SCHOOL EDITION 29 MAY 2024 - Flipbook - Page 19
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Business INsight
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22 2020
business@irishnews.com
www.irishnews.com
19
could impact
Lagan Group spearheads Strike
on bread supplies
£192m Ugandan project
B
ELFAST-based Lagan Group is to
develop a major
business park in
Uganda.
The company headed by
Kevin Lagan, set up a joint
venture with Ugandan contractor DOTT Services in late
2018. It came just months after Breedon plc bought the
Belfast business for £455 million in April 2018.
The UK government yesterday confirmed it will loan
£185m to the government of
Uganda to help build £192m
of infrastructure for the 2,200
acre Kampala Industrial Business Park, located on the
outskirts of the east African
country’s capital.
The construction work,
which
commenced
two
weeks ago, is expected to last
around 42 months.
The official announcement
was made at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London
yesterday.
Ugandan president Yoweri
Museveni and African leaders from 20 other countries
attended the summit, hosted
by Boris Johnson.
The Department for International Development in
London claimed the Kampala
POTENTIAL:
Britain’s
minister for
Africa Andrew
Stephenson,
third left,
breaks ground
at the Kampala
business park
project with
representatives
from the
Lagan Group
and Ugandan
government
project, spearheaded by Lagan, could eventually create
up to 200,000 jobs in Uganda.
It said the development will
also boost the construction
sector in Northern Ireland,
with staff, materials and
equipment to be sourced inn
the region.
Lagan chairman Kevin Lagan said: “Following the successful sale of our building
materials business to Breedon plc in 2018, we have targeted a range of exciting new
projects which support economic growth and infrastructural development nationally
and internationally.
“We have a strong track
record working in Africa
and the upgrade of Kampala Industrial Business Park
strengthens our footprint in
the region and supports the
regeneration of a very important area of Uganda.
“The UK-Africa Investment
Summit reflects the commitment by the governments
to strengthen economic ties
between the UK and Africa
and the Lagan team is delighted to play its part in
this process, which not only
supports our business, but
is a welcome boost to the
economies of both Northern
Ireland and Uganda.”
International Development
Minister Andrew Stephenson
said: “This announcement
Security tech firm on
US export offensive
C
R A I G AV O N - b a s e d
security tech firm
Envision
Intelligent
Solutions has embarked on a
major export offensive following its participation in a trade
mission to the US.
Set-up in 2010 by entrepreneur Philip Murdock, the
company provides bespoke
technology-led security solutions including remote monitoring services to a growing
client base across the UK and
Ireland, with established offices in London and Newcastle,
England.
Three years ago it created
a presence in the US market
when it established an operational base in Boston to
explore new export opportunities and service a small
but significant private-sector
client base.
The company hadn’t previously tendered for government contracts until taking in
the trade mission, in which 10
firms from the Armagh City,
Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area took part.
There, it was given access to
security specialists and senior personnel within various
departments of the State of
Pennsylvania and the United
Nations at its headquarters in
New York.
Showcasing its work on the
landmark HS2 rail project
supplying innovative drone
PRESENCE:
Envision
Intelligent
Solutions’
managing
director Philip
Murdock,
commercial
director
Amanda
Campbell and
operations
director
Graeme
McCandless
technology and aerial assets
to support the construction
progress sparked significant
interest in its innovative security solutions.
The company, which has
grown its staff from five to 60
in less than a decade, said its
renewed focus on the US market had given it fresh ground
for optimism as discussions
advance with export potential
for a new swathe of high-profile clients.
With a high-tech specialism
in drones, wireless border
camera systems, security
vehicles and ISR (intelligence,
surveillance & reconnaissance) aircraft, the company
said it is poised to secure
significant US business and
is now more confident in
its success.
Mr Murdock, Envision’s
managing
director,
said:
“From just a handful of clients, our investment in and
focus on successfully rolling
out security solutions across
the construction, automotive
retail, manufacturing, government and professional
services arena has secured
us a competitive position on
a world scale and we now
have the ability and belief to
go global with the US market
firmly in sight.
“Since our return, we’re now
actively engaged in the purchasing process for a number
of significant US orders which
would represent a significant
export boost for us and a major market breakthrough.”
at the UK-Africa Investment
Summit shows the UK government’s commitment to
help ambitious companies in
Northern Ireland like Lagan
unlock export potential and
boost their trading partnerships with African nations.
“Development of this park
is at the heart of the Government of Uganda’s plans
to attract investment, create
200,000 jobs, and support
businesses which will benefit
the country.”
The infrastructure budget
for the project is estimated
to be around £192m, with the
biggest component involving
the development of a road
network and bridge.
SCORES of staff at the Hovis
site on Belfast’s Boucher
Road are planning an all-out
strike from this Friday in a
move which could potentially
impact on bread supplies
across the north.
Workers are in dispute with
management over demands
for a 5.1 per cent pay claim,
and in a ballot conducted by
the Unite union, 88 per cent
voted for strike action, with
pickets set to go up at one
minute past midnight.
Unite regional officer Sean
McKeever said: “If you strip
away their shift premiums,
bonuses and overtime
payments, workers at Hovis’
Boucher Road site have
a basic pay rate 90 pence
below the national minimum
wage. As such, in recent pay
negotiations, the workers
are seeking a pay uplift of
5.1 per cent, equivalent to 37
pence an hour on their basic
rate.
“Unfortunately management
have completely failed to
address those legitimate
pay expectations in recent
pay talks. Bosses refused
to meet the pay claim and
instead offered a meagre
23p an hour uplift (3.2 per
cent).
“In effect, bosses are forcing
workers to the gate for less
than 14p an hour in terms of
a differential, which is both
scandalous and an insult to
the workforce.
“The strike action will be
continuous. It is an allout strike as the workers
are determined to secure
themselves fair pay. This is
a fight they cannot afford
to lose but is likely to result
in considerable disruption
to this company’s ability
to provide bread across
Northern Ireland for the
duration.”
The Belfast site employs
250 people, and produces
bread, rolls, pancakes, hot
cross buns, fruit bread and
farls in own-brand bakery
products for Hovis, Ormo
and Mother’s Pride as well
as own-label for M&S, Tesco,
Sainsbury’s and Lidl.
A Hovis Ireland spokesman
said: “We are disappointed
to hear the results of the
ballots for strike action and
have subsequently entered
into further discussions
in good faith and have
improved our offer.
“It’s disappointing to see no
movement from the unions
in these negotiations with no
indication that our revised
offer will be put to members
to vote. We remain very
open to discussions and
are committed to finding a
resolution.”