Pipelife is now Ireland’s No.1 plastic manufacturer of ‘Guaranteed Irish’ domestic, industrial and agricultural piping systems for the Irish market.
Specialising in the extrusion of polyethylene & PVC pipes, Pipelife offers industry leading products for the heating & plumbing, water pressure, electricity, cable ducting, gas and agricultural sectors. In recent years the Irish operation has focused very heavily on renewable heating products & services, along with its traditional focus on plumbing & heating pipes and fittings. We also have a large focus on sewage, soil, rainwater and roofline products and has grown significantly over the years in the Irish, UK and continental European market.
Pipelife has evolved into a one stop shop for all things Renewable” supplying complete systems from Underfloor Heating to Air to Water Heat Pumps, Smart controls and Heat Recovery Ventilation. We provide full custom-designed systems for all our projects, with full-design indemnity insurance and full-life after-sales support services
Our motto has been “Our Reputation, your peace of mind”, and this goal remains the cornerstone of everything we do.
Q1. How does Pipelife demonstrate its long-term commitment to the Irish market, and what investments have been made to position its Little Island facility as a world-class manufacturing site?
There has been a significant investment at our production facility in Little Island over the last 2 years which has resulted in us having one of the most modern facilities within the Pipelife Group. We have expanded and upgraded the existing production site and we are on target to have 35 state-of-the-art extrusion lines incorporating the latest automation technologies, with a planned output approaching 45,000 tonnes per annum by 2026.
The significant investment in new equipment, personnel and services is without parallel in our sector in Ireland and will position our Irish operations as a world class manufacturing facility for many years to come. This very visible investment shows Pipelife’s long term commitment to the Irish market and there is no doubt that the scale, modernity and product portfolio of the new Pipelife Ireland operations will be very attractive as a supply chain partner for the major merchant groups, builders and installers in the country.
Pipelife is a company with annual revenues of €1bn a year. We operate in 28 countries and employ 3,000 employees in 28 manufacturing locations. Pipelife is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wienerberger Group, with group revenues of over €4bn per year and 16,000 employees worldwide.
This long history plus the financial strength of Pipelife is the best guarantee we can offer you that we will be there to support our products over the long lifetimes expected of those products
Q.2. As a proud member of Guaranteed Irish, how does this membership influence your approach to business, employment, and engagement with local communities?
Pipelife Ireland first started manufacturing way back in 1970. Since then we have seen a lot of change within the industry.
From 1970 to the late ‘80s, we would have manufactured basic polyethylene pipe for the water supply, gas and electricity industries. But in the ‘90s we developed the Qual-Pex brand as a replacement for copper pipe in the plumbing sector. This was a game-changer. Since then, over two billion metres of Qual-Pex Pipe has been produced and distributed to over 30 countries worldwide.
As a proud member of Guaranteed Irish, we see our membership as more than a badge - it’s a daily commitment. It reinforces our focus on supporting local jobs, sourcing responsibly, and investing in our Irish communities. Every decision, from product development to recruitment, is guided by the belief that keeping business local strengthens the economy and delivers real value for customers. Being part of the Guaranteed Irish network also creates opportunities to collaborate with like-minded businesses, helping us share knowledge, promote sustainability, and champion Irish manufacturing on a national stage.
Q.3. Pipelife has been investing in new technologies and sustainable solutions—can you share where the company is prioritising investment and how that aligns with both customer needs and long-term industry trends?
The trend in many sectors over recent years has been to streamline supply chains and our own sector has been undergoing this transformation more rapidly in recent years. Many customers are actively seeking a smaller number of larger ‘one-stop’ shop suppliers that have the scale, financial strength and credibility to be a long term supply partner. This is ever more important in the building sector in general where the end products need to be supported over a life span measured in decades. Developers, builders and home owners are faced with ever increasing up front costs in new builds as regulatory changes and the move to low temperature, low emission heating systems impact on building design and heating systems. In these situations scale brings efficiencies so the greatly enhanced scale of the new Pipelife Ireland operations following the Cork Plastics acquisition will allow us to invest and provide competitively priced class leading design services and products. Already we are building a brand new training centre in Cork where all the Pipelife products, in particular the renewable heating products can be shown and demonstrated to specifiers, architects, consultants, installers and key decision makers within the industry. The inclusion of the Cork Plastics product portfolio allows for a much more detailed design and specification service to be offered on a whole house basis.
The significant investment in new equipment, personnel and services is without parallel in our sector in Ireland and will position our Irish operations as a world class manufacturing facility for many years to come. This very visible investment shows Pipelifes long term commitment to the Irish market and there is no doubt that the scale, modernity and product portfolio of the new Pipelife Ireland operations will be very attractive as a supply chain partner for the major merchant groups, builders and installers in the country.
Q.4. With growing pressure on businesses to reduce environmental impact, how is Pipelife balancing sustainability commitments with the need to remain commercially competitive and profitable?
