OCTOBER kicked off with some jobs announcements. Boston-based Globalization Partners (G-P), a remote recruitment specialist, which simplifies international business by enabling companies to hire teams without setting up branch offices, said it would take on 75 new staff over two years in the north.
There were a number of notable announcements throughout October, including Antrim-headquartered IT services business Outsource Group (40 jobs) and Kilrea firm Hutchinson Engineering (39 jobs).
But the biggest came from the Belfast-based financial services group FinTrU, which announced a major expansion into Europe, creating 500 jobs in Porto.
On October 14, just 38 days into the role, Kwasi Kwarteng sacked, making him the second-shortest-serving Chancellor. As the Liz Truss government entered damage limitation mode, Jeremy Hunt was appointed chancellor and soon axed most of the measures in the mini-budget in a bid to stabilise the financial markets. Described by some as "the biggest U-turn in British economic history", Liz Truss announced her resignation a week later.
Dublin-based Aircoach announced the acquisition of Derry bus operator Airporter. A subsidiary of Aberdeen-based First Group plc, Aircoach announced a new daily north-west service linking Derry and Dublin. But the moved resulted in Aircoach dropping Belfast City Airport from its route.
Iceland announced a new deal with Lisburn-based logistics firm McCulla as part of its efforts to adapt its Northern Ireland supply chain for the post-Brexit protocol landscape. In an interview with The Irish News as the retailer opened its 37th store in the north, the supermarket chain’s Irish head Ron Metcalfe said the storage and services arrangement with McCulla complements its long-standing relationship with DHL, which centres on a depot in Mallusk.
Well known Belfast student haunt The Eglantine was acquired by the Clover Group for an undisclosed sum in October. Better known as ‘The Eg', the Belfast hospitality group announced plans for a £500,000 refit of the Malone Road pub, with 30 jobs expected to be created it opens in 2023.
Belfast technology group Kainos announced it would sell part of the site it bought for a new headquarters in the south of the city, as it opted to downsize its plans. The IT services group said Queen’s University will acquire half of the Dublin Road site for a new student accommodation scheme.
A college built on the site of the former Erne Hospital in Enniskillen was named as UK Project of the Year by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The £34m South West College campus was named overall winner at the prestigious awards held in London.
Craigavon shopping complex Rushmere was sold in October for a reported £56m, making it one of the biggest commercial property deals of the year. The GB-based property management group LCP was named as the new owner.
Another month and another big order for Wrightbus under the Bamford era. Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd announced an £88m investment to buy 100 battery-electric buses for Translink as well as new electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the public transport network.
A new fund was launched in Belfast during October a bid to tackle the historic low numbers of female angel investors in Northern Ireland. Awaken Angels has set a goal of democratising investment for women. Described as halfway between a crowdfunding platform and an angel syndicate, the fund has grown out of the cross-border female founder community Awaken Hub, set up last year by a group of women including Co Tyrone native Mary McKenna.
