Trading Up

Declan Keeney grew up with broadcasting in his blood. His Dad was the driving force behind a revolution in local radio in Ireland. Recognising a demand from rural communities whose stories needed to be told and shared, he lobbied the Irish government to change the broadcasting law and founded Highland Radio in Donegal. It became hugely successful and was the catalyst for a new ecosystem of local radio broadcasting in Ireland that changed the national conversation. Declan is now implementing his own revolution and building a new ecosystem at the cutting edge of the creative industries. Studio Ulster, of which he is co-founder, is a £72 million investment in virtual production located in Belfast Harbour. This technology allows film and television producers to create virtual sets that blend with the real so that fully visualised environments can be captured on camera in real-time without the need for laborious post-production. Goodbye green screens. Hello giant "tv" screens. The new facility also has the very latest in motion capture technology on a scale that's not found elsewhere. There's nowhere else like it, in the world. But what Declan's building is more than a studio: with a network of talent and support across government, academia and industry, he's developing that new creative industries ecosystem. As a Professor at Ulster University he has been instrumental in developing the courses and training for the talent to enter the industry. Studio Ulster is also a key research centre - a CoStar Screen Lab, one of five government-backed centres across the UK, each with a different specialism. And the studio is also hosting and incubating a new generation of companies to work with the global film and television industry. The economic payback for the regional economy could be immense. One of the first productions on site was a docudrama about the Titanic. The production was initially slated for a studio in South Africa with a huge water-based set. But Studio Ulster's virtual environment provided a solution that was closer to home. Rebuilding the Titanic wasn't tempting fate, but instead felt like an appropriate first project - keeping millions in local economy - and the order book for the months ahead at Studio Ulster looks pretty full.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years, issues like health and wellbeing have been the preserve of corporate HR departments. John Ryan is on a mission to change that. His approach is radical and based on data. His own wake-up moment was uncovering the shocking evidence that too many workplaces are simply killing their employees. His challenge to organisations is at all levels - some of the worst health is found on the executive floors. But with a rigorous approach he believes he can help companies become healthy places to work and contribute not only to the health and wellbeing of all, but make a real and sustaing difference to the company performance and the bottom line.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been such a busy week for economic news that we needed another Unpacked episode of Trading Up. Once again, seasoned business journalist Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by economics professor Richard Ramsey as they take a detailed look at everything from a potential breakthrough in US-China trade relationships; the UK Chancellor's spending review sums; and the thorny issue of water charges in Northern Ireland. They get help from fictional detective Charlie Cale of Pokerface whose special power is being a human lie detector and calling "bullshit" whenever she hears it. So, expect a few "bullshits" throughout the programme as Jim and Richard evaluate what our politicians have been saying about the big economic choices of the day. And do public sector economists really have posters of Sir Robert Chote on their walls?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Sloan studied chemical engineering at Queen's University but found his true calling when he moved to Nigeria with his wife Kerry to run a brewery. He decided to bring that job to an end when a neighbouring business was robbed at gunpoint and his security team took fright and disappeared. But he'd got the beer bug, so he persuaded his dad to let him turn an old cottage on the family farm in Attical, County Down (that had been a potato store) into a brewery. A river, the Whitewater, ran past the house. So, Whitewater brewery was born. Equipment was added as funds allowed with Bernard working as a college lecturer, and later industry consultant, to pay the bills. But 30 years later, Whitewater is going strong in a new 15,000 square foot facility in Castlewellan. Its beers are sold throughout pubs and restaurants across Northern Ireland, with export markets in the US and Japan opening up. Meanwhile, engineer Bernard is constantly adding to the production facilities with bespoke solutions that allow him to offer canning and bottling services to other drinks companies. It's still a team effort with wife Kerry, especially on pizza night when it's all hands to the beer pumps and ovens in the brewery's welcoming beer hall. After 30 years in business, Bernard reflects on how he has constantly pivoted to stay in business and has no intention of slowing down any day soon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does Donald Trump have an economic strategy and what does it mean for us? What are Tariffs? Who pays them? What's the latest development? What's happening with that UK-US deal? Why is Elon Musk so annoyed about Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"? And what's the lesson from the classic movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off that we need to learn? In this episode, economist Richard Ramsey (Professor of Economic Practice at Queen's University) joins Jim Fitzpatrick to unpack the big issues that are impacting businesses, big and small, everywhere. Given the pace of change, they made sure to record this episode while the President was asleep to keep all the analysis up-to-date.