Corporate Magazine - 2013, June (PDF) - Invest Northern Ireland

News06 June 2013 InvestinNEWSBostoncompanychoosesBelfast>> Pictured with Arlene Foster,Enterprise Minister are(L-R) Paul Vienneau, CTOand Dave McSweeney, EVPOperations, Merchant Warehouse.Boston-based MerchantWarehouse is setting up aTechnology Development andCustomer Support Centre inBelfast creating 70 quality jobs.The company provides paymenttechnologies and merchant services toaround 80,000 merchant customers. Ithas experienced significant growthin recent years, and the Belfastoperation will support further growthby adding in-house engineering anddevelopment resources.Invest NI has offered £840,000 ofassistance towards the job creation.Announcing the investment the EnterpriseMinister said: “Invest NI worked hard tosecure this high quality, knowledge basedinvestment for Northern Ireland, in theface of competition from other locations.“In this it was aided by very positivereports from other US investors whohave set up here, who promoted theavailability of highly qualified staff,and the strong support from localuniversities and governmentagencies, as well as cultural andlogistical alignment.”Henry Helgeson, MerchantWarehouse’s Chief Executive Officer,said: “Invest NI’s offer of support wascrucial to our decision to locate thenew technology division in NorthernIreland. We have been at the forefrontof product innovation in the area ofpayment technologies and we areconfident that the new Belfast centre,which will support our acceleratedproduct evolution and enhance ouroverall customer support, will help usto maintain our competitive edge.”55 new jobs for MangoMango Direct Marketing Ltd is creating 55 newjobs with £165,000 of support from Invest NI’sJobs Fund.The Bangor-based company provides direct telemarketing and customerservices to a range of clients worldwide. Mango has achieved year-onyeargrowth since its establishment in 2008, and the continued demandfor its services has prompted the company to expand its workforce.Stuart Lally, Managing Director of Mango Direct Marketing, said:“Our strategy for growth includes investing in our current staff trainingprogrammes and company structures whilst also increasing our shareof the niche markets in which we currently work. Support from InvestNI through the Jobs Fund will also enable us to put in place the staff weneed to take advantage of new business opportunities in the corporatesector and cement our competitive position in key markets.”Mango currently works with many high profile companies in the UK,US, Australia, Ireland and Israel, among them several large homeshopping and charity organisations.>> Pictured with Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster isStuart Lally, Managing Director, Mango Direct.

Investin June 2013 07NewsAllstate to create upto 650 jobsTechnology company Allstate Northern Irelandis creating up to 650 high quality jobs in Belfast,Londonderry and Strabane.The company provides softwaredevelopment services and high-endbusiness solutions in support of itsUS parent’s operations. The AllstateCorporation is the largest publicly heldpersonal lines property and casualtyinsurer in America.Invest NI has offered over £4.5m ofsupport towards the expansion. Justover 200 of the software development,software testing, infrastructure servicesand analytics posts have already beenfilled and the remaining 450 will berecruited by 2016.Bro McFerran, Managing DirectorAllstate NI, said: “Allstate NI has had astrong presence here since 1998, andworking closely with Invest NI, we havegrown to employ over 1,900 peopleacross our three sites.“Allstate has made significant efforts toopen up its career opportunities to non-IT graduates as well as experiencedIT professionals by investing in skillsdevelopment. Indeed, many of ourpeople have come from non-ITbackgrounds and have embracedour training ethos in order to developadvanced technology skills and securecareers with Allstate in high value roles.“Allstate NI remains an integral partof Allstate Insurance, and today’sannouncement is testament to thetalented people we have recruited hereto date and the significant contributionthat people in Northern Ireland havemade to Allstate’s global operations.”>> Pictured are L-RAlastair Hamilton, ChiefExecutive Invest NI, BroMcFerran, MD AllstateNI, deputy First MinisterMartin McGuinness,First Minister PeterRobinson, DETIMinister Arlene Fosterand onscreen fromAllstate Chicago is TomHall, Vice PresidentAllstate TechnologyOrganisationInternational.NEWS>> Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster is pictured atLinden Foods with Trevor Lockhart, Chairman, and(L) Gerry McGuire Managing Director.Major expansion for LindensDungannon-based LindenFoods is to create 179new jobs with supportfrom Invest NI.Linden Foods is a market leaderwithin the Northern Ireland fresh meatprocessing industry, sourcing andprocessing top quality beef and lamb.Invest NI has offered assistance of£520,000 through its Jobs Fund.Linden Foods, which is a subsidiary ofFane Valley Co-operative Society, servicesa range of retail multiples, conveniencefood manufacturers and the wider meatpacking industry in the UK and Europe.Trevor Lockhart, Chairman of LindenFoods, said: “This investment isan important part of our long-termdevelopment strategy and underlines ourcommitment to the Dungannon area.The support from Invest NI will allowus to create the workforce we need tomeet the demand for our range of newand innovative products among exportcustomers and enable us to cementour leading position within the meatprocessing industry.”Two years ago Linden Foods openeda new purpose-built facility beside thecompany’s main processing site atGranville. Along with new preparation,production and dispatch areas, the 5,740sq m premises includes a dedicatedinnovation centre and developmentkitchen, enabling the business tocontinually innovate and create productsthat are ahead of current trends in thefood retailing sector.Speaking during a visit to the company,Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said:“This investment is very welcomenews for the food industry which is akey contributor to Northern Ireland’seconomy. The 179 new production andmanagerial positions will generate over£2.5m annually in salaries. This is afantastic boost to the local area, the localcommunity and to the wider NorthernIreland economy.”

08 June 2013 InvestinSpecial FeatureAll eyeson usOn 17 and 18 June 2013, the Prime Minister willhost the 2013 G8 Summit at Lough Erne Resortin Fermanagh. Although essentially a politicalgathering of world leaders, the fact that the eyesof the world will be on Northern Ireland is a hugeopportunity for us.What is G8?The G8, or Group of 8, is a forum thatbrings together eight world leaders toaddress global issues and challenges.The G8 is made up of Canada, France,Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the USAand the UK. Each year, the G8 holds aLeaders’ Summit.The EU will be represented by JoseManuel Barroso, President of theEuropean Commission, and HermanVan Rompuy, President of theEuropean Council. With the Republicof Ireland holding the Presidency ofthe Council of the European Union, itis expected that Enda Kenny will alsoattend the Summit.Each participating country will bringtheir own supporting delegations,which will primarily be policy advisorsand support staff. They will also beaccompanied by media from their owncountries. The last time that the UKhosted the G8, in 2005 at Gleneagles,there were around3,000 delegates and some 3,200 mediain attendance.With press and broadcast personnelfrom around the globe convergingon Fermanagh, there will be a greatopportunity to showcase NorthernIreland as a positive place to live,work, visit, study, invest in and dobusiness with.What are we doing totake advantage of theopportunity?In the lead up to the event, Invest NIhas been working closely with DETI,the Executive Information Service,Northern Ireland Tourist Board, theNorthern Ireland Office, No.10 andother partners to maximise thisopportunity. In particular we want toraise the profile of Northern Ireland to:• Encourage investment /build trade links• Create awareness• Change perceptions• Drive visitor numbers• Stimulate a sense of civic pride.This has included developing a corescript of messages to showcaseNorthern Ireland across all platforms,built around the leading message ofNorthern Ireland being an ‘InspiringPlace / Leading Business’.A specific portal (www.g8ni2013.com)has been developed to provide highlevel information on Northern Irelandas a place to invest and visit and togive media access to an online mediacentre. The website will also provide liveupdates via authorised Twitter accountsusing #G8 / #G8NI, and answerfrequently asked questions before andduring the event.There are a number of specificinitiatives which we are supportingaround the Summit which include:• SW College – “Invest in theRegion, Create the Economy”.This conference took place on 6/7June and focused on encouraginginnovation through regionaleconomic development, developinga culture of entrepreneurship, andcreating and developing the capacityto internationalise the region.• An Impartial Reporter business andtourism supplement• The Clinton Summer School andConference, 8-18 June• A reception for visiting accreditedmedia on the evening of 17 June.Will there be disruption?Plans for hosting such an array of worldleaders has inevitably required extensiveplanning, in particular by the PSNI. Planshave been put in place to minimisedisruption to services and to ensure, asfar as possible, that people can go abouttheir normal business in the lead up toand during the G8 Summit.

