Ireland’s Top 10 Major Export Companies

Sales is the life blood of most businesses, particularly for firms that compete in international trade. Seven of Ireland’s largest export-oriented companies increased their year-over-year sales as of December 2018.

1. Accenture: US$39.1 billion, up 9.5% from 2017
2. Medtronic: $30 billion, up 1%
3. CRH: $28.5 billion, down -5.2%
4. Eaton: $20.8 billion, up 5.3%
5. Shire: $15.3 billion, up 32.1%
6. Ingersoll-Rand: $14.6 billion, up 8.1%
7. Seagate Technology: $10.8 billion, down -1.3%
8. Smurfit Kappa Group: $9.7 billion, up 7.4%
9. Ryanair Holdings: $7.9 billion, up 7.5%
10. Allied Irish Banks: $3.8 billion, down -3.8%

Sales improvements ranged from a 32.1% gain for pharmaceuticals firm Shire (up 32.1%) ahead of computer services company Accenture (up 9.5%) and conglomerate Ingersoll-Rand (up 8.1%).

The three major Irish companies posting year-over-year sales declines were construction materials provider CRH (down -5.2%), Allied Irish Banks (down -3.8%) and Seagate Technology (down -1.3%).

All 10 of Ireland’s major exports-oriented companies were profitable as of December 2018.

1. Shire: US$1.3 billion, up 1,185% from 2017
2. Accenture: $3.6 billion, down -5.5%
3. Medtronic: $3.1 billion, down -23.1%
4. Eaton: $3 billion, up 56.3%
5. CRH: $2.2 billion, up 56%
6. Ryanair Holdings: $1.6 billion, up 10.3%
7. Ingersoll-Rand: $1.3 billion, down -12.2%
8. Allied Irish Banks: $1.2 billion, down -17.8%
9. Seagate Technology: $835 million, up 62.8%
10. Smurfit Kappa Group: $470 million, down -4.1%

However, only half of these relatively large Irish firms increased their profitability from 2017 to December 2018, led by pharmaceuticals supplier Shire via its formidable 1,185% expansion in black ink.

Profit shrinkages ranged from the -23.1% reduction for medical devices specialist Medtronic to a -4.1% setback for paper business Smurfit Kappa Group.

Eight of Ireland’s top 10 major export-oriented companies have their headquarters located in the country’s capital city, Dublin. The remaining two are based in Swords, also known as Dublin’s satellite county town named Fingal.

1. Accenture: Dublin
2. Allied Irish Banks: Dublin
3. CRH: Dublin
4. Eaton: Dublin
5. Ingersoll-Rand: Swords
6. Medtronic: Dublin
7. Ryanair Holdings: Swords
8. Seagate Technology: Dublin
9. Shire: Dublin
10. Smurfit Kappa Group: Dublin