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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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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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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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Freight capacity on the Warrenpoint to Heysham route is set to increase by 30% with the announcement of a €100M Seatruck investment which will see the popular 11 times a week route operated by two larger capacity ships.
With the UK haulage industry facing a HGV driver shortage between 45k and 50k (ref: Road Haulage Association), the advantages to companies of their containers travelling the Warrenpoint Heysham route unaccompanied is proving increasingly attractive.
Alistair Eagles, Chief Executive of Seatruck Ferries remembers the first Seatruck sailing in 1996. “I clearly remember watching the very first Seatruck sailing from Warrenpoint in 1996. Even back then we had a very strong belief in our business model, our service and our future strategy.
“Adding larger ships to the Warrenpoint route is the next logical step for Seatruck and I have no doubt that it will be very popular providing more unaccompanied trailer space to our growing customer base, as the industry seeks solutions to the ongoing driver shortage.
“The larger vessels underline the need for the Southern Relief Road which will connect Warrenpoint Port directly to the main Belfast-Dublin motorway. Seatruck fully support this key piece of infrastructure.”
Regardless of what way Brexit pans out the Chief Executive stressed the importance of the route “Whatever the outcome of the Brexit land border negotiations, Warrenpoint Port will continue to be a cornerstone of the Seatruck operation."
The expansion will see the four-deck Seatruck Precision and Seatruck Performance replace the current three-deck vessels.The vessels were built in Germany in 2012 and are proven Irish Sea ships that are currently on charter to another operator although they were originally designed for the Warrenpoint service.
In welcoming the announcement, Clare Guinness, Chief Executive of Warrenpoint spoke of the need for more space at the port as well as the importance of the planned Southern Relief Road “This is a significant investment by Seatruck Ferries and is a clear commitment to Warrenpoint Port and the wider Newry, Mourne and Down district, which will directly benefit from the increase in trade.
“We have a strong relationship with Seatruck and the Port is supporting the company with the provision of additional terminal areas.
“Our recently launched Masterplan outlined our vision for the development of the Port for benefit of the wider economy and community. Part of that strategy is to grow freight ferry volumes and this welcome announcement will assist the Port in realising that vision.
“It also makes all the more pressing, the need for increased space at the Port which must also be supported by key infrastructure projects such as the South Relief Road.”
The announcement has also been welcomed by Mary Meehan, CEO Newry Chamber of Trade and Commerce who commented “Any increase in trade for the region is to be welcomed and I congratulate Seatruck on its investment in Warrenpoint and the Newry area.
“The Newry Southern Relief Road now becomes even more a priority for the Department for Infrastructure to improve connectivity across the region and support the growth of our local businesses.”
The expansion on the route is planned to begin at the end of August/ start of September with the two larger freight ferries deployed on the route. It will mean the route will be able to carry 30,000 additional trailers annually on the crossing.
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Best Property Services in Newry are marking 140 years combined Director experience this month in residential, land and commercial services.
Managing Director Garry Best said: “We are proud of our long history serving Newry and the South Down region and grateful to home and business owners, our professional contacts and clients for their support.
“We are also very appreciative that our team of 15 staff – including the largest regional team of RICS Chartered Surveyors – who continue to deliver their best efforts for the benefit of all our clients, across our dedicated residential, commercial, land and valuation divisions.”
“This month we’re celebrating as the Directors mark 140 years’ combined experience and we’ll also be using this as an opportunity to reaffirm our desire to continually drive innovation in the way we do business and offer unique services to clients,” Garry adds.
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A million pound redevelopment project on the site of the former Smyth’s Sports shop in Kildare Street in Newry sees the opening of Granite Exchange, a new shared serviced office development. Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade are the first local business to relocate there.
Chief-Executive, Mary Meehan explained why the Chamber chose the premises for their new home. “Granite Exchange offers Newry Chamber a city centre location in high spec, affordable, modern premises. We wish Jonathan and his team every success in securing new tenants to the centre of Newry and thank him for his continued commitment to investing in Newry”.
The enterprise will offer both serviced offices and meeting rooms at its Kildare Street base.
Jonathan McKeown, Owner of Granite Exchange, commented “We wanted to create a place where the offices are of a very high specification and professional in every way so as to attract both new and existing businesses looking for a prime location in Newry.
“We have completely refurbished the building. Significant investment has gone into ensuring that every room has high speed internet and wi-fi, automatic lighting, air-conditioning and key fob entry system. Whilst the building also has modern shower facilities and two fully fitted kitchens.
Our vision is to make paying for office accommodation as simple as possible so the inclusive monthly fee covers a great many items that are often over looked when an organisation has to look after a building themselves. Most expensive of which is a dedicated reception team. We look after everything so the businesses who locate here, can get on with growing their business without having to think about anything else”.
