Private equity firm Emerald Lake Capital Management announced July 8 that it has invested in W.E.C.S. Electric Supply, Inc. and Electrical Cable Specialists, Inc., merging the two businesses to form a specialty distribution and cable-integration platform.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The combined platform will operate under the WECS name and serve critical power and infrastructure markets, Emerald Lake said. The firm said the combination brings together complementary expertise in critical electrical products, complex cable packages and project execution to support customers through every stage of the project lifecycle.

Headquartered in Thousand Palms, CA, WECS is a specialty distributor that supports construction, operations and maintenance needs across utility-scale renewable energy, data center and industrial markets. Its offering includes medium- and low-voltage cable and accessories, specialized electrical and mechanical components, engineered replacements and hard-to-source parts.

Norcross, CA-based ECS is a specialty cable distributor and project integrator serving power generation, industrial, transit and rail, data center, renewables, and transmission and substation markets. ECS supplies low-, medium- and high-voltage wire and cable and provides project-integrated services that include specification compliance, project controls, fixed cable pricing, inventory and reel tracking, packaging, and logistics.

Together, the companies will provide customers with a broader range of cable, accessories and related services across new construction and installed-base maintenance. Emerald Lake said it plans to support the platform through investments in inventory, facilities, technology, systems and talent, while also pursuing acquisitions to expand capabilities and geographic reach.

“Both companies have built distinctive positions by solving complex, schedule-critical problems with technical expertise, responsiveness, and a strong commitment to customers,” said Dan Lukas, Managing Partner of Emerald Lake. “Their capabilities are highly complementary, and we see a significant opportunity to invest behind the teams, broaden the platform’s product and service offering, and support customers across critical power and infrastructure markets.”

Jerry James, CEO of ECS, will serve as CEO of the combined platform. WECS CEO Theresa Eaton will serve as Chief Strategy Officer, while Jim Hibberd, Operating Partner at Emerald Lake, will serve as Chairman. The leadership team will also include Mike Ip as Chief Operating Officer, Justin Pecoroni as Chief Commercial and Innovation Officer, and Dan Niemeyer as Chief Financial Officer.

Founded in 2018, Emerald Lake Capital Management focuses on control and shared-control investments in North American industrial and services companies. The firm manages more than $2 billion of equity capital.