Global engineering consultancy Klohn Crippen Berger opens Irish office as part of European expansion
The new site will be located in Naas, Co. Kildare and will support KCB's existing presence in Europe, serving mining clients in Ireland and around the continent.
The company, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, aims to establish a multidisciplinary consulting business in Ireland.
The initial focus will be on building out its mining team with qualified professionals in geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, hydrology, hydrogeology and geochemistry.
"KCB's strategic focus is increasing our geographic reach and growing our global workforce across all our key regions, delivering innovative solutions to clients in the hydropower, transportation, and mining sectors," said Ryan Douglas, KCB President & CEO.
"The establishment of our Ireland office in Naas marks a significant milestone in our 75-year history and specifically for our European growth strategy.
"As KCB continues to evolve with the industry, our unwavering focus on excellence, innovation, and sustainability remains central to our identity as a trusted partner to clients and an employer of choice for top talent." 'Strong endorsement' of Ireland
With offices in 10 countries, KCB provides engineering, geosciences and environmental services for clients in the hydropower, mining, transportation, energy and infrastructure sectors.
The employee-owned firm is renowned as a global leader in engineering, geoscience and environmental consulting.
The expansion into Ireland is being supported by IDA Ireland, the Irish Government's inward investment promotion agency
"IDA Ireland is pleased to welcome Klohn Crippen Berger to Ireland," said CEO Michael Lohan.
"The company's decision to locate in Naas highlights the value of Ireland as a strategic location from which organisations can serve Europe and the rest of the world.
"We look forward to partnering with KCB to support their future growth and development here."
Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism & Employment, added: "This investment is another strong endorsement of Ireland's reputation as a hub for engineering excellence and innovation.
"KCB's presence will not only enhance our capabilities in the engineering and environmental consultancy sectors, it will also create high-value employment opportunities for skilled professionals."
See More: IDA Ireland, Kildare, Klohn Crippen Berger, Naas
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
US taxi app Lyft completes acquisition of Freenow for around €175m
US RIDE-HAILING GIANT Lyft has completed its acquisition of taxi app Freenow. In April, Lyft announced it had entered a definitive agreement, for around €175 million , to acquire Freenow from its current owners, German carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In a statement yesterday, Lyft announced that the acquisition has been completed. Lyft is a North American ride hailing app, that offers rideshare, bikes and scooters – it's second only to Uber in the US market for allowing users book trips with its drivers. Lyft had 23.7 million active riders in 2024. Advertisement In a statement, Lyft said the move will see the two companies 'join forces to seize the incredible opportunity of doubling Lyft's current addressable market to more than 300 billion personal vehicle trips per year'. Lyft CEO David Risher said the move will 'bring out the best of each company to the other' while Freenow CEO Thomas Zimmerman said that for European users of the app, the service will be 'amplified'. 'With Lyft's platform and resources behind us, we can innovate faster and serve drivers, passengers, and city partners even better,' Zimmerman added. For users of the Freenow app, they will be prompted to download Lyft whenever they use Freenow in the US and Canada. Lyft also said that in the coming months, European users will 'experience more consistent pricing and faster matchings'. Meanwhile, Freenow drivers are told to expect more rides as Lyft users will be prompted to download Freenow whenever they are in Europe. Lyft also noted that around 50% of taxi bookings in Europe take place offline and that it is 'committed to strengthen Freenow's leadership in the taxi industry, backed by decades of trusted partnerships with regulators, cities, unions, and fleet operators'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Trading principles for predictability — what the EU gave up to avoid a tariff war
In the hours following the announcement that the US and EU had struck a deal last weekend on tariffs, European reaction was mixed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deal, which imposes 15% tariffs on most items going both ways, "creates certainty in uncertain times" and "delivers stability and predictability, for citizens and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic" as she tried to sell the deal to the 27 EU member states. But if Ms von der Leyen expected a lap of honour to ease her troubled start to her second term, one was not coming. "It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, brought together to affirm their common values and to defend their common interests, resigns itself to submission," French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou wrote on X of what he called the "von der Leyen-Trump deal". German Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself initially appeared satisfied, saying that the agreement "succeeded in averting a trade conflict that would have hit the export-oriented German economy hard". But by Monday, amid cross-party criticism, Mr Merz said the deal would "substantially damage" his nation's finances, but acknowledged that the negotiating team "couldn't expect to achieve any more" as Mr Trump's willingness to enter into a 30% trade war was apparent. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an ally of Mr Trump, said the US president "ate von der Leyen for breakfast" while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would support it "without any enthusiasm". Across the bloc, there has been criticism of Europe's perceived capitulation, with many echoing Mr Bayrou's sentiments that it poses fundamental questions about the cohesiveness of the project. German Green MP Sandra Detzer told her parliament that the EU "has agreed to a deal that abandons fundamental principles of rules-based global trade, instead of long-term stability". Ms Detzer's alarm is representative of a particular sharp end of the deal. According to one think tank, the deal will cost the German economy around €6.5bn in terms of its GDP in the first year, while experts have slashed the country's growth forecasts in recent months. Fabio de Masi, a German MEP, told EuroNews this week that not only was the deal bad, it was "a betrayal" for which Ms von der Leyen should resign. The bloc is set to face 15% tariffs on most of its goods including cars, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals entering the US, and 'zero for zero' tariffs on a number of products