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Around Noon and Henderson Wholesale have launched an innovative new food-to-go range as part of a multi-million-pound per annum partnership which will see Spar and Eurospar branches stock and extensive range of their pre-packed sandwiches, wraps, and salads.
Around Noon based at Greenbank in Newry will see the stores stock their new Daily Deli range including more than 60 product lines, a new brand identity and a suite of new packaging and signage.
Around Noon has supplied Henderson Wholesale with products including pre-packaged sandwiches for more than five years. In this time the companies have collaborated on successful initiatives including the charitable Christmas and summer sandwiches, where 10p from each sale is donated to SPAR and EUROSPAR’s dedicated charities; Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children. Over £2,500 was donated in the past year.
It has extended its food-to-go offering to be available all day including breakfast and hot food items and has placed greater emphasis on healthy eating options including a range of granola, cut fruit, salads and <300Kcal range. Fulfilled by Around Noon, it has also introduced a variety of vegan and vegetarian options including sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps, nourish bowls and meze platters.
Around Noon employs over 300 people across manufacturing facilities in Newry and London.
Its Sales Director, Philip Morgan, says: “We’ve developed a fantastic working relationship with Henderson’s Fresh Team over the last five years and currently supply over 60 lines to its SPAR and EUROSPAR stores daily, in addition to seasonal ranges at least twice per year. As consumer eating habits have evolved, we’ve introduced a range of vegetarian and vegan products, less than 300-calorie flatbread options, hot lines and granola and fruit pots.
“We’re very proud of the new Daily Deli range, which has been a significant project including rebranding, introducing new products and creating new packaging. We work hard to help our customers move with and stay ahead of changing consumer trends and the new Daily Deli range is part of that process,” he adds.
As the food-to-go market continues to grow – estimated to be worth £22.8bn by 2023, according to research by IGD – so too has Around Noon’s business with Henderson Group.
Gareth McAnlis, Food Development Manager, Fresh Foods at Henderson Wholesale, says: “Our shoppers want options without compromising on quality and value. This is one of the many reasons we’re proud of the partnership we have with Around Noon. The products are made locally with care. The level of innovation and new product development also means there’s always something in the pipeline to help keep our customers happy."
Henderson Group is one of the largest employers in Northern Ireland with over 3,400 employees.
Around Noon’s Christmas sandwich for Henderson Wholesale’s Daily Deli range was launched on Monday, 5 November with 10p from every purchase going towards Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children.
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A crane which is able to lift cargo up to 42 Metres has entered service at Warrenpoint Port. The port has also commenced the refurbishment of two other cranes following a major £3 million capital investment.
The new crane, built and supplied by Finnish manufacturer Konecranes, will significantly improve efficiency at the Port by reducing loading and unloading times, with the ability to lift 100 tonnes up to 42 metres above sea level.
Clare Guinness, CEO at Warrenpoint Port, said: “After much anticipation, we are proud to announce that works have reached completion on the build of our latest crane, which is now fully operational.
“The £3 million investment forms part of a major drive to facilitate our 25-year growth plan that was announced earlier this year.”
In 2017, Warrenpoint Port, Northern Ireland’s second largest port, handled a record 3.56 million tonnes of cargo valued at £6.2 billion.
The crane investment will improve the Port’s bulk business, which includes grain, timber, steel, wood chip, coal and cement.
Clare continued “This investment in our operational equipment marks the start of a considerable port-wide capital expenditure programme to improve efficiency, customer service and throughput. This will help us obtain our strategic objective which is to boost prosperity in the region given our position as a major catalyst for economic growth.”
Konecranes is one of the world’s leading makers of heavy lifting equipment serving the manufacturing and processing industries, shipyards, ports and terminals.
Neil Griffiths, Regional Sales & Service Director, Konecranes Port Solutions, added “We are very proud to have Warrenpoint, who has gradually invested in Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbor cranes, as our partner in cargo handling. The most recent addition of the eco-efficient Model 3 crane for handling all kind of cargo increases our long-term customer’s fleet to six cranes and will significantly bolster up Warrenpoint’s position in Ireland.”
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Tickets are now on sale in both of Newry's Lidl stores with the chance of winning one of 38 Christmas Trolly Dashes (one for each Lidl store in NI) around the shop just in time for the festive season.
Up to £10,000 worth of free shopping is being given away this December as part of a major festive fundraiser for its charity partner, NSPCC Northern Ireland.