Investin June 2013 09Focus on SkillsSuccess ThroughSkills ImprovementIncreasing business productivity is a key government aim. Since one of the areas thatimpacts most on productivity is employee skills, Invest NI has put in place new supportmechanisms to strengthen and streamline its support for training skills development.The Skills Growth Programme, launchedearlier this year, builds on our previoussupport for training (the BusinessImprovement Training Programme).It provides discretionary financial supportfor training activities that focus on higherskills with an emphasis on externallyvalidated training.Our focus tends to be on fourspecific areas of training:• leadership, management andsupervisory skills;• training on equipment use;• communication skills, timemanagement, team development,presentation skills and projectmanagement; and• human resources skills, sales andmarketing skills and finance training.The Skills Growth Programme supportsinternal and external training costs.We have also created a new SkillsAccelerator Grant specifically forsmall enterprises. This scheme willonly be available to small companiesthat operate in manufacturing andinternationally tradable services andwhich currently export or are ready to>> Pictured at an event in Newry wherelocal businesses had an opportunityto learn more about the Skills Growthinitiatives are Maureen Kearney, MJMMarine Ltd, Newry and Niall Casey, InvestNI’s Director of Skills and Strategy.begin exporting. The scheme will providefunding of 50% of eligible costs up toa maximum grant of £10,000. Eligiblecosts will be external costs such astrainers, travel and accommodation.LeadershipWe have also developed a specificinitiative to help develop leadershipskills. Called the Leadership Experience,it aims to improve the productivity ofcompanies through the development oftheir managers.The programme is designed to helpbusiness leaders implement real changein their business, to overcome barriersto effective business performance and toequip them with the skills and resourcesto deal with challenges as they arise.In designing the programme we focusedon the dual aspects of developing theindividual and developing networks thatwill provide ongoing peer support.The programme is a mixture of individualcoaching and networking, both of whichoffer the opportunity for participantsto learn from the experiences ofother managing directors and ownermanagers,from experts and to sharetheir own experience.For more information about support forskills development please call0800 181 4422 or speak to yourClient Executive.Steve Allen is ManagingDirector of RP Group, whichis based in Belfast’s DuncrueIndustrial Estate.The company is a manufacturer ofhydraulic hose assemblies and alsodistributes engineering products andprovides related specialist services.Steve took part on the first LeaderProgramme. He had this to say:I participated in the inaugural Leader Programme primarilyso I could be a better leader and feel more fulfilment inmy leadership role within my company. I believe that bothof those goals have been achieved. This is only the firststep on a continuous journey, as the needs of both theorganisation and myself change over time. The combinationof peer group learning and encouragement of both mymentor and coach made for a well balanced programme.I particularly benefited from the opportunity todiscuss issues in a confidential manner with mycoach and to develop a focused approach todealing with these within agreed timeframes.

10 June 2013 InvestinFocus on R&D and InnovationR&D and theRed BoxNew measures announced in the Budget aim to deliver short-term gains tobalance the long-term investment that is often involved in R&D projects.Carol Keery, Invest NI’s Director of Research and Development, explains.In his 2013 Budget the Chancellor,George Osborne, confirmed a rangeof measures that aim to provide anincentive for companies to undertakeR&D and innovative activity. Theyinclude the implementation of specificreliefs designed to target and producethe greatest benefit.Whilst many of the measures aren’tentirely new, the package does includeenhancements to HMRC’s alreadyestablished R&D Tax Credit regime andthe implementation of the Patent Box,as previously headlined in Budget 2012.The Chancellor also confirmed theimplementation of an ‘above-theline’credit for qualifying expenditureincurred on or after 1 April 2013(first announced in the AutumnStatement in 2011).As a package, these measures firmlyunderline Government’s commitmentto creating the right environment toenable R&D companies to prosper.For the first time the relief focuses onpatents, because they are stronglylinked to ongoing high-tech R&D andmanufacturing activity which is aGovernment priority.The Patent BoxBusinesses are increasinglyfocusing on building andprofiting from creatingand exploiting intellectualproperty. To furtherencourage this, the PatentBox has been developed as away of giving a tax benefit onprofits arising from patents.The Patent Box will allow companiesto apply a 10 per cent corporation taxrate to profits earned after 1 April 2013that are attributed to patents and certainother similar types of intellectual property.It will apply to worldwide income fromexisting as well as new patents, andbusinesses will be able to benefitwhether their patents are licensed,included in patented products, usedin internal processes or to provideservices.The Patent Box is therefore expectedto benefit a large number of innovativecompanies, encouraging them toretain existing patents and invest indeveloping new patented technologiesin the UK.It will also benefit the economy as itwill encourage companies to locate thehigh-value jobs and activity associatedwith the development, manufacture andexploitation of patents, in the UK.The Patent Box will enhance thecompetitiveness of the UK tax systemfor high-tech companies that obtainprofits from patents. In short, it willreward successful innovation.As well as our indigenous, localcompanies, overseas multinationals areextremely interested in the Patent Boxand the benefits it offers them. Thisincreases the attractiveness of locatingin Northern Ireland.

Investin June 2013 11Research Focus on & R&D Development and InnovationR&D Tax CreditsThe existing tax credit regimehas been enhanced to includean ‘above-the-line’ credit forlarge company R&D investment.This credit is designed to makeR&D relief more visible to thosemaking investment decisions.Tax-paying companies will seethe benefit of the credit in theform of reduced tax liabilities,while those with no corporationtax liability, such as those withtax losses, will be able to accesspayable cash credits.The headline rate of the credit will be 10per cent, up from the 9.1 per cent rateproposed at Budget 2012, making theUK a more attractive location for largecompany R&D activity by further reducingthe after tax cost of investment.The R&D Tax Credit scheme is the longestestablished measure and remains a keyTax Rulesand theIP LifeCycleCreation of high-tech and scientific IP•Intense research activity - business••incurring substantial up-front costs.uncertain future reward•CreationR&D TaxCreditsSchemeDevelopmentR&D TaxCreditsSchemeelement of the overall R&D relief regime.First introduced in 2000 for SMEs and2004 for larger companies, the schemeallows qualifying R&D costs to beenhanced for the purpose of calculatingcompany tax liability. To qualify, the R&Dmust be part of a project or plannedobjective; it must seek to increase theoverall stock of knowledge or capability ina particular field, or it must seek to resolvescientific or system uncertainty.The SME R&D tax credit 1 has beenmaintained at its April 2012 rate of225 per cent and continues to providetargeted support for SMEs, early stagecompanies and start-ups investing in R&Din the UK. What this in effect means isthat for every £1 spent by an SME, it canbe treated as if the company had spent£2.25 for tax purposes. Large companiescan opt to continue to claim the 130per cent rate of relief under the LargeCompany Scheme until April 2016, afterwhich it will become mandatory for themto take the credit ‘above the line’.Turning an initialpatent or conceptinto an initial product.Further R&D on the•IP or processrequired tomanufacture / deliverproduct / serviceCommercialisation>>Graphic shows UK Government support available at each stage of theproduct/process development journeyPatentBoxFurther high value•activity requiredfor successfulexploitation in theglobal market.How wecan helpTo help businesses understand these newincentives and how they can benefit them,Invest NI is working with HMRC and PWCto develop a range of supporting materialand cross-sectoral case studies.The supporting material includes a decisionmakingtree which will help companies tonavigate the R&D grant and HMRC tax relieflandscape, and a cost/benefit analysis tool.We want to encourage businesses to lookat these incentives and see if, and how, theycan work for them.Tax credits and the Patent Box recognise theimportance of business investment in newideas and technologies. R&D provides growthopportunities not only for the companiesinvesting but also for the wider economythrough the development of new skills andtechnology, and improved goods and services.That’s why R&D continues to be one ofInvest NI’s core priorities and why we offera range of advisory and financial supportfor businesses at every stage of theR&D journey.For further information about the newR&D relief measures please contactGillian Gregg, Invest NI’s R&D Division:gillian.gregg@investni.comFor further information on the PatentBox please visit:www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/patentboxFor detailed advice on R&D tax mattersplease contact HMRC’s NI CorporateTax Office at 03000 599 000 or viawww.hmrc.gov.ukFor information about Invest NI’ssupport for R&D please call 0800 1814422 or speak to your Client Executive.1HMRC’s SME scheme is a notified State Aid (and not therefore compatible with Invest NI’s Grant for R&D).SMEs availing of Grant for R&D may elect to claim under the Large Company Scheme at 130%.

