NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government organization responsible for the development of Irish enterprises in world markets and also recognized as Europe’s third largest seed capital investor, today put United States employment by Enterprise Ireland supported companies at over 80,000 jobs. Seven hundred companies operating across 50 states and Washington DC provide employment in a diverse array of high-value sectors, including consumer products, construction products and services, clinical research, software, food manufacturing, industrial and engineering products. Fourteen percent of the Irish backed employment is in California; 4 percent is in Illinois and 5 percent is in New York State. In 2016 alone, these Irish companies established 55 new U.S. operations.
“This St. Patrick’s Day, the state of Ireland’s partnership with the United States is strong,” Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland said today. “Our shared values, expertise and experience is business-positive for both countries — as evidenced by the 80,000 jobs created by Enterprise Ireland supported companies in the United States. Just as innovation and entrepreneurship is forged into the Irish psyche, it is central to America’s pioneering spirit, and I am confident that the steady momentum of Ireland’s growth will be reflected in continued employment growth here in the United States.”
Irish firms at the vanguard of employment growth in the United States include:
Sysnet Ltd.: A leading provider of cyber security and compliance solutions to the payments industry, Sysnet recently announced a $2 million investment and the creation of 500 new jobs for a new contact center in DeKalb County, Atlanta.
Oldcastle: The North American arm of CRH plc., one of the world’s leading building products and materials companies based in Dublin, Ireland. Oldcastle has more than 1,700 operations in 50 states and 6 Canadian provinces.
Kerry Group: One of the largest players in the global food industry with current annual sales of approximately $6.5 billion and multiple manufacturing operations across the United States. Kerry Group has a long history in the U.S. and continues to invest in developing its manufacturing and research operations there.
Smurfit Kappa: A world leader in paper-based packaging with approximately $8.5 billion in global sales, Smurfit Kappa employs over 43,000 people globally and owns multiple recycling and manufacturing operations across the southwest of the United States.
Glanbia: One of the world’s top performing nutrition companies, Glanbia employs 2,000 people across 29 countries. The United States has the most Glanbia facilities of any country, with 12 manufacturing operations and corporate offices across seven states.
Details on how Irish businesses are expanding internationally are drawn from the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO) outward foreign affiliates survey: http://www.cso.ie/en/methods/multisectoral/outwardforeignaffiliatessurvey/
Enterprise Ireland is Europe’s third largest venture capitalist by deal-count and In discussing Ireland’s strong entrepreneurial base, Sinnamon also noted that female entrepreneurship is atypically high.
“Female entrepreneurship in Ireland is at 20%,” Sinnamon noted. “This diversity is a considerable strength that occurs naturally in Ireland’s highly educated, experienced workforce but which we’ve also worked hard to culture and support. I am confident that many of Ireland’s successes in International markets will come from these women and their organizations.”
About Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland is the Irish State agency that works with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. Enterprise Ireland partners with entrepreneurs, Irish businesses, and the research and investment communities to develop Ireland’s international trade, innovation, leadership and competitiveness. In this way, we support sustainable economic growth and regional development, and help create and sustain employment in Ireland. www.enterprise-ireland.com