The Lidl Christmas Trolley Dash gives customers the chance to win their entire ‘big Christmas shop’ – for the price of a £1 ticket. Shoppers can purchase tickets in-store.
Winners will have two minutes to dash through their local Lidl aisles stocking up on as many Christmas goodies as possible, including items from the supermarket’s premium Deluxe and Favorina ranges. With last year’s winners bagging an average £250 worth of free products, participants have the potential to sizeably reduce their overall Christmas spend.
Shoppers aren’t the only winners as 100% of all ticket sales will go directly to NSPCC Northern Ireland to fund key initiatives to help keep children safe. Last year, the Lidl Christmas Trolley Dash raised nearly £78,000 to support the charity’s Speak Out, Stay Safe schools’ programme, run in partnership with Lidl.
“Shoppers always save money at Lidl, but our Christmas Trolley Dash is a chance for 38 lucky customers to fill their trolley completely free of charge. Even better, every penny in proceeds goes to support the important work carried out by NSPCC,” said Angela Connan, Lidl Northern Ireland’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager. “We really want everyone to get involved as this is a great chance to cut the cost of Christmas whilst supporting a terrific local cause.”
Joanne McMaster, NSPCC fundraiser, said:
“We are incredibly proud to have Lidl Northern Ireland as our official charity partner. Over the course of our two-year partnership, Lidl has pledged to raise £250,000 to support our work with local children and young people. This year, the Lidl trolley dash will be raising vital funds for the NSPCC Helpline and our Light for Every Childhood Christmas appeal.
“In 2017, nearly a third of all calls to the NSPCC Helpline related to neglect, a figure that’s even higher at Christmas time. This Christmas help us shine a light on more children so together we can get help to children who need it, right now. If you think a child or young person needs your help talk it over with NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.”
The Lidl Christmas Trolley Dash will take place in all 38 stores on Saturday 15th of December at 7.50am, before opening time to allow winners an uninterrupted dash through the aisles. For more information about how to get involved and for competition terms and conditions, please go to www.lidl-ni.co.uk/trolleydashterms
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A group of Senior officials from the Jilin Province, China have visited Newry following a visit there by Newry organisations in October.
The visitors were welcomed to Newry Council Offices on Monday, 19 November by a delegation from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade and a visit by a delegation of Post Graduate medical students from Jilin University is also planned for December.
The visit followed on from an earlier international relations engagement in October 2018 by the Council, Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade and Southern Regional College to the City of Changchun, the capital and largest city in Jilin province. At this time the three organisations signed an Executive Programme of Friendly Exchanges Agreement with Changchun city, Changchun Chamber for International Trade and Changchun Vocational College. The visit was supported by the NI Bureau in China and the Confucius Institute in Ulster University, Belfast, who also signed an agreement with Jilin University.
Officials from the Jilin delegation included Mr JIN, the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of People’s Congress of Jilin Provincial, and Madam WANG Shuying, Consult General of the People’s Republic of China. The focus of the visit to the district was future opportunities for co-operation in trade, education, skills and culture.
Chairman, Cllr Mark Murnin said, “We are delighted to welcome the delegation from Jilin Province to Newry, Mourne and Down and further reinforce our growing partnership. In October we were able to confirm our commitment to Changchun through the official signing of Friendly Exchange Agreements with the City of Changchun, the Changchun Municipal Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of Trade, and the Changchun Vocational Institute of Technology. We believe our Friendly Exchange Agreements are a progressive step forward.
“Newry, Mourne and Down has a unique offering, particularly across our business base, tourism, and our education and skills. Through the exchange of information and cooperation in areas such as trade, education, skills, tourism and leisure, we can grow together to develop our regions for the benefit of our communities, our businesses and our visitors”.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr JIN outlined the full support of the Jilin Government to deepen the relationship between Newry, Mourne and Down and Changchun city. In particular Mr JIN remarked on the strengths of our region in digital technology, manufacturing and health and life science industries, which provide opportunities were both regions can learn from each other and gain mutual benefits.
Speaking on behalf of Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade, Mr Paul Convery explained the significance of this visit to Newry, “On our visit to Changchun, we spoke of the economic strengths of our district, our business base and our key growth sectors, which we hope to develop through future international exchange relations with China. Welcoming in Newry today a senior delegation of officials from Jilin is a significant achievement in our relationship.”
