Developing Your Business in 2014
In planning for the year ahead, the focus for many small and medium-sized businesses will be to leverage success, achieve profitability and maximise and capitalise upon business opportunities, writes Maura Quinn. To ensure competitiveness and to remain resilient, it is vital that your business is operating efficiently and effectively, that there is a clear path to realising your business strategy and that you are delivering for your customers. Below are five areas to focus on to develop your business in 2014 and beyond. Bring your strategic plans to life Far too many business plans end up on the shelf, with little attention given to them from one year to the…
Read MoreNew embassies and consulates good news for exporters – IEA
The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) has welcomed the announcement that the Government is to open five new embassies and consulates. IEA CEO Simon McKeever said our diplomatic network and the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were vital in supporting the exporting sector, especially in new and emerging markets. “This government investment will undoubtedly reap benefits for our commercial reputation and business success,” he said. The decision, announced by the Tánaiste, will see five new Irish embassies and three new consulates established in Europe, South East Asia, Africa and the Americas. “At the IEA we have been working with the government to encourage established and potential exporters…
Read MoreIreland To Open Five New Embassies and Three Consultates
Ireland’s diplomatic network abroad is to be expanded with the addition of five embassies and three new consulates. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the proposed expansion of the embassy network is specifically designed to support Ireland’s foreign trade and inward investment, and takes account of the soon-to-be published review of the Government’s trade, tourism and investment strategy. It said embassies will be established for the first time in the fast-growing economies of Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta). Consulates general are to be established in the financial and business hubs of Hong Kong (China) and Sao Paolo (Brazil), and in the tech hub of Austin, Texas (USA). The…
Read MoreFormer Montrose Hotel in Dublin Becomes Student Accommodation
Construction work has commenced this week to convert the former Montrose Hotel on Dublin’s Stillorgan Road into high spec student accommodation for 192 residents from September 2014. Montrose Student Residence, on the doorstep of UCD, will target third-level and graduate students Dublin-wide through the academic year and international language students during summer months. It will offer a total of 192 en-suite bedroom units, arranged in a choice of five to eight bedroom ‘cluster flats’ each with communal living, kitchen and dining areas. It will also offer 24/7 security and a call out service, on-site laundry and car and bicycle parking spaces. Utilities, broadband internet, and contents insurance are all included…
Read MoreIntel and NUI Galway to collaborate on high performance computing research
NUI Galway and Intel are to work together on research in the areas of high performance computing (HPC) and big data analytics. As part of the new agreement, the two will establish the Intel Parallel Computing Centre in the Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC) in NUI Galway. The new centre aims to significantly improve parallelism, scalability and efficiencies of existing high performance computing applications. Intel will fund the research programme led by director of the ICHEC, Prof JC Desplat. The programme will foster the uptake of current and next generation Intel many core technology, such as the Intel Xeon Phi co-processor. “Intel is pleased to expand our Intel…
Read MoreByrne Looby Partners extends Middle East footprint with new Dubai office
Irish consulting engineering firm Byrne Looby Partners (BLP) has opened a new office in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), increasing its footprint in the Middle East where it already has two offices (in Doha, Qatar and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), The new Dubai office brings the total number of BLP offices, in Ireland and internationally, to nine. The company has also made two senior appointments to bolster its presence in the UAE – Mike White, regional director of BLP Dubai, is to be joined by Ronan Duffy as regional business development manager and Mohammed Nimeri as senior project engineer to the Dubai office. Since first entering the Middle East in…
Read MoreDoneDealJobs signs up as headline sponsor of Jobs Expo
DoneDealJobs has been named headline sponsor of the next Jobs Expo, which will take place in Dublin and Belfast in March. “We’re extremely pleased to have DoneDealJobs as the sponsor of our event,” said Jobs Expo event organiser Beth Rees. “We feel that the company’s aims are very similar to our own in that we want to bring high-quality job opportunities to as many people as possible. We believe that the sponsorship really is a perfect fit for both companies.” The Belfast event takes place on Wednesday 12 March, while the next Jobs Expo in Dublin runs on 14 and 15 March. Grainne Rothery
Read MoreEuropcar Ireland reports growth and expansion in 2013
Europcar Ireland has reported an 11pc increase in its peak fleet numbers to more than 5,000 vehicles and that it surpassed 900,000 rental days in 2013. It is now operating in the number three slot in Ireland’s main airports after a successful Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) tender and has also recently opened four new branches in Galway, Athlone, Waterford and Cavan. Colm Menton, CEO of Europcar Ireland said: “We can pinpoint the success in 2013 to the significant influx of tourists during the year of The Gathering and also through a change in behaviours by the corporate sector choosing to rent their fleet rather than buy. “The successful tender with…
Read MoreTV3’s corporate debt acquired by long term investor Doughty Hanson
TV3 has announced the sale of its corporate debt to long term shareholder Doughty Hanson. The corporate debt of TV3’s parent, Tullamore Beta, was included in the sale of IBRC’s assets by the special liquidators KPMG. In the Evergreen tranche, the debt was sold through an open auction process. The bid by Doughty Hanson was majority financed by BlueBay Ireland Corporate Credit I Limited. TV3 said the new lending facilities are long term and at commercial rates. As part of the re-financing package the company said it has also entered into new banking arrangements with Ulster Bank, providing the full range of working capital and banking facilities required by the…
Read MoreGrangegorman Redevelopment Begins: Taoiseach’s Inaugural Groundbreaking Event
A Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, has turned the sod on the ‘Site Infrastructure and Public Realm’ part of the re-development of the Grangegorman site on Dublin’s northside. The €26m contract, awarded to Roadbridge by the Grangegorman Development Agency, involves over 200 construction workers on site, providing the underpinning services that will enable the build-out of the new development. The Taoiseach said the project would be “transformative” for Dublin’s inner city in terms of higher education, health, community, and enterprise. Supported by European Investment Bank, it is the most significant development of its kind in any European capital city. Who is Taoiseach? The Taoiseach is the title for the head of…
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