belfasttelegraph.co.uk - John Simpson RSS Feed

Invest NI aims higher after hitting targets in job creation

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:20:00 GMT

Mark Ennis, chairman of Invest NI, reported that in 2012-13 Invest NI produced "a very strong performance with tangible benefits for business and the economy". He quotes results which are more upbeat than might have been expected.

Property firm bucks downturn

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:20:02 GMT

FOYLESIDE Ltd is a large privately owned property company owned by Northern Ireland shareholders with a wide property portfolio across the UK with some held in subsidiary companies registered in Gibraltar.

End of Euro quotas will be a big boost to milk producers

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:22:45 GMT

Northern Ireland farmers produce a large supply of milk. Last year 1.95bn litres came from the farms and passed down the marketing chain.

Our top companies make firm progress

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:53:32 GMT

Ten years ago, the analysis of the Top 100 locally-based commercial trading businesses showed that the chosen 100 were employing just over 121,000 people.

Company Snapshot: Manderley Food Group Ltd

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:20:01 GMT

Manderley Food Group is now an English registered company with headquarters in Corby. The main shareholders are the Hutchinson family in Tandragee.

Complex question of our quangos and accountability

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:40:11 GMT

The governance and operational flexibility of the Housing Executive is now too tightly constrained because, organisationally, it is deemed to be part of, and controlled by, government and subject to government financial rules which are an obstacle to improved arrangements.

Company snapshot: Liberty Information Technology Ltd.

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:20:02 GMT

Liberty Information Technology is a subsidiary of the Boston (USA) based financial services group, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, and describes its activities as software development and associated services for the wider group. It has been in business in Northern Ireland since 1996.

Watchdog report sparks row over electricity costs

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:08:22 GMT

The Electricity Regulator, Shane Lynch, has opened the door to a critical examination of the way in which the mixed electricity systems, partly regulated for households and small volume users and partly open to competition by rival suppliers, are working. Large industrial electricity users here are paying up to 30% more than in Great Britain.

Company Snapshot: Old Bushmills Distillery Co. Ltd.

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 03:20:02 GMT

Old Bushmills Distillery is engaged in distilling, maturation, blending, marketing and selling of Irish whiskey. The company, based in Bushmills village, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Diageo Group.

Stormont must devise a hangover cure as recession digs its heels in

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:43:18 GMT

Northern Ireland has endured a deeper and longer recession than other parts of the UK. Only a comparison with the recent trends in the Irish economy offers a nearly comparable experience. Last week's unemployment statistics paint a worrying picture.

Company Snapshot: Mivan (UK) Ltd

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:20:02 GMT

Mivan (UK) is a Northern Ireland based construction company with a large proportion of its workload and property development formerly conducted outside Northern Ireland, including trading joint ventures in Romania and a branch in Egypt.

Housing body in need of shake-up

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:57:40 GMT

The future of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), or its successor institutions, is now being scrutinised. An informed debate on various alternative options is needed.

Company Snapshot: Henry Group (NI) Ltd.

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:20:02 GMT

The Henry Group, based in Magherafelt, is one of Northern Ireland's larger locally owned and controlled construction firms.

Company Snapshot: Northgate Managed Services Ltd

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:29:40 GMT

Northgate Managed Services is a Newtownabbey-based registered subsidiary of an English parent company, Northgate Information Solutions group, which in turn is a subsidiary of a similarly named company registered in Luxembourg.

Poots must use carrot and stick approach to drive health reforms

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:21:15 GMT

Edwin Poots has ambitious plans for Northern Ireland's biggest personal service provider: a better and improving health service.

Transport wish-list is stuff of fairytales

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:52:37 GMT

The biggest bottlenecks in the provision of better transport services in the region are both in Belfast.

Company snapshot: Andras House Ltd.

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 04:20:02 GMT

Andras House is both a property company and a group of hotel and hospitality businesses in Belfast owned and controlled by Lord Rana.

City centres need to free up roads, but private cars can’t be ignored

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:44:04 GMT

The official policy for revitalising the main urban centres in Northern Ireland is based on the inappropriate assumption that town and city centres need to be given support by restricting planning permission for new out-of-town centre developments.

Company snapshot: Keystone Lintels Ltd.

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:20:02 GMT

Keystone Lintels is a company registered in Cookstown and with significant shareholders also from McAleer and Rushe might be regarded as a related business to the larger McAleer and Rushe Group.

Company snapshot: Ulster Independent Clinic Ltd.

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:20:01 GMT

The Ulster Independent Clinic is registered as a non-profit distributing charitable company, limited by guarantee.

Farry deserves credit for putting apprenticeship needs on agenda

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:20:01 GMT

Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry must be congratulated on his decision to ask for a major policy review on how Northern Ireland should organise a coherent programme of apprenticeship training.

Company Snapshot: Avondale Foods

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 04:20:02 GMT

Avondale Foods (Craigavon) is a local company controlled by the Geddis family. With the exception of the latest trading year, in recent years it has successfully expanded turnover in nearly every year in the last decade.

Plan for future of farming high on ambition but weak in detail

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 04:20:02 GMT

Just before the new year, the farming community received cheques in their banks for £184m. This was the current value of Single Farm Payments (SFP) which were due to Northern Ireland farmers through the rules of the EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).

We're still in the recession's grip, but the recovery signs are there

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:57:42 GMT

The number of jobs in the private sector in Northern Ireland began to increase slowly in the second half of 2012.

Company Snapshot: Airtricity Energy Supply (NI)

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:57:41 GMT

Airtricity Energy Supply (NI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy Ltd).