SALT LAKE CITY — Today is St. Patrick's Day, celebrating all things Irish, but several Utah companies have ties to Ireland and have been doing business there for decades.
Well known Utah companies such as doTERRA, Qualtrics, Merit Medical, Overstock, and Pluralsight have a presence on the Emerald Isle.
Merit Medical has had operations there since 1993, growing from 22 to nearly 1000 employees in Ireland, while Pluralsight opened its headquarters in Dublin in 2018.
Overstock, doTERRA, and Qualtrics began operations in Ireland over the past decade.
Why the Irish connetion? "One reason these companies like having facilities in Ireland is because it's a good gateway to reaching the rest of Europe," said David Brody, Vice President of Technology for IDA Ireland.
“So as an island nation, Irish people naturally look outward and I think that shared global ambition to solve global problems and to scale global companies is very much aligned with Utah as well," added Brody.
READ about St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Utah
Utah's vibrant, young workforce and a focus on family and the outdoors in another common thread with Ireland.
Brody added that the shared heritage between Utah and Ireland goes back to the golden spike, when Irish workers came overseas to help build the railroad--a tie that will continue for years to come.
