BELFAST BRIEFING:THE BIG question for businesses in the North today is what do they need to do to survive the economic downturn? Do they try to cut costs? Axe staff or simply sell up and move on?

All of the above are currently taking place in Northern Ireland.

Business confidence has fallen back sharply. Companies expect the economic climate to deteriorate further and the trading environment to become yet more difficult.

It is not easy in these circumstances to see beyond your immediate concerns. Perhaps though some companies need to take their finger off the panic button for a moment and take a long, hard look at the example being set by one of Northern Ireland's specialist construction firms.

While the North's construction sector has been in freefall, at least one firm has been busy winning new business and carving out a niche market for itself outside of Northern Ireland.

McMullen Architectural Systems is a locally owned specialist firm which, despite being a relatively small company, is enjoying a huge degree of success outside of the North.

The firm designs, manufactures and installs specialist window and curtain walling for large scale buildings. Previous landmark projects range from the Waterfront Hall in Belfast to Dundrum shopping centre in Dublin and Boston University's new medical centre in the United States.

The company began life as a small father and son-run business in Moira, Co Armagh. When Edward McMullen first set up the firm in 1971, its primary focus was the local domestic glazing market.

Today the company, which employs 270 people, boasts an international order book and a multi-million pound turnover.

The Moira firm was able to transform itself from a local player solely dependant on local contracts to an international one - and that is the lesson Northern Ireland firms need to learn, and learn fast - today.

McMullen Architectural Systems is the case study that companies in the North must emulate if they stand any chance of surviving in the downturn.

Ted McMullen, the late Edward's son and the company's managing director, said the key to its success was realising that while Northern Ireland remained an important market, it had to look outside the North to grow.

"The future of the company depended on our ability to win larger and larger contracts. We knew because of the size of the market in Northern Ireland that there was a limited number of large contracts, so we took the decision to expand the business throughout the UK and Ireland and then to the United States."

He believes that one of the fundamental reasons why McMullen has succeeded is because of its staff. "My father taught me a lot about people, he taught me how to value people and how to give people a sense of value. He was a natural leader and I learnt from him that you must always be fair to people and ensure they feel part of the team.

"We have a very good team of people at McMullen, we have invested in people and we share our vision of where we want to go with our team - everyone has an investment in our future."

He believes there are a number of fundamentals which companies must get right - regardless of their size or the sector in which they operate - if they want to be successful. "I built a talented and committed team of people - I wanted people who were smarter than me in the business and I listened to those people when they gave the right advice and I still do.

"I believe that you have to deliver to succeed and you build your reputation on what you can deliver," McMullen added.

This team has helped the company win the type of high level contracts that it previously only aspired to and helped increase McMullen's turnover in the past two years to £50 million.

It is currently working on a number of large projects which Ted McMullen says proves it is at the top of their game. Among these is the development at Arsenal's former ground, Highbury, and the highly sought after 40 Bond Street development in Manhattan. It also recently just won a £12 million contract to provide curtain walling for a major development project in Manchester.

In recent years, the company has quietly and determinedly seized the opportunity to expand its business through a number of strategic acquisitions. In 2006, the McMullens saw an opportunity in the American marketplace and invested £2 million to establish McMullen Inc - its American subsidiary. In April of this year it acquired a Scottish firm, Systems Aluminium in Cumbernauld, in another multi-million pound deal.

It helped not only to reinforce the Northern Ireland company's position in the market but also made it one of the largest operators in the UK.

Ted McMullen is confident that despite the global economic climate and the downturn in the British and Irish economies, the company can increase its turnover to £70 million next year.

Despite its growing success, McMullen Architectural Systems remains close to its roots. Although it now has offices in England, Scotland, Poland, Ireland and the US, the head office is still located in Moira.

According to Ted McMullen, many companies in Northern Ireland underestimate just how good they are. He believes that with a little self-belief, the right team and the right business plan behind them, Northern Ireland companies can survive the current economic downturn.

There is just one other thing Ted McMullen says is essential to running a successful business during difficult times.

Luck.