Poundstretcher invests £500,000 and creates 20 x Jobs in Derry ~ Londonderry
Poundstretcher has confirmed its new Derry store will open on Tuesday 6th Feb at the Faustina Retail Park. Poundstretcher have invested £500,000 in the new store and recruited 20 new members of staff (part and full time). Poundstretchers investment at the Faustina Retail park follows the investment and creation of 80 jobs by The Range Retail Group at this key cross border retail park.
Magee expansion: £11m teaching block opens at Derry campus
Ulster University opens a new state-of-the-art teaching block at Magee this week marking an £11million investment in the campus.
Dr Malachy O’Neill, Provost of the Ulster University’s Magee campus outside the new £11m teaching facility.
The four-storey facility, which is attached to the existing library, covers a floor space of 4000 sq meters; including three lecture theatres, 20 teaching rooms, open plan student hubs and a café.
Its opening represents a major investment by the University in world-class teaching space, significantly enhancing the student experience at Magee and underpinning the University’s commitment to developing the campus.
The new teaching block will increase the capacity of the campus for additional students and features a 314 seat lecture theatre representing a significant increase on present facilities.
Professor Paddy Nixon, Vice-Chancellor, Ulster University said:
“The opening of this new £11million teaching block is yet another positive step forward in the realisation of our strategic vision for Magee and underlines the University’s commitment to expansion in the north-west
“As an inclusive and internationally focussed university, we want to offer students the most dynamic and high quality teaching environment possible – one that will confidently provide the foundations for rewarding careers for our graduates.
“The state-of-the art facility will ensure a collaborative teaching approach and interactive learning experience for all of our students. It is a major boost for our staff and current students and also paves the way for enhanced future capacity on the Magee campus in line with our broader expansion plans.”
Ulster University’s Magee campus offers a wide range of undergraduate courses spanning all four faculties in Life and Health Sciences, Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment, Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences and the Ulster University Business School . The recently launched Doctoral College, which has a base in Magee, also enables the provision of student opportunity at the highest level in the city.
Dr Malachy Ó Néill, Provost of the University’s Magee campus, said:
“Students across all faculties and disciplines will benefit greatly from the new facilities – both academically in terms of the high quality teaching environment provided and also socially, with access to relaxed café spaces and student hubs encouraging an interactive experience.
“The new block also features the largest lecture theatre ever constructed on the campus – with capacity for over 300 students. The facility will also be a huge civic asset, offering a fantastic conference centre with incredible views of the city and we are looking forward to welcoming even more local and international visitors to the campus.
“Facilities such as these are vital to ensuring we have the best quality environment for teaching and research for our students whilst also serving the needs of the wider community and supporting economic growth in the region.”
Local designers to showcase during London Fashion Week.
Local Designers attending London Fashion Week
Ten ‘up and coming’ local designers will get a unique opportunity to showcase their collections to an audience of global fashion experts and international press at an exclusive exhibitor event during London Fashion Week next month.
The ten local designers who have been selected to travel to London in mid-February – known as the Derry Design Collective – follows a special ‘pitching’ event held last week at the Fashion & Textile Design Centre on Shipquay Street.
A total of 15 designers put forward their ‘perfect pitch’ to judges – including John Paul Doherty of John Paul Couture and industry specialist Jenny Holloway, CEO of renowned Fashion Enter London (FEL).
Derry City and Strabane District Council, in partnership with the Fashion & Textile Design Centre and Fashion Enter London held the ‘pitching’ competition as part of the Designer Business Start Up Programme – which supports emerging designers and helps to take them commercially to market through a series of workshops led by industry experts.
The bespoke scheme – which is also sponsored by Invest NI – draws on the expertise of Jenny Holloway to disseminate ‘best practice’ – ensuring local designers are empowered and provided with essential skills training, knowledge and the tools to develop their businesses effectively and efficiently.
