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DELI LITES is creating 45 new jobs at its Milltown Industrial Estate factory in Warrenpoint as part of a £4.3million investment to support growth in global markets. The food-to-go manufacturer which is based in Warrenpoint supplies a range of hand-crafted food-to-go products to a host of major retailers across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world. It produces over 40million products annually and employs more than 200 people.
The firm was established in 1998 by co-founders Jackie and Brian Reid. Making the announcement, CEO Brian Reid said: “Over the last five years, we have experienced exponential growth, securing new contracts with major multiples, cafe chains and blue chip customers worldwide. With chef-led innovation, our products are healthy, tasty and convenient and therefore appeal to a wide-ranging consumer base.
“We’ve been working in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland since 2007. Over the years the agency has supported us to upskill and grow our team and purchase new equipment which has enabled us to extend our product range and introduce Industry 4.0 technologies. Almost 70 per cent of our business is now export-led which has been strengthened by introducing new innovative award winning ranges which are disrupting the ‘food to go’ industry, whilst delivering on the changing consumer demands and proving very popular in the Baltics and Scandinavia. The 45 new staff will help us to fulfil growing demand for our product ranges, expand our export reach in Europe, the UAE and the US.”
Invest NI has offered DELI LITES £499,800 of support towards the 45 new roles and marketing development activities.
George McKinney, Director of Technology, Services and Scaling at Invest NI said: “DELI LITES is a company we identified very early on as having the potential to scale at pace and we weren’t wrong. Over the years, we’ve offered multiple supports to expedite its growth and the company is now experiencing strong export sales on the back of a commitment to innovation and service excellence.
“The Department for the Economy’s 10X economic vision recognises the need to ensure Northern Ireland becomes a more innovative region that supports new business development. Our support to help DELI LITES create 45 jobs in Warrenpoint is helping to deliver this vision. Once in place, the new jobs will generate over £1.3 million of additional annual salaries for the Northern Ireland economy; a welcome boost for the Newry, Mourne & Down District Council area.”
In recognition of DELI LITES’ commitment to innovation, it has been awarded a Silver Level Innovator Certificate from Innovate NI.
Invest NI is committed to driving innovation in Northern Ireland and is a proud partner of Innovate NI, a Department for the Economy programme, helping local businesses innovate successfully. For further information, visit WWW.INNOVATENI.COM
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Best Property Services, the longest established property agency in Newry City, is expanding its portfolio with the acquisition of Eoin Lawless Estate Agents based in Warrenpoint.
Eoin Lawless Estate Agents was first opened in 2000, and has since become a leading brand in Residential sales and Commercial property services in the Warrenpoint and the South Down area.
Mr Lawless, Chartered Surveyor, said: “I’m delighted that Best Property Services have acquired our business and added to their already impressive portfolio. In recent years our practice has been expertly managed and developed by Christine O’Brien and supported by Tim O’Brien, who together have consolidated an enviable client list. We look forward to seeing the future development of the business, under the banner of Best Property Services and we wish them every success.”
Residential Sales Advisor Olivia Best will head up the newly titled office in Church Street supported by a team of residential sales advisors, commercial property experts and valuers based in the company’s Hill Street Newry headquarters.
Olivia Best said: “We’ve had a growth plan in place for some time, but COVID unfortunately delayed our plans. I’m delighted today that we can officially celebrate our acquisition of Eoin Lawless Estate Agents and I look forward to working with the team here during the transition period.”
Garry Best, MD of Best Property Services added: “I’m delighted today that we can officially celebrate our acquisition of Eoin Lawless Estate Agents. Eoin and I have often worked together and sometimes occupied opposite sides of a deal - throughout I’ve always had great respect for him and his colleagues. I’m delighted to expand Best Property Services further into South Down with a firm base here in Warrenpoint.”
Best Property Services are a fifth generation family business with over 130 years expertise in residential and commercial services. The company most recently welcomed Olivia and Kyle Best to the team, who both worked in property sales in London & Dublin before taking up the reins of the family business.
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“WE urgently need the Government to step up and support the Space Sector so we can compete in the global market.” That’s the words of Resonate Testing Managing Director, Tom Mallon who fears the region may be left behind its GB counterparts if support is not provided, threatening the progress that has already been made in the sector.
Mr Mallon believes that as well as providing support, including financial assistance, the Government needs to step up and help companies upskill their employees, so they are able to compete on the global market. Depending on the level of support provided, he believes the sector will either see further significant growth by many local SMEs, or alternatively, if no action is taken, it could potentially squander the opportunities that have arisen from the NI Protocol and the unfettered access to the EU markets.
Mallon said, “The Space Sector offers so much potential to many SMEs in Northern Ireland, but if we don’t act now, we are going to miss out. The good work that has been achieved will disappear. Political figures and business leaders need to approach this from a ‘levelling up’ agenda. When we look at spend here in Northern Ireland, we are not seeing the opportunities that mainland UK see. If our political leaders don’t support us, we are going to miss out.
