Sainsbury’s is committed to supporting its local supply base in Northern Ireland; however it is essential to also continue to grow the business’s own label brands in line with customer demand. It is important that when possible Sainsbury’s bring these two commitments together so customers are able to buy Sainsbury’s own brand products which offer quality and value while knowing they have been produced by suppliers in the area. This is what has been achieved with this new own brand cheddar supplied by Dale Farm.

Welcoming the announcement during the Sainsbury’s Stakeholder Event at Balmoral Show, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “Over recent years, the food and drink processing sector has shown sustained growth, both in terms of output and employment. Organisations such as Sainsbury’s contribute significantly to the agri-food industry through their commitment to local products.
“Currently, one in every seven products sold by Sainsbury’s is from local suppliers and I welcome today’s announcement that Dale Farm have secured a contract to supply Sainsbury’s own label cheese to 13 local stores.

“Furthermore, the company’s award-winning ‘20 by 20 Sustainability Plan’, includes an immensely encouraging commitment to source only locally produced beef for Northern Ireland stores, which will certainly benefit our farms and processors and sustain employment particularly in the rural economy.”

Alison Atkin, Sainsbury’s prepack cheese buyer said: “We are delighted to be able to make this announcement at the Balmoral Show given the significance of the contract. We already have a number of regional cheeses stocked on our cheese counters, but we are seeing a growing demand for locally sourced cheddar which customers can pick up from the aisle. It is fantastic to have been able to take this process forward with Dale Farm.

“Dale Farm is an expert in its field, and knows what to expect in dealing with a supermarket chain which has allowed the process to move forward so much quicker. We are currently finalising the details and hope to have this product on our shelves in Northern Ireland in the very near future.”

Jason Hempton, Commercial Manager Ireland at Dale Farm added: “We are delighted to have secured this contract with Sainsbury’s stores across Northern Ireland. We have worked in partnership with Sainsbury’s for over 20 years, supplying products including fresh milk and cream, and to now also have our cheese selected for inclusion in the retailer’s own brand range is a very positive development”.

“To have the support of Sainsbury’s is vital to the continued growth of our products and great news for the 1,600 Northern Ireland dairy farmers whose high quality milk we use to produce them.”

Sainsbury’s has 13 stores in Northern Ireland and currently works with more than 100 local food suppliers across Northern Ireland supplying branded and own brand products.

Belfast, May 13th 2013: Golden Cow, one of Northern Ireland’s favourite butter brand will be ‘Spreading the Love’ at the Balmoral Show with the help of one of our favourite chefs Jenny Bristow in support of the CLIC Sargent Home from Homes appeal.

‘Spread the Love’ is the new campaign from Golden Cow that taps into our nation’s love of butter whether it be dripping on a slice of toast, melting over some baby boiled potatoes or baked to make some delicious cakes and buns.

Launched just in time for the Balmoral Show, Jenny Bristow will be teaming up with Golden Cow to spread the love in support of the CLIC Sargent Homes from Home appeal. All proceeds from the sales of Golden Cow product at the Balmoral Show throughout the three day event will go towards this initiative.

When completed the Homes from Home will provide families of young people in Northern Ireland diagnosed with cancer a place where they can stay together free of charge while their child is receiving treatment.

Visitors to the Golden Cow stand at the Balmoral Show will be invited to sample delicious butter with breads and also have the chance to enjoy a cookery demonstration by Jenny Bristow where she will cook up some new potatoes in a variety of ways and share her hints and tips in the kitchen.

Speaking as ambassador to CLIC Sargent, Jenny said: “I’m delighted to team up with Golden Cow at the Balmoral show supporting the Homes from Home appeal. As a lover of cooking and baking, I can testify that the taste of butter is like no other whether it’s simply a bowl champ with a lump of butter on top or homemade scones with a dollop of butter – Golden Cow is a permanent fixture in my kitchen.”

The Balmoral Show runs from 15th to 17th May. For more information visit www.balmoralshow.co.uk

UG: BACARDI BROWN-FORMAN BRANDS; TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE COMPANY AND YOUR ROLE WITHIN?

RMcF: Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands is responsible for the production, distribution and marketing of globally recognised premium spirit brands including Bacardi Rum, Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, Southern Comfort, Bombay Sapphire Gin, Martini Vermouth and Grey Goose Vodka amongst others. I am delighted to have taken up the position of Customer Business Manager for Northern Ireland as of April 1st following a successful period looking after national sales in GB. I will be responsible for delivering both on and off trade sales, distribution and brand execution.

