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Local councillors have asked for Newry Mourne and Down District Council to host a number of information sessions, across the district later this year to encourage and support small local businesses in the procurement process for its services. It follows complaints from several small businesses about the lack of access to council contracts at a local level.
Councillor Róisín Mulgrew who along with her Party colleagues will be raising the issue at the next Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee meeting said “Whilst ensuring that all council tenders and contract represent good value for money, there is absolutely no reason why this value cannot be met by our smaller local traders who live, work and create employment on a very local level.
The importance of public procurement contracts to local businesses cannot be understated and it is vital that local firms, particularly smaller ones, are given help and advice on how to tender for public contracts and know what is required of a successful bidder”.
Cllr Mulgrew concluded Newry Mourne & Down Council is currently involved in a number of major projects including capital build projects. It is important that all local businesses have the opportunity to bid for this work to ensure transparency and value for money for ratepayers.
We have many skilled service providers in this District so it is fitting that they have an equal opportunity to apply for these often lucrative council contracts.”
Speaking after Councillors completed a Procurement training session earlier this month, Councillor Pete Byrne added "I initially called for Procurement training 6 months ago and again at the Council’s Audit Committee just before the Summer. As a relatively new Councillor, I was keen to educate myself on the procurement process after I received complaints from several small local businesses about the lack of access to Council contracts. To ensure fairness for businesses within our district, it is important that they are provided with the information and know how on the tendering process so that they can maximise their chances of securing contracts.
"I was disappointed to find the limited scope for smaller businesses to win council contracts as the system currently gives an edge to larger companies. What is particularly infuriating is that once these large companies secure contracts, they then subcontract parts to smaller businesses. This effectively creates a monopoly in which large companies control and benefit from Council contracts to basically manage projects while subcontracting to small firms to carry out the work. This is an unnecessary level of bureaucracy that diminishes the value for money for the ratepayer."
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After a visit to a local farm MP Mickey Brady has spoken of the importance of nature friendly farming as well as the challenges of Brexit.
The Newry and Armagh MP who was visiting the Best family farm at Acton, Poyntzpass said that farming must be underpinned by environmentally sustainable policies which promote farming methods that preserve the environment.
Speaking following the visit, the Newry Armagh MP said “Today I met with Nature Matters, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Simon Best to discuss the challenges and the opportunities which exist in combining sustainability with quality food production.
“The environment is an important factor for all those who share the countryside and it is vital that we protect and preserve it. Farmers should be seeking to be productive while also protecting natural habitats and aiming to reduce reliance on chemical resources.
"Much of our environmental policy and legislation has been driven by the EU and agriculture faces specific challenges from Brexit.
"It is vital that safeguards are put in place to protect our environment, our farming and agri food sectors and to maintain cross-border commerce and co-operation."
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The first meeting of the Newry hub of the Next Chapter, the new civic empowerment initiative for women, will take place in Newry on Thursday 6th September at the Sean Holywood Arts Centre at 7pm. This hub will welcome participants from right across the Newry area and surrounding counties.
Women of all ages and backgrounds are invited to attend the first meeting, which will see capacity building training in politics, peace and reconciliation and public life provided over the next two years. The Chapter Hubs will meet monthly and participants will have the chance to engage and interact with women from their own Hub and the other nine Chapter Hubs, which are set to meet in the coming weeks and months.
Speaking before the meeting Programme Director Joanne Jennings said: “Each Chapter Hub will be a thriving local network for women and the gateway to regional events, forums and networking activities. The Next Chapter programme has been designed to help women or all ages and backgrounds take their first steps into community, politics and public life and includes the opportunity to apply for training in communication, conflict resolution, decision making and a range of other top- ics.”
“Any woman who is thinking of entering public or civic life can register at www.thenextchapter.eu or come along to the first meeting. The opportunities within the programme are unparalleled and never before has a training programme of this size and scale been designed and implemented especially for women,” she added.
The Next Chapter is a new programme supporting women to develop their ideas, build communities and support the transition out of conflict. It aims to improve the representation of women in public and political life and contribute to a more gender-sensitive society in Northern Ireland and the border regions of the Republic of Ireland. Those interested in further specific information regarding the programme in Newry are urged to contact Alice Byrne at alice.byrne@politicsplus.com.