“We are now competing on an international and global level. We need to be able to find the right staff and train them to the level required so Northern Ireland can pursue its vision of becoming a globally recognised region for space sector innovation and creativity. This will allow us to exploit further opportunities in the future.”
The Space Cluster within the region has grown in recent years and saw the launch of the Northern Ireland Space Strategy, as well as the Northern Ireland Space Special Interest Group (NISSIG), but to get to the next level, more support needs to be provided to those companies that operate within the sector.
Resonate Testing is one of those companies. Recognised as one of the leading commercial test houses on the Island of Ireland, the company operates from its Centre of Excellence for Space in Newry and provides a range of testing processes across many sectors. In the last 12 months, there has been an increasing demand for tests within the Space Sector and over the next 18 months, the company is on track to grow its space related work from an estimated 10% to 25% of company turnover.
High level vibration and SRS shock testing was conducted by Resonate Testing on equipment that will be used as part of the launch for the upcoming James Webb telescope; the largest, most powerful and complex telescope ever built, which will be launched into space on 18th December 2021.
By raising awareness of the capabilities of companies throughout the Island of Ireland, many of which are up and coming, Tom believes the sector will thrive. He said, “Here in Northern Ireland, and across the island, we have so many companies doing incredible work across the space sector, but with the right support, they and many other companies, will be able to do so much more. We need to raise awareness of our capabilities and through support from the Government and events like the All Ireland Space Industry Day, I firmly believe we will be able to achieve this.”
As part of the recent All Ireland Space Industry Day in Armagh, Mallon made a presentation alongside Danny Gleeson, Chief Commercial Officer at Dublin-based Réaltra Space Systems Engineering, on how the company remained resilient throughout the pandemic, whilst continuing its innovation. Resonate Testing was awarded Platinum in the Innovate NI Innovation Accreditation programme for its cutting-edge processes that seen the delivery of high-quality live stream testing to global customers, including Réaltra, throughout the global pandemic.
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Simply Fit Food, a supplier of convenience meals made from wholesome, natural ingredients, has secured a fresh deal to supply over 20 Russell’s convenience stores across Northern Ireland with a new range of healthy meals.
Founded by Evelyn Garland and Luke Judge in 2016, the Drogheda-based business was acquired by Around Noon, the Newry-headquartered food-to-go manufacturer, in 2020.
Its latest listing with Russell’s follows the launch of a brand new range of high protein meals into over 20 Dunnes Stores and 15 Applegreen service stations in the Republic of Ireland.
Boasting four new flavours – Pasta Arrabbiatta, Chicken Pesto Pasta, Chicken & Ham Carbonara and Thai Style Chicken Curry – the range is high in protein, low in fat and starts from as little as 431kcals per portion.
A healthy meal solution for consumers with busy, active lifestyles, the new high protein range is also an ideal option for athletes and gym-goers mindful of their calorie and protein intake.
As well as being available in-store from selected retailers, the range can be also be delivered direct to consumers throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as Simply Fit Food relaunches its online delivery platform.
Simply Fit Food co-founder Evelyn Garland says: “The launch of our newest range into retail outlets in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, alongside the rollout of our new e-commerce platform, means we’re in an excellent position to respond to growing consumer demand for convenient, healthy meal options made with high quality and locally sourced ingredients.”
Simply Fit Food was acquired by Newry-based Around Noon in October 2020 and continues to trade under its existing brand as part of the Around Noon Group.
Around Noon has been in business for 30 years and employs over 300 people. It supplies a broad range of high-quality sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit pots and cold-pressed juices to customers including forecourt and convenience retailers and cafés.
It was recently named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies for the fourth consecutive year, receiving the Gold Standard Award in the awards programme led by Deloitte Ireland having demonstrated superior business performance.
Discover the new range online at SIMPLYFITFOOD.COM.
For more information about the Around Noon group, visit AROUNDNOON.COM
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The annual Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade President’s Banquet is returning later this month after last year's cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year’s event will mark the 200th anniversary of the Chamber. It will take place on Friday 19th November (12 noon to 3.00pm) at the Canal Court Hotel and Spa.
Emma Mullen Marmion, Chamber President, commented “The Banquet is always one of the highlights of the business year in the city, with more than 250 guests expected from organisations across the Greater Newry area. We are delighted to be having the event this year after we had to postpone our 2020 banquet.
“It’s amazing to think that the Chamber has been active for over two centuries now. We will hear from inspiring local business leaders about the past, present and future of commercial activity in the Greater Newry Area.
The Chamber has always been about businesses and individuals coming together, sharing ideas and supporting each other. We want to celebrate this collaborative spirit at the Banquet.
