Saint-Gobain Ireland is marking 90 years of manufacturing heritage, with Managing Director Kieran Holohan discussing domestic supply security, collaboration, sustainability, and innovation. The company has grown from its origins as a Gypsum mine and facility in Kingscourt, Co Cavan, into a multi-brand building materials powerhouse.
Today, Saint-Gobain Ireland employs over 500 people across the island, with a diverse range of skills, including geologists, chemists, and mining engineers. The company operates a complete end-to-end industrial model within Ireland, managing the entire lifecycle of its products, from extracting raw rock to processing, formulation, manufacturing, and distribution.
The company’s supply chain security has become a central priority for main contractors and housing developers, particularly in the wake of global disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Saint-Gobain offers supply chain resilience, with over 90% of the raw material used in its plasterboard coming from its domestic quarry in the Monaghan/Cavan border region.
In September, Saint-Gobain hosted its ‘Future Foundations’ initiative, a series of curated plant tours and collaborative feedback sessions with industry professionals. The initiative was designed to gather direct feedback and promote industry collaboration, with tour groups tailored to distinct industry sectors, including architects, specifiers, and contractors.
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Kieran Holohan noted that the feedback from the initiative was overwhelmingly positive, with visitors feeling heard and seeing that the company was committed to co-designing solutions to solve their daily pain points on site. The company is now using this feedback to guide its future product roadmap and develop new solutions to support the Irish construction industry.
Investing in the Next Generation
Saint-Gobain is investing in the next generation of construction, with a focus on modern methods of construction (MMC) and offsite manufacturing. The company’s R&D teams are developing high-performance drywall, acoustic, and thermal systems designed specifically for factory installation. Saint-Gobain is also establishing a European data-centre solutions capability, led from Dublin, to support customers with integrated solutions across structures, façades, walls, ceilings, insulation, and glazing.
Kieran Holohan emphasized that the company’s role is to support the industry through these transitions, combining 90 years of local manufacturing experience with Saint-Gobain’s global technical network. The company is committed to pioneering lighter, safer, more sustainable, and higher-performing building systems for the next 90 years.
Saint-Gobain’s commitment to innovation and sustainability is reflected in its partnerships with other companies, such as CJ Sheeran and The Pallet LOOP, a circular economy pallet supplier. The company is aiming to remove single-use pallet waste from the market, with Gyproc and Isover now delivering products on instantly recognizable, green-colored LOOP pallets.
The company’s ‘Custom-Cut’ service, which will deliver small orders of plasterboard cut to exact project dimensions, is also expected to reduce labor requirements, keep sites neater, and reduce plasterboard waste. With these initiatives, Saint-Gobain is positioning itself as a leader in the Irish construction industry, committed to driving innovation and practical solutions to support the sector’s growth and development.
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Saint-Gobain’s 90-year milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on past achievements, but Kieran Holohan stresses that the company’s primary focus remains firmly on future investment. The ongoing development of Gyproc’s new opencast quarry extension in Monaghan is a major demonstration of this long-term strategy, with the multimillion-euro project including extensive site preparation, environmental engineering, and modern quarrying infrastructure.
The new quarry extension project represents a major reinvestment in local industrial infrastructure, securing the supply of natural rock to support Irish construction for generations to come. With this investment, Saint-Gobain is ensuring that its operations will continue to have a positive impact on the local community and the environment, while also driving innovation and growth in the Irish construction industry.
Kieran Holohan notes that building a sustainable business means being a responsible neighbor and community partner, and Saint-Gobain maintains deep ties with the local community in Monaghan and Cavan. The company supports local sports facilities and maintains a 10-year national charity partnership with Barnardo’s Ireland, demonstrating its commitment to giving back to the community.
With its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community engagement, the company is poised to remain a leader in the industry for years to come. The company’s ‘Future Foundations’ initiative has provided a platform for industry professionals to come together and shape the future of construction in Ireland, and Saint-Gobain is now using this feedback to drive its product development and innovation strategy.