Newly appointed Manager, Colleen O’Hare is very much looking forward to the challenge of bringing the vision for Granite Exchange to fruition. “As soon as anyone walks through the door of Granite Exchange they are overwhelmed by the quality of the fit-out and the professional image of the premises. I feel sure that the clients of the businesses who locate here will be similarly impressed which will have an added benefit for our residents”.
Granite Exchange has a range of furnished office sizes available from 1-3 person office suites to co-working office spaces, perfect for a team workspace or one-person use. Meeting rooms, hosting up to 10 people, are also available for hire.
To find out more, please visit www.granite-exchange.com, email colleen.ohare@granite-exchange.com or call 028 30442500.
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Newry based companies Healthy Built Environment (HBE) & Bluezone Technologies have won the Business in the Community, Big Shops' Showdown after raising over £13K for Cancer Focus NI, easily breaking their own target of £10K
The initiative involved taking over the running of Cancer Focus NI’s charity shop in Banbridge and Melissa Faulkner, Manager of the shop commented “We were delighted with the huge amount of money raised by HBE. Their volunteers worked really hard to achieve this magnificent amount.”
Numerous fundraising events were organised at their Head Office in Newry and supported throughout their Irish and UK offices. Events included a company BBQ and sports day, a Great HBE Bake-off, Super Hero day and a Grand Prize Raffle.
Clive Clarke, Managing Director, commented: “Our Grand Prize Raffle was a huge success, our very generous clients and suppliers donated over £2,500 worth of prizes and we sold over 8,000 tickets across the business. We also had prizes for the top ticket sellers across each region, UK, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so there was definitely some friendly competition.”
“We were delighted to raise such a significant amount of money for such a worthy cause. All our staff, clients, suppliers, their friends and families put a huge effort into arranging and supporting all the events surrounding the day. This is a testament to the dedicated and commited staff we have at HBE and Bluezone”.
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Kia Motors have been the first car manufacturer to be confirmed for the new £5M Shelbourne Motors, state-of-the-art multi-franchise facility opening in Newry.
The 50,000 sq ft development will create 60 new jobs when it officially opens with an additional 100 jobs during construction.
It will include four new car showrooms, new car handover bays, lounge-style waiting area with café and a drive-thru service centre with a 28-bay service workshop.
The Kia partnership will see Shelbourne Motors as the dedicated dealership supplying new and used Kia vehicles to customers in the Newry and Mourne area.
The South Korean manufacturer is one of the UK’s top selling car brands, selling over 93k new vehicles in 2017. Its range includes the compact Picanto and Stonic, the mid-sized family Cee’d; the seven-seater Sorento, as well as the award-winning Sportage.
Speaking about the partnership with Shelbourne Motors, Nigel Flude, Regional Franchising Manager at Kia Motors (UK) said: “Newry is an extremely important location for Kia Motors (UK) and this expansion represents an exciting step for our brand. This will be the first time that Kia Motors (UK) will have a dedicated dealer supplying new and used Kia vehicles to the area.”
Shelbourne Motors was founded by the Ward Family in 1973 and Director, Paul Ward, added; “We’re delighted to partner with Kia Motors (UK) to announce one of the world’s most popular car brands as the first franchise at our new £5m custom-built facility in Newry.
“This is a real statement of intent by Shelbourne Motors. Kia is synonymous with driving comfort, quality, reliability, technology, competitive pricing and the market-leading seven-year warranty."
Shelbourne currently employs over 130 staff at its 9-acre Portadown headquarters, where it operates Toyota, Renault, Nissan and Dacia franchises, as well as a Used Car Supermarket,Accident Repair Centre and Valet Centre.
For more information on Shelbourne Motors you can visit: www.shelbournemotors.com
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Newry Chamber of Commerce has launched the Greater Newry Employee Awards to help recognise top performing employees in local businesses.
Entries are now open and nominations can be submitted online via www.newryemployeeawards.com and entries are open to all businesses across the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Area.
Paul Convery, President of Newry Chamber commented: “Promoting a culture that rewards and recognises top performing employees should be embraced. We encourage all businesses across all sectors in the public and private sectors to put forward a nomination which will be judged by an independent judging panel and celebrated at a Gala Dinner on Saturday 15th September 2018.”
A full list of Categories, FAQs and Terms & Conditions are also available to view on the Employee Awards website and the deadline for entries is Friday 17th August at midnight with the shortlisted finalists announced on Monday 27th August.
Mary Meehan CEO of Newry Chamber added “We are delighted to launch our first ever Greater Newry employee awards. These awards underpin the Chamber’s aim to support businesses in creating a happy and healthy workplace and recognising and celebrating employee success. It is important that employers communicate to the employees the criteria for what performance or contribution constitutes rewardable behaviour in their own workplace. All employees are therefore eligible for the recognition and nomination but only one nomination per company will be permitted.”
A full list of Categories, FAQs and Terms & Conditions are also available to view on the Employee Awards website.
The shortlisted finalists will be announced on Monday 27th August and the competition will culminate in a Gala Awards Ceremony in the Canal Court Hotel & Spa on Saturday 15th September.
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