12 June 2013 InvestinFocus on ExportRich opportunities tobe mined in ColombiaWhile Colombia is new to Invest NI’s international visit programme,several local companies are already doing worthwhile business inthis important South American marketplace. Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI’sTrade Director, outlines business opportunities there.>> Dr Vicky KellInvest NI Trade Director.Colombia is a substantial marketplacewhich has enjoyed a long tradition ofeconomic and political stability. Fivetimes the geographic size of the UK andwith a population of 46 million, Colombiahas a diverse and relatively advancedeconomy.This means that the opportunitiesfor our companies are many andvaried. This breadth of opportunity isindicated by local companies currentlysuccessful there including AnacondaEquipment International in Cookstown, amanufacturer of machinery for materialshandling, and Acksen, a specialist indatalogging devices for monitoringpower systems.Furthermore, UKTI has recognisedColumbia as a market with immensepotential and has listed it among CIVETS– Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt,Turkey and South Africa – a group ofemerging nations. Colombia is theworld’s 26th largest nation and the thirdbiggest in South America, after Braziland Mexico.According to UKTI, Colombia offersa range of opportunities in a varietyof sectors. Historically, it has lookedprimarily to the United States fornew products and technology, butEurope is increasingly seen as anattractive alternative.Market research shows that the countryhas enjoyed stable economic growth andrelatively low inflation for the last decade.The government’s new economic planaims to achieve a 4.8 per cent growth inGDP this year and includes significantinvestment in infrastructure. Themortgage rate was cut substantially tostimulate house building.Major international companies areinvesting there, especially in oil and gasexploration and development, as wellas in mining. However, the economy isdiversifying to include financial servicesand hospitality.Business is mainly centred in and aroundBogota, the nation’s capital, which hasa population of seven million. Otherkey business centres include Medellin(population four million) and Barranquilla(two million).Traditional industries, which continue todominate the economy, include mineralssuch as coal – Colombia has the largestreserves of coal in South America – gold,silver and platinum. The country, inaddition, is the world’s leading sourceof emeralds. It is also a major producerof coffee and textiles for customers inthe US and Europe. There are manyopportunities for companies providingservices and products to these industriesas well as producers of the endproducts themselves.Invest NI’s first mission to Bogotatook place in December 2012 andour companies received a very warmwelcome. Colombians are aware ofthe perceptions of their country andrecognise that they have to work hardto overcome historic events. They feel agreat affinity with Northern Ireland andadmire how we have overcome the oldinternational perceptions of the region.Doing businessthe ColumbianDoing business in Columbia is relatively straightforward. Thestandard greeting is a handshake. Friends will embrace andslap each other’s backs – what is known as the abrazo. Businessmeetings tend to be prolonged and often involve discussionsabout family and friends, sports and wider business issues. Buildingrapport and trust with potential customers is important and rushingthe process is regarded by Colombians as disrespectful. Until invitedto do so, avoid addressing Colombians by their first name.Once a level of trust has been established, never change yourpersonnel as this will mean going back to square one and rebuildingthe relationship again. Visiting the market to meet customersregularly is also essential.Colombians like to engage in some physical contact. So, beprepared for a hand on your shoulder and don’t back away frompeople if they get too close. Yawning in public is consideredimpolite and if you see someone tapping their fingers on theirelbows this means they are calling someone miserly.wayEngaging the services of a local contactto act as a facilitator, guarantor andinterpreter is essential. While Spanishis the main language, many businesspeople are used to trading with the USand are fluent in English.

Investin June 2013 13Focus on ExportHealthybusinessin USTwo local companieshave secured significantbusiness in highlycompetitive US marketsafter taking part in arange of Invest NIsupport programmes.Exploristics, a Belfast companyspecialising in statistical and dataanalysis for life sciences, securedbusiness worth around £200,000following its participation with InvestNI at a recent Bio Business exhibitionin Boston. Sepha in Dundonaldsigned a £400,000 contract for itsmarket leading technology used in theinspection of blister packs and therecovery of product from faulty packs.Both Exploristics and Sepha haveused Invest NI trade missions andexhibitions to pinpoint and winexport business.Exploristics’ new contract will see itcarry out projects to support newdrug developments for the treatmentof serious medical conditions andhelp develop better models for theearlier diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.The company, which employs fivepeople in Belfast, also took part in ajoint Department of Health/Invest NIConnected Health mission to Boston.It is now being assisted by Invest NIto develop an innovative softwareprogramme to allow accuratepredictive modelling for clinical trials.Sepha has received a range of tradeand R&D support from Invest NI tohelp it grow sales in internationalmarkets and to develop itstechnologies, which are used mainlyin the pharmaceutical industry.The new contract is Sepha’s largestever single order to the US and hasbeen sold via its Chicago-baseddistributor. Sepha has grown turnoverby over 30 per cent per annum overthe past three years due to its exportand technology focus. The businesscurrently employs 32 people.Queen’s Awardfor ElmgroveFoodsElmgrove Foods, the Dungannonproducer and exporter of beef,lamb and pork offal products tocustomers across the world, haswon a prestigious Queen’sAward for Enterprise.The company gained the award in theInternational Trade category for asignificant increase in sales to countriesworldwide, where there is a tradition ofusing the whole animal.Elmgrove is a first time Queen’s Awardwinner. It has grown its overseasSuccess inEmiratesforshelvingand foodFour local companieshave won significantbusiness recently inthe United ArabEmirates andneighbouring Qatar.Sperrin Metal Storage Solutions, theDraperstown-based manufacturer ofshelving and other storage equipment,signed a contract worth around£300,000 during its participation withInvest NI at Arab Health, held in Dubaiin January.The family-owned company, whichcurrently employs 100, has asuccessful track record in the UAE,especially in Dubai. The new contractinvolves it installing a mobile shelvingsystem for archiving documents in aMinistry of the Interior building at Dohain Qatar. The company has used InvestNI trade missions over many years toexpand sales abroad.sales by 217 per cent over the lastthree years.Elmgrove’s research identified a specificglobal demand for innovative offalproducts – products that would not sellin the UK market. In four years thecompany both created and supplied aportfolio of more than 80 products intoSouth East Asian countries such asVietnam and Hong Kong, whichtogether comprise 82 per cent of totalsales turnover. It is now targeting Chinaas its next big market.>> Pictured is Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director, with PeterGormley, Managing Director of Sperrin Metal Storage SolutionInvest NI support has also helped threefood companies – Mash Direct,Comber, Ewings Seafood, Belfast andGlenarm Organic Salmon – to gainfirst-time business in Dubai.Mash Direct, a manufacturer of potatoand vegetable convenience foods, isnow supplying Spinneys, the MiddleEast’s premium supermarket chain. Theorder was secured after the companyteamed up with Invest NI to attend theSIAL food exhibition in Paris.Glenarm Organic Salmon in Co Antrim,Northern Ireland’s only salmon farm,won business with a leading distributioncompany in Dubai to supply majorhotels and high-end restaurants. Thatfollowed its participation last year on anInvest NI mission to the Emirates forlocal seafood processors.Organic salmon from Glenarm was alsoused by Ewing’s Seafoods to win its firstbusiness in Dubai. The company’s newsmoked salmon product was developedwith assistance from Invest NI.

