Sentinel Capital Partners Acquires ECM Industries

Global Electrical Products Provider Joins Firm's Industrial Portfolio

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Dec 23, 2019, 10:42 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sentinel Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests in promising companies in the lower midmarket, today announced the acquisition of ECM Industries, a global manufacturer and supplier of electrical products for construction, maintenance, lighting, irrigation, landscape supply, and gas utility markets. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

ECM serves professional electricians, contractors, maintenance technicians, and do-it-yourselfers with a wide range of premium brands, including Gardner Bender – ECM's flagship brand that provides a wide variety of rough electrical products and tools; King Innovation – a market leader in harsh environment connectors; and Bergen – a leader in the design and manufacturing of construction and maintenance lighting. ECM manages more than 3,000 SKUs and leverages long-term relationships across diverse sales channels, including distributors, specialty hardware stores, and home centers. ECM enjoys sophisticated operational and sourcing capabilities through six separate global locations, including a new, purpose-built facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin, designed to support future growth.

"We know the ECM team well through having worked closely with them in our prior investment in Power Products, and we are very excited to again partner with them as they pursue a multiyear strategic plan to build an electrical products platform with a diverse mix of brands, markets, and channels," said John Van Sickle, a Sentinel Partner. "ECM has an exceptional financial profile, and has proven itself an innovator and consolidator in the electrical products industry. ECM is well positioned to continue driving strong performance."

"ECM serves a growing $2+ billion addressable market with favorable secular trends and has a significant opportunity to expand in both core segments and adjacencies," said Mike Masino, ECM's CEO. "We provide the widest product offering in our industry and enjoy strong customer loyalty strengthened by our extensive technical expertise and resources that are a key part of our unique capabilities. My team and I are very excited to work with Sentinel again, who understands our industry and has a proven track record with us as investment partners."

The past year has been active for Sentinel. Besides acquiring ECM, Sentinel made three other new platform investments, including Mobile Communications America, a communications solutions and services provider; New Era Technology, a technology solutions provider; and SSJA Bariatric Management, an administrative support service provider to a network of bariatric surgery offices. Sentinel also completed two exits, including CINgroup, a workflow solutions provider to the consumer bankruptcy market, and The Luminaires Group, a leader in the specification-grade lighting industry.

About Sentinel Capital Partners

Sentinel specializes in buying and building businesses in the lower midmarket in the United States and Canada in partnership with management. Sentinel targets aerospace and defense, business services, consumer, distribution, food and restaurants, franchising, healthcare, and industrial businesses. Sentinel invests in management buyouts, recapitalizations, corporate divestitures, and going-private transactions of established businesses with EBITDA of up to $65 million. Sentinel also invests in special situations, including balance sheet restructurings and operational turnarounds. For more information about Sentinel, visit www.sentinelpartners.com.

About ECM Industries

ECM Industries is a global manufacturer and supplier of electrical products for construction and maintenance, irrigation and landscape supply, and natural gas/cathodic industries. With industry-leading brands and a proven record of innovative product development, ECM partners with its customers for sustainable, mutual growth. ECM is headquartered in New Berlin, Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.ecmindustries.com.

Contact: Roland Tomforde
Broadgate Consultants
212-232-2222

SOURCE Sentinel Capital Partners