Granite buys US agency Right Hat in North America push

Granite has acquired US branding and design agency Right Hat in its tenth acquisition since 2020.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal is Granite's second in North America this year and adds offices in Chicago and Washington, DC, to its existing base in New York.

Right Hat has spent more than 20 years in professional services marketing and has served more than 200 clients worldwide. Its clients include Microsoft, American University and several US law firms, including Troutman Pepper, BakerHostetler and Bracewell.

The Cork-founded digital agency said the Right Hat brand will continue. Granite employs more than 200 specialists across strategy, engineering, design, data and marketing, and serves clients from offices in New York, Chicago, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Belfast and the Middle East.

The acquisition continues Granite's expansion in the US market. Earlier this year, it bought performance marketing specialist Creative Media and has said North America is expected to account for around half of global revenues by 2028.

As part of the deal, Right Hat Partner Jeorjina Tegel and Founder Charlyne Fabi will join Granite's US leadership team. Tegel becomes VP of Client Strategy & Growth, North America, while Fabi becomes Executive Creative Director, North America.

They will join a leadership group that includes Rob Carpenter, Chief Commercial Officer. Tegel will lead business development and client relationships across Granite's US portfolio, while Fabi will lead its creative offering in the market.

US expansion

The acquisition expands Granite's footprint in a market that has become increasingly important to its growth strategy. Chicago and Washington, DC, add to its established presence in New York and broaden access to US clients, particularly in professional services.

Right Hat is best known for advising organisations in complex and competitive sectors on research, strategy, brand positioning, messaging, content, creative work and digital experiences. Among its better-known work is the biennial Top of Mind report, a survey of 100 legal services buyers used in the legal sector as a gauge of how law firms communicate and win work.

The deal also strengthens Granite's position in legal and other professional services markets, where Right Hat has built longstanding client relationships. That sector focus appears to have been a key factor in the transaction as Granite looks to grow its US revenues through specialist acquisitions.

Jeorjina Tegel outlined the rationale for joining a larger group while keeping the agency's sector focus.

"For more than 20 years, Right Hat has built its reputation on a deep understanding of professional services firms and businesses with a consultative sales approach. Joining Granite allows us to preserve that specialisation while bringing clients capabilities we haven't historically offered at this scale, from technology and performance marketing to data and AI. It means we can think more broadly about our clients' businesses and carry the strategy all the way through to the digital experiences their audiences see and use," said Jeorjina Tegel, Partner, Right Hat.

Rob Carpenter said the acquisition adds specialist expertise and established client ties in the US.

"Right Hat brings an exceptional combination of specialised expertise, strategic thinking and longstanding relationships in the US market. The firm's strength in legal and professional services accelerates our momentum in a sector we know well, while their leadership and experience will contribute to our ambitions across North America. Ten acquisitions in, the playbook is unchanged: find brilliant specialist teams and connect them to enterprise-grade delivery," said Rob Carpenter, Chief Commercial Officer, Granite.

Growth target

Granite has pursued a steady acquisition strategy in recent years, using deals to add specialist teams and broaden its geographic reach. The Right Hat transaction is the company's third acquisition in the US market and continues a run of overseas expansion by Irish-founded digital services firms seeking a larger share of North American spending.

For Granite, the US is not just a source of clients but a central part of its revenue plan. It expects North America to contribute about half of group revenues by 2028, making local leadership and delivery an important part of its operating model.

Conor Buckley set out that focus in a statement on the transaction.

"The US is key for Granite's ongoing growth, and Right Hat is our third acquisition in the market and our second in 2026. With North America expected to account for around half of our global revenues by 2028, we're investing with real intent in our people, our capabilities and our presence on the ground. Increasing our footprint in the US gives us an even stronger platform for that growth, and means we're better placed to meet our clients' growing needs with deeper local expertise and a broader range of capabilities on their doorstep," said Conor Buckley, Co-Founder and CEO, Granite.