The Covid-19 pandemic restrictions meant we had to run most of our events online over the last 18 months. So, we are looking forward to a fantastic afternoon in person. In addition, we are grateful to principal Banquet sponsor Canal Court Hotel & Spa for their support. We are delighted to have St. Vincent de Paul as the Charity partner for the event.
Louise Young, Canal Court Hotel and Spa’s Manager said, “We are delighted to partner with Newry Chamber as they celebrate 200 years. The Canal Court, as the city’s largest hotel and conference facility, has a strong working relationship with the Chamber. Our professional staff will ensure a great afternoon for the Chamber’s guests and the local businesses community.”
Tickets for the event can be reserved by contacting the Newry Chamber office on (028) 30250303 or emailing admin@newrychamber.com.
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The Managing Director of StatSports has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Northern Ireland Director of the Year Awards.
Newry business leader Paul McKernan is shortlisted in the International category of the awards run by the Institute of Directors.
Winners of the prestigious awards, sponsored by AIB, will be announced during a ceremony at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast on Thursday 2 December.
Gordon Milligan, Chairman, IoD NI commented “Each year we look forward to the Director of the Year Awards and the opportunity to recognise and celebrate Northern Ireland’s most dynamic and successful business leaders from across all industries and sectors.
“As we look ahead to post-pandemic economic recovery, it is wonderful to see so many high-calibre finalists, who are making a real and positive contribution towards Northern Ireland’s growth and development, named on the 2021 shortlist.
“These pragmatic and forward-thinking directors demonstrated admirable organisational leadership throughout a sometimes daunting and uncertain situation, and they should all be immensely proud of what they have achieved.
“Huge congratulations go to all those who have made the shortlist and best wishes to everyone for the final.”
Finalists
Director of the Year - Non-Executive – sponsored by Deloitte
Director of the Year - Agility and Resilience – sponsored by Schroders Personal Wealth
Director of the Year - Innovation – sponsored by KPMG
Director of the Year - Public Sector – sponsored by Capita Technology Solutions
Director of the Year - Third Sector – sponsored by Capita Technology Solutions#
Director of the Year - Family Business – sponsored by BDO Northern Ireland
Director of the Year - International – sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland
Director of the Year - Small to Medium Business - sponsored by Ulster University Business School
Director of the Year - Large Business – sponsored by ABL Group
The recipients of the prestigious award for Philanthropist of the Year – sponsored by Community Foundation Northern Ireland, along with the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice - sponsored by AIB, will also be revealed during the ceremony.
Orla McGerr, Head of Direct, NI, AIB added “This year’s shortlist makes for a very impressive read, and all of the 2021 award finalists should be very proud.
“Northern Ireland’s business leaders have exhibited remarkable resilience and experienced notable successes despite the current economic climate.
“This commitment to promoting better business and economic growth should be recognised, and the Director of the Year Awards provide us with the opportunity to do just that.
“I would like to extend my congratulations to all those named on this year’s shortlist and look forward to celebrating our outstanding directors making an impact on a local, national and global level.”
For further information, or to book spaces at the Northern Ireland Director of the Year Awards ceremony, contact 028 9694 6740
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Newry headquartered Around Noon is up for Bakery Manufacturer of the Year in the prestigious UK Food Manufacture Excellence Awards.
Around Noon Bakery has been shortlisted for the awards alongside three other top bakery manufacturers from across the UK.
The winners will be announced at a gala event in Hilton London Bankside in February 2022.
Other Northern Ireland companies shortlisted for the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards this year include Moy Park and Dunbia in Meat, Poultry and Seafood Manufacturing Company of the Year, and Lynn’s Country Foods/ Finnebrogue in the Plant-Based Manufacturing Company of the Year category.
Around Noon has been in the food-to-go market for over 30 years and employs over 300 people. In addition to bakery items, it supplies a broad range of high-quality sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit pots and cold pressed juices to customers including forecourt and convenience retailers and cafes. It also sells healthy ready meals via its Simply Fit Food brand.
Around Noon Bakery produces bakery items including cakes, muffins, pastries, slices, cupcakes, brownies and scones for a range of customers under its own ‘Sweet Things’ brand.
Gareth Chambers, CEO of Around Noon, said: “Around Noon Bakery continues to go from strength to strength, experiencing growing demand from new and existing customers. This is fantastic recognition for Ciara, Steve and the team of their hard work, commitment to innovation and excellence in everything that they do.”
The UK’s food and drink manufacturing market is renowned for its innovative approach to food development, high-tech manufacturing and high-quality raw materials. The Food Manufacture Excellence Awards provide a platform to celebrate and recognise this hard work and the boundaries pushed forwards in the past 12 months. The Awards have been running for 21 years and established a coveted mark of quality and excellence.