16 June 2013 InvestinIssue FocusDeliverING resultsFor businessAlastair Hamilton, Invest NI’s Chief Executive, gives anoverview of 2012–13 performance.2012–13 was an excellent yearfor us. Not only did we meet orexceed on 13 of our 16 targets,but in many cases we delivereddouble-digit overachievementand a significant uplift on lastyear’s performance.Highlightsof the year• We provided £130m ofassistance to businesses,of which 71% was tolocal companies.• We promoted nearly 7,400new jobs, 4,596 of these bylocally owned companies.• We supported nearly £608mof investment across jobs,R&D and skills.• We contributed to £105min private sector investmentin R&D.• We supported investment inskills development of£38 million.• We made over 5,000offers of support, 93% ofwhich were to locallyowned businesses.• 80% of jobs promoted byexternally owned companies,and 65% by locally ownedcompanies will offer salariesabove the Northern IrelandPrivate Sector Median.These results are having a real and positive impact on our local economy and are allthe more encouraging given the backdrop of the ongoing economic downturn.Now halfway through our 2011–2015 Corporate Plan period, we are well placedto deliver the targets detailed in that plan and those outlined in the Programme forGovernment (PfG) and Executive Strategy.2011/15PfG Target2011-132 yr target2011-20132 yr actual25,000 jobs 13,300 13,870 4%£1bn investmentcommitments£300m investmentin R&D£110m investmentin skills£266m in wagesand salariesSupportinglocalgrowth5,000 offers of support – 93% locallyowned, 7% externally owned£550m £784m 43%£150m £168m 12%£48m £56m 17%£125m £198m 58%PercentageaheadAt £130m the amount of assistanceoffered to businesses overall was 46%higher than last year, and the proportionof this offered to locally ownedcompanies was also up.However, our support goes wellbeyond financial assistance. Ourspecialist teams in design, R&D,innovation, resource efficiency, skillsand strategy, and trade providedinvaluable advice, guidance andmentoring support to businesses.The Boosting Business campaign hasbeen instrumental in widening ourreach to local businesses right acrossNorthern Ireland. During 2012–13the campaign generated over 11,750enquiries, and over 6,300 attendees at236 events, seminars and workshopscovering a wide range of topicsincluding design, exporting, recruitmentand selection, energy efficiency andonline selling.

Investin June 2013 17Issue FocusJobsProgress againstPFG jobs target2011201313,3002015 Target25,000We exceeded the job promotiontargets for locally and externally ownedcompanies and for projects supportedthrough the Jobs Fund.Whilst pure job numbers are important,perhaps more so is job quality. I’mpleased therefore to report that,excluding the Jobs Fund and theBusiness Start Initiative, 80 per centof jobs promoted by externally ownedcompanies, and 65 per cent of thosein locally owned companies will offersalaries above the Northern IrelandPrivate Sector Median.One job target we were not able to meetwas new jobs promoted through ourlocally focused business start initiative.This was due to a legal challengethat prevented the programme beingrun. Since the programme becameoperational again, over 900 businessplans have been approved.R&D£105m R&D investment– up 67% on last year£63m2011-2012£105m2012-2013In Northern Ireland we are seeingmore and more companies investingin R&D to help them get or stay aheadof the competition. This is reflected ininvestment commitments in 2012–13of £105m, 21 per cent over our target.Small and medium sized enterprisesaccounted for over a third of thisinvestment, demonstrating that with theright support and guidance, companiesare willing and able to undertake R&D,regardless of their size.What is especially pleasing is that injust two years we have supported£71m of investment in R&D by SMEs,which actually exceeds our four-yearCorporate Plan target of £60m.Our Innovation Voucher continues to beone of our most successful schemes,helping entrepreneurs and smallercompanies diversify and explore newopportunities. Over 1,100 businesseshave benefited from the scheme sinceit was introduced, with 350 vouchersapproved in 2012–13. We will work withthese companies to move them furtheralong the R&D road, leading to biggerprojects and increased innovation.ExportTo help and encourage businesses toexport we offer a range of practicaladvice and support. This includessupport to go on trade missionsand attend international exhibitions,workshops on doing business in keymarkets, in-market advice and anextensive network of internationaloffices. During the course of 2012–13we supported over 1,800 differentinteractions. This included 48 trademissions to countries including India,Brazil, the Nordics and Saudi Arabia,with over 500 companies taking part.We also participated in 24 internationalexhibitions supporting nearly 200companies to present their products orservices to a captive audience.An important part of our support forcompanies is our international presence.We strengthened our international reachwith a new office in Erbil in the provinceof Kurdistan, and recruited a new Headof Asia Pacific based in Singapore,helping to open up both inwardinvestment and trade opportunities forthe Asia Pacific region.Access toFinanceAccessing finance remains an ongoingchallenge for businesses. In responsewe created a suite of funds under thebanner of Access to Finance to ensurebusinesses with high growth potentialare not constrained by lack of funding.Two of these funds were launchedduring the year – the Growth LoanFund and the Small Business LoanFund. Both have received high levels ofinterest from business.SkillsSkills Investment£18mUP 110%£36m£38m skills investment– over 110% up on last yearRecognising the importance ofin-company training we have moved tostrengthen and streamline our supportin this area by launching the SkillsGrowth Programme and a new LeaderProgramme. During 2012–13 across allour skills programmes we supported300 projects, securing a total investmentin skills development of £42m.OrganisationalDevelopmentsWe are also continually looking at waysto improve the service we provide toour customers. I am therefore delightedthat the feedback from the 2012 AnnualCustomer Survey showed our highestlevel of customer satisfaction to date,at 79 per cent.We have undertaken a significant projectto develop a new Offers and ClaimsManagement System that will improveour internal processes and furthershorten the application and paymentprocessing times for our customers.Our target is to maintain caseworkprocessing time to an average of 17days and during 2012–13 we achievedan average of 15 days. Our focusremains on ensuring our support canbe quickly and easily accessed bybusinesses, through providing timelysupport for their growth plans.

18 June 2013 InvestinWorking in the RegionsAddressinglocal needsAchieving private sector growth and boosting oureconomy depends on many organisations andstakeholders working together towards a common aim.For this reason we work closely with a wide network ofstakeholders, including councils, sectoral and businessbodies, community and social enterprises.Invest NI has been working with localcouncils since September 2011 to promotethe implementation of a measure aimedat stimulating economic growth amongNorthern Ireland’s wider business base.The Local Economic Development (LED)measure is available to councils to help themaddress the particular needs of businessesin their area and boost local economicdevelopment. The measure is fundedby councils, Invest NI and the EuropeanRegional Development Fund under theSustainable Competitiveness Programme forNorthern Ireland.Fifty projects and programmes acrossNorthern Ireland have been approved andwill help businesses in those council areasto strengthen core skills ranging fromexport marketing to finance to sustainabledevelopment.These include Belfast City Council’sSocial Economy Programme, Derry CityCouncil’s ‘Get Started for 2013’, a specificEmployment Growth programme run byLisburn City Council, and CastlereaghBorough Council’s Evolution project, offeringone-to-one mentoring support and generalbusiness advice. More projects are expectedover the next 12 months.Patricia Devine, LED Manager, InvestNI, says: “This LED measure aimsto help councils provide economicdevelopment resources which meet theneeds of businesses in the communityand complement the support currentlyoffered by Invest NI. The main focus of themeasure is to support innovation, researchand development and entrepreneurship.Regardless of which council they are locatedin, the programmes have the potential tohelp hundreds of local businesses to winsales, boost turnover and create jobs.”>> Enterprise Minister, ArleneFoster helps Councillor TonyQuinn, Cookstown DistrictCouncil Chairman, unlock £1m ofinvestment in the Council’s newsuite of business developmentprogrammes. With assistanceavailable to 225 local businesses,this is the largest package ofbusiness support ever deliveredby Cookstown District Council.Pictured are representatives of theprogramme funders from Invest NIand Cookstown District Council.Some councils have pooled resources andexpertise, working as a cluster to delivermaximum benefit to their local businessbase. An example of this is the SEEDcluster comprising Ards, North Down,Banbridge, Down, Craigavon, Newry andMourne and Armagh councils.These councils have delivered a number ofbusiness support programmes includinga conference providing information onaccessing finance, the Energy ConnectionsNI programme which provides practicaladvice to help business become suppliersto the renewable companies, and a FirstTime Exporters Programme.In the far north, councils have cometogether to deliver initiatives including aninnovative new programme to help localfood retailers expand into manufacturing,while in the north east, seven councilsgot together to deliver a ProcurementDevelopment Programme.The western region has presented anumber of projects including the Surviveand Thrive Business Mentoring Programme,and Inspire, which is providing one-to-onementoring and the chance for businessesto attend marketing skills developmentworkshops and conferences.“Such partnership working is vital to thefuture growth of our economy and theprivate sector,” says Patricia Devine.So far the programmes run by councilsunder the LED measure have proved verypopular with businesses, which especiallyappreciate that the content is tailored tolocal needs.“LED initiatives aim to help businessesto become more market aware, researchaware, outward looking, export orientedand committed to ongoing businessdevelopment. These are the essentialcomponents of business and economicsuccess,” adds Patricia Devine.

