TEGRAL BUILDING PRODUCTS LIMITED

Tegral (part of the global building materials company Etex) are the largest employer in South Kildare, with two factories in Athy – the fibre cement factory where they manufacture slates and the metal factory where they manufacture various roofing, cladding and decking products.

“We export our fibre cement slates to many countries, which accounts for circa €12 million a year for our company,” says Paddy Kelly, Managing Director of Tegral. “Currently, the main countries we are exporting to include the UK, the USA and Chile. Our Irish-made slates are the market leader in the UK, as well as in Ireland.

“We have been a member of Guaranteed Irish since it was founded in 1984. From promoting Irish products to supplying Irish jobs, being a member is imperative for us, especially for business in the UK and USA, where Irish-made is synonymous with quality and good service.

“The Irish diaspora in both countries is vast and has no doubt played a role in the growth of our business there. In the US market, our business is growing in the East Coast, in areas like Boston and New Jersey which have strong Irish communities.”

To succeed in the global marketplace, Kelly says Irish companies need to continuously innovate.

“Everything we do at Tegral is underpinned by our commitment to raising the standards of roofing and providing the highest quality products and services to our customers.

“We’ve launched Thrutone Endurance, which is widely recognized as the strongest slate not only in Ireland, but also in Europe. We introduced Vertigo to the market, a vertical cladding solution. We were the first in Europe to be awarded with a BES 6001 accreditation, which acknowledges responsible sourcing. Where possible, we source raw materials from Ireland, the main one being Irish cement.

“Last year, we launched the Tegral Roofing Academy, which is Ireland’s only dedicated centre for training roofers in Ireland. Through this, not only are we raising the standards by developing trained roofing contractors, but we’re also contributing to job sustainability.”