Philip O'Doherty addressed a US business delegation at an AwakenHub event in Derry on the advantages of US market expansion. Attendees included Mayor Ruairí McHugh, US Consul General to Northern Ireland James Applegate, delegates from Ohio such as Derry native Mark Owens, and Derry Chamber President Stephen Lindsay.

O'Doherty founded E+I Engineering in 1987 after four years at DuPont's Maydown plant in Derry. DuPont opened its first European facility there in 1960. He gained experience in critical power systems, designing and commissioning switchgear for facilities requiring reliable electricity.

E+I specialized in high voltage power engineering equipment like switchgear and bus bars. The firm established a factory in Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE, in 2007 to serve regional demand. In 2014, E+I opened a $17 million plant in Anderson County, South Carolina, to support US customers including data centre operators.

O'Doherty noted that US investment boosted E+I's profile, leading to more contracts in Europe, Ireland, and the UK. The company employed skilled workers from Derry and Donegal, trained in areas like electrical and mechanical instrumentation.

Vertiv acquired E+I and its UAE unit for $2 billion in 2021. The deal occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when data centre demand surged. Vertiv focused on uninterruptible power supplies and cooling systems, complementing E+I's products.

O'Doherty stated that his efforts created over 2,500 jobs in facilities in Derry, Burnfoot, and Letterkenny.