Investin June 2013 19EventsxShowcasingthe RegionInvest NI supports a number of majorevents every year which help to raise theprofile of Northern Ireland as a place toinvest and which highlight the indigenousbusiness talent that exists here.EuropeanBusinessNetworkAnnualCongress2013In May Invest NI was the chief sponsorof one of Europe’s largest and mostprestigious business events, theEuropean Business Network AnnualCongress 2013. Held in Londonderry,Congress 2013 brought togetherover 350 international participantsand a similar number of NorthernIreland businesses to hear from worldrenowned experts on the topics ofdigital, social and cultural innovation.Keynote speaker was Steve Wozniak,co-founder of Apple.The three-day event was organisedby NORIBIC (The Northern IrelandBusiness and Innovation Centre) andincluded workshops and interactionopportunities between speakersand participants.Based in Brussels EBN aims topromote the growth of Business andInnovation Centres which in turnsupport the emergence of new small ormedium sized businesses and existingbusinesses with new ideas and withgrowth potential.It was the first time this majorprogramme of events had taken placein Northern Ireland.GlobalIndiaOn 23 and 24 June Belfast City Council,supported by Invest NI, will host themajor Global India conference. Thisannual conference will bring togethersome 300 highly influential Indianbusiness leaders, their Europeancounterparts, and UK and NorthernIreland Ministers, to discuss globaleconomic and business issues and todebate collaborative approaches toaddressing sustainable growth.As the world’s second fastest growingeconomy, India presents significanttrade development and investmentopportunities. Indian companiesincluding Firstsource, L&T, HCLTechnology, Techmahindra, and PolarisSoftware have all brought considerableinvestment, jobs and skills to NorthernIreland, while local companies continueto find export success there.The conference will have a widereachingprogramme, featuring bothinternational and local speakers. MinisterAnand Sharma, India’s Minister forCommerce, will attend and speakersinclude CEO Infosys, CEO MahindraSatyam, CEO FedEx Express andChairman Tata Communications.Technologyat WorkInvest NI’s Technology at Workconference in February was attendedby 380 delegates. The event provideda platform for people to meet, listen,discuss and showcase how innovationhas worked for them.Over 30 companies exhibited theirproducts and services and 13technology-led companies deliveredelevator pitches at the event. Thedelegates also heard from keynotespeakers Ian Philips, Principal StaffEngineer at ARM Ltd of Cambridge,and Scott Berkun, bestselling authorof Making Things Happen who spokeabout global technology trends, creativethinking and managing ideas.The event aimed to raise awarenessof how technology in its broadestsense can offer solutions and newopportunities across all industry sectors,from IT through to healthcare.It also showcased Northern Irelandcompanies that are pioneering newinnovations across a range of sectorsand exporting them around the world.>> Pictured (L-R) with Invest NI Chairman Mark Ennis (centre) are ScotBerkun, bestselling author of Making Things Happen and Ian Philips,Principal Staff Engineer at ARM Ltd of Cambridge

20 June 2013 InvestinSpotlight on Business and Sector DevelopmentSPOTLIGHTElectronics and EngineeringHigh ValuecommitmentThe manufacturing sector in the UK has undergone a seismic change in recent decades.With countries such as India and China offering low cost manufacturing capability and extensive capacity, companies here, includinginward investors, are often faced with the choice of relocating operations elsewhere or making the move to higher value activities.Two companies that have shown resilience and long-term commitment to Northern Ireland are Seagate and Caterpillar Inc,both international leaders in their fields. Backed by Invest NI they have navigated the unsettled economic tides, and, despitechallenging times, continue to reinvest in their Northern Ireland operations and provide high value employment.SeagatePart of the global storageleader, Seagate Technology, theSeagate facility in Springtown,Londonderry, develops andmanufactures read-writeheads for hard disk drives. It isrecognised as the UK’s mostadvanced nanotechnologyscalemanufacturing facility andemploys over 1,300 staff.The company recently celebrated the 20thanniversary of its arrival in Northern Irelandand took the opportunity to restate itscommitment to the region.“Our confidence in the high quality of talentavailable here has never wavered and ourexperience over the last 20 years has beenvery positive. We have developed a highlyvaluable strategic partnership with Queen’sUniversity through the Ansin project and alsoacknowledge the importance of Invest NI’ssupport over the years. We remain committedto maintaining a presence in Northern Ireland,”said Dr Brian Burns, Seagate’s Vice Presidentof Springtown Operations.Over 20 years Seagate has invested more than£480 million in its Northern Ireland facilities.To complement its Springtown facility, it setup an operation in Limavady in 1996, SeagateTechnology Media (Ireland), to processaluminium substrates for disc drives.Research and development is at the heart ofSeagate’s success and over the last 10 yearsthe company has made a series of major R&Dinvestments. In 2004 it invested £90m, backedby Invest NI, in a project at Springtown todevelop new technology to increase thestorage capacity and performance of harddisc drives. This was followed in 2005 byan £83m investment in both the Derry andLimavady plants, which created 300 new jobs,and was again supported by Invest NI.John Hood, Director of Invest NI’s LifeSciences, Electronics and ConsumerProducts, comments: “Seagate recognisedthat Northern Ireland presented a costeffectivelocation and one where skilledstaff of the calibre it required were readilyavailable. It consolidated its presence here byreinvesting and building up the capability ofits workforce.”Unfortunately the global economic downturntook its toll on Seagate, as on so many otherbusinesses, and in 2008 the company wasforced to close the Limavady plant due to costpressures from the Far East.However, Seagate continued to invest in thehighly successful Springtown plant, makingtwo further major R&D investments in 2010,totalling almost £60m.>> Pictured at the Seagate 20th anniversary dinner are (from left): Alastair Hamilton, Chief Executive, Invest NI;Brian Burns, Vice President Seagate Springtown Operations; Dave Mosley, Executive Vice President, Operations,Seagate; Arlene Foster, Enterprise Minister, and Jeff LaCroix, Vice President, Recording Head Operations, Seagate.The investments, supported by Invest NI,created 85 R&D jobs in Springtown and afurther 10 related research posts at Queen’sUniversity, Belfast. It enhanced the size, scaleand nature of research undertaken at theSpringtown site and underpinned the strategicimportance of the Northern Ireland facility. Italso strengthened the relationship betweenthe company and the university which led tothe establishment of Ansin, a state-of-the-artresearch facility located within Queen’s Schoolof Mathematics and Physics, to focus on thedevelopment of advanced materials.Seagate donated equipment valued at£7.5m and provided £250,000 to fundbusiness development activities in Ansin.Speaking at the opening in 2010 Dr KennethAllen, Seagate’s then Vice President ofDevelopment, said: “Ansin provides a uniqueopportunity to make a difference for NorthernIreland and for Seagate in the long term. Byestablishing this initiative, we hope to providethe spark which leads to a stronger base ofmagnetic and nanotechnology capability.We look forward to broadening our strategicpartnership with Queen’s and Invest NI.”The joint venture with Queen’s reflectsSeagate’s ethos of actively promoting scienceand engineering in education. It has beeninvolved in a range of initiatives including theSeagate Real World Science Conference,a summer school and school visits. Thecompany estimates that the combinedelements of its school outreach programmeinvolve more than 1,200 students each year.John Hood comments: “Seagate’scontribution to Northern Ireland goes wellbeyond jobs created. It is actively involvedin the community and despite the difficulteconomic climate has continued toreinvest to protect the 1,300 high value jobsin Springtown.”