UG: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GET INVOLVED WITH SPONSORING THE ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS?

RMcF: Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands have a long established relationship with the Ulster Grocer and believe in the importance of keeping constant dialogue open with our customer base through sales teams, distribution partners and of course trade press. The Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards provide an excellent platform to celebrate and recognise achievements of local businesses and in addition provide an opportunity to showcase Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, to spend quality time with our customers and to further develop our contact base across Northern Ireland.

UG: HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU FEEL AWARDS LIKE THIS ARE, RECOGNISING THE EFFORTS OF LOCAL PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY IN THESE ONGOING CHALLENGING TIMES?

RMcF: The recent challenging business environment has lead companies and individuals to work harder than ever to deliver their objectives; focusing on winning at point of purchase and providing excellence in marketing execution both above and below the line have been key. The Ulster Grocer Marketing awards recognise the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and celebrates the very best of local business. They provide an arena to share best practice, build relationships and of course to relax and unwind. It is my belief that bringing people and businesses together to recognise and celebrate are vitally important, not only to look back on successes but also to inspire future campaigns and foster the competitiveness and focus required to ensure continued progress.

UG: WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GAIN FROM YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE AWARDS?

RMcF: As a company we hope to be part of celebrating the very best of local business, to introduce some new retail offerings from our portfolio and to enjoy some much deserve social time with the Ulster business community. From a personal perspective, having recently returned from GB to lead the Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands business locally I am looking forward to meeting up with some old friends and introducing myself to some new ones.

UG: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT THE EVENT ITSELF?

RMcF: The event is one of the highlights of the local business and social calendar; I’m looking forward to enjoying some great drinks, in a great venue and to celebrating success and hard work with old friends and new.

The Online Artisan Food Shop gives visitors to the website a unique opportunity to source the best of gourmet artisan food and gifts from all over Ireland, under one roof! Since 2006, Good Food Ireland has been promoting Ireland’s finest artisan producers to bring you high quality, taste and experience. We now providing easy access to their culinary treasures and delivering them directly to your door. Our aim is to offer those who appreciate our native artisan foods a comprehensive, quality range of products while at the same time creating a new commercial opportunity for our artisan producers.

The second new addition to the Good Food Ireland website is ‘My Food Trip’. This facility allows you to create a list of your favourite places to stay, visit and experience while you are holidaying in Ireland. ’My Food Trip’ will allow domestic and international visitors to create their own authentic Irish food experience throughout Ireland. Once you have your list created, you can save and share with friends!

Good Food Ireland is a unique brand standard for authentic food experience on the island of Ireland, putting Irish, ingredient led cuisine, at every point from farm to table. The artisan food producers, whose products are displayed on the website, are independently inspected prior to approval to ensure that they meet the highest standards.

Commenting on the new website, MD and Founder of Good Food Ireland Margaret Jeffares said, “My vision has always been to bring the experience of quality authentic Irish food to a global audience. These new innovative additions to our website will allow visitors to experience the best of Irish food and plan their food holiday in Ireland.”

The event, attended by over one hundred top suppliers from across the United Kingdom, is Costcutter’s opportunity to thank all of its suppliers for the hard work; dedication and support they give each year in helping Costcutter retailers drive increased sales.

With competition intensifying for the awards the judges named Henry Denny & Sons (NI) Ltd Northern Ireland Supplier of the Year for the outstanding level of support, advice and activity given to Costcutter’s members and the sales team in Northern Ireland. Dale Farm Ltd and Dale Farm Ice Cream Ltd won the Silver and Bronze awards respectively.

Angela Barber, Trading Director for Costcutter Supermarkets Group, said: “At Costcutter we pride ourselves on working in partnership with our suppliers. By creating a joint business plan approach with Henry Denny & Sons they have helped deliver like-for-like sales growth across a number of key fresh and chill categories. They have also developed exclusive activity across our various mediums including E-activity, led by a dynamic management team.”

Paul Barbour, Commercial Manager for Henry Denny and Sons (NI) Ltd (Kerry Foods in Northern Ireland) said: “As a business we were absolutely delighted to be recognised as Costcutter Northern Ireland Supplier of the Year. We look forward to continuing our support of Costcutter in the years ahead.”

Country Choice Foods continued its recent run of success at Costcutter’s awards. Having won the top supplier award at last year’s event, Malcolm Newport was this year named Account Manager of the Year for his commitment to developing new initiatives and investing time in building relationships with the Costcutter and its members.

Angela Barber added: “I would like to congratulate Malcolm and all of our winners and thank them all for their continued support to Costcutter and our members.”