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The region’s first ever business employee awards ceremony is set for this weekend, Saturday 15th September in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry.
Hosted by Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade, 45 employees from businesses and organisations across the Greater Newry Area have been shortlisted for the inaugural awards ceremony.
Speaking ahead of the awards, Paul Convery, President of Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade said: “This is our first ever awards ceremony and we have been delighted by the response. Great employees deliver business success and it is important that we recognise and celebrate this. Having an awards programme that recognises and values the efforts of employees is something the Chamber has wanted to do. It is not just the response to the awards programme but the quality of the nominations which has been so impressive.”
Hosted by the BBC’s Mark Simpson, some 200 guests from businesses and organisations across the Greater Newry Area will attend a glittering ceremony, to recognise employee excellence.
Commenting on the response to the awards, Chief Executive of the Chamber, Colm Shannon said:“The interest in the event has exceeded our initial expectations, which clearly points to our businesses wanting to say a big thank you to their staff. Each business has their own individual way to reward and recognise their staff. What the Greater Newry Employee Awards delivers is public recognition for the valued employee who goes above and beyond to deliver exemplary service.”
The awards have been judged independently and cover a broad range of businesses and organisations across 11 different categories. The evening culminates in the announcement of the overall employee of the year.
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Early-stage start-ups could walk away with £50,000-worth of cash and business support at the Innovation Nation 2018 Ascend Start-up Competition this month.
The inaugural tech and innovation conference taking place in Newry on 27th September has teamed up with leading start-up platform Startacus to deliver the all-island pitch competition where up to 12 early-stage start-ups will be given a platform to showcase their latest innovation.
The Ascend Start-up Competition will see start-ups with high growth potential from the digital and tech sectors taking to the stage to pitch their business to a panel of industry leaders and enterprise experts, as well as in front of the Innovation Nation 2018 attendees.
The winning start-up, to be announced at the Innovation Nation 2018 Dinner on Thursday 27th September at the Newry Town Hall, will receive a cash prize of £3,000, as part of a wider £50,000 package of high value corporate and professional services.
The Ascend judging panel is made up of Kevin McGivern of Kx, Ashleen Feeney of KPMG in Northern Ireland, Fiona McElroy of Ulster University and Garrett O’Hare of Flexi Work Space.
Kevin McGivern of Kx commented: “We are thrilled to be supporting Innovation Nation 2018, and in particular the Ascend Start-up Competition, which will celebrate and highlight the wealth of entrepreneurial talent across the island of Ireland.
“With a significant prize package worth over £50,000, the winning start-up will receive industry-leading professional and business advisory services from some of the event’s key sponsors, and I have no doubt Ascend will prove a success at the inaugural Innovation Nation.”
Cllr Mark Murnin, chair of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council added: “We are pleased to offer a platform for the significant level of start-up talent that exists across the Newry, Mourne and Down district, and indeed across the island of Ireland.
“With innovation and technology now infiltrating every aspect of our work and personal life, Innovation Nation is a must-attend event for anyone interested in the fourth industrial revolution taking place all around.”
Innovation Nation 2018, which is being run by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and a number of supporting partners from the public and private sectors, will show how organisations can use the latest innovations and technology to drive their businesses and will shine a light on the burgeoning tech scene in Newry and the surrounding area.
The conference will take place on the 27th & 28th September, with the second day delivered in partnership with Catalyst Inc. which is lending its expertise to shape an exciting programme for up to 300 school children from 10 schools across the Council area.
To apply for the Ascend Start-up Competition or for more information regarding Innovation Nation 2018, visit: www.nmdinnovationnation.com.
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Warrenpoint Port is inviting members of the public and other key stakeholders to comment on proposed changes to how dredged material from the harbour is dealt with.
The Port currently carries out a major dredging programme every two to five years with material disposed of in the Irish Sea.
However, new plans have been put forward to carry out dredging on a more regular but smaller scale, with material placed at a site in the mouth of Carlingford Lough between Cranfield Point and Greencastle.
Clare Guinness, CEO, Warrenpoint Port said: “In order for the Port to continue to support maritime trade successfully, it must ensure a sufficient water depth is maintained to allow for the safe berthing of vessels, which it does through dredging.
