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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is urging local businesses to take advantage of a free financial workshop in mid-September. The ‘Getting to Grips with your Business Finance’ seminar will take place in Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency on Tuesday 17 September and in Down Business Centre on Wednesday 18 September.
The workshop is part of the Newry, Mourne and Down Business Growth Programme and part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth and Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey said, “I would encourage all local business owners and managers to take advantage of this free event.
“As well as the practical help and insights around managing the finances of your business, participants will also have the opportunity to meet with others who face the same challenges, to collaborate and to build better networks for the future.
“We know that finance managers in small businesses often have to perform a multitude of roles which can be daunting. Working your way through the maze of important technical terms and systems can be difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with them. This is where our workshops come in: they will explain the basics simply and help you to understand key areas of finance.
“The Council is very keen to encourage business growth across the district. Staging this workshop in two locations over two days will, we hope, make it easier for our local businesses to take advantage of the help on offer.
“I would say to all local businesses, make the most of the assistance on offer—sign up for one of these workshops.”
Some of the areas that will be covered in the seminars are:
The Newry, Mourne and Down Business Growth Programme workshops are open to any business located in the council area. Businesses can register to attend here: www.nmdgrowth.eventbrite.co.uk
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A Newry-based bakery has been marking its success in the Great Taste Awards.
Sweet Things Badass Bakery, which is owned by Around Noon, won a gold star Great Taste 2019 Award for their Irish Tea Brack product.
Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink.
It has been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’.
Ciara Byrne of Sweet Things said: “The Great Taste logo is seen as a mark of quality that you can trust when buying food and drink. It is fantastic news for our company and a real endorsement of the quality of the food we are producing.”
The single gold star award indicates a simply delicious product. Judges described Sweet Things Irish Tea Brack as “a good-looking Fruit Cake with a dark caramel finish.” “Lovely fresh, plump fruit throughout. Very tasty with just the right balance between sweetness and tannin.”
Sweet Things is the bakery brand of food-to-go manufacturer Around Noon. Sweet Things produces a wide range of cakes, bakes, scones, slices and muffins for a range of customers including coffee shop chains and contract caterers.
Around Noon is one of the fastest-growing companies in the UK and Ireland. It was listed in the Sunday Times Virgin Fasttrack 100 for the second year in a row in 2019.
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Grocery retailer Lidl and large sporting goods retailer Sports Direct will be opening their doors at the Buttercrane Shopping Centre in 2020, subject to planning.
Lidl will be taking a 25,000 sq ft unit in the centre which was previously occupied by Easons as well as part of the former M&S space. Sports Direct will occupy a 22,500 sq ft unit across two floors in the remainder of the M&S unit.
Since arriving in Northern Ireland in 1999 Lidl has opened 38 stores across the country and it has recently unveiled a series of new concept stores, with ultra-modern designs.
Founded in 1982, Sports Direct International PLC is the UK's largest sporting goods retailer and operates a diversified portfolio of sports, fitness, fashion and lifestyle fascias and brands. The Buttercrane store will be the first in Northern Ireland to feature the new elevated store design, including a UFC fashion section.
This year Buttercrane Shopping Centre is celebrating 30 years in the heart of Newry city. Located alongside the canal, the centre has played an important role in developing the city’s reputation as one of the best provincial shopping destinations in Northern Ireland. It employs 900 staff and contributes £13m to the economy every year.
Peter Murray, centre manager at Buttercrane Shopping Centre, said “This is a very exciting year for the shopping centre as we mark a successful 30 years in the city. We are delighted that Lidl and Sports Direct have chosen to move to Buttercrane, further expanding our diverse offering of fashion, lifestyle and food and beverage retailers.”
Conor Boyle, regional director for Lidl Northern Ireland adds “Since 2000 Lidl has proudly traded in Newry with our first store at Bagenals Castle, followed by our second store opening 11 years later at Damolly Retail Park. As the fastest growing retailer in Northern Ireland we need to accommodate our growing customer numbers and so we have sought a location to replace Bagenals Castle. Our proposed scheme will regenerate a strategic site in the heart of Newry city, which has sat vacant for much of the last decade and we believe we will be able to offer a much improved shopping experience for the years ahead. We look forward to continuing to invest in Newry city and offering shoppers the best value in the market.”
