Crescent Doubles Down in Pittsburgh's Industrial Market with Deal for McCullough

Crescent Electric Supply Co., East Dubuque, Ill., signed a definitive agreement to purchase McCullough Electric Co., Pittsburgh, a one-house electrical distributor specializing in the factory automation and original equipment manufacturing (OEM) markets. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

McCullough Electric has been in business as a family-owned electrical distributor for more than a century. A retrospective on the McCullough Electric website mentions that the company's original delivery truck was pulled by a horse named Chester. The company was founded in 1904 by W.T. McCullough and remained in the McCullough family until this deal, which became final Aug. 31.

George R. McCullough, president and CEO, will continue to guide the operation through a transition period. Bill Einhauser, McCullough's vice president, sales, will be leading the sales integration efforts for Crescent. Crescent's Cary Rutter, district manager, OH/PA, along with Tom Park, branch manager, Pittsburgh, will manage the merged business, Dan Hill, vice president and general manager of Crescent, told Electrical Marketing.

Crescent said in a release announcing the deal that the McCullough Electric facility in Fort Pitt will be integrated under the Crescent Electric brand name and will continue to operate from the same location. Crescent will seek over time to consolidate the operations into its Cranberry location, Hill said.

Crescent's existing Pittsburgh branch, opened in 2007, also focuses on the industrial and automation markets and, like McCullough, is a long-time Premiere distributor for Schneider Electric. "Sharing the same primary line gives us a great advantage in synergy. We feel this synergy will facilitate a smooth transition of McCullough's existing customer base,” Hill said. McCullough's other major lines include Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Hoffman, Hubbell Lighting, Osram/Sylvania and EGS Sola/Hevi-Duty.

"McCullough's 112-year tenure in the marketplace coupled with their very strong relationships in the industrial, OEM and automation markets appealed to us greatly,” Hill said. "Augmenting our share position through the McCullough acquisition made sense. Likewise, we both feel strongly about technical and application engineering support for our customers.”

"I am convinced that the success of our company can be traced to our unwavering commitment to customer service since our founding in 1904 — and to the fact that we are a private, family-owned business,” said George R. McCullough, president and CEO, in the Crescent release. "As I look to the future, my vision is to continue to offer this same level of service and support under a new owner that shares my passion and dedication to the business and our customers.”

Crescent Electric Supply is the 11th-largest electrical distributor in North America according to Electrical Wholesaling, with 2011 sales of more than $885 million and 116 locations in 26 U.S. states.