Hi °C | Lo °C With annual sales of over €1.5bn, pre-tax profits of €78m and a market value of €1.3bn, insulation producer Kingspan can justifiably claim to be the most successful Irish green economy company.
When it comes to the green economy many companies talk the talk. However, Kingspan is one of the few to walk the walk. Founded in 1970 by Eugene and Brendan Murtagh, Kingspan now produces a wide range of insulation products for use in the construction industry.
From small beginnings in the Co Cavan village of Kingscourt it now has manufacturing and distribution operations in Europe, the United States and the Far East.
Kingspan sees itself as an energy conservation company. Its insulation products facilitate energy conservation in buildings and have a short pay-back period. By conserving energy, Kingspan's products allow property owners to reduce their carbon footprint.
"Any efforts to reduce carbon emissions are to be encouraged but they need to be sustainable not only in an environmental sense, but in a commercial sense, too. We believe that energy conservation, through the use of insulation for example, is one of the simplest and most efficient ways of achieving a long-term sustainable outcome," says Kingspan chief executive Gene Murtagh.