including aircraft, some agricultural goods and certain chemicals – as well as EU purchases of US energy worth €643bn over three years. But as the tariffs were set to kick in on Friday, the two sides had not agreed on all of the details, which Ms von der Leyen's commission has stressed will be a "set of principles" and not a trade deal. On Thursday, commission spokesperson Olof Gill said that "from there will flow the additional negotiated exemptions that we're looking to bake into our agreement with the US". Drinks tariffs What shape those carveouts take is still to be decided, with a 15% tariff applying until they are. That is of particular concern to the drinks industry across the continent. From Irish whiskey to French and Spanish wines, exporters across Europe have been arguing for a carveout on their products. The US tariff on European spirits is currently 10%. Brussels is keen to reduce that to zero or, for wine at least, to the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rates that are set on a fixed cost per litre basis, rather than in percentage terms. Until recently, spirits had benefited from zero tariffs between the US and EU following an agreement in 1997 that also included other countries such as Canada and Japan. That lasted until 2018, when the EU response to US steel and aluminium tariffs included increased duties on US bourbon and other spirits. These were suspended in 2021. From Irish whiskey to French and Spanish wines, exporters across Europe have been arguing for a carveout on their products. File photo US most-favoured-nation rates for wine are 19.8c per litre for sparkling and 6.3c per litre for most other wine, which equates to very low rates in most cases. But as Mr Trump signed an executive order overnight into Friday, there was no movement on the exemption and the drinks industry will, for now at least, pay the 15% rate. With EU officials privately briefing Reuters that negotiations could run into late autumn, that will mean financial pain for those businesses in the short-term, at least. Speaking to journalists at a press conference on Thursday, commission spokesperson Olof Gill said: 'The commission remains determined to achieve and secure the maximum number of carve-outs, including for traditional EU products such as wine and spirits. 'It is not our expectation that wine and spirits would be included as an exemption in the first group announced by the US tomorrow, and therefore that sector, as with all other economic sectors, will be captured by the 15% ceiling.' Motor tariffs In Germany, a number of car manufacturers revised down profit guidance on the back of the tariffs, which will face a 15% tariff as well, but for BMW, the impact of the agreement was "exaggerated". 'I think this tariff discussion is way exaggerated and also its effects on the industry,' chief executive Oliver Zipse told the Financial Times. 'What's more important is the question, are the products attractive?' Carveouts At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, enterprise minister Peter Burke updated ministers on the detail of the weekend's agreement, telling journalists that there will be exemptions to the tariff regime, with aviation one for which Ireland had successfully argued alongside others. 'The key thing is that there will be a number of carveouts. Obviously, aviation has been cited as zero-for-zero, but also in relation to agri-foods and potentially spirits.' Ireland, like many other countries, is banking on the carveouts agreed protecting key sectors like agri-foods and that the rate for pharmaceuticals would not exceed 15%. Like many countries across Europe, ministers here are privately saying that the deal is far from ideal, but also query what else is to be done. By Friday, they could point to Mr Trump's executive order, which imposed tariffs on many countries with whom he had not negotiated. But there is also acceptance that the tariff regime brings with it a new reality, one with which the EU needs to grapple. If countries are arguing for exceptions, how does the European negotiating team balance those interests? And what will the reaction be when the final deal is reached?
Irish Post
9 hours ago
- Irish Post
Aer Lingus reports massive rise in profits
AER LINGUS has had a massive increase in profits for the second quarter of 2025, due to strong transatlantic growth, lower fuel prices and a major increase in passenger capacity. The airline reported an operating profit of €135 million for the three months to June, up nearly 50 percent compared to the same period last year. For the first half of the year, Aer Lingus earned €80 million in operating profit, a dramatic increase from just €9 million during the same period in 2024. This improvement comes as Aer Lingus ramps up its international network, particularly across North America. This summer, the carrier launched new direct routes from Dublin to Nashville and Indianapolis and announced its first-ever direct service to Cancún, Mexico, which is set to begin in January. The airline also expanded its European leisure network, contributing to a 10.9 percent increase in overall capacity and a 4.3 percent rise in passenger numbers. Aer Lingus, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), has benefited from strong travel demand and favourable fuel pricing. Parent company IAG reported robust earnings for the first half of the year, with operating profit before exceptional items rising 43.5 percent to €1.9 billion. Pre-tax profits surged to £1.75 billion, up from £1.05 billion last year, while group revenue rose 8 percent to €15.9 billion. IAG chief executive Luis Gallego credited the group's ongoing transformation and the structural shift in consumer spending toward travel for the performance. While Aer Lingus is riding high on financial momentum, it is also voicing frustration over new planning restrictions at Dublin Airport. An Coimisiún Pleanála, Ireland's national planning authority, recently imposed a limit on nighttime aircraft movements, capping them at 35,672 flights annually. The new ruling also extends operating hours for the airport's north runway to between 6am and midnight, while the older south runway remains open through the night. A proposed quota system will manage nighttime noise, but major airlines, including Aer Lingus and Ryanair, argue the changes will stunt growth. Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton criticised the decision, warning that it threatens the airline's ability to expand both its transatlantic and short-haul services. She called for government intervention to remove the cap and resolve the uncertainty surrounding overall passenger limits at Dublin Airport. 'This restriction on nighttime movements will have to be removed,' she said. 'It will have negative economic and employment impacts if not addressed.' Gallego said the group expects continued earnings growth and margin expansion through the rest of the year, backed by sustained travel demand and investment in technology and fleet upgrades. See More: Aer Lingus, Dublin Aiport, IAG, Profits
