We ship our gym equipment all over the world

When Greg Bradley started the his gym equipment company 14 years ago, someone told him he would never sell outside the island of Ireland.

"I remember thinking, 'I'm going to prove you wrong'," he said. "Thankfully, we have been able to do that."

BLK BOX is based in Newtownabbey - but it has secured contracts with high-profile customers all over the world, from sports teams like Manchester United to chains like PureGym.

Bradley is just one of many success stories, with official figures showing economic activity in Northern Ireland in the second quarter of this year grew faster than the UK and Republic of Ireland.

BLK BOX works internationally across the EU and markets like the US, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Australia and has grown its workforce to 180 staff.

Bradley said Covid had made people realise the importance of their health and "a lot of young people are into going to the gym".

"We have won high profile contracts and expanding internationally across France, Spain, Germany and other countries," he told BBC News NI.

He added that the Windsor Framework had also been advantageous compared to English competitors.

"We've been able to win a contract with a large French gym chain, Stade Français rugby team, so it's actually worked out good for us and we are really doubling down on that.

"There's still a bit of an education process with it, not everyone knows that we can ship frictionlessly across Europe, they are a bit scared of tariffs but once you explain it, everyone is really interested."

Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) show Northern Ireland's economic output, which is broadly equivalent to UK GDP, rose by 1% in the second quarter to June and by 2.3% over the year.

UK GDP increased by 0.4% over the second quarter and by 1.2% over the year.

Ireland's GDP increased by 10.2% over the second quarter, but its Modified Domestic Demand (MDD), which removes the distorting effects of globalisation, experienced a decline of 0.8% over the quarter.

The growth in Northern Ireland was driven by an increase in the production sector, which includes manufacturing.

Output in the services sector, which is the largest part of the Northern Ireland economy, also increased in the last 12 months.

While these figures suggest the Northern Ireland economy ended the first half of this year in a position of strength, there are real concerns that rising energy and food costs could put businesses under significant pressure in the months ahead.

Pastry chef Daniel Duckett closed his east Belfast patisserie in the last year, but has now re-opened in partnership with Knott's bakery chain in Forestside shopping centre.

Duckett said that Knott's has the buying power for ingredients so "they can control costs a little bit better than we would have been able to".

"They have been able to absorb a lot more of the costs that we would have been paying before," he added.

Duckett said rising petrol prices in particular would affect the cost of goods.

He added: "We have to think, how much do we deliver to the shops? Because that will also affect our petrol prices that fill up vans that travel across Northern Ireland."

He said weather and global warming also affected many products the business brings in, such as tropical fruits, vanilla, cocoa, sugar cane.

"Those are things that are definitely affected by storms and El Niño. I would try to brace myself for that as well."

Duckett added: "For the second half of the year we will have to be vigilant about where those products that have to travel far come from, as petrol prices will have to factor in to that."