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Newry company First Derivatives have reported a 9% rise in revenue and a 11% rise in Gross Profit in their 2019-2020 financial year. A remarkable achievement in what was an extremely tough and stressful year for the company with the death of founder and CEO Brian Conlon in July 2019.
Revenue for the year was £237.8m up from £217.4m in 2018/2019 while Gross Profit was £101.1m up from £91.3m in 2018/2019
Highlights of the year included Software revenue up 13% to £148.4m (2019: £130.9m), driven by 23% growth in recurring software license revenue.
Significant contract wins in their core FinTech market also contributed along with progress in their drive to achieve market leadership by building out the capabilities of their solutions.
The year also saw Seamus Keating appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Donna Troy as Chairman in January 2020.
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JMK Solicitors have recently appointed six new Solicitors to join their team in Newry and Belfast.
Caroline Cahill joined JMK Solicitors in November last year having qualified in September 2019. Caroline completed her apprenticeship in general practice and now works within the vehicle damage litigation team.
Amy Goss and Karen McKee both joined the team in Newry in late November having several years post qualification experience working in personal injury litigation across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, they are continuing their work within the personal injury team in JMK.
Ailis McKeown and Karen Reavey joined the team in JMK in January, both are very experienced solicitors practicing in Northern Ireland for over twenty years working in litigation and general practice. They have gained excellent client care skills over the years.
Ryan McKeegan is the most recent appointment, starting in March of this year, Ryan has several years’ experience in personal injury and vehicle damage litigation and will be focusing on the latter at JMK.
This brings the team of Legal Advisors to over thirty, making JMK Solicitors the largest personal injury claims team in Northern Ireland and all of whom are specialised in litigation with personal injury and road traffic accident matters.
Michelle Murphy, HR & Operations Manager at JMK Solicitors, comments, ‘It has been challenging to recruit in recent times due to the extensive opportunities available within the legal sector in Northern Ireland. Our focus is to offer the very best benefits package including flexibility and reduced working hours to allow the best work life balance for our team. This is a modern approach in what it is a more traditional sector and we believe this is why we’ve continued to attract the best talent we can find in Northern Ireland to our team, which will benefit all of JMK clients, which is reflected in the fact that 99% of clients would recommend us”.
To contact JMK Solicitors, please call 028 9032 0222, email law@jmksolicitors.com or visit WWW.JMKSOLICITORS.COM
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Newry based Pharmaceuticals company Norbrook Laboratories has announced that it will be the first company in NI to install an innovative COVID-19 testing platform for on-site staff screening. The company have partnered with Randox and the platform will be able to process results within 2hrs 30 mins.
Norbrook which specialises in the development of pharmaceuticals for the veterinary industry, will begin testing for its workforce in the coming weeks. Norbrook have put the health and safety of staff as a priority, taking a proactive approach to testing to provide reassurance and peace of mind for colleagues and for their families, without impacting on the public health need.
The COVID-19 screening programme at Norbrook is the first in Northern Ireland being facilitated by an innovative testing platform capable of processing results in within 2 hours 30 mins.
The technology, named the Vivalytic, is available from global diagnostics company Randox, who are one of the partners within the national COVID-19 testing programme.
David Ferguson, Managing Director at Randox Food Diagnostics commented; “Randox is fully committed to supporting the national effort to fight COVID-19 by testing at scale, and as we continue to work alongside the government and ramp up our testing capabilities, we welcome the fact that other organisations are also adopting our innovative COVID-19 testing technologies to address their own particular testing needs.
“The Vivalytic, which provides high quality molecular testing for COVID-19, on-site and without the need for laboratory experience, is a unique space-saving, hygienic solution for personnel COVID-19 testing in any setting and will help a wide variety of industries get back to business by ensuring the highest level of safety.”
Denise Collins, Norbrook HR Director, concluded;“We’re proud to be working with a company like Randox which has such vast experience in the diagnostics industry and was subsequently able to respond so quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That this world-leading technology is available from a Northern Ireland-headquartered company presents a unique opportunity for workplaces here to quickly and easily implement a staff screening programme, and at the same time demonstrate a high standard of duty of care that should be shown by employers to their employees.”
The Vivalytic can screen for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as a range of other viral infections including Influenza A and B, Pneumonia and other coronaviruses.
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Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade has joined Chambers and Trade Associations across Northern Ireland in calling for greater support for the Retail Sector.
