Taoiseach Micheál Martin has launched Enterprise Ireland’s extensive St. Patrick’s Day programme of more than 30 business events across the USA.

Ireland is per capita the world’s number one investor in the US- a point the Taoiseach will be keen to drive home.

He is set to underline the fact that after decades of investment 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.

As part of the trade mission Mr Martin will highlight a number of Irish companies that are set to expand further in the US 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 two 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 three 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 two 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 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 shows Irish investments as the 6th largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the U.S.

Irish-origin investments are valued at $351 billion in 2023.

And Enterprise Ireland, has just announced its 7^th office in the USA, with the opening of a new office in Atlanta.

EI 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."

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