“In anticipation of a rise in trade over the coming years, and to ensure the Port continues to thrive as an economic driver to the local region, a new site for the disposal of dredged material is being proposed within the mouth of Carlingford Lough.
“This is also in line with current thinking that dredged material should be deposited as close as possible to source.
“In our role as a custodian of the marine environment, we want to hear the views of all stakeholders, including members of the public, before any plans are put into action.”
A number of surveys, studies and assessments will be undertaken to determine the suitability of the location between Cranfield Point and Greencastle, including marine ecology and sediment surveys, geophysical surveys, and hydrodynamic and sediment transport modelling.
A public drop-in consultation event will take place at Warrenpoint Town Hall on Wednesday 19th September from 4pm to 7pm where there will be an opportunity to discuss the proposed disposal site and the environmental assessment process with Port staff and its consultants Royal HaskoningDHV.
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The very first Greater Newry Area business employee awards proved a resounding success last night, Saturday 15 September, when Newry's top employees were publically recognised with Deli Lites employee Vladimir Mishurov taking the top honour.
Hosted by Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade, more than 200 employees from across the region attended the glittering awards ceremony in the Canal Court Hotel.
Ten employees and one team won the top awards on the night with the overall Employee of the Year awarded to Vladimir Mishurov from Deli Lites Ireland. The Team of the Year went to Kilkeel based Rockwell Collins. A further 5 teams and 29 employees from businesses and organisations across the Greater Newry area received commendations on the night for their achievements.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Paul Convery, President of Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade said: “Tonight is an opportunity for public recognition of the outstanding performance that employees deliver every day. This is Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade’s first ever employee awards ceremony and the interest in the awards has far exceeded our expectations”.
Highlighting the value of a public recognition event for employees, Mr. Convery said: “This evening is not just about the individual winners, it is also about highlighting the importance of every employee to business and organisational success. The fact that we are having an employee awards ceremony sends out a very strong message about the importance of employees to business success.”
Commenting on the success of the event, Chief Executive of the Chamber, Colm Shannon said: “With more than 60 nominations for the awards and over 200 employees from businesses and organisations across the Newry area turning out for the ceremony, the awards scheme has been a great success.
It is not just the success on the night but the quality of the nominations which has been so impressive. It says so much about the skills, talent and commitment of people working in the Greater Newry area.”
Hosted by the BBC’s Mark Simpson, the event was attended by some of Newry’s top businesses
The awards were judged independently and cover a broad range of businesses and organisations across 11 different categories. Each award has been individually sponsored.
The Winners
Business/Organisation
Tourism & Hospitality Sponsored by Translink.
Winner: Natasha Daryaie, The Fun House
Manufacturing & Engineering Sponsored by Rockwell Collins
Winner: Richard Hughes, Exact CNC NI Ltd
Retail Sponsored by The Quays Shopping Centre
Winner: Louise Grant, MacAdorey Optometrists
Public Sector Sponsored by BT
Winner: Stephen Simpson, PSNI
Professional Services Sponsored by Newry Reporter
Winner: Sean Brady, Autoline Insurance Group
Creative, Media, Digital or Technology sponsored by Southern Regional College
Winner: Steve Malone, Newry Democrat
Property & Construction Sponsored by Damolly Developments
Winner: Thomas Murnin, Branagan Construction Limited
Family Business Sponsored by JR Lighting
Winner: Alice Tavey, Kukoon Rugs
Team of the Year Sponsored by CGDM Construction
Winner: Composites NPI Engineering Team, Rockwell Collins
Unsung Hero Sponsored by Jack Murphy Jewellers
Winner: Richard Campbell, NIFRS
Overall Employee of the Year Sponsored by Newry Democrat
Winner: Vladimir Mishurov, Deli Lites Ireland
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Global sports technology firm STATSports is planning to create 237 new jobs over the next three years as part of aggressive growth plans to build on its global success. The investment announcement was made this afternoon at their Drumalane Mill HQ and the jobs will generate over £7M in additional salaries.
The Newry business is also making a multi-million pound investment in R&D and staff training supported by Invest NI.
STATSports is the world-leading provider of wearable player tracking devices and analysis software with offices also in London, Chicago and Florida. It has recently launched its Apex Athlete Series, which expands the company’s reach into the consumer performance monitoring market.
