Taoiseach Micheál Martin leads Enterprise Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Programme of Business Events across the USA

Taoiseach Micheál Martin leads Enterprise Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Programme of Business Events across the USA doubling down on Ireland’s commitment to drive even more investment and economic value to the USA for the benefit of both countries.

• Ireland is the world’s number 1 investor in the USA on a per capita basis.
• The USA is the 2^nd largest country export market for Enterprise Ireland backed companies.
• Major Irish employers and manufactures in the USA have significant investments in the USA with plans for further expansion and investment in the USA.
• Enterprise Ireland expands its footprint to 7 offices in the USA, with the opening of a new office in Atlanta to further boost Irish Investment to the U.S.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin today launched Enterprise Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day programme of more than 30 business events across the USA, as part of Ireland’s diplomatic mission to the U.S. for St. Patrick’s Day. With Ireland being the world’s number 1 investor in the USA on a per capita basis, Taoiseach Micheál Martin will be delivering a strong message of Ireland’s commitment to double down on driving even more economic value to the USA and further building on the strong business ties between Ireland and the USA for the benefit of both countries. 

Following decades of investment, major Irish employers and manufactures in the USA support thousands of jobs in the U.S. and purchase multi-billion dollars’ worth of U.S. raw materials, goods, and services, with plans for further expansion and investment in the USA, including: 

• Ardagh Group: Leading packaging producer, operates 17 U.S. plants across 12 states, serving top beer, food, and spirits brands. Ardagh Group employs ~6,000 in the US and invested $1.5bn in its U.S. operations over the past 4 years.
• Glanbia, a global nutrition company with over 20 U.S. production facilities and several innovation centres across the USA in locations including Chicago, Idaho, Michigan, and California. Employing 4,000 people in the U.S., Glanbia generates a significant proportion of its $3.8bn revenue in USD and bolstered its U.S. presence with the $300m acquisition of Flavor Producers in 2024, the company’s largest ever ingredients acquisition. 
• Glen Dimplex, a global leader in electrical heating, precision cooling and appliances, operates 2 plants in the U.S. in Michigan and Washington. Employing circa 500 in the USA, the company has invested heavily in its American operations and strengthens its U.S. footprint by sourcing 70% of its local materials in the USA and expanding through strategic acquisitions.
• Kerry Group: Leading taste and nutrition firm, invested $5bn+ in the USA, including a $120m sustainable facility in Rome, Georgia. Kerry Group operates 70 sites (48 manufacturing) across states like Georgia, Texas, and Missouri, employs ~6,000, spends $1.5bn yearly on U.S. raw materials, and partners with major U.S. food firms.
• Kingspan: Global leader in insulation and building solutions, with 32 U.S. sites across 17 states, plans a $750m investment, including 3 new manufacturing sites this year. The company employs ~2,500 in the USA, adding 500 jobs last year across 5 new sites in Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Illinois.
• Ornua: Leader in dairy ingredients and consumer brands with 50+ years of U.S. investment. Owner of Kerrygold, the number 2 butter brand in the US. Ornua Ingredients North America employs 700+ in rural Wisconsin and Minnesota, supports 900+ indirect jobs, and buys $240m in U.S. dairy annually (40% Wisconsin, 40% Minnesota, 20% California, Idaho, and Texas) plus $110m in goods/services. 
• Ryanair:  An Irish company and Europe’s largest airline, Ryanair is one of Boeing’s biggest customers, placing a $40bn order for MAX-10 aircraft in 2023, the biggest U.S. goods order by an Irish firm, supporting Boeing’s 170,000+ U.S. jobs. 

Speaking today at Ireland House at SXSW, Austin Texas, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “Ireland delivers an outsized economic impact to the USA in terms of investment, buying billions of dollars of American goods and services and creating jobs in the USA. The U.S. has long been, and remains, one of Ireland’s most steadfast economic partners and we are focused on driving even more economic value to the USA through investment, job creation and spend in the economy. Irish multinational companies are deeply embedded and invested in the U.S. market with significant manufacturing footprint and employment across the USA. This substantial investment underscores the commitment of Irish enterprises to the US market and reflects a deepening economic interdependence between the two countries.”

Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis highlights the accelerated pace of Irish investments, positioning Ireland as the 6th largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the U.S., with Irish-origin investments valued at $351 billion in 2023. On a per capita basis Ireland is number 1 in the world for investment in the USA.  

Accelerating investment in the U.S., Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s trade and innovation agency today announced its 7^th office in the USA, with the opening of a new office in Atlanta to further boost the success and growth of Irish companies in the USA. Enterprise Ireland supports nearly 950 Irish companies to invest and scale in the USA and in the past 18 months alone, has supported more than 80 Irish companies to establish new U.S. presences, bringing strengthened partnership to US industry. 

Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO of Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s trade and innovation agency said; “The USA is the second largest country export market for Enterprise Ireland client companies with €5.9bn exports in 2023, representing 17% of our total exports. Supporting Irish companies to scale and invest in the USA is an important priority for us and our business events programme across the USA for St. Patrick’s Day will focus on further supporting our client companies to strengthen their business impact in the USA. Today we are announcing the opening of our 7^th office in the USA, located in Atlanta. The expansion of our footprint and team across the USA underscores our commitment to support Irish companies to scale in the US, delivering economic value for both Ireland and the USA and reflects the deepening economic ties between both countries.”  

The St. Patrick’s Day programme of business events begins today at Ireland House at SxSW in Austin Texas, where Taoiseach Micheál Martin will take to the main stage later today (16:00). Enterprise Ireland’s programme of business events spanning 12 cities across the USA over the coming week, includes a Business Leaders lunch and Investment Summit in Washington D.C. and the inaugural Irish Tech Summit in Mountain View California. The pinnacle of the diplomatic mission will be Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday 12^th March.  

As Enterprise Ireland’s programme of business events gets underway, Irish companies are announcing further expanded presences, new investments, and partnerships in the USA, including: 

• Boston: CergenX, a spinout from University College Cork’s INFANT Centre specialising in neonatal neuroprotective care, announces FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its AI-powered “Wave” device, enhancing fast neurological diagnosis for newborns.
• Boston: Climeaction, an Irish company specialising in decarbonisation and sustainability solutions, opens a new office in Boston to collaborate with businesses across various sectors, including manufacturing, life sciences, and SMEs, to develop tailored climate action strategies that reduce carbon emissions and improve operational efficiency.
• Chicago: Solvotrin Therapeutics, an Irish healthcare company focused on enhancing established therapies, partners with Ortho Molecular Products to bring its clinically proven Active Iron supplement to the U.S., targeting $15M in retail sales within three years.
• Chicago: NeuroBell, an Irish medical technology startup specialising in AI-assisted, pocket-sized brain monitoring devices to detect seizures in newborns, opens a new office in the U.S. and announces a partnership with Parkview Health, one of the largest healthcare systems in Indiana operating 14 hospitals and serving a population of over 1.3 million people across the region. 
• New York: Kefron AP, an Irish scale-up from the Kefron Group specialising in AI-driven accounts payable automation software, launches its SaaS solution in the USA, opening an East Coast headquarters to drive expansion and job creation.
• Atlanta: Midland Steel, a provider of sustainable engineering solutions for construction, recognises a national U.S. partnership with Nucor Rebar Fabrication, featuring exclusive licensing of the "Faster-Fix Modular ReBar Solution".  Nucor Rebar Fabrication is a division of Nucor Corporation, the largest steel producer in the United States and the largest recycler of scrap in America. The Faster-Fix Modular Rebar Solution is BIM-designed, and engineered to eliminate waste, supporting sustainability in the construction sector and increased safety during installation.
• Florida: Genesis Automation, a global leader in healthcare supply chain solutions, secures a significant contract with Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, one of the largest healthcare systems in Florida, to optimise supply chain management across Jackson’s network of primary care and speciality care centres. 
• Philadelphia: Cubbie, a company offering sensory-friendly immersion products to support neurodiverse individuals, partners with Neumann University for its first U.S. installation. 

Ends

For reference, please contact:
Marika MacCarvill, Communications Manager – Ireland and International
00 353 86 171 2568 / marika.maccarvill@enterprise-ireland.com