Following the huge success of Costcutter’s Direct Supplier directory and website two new award categories were introduced this year, with national and regional Direct Supplier awards. Country Choice Foods scooped its second award winning Gold in the Direct Supplier National category for its wholehearted retailer support throughout 2012. Primepak Foods collected the Gold award in the regional category.

Costcutter Supplier of the Year:

Northern Ireland Supplier of the Year

Gold: Henry Denny & Sons (NI) Ltd
Silver: Dale Farm Ltd
Bronze: Dale Farm Ice Cream Ltd

Dedicated staff from the branch held a very successful collection during the town’s Christmas Light Switch On in December.

The store has been fundraising for NICFC since May 2011 when Henderson’s Wholesale, which owns the Eurospar franchise, named NICFC as their charity of the year. Altogether, the partnership has raised over £160,000 for local children living with cancer.

During 2013, the Eurospar Cullybackey branch will be continuing their fundraising support by selling charity recipe books in their store. The books contain over 40 recipes for delicious baked goods and are available for a donation of £5.

NICFC is extremely grateful to the staff and customers of Eurospar Cullybackey for all their fundraising efforts.

Sorcha Chipperfield, Corporate Fundraiser for NICFC, commented: “Every week in NI, three children, teenagers and young people are diagnosed with cancer. NICFC is here from the point of diagnosis to offer practical and emotional support to children and their families. Our vital services include financial assistance, one-to-one support on the ward and respite care. We simply could not provide these services without the support of local businesses such as Eurospar Cullybackey.”

I am the Marketing Manager for Abbey Bond Lovis, who are the largest locally owned and operated corporate insurance brokers and risk advisors in Northern Ireland. With my consumer hat on I am also Marketing Manager for Abbey Insurance, one of the provinces largest and longest established consumer insurance brokers, having been in the business for 40 years this year.

Some career background?

I have always had an interest in marketing and selected it as my ‘specialist subject’ as part of my business degree. From there I went onto study for my professional postgraduate exams with the CIM, and have been a Chartered Marketer for the last four years. I have worked in marketing roles across many sectors including; the arts and cultural sector as Head of Audience Development with Audiences NI, sport as Marketing and Communication Manager with Ulster Rugby and fashion with Douglas and Grahame and Mango in London. No matter what sector you are in the basic principles are the same. Plus coming into a new role from a completely different sector helps you see things from the view point of the customer better and allows you to bring knowledge of how other sectors work, which’s help to enable continuous development. My pet hate is when people say ‘that’s how we have always done it,’ as a reason not to change something.

How did your involvement in judging the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards come about?

I encouraged Maurice Boyd the Managing Director of Abbey Bond Lovis to sponsor the awards, although he didn’t need much encouragement he thought they were a fantastic event. Then separately from this I was asked if I would help judge the awards, which I was delighted to do. Any event that shows how important it is to place marketing at the heart of your organisation is always a winner with me. My only concern is having to pick just one winner from each category given last year’s standard.

What will you be looking for, which in your opinion, will really make an entry stand out?

I will be looking for entries that make best use of the budget available whether big or small, and really understand who their target market is. The entries should highlight the compelling messages they have developed to appeal to their market. I would like to see multi-channel campaigns that use various interconnecting formats to remind customers of this message, build brand equity and push response.

Commercial Sales and Marketing Manager, Power NI

2. Some career background…

I have over 30 years experience in the local electricity industry, mostly in sales and marketing. In my present role I am responsible for Power NI’s 30,000 customers in the local business and agrifood sectors. I was also a member of the project team that managed us rebranding to Power NI a few years ago.

3. How did your involvement in judging the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards come about?

Power NI are sponsoring the Best Green Retailer category and I was delighted to be invited to join the judging panel. This will be my first time judging the Ulster Grocer Awards and I am really looking forward to it.

4. What will you be looking for, which in your opinion, will really make an entry stand out?

As a minimum they need to be well planned and executed campaigns that delivered on their objectives. To really stand out I think entries need to show evidence of original, creative thinking and/or exceptional results to give them that wow factor.

The Balmoral Show’s move to a new site this year will provide a significant boost to Northern Ireland’s vitally important agri-food sector, according to Ulster Bank.

Speaking at the annual show launch event, Ian Jordan, Director, Corporate Banking Division, Ulster Bank, says that the new site will provide a world-class platform to showcase the excellence of the industry.

He says that Ulster Bank supports many of Northern Ireland’s leading food processors, as well as hundreds of local farmers, and is delighted to be so centrally involved in the historic step forward being taken by Northern Ireland’s premier agri-food event.