Southern Regional College, who have established an Exchange Agreement with Changchun Vocational College, have also expressed their commitment for furthering this relationship and are in the progress of building an Engagement Programme with Changchun Vocational College.
The Confucius Institute at Ulster University Belfast, supported the Jilin delegation while on their visit to Northern Ireland. Madam Yan Liu spoke of how the visit was a significant step forward following the Council’s first visit to Changchun in October.
In conclusion of the meeting, Chairman, Cllr Mark Murnin and Mr JIN exchanged gifts, which is an important symbol of the new partnership and forms part of the process of building a strong business relationship with Chinese officials.
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The UK Secretary of State for International Trade , Dr Liam Fox MP visited MJM Group in Newry this morning to find out more about the global reach of the McConville family group - MJM Group, Mivan and Topglass.
Brian McConville, Chair of MJM Group travelled on a trade mission to China with the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister earlier in the year following completion of MJM Group’s first marine fitout project in China.
Dr Fox toured the factory and met with the Executive Team to find out more about growth plans for the future.
The Company took the opportunity to assert support for the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement as, while not perfect, it offers a degree of certainty and a good starting point for understanding the uniqueness of Northern Ireland and the complexities of doing business here.
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Thursday last was certainly a good night for two successful Newry businesses when they won big at the prestigious BEFTA 18 Business Awards in Belfast.
PKF-FPM Accountants, with offices in Newry, Belfast, Dungannon and Balbriggan were the inaugural winners in a new ‘Professional Services Firm of the Year’ category. Meanwhile, Newry based First Derivatives were crowned ‘Technology Company of the Year’ for their commitment to innovation in the technology sector.
The awards, now in their 13th year and re-branded from the former UTV Business Eye Awards, were presented at a glittering ceremony attended by a 600-strong business audience at ICC Belfast. Sponsored by First Trust Bank, the awards honoured companies and business leaders across 18 different categories, rewarding growth, innovation and commitment to CSR, the environment and people development.
Speaking at the awards, Adrian Moynihan, Head of First Trust Bank said;
“The BEFTAs are Northern Ireland's longest running business awards and are an opportunity to celebrate the stand-out organisations and leaders in our business community, while very importantly recognising the value of their achievements to our economy and wider society.
Everyone who has been shortlisted and our winners should be very proud of their achievements.
“The event is also an important platform to beat the drum for the Northern Ireland business community and given the uncertain times we live in, politically and economically, we must ensure our voices are heard loud and clear at this critical time.
“Last week we saw a significant and positive step forward in Brexit negotiations with the publication of the draft Withdrawal Agreement and a date set for the EU Summit. While maybe not perfect, we agree with the views and position of the leading Northern Ireland business organisations and representative groups who have voiced their support for the draft Agreement. It is clear that most business leaders understand and agree that a ‘No Deal’ Brexit could be hugely damaging for our economy and is simply not an option. This deal at last brings some certainty and allows us to turn our attention to the future trade relationship with the EU - safe in the knowledge that we have a transition period to negotiate it and a backstop to fall back on should those negotiations fail.”
Richard Buckley, Editor of Business Eye added “Business Eye is proud to have been organising Northern Ireland’s foremost business awards for the past 13 years. Against a challenging backdrop, it’s really important for business success, by both companies and individuals to be recognised in this way. We had a record-breaking entry in 2018 and both the scale and quality of that entry illustrates the strength of the local business sector.”
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The annual Newry Business Christmas Charity Dinner is happening 6 December and Newry Chamber President, Paul Convery has announced that American Airlines once again has agreed to sponsor business class travel for the lucky winner of a fundraising draw on the night. Contact Newry Chamber of Commerce to buy your ticket.
The Charity dinner is one the largest events of its kind in N Ireland and so far has raised over £1.3M.
The American Airlines Golden Ticket initiative is conceived to raise funds for the local charities who are set to benefit from the business community’s generosity at this annual fundraising event which will see the Canal Court Hotel welcome over 700 guests.
Chamber President Paul Convery said: “We are very grateful to American Airlines for their third year of support. This Golden Ticket Prize is highly desirable and with a limited issue of 100 tickets, last year sales of Golden Tickets sold in little over two weeks and raised £10,000 for local charities.”
