Kirby Group
Kirby Group Engineering is a privately held Irish mechanical and electrical contractor, founded 1964, delivering HV/MV design-build up to 400kV, off-site manufacturing, and full M&E services for hyperscale data centres, pharmaceutical facilities, utilities, and industrial clients across Ireland, UK, Europe and South Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kirby Group does
Kirby Group Engineering is a privately held, family-founded mechanical and electrical engineering contractor headquartered in Limerick, Ireland. Established in 1964, the company directly employs over 1,900 professionals across Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe, and South Africa. Kirby operates four service lines — Electrical Services and Instrumentation, Mechanical, Piping and HVAC Services, HV/MV design and build up to 400kV, and Off-Site Manufacturing — delivered across four primary sector verticals: Data Centres, Life Sciences, Industrial, and Power and Renewables. Revenue is generated through project-based B2B contracts awarded via competitive tendering with hyperscale data centre operators, pharmaceutical majors, utilities, transmission system operators, and industrial clients, with Kirby acting variously as principal contractor, specialist subcontractor, or trade contractor.
The company's technical differentiation rests on dedicated off-site manufacturing capacity (a new €8 million facility in Portlaoise opened November 2024), proprietary digital construction tooling including Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality systems for hands-free quality capture, BIM 360-integrated digital construction hubs, and robotic total stations for precision layout. Kirby holds regulatory accreditations including Lloyds NERS, Achilles UVDB, and RoSPA President's Award, and has connected over 2GW of renewable energy to the UK and Irish grids through its HV/MV substation work. Named enterprise customers include SSEN Transmission, EirGrid, ESB Networks, ScottishPower (Iberdrola), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen, Takeda, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Zoetis, Wyeth Nutrition (Nestlé), Interxion Ireland, and Neste Oil.
The business model is professional services contracting with project-by-project pricing; revenue is non-recurring per project but supported by a diversified multi-vertical, multi-geography pipeline. Kirby has grown revenue from approximately €360 million in 2021 to €630 million in 2023, with €700 million projected for 2024, accompanied by headcount expansion from approximately 1,200 (2020) to 1,900+ (2024) and active geographic expansion into Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Wales, and South Africa. The company is family-owned with no external private equity or venture capital involvement disclosed.
Kirby Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kirby Group
- Legal name
- Kirby Group Engineering
- Website
- https://kirbygroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Kirby Group Engineering is a privately held Irish mechanical and electrical contractor, founded 1964, delivering HV/MV design-build up to 400kV, off-site manufacturing, and full M&E services for hyperscale data centres, pharmaceutical facilities, utilities, and industrial clients across Ireland, UK, Europe and South Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kirby Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Contracting
- NAICS
- Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)
- SIC
- Electrical Work (1731), Services-Engineering Services (8711), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electrical Contracting & Wiring (IMAFALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial & Process Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAF), Marine & Offshore Energy O&M (Offshore Wind, Platforms, Subsea Assets) (EUAEAGAO)
Keywords
Where Kirby Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Kirby Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Engineering Contracting Services: Project-based professional services revenue from delivering mechanical and electrical engineering, HV/MV, and instrumentation contracting services on construction projects across data centres, life sciences, industrial and power sectors. Revenue is one-time per project, driven by project wins and contract values.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels12 records
Kirby Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kirby Group Engineering is a leading mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering contractor providing full M&E contracting services plus specialist high voltage (HV) and medium voltage (MV) design and construction services up to 400kV. The company operates across four core service lines—Electrical Services and Instrumentation, Mechanical Piping & HVAC, HV/MV Services, and Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM)—delivered to enterprise clients in Data Centres, Life Sciences, Industrial, and Power and Renewables sectors.
Product overview
Kirby Group Engineering is a leading mechanical and electrical engineering contractor providing full M&E contracting services as well as specialist high voltage (HV) and medium voltage (MV) design and construction services. The company operates across four core service lines: Electrical Services and Instrumentation, Mechanical Piping & HVAC Services, HV/MV Services, and Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM). These services are delivered across four key sector verticals: Data Centres, Life Sciences, Industrial, and Power and Renewables. The company also operates a comprehensive talent development ecosystem comprising Apprenticeship Programmes (Electrical, Mechanical, Instrumentation, Sheet Metal), the High Potential (HiPo) Project Manager Programme, Assistant Project Manager Programme, Kirby Onboarding, Leader as a Coach, and a Women in Engineering Bursary Programme. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Limerick, Ireland, the company employs over 1,900 professionals across Ireland, UK, mainland Europe, and South Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electrical Services and Instrumentation Delivers electrical, instrumentation and ancillary systems for data centres, pharmaceutical projects, and ATEX/COMAH classified industrial facilities, including fire alarm, intruder, CCTV, access control and building energy management systems.
- Mechanical, Piping & HVAC Services Provides industrial and commercial HVAC systems, mechanical plant and equipment installation, and process pipework services for bio-pharma and mission critical sectors including data centre cooling services.
- HV/MV Services High Voltage/Medium Voltage design and build services up to 400kV for utilities, TSOs, DNOs, renewables sector and large industry facilities. Includes AIS and GIS systems, HVDC interconnector projects, and battery energy storage systems (BESS).
- Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM) Pre-fabrication and modularisation services that reduce on-site construction duration, management costs and risk while achieving higher quality in controlled factory environments.
- Data Centres Sector Services Full mechanical and electrical installation services for hyperscale and colocation data centre projects across Ireland, UK, Sweden, Italy, Denmark and Wales, including modular switchroom construction and cooling systems.