“Farming and food have continued to be absolutely key sectors for the local economy and it is fitting that the Balmoral Show is going from strength-to-strength as well,” he says.

“The show has always been a fantastic celebration of the agri-food sector, but this year that will be taken to a new level with more exhibition space, more capacity for visitors, and a site that is purpose built for a world-class event.

“At Ulster Bank, we know that there is great excitement in the agri-food sector about the move and we very much look forward to being a part of it and to helping the show continue to expand and grow into the future,” he continues.

“We also thank the Platinum Sponsors of the show, including the two new sponsors this year, NETTEX and ABP, for their involvement in the event,” he adds.

Ulster Bank has been the principal sponsor of the show since 2009 and announced earlier this year that it would continue to sponsor the show at its new site.

The Balmoral Show will take place at the new Balmoral Park site in May for the first time.

Further information about the RUAS Balmoral Show is available at: www.balmoralshow.co.uk

The demonstrations are part of a major LMC marketing campaign encouraging consumers to ‘Look for the Logo’ to ensure their fresh beef is Farm Quality Assured – the verification that the very best standards of production operate on NI farms.

Taking place in Asda’s main stores in Northern Ireland, the demonstrations provide a great opportunity for local shoppers to be better informed on the benefits of local sourcing.

Regional buyer for Asda, Mervyn Jones said: “As a member of our dedicated local sourcing team in Asda NI, I’m delighted to be working in partnership with the LMC to make sure our customers are fully informed of the quality and high production standards inherent in beef which is bred on local farms. Sessions such as these give consumers the chance to ask questions and be reassured that thanks to the Farm Quality Assurance stamp, the beef they are buying on our shelves is safe, is the very best quality and is also great value.”

Our decision to sponsor the Best Food Export Marketing Award is part of our longstanding strategic focus on encouraging and assisting local food and drink companies to explore the extensive business outside Northern Ireland for faster, sustainable and profitable growth.

The award will showcase success and provide role models of enterprising and ambitious companies doing business abroad. Of course we already have many success stories of companies, both large and small and in various industry sectors that are winning good business in markets from the US to China and Sweden to Australia. But we need a great many more to take the leap into global markets. And they are certainly to be found across Northern Ireland.

We believe that there are many with quality and tasty products that can be exported successfully. We want to help them to realise their business potential. Invest NI has a broad portfolio of expert services to help existing exporters grow their markets and to make it easier for newcomers to widen their business horizons. Taking part in the awards enables us to market our support within a different framework.

These services have been shaped to help aspiring exporters gain confidence and expertise through capability programmes and to benefit from leads generated by our professional marketing teams both here and outside Northern Ireland.

We also organise an extensive programme of ‘meet the buyer’ events that bring buyers from all the retail multiples and most of the foodservice organisations to Northern Ireland to experience local products to discuss business with our companies, both large and small.

Trade missions and participation in international food shows such as SIAL in Paris, ANUGA in Cologne, Gulfood in Dubai, Winter Fancy food in San Francisco and Hotel Asia in Shanghai provide cost-effective opportunities to companies to engage in the global marketplace.

The Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are important because they highlight the achievements of successful exporters during the high profile event and in subsequent publicity in newspapers, magazines, on radio and television and through social media sites.

Such publicity also helps to raise the profile of an award winning company and increases awareness particularly among consumers here which could help in boosting sales.

While we are focused on exports we recognise that any initiative that encourages local consumers to buy food and drink produced here is important. A strong home market is an essential foundation for companies keen to accelerate growth by investing the time and other resources to develop sales abroad.

In addition winning an award boosts the confidence of a company, which is important in today’s extremely challenging economic environment.

As well as export success the awards highlight innovation and entrepreneurial activity, key pillars in our business growth strategy.

What’s also important about the awards is the opportunity they provide to reinforce the huge contribution of the agri-food to the local economy particularly rural communities. Today the industry generates over £4 billion and employs around 20,000 people in processing plants. Upwards of 90,000 people are employed across the supply chain from farms to packaging and transportation.

The industry is continuing to grow steadily in the most difficult economic conditions and currently sells around two thirds of its products outside Northern Ireland and upwards of £1 million in markets beyond the British Isles.

Many of our biggest companies and most successful exporters, such as Moy Park, Northern Ireland’s biggest business in terms of sales, Dunbia, Dale Farm, Foyle Food Group and the Linden Food Group, are also in food and drink.

