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Belfast Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Family-run haulage firm building major new distribution hub at Co Antrim base
Woodside Logistics Group is planning a new distribution warehouse at its headquarters on the Carrickfergus Road, Ballynure, close to Ballyclare. The plans align with the recent growth of the company, and the 'substantial investment in a new building will provide the required storage space for current demand and provide expansion for projected growth of the company in the years to come', it says. 'The existing site has been the home to the family run business since its inception,' the firm says in supporting documents. 'The continued growth and expansion of the company within the industry has led to the need for a new building. 'This application is to provide a new standalone distribution warehouse. 'The proposal for a new distribution warehouse provides a storage premises and allows operations to continue while building works are being carried out.' Woodside Logistics Group is a family-owned transport and logistics provider operating across the UK and Ireland. It has delivered services through five divisions, including ambient transport and warehousing, car transport, tankers, freight forwarding, and customs clearance. The Woodside Group headquarters are based on the Ballynure site with additional satellite offices and depots located across Ireland and the UK. 'The aspiration for the new development reinforces a company and family desire to stay at the existing headquarters site and continue to invest and develop in the current site and the local area,' it says. Earlier this year at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, Woodside Logistics Group triumphed in the category of Family Business of the Year, sponsored by AbbeyAutoline, for their work in delivering professional transport and logistics solutions. The Woodside family's business began over 55 years ago, when three brothers based on a farm in Ballynure saw an opportunity to expand the family's small fleet of lorries. Robert Woodside, group director at the company, said maintaining a 'great team' was a 'huge factor' in their success.
Belfast Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
‘No scales, no mirrors': Meet the Co Antrim gym boss looking to transform corporate wellness
The new business sees the qualified personal trainer and former web designer go into major companies to advise them on how to improve employees' wellbeing and workplace experience. Despite this entrepreneurial background, the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards pitching competition earlier this month, in which Grace was a runner-up, proved intimidating. 'Having a gym, I never had to pitch before, go out and say 'here's a 60-second pitch, here's what I do'.' She decided on an immersion therapy approach, jumping straight into speaking to a room full of businesspeople from around the province. 'By the time I went up to actually do it, I wasn't all that nervous, because I had got my nerves out of the way,' Grace adds. 'I had fluffed my rehearsal, so I was like, I've got the fluff out the way, it'll be fine when I actually come to do it.' Despite not walking away with first place in the competition, Grace was able to successfully communicate Workforce Wellness' mission and purpose. And recent weeks have seen success for the new company as Workforce Wellness won Best Corporate Healthcare Programme 2025 at the all-Ireland Private Healthcare Excellence Awards on Saturday night. Grace began her journey towards running two businesses four decades ago, growing up in Ballymoney. After Ballymoney High School, she went to Coleraine Grammar for her A-levels, and then onto the University of Ulster's Jordanstown campus for a degree in interactive multimedia design. This gave her a solid basis in web and graphic design, which she used to 'straight away' move into jobs in that field. For seven years, she balanced a full-time job in web and graphic design at the Coleraine Chronicle with extensive freelancing work. She would later go into a job with Christie's Direct, a pet accessory supplier. But Grace confides that she began to feel she had lost touch with a part of her life that had been very important to her. While growing up, she had a passion for sport, which was something she lost as studies and family tragedy took their toll. She says: 'All the way through school, I was the captain of the netball and hockey team. 'I won the inter-provincial Northern Ireland Tennis Championships, and I won the shot put and javelin competitions at school. So I was always really sporty. 'But when I went to uni, it kind of went out the window. And then, just before I graduated, my dad passed away very suddenly. 'From 21, all the way to when I was 30, I put on a lot of weight. Just before I turned 30, I decided I didn't really want my 30s to be like my 20s, and that was the turning point for me. 'Naturally, when you're looking to lose weight, you've got to move more. I ended up falling in love with all things fitness again and found what I had lost over my 20s.' Grace's rediscovered joy in exercise led to her losing 11 stone and studying to become a personal trainer. She was busier than ever, working full-time heading up a web design and marketing department and gaining her personal training qualification. Despite not intending to make it a business, her fitness journey and knowledge of the subject led to people asking her to coach them. 'I ended up accidentally having 14 people. It happened at a time where I was getting offered a promotion at work, and I felt I either took that promotion or I go out on my own.' Reassured by being able to fall back on web design, Grace left her day job at age 32 to open a small studio, originally at the back of her mum's house, that would become Forge Female Fitness. The gym has seen great success, winning awards including coach of the year and gym of the year, and currently has around 100 members and four staff. Grace feels that its success is owed in part to the positive message it spreads to women about health and fitness. She explains: 'With the increase in social media, there is that exploitation of women like, 'join this and lose a stone in five days'. 'It preys on women's vulnerabilities, their lack of self-value and self-worth. They go, 'oh, I need to lose weight, and then I'll feel better about myself'. 'I always say Forge should be a sanctuary to every woman that comes in. 'We don't have any mirrors, we don't have any machines. There are no scales. There are no tape measures in the studio. 'I don't care whether you're wearing Primark or Nike. Come in as you are and be yourself. Be around other women who are just being themselves. 'And everybody is there for that one goal; they just want to feel better about themselves.' Grace feels that this mission of 'holistic' and qualified help for people 'naturally' led to founding Workforce Wellness. 