How Kirby’s new Irish off-site manufacturing (OSM) site will future-proof building of physical structures and nurture its talent pipeline.

DCD Opinions speak to Mikey Ryan, Kirby Group Engineering.

As engineers, we consider each project from all angles and strive to make all of the pieces and factors fit together in a way that meets – or ideally, exceeds – the needs of the project and customer. It’s an approach that can also be applied effectively to businesses preparing for the future.

Kirby Group Engineering marked 60 years in business in 2024. Founded by brothers Tom and Michael Kirby, it now employs 1800 people and has developed a first-class reputation in the life sciences, data center, industrial, power, and renewables sectors. The company is on track to record revenue of more than €700m (US$741m) in 2024. It’s an excellent example of an enterprise growing from modest beginnings to an international leader in its field.

Kirby has defined a set of core values – People, Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Value. We present these in a circular graphic, as each feeds into the others to form our guiding principles.

A recent project I led is a fantastic example of how Kirby builds for the future and adheres to these values. Kirby has invested €8m (US$8.5m) in establishing its own off-site manufacturing (OSM) facility at Portlaoise in the Irish midlands, with 50 people expected to be working there by the end of 2025.

The facility will provide fabrication, welding, engineering, and BIM (building information modeling) services, multi-service module, and pipe rack assembly and also features a dedicated cleanroom to facilitate high-purity pipework. Components prepared at Portlaoise will be transported to our projects across Ireland and Europe.

​​Kirby sees off-site manufacturing (OSM), whether in the area of data centres, pharmaceutical or med-tech, as a key strategy for the company into the future.

Kirby sees OSM, whether in the area of data centers, pharmaceuticals, or med-tech, as a key strategy for the company into the future. We have a very healthy pipeline for a number of years to come with clients in Ireland, the UK, and across Europe and we have set ourselves a goal of ensuring 25 percent of each project is completed in an OSM environment.

We have already shown our expertise in this area, and proven that it offers considerable benefits to the end user. Given the correct amount of time, collaboration, and attention to detail, off-site manufacturing is the most efficient, sustainable, safe, and cost-effective solution for clients, and will be a key part of Kirby’s offering long into the future.

However, this new building isn’t just about future-proofing how we build physical structures. A significant section will also be dedicated to nurturing our talent pipeline. In addition to the OSM services, the building contains office space and a dedicated apprentice training facility, which will allow for classroom-based and practical education. Apprenticeships have been an integral part of Kirby’s workforce for decades and the company is currently supporting more than 200 apprentices through four-year training programmes.

The future is bright for apprenticeships in Ireland as more and more people consider one as the starting point of an exciting and rewarding career.

The timing of this development is excellent. The future is bright for apprenticeships in Ireland as more and more people consider one as the starting point of an exciting and rewarding career. According to official statistics, the highest-ever number of apprentices registered for training by the end of 2023, within an overall apprentice population of 27,470. That includes 2,272 women, which is also a record figure.

This growth is being supported at the government level too. Almost €300m (US$317m) was allocated to deliver training and support expansion of apprenticeships this year and a goal of reaching 10,000 apprentice registrations annually is said to be on track.

I was one of those apprentices when I finished school and began working with Kirby Group Engineering in the late 1990s. I’m extremely proud to be able to say that I’ll take up a position on the company board in January 2025. Several of my peers at senior leadership level in the company also began their careers as apprentices.

It’s a testament to the belief and trust that Kirby puts in its people that facilities like this one in Portlaoise can be developed. The company has a rich history of investing in people and the future of the business, and it shows in the excellent growth recorded in recent years.

This new center is a bricks-and-mortar symbol of how examining a project from all angles can stand an organization in good stead and I look forward to witnessing its contribution to the future of Kirby.