The late Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr Pearse Lyons was a visionary who transformed the agriculture industry, beginning with his innovative application of yeast technology in animal nutrition.
The Dundalk native emigrated to the United States in the late 1970s, where he set up Alltech in his garage in Kentucky with an initial investment of $10,000.
Alltech focuses on improving animal, crop and human health and performance through its innovative use of yeast fermentation, enzyme technology and nutrigenomics. Today, that vision is put to work by Alltech’s global team of more than 6,000 people around the world.
Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre was opened in Dunboyne, Co Meath, in 1999. The facility is also home to Alltech’s European headquarters and supports 32 countries and 28 different languages.
Dr Lyons was awarded several honours during his lifetime, including the Ireland-US Council Award for Outstanding Achievement and the 2017 St Patrick’s Day Science Medal in recognition of creating a global business based on scientific research.
In 2013, Dr Lyons received the RDS Gold Medal Award for Enterprise for industry and commerce for his contribution to Irish business as part of the Gathering Ireland 2013. Eight international events were hosted by Alltech in Ireland as part of the Gathering, which brought more than 3,000 additional overseas visitors to the country. In conjunction with the John F Kennedy Trust in New Ross, Co Wexford, Alltech also provided support to the 50th anniversary of President John F Kennedy’s visit to Ireland.
Muhammad Ali
Dr Lyons had a keen interest in bringing his two homes – Ireland and Kentucky – together. In 2009, he brought US professional boxer, Olympic gold medallist and Kentucky native Muhammad Ali to Ireland, where he traced his ancestral roots to Ennis in a visit that will long be remembered by the thousands of people who lined the town’s streets. Ali and Dr Lyons were working together on shared philanthropic projects at the time.
“My father was known as this great businessman and marketer – but he was also a great scientist and innovator,” said Dr Mark Lyons, president of Alltech. “He was able to use all these skills to unleash ideas into the world.”
“From his native Ireland to his adopted Kentucky and everywhere in between, my father had an extraordinary ability to bring people from all walks of life together to make a difference in the world,” he concluded.