'I felt like I had outgrown being a coach inside my gym. I had all this knowledge and experience, and I was seeing all these different people on a daily basis, all working in different places and different areas, but with very similar issues. 'What happens at work has a big impact on home life. It kind of got me thinking over time, how can I take what I know and all this experience of a decade of coaching, how can I actually impact more people?' The company's 'no BS' approach to wellness is tailored to each firm it works with. 'Most companies will give the staff what they think they need, 'let's do a pizza party next week, and let's go for a hike next month'. 'All those things are good to a degree, but they're not really going much below the surface. 'So the first point is always going to be an audit of the staff. It's all anonymised, and from that, then we can build programs and workshops that facilitate what the employees need. That's the kick-off point. 'As well as that, companies will be looking to hire me for very specific things. There's a company I'm working for that's building a wellbeing for retirement programme.' Workforce Wellness has clients including construction firm Graham, and Grace has spoken at a variety of events including the National Construction Summit. Running businesses dedicated to other people's wellness has helped Grace's own happiness, something greatly aided by her wife Danielle, and their two dogs Khaleesi and Lizzy. They live in Ballyclare, pragmatically chosen as a halfway point between the couple's respective family homes in Ballymoney and Newtownards. Grace sees her relationship as giving her the confidence and stability to succeed in her professional life, having 'your partner at your side, 24/7, saying, you can do this'. It has led her to 'challenge the barriers I had set myself over time'. She adds: 'I pushed myself, taking a risk, two years ago to move the gym somewhere a lot bigger. I don't know that I would've done that before I'd met Danielle. 'Just having that extra level of confidence and belief, and someone behind you, knowing you've got that support, you genuinely feel like there's nothing I can't do. 'It was the same when it came to setting up Workforce Wellness. Danielle was like, it makes total sense for you. 'I think being happily married that you have a self-belief that you probably didn't have before.'
Belfast Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
NI business chief pays tribute to staff after getting lifetime award: ‘Our mission is advancing human health'
Mr Armstrong oversees Almac's entire operations globally and leads the strategic direction of the business, which supports the global biopharmaceutical industry with drug development activities. His career has spanned more than four decades since he graduated as a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1981. He held several technical and senior management positions within the company before being appointed to the board of directors of one of its subsidiaries as chief operating officer. Appointed CEO of Almax Group in 2002, Alan oversees the entire group's operations globally and leads the strategic direction of Almac. In 2013, he was awarded an OBE by the Queen for services to the economy in Northern Ireland. The judging panel commented that they were 'delighted' to recognise Alan's lifetime of work in the accolade. They said: 'His principles are second to none and he has grown Almac to such a significant global company – but stayed true to the legacy left by founder Sir Allen McClay.' On receiving the award, Alan said it was a collective achievement, stating that it also a recognition of the company's success and growth throughout the years. 'Being nominated for this award is a tribute to Almac as a company. The company is made up of great people, who truly deserve that recognition.' He added: 'At Almac, our mission is advancing human health. It's fulfilling to be part of developing products and compounds that will ultimately help humanity. Along the way, we're creating many jobs, and I'm proud to see people getting great opportunities and developing within the organisation.' Highlights: Belfast Telegraph Business Awards 2025 The award-winner said his motivation lies in driving the company's growth and creating opportunities for people across the industry. He stated, 'There's a lot of construction and development happening within our organisation – new facilities, factories, and more. A lot of investment is going into developing the company for future growth. It's exciting to see the company grow and witness the entire fabric of the organisation evolve.' 'I love seeing the company grow. I love seeing people grow and develop within the industry – I love to see people employed. It's rewarding to see more people employed and creating more opportunities for others,' Alan added. The CEO offered a simple message to aspiring professionals: 'Keep your feet on the ground, work hard, and enjoy the journey as you go.'
Belfast Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Highlights: Belfast Telegraph Business Awards 2025
The Belfast Telegraph Business Awards celebrated it's 25th anniversary in Crowne Plaza last week. Award winners included Encirc as Outstanding Business of the year and Chairman and CEO of Almac Alan Armstrong who won the Lifetime Achievement award.
Belfast Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald hails winners at 2025 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards
Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has congratulated the winners of the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in partnership with Ulster Bank for their achievements. It was the first time that the Sinn Fein East Derry MLA had attended and addressed the prestigious event, which was marking its 25th anniversary this year with a glittering event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in south Belfast. Ms Archibald was appointed Economy Minister in February, after serving as Finance Minister for a year in the Executive. Speaking at the awards, she said: 'It is great to be part of this celebration of the achievements of our business community. 'These achievements are all the more remarkable given the economic challenges faced over recent years. 'I congratulate all the winners and nominees for helping to showcase the ambition, innovation and resilience that our local business community demonstrates each day.' The awards were last year attended by her predecessor, Conor Murphy. There were winners announced at 19 categories at the Business Awards, with Almac Group chief executive and executive chairman Alan Armstrong OBE receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. Co Fermanagh glass company Encirc was named Outstanding Business of the Year after it was earlier named as Best Large Company of the Year.