Lambert Smith Hampton and Cushman and Wakefield acted on behalf of Buttercrane, which is also managed by Lambert Smith Hampton.
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Northern Ireland's leading business awards are back for the 14th consecutive year, with a new name but a well-established reputation as the very best of their kind on the local business scene.
The First Trust Bank Business Eye Awards are an exciting new version of Northern Ireland's longest running business awards and the result of a partnership between the experienced team at Business Eye and lead sponsor, First Trust Bank.
Local companies and business leaders in Newry have the opportunity to enter a total of 18 categories covering every aspect of business across the region and the awards will be presented at a gala evening on Thursday, 28th November at the ICC Belfast.
The Business Eye Awards have been honouring leading local companies, organisations and business leaders for the past 13 years. Last year's awards showcased an impressive array of winners at a memorable awards night held at the showpiece ICC Belfast venue in front of a 600-strong audience.
Several Newry businesses were recognised on the night, including multi-award-winning financial tech company, First Derivatives who won the Technology Company of the Year award.
Other key winners included Tina McKenzie, entrepreneur and business leader who was named as Business Personality of the Year. Belfast-based FinTrU, one of the leaders in the dynamic fintech sector in Northern Ireland, lifted the coveted Company of the Year award.
First Trust Bank, a key supporter of the Northern Ireland business community, has partnered with Business Eye on the annual Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards for the past four years, a successful partnership that has moved to a new level.
Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director of Business Eye, says that the awards are a clear leader in the Northern Ireland business community. “There is no doubt that these are the awards that local businesses want to win, and our annual awards night in November has grown to become one of the best nights of the year on the local business calendar.
“These awards mean a lot to those who win them...to their management teams, to their employees and to their customers.”
“First Trust Bank works with businesses of all sizes and in every sector across Northern Ireland” says Adrian Moynihan Head of First Trust Bank. “We are delighted to continue to work with the Business Eye team on these awards. Despite all of the challenges, organisations in Northern Ireland continue to innovate and inspire. We’re looking forward to celebrating a range of business success stories at the awards event in November.”
The closing date for entries will be Friday, 25th October, with the judging panel due to meet in early November. Companies and individuals will be able to enter no less than 18 different categories covering most aspects of the local economy and business life.
Entries can be completed online at www.businesseyeawards.co.uk
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Ciara Aiken, Commercial Property Director, Best Property Services has spoke about the Commercial property market locally over the summer.
“With summer drawing to a close and the clamour of Back to School week settled, it’s a good time for us to reflect on market performance for the last quarter.
"Traditionally summer is a time when the commercial property market experiences a lull in activity..holidays, employee leave and the season of autoresponders mean major decision on buying a commercial property, valuing a commercial property or even selling a commercial property are often put on the long finger.
"The sales pattern in recent years usually dictates business calls begin in earnest in early September and that’s when we feel the Commercial Market awakes from its Summer slumber with a burst of activity in the last quarter of the year.
"Summer 2019 has not followed the trend.
"This summer we’ve seen a complete about change in seasonal property trends."
Ms Aiken continued "The Best Property Services Commercial team have secured six Commercial lettings in the first six weeks of the summer – these include a mix of commercial property types from retail units and retail warehouses to offices and restaurant premises.
"Three of the six properties were agreed within two weeks of coming to the market – no sign of any summer lull.
"It is also good to note that three of the lettings were to existing Newry businesses expanding in the City while the remaining three were to newly established businesses.
"In both circumstances the investment in commercial property signals a green light for the Newry business community.
"It’s also tangible vote of confidence in the commercial property market in the City and Best Property Services are very pleased to be part of contributing to the growth of Newry as a great place to do business.”
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Sixty new jobs are now live after Shelbourne Motors opened its new £5m multi-franchise complex in Newry yesterday, Monday 24 September.