As an industry that has drawn some negative opinion in relation to the historic environmental impacts of manufacturing and building, Pipelife has a very strong commitment to achieving world class results in its ESG targets. On a group wide level Pipelife is leading the way within the industry to improving safety, reducing its carbon footprint, and designing its products to maximise their potential in a truly circular economy.
While we definitely have a long way to go in the construction industry there have been huge strides made over the last few years on improving our sustainability goals. We can see this clearly in the improvements in our building regulations with the implementation of NZEB, the upskilling of the workforce through many of the ETB’s, the integration of renewable heating and solar systems, and the focus on embodied carbon throughout a buildings lifecycle. Sustainability is baked into designs from inception now which is great to see, and there are further improvements to our regulations to improve standards even further.
We have a number of sustainable products throughout of product ranges, from our manufactured pipe products through to our renewable heating systems. As Ireland’s largest plastic pipe manufacturer, we focus not only on providing products that provide sustainable solutions for waste and water, we also ensure the products we manufacture are as sustainable as they can be by using sustainable materials and work practices. We also have Pipelife Eco within our company which focuses on renewable heating systems such as heat pumps, underfloor heating, and mechanical ventilation systems to ensure new homes and renovations can meet their sustainability goals.
Sustainability is a priority for Pipelife. From the materials we use, the energy we consume within the factory, and our day-to-day work practices we strive to be as sustainable as possible. Where possible we use recycled materials within our product range. We are also in the process of developing Life Cycle Analysis and Environmental Product Declarations for a number of our products so that we can quantify the environmental impact and embodied carbon within these products. Pipelife are also upskilling a number of staff on Sustainability Leadership to guarantee that sustainability is a core focus throughout all departments in the business.
Q.5. Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges in the near future?
Looking Ahead – The next 50 years will be just as ambitious as the last. With our talented team, strong values, and commitment to excellence, Pipelife Ireland is set to lead the way in sustainable and innovative piping and heating solutions.
Our primary goal is to be a provider of industry leading products and services to the building sector. No longer is it sufficient to merely manufacture a product and sell it as a ‘commodity’. Pipelife recognises that modern systems require fully designed specification solutions. We will provide our customers with design solutions that they can have confidence in. As such we are investing heavily in in-house design services, particularly, but by no means exclusively in the heating sector. We will provide systems custom designed to the building, with full design indemnity insurance and full life after sales support services. Our motto has been ‘Our Reputation, Your peace of mind’, and this goal remains the cornerstone of everything we do.
The significant investment in new equipment, personnel and services is without parallel in our sector in Ireland and will position our Irish operations as a world class manufacturing facility for many years to come. This very visible investment shows Pipelifes long term commitment to the Irish market and there is no doubt that the scale, modernity and product portfolio of the new Pipelife Ireland operations will be very attractive as a supply chain partner for the major merchant groups, builders and installers in the country.
The main challenges being faced are common with so many other businesses throughout Ireland and further afield. A very tight labour market is greatly hindering the ability to fill the positions created by the expansion of the business. The additional pressures arising from increasing raw material, energy and transport costs are being felt across the board, and within the plastic pipes market the shortage of raw material has also impacted significantly this year.
Q.6. How are you preparing the business to stay resilient and innovative?
The future for Pipelife Ireland is filled with exciting opportunities, innovation, and sustainable growth. As we build on our 55-year legacy, we are committed to staying ahead in the industry while supporting Irish jobs and delivering market-leading solutions.
Pipelife has also completed its new state of the art on-site Eco Renewables Training Academy. This will allow both trainee and fully-qualified plumbers, and other tradespeople, architects and specifiers to learn about the latest sustainability advancements in renewables in the sector, in a structured learning environment. This cutting-edge development will see Pipelife developing deeper relationships across industry, and Education & Training Boards in what is a hugely exciting step for the company.
We launched our ambitious 3-year Training, Innovation & Development Programme to support the future growth of the business.
This is a €4m programme which represents the largest investment in people in the history of our business. Our industry, like others, is changing. We knew we needed to evolve to stay ahead; to continue to be competitive, and to attract and retain the vital skills we need to continue to grow our business. This is all about investing in our people, and is going to be transformational for Pipelife.
This programme demonstrates Pipelife’s commitment to not only strengthening and future-proofing its own business, but also contributing to the broader growth of Ireland’s manufacturing and sustainability sectors. Initiatives like this are vital in ensuring our workforce is equipped for the future
The Programme includes a range of initiatives specifically tailored around Pipelife’s skills requirements. The programme will see Pipelife employees undertake training on a range of areas over the next 3 years, including Digitalisation, Leadership Development, Sustainability, Innovation, Operational Excellence, and Advanced Manufacturing techniques.
Learn more about Pipelife, Ireland’s leading manufacturer and provider of plastic piping systems.