Helen Quigley, Chief Executive of the Inner City Trust, said that the opportunity being created for our local designers is the culmination of the partnership working that has taken place in the Fashion & Textile Design Centre over the last number of years. This work has combined significant support from the team at the Inner City Trust, Derry City & Strabane District Council, Invest NI and Fashion Enter, and represents a commitment in presenting our local talent in a global setting.
Danielle McNally, Business Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, said: “I am delighted that the ten winners will be able to avail of this incredible opportunity – and will benefit from the hands-on experience, technical training and professional mentoring from Fashion Enter London.
“Council is delighted to be working with the renowned Fashion Enter team on this fantastic initiative, providing unique opportunities for our emerging designers to work with leading industry experts to commercialise their design talents.
“We have a wealth of local design talent, and ultimately this programme will provide the tools and the opportunities required to support designers in making their fashion or textile business a reality.
“Indeed, this programme aims to give emerging local designers an invaluable profile boost by presenting them to an international audience during one of the most important weeks of the fashion calendar.”
Deirdre Williams, Business Development Manager with the Fashion and Textile Design Centre and Inner City Trust, added: “I would like to pay tribute to the strength and diversity of all the local designers who took part in the ‘pitching’ event.
“I was hugely impressed by the diversity and innovation of the local designers who are such creative and talented people representing both quality and variety in the fashion and textiles sector.
“It is clear from the outstanding talent displayed at the pitching sessions that our region – as in the past with our world famous shirt industry heritage – is continuing to produce young and emerging talent whose imagination and quality of design is key to a successful future in the global fashion industry.
“This will be a fantastic opportunity for the winning designers from the Derry & Strabane district to showcase their Autumn/Winter 2018 collections during London Fashion Week at the Fashion Enter premises in London.
“It will also provide opportunities for the ten local designers to engage with the UK fashion industry and build international connections.
“I am therefore delighted that they will avail of this unique opportunity to present their collections outside of local markets to an international audience.”
For further information on the Designer Business Start Up Programme visit http://www.derrystrabane.com/Designer-Start-Up-Programme
Beacon Broadband is creating 12 jobs in Derry~Londonderry.
A new wireless broadband provider based in the North West, Beacon Broadband is creating 12 jobs in Derry~Londonderry to help it increase its export sales and position itself for future growth in the Republic of Ireland market.
Beacon Broadband delivers high speed wireless broadband to homes and businesses.
Des Gartland, Invest Northern Ireland’s North West Regional Manager welcomed the expansion during a visit to the company’s premises: “Beacon Broadband was established in 2016 to exploit a gap in the wireless broadband market created as a result of the increased popularity in media streaming. These new jobs are great news for the local area and our support is ensuring the company has the resources in place to win new business in its target markets.”
“Helping small businesses and entrepreneurs to compete and grow in export markets is a priority for Invest NI. We are confident that this is only the beginning for Beacon Broadband and we look forward to building on our relationship with the company in the coming years. ”
Invest Northern Ireland has offered the company £48,000 towards the creation of the new jobs. Roles to be created include installers, sales support staff, an office manager and a technical engineer.
Managing Director of Beacon Broadband, Brian McCourt said: “Our company ethos is built on providing strong customer service backed by the provision of guaranteed service speeds and uptime. Using the latest technology, we offer speeds that rival fibre broadband in areas that have little or no broadband access. This is making us a very attractive proposition to many consumers across both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.”
Pictured (L-R) are Brian McCourt, Beacon Broadband, and Des Gartland, Invest NI
Wurkhouse to create 30 digital jobs in Derry
Alastair Hamilton (right), Invest NI, is pictured with Troy Armour, Wurkhouse.
Welcoming the investment, Invest Northern Ireland’s Chief Executive, Alastair Hamilton said: “Wurkhouse is a young and innovative business with high growth potential. The 30 jobs being created will contribute over £780,000 in additional annual salaries to the economy and offer excellent employment opportunities in the local area.