The 50,000 sq ft development features state-of-the-art showrooms for global car manufacturers Renault, Dacia and Kia, and a purpose-built Autoselect Used Car Supermarket.
The facility - designed by Clarman Architects and constructed by O’Hare & McGovern - also includes new car handover bays, drive-in service centre and lounge-style waiting area.
The 60 new jobs fill a number of key roles in customer service, sales and technical support at the family-owned vehicle retailer’s multi-franchise complex.
Paul Ward, Sales Director at Shelbourne Motors said: “The opening of our new £5m multi-franchise complex in Newry is a significant landmark moment for our business. It is the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance to fulfil our ambitions of expanding into the Newry and Mourne area.
“We worked with Clarman Architects and O’Hare & McGovern to deliver a state-of-the-art facility that matched our long-term vision, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. It’s beenmeticulously designed and constructed to provide an unequalled sales and after-care experience to customers.
“We look forward to welcoming all of our customers – old and new - to experience its sleek and modern layout with its host of technologically-advanced features.”
“We have also appointed a dynamic and experienced team of 60 new staff, across a range of customer service, sales and technical support roles, tasked with delivering our ethos of exceptional choice and service to our loyal and ever-expanding customer base.”
The addition of Kia Motors (UK) to the family-owned vehicle retailer’s franchise portfolio expands the number of manufacturers it represents to five across its Newry and Portadown locations.
The deal with Renault and Dacia strengthens Shelbourne Motors’ relationship with the French car manufacturer having operated a franchise of the brand at its Portadown headquarters since 2003.
Paul added: “The Kia and Renault partnerships position Shelbourne Motors as the only dedicated dealership supplying new and used Renault, Dacia and Kia vehicles in the Newry and Mourne area.
“These global manufacturers are a perfect fit for us and we believe we have delivered spectacular showrooms and top-class staff synonymous with the market-leading qualities of each brand.”
Shelbourne Motors was founded by the Ward Family in 1973 and its Portadown headquarters 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’ new multi-franchise complex in Newry visit WWW.SHELBOURNEMOTORS.COM
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Brendan Digney of Machine Eye Technology, Newry, has been shortlisted for the Student Director of the Year Award at the finals of the 2019 IoD Director of the Year Awards.
Machine Eye is an award-winning innovative new safety device for use on tractors, plant, and heavy machinery. Machine Eye provides protection against accidents stemming from accidental contact and collision involving machinery for operators, and bystanders. Through use of behavioral analysis and artificial intelligence, Machine Eye automatically takes control of a machine in dangerous conditions, delivering an intelligent response to remove any risk.
Britain’s Got Business Talent
The IOD Awards celebrate the best of Britain’s business talent in terms of exceptional leadership and good governance. The Director of The Year Awards recognizes business innovators at an event in London’s The Brewery, hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald.
Charlotte Valeur, Chair of the Institute of Directors, said: “In this time of great change for business and society, enterprising and responsible leadership has never been more important. These are the qualities that Director of the Year Award finalists embody, and it is a privilege to be able to give these individuals the recognition they deserve. Congratulations to all of those who have made it to this stage, you provide us with confidence in the ongoing strength of the UK’s director community.”
Brendan, who was recently announced as Irish Student Entrepreneur of the Year founded the business alongside his studies at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Since its foundation in 2018, Machine Eye has received critical acclaim: this has included being a winner of Catalyst INVENT; the Ireland Funds Innovation Award; and an “One to Watch” award. The business also featured as a finalist in the Santander UK Enterprise awards, while recently being recognized for International Innovation, at the New Zealand National Fieldays exhibition.
The finalists were chosen from the hundreds of directors that entered into one of the 11 heats across the UK, in 14 different categories.
The expert judging panel will now convene to decide the overall winners to be announced at the awards ceremony on Friday 18 October 2019 at The Brewery
Visit www.iodawards.com for a full list of finalists and details on how to attend the event.
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Newry-headquartered food-to-go leader Around Noon has made key appointments to support the expansion of its business in the UK and Ireland.
