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About Us
Business Bite is a resource produced for entrepreneurs and small business owners in Northern Ireland. It includes features about enterprising and innovative Northern Ireland companies as well as reflections on current challenges facing local firms. Business Bite's role is to inform, inspire and stimulate. We hope you find it useful and would be pleased to hear any feedback you might have via the Contact Us section of this website.
Welcome
By Henry Elvin, Head of Business Banking Northern Ireland, Ulster Bank
A number of commentators have suggested that the recession is over, and this is positive news. But whilst the economy might have stopped shrinking, it certainly doesn't mean that the tough times are over. Recovery from recession will be slow, and probably uneven. And for many firms, there remain challenging times ahead.
As a bank, we remain fully committed to supporting businesses where we can. We've lent more than £200 million of the £250m we outlined in February for Northern Ireland SMEs, and we've been making good use of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme to support small firms.
In the pages ahead, you will see examples of companies and entrepreneurs striving to make the very most of the opportunities they have. Our cover story looks at Hilden Brewery, a small company intent on growing its business at home in the face of industry challenges, as well as exploring international opportunities. And we have three experts providing insight into how the business can best do so.
We also look at an innovative start-up company in the medical device sector, focused on filling its order book though new overseas customers and researching product improvements. And pages 14-15 explore the story behind Grosvenor Shirts, which has remained a successful North West based textile company in the face of a declining industry.
I hope you find this edition of Business Bite to be useful and stimulating. It offers considered views on the business environment and on issues firms face. It is intended to encourage companies to maximise their performance in these difficult times and into the future.
Although the economic environment remains challenging, we remain confident that determined, agile and innovative businesses can continue to succeed and will be the driving force behind our economy's recovery through the years to come.
Should you require any further information about Ulster Bank or our services or if you have any feedback about Business Bite, we would like to hear from you:
Tel: 028 9027 5856 Email: relationshipbanking@ulsterbank.com