“The Creative Industries sector has been identified in Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Strategic Growth Plan as a priority sector for future economic growth and prosperity. Wurkhouse is a great example of a successful firm that is making a valuable contribution to that plan and providing local job opportunities for the talented workforce in the North West.
“We are delighted to support Wurkhouse in the next stage of its journey and to ensure it has the skills and knowledge necessary to exploit the substantial export opportunities it has identified, particularly in the GB and RoI markets.”
The new roles will include a range of designers, web developers, SEO and social media roles and will increase the company’s employment to 49 staff over the next three years.
In 2015, Wurkhouse received assistance from Invest NI of £24,000 to help with developing its design team.
Troy Armour, CEO of Wurkhouse said: “We are focused on becoming the leading digital agency in Northern Ireland through our export driven growth strategy. The advice and support we have received from Invest NI is helping us to scale quickly and has been vital to our ongoing growth and development.
“We play an integral role in the success of many of our clients and we believe that this success comes from our experienced staff and in-depth knowledge of the digital sector. We are confident that the North West region has the skills base we need to enhance our team, which will help us to achieve our ambitious plans for growth over the next three years and beyond.
“These jobs are for what we call ‘Creative Intelligents’. We seek two core attributes when hiring; intelligence and passion so we are looking for people with intelligence, who have a passion for what they do. This helps us deliver smart solutions for our clients and their passion is carried over into the delivery. It is like that old adage – cooking with love just makes the food taste better.”
A STRABANE-based manufacturer is set to double its workforce in an ambitious £7 million expansion.
Strabane-based Fabplus has announced it is planning to more than double its workforce and turnover. Darren McGavigan (left), Fabplus is pictured with Alastair Hamilton and Des Gartland, Invest NI
Recruitment is already underway to fill the new positions, which include management and production staff and the roles, set to be in place by 2019, will generate £1.7million annually in additional salaries, bring total employment at the firm to 138 people.
The major investment further includes expansion of the firm’s factory space storage and R&D facilities on Orchard Road as well as the development of an in-house powder coating and pipe optimisation capability and implementation of a staff training plan.
Fablus director Darren McGavigan said the ambitious expansion plan is being carried out with a view to competing in the global market.
“Extending the factory by 48,000 sq ft will increase our production capacity and improve factory workflow. Adding breadth and depth to the management team will also introduce additional expertise into the business while implementing our innovative new processes will consolidate our market leading position with new and existing customers.”
Invest NI has offered £786,000 towards the expansion, including £187,590 of R&D support, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton said the latest investment from Fabplus is a “significant boost” to the construction sector.
“Fabplus is an established family business in Strabane which has experienced considerable growth over the last five years. The company has been working in partnership with Invest NI during this time and developed a strong competitive advantage in the UK marketplace.”
“Fabplus wants to take advantage of growth opportunities in mainland Europe and Scandinavia and is utilising our help and expertise to invest in the resources, capabilities, training and R&D needed to help achieve its objective,” Mr Hamilton added.
The family business is a subsidiary of Mechanical Pipework Fabrication Limited (MPF), based in Lifford in the Republic of Ireland. Its equipment is installed in power stations, warehouses, retail buildings, hospitals, stadiums, apartment blocks and factories throughout Britain and the island of Ireland.
North West’s first ever Welding Academy Launched
Students attending North West Regional College’s Welding Academy, pictured with college staff and prospective employers.
A new academy has been launched by North West Regional College (NWRC) to tackle the chronic shortage of skilled welders in Northern Ireland. Run in partnership with Derry City and Strabane District Council, the new Fabrication and Welding Academy, which currently has 15 students, is a first for the North West and aims to address the challenges faced by employers in accessing skilled welders locally.
Nicola Curry, NWRC, explained that the Business Support Centre at the College engages with local businesses to enhance the skill levels of the existing workforce and encourage innovation.She said: “It became apparent from a number of discussions with local engineering companies, that there was a clear shortage of new welding talent coming through the education system. “The proposed academy will provide a short-term sustainable solution to support the immediate skills shortages, currently experienced in the North West, with regard to accessing skilled talent in Fabrication and Welding.”