Furthermore it’s an industry, which we are convinced, has immense potential, one which benefits from our green environment and heritage and is fast becoming a key driver of economic recovery. It’s an industry with the sort of provenance, wholesome, richly flavoured and safe products that consumers everywhere are now demanding.

The awards, therefore, provide an important platform for Invest NI to show our continuing support for an immensely important and progressive industry.

UG: What made you decide to get involved with sponsoring the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards?

AE: Power NI is the leading local energy company supplying almost 30,000 businesses in Northern Ireland including many food retailers. Sponsoring the awards is an excellent way for us to show our support for this very important sector of the local economy.

UG: How important do you feel awards like this are, recognising the efforts of local people and businesses, particularly in these ongoing challenging times?

AE: The present economic climate is certainly very challenging for any business but there are many success stories out there. Awards like this are an excellent way of celebrating success, raising standards and showcasing all that is good about the NI food industry.

UG: What do you hope to gain from your involvement with the awards?

AE: The awards are a great way for us to say thank you to existing customers for their ongoing business. We are also keen to encourage others to join the 100s of other businesses who have switched back to Power NI in the last year. With new lower prices, discounts and unrivalled customer service you’ll be glad you made the switch!

UG: What would you say to encourage people to enter the awards?

AE: If your business is progressive, your people are passionate about what they do and you strive to offer great products and excellent customer service then these awards are for you. It’s a great way to showcase your business, get recognition for your efforts, reward your staff and hopefully generate some new customers!

UG: What are you looking forward to most about the event itself?

AE: The event is one of the highlights of the social calendar and I’m really looking forward to another great night out in the best of company.

The awards – sponsored overall this year by Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands – are judged by our panel of guest judges. Chaired again this year by Michael Maguire of Quintus, our expert judges are all people whose faces and credentials will be well-known within the retail grocery or food production sectors.

The Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are open to any company that’s involved in retail grocery trading, from products to suppliers and wholesalers as well as individual retail outlets. They are always hard fought and as a result, are widely regarded as among the highest local marketing accolades that a company can achieve within this sector.

Two new categories were introduced last year, Green Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Power NI, and Best Brand of the Year. A new award, Food Exporting award has been added. The GroceryAid Grocers’ Ball is a glittering evening out and has been a fixture in the trade’s social calendar for many years. GroceryAid, the grocers’ benevolent fund, formerly known as Caravan, is the beneficiary of the evening, so it’s the perfect backdrop for the presentation of these coveted awards.

The Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are recognised as a mark of the professionalism and industry awareness of those who win them. They make a clear statement to peers and clients and they are certainly worth competing for, as successive winners can well attest. They will have particular significance at present, thanks to the challenging economic circumstances that all of us
find ourselves in.

Download the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards entry form for 2013.

Download the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards promotional booklet.

For further information please feel free to get in touch.

Karen Graham
Advertising Manager

Ulster Grocer magazine
5B Edgewater Business Park
Belfast BT3 9JQ
Direct Line-(028) 9078 3235
karengraham@greerpublications.com

UG: How have you found trade throughout 2012?

JCS: 2012 was not a year to be complacent as a retailer! That said; trade in 2012 has really been a continuation of trends that have developed during the recession. Customers are seeking out good value and need to know that they are getting a good deal. For some types of products customers will only buy the item that is on promotion. But for other items they are interested in product quality and provenance. We can also see more ‘top up’ shopping and basket shopping as customers move away from the model of one big weekly shop. Magherafelt has seen the arrival of Tesco in 2012, a challenge that JC Stewart as a business is well aware of. But, for us, 2012 has been a year where we have been focused on food, first and foremost.

UG: As an independent retailer how difficult is it to stay competitive in these challenging economic times?

JCS: Every business has to work hard at staying competitive – JC Stewart is no exception. And the textbooks are right here – you can compete in the marketplace by finding your niche and by being different to mainstream competitors. With regard to price, we have stuck to our trading principles – offering competitive prices and straightforward discounts. We try to avoid the ‘two for the price of one/BOGOF deals’ that really force customers into bulk buying.

UG: JC Stewart has a reputation for being tremendously well respected for their local food knowledge. Is this something you feel which helps the store continue to prosper and sets it apart from its competitors?