Spotlight on Business and Sector DevelopmentInvestin June 2013 21SPOTLIGHTElectronics and EngineeringCaterpillarCaterpillar has beeninvesting in Northern Irelandsince 1999 when it acquiredlocal family business FGWilson (Engineering) Ltd.The company manufacturesa range of diesel and gaspowered generators for bothdomestic and commercialapplications.In 2005 Caterpillar announced that it wassetting up a shared financial servicescentre based in Northern Ireland toservice its network of companies acrossEurope. The investment, backed by InvestNI, expanded the Caterpillar presence inNorthern Ireland into the services sectorand was a direct result of the positiveexperience the company has enjoyedhere since its arrival.Speaking at the time Walter Jess,Financial Shared Services Manager ofCaterpillar Compact Power Systems,commented: “We are setting up this newoperation to enable us to centralise andstreamline key financial services which arecurrently handled independently. Beforeselecting Northern Ireland we looked intoa number of different locations. However,Northern Ireland emerged as our preferredbase of operations because of the highlyskilled population and strong work ethic.”The “quality of personnel” was citedagain later in 2005 when Caterpillar setup a second shared services centre todeliver centralised information systems,services and support to other parts of theCaterpillar organisation.At the same time the company continuedto invest in its manufacturing operationsin Larne, Springvale (Belfast) andMonkstown, investing a total of £36mover the period from 2004. This includeda £10m investment in a new engineeringresearch centre at Larne and moving fromcellular manufacture to flow line assembly.Caterpillar also further developed itslean manufacturing techniques acrossall three sites, focusing on reducingwaste in assembly, manufacturing andlogistics processes. In 2010 it launcheda new 47,000 sq ft assembly line whichrepresented a further £5m investment atthe Larne plant.By the end of 2011 Caterpillar wasemploying around 3,000 staff acrossits three operating sites. The globaleconomic climate however, was growingincreasingly challenging, and a year laterthe company announced significantredundancies from its workforce inNorthern Ireland.“Caterpillar took this difficult decision inthe face of increasingly competitive globaleconomic pressures,both in terms offalling demand andincreasing costcompetition,”says JohnHood.“Invest NI Chief Executive, AlastairHamilton, and the Enterprise MinisterArlene Foster met with Bill Rohner,Vice President of Caterpillar’s ElectricPower Division after the redundancyannouncement to identify anyopportunities to mitigate job losses anddiscuss options. Soon after, Caterpillar,supported by Invest NI, announced itwould continue to expand shared servicesin Northern Ireland, which will create 200high quality jobs.“Caterpillar’s commitment to NorthernIreland is evident from its history ofinvestment here. It took a strategicdecision to move lower value activitiesoverseas and to retain its high value workin Northern Ireland, and has diversifiedits base here to include services.Invest NI will continue tosupport it in theseareas,” adds JohnHood.>> Pictured at the recent investment announcement are (L-R): Dr. Stephen Farry, Minister of Employmentand Learning. Robert Kennedy, Caterpillar NI Operations Director, and Arlene Foster, Enterprise Minister.

22 June 2013 InvestinSpecial FeatureUS links are goodfor businessNorthern Ireland people take the many historical and social linkages we have with NorthAmerica for granted. Perhaps less familiar, however, is the fact that our geographicallocation is ideal for doing business with the US and Canada. This is especially truefor US-based companies seeking a European base; with east coast cities only fivehours behind Northern Ireland, a suitable time overlap means staff here can workeffectively with their colleagues in the USA and Canada and in turn provide a bridge tocustomers in mainland Europe and beyond. Together with cultural compatibility and costcompetitiveness, this is one of the main reasons for many North American companiesto locate in the region. Companies that have taken advantage of this include the AllstateCorporation, NYSE Euronext, Liberty Mutual and recent investor, the CME Group.ExcellentConnectivityNorthern Ireland people have been atthe forefront of connectivity with NorthAmerica since 1866. At that time,Belfast-born William Thomson, later LordKelvin (universally acknowledged as thefather of modern science) assisted inthe laying of the first viable transatlantictelegraph cable – the precursor ofmodern international telecoms. Now,almost 150 years later, Northern Irelandis one of the first regions to operate andexperience high speed, next generationservices with a new 40-gigabyte persecond transatlantic and terrestrialtelecommunications link betweenNorthern Ireland, North America andEurope. This is providing secure, reliableservices and is delivering a cost effectiveworking environment that is up to 20per cent below market rates in London,Dublin, Manchester and Glasgow. Thelink also provides solutions for disasterrecovery for international companies thatare located in Northern Ireland.It’s also much easier to get to NorthernIreland today. Just over a decade agothere was only one daily internationalflight from Belfast. Today Belfast’s twoairports serve a number of internationaldestinations, whilst the City of Derryairport offers daily connections withLondon. Since 2005 United Airlines(formerly Continental Airlines) has had adaily scheduled flight between BelfastInternational Airport, and its hub atNewark Liberty International Airport onthe outskirts of New York City. The flightsprovide easy access to the heart of theworld’s financial capital with Wall Streetonly 30 minutes by road from the airport.It not only helps inward investors traveleasily to Northern Ireland but allows localcompanies ready access to business inthe highly lucrative US market.In addition to offering easy accessto New York, Newark has excellentconnections across North America, withUnited Airlines (UA), one of the world’slargest airlines and the leading carrierin the New York area offering flights toalmost 100 destinations in the USA.The competitiveness of the UA flight toNewark has been enhanced recentlyby the decision of the Northern IrelandExecutive to abolish air passenger dutyon direct long haul flights from NorthernIreland airports. This decision shouldhelp the local airports to attract otherairlines offering new international routes toNorthern Ireland and ultimately enhancethe appeal of Northern Ireland as adestination for inward investors as well aseasing communications for our exporters.

Investin June 2013 23Spotlight on Business SolutionsBrandnewSPOTLIGHTON DesignJohn and Myrtle Haughare the people behind thenew four-star self-cateringcottages in Annalong,which are being built withsupport from Invest NI.The five cottages will provide highquality accommodation at the foot of theMourne Mountains, and John and Myrtlewanted to make sure the brandingwas also of a high quality; somethingthat would set them apart from theircompetitors. They signed up for InvestNI’s Design Development Programme.“We wanted to create a brand andcommunications that reflect thecharacter of the cottages and theoutstanding natural environment of thearea,” says Myrtle Haugh.The business was paired with designconsultants Circle CC and togetherthey explored the key ideas aroundthe cottages’ character and how thesecould be combined to create a nameand identity.“For example, we are incorporatinglocal granite in the construction of thecottages. This was an aspect we werekeen to include, and we also wanted thebrand to visually reflect the setting in theMourne Mountains,” says Myrtle.Working with the design consultants,Myrtle and John developed initialconcepts around the name of KribbenCottages, based on the local term forAnnalong granite. From this a finalbrand will be developed and appliedacross all marketing materials, includingthe website.Richard Christie,Invest NI’sDesign andCommercialisationManager, says:“A strong brandidentity deliveredthrough effectivedesign providesa consistentmessage to thecustomer aboutyour business andhelps position it inthe marketplace.Our DesignDevelopmentProgramme hashelped hundredsof companiesimprove productdesign, brandingand packaging.“For anyone wanting to explore howdesign can help their business, agood place to start is by booking anappointment at one of our DesignClinics. These are free and can help abusiness pinpoint exactly what theyneed to do. After that they can exploretheir options, which, if they areeligible, could include taking part ineither our mini or our main DesignDevelopment Programme.”Design ServiceInvest NI’s design support ranges fromfree advice to support for large-scaledesign projects. We provide:Design ClinicsFree one-hour design advice appointments heldthroughout Northern Ireland and open to allbusinesses. These can help you develop yourmarketing materials, corporate branding, productpackaging or materials, engineering andproduct design.Mini Design Development ProgrammeExpert design support for small-scale and group projects. Thisprovides three days of specialist consultancy from a designconsultant. You will be charged a fee of £250 for the programme,which also includes workshops and networking opportunities.Main Design Development ProgrammeExpert design support for larger scale projects. We offer sevendays of consultancy from an experienced design consultant to helpyour business develop concepts based around your design needs.This support includes interactive sessions, a mid-term review,a residential session, a final exhibition of work and a six-monthevaluation review. The fee for this programme is £500.>> For more information please contact design@investni.com or visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/design