George Fleming from Fleming Agri is one local employer who has found recruiting skilled welders challenging. He said: “I welcome the launch of this academy today which will ensure that local companies can access skilled welders locally. There has been a long tradition of engineering manufacturing in the North West with good growth and development in recent years from local indigenous companies creating a strong demand for welding and fabrication skills in the region. We are delighted with the NWRC support for this skills demand and the support from the DSDC.”
The aim of the academy is to encourage greater collaboration between education and industry and to provide a sustainable solution to the skills shortages constraining the growth of the engineering and manufacturing sectors in the region. The first students of the Fabrication and Welding Academy will take part in a 12 week intensive Level 2 City and Guilds programme which will include four weeks of paid placement. Placements will be with local employers Fleming Agri, Global Equipment Spares, Mim-Ni, Fabplus Limited, Foyle Port and GB Engineering. It’s anticipated that on completion of the programme successful participants of the Fabrication and Welding Academy will have the opportunity to be interviewed for live employment opportunities locally. North West Regional College also run short courses in Mig and Tig welding on a part time basis from their Springtown and Greystone campuses.
CIVIC and political representatives gathered in the Guildhall at the weekend to welcome Chinese Provincial and Municipal leaders as part of the delegation visiting N. Ireland for the UK-China Regional Leaders’ Summit.
CIVIC and political representatives gathered in the Guildhall at the weekend to welcome Chinese Provincial and Municipal leaders as part of the delegation visiting N. Ireland for the UK-China Regional Leaders’ Summit.
The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Maolíosa McHugh, hosted a special reception for the five members of the delegation representing the City of Dalian, led by Vice-Mayor Lu Lin.
The trip was organised by the NI Executive Bureau in Beijing as part of the UK-China Regional Leaders’ Summit.
Local MP Elisha McCallion, joined the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and local party leaders in welcoming the delegates, and discussions centred on building links between the two cities and the many mutual benefits of a future partnership.
They were later joined by leading figures in local business and education, who had the opportunity to speak to delegates about the shared interests of the two areas and the North West’s attractive proposition as a base for global business.
The delegation have been enjoying the local hospitality during their three day visit to the region, which took them first to Belfast, before they arrived in the city on Sunday.
The Mayor extended a warm welcome to the group, and spoke of the strengthening relations between the two countries. “It’s an honour to host members of the Regional Leaders’ Summit here today as part of this prestigious event,” he stressed.
“This visit is testament to the ongoing efforts of our local politicians and business leaders to establish meaningful links with China.
“Council is committed to the forging and strengthening of international relations, and as our regional profile grows, we can look towards international markets for the opportunities for trade and investment which will galvanise our position in terms of global business.”
Based in North East China, the city of Dalian is a global financial centre with a population of over 6.5million.
The city specialises in the Financial and IT sectors, and is home to some of the major players in these industries including Oracle, IBM and CISCO. Local political and civic leaders heard more about their developments in the software industry, bio-medicine, digitalisation, marine engineering and advanced manufacturing.
During the visit Council’s Chief Executive John Kelpie gave the visitors an insight into the ambitious plans for growth for the NW as outlined in the recently published Strategic Growth Plan for Derry and Strabane.
The delegation heard about the City and District’s plans to enhance infrastructure, invest in jobs and skills and create the ideal environment for global investors to do business.
“We have been working to establish strong international links with locations such as Boston Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and the City of London and now we are turning our attentions to the East as part of our outreach to foreign direct investors,” Mr Kelpie explained after the meeting.
“The City is fast becoming a learning hub, and as our academic institutions at Ulster University and North West Regional College continue to forge ahead with plans for growth, we have much to offer in terms of education and skills.
“Coupled with our focus on entrepreneurship and our growing expertise in areas such as the digital and advanced manufacturing industries, we have many common interests which can form the basis of a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the city of Dalian.”
