Kirby Group Engineering and Collen open bases in Sweden amid continued growth – with 1,200 people now working with both companies across the country.

Irish high-tech construction and engineering services in high demand in Sweden – Irish companies have been the lead, design, build or fit out contractors for all of the hyperscale data centre projects in the Nordics. 

Irish engineering and construction companies Kirby Group Engineering and Collen have announced their commitment to the Swedish market, each establishing a new office presence as a result of continued growth in Sweden and other markets in the Nordics.

High-tech construction and engineering services

The expansion announced by both companies reflects the high demand for Irish high-tech construction and engineering services in Sweden and across the wider Nordic region.

According to Enterprise Ireland, Ireland’s trade and innovation agency, over 50 Irish high-tech construction companies are operating in the Nordics, with 40 in Sweden alone.  A high level of mission critical facilities are being built in the Nordics and Irish companies have been the lead, design, build or fit out contractors for all of the hyperscale data centre projects in the region.

Kirby Group Engineering has officially opened its latest office in the Swedish city of Gävle. Five years since the Irish firm began working in Sweden, this announcement is a clear statement of Kirby’s commitment to continued growth in the Nordic region. Its operation in Sweden has rapidly grown to become one of Kirby’s busiest in Europe.

Kirby’s teams across Sweden represent several nationalities from across Europe as well as the Gävle area. The majority of Kirby’s current projects are located in the Gävle region, which was a deciding factor in choosing this location for the company’s regional headquarters, as well as warehouse and workshop facilities.

Group MD at Kirby Group Engineering Mark Flanagan said: “Achieving this milestone in the Kirby story can be attributed to the commitment, dedication and hard work of the people on our team. Sweden has quickly proven to be a great location for us and we’re looking forward to building on our growth and connections there for many years to come.”

Strong foothold

Group engineering director with Kirby John Grogan said: “In recent years the business has grown significantly in Ireland and overseas. We have now established a strong foothold in the Swedish market and it’s something we’re all really proud of.  An important element of our business plan is engaging with local businesses, which is working really well in Gävle and these partners are integral to our ability to deliver projects here.”

Operations manager in Sweden Pearse Dolan said: “Gävle is the ideal location for our office. The transport infrastructure and proximity to Stockholm make it easily accessible for our team. I’d like to acknowledge the welcome and support we received from the local community, particularly from Klara Wirdby from Gävle Municipality, for helping us establish our business in the region.”

Collen also announces the opening of its new offices in Gävle, having already established itself as a contractor at the forefront of the fast-paced data centre sector in Europe. Collen has operated in Sweden since 2017 and before that in Germany since 2014. The base in Sweden will continue building on the company’s reputation for performance, quality, value for money and a partnership approach with all stakeholders.

Since 2017, the company’s turnover in Sweden has grown from €110 million in 2017 to more than €320 million in 2020, with growth expected to continue into the near future. Collen has experienced considerable growth in the data centre sector, having built hyper-scale data centres for a number of clients in the market.

Collen is recognised as a tier one contractor, offering a full range of construction services including management contracting, design and build, design assist, alliance/partnering and turnkey contracts in addition to traditional building procurement.

Collen’s European director, Tom O’Connor said, “We are delighted to open our new European office in Gävle, Sweden, which is a testament to the value that the expertise and skills of our staff have brought to the wider organisation. This is a natural progression given the significant operations in the area, and demonstrates the company’s long-term commitment to our European strategy. By establishing a firm base here, it will support the growth of our European business for many years to come.

“Collen’s firm foundation of experience, knowledge and commitment are all evident in our success and expansion over the past decade, but also in our impressive portfolio of clients. We strongly believe that the key to our success has been our long-standing focus on the consistent delivery of excellence to our clients, while at the same time leading the way in a high-tech construction environment.

“We are extremely proud of our achievements, which would not have been possible without our highly qualified team of management and technical staff. By operating in partnership with client representatives, design consultants and subcontractors, our teams ensure delivery of projects to the highest standards on time and within budget.”

Collen managing director Tommy Drumm said: “At Collen, we have vast experience in owner-occupied, hyperscale data centres that prioritise sustainable energy, low energy consumption and intelligent systems in the design and build process. Part of our policy is to partner with as much local expertise as possible, and our clients have seen the value that this brings to our projects.

Supply chain of data centres

"With the opening of our new office in Gävle, we will continue to work with our partners in the supply chain of data centres, and we look forward to building on these local relationships.”

Enterprise Ireland, Ireland’s trade and innovation agency, with offices in Stockholm and Copenhagen is supporting the growth of Irish companies in the Nordic region. Close to 300 Enterprise Ireland client companies are active in the Swedish market.

Enterprise Ireland client exports to the Nordics increased by 33% in 2020 to €1.1bn. This was largely driven by continued increased demand for Irish high-tech construction and engineering services.

Karin Angus, Enterprise Ireland's global lead for Data Centres said: “Irish construction companies have a strong reputation for delivering large, complex projects internationally and have become central to the supply chain in the Swedish and wider Nordics data centre industry.

"We are working with the Swedish and Irish construction industry to forge further partnerships and collaborations to deliver on the construction needs in the market. There are about 40 Irish companies working on data centre projects in Sweden currently.

“Today’s announcements by Kirby Engineering and Collen is very much welcomed. More than 1,200 people are now working with both companies across Sweden. Their announcement today signifies their continued investment to expand their businesses and deliver to their clients in the Swedish market.”