Guy Truman joins as Commercial Director in the UK at the innovative company while Collette Keenan takes up the role of Head of Business Development and Orla Morris is appointed Business Development Manager for Northern Ireland.
Around Noon employs over 330 people and its clients include a range of blue-chip companies, including leading convenience retailers, contract caterers and coffee shop chains. In addition to its Newry headquarters, it has a manufacturing facility in Slough.
Gareth Chambers, CEO of Around Noon said: “We are delighted to welcome Guy, Collette and Orla to the business. They all come with very strong experience and track records in the food-to-go market and I have no doubt will add considerable value to Around Noon as we continue to grow our business across the UK and Ireland with existing and new customers.”
Guy Truman
ROLE: Commercial Director, Around Noon
Guy Truman has 25 years’ experience in the ‘food-to-go’ market. He joins the company’s Board of Directors and will drive the UK business. Guy will be based between Around Noon’s Newry headquarters and its facility at Slough in greater London.
Collette Keenan
ROLE: Head of Business Development, Around Noon
Collette Keenan has been appointed Head of Business Development at Around Noon. Collette has a particular focus on business and customer strategy and will play a key role in developing relationships with clients.
Orla Morris
ROLE: Business Development Manager, Around Noon
Orla has more than eight years of experience in business development in Northern Ireland with a range of companies. This includes management-level experience. At Around Noon, Orla is responsible for annual business plans with key accounts and is the key interface between customers and all relevant divisions within the company. Orla’s role is to develop positive, progressive and long term relationships with key clients.
For more information about the company check out their website at www.aroundnoon.com
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The mac-group has today announced that it is expecting annual turnover to rise to £250m in 2019 as a result of continued growth in both Great Britain and Ireland.
Headquartered in Newry, Co Down, the group said today that its NI-registered business posted turnover of £82.6m for the year to December 31, 2018. That was down slightly on the year before as several large projects were delayed into 2019 but the business continued to trade at a 4% net profit.
But after securing a number of significant construction and interiors projects in Dublin and cities across the UK, the group expects turnover across its businesses to rise sharply for the 2019 year, with the NI-registered business expected to see turnover reach £140m and total group turnover of almost £250m.
The mac-group continues to build its market share in the UK and for the first time this year will attribute more than £100m of group turnover to UK projects. Current schemes include turning the £30m Liverpool Echo Tower into a 209 bed Melia Hotel, a £13m new build for Unilever at their Burton-on-Trent facility and a £12m external facade replacement at the Merry Hill shopping centre, which is owned by Intu.
The mac-group also announced its secured construction order book in Ireland is currently at €100m. Contracts secured this year include the construction of a 110,000 sq ft commercial office building for Ryanair in Dublin, a 120,000 sq. ft. logistics hub for Green REIT and a 120,000 sq. ft. mixed use office development in Newmarket Dublin 8 for Valorem Investment Partners. In Ireland, the company has also successfully delivered over £75m of fast track fitout projects through its mac-interiors brand for companies like Microsoft, KPMG, EY and Hewlett Packard.
Paul McKenna, Group CEO, said: “The mac-group has continued to win prestigious contracts from blue chip clients across the UK and Ireland in the past year and our profitability is above the industry average, which is testament to the hard work and quality of our work delivered by our team.
“This year we have opened an office in Manchester and recently expanded our office in Birmingham as the company continues to build its market share in the UK with customers such as IM Properties, St Modwen Developments, Reach Plc, Chase Midland Estates, Unilever, Mountpark and Intu.”
To oversee and support its growth the company has today also announced the appointment of Michele Deely to the role of Chief Operating Officer. Michele brings a wealth of experience from a 17 year career in financial services, where she has held senior positions in a number of organisations, most recently as COO of State Street.
The mac-group also continues to innovate and this year formed a joint venture with a US modular construction business called mac Skystone in direct response to the construction industry and government’s need to drive faster, cost-effective, technologically advanced construction methods.
The business has a factory in Poland where modular units are manufactured and delivered to their construction projects in the UK and Ireland, complete and fitted out and ready for occupation. The business is targeting the hotel and residential market in particular with this product.
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