Alan Clarke, CEO and Co-Founder of STATSports is looking forward to expanding the company's reach: “This is a hugely exciting time for us at STATSports as we embark on the next stage of our journey. We have already established our performance monitoring technology with some of the biggest and best known sporting organisations in the world and this investment will allow us to expand our reach even further in both the elite and everyday field sports sector.
“Our staff are highly skilled and incredibly knowledgeable about the sports performance monitoring industry and we will be replicating that with the additional hires. The R&D assistance will also allow us to keep evolving our cutting-edge technology.”
Welcoming the announcement, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP said: “I am delighted to support the announcement of 211 new jobs in Newry, which will generate over £7 million annually in additional salaries.
“STATSports is an award winning tech business which has a fast-growing reach across the world and an outstanding reputation as a leading pioneer of cutting-edge sport technology.
“It is fantastic to see a significant R&D investment of £5.5m which will also create 26 R&D roles for the business.
“This is brilliant news for Newry and Northern Ireland as a whole. Once again, local businesses are making a huge impact on a global scale, with exceptional talent and world-class innovation.”
Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business and Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch added: “This significant expansion to STATSports workforce is an aggressive move to break into new markets and increase sales in Europe, the US, Asia and South America. Invest NI is proud and delighted to be supporting such an innovative and fast moving company to scale so significantly, securing this major investment in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area.”
Invest NI has offered STATSports almost £4million towards its investments in job creation, R&D and staff training. Recruitment is well underway in Newry with 92 of the new roles already in place. The jobs include a range of roles in HR, Sports Science, Sales, R&D, Finance and marketing.
Alan Clarke continued: “I would like to thank Invest Northern Ireland for its invaluable support in helping propel our business to the next stage of its development. Its willingness to understand the company and align support with our plans has been crucial to our growth and will enable us to expand the business here in Newry.”
Invest NI’s R&D support is part funded by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020.
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Shelbourne Motors is coming to Newry in 2019 and this week the family owned vehicle retailer has announced Ulster scrum-half John Cooney as its Brand Ambassador.
The Irish International will link-up with one of Northern Ireland’s largest family-owned vehicle retailers to promote its range of manufacturers, as well as its forthcoming £5m complex on the Armagh Road outside Newry.
Cooney had a remarkable 2017/18 debut season scoring 226 points in 25 appearances for Ulster that culminated in selection for the PRO14 Dream Team. He alsonamed Ulster’s Player of the Year, Supporters Club Player of the Year and Rugby Writers' Player of the Year.
His outstanding form has continued into the new season with a match-winning performance against Scarlets at the Kingspan Stadium that saw him kick all of Ulster’s points in their opening PRO14 fixture. He followed this up in Ulster’s nerve-wracking 30-29 win over Edinburgh by winning the contest with the final kick of the game to rack up 20 points from a try, three conversions and three penalties.
Speaking about his link-up with Shelbourne Motors, John Cooney, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Shelbourne Motors has asked me to become their first ever official Brand Ambassador.
“I’ve got to know this family run business really well and I’m hugely impressed with their excellent network of manufacturers and commitment to delivering aquality customer experience. You can easily see why they are one of Northern Ireland’s largest family-owned vehicle retailers.
“This is an important twelve months for Shelbourne Motors with their new state-of-the-art facility in Newry opening in 2019 and I look forward to working with them during an exciting period for the business.”
Paul Ward, Director of Shelbourne Motors, said: “John is the perfect fit for Shelbourne Motors and embodies everything that we want from a Brand Ambassador.He is driven, passionate and continually strives for ways to improve all aspects of his game and this resonates us as a business.
“He has become a firm fans favourite for his outstanding performances in an Ulster Rugby jersey and is highly respected for his various charitable commitments off the pitch.
“We look forward to working with John over the next twelve months as he continues to light up the Kingspan Stadium with his excellent array of passing and kicking that will hopefully help propel Ulster to success.”
Shelbourne Motors was founded by the Ward Family in 1973. The new £5m Newry complex is a 50,000 sq ft development that will create 60 new jobs with an additional 100 jobs during construction. Kia is the first manufacturer to be confirmed for the multi-franchise facility.
For more information on Shelbourne Motors please visit: www.shelbournemotors.com
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