JCS: Part of the value of trading since 1894 is that JC Stewart is genuinely local. We are proudly part and parcel of the Magherafelt landscape and community. That’s not marketing-speak, it’s just a statement of fact about who we are. And local food matters to us. Our customers expect us to stock locally produced products. And this year, when we started producing our own ready meals, customers rightly expected a product that is local and wholesome. That means we make as much as we can from scratch using natural ingredients. That’s not always the easiest way to make things but it’s what customers have come to expect from us and it’s what we do naturally. It makes for interesting aromas in the kitchen, especially when they are grinding the spices for Tikka Masala or making red Thai sauce! So local food and natural ingredients are important, even if we our tastes are a bit more international.

UG: How important do you feel it is for people to continue to support independent retailers such as yourselves?

JCS: We believe in putting our money where our house is! Supporting independent retailers is important for many reasons. It helps secure local employment, as money spent in local shops stays in the local community in a way that does not happen with the multiples. And supporting independent shops also helps provide choice. If you have a number of independents sourcing and selling products you end up with more choice for customers. Where the multiples are the majority, there is actually less choice and almost identical pricing. Just look at some towns in England and Ireland that are swamped by multiple stores – the effect is disastrous for local choice.

UG: How do you see the industry panning out over the coming 12 months?

JCS: Hopefully the appetite to open out of town retail parks will slow down in favour of developing town centres with vibrant character and atmosphere before it’s too late. In our community people will still be looking for a bargain as their disposable income comes under pressure. Retailers need to deliver real value as well as trying to innovate.
The future, as always, is both exciting and scary. JC Stewart will continue to evolve. We will follow our hearts and bring passion to what we do in the world of grocery and food.

The human cost of bringing Ulster produce to the grocery shelves was underlined last month as the NI Farm Safety Partnership issued its plan to improve safety, writes Brian McCalden.

The event was appropriately held at Ravenhill Rugby ground in Belfast, where a tribute to a tragic farming family had taken place last year.

Twenty-two-year-old Ulster Rugby star Nevin Spence was killed in September 2012 along with his 30-year-old brother Graham, and their 52-year-old father Noel. They were all overcome by slurry gas in a tank at their farm in Hillsborough, as both sons went to the aid of their stricken dad.

The facts are stark: farm accidents have accounted for a full three-quarters of all fatal incidents in 2012. Since April alone there were ten farm deaths with the local agricultural sector also suffering one of the highest workplace accident rates in the UK and Ireland.

Since April 2007, more than 40 people in Northern Ireland have been killed as a direct result of agricultural activities. Many more have been seriously injured.

The human cost is therefore disproportionately high with the Farm Safety Partnership being set up in May last year specifically to address the alarming increase.

The Plan for Northern Ireland, was developed by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), National Farmers Union Mutual (NFUM) and the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU).

Launching the Action Plan, the DUP Health and Safety Minister Arlene Foster said: “Accidents resulting in serious injury or death continue to be a very real danger for farmers.”

The Fermanagh native continued: “Too many families have had to suffer the unspeakable grief of losing a loved one as a result of a farming accident and I have seen at first hand the devastating effect it has on those who are left behind.

Sinn Fein Agriculture Minister, Michelle O’Neill, who also attended, added: “Every death on our farms is a tragedy. It is a tragedy for society, for the industry, and for the community.

“Over the past seven months I know that the Farm Safety Partnership has been working tirelessly to reduce and to ultimately eradicate fatalities on farms. It is also extremely re-assuring to know that the Partnership is pushing on with its work, that it is keen to maintain momentum, and that it is striving to build on the sound foundations that have been laid over the last seven months.”

HSENI Chairman, George Lucas said: “Individually and collectively, all the bodies which make up the Farm Safety Partnership have been working tirelessly to help raise awareness of the issues involved and ensure that the farm safety message to ‘Stop and think SAFE’ continues to resonate among the farming community.

“This dedicated Action Plan will underline those efforts on a jointly-agreed basis and bring into sharp focus the immediate goals to be achieved.”

UFU President, Harry Sinclair added: “I would ask every farmer in Northern Ireland to support the Farm Safety Action Plan.”

The suckler beef and sheep producer from Draperstown, continued: “The Plan will have the maximum impact if farmers adopt a mindset that safety is a priority issue for them every day on their farm. We all have a collective responsibility to make our industry much safer and (this) is another positive initiative in this process.”

The main causes of fatal accidents on our farms, both in Northern Ireland and wider afield, are due to four main causes, slurry accounts for (15%) of these accidents. The other accidents have been caused by animals (27%); falls (27%) and equipment including vehicles (27%).

The firm has a reputation with buyers for their extensive category knowledge which includes grocery, confectionery, beverages, household and healthcare. Their sales team has a vast expertise and experience across all channels, in particular the independents where the company has excelled in delivering strong business growth across all key customers in 2012.

