The United States - A Key Market for Kingspan’s Global Growth

As St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world, it is also a moment to reflect on the global growth Irish companies have seen in recent years, playing an increasingly important role for industry and regional development across markets.

The US market in particular has seen Irish companies today going beyond simply exporting, now actively building and growing businesses within it. The top ten Irish investors, including Kingspan, now employ more than 125,000 people across the country, with Ireland supporting over 43,000 manufacturing jobs in the United States.

For Kingspan, the U.S. is one of the most important markets in our global operations. Through continued investment, manufacturing expansion and strong partnerships with American industry, we have built a significant presence across the country while contributing to local economies and job creation.

Our U.S. Footprint

We currently employ approximately 2,900 people across 32 sites in 17 states, reflecting the scale of our commitment to the U.S market. Our operations span a wide range of building solutions and advanced technologies, supporting customers across construction, critical infrastructure and industrial sectors. 

Looking ahead, Kingspan has forecast approximately $1 billion in capital investment in the U.S. over the next five years. This investment will expand manufacturing capacity while strengthening our ability to support the growing demand for high-performance building solutions and critical infrastructure.

Our expansion strategy in the U.S. has also focused on the revitalisation of brownfield sites, transforming vacant industrial facilities into modern manufacturing operations. By prioritising development in rural communities, these investments create high-quality blue-collar employment while supporting regional economic growth.

Recent and planned expansions include facilities in Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Texas and Illinois in 2025, with further developments in Kentucky and Virginia planned for 2026.

A Week of Engagement with Irish Government Representatives

This St. Patrick’s Day period has also been marked by a series of visits from Irish government representatives to Kingspan operations both in Ireland and internationally, highlighting the strength of Irish enterprise on the global stage.

In Chicago, we were delighted to host Irish Minister for Housing, James Browne in our Lake Forest Manufacturing Facility.

In Florida, we were honored to host Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Niamh Smyth to our Kingspan Insulated Panels North American Headquarters. These visits provided an opportunity to showcase how Irish companies, like Kingspan, are contributing to economic development, job creation and technological innovation across international markets.

Additionally, Kingspan Data Solutions took part in the Enterprise Ireland Amazon partnership breakfast event in Washington, which highlighted the role that Irish companies are playing in the expansion of digital infrastructure across the U.S. Kingspan Data Solutions contributes to this growth by delivering next-generation infrastructure solutions for hyperscale, neoscale and leading data centre developers across North America.

As part of the programme, Daniel Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer of Kingspan Data Solutions, participated in an executive panel discussion titled “The Case of Kentucky: How Irish Companies Are Making the Bluegrass State Stronger.” The panel brought together industry and regional leaders including Ashli Watts, President & CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and Orla Good, Commercial Director at Portwest.

The discussion examined how Irish companies are driving advanced manufacturing and infrastructure development across the state, including Kingspan Data Solutions’ investment in a new 760,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility in Glasgow, Kentucky. The $62.1 million investment will create approximately 400 manufacturing jobs and represents the largest jobs announcement in Burren County, Kentucky in nearly two decades.

Conclusion

As we mark St. Patrick’s Day, it is a reminder of how Irish companies are strengthening industries, supporting communities and deepening economic ties across the world. Kingspan is proud to be part of the strong and growing economic partnership between Ireland and the United States.