- Life Sciences Sector Services Mechanical and electrical services for pharmaceutical and life sciences manufacturing facilities, including sterile drug product facilities, cleanrooms, warehouses, and medical device manufacturing.
- Industrial Sector Services Engineering services for industrial facilities including instrumentation systems for process control in chemical and manufacturing industries, plus refinery automation renewal programmes.
- Power and Renewables Sector Services Specialist services for power transmission, distribution, renewable energy projects including wind farms, battery energy storage systems, HVDC interconnectors, and HV/MV substations up to 400kV.
Quantifiable outcome
- Connected over 2GW of renewable energy to the grid in UK and Ireland
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Kirby Group
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kirby Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Kirby Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SP Energy Networks (ScottishPower / Iberdrola)coreKirby is an involved UK and Ireland-based company in SP Energy Networks' £12 billion five-year programme to modernise the electricity grid in central and southern Scotland. Kirby is participating as a specialist HV/MV contractor for substation construction and overhead line upgrades under this major grid investment programme.
- LinxoncoreLinxon awarded Kirby the mechanical and electrical package for the Seagreen offshore wind onshore substation project. Kirby delivered specialist M&E services for this major Scottish renewable energy infrastructure project.
- Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)minorKirby partners with TUS for its apprentice engineer programme for electricians who want to transition into engineering. The two-year programme combines part-time study with work placement at Kirby.
- ESB NetworkscoreKirby has successfully delivered contestable HV/MV substation projects for ESB Networks, connecting renewable energy to the grid in Ireland. Kirby holds relevant accreditations (Lloyds NERS) to undertake contestable network works.
- EirGridcoreKirby has delivered HV/MV substation projects for EirGrid, Ireland's transmission system operator. Projects include contestable works and direct appointments for grid infrastructure upgrades.
- Irish Colleges and Universities (national network)minorKirby partners with colleges across Ireland for graduate and apprenticeship programmes. Kirby Academy and HiPo programme in conjunction with Trinity Business School provide structured development pathways.
- Taylor GroupminorKirby acted as main mechanical contractor to Taylor Group on the Meissner Filtration Products project in Mayo, Ireland. Kirby delivers specialist trade contractor services under main contractor arrangements.
- John Paul ConstructionminorKirby delivered electrical and mechanical services as specialist subcontractor to John Paul Construction on the Wyeth Nutrition (Nestlé) facility in Limerick.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kirby Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mercury Engineering: Irish-headquartered M&E engineering contractor with similar services across data centres, life sciences, and HV/MV. Direct competitor on hyperscale data centre and pharmaceutical projects across UK and Europe; nearly identical client base and capability profile.
- Jones Engineering: Large Irish M&E contractor competing directly with Kirby on data centre, pharmaceutical and industrial projects in Ireland, UK and Europe. Similar family-founded heritage, similar scale, and overlapping hyperscale data centre client relationships.
- Dornan Engineering: Ireland-based M&E contractor focused on data centres, life sciences and industrial sectors. Direct peer for hyperscale data centre and pharmaceutical M&E installation work across Ireland and UK.
- Winthrop Technologies: Ireland-headquartered specialist M&E contractor with strong data centre focus. Comparable in scale and capability to Kirby for hyperscale data centre projects across European markets.
- LJB & Co: UK/Ireland-based M&E contractor competing in data centre and life sciences sectors. Smaller than Kirby but with overlapping client base and similar service offering.
- Imtech (a Dalkia company): UK and European M&E services provider with comparable data centre, life sciences, and industrial offerings. Competes with Kirby for hyperscale data centre contracts in Northern Europe.
- NG Bailey: UK's largest independent M&E contractor with services in data centres, power and renewables. Comparable HV/MV and data centre capability to Kirby; key UK competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Skanska: Large Swedish-headquartered construction and infrastructure group with significant M&E services. Broad incumbent offering overlapping capabilities across data centre, power, and industrial sectors in Northern Europe.
- Balfour Beatty: Major UK infrastructure group with substantial M&E and HV/MV services. Overlaps with Kirby on power transmission and grid modernisation projects in the UK.
- WSP: Global engineering professional services firm with significant power, infrastructure, and building services practices. Comparable in HV/MV consulting and project advisory services, though WSP is design-focused while Kirby is construction-focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kirby Group social profiles
Digital presenceKirby Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Kirby Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kirby Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Kirby Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kirby Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kirby Group
What does Kirby Group do?
Kirby Group Engineering is a leading mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering contractor providing full M&E contracting services plus specialist high voltage (HV) and medium voltage (MV) design and construction services up to 400kV. The company operates across four core service lines—Electrical Services and Instrumentation, Mechanical Piping & HVAC, HV/MV Services, and Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM)—delivered to enterprise clients in Data Centres, Life Sciences, Industrial, and Power and Renewables sectors.
Is Kirby Group a public or private company?
Kirby Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kirby Group founded?
Kirby Group was founded in 1964. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Kirby Group based?
Kirby Group is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Kirby Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: engineering Contracting Services.
Who are Kirby Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mercury Engineering, Jones Engineering, Dornan Engineering, Winthrop Technologies, LJB & Co, Imtech (a Dalkia company) and NG Bailey. Broad incumbents are Skanska, Balfour Beatty and WSP.
Does Kirby Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kirby Group.
What industry is Kirby Group in?
Kirby Group's product category is Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Contracting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFALAA, Electrical Contracting & Wiring, with a secondary code of BPAHAIAF, Industrial & Process Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54133 and its SIC code is 1731.