In the last year the company added a raft of best-selling High Street brands including Bottlegreen, Sanex, Chewits, Marigold Gloves and Tyrrells Crisps to the impressive portfolio of brands it carries across various channels.

SHS Sales & Marketing has grown substantially since it was founded more than 35 years ago, but remains faithful to its independent roots. One of the first major contracts it won in its early days was with Colgate and that relationship has continued right up to this day.

Des McCullough, Sales Director of SHS Sales & Marketing, says the company’s considerable brand experience and knowledge of the independent retail sector is a winning combination for all.

“We understand the trading pressures that retailers are under and there’s no doubt that independents have been feeling the squeeze more than most. We continue to work with them and our brand owners to identify new approaches and solutions that make every shelf inch work harder and generate strong returns.”

“Our strategy has been to create a clear market advantage by using our proven expertise and experience of developing a wide range of categories. That has been underpinned by strong business ties and a commitment to further develop and support our brands. We have a proven track record in competitive markets because we understand how to help boost sales and performance for everyone. We know we add something to the proposition to make a difference.”

Backed by an impressive and progressive brand portfolio, SHS Sales & Marketing is part of the SHS Group, one of Ireland’s leading FMCG companies. The Group provides central resources to SHS Sales & Marketing and a strong and stable financial base.

That backing puts the company in a strong position according to Des and has enabled it to forge strong links with significant brand owners.

“Many of the brands we represent in Northern Ireland we are also representing in ROI or GB” says Des “And that is testimony to building strong relationships one step at a time with our Brand Partners”.

“SHS Sales & Marketing has built a reputation for the highest level of per¬formance in sales, customer manage¬ment, business support and logistics. Our channel expertise coupled with long standing relationships helps us to maximise growth opportunities for brands and leverage new platforms.

“We’ve seen a marked increase in grocery, non-food, household and healthcare brand owners turning to us for out¬sourcing support. As the economic reality of funding an in-house sales structure hits home harder than ever more companies are looking for alternative means of coverage. We continue to work with some of the leading companies in these sectors who trust us to manage important brands including Tunnocks, Jordans & Ryvita, Finish, Nurofen, Lemsip, Airwick, Cilit Bang, Jeyes Fluid, Princes Food & Drink, Primula, Shloer, Neil’s Flour and Savlon.

“Brand owners are continually looking for ways to simplify their structures and streamline processes in order to devote more time to future proofing brands through NPD and consumer marketing, that’s their area of expertise and gaining distribution in the NI trade and driving volume sales is ours” continues Des McCullough.

“We enable brand owners to concentrate on their key priorities such as NPD while we drive sales of existing products and offer solutions in areas such as sales, logistics and business support. It effectively reduces complexity and provides a tailored solution.”

In 2012 SHS Sales & Marketing also strengthened its relationship with Princes Foods through an agreement to extend the range of products it currently distributes on behalf of the brand owner. The deal will now see it take responsibility for the Crosse & Blackwell range of catering products, Hartleys canned fruit and Batchelors canned soups and vegetables in Northern Ireland.

The new 2,000 sq ft convenience store was a relocation of the community retailer’s store in the nearby Flagship Centre. It has been designed with families in mind, and will be stocked with everything that makes catering for weekly family meals simple and cost effective.

The store also has an extended bakery offer, a wide range of fresh produce, and extended opening hours (7am-10pm every day).
Alan Ritchie, Store Manager, said: “We are thrilled to open the doors of our new store on Main Street. As a community retailer it is appropriate we involve the community in our special events, and we were delighted that the neighbouring school were able to play a central role in the opening of our new store.

“The store team here are all really looking forward to welcoming customers to our new, family-focused store. In the current economic climate, we know it’s more important than ever for shoppers to be able to find great food, at great prices, close to home. By providing family-based offers in store, we hope to be able to help local people stick to their weekly family budget.”

The school received a £200 donation for their help on the day.

The concept behind the advert focuses on the great range and offers available at Nisa members’ stores and the execution of this message sees a dog undertaking a variety of activities such as reading a newspaper and playing a guitar as his owner spends a considerable amount of time in the store taking advantage of the deals available. The advert has three different endings which are spread over both 30 and 10 second commercials. The adverts will be split over Sky television and terrestrial as well as 4OD – a media channel which the company has not previously advertised on – in order to increase its target audience reach.