“American Airlines is proud to support local charities which are close to the hearts of our team members and customers” said Caitriona Toner, American Airlines Sales Manager for Ireland. “We would like to thank the event organizers, attendees and the charities themselves for their dedication and commitment to improving the lives of those in need across Ireland.”
Chosen Charities for 2018
This is the 19th annual Newry Business Christmas Charity Dinner and this year’s chosen charities are Action on Elder Abuse, Air Ambulance NI, Space NI, Community Rescue Service, MS Society, Down Right Brilliant, Rathore School, Women’s aid, Ellen’s Journey, Life & Time, PIPS Hope & Support, Daisy Hill Hospital Children’s Ward, Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and others to be confirmed.
The event also supports St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army in Newry through the creation of a show stopping Toy Mountain.
Mr Convery explains: “Each guest who attends is asked to bring an unwrapped toy for a child in need. Volunteers from the two nominated charities ensure that all donations are delivered to children and families in need by Christmas Eve.
“Its’ truly humbling to be involved in an event like this and I’d like to thank American Airlines again for their support, the business community for their continued generosity, the volunteers with local charities, our local schools and the Chamber committees and member base for the time, money and support they give us every year to put together this huge event,” Paul adds.
For more information on the event, ticket sales or to donate please contact Newry Chamber of Commerce tel: 028 302 50303 ext 2 or email: admin@newrychamber.com
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MJM Group have appointed three Contract Directors on their Board of Directors.
Colm Cunningham, Damien Morgan and Gavin McKevitt have been appointed to the Board by the world leading marine out-fitting company who recently completed an historic refit of the Azamara Pursuit in Belfast on behalf of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd and Azamara Club Cruises.
Speaking about the appointments, Gary Annett, MJM Group CEO commented “Over the past 12 months, we have completed a number of “firsts” which includes our first ever contract in China and the completion of the Azamara Pursuit project, which gave us complete project management responsibility and put MJM Group on a wider global map bringing larger and more challenging contracts to our business. The appointment of Colm, Damien and Gavin to our Board of Directors is a reflection of the growth of MJM Group and our commitment to securing our long-term future.”
Colm and Damien have been with MJM Group for 30 years and 20 years respectively. Colm is one of MJM Group’s longest serving employees, starting his career as an apprentice joiner before working his way across the company gaining experience in every area of the business. Damien began his career as a technical draughtsman and has worked across the business. He was the Contracts Director responsible for the Azamara Pursuit contract. Gavin joined MJM Group in April 2018 and has brought fresh eyes to the company. As part of his responsibilities, Gavin will be the Director in Charge of Health, Safety, Quality and Environment.
“MJM Group has recorded significant growth in recent years. We have taken on over 70 new employees since the beginning of the year with plans for further recruitment and we have developed stronger relationships with our customers,” explains Gary. “As part of our growth, we have strengthened our Board of Directors and specifically our Contracts Division with the appointment of Colm, Damien and Gavin. Their combined experience will ensure that MJM Group Management Structure is fully robust to embrace new opportunities and drive continued growth.”
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Around Noon has won a place on Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 for second year in a row, one of a small number of companies to make the prestigious ranking twice in succession, and it is believed the first food manufacturer in the UK to do so.
The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table ranks UK private companies with the fastest-growing sales.
The Newry based company has experienced significant growth in recent years as it has increased business with existing clients and acquired a Slough-based business to expand its sales in greater London.
It supplies a wide range of sandwiches, wraps, salads, bakery items and cold-pressed juices to leading coffee-shop chains and convenience retailers as well as contract caterers.
Commenting, CEO Gareth Chambers said: “This achievement recognises the hard work that our team in Newry and Slough have put in to grow our business, as well as the fantastic partnerships we have with our clients. There are some outstanding businesses in the league table and we’re very proud to be listed alongside them.”
Newry based construction and fit-out contractor, mac-group is also on the list.
The Fast Track 100 is sponsored by Virgin Atlantic, Barclays, BDO, BGF and N+1 Singer, and is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Group, which has supported Fast Track 100 for all 22 years, commented “Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of UK business and have always been the beating heart of positive change. In a climate of uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to recognise those entrepreneurs, like those of this year’s Fast Track 100, who are making the world a better place for everybody.”
The full league table is published on 2 December as a 10-page supplement with the business section of The Sunday Times both in print and in the digital edition, and on www.fasttrack.co.uk
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