24 June 2013 InvestinSupporting SMEsTake our adviceInvest NI’s support forbusiness is not all aboutmoney. Within the agencythere is an abundance oftechnical expertise, in-depthmarketing intelligence anda wealth of internationalconnections to helpbusinesses succeed.>>Amazonlink-upOnlineself-helptoolsInvest NI’sdiagnosticand self-helptools areideal for busymanagers thatquickly wantto take stockof how productive their businesses areand how effective their managementskills are.Available for free through the nibusinessinfo.co.uk website, the online tools have alreadybeen used by almost 200 people.The Business Diagnostic tool helps businessowners and managers assess how effectivetheir business practices are, whilst theLeadership and Management Skills Assessmenttool helps individuals assess their strengths inthese areas.Using a questionnaire which generates areport highlighting areas for improvement,the resources then signpost companies to arange of support services, including accessto specialist advice and resources as well asrelevant public events.The tools can be accessed atwww.nibusinessinfo.co.uk.Leadership and Management SkillsAssessment Toolwww.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/lmsaBusiness Diagnostic Toolwww.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/businessdiagnosticInvest NI’sfood sectormarketingadvisers helpedCrawford’s Foodin Portaferry,Co. Down, amanufacturer ofluxury breakfastgranolas, toget listed withAmazon UK.To arrange tospeak to a foodmarketing adviserplease contactNigel Hardy,nigel.hardy@investni.comor 028 9069 8143The small company, formed by husband andwife team David and Jill Crawford in 2010, begansupplying its complete range of ‘Just Live aLittle’ branded granolas to Amazon at the endof March. The contract followed an introductionto an Amazon food supplier, Minster Foods ofNottingham, by Invest NI.Mr Crawford said: “Winning business with Amazonis extremely important because it is a marvellousendorsement of the quality of our breakfastgranolas and is also our first online sellingplatform. It’s a very opportune contract becausewe’ve been considering our own e-commercewebsite for some time.“Amazon has tremendous marketing muscleand great awareness among shoppers. Beinglisted on this site, which also has longstandingpayment systems, enables us to reach a muchwider audience throughout the UK than would bepossible via our own website. Our aim is to buildon the relationship with Amazon in the UK and towork towards listings on the online retailer’s otherinternational sites.“Invest NI’s support, especially the advice andlead generation provided by the team of foodsector marketing advisers, has been – andcontinues to be – immensely encouraging and ishelping us to achieve our key objective which is togrow sales particularly outside Northern Ireland,”he added.Invest NI’s food marketing advisers have vastexperience of overseas markets. Crawford’sFoods’ business with Amazon resulted from abuying mission organised by Invest NI for retailersand foodservice organisations. This providedthe opportunity for Crawford’s Food to present itsgranolas at a one-to-one meeting. The company thenfollowed up the meeting and secured the business.

Investin June 2013 25SpecialisttechnicaladviceInvest NI technical advisorscan help companiesdeal with engineering,product and process, andmanufacturing issues,or comply with product,environmental andworkplace health andsafety regulations.Some of the areas that Invest NI canadvise on are:• engineering and manufacturing- materials selection, technicalrequirements, product testing,approval and performance;• production line - raw materials,quality control, packaging,regulation and compliance;• technical information - industrialand manufacturing standards;• health and safety - legislation, riskassessments, control measures;• CE Marking;• quality management systems.In November Invest NI will hosta Global Technical Complianceseminar delivered jointly withQueen’s University. The seminar is forcompanies looking beyond the EU andwill provide up-to-date informationon global standards’ requirementsfor product and component safety.The seminar will also provide worldcompliance guidelines for the keyglobal trading areas and focus onthose that are of particular interest toparticipants attending.There will be both electrical andmechanical consultants present toanswer any informal questions, plusInvest NI staff to advise of further helpand support available.The half day seminar takes placeon 27 November 2013 in Invest NI’sheadquarters. For more informationand to register please visitwww.investni.com/events>> Pictured (L-R) is Bryan Gray, ChiefExecutive of Manufacturing NI with TracyMeharg, Invest NI’s Executive Director ofBusiness Solutions.Guidance onreducingenergy costsEnergy Independence, a guide toreducing energy costs has beendeveloped by Manufacturing NIand Carbon Trust with fundingfrom Invest NI. It provides adviceand information about on-sitegeneration of electricity or heatfrom renewable sources. It alsoprovides details of governmentincentives that make investing intechnology to generate renewableenergy more attractive.Tracy Meharg, Invest NI’s ExecutiveDirector of Business Solutions,says: “In a highly competitivemarket, maintaining operationalcosts at the lowest possiblelevels ensures businesses remaincompetitive and profits aremaximised. We are working to helpcompanies achieve cost savings inthe consumption of water, energyand materials and, where appropriateinvest in on-site heat or electricitygeneration technologies.“This guide provides a helpfulresource for local companies thatare considering the transition torenewable energy sources whilstalso reminding them that costreduction can firstly be achievedthrough energy efficiency measuresbefore any consideration is given toself-generation.”Bryan Gray, Chief Executive ofManufacturing NI, adds: “We believethere is considerable scope forcompanies in Northern Ireland totake energy generation into their ownhands and reduce their dependenceon fossil fuels. By working withInvest NI we aim to promote greaterenergy independence among localbusinesses and at the same timeachieve meaningful cost savingsthrough energy efficiency.”A copy of the Energy Independenceguide is available to download at:www.manufacturingni.org/documents/mni_energy_independence.pdf

26 May June 2013 InvestinHow to...How to...This time our new step by step advice pagelooks at how to go about raising finance.Your business may needfinance to help fund thedevelopment of newproducts, to facilitate entryinto new markets, expandbusiness premises, purchasenew equipment, recruit newstaff, or fund working capitalrequirements. Accessingfinance however, can betough, especially these days.The following approachmight help to increase yourchance of success.Know how much funding youneed and what you need it forSurprisingly, many funding enquiries failbecause applications do not effectivelycommunicate how much money is beingsought. Identifying the finance needed topurchase new equipment may be fairlyeasy, but the working capital financeneeded to achieve a 15 per cent growthin turnover will be much more complex tounderstand and communicate.Prepare a detailedbusiness planPreparing a detailed business plan isrecommended for all businesses, not justas a means of raising external finance,but as a tool to help manage and monitorthe performance of the business goingforward. Regrettably, many companiesallocate too little time, and place too littleemphasis on preparing a good businessplan. In the context of the more challengingfunding environment, a business plan– with detailed financial projections andcashflows – has become more importantthan ever. A good plan will certainlyenhance the prospects of obtaining thirdparty finance; in the absence of a goodplan the prospects are remote.Use technical expertise froma good adviser if in-houseskills are not availableAlthough there is additional costinvolved, a good adviser can offervaluable assistance, particularly forthose businesses less familiar with thefundraising process or those lacking thein-house technical expertise. Not only cana good adviser assist with the businessplan and the financial projections, but theywill be familiar with the funding optionsavailable and will be able to provide adviceon finance structures and solutions thatbest fit the needs of individual businessesand their management teams. By offeringan effective challenge, a good advisercan also sense check management’sassumptions and help provide confidencewith the technical elements of the plan,leaving management to communicatetheir passion for the business, and theirstrategy to take the business forward.Look to develop a strategicpartnership with yourfunding partnersIt is important to think in terms ofdeveloping a strong business relationshipwith funding partners to ensure that a lackof finance does not inhibit growth. Thismeans developing open communication,and in the case of management/businessowners, ensuring that you understandwhat your funding partner needs. Whilstthe objectives of equity funder and debtproviders are often very different, allfunders are increasingly likely to wantregular trading information that helpsto evaluate performance against plan;typically this will consist of monthly/quarterly management accounts andpotentially KPI analysis.Invest NIAccess to FinanceInvest NI has developed a number ofnew finance solutions to help local smalland medium sized companies seekingfinance. Currently there are four fundsavailable, two offering equity finance andtwo offering loans.We have also introduced a schemeto help businesses develop fundingproposals. The Finance Voucher isavailable to export focused growthcompanies, reimbursing up to a maximumof £4,000 of external professional costsincurred in developing a funding proposal.For more information visit:www.boostingbusinessni.com/jobs/access-to-finance/

