Kerry Group: An inspiring transatlantic success story

Typifying the Irish-American business success story, Kerry Group has developed a network of 46 manufacturing facilities, employing close to 6,000 people in North America

Kerry Group's global expansion: The group is set to open new production facilities in Pennsylvania and in Carrigaline, Co Cork, plus customer innovation centres in Medellin, Colombia, and in Dubai, serving regional markets in the Middle East and South Asia.

Kerry Group has long been regarded as typifying the Irish-American business success story. 

A story characterised by openness to business and investment, and a dynamism and drive to innovate, which has helped transform the company from a small dairy cooperative in the South-West of Ireland to a B2B leader in the global food industry.

Catherine Keogh, chief corporate affairs officer at Kerry Group plc.

In its earliest days, Kerry grew its business by opening export markets in North America, from its base in Chicago’s Hancock Center, for the growing market for protein that existed there at the time, a market which remains important to this day. 

Opportunity drove investment, and Kerry established its first commercial offices and manufacturing footprint in quick succession. The US market offered Kerry a window to international market trends and innovations and opened up opportunities to expand the business in new directions and new geographies, as we built and acquired technology capability and talent.

Over the years, the Group has invested significantly in acquisitions in the region, and along with large-scale capital investments, has developed a network of 46 manufacturing facilities, employing close to 6,000 people in North America. This footprint is supported by a global and regional innovation network, as well as a world-class commercialisation infrastructure, all of which enables innovative food and beverage products to be brought to market at speed around the world.

This model of in-market investment has been characteristic of Kerry’s approach in the years since. In the first half of 2026, we will open our new facility in Pennsylvania and expand our operations in Carrigaline, Cork, as well as inaugurating our customer innovation centres in Medellin, Colombia, and in Dubai, serving regional markets in the Middle East and South Asia.

While investment in the US has played a role in fuelling the company’s success, we continue to see growth and significant potential in this vital market, which remains a focus for our continued investment. Kerry’s experience in the US is a mirror image of the experience of US companies operating in Ireland, and we are proud to make the contributions that we do, in terms of employment and investment across communities in the US, as so many US businesses do in Ireland.

The business and investment links created by companies like Kerry are one of the many important strands in the relationship between the US and Ireland, and there will be a number of opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate those links in the period ahead. 

In August 2026, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic will return, and in 2027, Ireland will play host to the prestigious Ryder Cup, both of which Kerry will proudly lend our support to. Each of these occasions provides an opportunity to build on the connections that have delivered so much benefit to Ireland and the US over the years, and will create new connections which can be the basis of shared success into the future, both for Kerry and for Ireland.  

www.kerry.com