The company is also running a series of marketing activities to help stimulate further awareness of the television advert and is producing 30,000 toys that resemble the dog in the TV advert, which will be given away to customers spending £10 in store. The Nisa dog will also appear on numerous marketing materials such as the consumer leaflet, national press adverts and on the consumer website, as well as the Nisa social media pages along with the TV slogan, ‘it’s shopping, but nicer’.

Earlier last year the company underwent a tender process for the Nisa television advert where several companies were approached. The company awarded the project was TLC Marketing, which produced Nisa’s first two television campaigns. The media buying was also put out for tender and three companies pitched for the work with Leeds-based Carat again winning the contract for 2013.

The advert, which was directed by BAFTA award winner Matt Lipsey, who won an award for the popular comedy series Little Britain, was filmed at a Nisa Local store in Stevenage owned by retailers Kishor and Pat Patel.

John Sharpe, managing director of central distribution, trading and logistics, commented: “The advert communicates the fantastic offers that Nisa retailers have in store. Nisa members’ stores aren’t just for top-up shopping, they also provide a great range and promotions on a wide selection of branded and own label products and it was important that this was portrayed through the advert.”

Maxol, the family-owned oil business, have unveiled a new forecourt identity and five year business development plan by announcing a £40m investment in the expansion of its all-Ireland service station network.

In 2012, the company invested £12m upgrading and expanding its retail business, acquiring five new service stations and commencing the roll-out of Maxol’s vibrant new image across its network of 225 service stations. The Maxol Group has also put in place plans to invest a further £28m intensifying the expansion of its retail network and re-imaging programme, which it expects will generate additional annual sales of approx. £80m. This project will provide direct and indirect employment for about 400 people within the services and construction industries over the next five years.

“Maxol is owned by the McMullan Family and it has great faith in the future of Ireland, as demonstrated by the ambitious programme we have put in place”, said Group CEO, Tom Noonan.

“There is not a corner of the island that will not benefit from this new strategy. We believe we have seen off the worst of the recession, thanks to everyone associated with our organisation. Now it is time to move on and start preparing for the brighter future that undoubtedly lies ahead for all of us in Ireland. We would, of course, urge our politicians and public servants to do all they can to support our efforts by facilitating consumer demand and growth in the local economy. Our investment strategy, which is being supported by our recently appointed bankers, Bank of Ireland, will bring benefits not just to Maxol but to the wider communities in which we operate.”

An investment of £6m in the rejuvenation of the Maxol brand is at the heart of the new strategy, which sees the introduction of a striking new logo and brand identity.

Brian Donaldson, Chief Operating Officer of The Maxol Group, said: “We developed our new concept following an extensive brand audit. The outcome reflects our aspiration to be the leader in forecourt and convenience retailing across the island of Ireland. We believe that Maxol’s new image is much more vibrant and will allow the brand to relate much more effectively with all of our customers, both young and old. Our new positioning line ‘At the Heart of It’ resonates with us, as Maxol’s business is totally Ireland centric and our model has always been hugely supportive of the very many local communities where we are providing much needed facilities.”

The five new Maxol service stations purchased in 2012 are located in Holywood, Co. Down, Cork (two stations), Waterford and Galway. 2012 also saw the opening of Maxol’s first two unmanned service stations and three brand new Maxol super-stations. Some 50 stations now display the striking new Maxol image. With another 175 outlets set to receive this treatment and a number of new station acquisitions already in the pipeline, Maxol is cautiously confident about its own and Ireland’s future.

UFU President Harry Sinclair said: “The statistics published recently show that our agri-food sector has grown to a massive £4 billion turnover last year. Almost one in three jobs in Northern Ireland manufacturing are now in the agri-food sector and it represents one fifth of our manufacturing sales. These statistics send a clear message to the Northern Ireland Assembly that agriculture and the food processing sectors are cornerstones of our regional economy. The potential for further growth is well documented with an ever increasing global population and developing economies in other parts of the world potentially creating new export opportunities for our industry”.
Harry Sinclair added: “2012 has been a difficult year for farmers and there are fundamental issues which need to be resolved in the supply chain so that farmers have the confidence to invest in their businesses and produce more of the raw materials which will be needed if the agri-food sector is to continue to expand. The potential benefits to the Northern Ireland economy are enormous if we get this right in the years ahead.

“Agri-food is now firmly established as a leading component of our economy and I would urge the Northern Ireland Assembly to be as progressive as possible in supporting the industry to grow still further and in particular to develop new export opportunities which will be key. The recent trade mission to China is an example of the sort of initiatives which will hopefully create new markets for our produce. The process of creating a food supply chain which is fair to all, including farmers, must also continue so that we can all share in the success of a growing industry.”