Catherine Keogh
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Kerry Group
Kerry is proud to be among the cohort of AMCHAM members representing Irish investors in the US. We employ almost 6,000 people across 70 locations in the US and Canada, and our state-of-the-art facility in Rome, Georgia, was one of our largest-ever capital investments at $125 million. Named Sustainable Plant of the Year by Food and Beverage Manufacturing Magazine, this facility underscores our dedication to sustainable practices and cutting-edge technology. It is a beacon of our efforts to lead the food and beverage industry in both innovation and sustainability.
The factors that have facilitated Kerry’s growth outside of Ireland have mirrored those that have encouraged our investment in the US: a business and investing environment that generates, supports and pursues opportunities, alongside exceptional talent with the can-do attitude to realise them.
As we evolved as a business, so too did the Irish economy, becoming more sophisticated in its skills base and technology infrastructure. Since opening our Global Innovation Centre in Naas, Co. Kildare in 2015, we have invested €3bn worldwide in our RD&A ecosystem across our people, infrastructure, open innovation, and research, resulting in an industry-leading team with 1,200 scientists among our 21,000+ employees, over 200 PhDs & Masters, 1,400 patents and 60+ university partnerships around the world.
One such partnership is with University College of Cork’s APC Microbiome – a body which undertakes cutting-edge research on several fascinating topics, including aspects of nutritional and biomedical science. Together with APC, we are exploring how the body absorbs and processes nutrition through complex biological systems, complementing an area in which Kerry has recently been commercialising products, targeted at improved digestive, immune and cognitive health.
Globally located, across 124 manufacturing sites and 70 technology and innovation centres, Kerry is proud to be active and invested in Ireland, protecting and developing our enterprise environment. The resources, infrastructure, and connections necessary for it to thrive are a key priority, and such action will ensure that international business will continue to drive opportunity for Ireland, and for the companies like Kerry who will continue to invest here.