Ballymena Borough Chamber of Commerce and Industry

25/06/2026

25/06/2026

✨✨ Save The Date - Monday 6th July 2026 ✨✨
The 2026 Ballymena Business Excellence Awards

Ballymena Chamber of Commerce and Industry are proud to announce that the 2026 Ballymena Business Excellence Awards will open to entries on Monday 6th July at 10am.

The Awards will also celebrate Ballymena's 400 year anniversary.

Last year we had record entries with a record 484 guests at the Awards Gala Evening in Tullyglass House Hotel & Residences House.

Here's hoping for another record breaking year!

23/06/2026

It was great to meet Kevin McParland and Lynsey Tweedie to welcome Davy Private Clients as the newest members of Chamber.

Davy is Northern Ireland and Ireland's leading provider of wealth management and investment banking services, providing trusted support to our clients for 100 years. We provide full-service investment and financial planning advice to a wide variety of clients, including professionals, executives, retirees, business owners, and not-for-profit organisations. With an overall satisfaction of 93%*, our clients trust us to manage in excess of £23 billion** of assets across our discretionary and advisory investment platforms, of which £2 billion is in the UK. Davy UK was named Scotland and Northern Ireland Wealth Manager of the Year at the City of London Wealth Management Awards 2026. In Northern Ireland, we are over 70** people dedicated to delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients with the support of over 900 staff in our offices in Belfast, London, Dublin, Cork and Galway.

The Davy Group is comprised of a number of companies governed by regulatory bodies which include the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and the Central Bank of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland. Davy has been a member of the Bank of Ireland Group since 2022.

* Source: NI Voice of Client Survey of Davy UK's wealth management clients, 2025
** As of January 2026. Total assets under administration including ex*****on only is over £30 billion.

18/06/2026

A pleasure to meet up with Jeanette Vokes owner of Jeanette’s Kreations, our newest Chamber member. As usual the Adair Arms Hotel served up excellent coffee with great service.

Jeanette’s Kreations is a quirky creative business based in Ballymena, specialising in upcycled treasures, hands-on workshops and beginner-friendly craft kits.

From gilded boots and jackets to vintage cake stands and nostalgic wreaths, Jeanette loves turning the ordinary into something unique.

With a focus on creativity, sustainability and reusing what we already have, her workshops are designed to be fun, relaxed and accessible to everyone.

Her mission is simple: inspire people to get creative, have fun and see the potential in forgotten treasures.

Check out some of her work on her socials

https://lnkd.in/euCy9Xsp

17/06/2026

Great to meet with Mark Rooney and welcome MJ Utilities as the newest members of Chamber.

How can MJ Utilities help your business?
Think of them as the Meerkats of the energy world, but for commercial electric & gas prices. MJ Utilities partner with every major electricity and gas supplier in the country to source the best deals for their clients. By handling contract negotiations, they save you time, effort, and money, allowing you to concentrate on running your business.

16/06/2026

👏👏 𝗥𝗶𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗺 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻👏👏

A significant moment in Riada's 25-year journey, 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱 in recognition of exceptional leadership, people management, culture and employee experience.

The achievement was celebrated at the Investors in People Celebration Event in Belfast on 3 June 2026.

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟵% 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, Investors in People Platinum is the highest level of accreditation awarded by Investors in People. It recognises exceptional leadership, people management and employee experience, reflecting the values, relationships and people-first culture that have shaped Riada over the past 25 years.

From investing in learning and development, supporting wellbeing and creating opportunities for growth, to building a culture where people feel valued, trusted and empowered to contribute, Platinum reflects the commitment of the entire team.

In addition to achieving IIP Platinum, Riada has also been awarded 𝗪𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 at it's first assessment in 2026. Investors in Wellbeing recognises organisations who place employee wellbeing at the heart of their culture, demonstrating proactive commitment to supporting physical, mental and emotional wellbeing across the business.

While the celebration event marked an important moment in Riada's journey, the real achievement lies in the culture that has been built over many years by the people who make Riada what it is today.

Over the coming weeks, Riada Resourcing will be sharing more about the journey to achieving Investors in People Platinum, the story behind the accreditation, and the people who have helped shape its success.

15/06/2026

👏👏The Gallaher Trust Celebrates as Operations Director receives British Empire Medal in King’s Birthday Honours.👏👏

Ballymena Chamber of Commerce and Industry is delighted to congratulate The Gallaher Trust’s Operations Director, Greg McKinley, on being awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King's Birthday Honours List.

Greg's connection with Gallaher and then JTI spans an extraordinary 37 years, beginning in 1980 when he joined the company, including four years on a university scholarship.

Ian Paisley, Chair of The Gallaher Trust, said: "Greg is the kind of person who simply gets on with it, quietly, capably, and with diligence. Day in, day out, he goes above and beyond what is asked of him, and this honour is richly deserved. On behalf of everyone at The Gallaher Trust, our trustees, the delivery partners and the wider Ballymena community, I want to offer Greg our warmest and most heartfelt congratulations.

“We are immensely proud to have him as our Operations Director, and this award reflects not just his professionalism but his genuine care for creating jobs, upskilling people and helping disadvantaged adults through The Gallaher Trust.

Greg McKinley added: "I am truly honoured and humbled to receive this award; this is a team effort and is an acknowledgement of the work of The Gallaher Trust.”

15/06/2026

13/06/2026

✨✨ £16,000 Raised for The NI Children’s Hospice🏌️‍♀️🏌️‍♀️
Ballymena Chamber Charity Golf Day – Galgorm Castle Golf Club

Another brilliant day with 88 golfers making this not only a great event but Chamber’s biggest ever Golf Day.

Thanks to Ross Oliver and all the staff at Galgorm Castle Golf Club and the Castle Kitchen Bar for the excellent service and for all their help in bringing the event together.

As always Kathleen Anderson and the ladies from the Ballymena Hospice Support Group worked tirelessly to ensure all the golfers were looked after with scorecards and goody bags – before getting more much needed funds by selling raffle tickets.

We raised over £16,000 this year bringing the total raised in the past 6 years to over £118,000 for the NI Hospice and The NI Children’s Hospice.

The winning four ball was Cranswick Country Foods winning the Ballymena Chamber Wallace Enterprises Perpetual Four Ball Trophy – it was great that Patricia Wallace, Christopher and Sarah were able to join us for a meal and to present the trophy.

Chamber would like to thank all the golfers for their support and of course a massive thank you to our sponsors -
Galgorm Collection, Country Garage BMW, Newbridge Financial Planning, Michelin Development, Antrim Construction, Tullyglass House Hotel, Norbev, Pilgrim’s Europe, Met Healthcare and Power NI, Uel Campbell WPA Healthcare, Barbara Campbell Training and Consultancy and Rococo Ballymena