Member Spotlight: Meet the New ECM Holding Group, Inc.
The ESCO industry grew on August 1st with the EMCOR Group, Inc.’s purchase of ECM Holding Group, Inc. (ECM), a leading national energy efficiency specialty services firm, in an all-cash acquisition. NAESCO views acquisitions as a strategic approach to expanding the market. Executive Director Dr. Tim Unruh stated, “Acquisitions within the ESCO industry represent growth - energy efficiency contractors that work within the industry, like ECM, bring valuable resources, capabilities, and knowledge to companies looking to expand into this space.”
NAESCO interviewed ECM CEO Erik Larson to learn more about the details of the acquisition.
Can you describe the genesis of the relationship between EMCOR and ECM Holding Group
EMCOR and ECM have worked for mutual clients over the years with EMCOR as either an electrical and/or mechanical contractor or building services provider under EMCOR Building Services (EBS), and with ECM providing energy efficiency solutions like building envelope, HVAC renovations, lighting, and water technologies. The opportunity to join forces emerged last year. We felt it was a natural fit for ECM to become an EMCOR company.
What key factors led to the acquisition, and how does it align with ECM's long-term vision and goals?
From ECM’s perspective, we are always looking to incorporate additional offerings and turnkey solutions for our customers. Since 2009 (when the company was founded) ECM has acquired many companies. Each acquisition added a core capability to our portfolio of services. They also brought incredible talent to the ECM team and expanded our breadth of knowledge as a company.
The decision to be acquired by EMCOR stemmed from our desire to further expand our capabilities. This is a strategic move that allows ECM to offer more comprehensive solutions to customers while maintaining its strong infrastructure, team, and identity. Also, EMCOR's experience and company culture aligns very well with ECM's values, needs, and long-term vision.
What opportunities and advantages do you believe this acquisition will bring to EMCOR and its customers?
We see a number of synergies between EMCOR Building Services and ECM with this acquisition and believe there are even more as we get further acquainted with the breath of offerings each other can bring to the table.
How do you anticipate the integration process between ECM and EMCOR will unfold? Are there any specific challenges or synergies you expect during this transition?
Our integration with EMCOR Building Services will progress naturally. Much will remain the same, as the ECM Brand will remain the same. One example? ECM’s FED ID won’t change, so contracting with ECM does not change. We are simply the same ECM with new stockholders – and more resources.
How will this acquisition impact ECM's existing clients and business relationships?
The most notable impact will be an increase in the offerings ECM can provide. We will be able to offer more of the services our clients need. ECM has always intended to offer the most comprehensive array of services to our customers: the EMCOR alliance moves us closer to this goal.
Further, ECM offers the 1-Touch Project Management® system which provides customers with a single point of contact for all ECM services. Our customers will continue to have one point of contact. The difference is that ECM can now pull EMCOR resources into projects when needed – we have more solutions. All ECM customer-facing communications will remain the same as before the ownership change.
Will there be any changes in key leadership roles within ECM because of this acquisition?
No, the leadership of ECM will remain intact, and our clients will continue to work with the team members they are accustomed to working with. The founders will also continue to guide our executive team, and we see even greater expanded roles for many within the company. ECM also is expecting growth and will continue adding staff to achieve our goals.
What excites you (Erik) the most about this acquisition, and what message would you like to convey to your employees, clients, and stakeholders during this period of change?
Many aspects of this acquisition excite me. Obviously, I’m happy to offer additional capabilities and expertise to our customers, and I’m excited about how this creates a unique opportunity for ECM to grow.
With this acquisition, every ECM employee will benefit from our successes: past, present, and future. This partnership with EMCOR is a win-win-win; the companies benefit, our people benefit, and our customer’s benefit.
We could not be prouder of where we are today and the company we joined. We anticipate a long and successful partnership with EMCOR, bringing best-in-class services to ESCO’s and clients in the industry. But at the end of the day, I’m most excited about the positive impact this will have on our ECM family!
Here’s a link to the 7/5/2023 EMCOR acquisition announcement.
ECM Holding Group, Inc. will remain classified as an NAESCO affiliate member.