Commenting on the joint statement supported by Newry Chamber, The Chief Executive Officer, Colm Shannon said “Retail was already facing many challenges. COVID 19 has added significantly to the pressures faced by many retailers. After a long period of closure for the non-food sector, retail wants to fully open.
“While retailers welcome that some can open from Monday 8th June, the industry is calling on the Executive to help the sector fight back by implementing the following measures."
The Measures
The Chamber CEO concluded “Retail is at the heart of a vibrant living city. Many retailers have invested heavily in their own premises adding significantly to the quality of our towns and cities. Retail represents 12% of the NI Economy, pays over a quarter of all business rates and employs around 100,000 people across Northern Ireland.
“To remain a viable business sector, it needs on going support from the NI Executive.”
The Joint Statement spoke about the challenges of the retail environment mentioning the points below.
The Retail Environment
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Newry, Belfast, Causeway and Londonderry Chambers of Commerce have called on the Executive to fast track the opening of retail and hospitality businesses.
In a joint statement the Chambers said “Following the recent decision by the Irish Government to open retail stores on Monday, retail in shopping centres on Monday 15th and hotels, pubs and restaurants from Monday 29th, retailers and hospitality businesses, particularly those in border areas, are at a competitive disadvantage. At a time when many businesses are struggling we can’t afford to lose more business to the south, through unfair competition.
“Our members have invested significantly in measures to protect the safety of their staff and customers, and are ready to open. Retailers are at the very heart of their towns and cities, employing local people and would not put their communities at risk. With the right safety measures in place, now is the time for retail to open again and give our High Streets an opportunity to recover.
“Equally our hotel and hospitality sector needs the opportunity to open earlier. July is the peak season and if the southern hospitality sector is allowed to trade from the 29th June, our hotels, restaurants, pubs and B&B’s will suffer further losses. Many families will have to stay at home for their holidays this summer and our hospitality sector needs the opportunity to compete for this “staycation business.”
“As Chambers of Commerce, with retail and hospitality members across Northern Ireland, we call on the Executive to allow our retail and hospitality sectors the opportunity to trade on an equal basis with other businesses on the island. The time is right for the Executive to accelerate the opening of our retail and hospitality sectors.”
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The Stormont Executive have announced that all non-essential goods retailers in NI can re-open from this Friday 12 June. The move has been welcomed by Newry Chamber of Commerce who earlier today had requested for retail openings to be fast tracked.
Economy Minister Diane Dodds today confirmed the major step forward. Mrs Dodds said "I am very pleased to be able to confirm that all non-essential goods retailers in Northern Ireland can re-open from Friday 12 June, subject to them adhering to the necessary safety measures and no increase in the spread of the virus. This was considered at this morning’s Executive meeting and it was agreed that as long as retailers can adhere to the necessary safety measures, and there is no increase in the spread of the virus by Thursday, then these shops can re-open.
"The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the local economy. The recovery has already begun and it is time now for the pace to accelerate. The re-opening of all goods retail outlets will be a huge part of this.
"The safety of staff and customers is of course paramount. All retailers must be able to implement measures that minimise the risk to their staff and to the people who visit their stores. We will be co-existing with this virus for some time to come so it is vital that we continue to adhere to guidance to work and live safely. Debenhams is an excellent example of how retailers can make this work and adapt to this new normal."
The Minister added: "The re-opening of our local shopping sector is a significant step forward in the Executive’s pathway to recovery. I and my Executive colleagues remain committed to moving forward in the recovery while at all times keeping the health, wellbeing and safety of people at the centre and being transparent in our approach.
“This is a major step forward today but there is more work to do and I will continue to work to progress the recovery."
Chamber Welcomes Decision
Commenting on the decision to open High Street shops from Friday, Colm Shannon, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce said “This is welcome news that all non-essential retailers on the High Street can open from Friday. Newry Chamber has been working hard to give our retailers a chance to compete fairly and this is great news. Our retailers are at the heart of our city and have invested in measures to ensure the safety of their staff and customers. We are ready to open Newry again.
“At this time, it is important to remember and thank the hard work of our Health Service. Their efforts and dedication have put us in the position where retailers can go back to work and begin to provide a service to the people of Newry and the surrounding area.
“As a border economy, it is important that we can compete fairly with other businesses on the island of Ireland and we look forward to further announcements on shopping centres and hospitality.”
BID Continue to Lobby
A spokesperson for Newry BID added "We welcome Minister Dodds announcement that small shops / retail can open from Friday. The BID will continue to lobby for further easing of restrictions in a safe and controlled manner."