To find out more about the awards go to FOODMANAWARDS.CO.UK
Check out the Around Noon Website at WWW.AROUNDNOON.COM
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FD Technologies (formerly First Derivatives) have announced their results for the six months ending 31 August 2021 and they report strong performance across the business with good demand from both existing and new customers.
Overall revenue at the Newry based company is up 7% on 2020 to £128M while gross profit rose 7% to £51.7M
Profit before tax saw the Group record a loss of £1.6m compared with a profit of £7.4m in the same period 2020. The report explains the major factors here were an increase in acquisition and non-operational related costs, mainly due to costs associated with the ERP programme being expensed as incurred, and costs in relation to M&A activity in the period, and a £1.4m loss on foreign currency translation due largely to the impact of the movement in US$ rate on their USD$ loan.
Commenting on the results Seamus Keating, CEO of FD Technologies said “I am very encouraged by the increasing momentum across the business since we announced our accelerated growth strategy in May 2021. The opportunity for KX to deliver continuous intelligence remains enormous, and we are excited by the traction we are achieving across industries. Our cloud-first platform, KX Insights, was launched during the period and we have already signed new enterprise customers who, importantly, are already getting value from their investment. The investment in our go-to-market strategy is also starting to deliver returns, evidenced by accelerating growth in recurring revenue, partner engagement, industry accreditation and strengthening pipeline. We have signed three times as many subscription deals as we did in the same period last year. Both First Derivative and MRP are performing strongly, driven by good demand from both existing and new customers."
Keating continued "The outlook across our businesses is positive, with each business unit expected to meet or exceed its full year growth target. We are particularly excited by the growing evidence that KX Insights can make real-time decision-making easy to implement for organisations. With its increasing ease of use, deployment freedom and interoperability, backed by our investment in leadership and go-to-market capability, we see KX as strongly positioned to build a market-leading position in continuous intelligence.”
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Lidl NI is launching a recruitment roadshow to hire 100 permanent new retail staff across its network of 41 stores throughout the region to support its continued growth and expansion.
A dedicated recruitment event will take place at the Canal Court Hotel, Newry from 2pm-6pm and in Denvir’s Hotel, Downpatrick from 9am-2pm on Saturday 13 November to hire locally based staff to support its network of 10 stores in the County Down area.
The new jobs announcement follows a wider recruitment drive by Lidl Northern Ireland earlier this year to fill 170 jobs across its regional warehouse and network of 41 stores. Representing an investment of more than £1 million in annual salaries, this latest recruitment intake will boost Lidl Northern Ireland’s workforce to more than 1,100 staff.
Recruitment event attendees will have the chance to meet with Lidl Northern Ireland representatives Ineta Zukauskiene, Paul Stuart, Gareth Wright, Lauren Maguire and Sarah McKenna to learn more about the Customer Assistant roles available and the market-leading benefits successful candidates can enjoy with a career at Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket.
Gordon Cruikshanks, Sales Operations Executive for Lidl Northern Ireland said “We serve more than 300,000 weekly shoppers across Northern Ireland and as we continue to grow and welcome even more shoppers, we’re on the lookout for motivated staff to join our friendly store teams.
"Life at Lidl Northern Ireland is fast-paced and challenging but we wouldn't have it any other way. Our store teams are central to our success – they drive our frontline operations while ensuring excellent customer service and satisfaction.
"A career in retail can be hugely fun and rewarding and we pride ourselves on offering a great rate of pay, fantastic benefits, award winning training and development programmes and plenty of opportunity for progression. I would encourage anyone considering a move into retail to come along to our recruitment event, meet the team and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with one of Northern Ireland’s top companies.”
Supported by industry-leading training, candidates can benefit from excellent opportunities for development and long-term career prospects. Additional perks include competitive hourly rates of up to £14 per hour, supplementary pay, unlimited flexibility and 10-30 hour contracts.
Lidl Northern Ireland was recently recognised by the Top Employers Institute as a Top Employer for 2021. The esteemed international, sought-after certification, held by global brands such as PepsiCo, Adidas and Heineken, showcases an organisation’s dedication to a better world of work, exhibited through excellent HR policies and people practices.
The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers six HR domains consisting of 20 topics such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being, Diversity & Inclusion and more.
“Our most important asset has always been our people and we are very proud to be recognised for providing an exceptional place to work. We look forward to expanding our team and welcoming new talent to enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling career with us”, added Gordon.
Confirmed as Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket by Kantar, with 12.2% year-on-year sales growth in 2021, Lidl contributes around £180 million a year to the local economy, sustaining 3,500 jobs while buying and exporting as much as £290 million worth of local goods and products.
The company employs more than 1,000 employees across its 41-strong store network and Regional Distribution Centre in Nutt’s Corner, Co. Antrim.
Registration or advance booking for the recruitment event is not required.
For more information about careers at Lidl Northern Ireland, visit JOBS.LIDL-NI.CO.UK
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