witnessing unemployment in his family growing up, urged delegates not to forget the harrowing impact of unemployment on individuals and families, reminding the audience that “Every single statistic is a story”.
The influential gathering took place in a city where roughly two thirds of the populations are already members of credit unions. Martin Sisk, President of the Irish League of Credit Unions, spoke of the significance of this weekend’s event. Speaking just days ahead of International Credit Union Day (Thurs 17 Oct) he said, “We were delighted to bring our conference to this world famous city, to not only to share in the city’s amazing year, but also to reinforce the increasing relevance and importance of credit unions in economies North and South.
“Much of our focus this weekend explored the future potential of credit unions, and gave us all an important opportunity to listen and exchange views with those who will actually shape the future of the credit union movement in this decade and beyond.
“In looking to our future it is important that we recognise our past. When the first credit union in Northern Ireland was founded in 1960 in Derry, it was almost impossible for the ordinary person to obtain affordable credit to help them fund their personal and family development. A lot may have changed since then, but it seems that, for many people today, that is once again the case and there are few families who aren’t feeling the financial pressures of recession. Against that backdrop of a tough economic climate and at a time when other financial institutions may have lost some of their lustre for the public, the credit union ethos is both relevant and attractive.
He continued: “Our keynote speaker, David McWilliams, had much to say on the economies of Britain, Ireland and Europe, speculating on the current state of play, and their future. He highlighted the importance of local economies, and we believe that credit unions, as a grass-roots movement, are paramount in supporting their local communities and economies.
“Overcoming our current difficulties as a country will make us stronger, more mature and more cognisant of the need to ensure that power does not become vested in the self-centred and self-serving elite.
“Credit unions as democratically run, owner controlled cooperatives have a clear opportunity now to stand out from the mainstream financial service providers and become the service providers of choice for our members by providing the range and quality of products and services that members need, delivered in the manner that our members deserve.
“We are all justifiably proud of our firm foundations but, as this weekend’s conference has illustrated, we are firmly focused on the future. The respect in which we are held, coupled with our strong community ethos and professionalism add up to a fantastic springboard for us and the communities we serve.”
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Commercial property activity in the Newry area has more than doubled by comparison with last year and sowing the seeds for a vastly improved year end Best Property Services reports.
Looking at the same period in 2012 (Aug/Sept/Oct), commercial transaction levels have risen by 60% which points to renewed confidence in property being a sound investment.
Commercial Director Ciara Aiken says: “Following a quiet start to the year, the last three months have seen a significant increase in activity, mainly in the office sector.
There has been a 60% improvement in transactions compared to this period last year which is certainly buoyed up by the banks beginning to support investment in prime assets.”
Ciara reports a strong demand for office properties and out of town commercial with four acres of industial land at Greenbank Industrial Estate was agreed earlier this month and Industrial Units at Loughway Business Park, Newry and Milltown Industrial Estate, Burren agreed earlier this month.
In the office sector, Bests have completed sales of office units in the Old Gasworks Business Park, Newry and agreed office lettings in both Monaghan Court and the Gasworks Business Park.
There are also encouraging signs in retail sales/lettings with the recent £30m sale of Tesco Newry, cementing the City’s reputation as one of the best provincial shopping locations in Ireland attracting shoppers from both sides of the border.
Ciara says: “Obviously the sale of Tesco, Downshire Road, Newry for £30 million is a huge industry story and it is a vote of confidence for Newry and the commercial property market. On a local level we’ve seen positive impacts with a number of recent retail sales/letting in Loughway Business Park, Mill St Newry, Bridge Street and Hill Street, Newry – all of which had previously been on the market in excess of 12 months.”
“In general terms, the increased activity levels have encouraged commercial property owners/landlords to approach us with new instructions so we are managing sales and lettings of an expanded commercial portfolio which is a very welcome development after a quiet start to the year for the sector,” Ciara concludes.
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