Consolidation among specialty contractors can expand regional trade capacity and give industrial and commercial owners access to broader mechanical, electrical and plumbing services. The State Group has acquired Mel-Kay Electric Co., known as MelKay, an Evansville, Indiana-based MEP contractor serving customers across Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky.
MelKay provides construction and maintenance services covering electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, as well as HVAC, fire protection, security, communications and safety systems.
The company serves industrial and commercial customers throughout Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky and has established preferred vendor relationships with major customers, including Berry Global, Deaconess Health, SABIC and Toyota.
MelKay was established in Evansville in 1951 and has operated as a multigenerational family business. The acquisition brings its workforce and established regional operations into The State Group’s North American specialty contracting platform.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, The State Group provides industrial and specialty contracting services across the United States and Canada. The company works in markets including power generation, automotive, data centers, e-commerce, oil and gas, communications, metals and transportation.
The company reports more than eight million man-hours annually across retrofit, maintenance, construction and emergency services. Adding MelKay strengthens its ability to provide multiple building and industrial trades in a region with established manufacturing, health care and commercial customers.
MelKay’s existing operations in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky also provide The State Group with additional regional relationships and skilled labor capacity.
The transaction comes as contractors combine specialty capabilities to support complex industrial and commercial projects requiring coordinated trade services. MelKay’s existing work across electrical, mechanical, plumbing and building systems complements The State Group’s broader multi-trade operating model.
For owners, the combination could provide access to a larger pool of skilled trades and multiple specialty services through an expanded regional platform. Maintaining local workforce capacity remains important as industrial facilities, manufacturing operations and commercial properties require ongoing construction, maintenance and system upgrades.
The State Group is backed by funds managed by Apollo. Berenson & Company served as financial adviser to The State Group for the transaction.
The acquisition expands The State Group’s presence in Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky while adding more than 400 union tradespeople and MelKay’s established customer relationships.
For industrial and commercial owners, the deal highlights the value of regional MEP capacity, particularly for projects requiring electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection and other building-system services to be coordinated through a broader construction and maintenance platform.
Source: The State Group.