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Now is the time for businesses for look for opportunities to win new work!
In efforts to continue the availability of tailored support to local businesses, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has launched a new ‘Tender for Growth’ programme to support businesses to access advice in the preparation of tenders, helping them to compete more effectively for public and private sector contracts.
The programme is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014 -2020) programme.
Designed to help remove barriers for small and micro businesses to winning new contracts, the programme will guide participants on how to identify suitable tender opportunities, to perfect their written responses and manage contracts, ultimately enhancing their procurement performance and success.
Speaking on the importance of the programme, Chairperson of Council, Councillor Laura Devlin said: “Businesses in Newry, Mourne and Down need our support now more than ever, especially those small businesses or start-ups that may still be in their infancy. These businesses are employers for this area so are crucial for our communities and our local economy. Supporting them and helping them to grow is critical if we are to encourage our economy to grow as well.
“It is our duty to provide effective support to businesses, and this programme, delivered using virtual technologies in a flexible way by a team of experts, will be invaluable. I encourage anyone with a business that needs some additional guidance on how to manage procurement processes and contracts, or if you don’t know where to start when it comes to tenders, to sign up.”
Mark Bleakney, Invest NI’s Southern Regional Manager, commented: “The programme focus is to provide businesses across the Newry Mourne and Down District Council area with the expert assistance and knowledge required to develop new tendering processes. A key aim of Invest NI is to help businesses here to grow and look for new opportunities for work and we are delighted to support the Tender for Growth Programme. This will provide businesses across the area with one-on-one mentoring support as well as the essential tendering skills to help them remain competitive.”
To be eligible to apply, your business must, be located Newry Mourne and Down District Council, employ fewer than 50 employees and be actively trading.
For full details on the programme and more information on how to apply for support, visit TENDER-FOR-GROWTH or contact, Newry Mourne and Down District Council on 0330 137 4000.
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With no sign of people being able to have a sociable pint in a local bar any time soon, one local publican has found a way to bring the pints to the people!
Garry Meehan of The Phoenix Bar in Water Street, Newry has been providing a home delivery service this past few weeks with pints of Guinness or beer freshly poured right outside your door and business is 'flat out'
All you have to do is ring or text them from lunchtime on a Thursday place your order, pay with your card and book a delivery slot over the weekend. If any days or slots are filled up, a message is put up on The Phoenix Bar Facebook page to that effect.
Garry has been running The Phoenix Bar for six years now and has never quite had the challenge he faces in 2020.
Explaining how the Covid-19 crisis played out for them Garry said "The week before St Patrick's Day we were actually down in Dublin and lockdown had already started there. You could see it coming and you knew it wasn't going to be good"
Deciding the most important thing to do was look after the well-being of his regular customers, the Phoenix decided to close before St Patrick's day even though it was always one of the busiest times of the year for the bar. Virtually all Newry bars did likewise.
Watching closely the Hatfield Bar in Belfast and their experiences of bringing beer to the Belfast people Garry did a bit of checking and research himself and decided to give home delivery a go.
"At first it was just to get out of the house, I was out in Lissummon looking after our own regulars and it grew from there"
"We had the kegs all sitting here. We had a portable unit so that was it"
"It's a way to get out and you are getting to see your customers, to go out and have the crack, you're never going to make yourself a millionaire" ... plus he doesn't have to ask anyone to leave for being too drunk!!!
Their portable unit has been built into a van and the van arrives outside your door and the pints are pulled from the tap, just like they would be in the bar.
"We buy in glasses so no-one has ever used the glasses and you keep the glass at the end of it so no cross contamination.
On tap this week is Guinness and Coors and they have a range of cocktails from Expresso Martini to Sex on the Beach to Strawberry Daiquiri, all delivered in glass bottles. They have also started a full off sales service.
"Whenever you are out with people, you are delivering pints anyway. They are not going to sit on pints all night so if we are going out we may as well sort out whatever else they need."
At present they just distribute around the Newry area and deliver on Friday 5 - 9pm, Saturday 3 - 9pm and Sunday 3 - 7pm.
The idea has really taken off and as Garry says "We're Flat out. Obviously the weather plays a big part in it. Last week we weren't as busy as a couple of weeks before that, but you are going to get that. People don't really want the pints to be sat in the house, they want to be outside, having a barbecue. There would be a lot of places you go to, people are outside and they are keeping the whole social distance thing, whilst still having their pints together. You don't want to be sat in the house by yourself having a couple of pints, it's not really the same."
