FloorTech® participate in Armagh Bramley Development Programme

FloorTech® were delighted to accept an invitation to attend a recent ‘Meet The Buyer’ event held in The Armagh City Hotel. The event helped FloorTech® gain a deeper understanding into the constantly changing needs of the food processing industry.

Cliff Kells, Tesco NI, and Shane McArdle, Invest NI Food Division were among some of The Food & Drink Industry experts who shared their insights with participants and offered valuable business development advice through a very interactive Q&A session.

Mr. Kells spoke about local food and drink producers in the Armagh Bramley region including Comber Potatoes and Wilson’s Country who have recently experienced huge success by partnering with large retail multiples. Tesco continues to support Northern Ireland’s local suppliers with purchases of £522m worth of products annually.

Other topics discussed included evaluating industry trends and establishing the strongest performers within Ireland’s Food & Drink market. Dean Coppard, Uluru Bistro, and Peter Lyness, Groucho’s Café Bar explained how changing customer tastes have impacted the demand for craft beer and cider. Mr. McCardle described how these market segments have experienced significant organic growth over the last number of years and continues flourish by branching into export markets. The value of Irish food and drink exports grew by almost 10% in 2013 to approach €10b, representing growth of 40% in last 4 years.