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's not much that immediately connects a controversial Irish language rap group from West Belfast and a former Royal Marine and George Cross recipient turned entrepreneur from Armagh. But the story told by film producer Trevor Birney, who brought the niche rap group to the world through the award-winning Kneecap movie; and the incredible life-story of Sam Shephard who served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Royal Marines and displayed off-the-scale heroism that saw him awarded the UK's highest honour for non-combat bravery, do have surprising common threads. There's something about managing dynamic situations, thinking quickly, and not being afraid of danger. There's also something about taking calculated risks and being prepared to manage a situation as it develops in real-time. These are two entrepreneurs with a lot of learning to impart to anyone in business.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Hutchinson was only 18 when he took charge of the family engineering business in rural South Derry. His father, Creighton, had built a successful business doing bespoke work mainly for the agricultural community in Northern Ireland. But unfortunately Creighton had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and wanted Mark to take the reins. That was 1997 and the young Mark wasn't slow in making bold decisions - such as buying a new bit of equipment that was almost as much as a year's turnover. His father let him get on with things. He reorientated the business away from small bespoke jobs to winning contracts from big manufacturers. Over years of investment in premises, plant, equipment and people, the business is now employing 160 and turning over around £21million. Mark wants that number to hit £50 million. Mark has been joined in the business by his brother and sister and his father's legacy and values remain key. He's building a training academy named after his father that will not only provide training for his employees, but may one day offer services to others across the region.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom McLaughlin built his first boat in 1965 at the age of seven. It had its maiden voyage in the family garden. By 1977 with a strong desire to avoid going back to school, Tom started his own business with his first sea-worthy vessel. That boat - a simple wooden construction called Redbay One - is now on display in the company showroom. Since that early sale (which he managed to purchase back some years later from the customer), Tom has been making making boats of varying shapes and sizes at his Cushendall base in the Glens of Antrim. Around 20-25 each year. Redbay Boats specialises in RIBs (rigid inflatable boats). They're hard-hulled vessels with an inflatable collar - "like a life jacket for the boat" says Tom. They're renowed for their safety in rough conditions. And there's nowhere better to test them than just off his Antrim Coast base in the choppy waters of Rathlin Sound or near Torr Head on the famous Causeway Coast. A top of the range Redbay Boat could set you back £1.5 million. A more modest vessel might run to £60,000. These are bespoke boats where the customer has a big input into the build process. And the connection with the customers continues long after they've got their boat as Tom, and his team, manage the ongoing relationships. "Our customers become our friends," says Tom, with absolute sincerity. Tom's son Conor is now taking a central role at the business, having learnt his trade (like his father) in the workshop. In this episode Tom and Conor tell Jim about their business journey and how they deal with customers ranging from government agencies to leisure enthusiasts and spread from across Ireland and Scotland to far flung places such as the Falklands and Svalbard in the Arctic.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who would you rather work for: Saddam Hussein or Mickey Mouse? Mervyn McCall has worked for both. As co-founder of construction giant Mivan, he built palaces for Saddam before Gulf War One put an abrupt end to that; wiped out half his business overnight; and landed him with a hostage crisis situation as 90 ex-pat staff were held by the Iraqi dictator as "human shields". With that episode behind him, he turned his focus to getting work in the massive "Euro Disney" project underway near Paris. He got a foot in the door with one director and six staff. He sent them with a firm instruction to grow that work to 60 staff. Before long it was 600 and Mickey Mouse had replaced Saddam as his number one customer. Next, he turned his attention to Asia where a revolutionary construction system he ultimately acquired, enabled him to build cheap housing in rapid order as the economies in the East boomed. At one point in his early career as he flew back into Northern Ireland after a spell away in Iraq, he noticed two things: it was green and small. The green was good - nice place to live. But the small meant bad place to work. The world was his oyster now. In this episode Mervyn dives deep into his incredible global career, the highs and lows; the personal sacrifices made along the way; the learnings for anyone keen to grow in business.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.