"People are loving it. It's a good way to get sociable. We have done a couple of Birthday Parties for people which is brilliant because obviously people aren't getting out
"Last weekend we had a man who had just turned 80 so he got a couple of pints for his birthday"
On re-opening The Phoenix Bar when allowed Garry explains how it is just a waiting game "You are waiting to find out. Hospitality keep telling us not to do anything. You see places going out, getting their screens, doing this and that but nobody is giving any direction on what you are supposed to do, so people aren't throwing money for something they haven't been told to do."
"It's waiting and waiting and every so often you will get a glimmer of hope. Last Monday I thought that was going to be it, we were going to be given our date, but nothing changed"
The Phoenix are thinking about keeping the delivery service going after the pub reopens Garry says "I'd actually got the unit for people having events in their house
"The way it was going for a couple of weeks I was looking another van, but our problem at this moment in time is kegs, Diageo started brewing again last week but there's not too many kegs left out there. "
Unless more kegs become available they may not be able to go beyond much more than this weekend and next.
Caoimhe O'Gorman helps out with the Cocktails but even though the cocktail end is flying it might not work just with cocktails Garry thinks. All is working well at present but they are literally going week by week with no guarantee of reopening dates or supply of kegs.
As Garry says "You're just sort of winging it" but in the meantime the service is an interesting diversification and helps tide things over till there is more certainty in the industry.
Check out the Phoenix Bar Facebook Page for what you can order and you can ring or text orders to 07517 230 974
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All goods retailers can re-open from today following a decision made yesterday by the Northern Ireland Executive.
The decision means that once appropriate safety measures and social distancing procedures are in operation, retailers can open. While some will be able to re-open today others will take a phased approach.
Economy Minister Dianne Dodds said: "This is a further step in getting the economy moving again. I would urge people to be considerate when they go shopping, and to think of others to ensure the safety of themselves and also the many staff returning to work.
"Please follow signs and instructions which will have been put in place to protect everyone."
The Minister added that all stores must adhere to the relevant safety measures and ensure social distancing is maintained.
Chamber - Rebuilding Confidence
Welcoming the opening of businesses from today, Newry Chamber President, Emma Marmion-Mullen said “Today is the first important step on the road to reopening our local economy. It has been a challenging time for local businesses, but we now can slowly begin rebuilding confidence in our local economy.
Ms Marmion-Mullen added “We would not be where we are today without the efforts of those who have worked through the COVID 19 emergency. On behalf of the business community I would like to thank those working in our hospitals and care homes, our essential services, the many volunteers and community workers looking after those in need and, of course, those working hard to produce food for our tables and the shops that remained open to ensure we didn’t go short on essentials.
“The road to recovery will be challenging. The financial support measures from the UK Government and the Executive have helped businesses to survive and keep people in employment. Equally our businesses have been innovative in how they responded to the challenge of COVID 19.
The Chamber President added that a stimulus package from the NI Executive is now needed and said the package should include investment in our Infrastructure, improvement of our digital network, support for innovation and R&D, a skills agenda which maximises the talent of our young people and support for our businesses to access new markets.
Buttercrane Final Touches
Buttercrane Centre will also see the phased reopening of non-essential retailers over the next ten days.
Peter Murray Centre Manager said: “Stores are responding as quickly as possible to this afternoon’s news and are working behind the scenes on staff training, deep cleaning and putting the final touches to adapting store layouts for reopening.
“We would anticipate that from Monday 15th June, the number of non-essential retailers open will increase on a daily basis and add to the list of trading stores. Please appreciate this is a very fluid situation and we will endeavour to update customers as soon more stores are added to the ‘now open’ list.
“At this stage it’s important to note that, we have no known dates from the centre’s large anchor tenants Primark or Dunnes Stores to reopen - given that they have hundreds of staff returning to work - all of whom are subject to pre start protocols. They are working swiftly to be able to welcome customers and staff in a safe way. We appreciate your patience over the entire Lockdown period and we look forward to welcoming you back to Buttercrane, here in the heart of Newry City.”
Quays Re-Opening
The Quays Shopping Centre will also see changes in the number of shops opening but again all will not open all at once.
Stores open today include stores that remained open: Sainsburys, Marks and Spencer, Poundland, Cunningham’s Butcher, Medical Hall and Bravo Live (Takeaway only) 5-11 while Debenhams, Boots, Houston’s and O’Neill’s are now added to that list.
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