£12m Granny Annie’s investment in Derry
“Granny Annies,” the brand operated by W.&R. Holdings, has confirmed details of an estimated £12 million investment in Derry, the ‘Journal’ can reveal. Having purchased the former Wetherspoons and Ice Wharf pubs in the Diamond and Strand Road, the group has also secured the former Clarendon Bar, now to be renamed “The Tipsy Bird”, and the Belfray Country Inn Hotel, on the outskirts of the city. It’s understood £4 million is to be invested in the iconic landmark building in the Diamond in addition to the ongoing multi-million refurbishment at the former Clarendon Bar site on Lower Clarendon Street. The acquisition and refurbishment of the Belfray Country Inn Hotel and the Ice Wharf on Strand Road will bring the group’s total investment to approximately £12 million, making “Granny Annie’s” the largest pub and restaurant operator in the North West.
Commenting on the imminent opening of “Granny Annie’s” new Kitchen and Bar at the Diamond, the Group Area Manager, Andrew O’Doherty, said: “We are extremely excited about this particular landmark development which will lead to the creation of 80 new jobs for this prominent building which is steeped in rich history and has played an integral commercial role in the Diamond for many years.
The regeneration of this area follows hot on the heels of other recent developments such as Bishop’s Gate Hotel and The Shipquay Boutique Hotels at a time when many economic observers are delivering a bleak forecast. However, when other city centre outlets are seeing shutters coming down and hoarding going up, it appears that Derry’s city centre is determined to buck the trend which can only be good news. “We believe this new ‘Granny Annie’s’ Kitchen and Bar complex and the forthcoming ‘Tipsy Bird’ development, are important regeneration projects vital to Derry’s tourism economy. We want to provide the next generation of super pubs and ensure their customers receive a first-class service with a five-star experience including beverage, entertainment and food.”
MetaCompliance plans to double Derry~Londonderry workforce
Pictured (L – R) are Robert O’Brien, MetaCompliance, and Jeremy Fitch, Invest NI.
Welcoming the expansion, Invest Northern Ireland’s Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch said: “MetaCompliance is one of our most innovative technology companies with a long standing commitment to the North West. The company has used a range of Invest NI support to enhance its competitiveness in the global marketplace which has included support for research and development, skills development and marketing. This new investment will support its global ambitions and create valuable employment opportunities in the Derry and Strabane District Council area. The 69 jobs being recruited at the company, 29 of which are already in place, will generate £1.7million annually in additional salaries into the local economy and will see the company triple its workforce over the next three years.”
The market opportunities are driven by the growing global threat from phishing and ransomware, as well as the implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in May 2018 and the need for policy management solutions throughout all industries.
The company provides clients with cost-effective cloud first software which makes compliance easier for organisations governed by stringent legislative and regulatory requirements such as Data Protection, Privacy and Bribery laws. Invest NI has offered MetaCompliance £652,000 towards the creation of the new jobs.
Speaking about the expansion, Robert O’Brien, Chief Executive of MetaCompliance, said: “This is an exciting stage in our business’ growth, as we implement ambitious plans to double our workforce and triple our turnover. Invest NI’s ongoing support is central to the continued growth of our business. Invest NI’s ongoing support is central to the continued growth of our business and we are delighted with the progress of recruitment to date and also the calibre of talent available in the North West.
“Enhancing our market development team in Derry supports the targeted approach we plan to take to maximise the sales potential of our cyber security and compliance products. We are focused on expanding our customer base and will be working hard to engage prospective clients from both public sector and commercial industry throughout Europe and the US.”
The company’s product suite includes IT Governance, Risk and Compliance (IT GRC) solutions that enable organisations to automate, enforce and manage the key tasks associated with user awareness and employee engagement for information assurance. MetaCompliance’s recruitment drive will increase its workforce total to 102 by 2019. The company will be holding a recruitment day in City Hotel, Derry, on Friday 01 December between 09:00 and 17:00.