Business with Ireland

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish government’s trade and innovation agency. It is committed to supporting Irish businesses to grow and scale, and to become global leaders in their field. From start-ups to multinationals, we support ambitious companies at every stage of their journey.

Enterprise Ireland’s work starts at home, helping to develop businesses so they can compete in global markets. Across its network of 39 international offices, their expert advisors connect Irish businesses with international opportunities that drive growth.

With Irish companies scaling internationally at an accelerated pace, this St Patrick’s Day Enterprise Ireland is marking the enormous impact of Irish companies across the globe

Enterprise Ireland values the strong economic ties we have with Texas and are proud to celebrate and showcase Irish technology at this years’ SXSW Ireland House Activation. These innovative Irish companies are exemplar leaders in their chosen sectors and with the support of the Enterprise Ireland Austin office, they continue to invest in their US operations and strengthen the partnerships that we seek to celebrate this week, as part of the St Patrick's Day Programme.

With decades of investment in the USA, the top 10 Irish employers in the USA employ over 116,0000 American citizens in the U.S., in addition to supporting tens of thousands of indirect jobs.

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 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.

Major Irish employers and manufactures in the USA also purchase multi-billion dollars’ worth of US raw materials, goods and services and have 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 USA 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.

Enterprise Ireland is growing its US presence having announced its 7th office in the USA, in Atlanta, to further boost Irish Investment to 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 jobs, investment and strengthened partnership to US industry.