CHICAGO, August 15, 2023 – Forward Solutions, a leading provider of outsourced sales and marketing services and a portfolio company of Osceola Capital, announced the completion of four acquisitions today: ElectroRep Inc., R/B Sales Corporation, Madigan McCune & Associates, and Upper Midwest Utility Sales. Forward Solutions has closed 22 acquisitions since the platform’s inception five years ago.
ElectroRep was founded in 1960 and services electrical supplies manufacturers on the West Coast. R/B Sales was founded in 1977 and services electrical supplies manufacturers in the Midwest and Great Plains. These two companies will merge to form a new division within Forward Solutions focused on manufacturers, distributors, installers, and maintenance providers within the electrical supplies space. Its product offering includes wiring, cabling, semiconductors, relays, fasteners, fuses, boxes, safety products, anti-corrosion, lighting, anchors and assemblies, among others.
Madigan McCune was founded in 1971 and services utility, telecom and power manufacturers in the Southeast. Upper Midwest Utility Sales was founded in 1992 and services utility, telecom and power manufacturers in the Southeast. These companies will merge into StruXur, Forward Solutions’ existing utility, telecom and power division. Combined, StruXur will now have geographic coverage across the East Coast, Southeast and Midwest, and its product offering includes network testing equipment, cables, transformers, grips, switches, personal tools, safety products, and cable installation, repair, identification and locating equipment, among others.
Joe Orednick, President & CEO of Forward Solutions, noted, “We are incredibly excited to welcome ElectroRep and R/B Sales into the Forward Solutions portfolio. These mergers represent a pivotal moment for our organization as we strategically invest in the electrical channel. Additionally, to be able to welcome Madigan, McCune & Associates and Upper Midwest Utility Sales into the Forward Solutions portfolio is a win for us all, and their merger with StruXur represents exciting growth opportunities as we strategically invest and expand our presence in the telecom and power utility channels.”
Patrick Watkins, Partner at Osceola Capital, said, “Forward Solutions has shown a differentiated ability to expand each of its existing product categories to national footprints while simultaneously establishing new product categories through M&A. The Company’s acquisition strategy paired with its impressive organic growth playbook allow Forward to continue building the best outsourced sales and marketing business in the U.S.”
About Forward Solutions
Forward Solutions provides advanced services for evolving markets. The company’s portfolio includes Avision, Curate, OneSolution, RelyPak, StruXur, and Integrated Access Corporation. Each of these divisions offer outsourced sales, marketing, customer support and data analytics services for manufacturers who want to grow their businesses more effectively. The various divisions of Forward Solutions collectively provide an array of products sold through distribution to schools, hospitals, restaurants, commercial businesses, office buildings, manufacturing plants, contractors, utilities, and more. Allynt Solutions and C3Consulting™ offer consulting services for manufacturers, distributors, and commercial end-users. Forward Solutions brings focused expertise to facility maintenance, cleaning, hygiene, foodservice disposables, foodservice equipment, packaging, industrial/MRO, safety, construction, utilities, telecom, power, and electrical supply channels. For more information, please email gina.tsiropoulos@forward-solutions.com.