Investin June 2013 27nibusinessinfo.co.ukTopical topicsCarrier Bag LevyThe new charge for carrier bagsmeans that retailers will need tocollect a 5 pence charge for eachnew single use bag supplied tocustomers. As paper bags andother alternatives to plastic bagscan be equally damaging to theenvironment, the Carrier Bag Levyapplies to all single use carrier bags– not just plastic bags. Servicesthat use plastic bags as part ofthe service, for example, a laundryservice, are not subject to the levy.Automatic pensionenrolment– are you ready?All employers now have toenrol their workers into aworkplace pension scheme ifthey’re not already in one.The law has been in place since October2012 but the timing of when employershave to automatically enrol workersdepends on their size. Large companiesare already required to do it.You will receive a letter from ThePensions Regulator giving you thedate of when the law applies to you(also known as your staging date) andinformation on the support available toyou. This letter will be sent 12 monthsbefore your staging date.On that date employers must enrol intoa workplace pension, workers who:• are not already in a qualifyingworkplace pension;• are aged 22 or over;• are under State Pension age;• earn more than a minimum amounta year (currently £9,440 - this figuremay change);• work or usually work in the UK.How much will employers have to pay?There is a minimum percentage that youhave to contribute. You can exceed theminimum employer contribution if youwant to.The level of pension contributionswill be phased in over time to helpemployers and individuals adjust.What should employers do to prepare?• Decide who will be the point ofcontact in your business for dealingwith this change.• Assess what the make-up of yourworkforce will be on your stagingdate and decide on an appropriatepension scheme.• Communicate details of the schemeto your employees. This includespeople who will be enrolled, aswell as those who won’t or whoare already in a workplace pensionscheme, and not just those whowant to opt out.• Put in place the administrativesystems needed to implement thenew system.>> For more information visitwww.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/carrierbaglevyPlanning changes meanbroadband boostChanges to the planning system,which took effect from 30 April2013, will boost mobile phoneand internet coverage in NorthernIreland by speeding up the planningprocess relating to masts orantennas. This will help mobileoperators improve coverageand support the extension oftelecommunications systems whichare vital to businesses.>> For more information visitwww.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/broadbandboostHelp and adviceThere is a lot of information aboutthe pension reform to help employersunderstand their new pension duties,and get their business and staff readyfor the changes.For an overview and links to furtherinformation please go to:www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/pensions

28 June 2013 InvestinView from OverseasView FromOverseasThe Invest NI team in BostonGary Hanley is the regional director for The Americas and isbased in Boston. He manages teams based in Toronto, Chicago,New York, California and Brazil. Gary came from a corporatebackground at EMC, a major technology firm, where he was atthe helm of a strategic team. This experience has helped himbring new focus and industry expertise to the US team.Here Gary describes the work of the Boston team and thespirit of the city itself.Boston is Invest NI’sUS headquarters andour offices on BoylstonStreet are right in theheart of the city.Our work is essentially about securinginvestments for Northern Ireland or anew contract for a trade client. Thisinvolves prospecting potential clients,meeting with influencers, arranging trademissions, organising and attending clientfocused events and arranging for clientsto visit Northern Ireland.The last financial year saw us significantlyramp up the number of inwardinvestment projects that our team helpedto secure. We landed projects fromWandisco, Oxford Consulting, Vello andMerchant Warehouse. Together theseinvestments will create over 200 highquality jobs in Northern Ireland.These major IT companies have chosenNorthern Ireland for a number of reasons,not least the support Invest NI hasoffered and the relationship we have builtwith them over many months to bringthese projects to fruition.We also created a successfulprogramme for Northern Ireland fisheriescompanies to sell into the lucrative NewEngland market, as well as hosting andorganising numerous VIP visits in Northand South America.

Investin June 2013 29View from OverseasOur TeamThe Boston team is centralto the success of the widerAmericas offices. Our teammembers bring with them a widerange of skills and expertise.Karen Hendrie joined us last year havingtransferred from her previous role inSales Operations in Belfast. Karen, alongwith her team mates Claire Buckleyand ChristinaMcClay, keep uson budget, ensurewe run our officesefficiently and helpkeep everythingrunning smoothlyby managing allmanner of thingsfrom expenseclaims to IT problems.Melissa Clary has been with Invest NIsince 2005. Her first post was in theNorthern Ireland Technology Centre,working directly with the trade team inBelfast. Melissa currently heads up ourMarketing and Events efforts in the US.Her expertise ensures that we’re in theright place at the right time with the rightmarketing materials to get us in front ofkey potential clients at industry events.Marguerite Crossan and Paul Seddonare both Business DevelopmentManagers. We are fortunate to have“Our work is essentiallyabout securinginvestments for NorthernIreland or a new contractfor a trade client.”two very experienced managers likethem on our team; they joined us havingpreviously worked in the Europe andRussia team. Marguerite and Paul haveover a dozen years between them inthis role and their experience shows.They are experts at opening doors to thelargest and fastest growing companiesin New England. Marguerite has alsobeen instrumental in helping with trademissions in the past number of years.John Loganis a BusinessDevelopmentDirector who hasbeen based in theBoston office forover five years.John works acrossa wide variety of sectors. One specificarea of success has been in ConnectedHealth and John has helped securekey investments from CVS Caremark,NaviNet and Dow Chemicals. He wasalso involved in securing the recentMerchant Warehouse investment, whichwill set up a Technology Developmentand Customer Support Centre in Belfastcreating 70 quality jobs.Michelle Healy is an Associate BusinessDevelopment Director. Michellepreviously worked in our New York officebut moved to Boston to pioneer aninitiative to build channel partnerships>> Members of the Invest NI Boston office on their recent visit to Northern Ireland. (L to R)Gary Hanley, John Logan, Karen Hendrie, Melissa Clearly, Claire Buckley, Niamh Perreault,Christina McClay, Michelle Healey, Paul Seddon and Michael Conlon.with venture capital companies inBoston. This strategy helped secure aninvestment from Q1 Labs. Michelle hasrecently moved into her current role andis working mainly with medium sizedtechnology companies.Niamh Perreault is a long standingteam member who transitioned from aBusiness Development Manager role, toprogramme management for the USNIConference in 2008. In her current roleNiamh manages the business intelligenceand analytics functions for the US team,helping inform strategy decisions andplan territory management. Niamh alsomanages the Business DevelopmentManagers team across the US.The team here in Boston and throughoutthe Americas is looking forward to furtherdeveloping new opportunities in newsectors as the year progresses.Thanksfor yourthoughtsBoston has been in the news recentlybecause of the terrorist attack thatstruck at the heart of the city’s annualmarathon. We were touched by thehuge volume of emails, texts andphone calls that flooded in from InvestNI team members in other officesand indeed from clients and existinginvestors, all checking to make surethat our team were safe.

30 June 2013 InvestinGet in touchThe Regional Office NetworkHead OfficeBedford SquareBedford StreetBelfastBT2 7EST: 028 9069 8000F: 028 9043 6536E: info@investni.comNorth West5th FloorTimber Quay100-114 Strand RoadLondonderryBT48 7NRT: 028 7126 7257F: 028 9043 6536E: nwo@investni.comSouthernDrumalane MillThe QuaysNewryBT35 8QST: 028 3026 2955F: 028 9043 6536E: so@investni.comWesternKevlin Buildings47 Kevlin AvenueOmaghBT78 1ERT: 028 8224 5763F: 028 9043 6536E: wo@investni.comOracle Conference CentreSouthern Regional College36 Lurgan RoadPortadownBT63 5BLT: 028 3839 0140F: 028 9043 6536E: so@investni.comINTEC Centre36 East Bridge StreetEnniskillenBT74 7BTT: 028 6634 3942F: 028 9043 6536E: wo@investni.comNorth EastThomas House32E Thomas StreetBallymenaBT43 6AXT: 028 2564 9215F: 028 9043 6536E: neo@investni.comEasternBedford SquareBedford StreetBelfastBT2 7EST: 028 9069 8000F: 028 9043 6536E: eo@investni.comwww.investni.com

Straightforward supportand advice to keep yourbusiness movingThousands of Northern Ireland businesses are taking positive action tosucceed in these difficult times. How? By seeking the advice and supportavailable under Invest Northern Ireland’s Boosting Business campaign.Why not join the 18,000 who have already looked to Boosting Business under itsfive key themes: jobs, skills, exports, technology and research and development.Find out how Invest NI can help you boost your business:Call 0800 181 4422Text BOOST to 78886Visit boostingbusinessni.com