Blackford Capital has acquired E.G. Middleton, a Norfolk, Virginia-based electrical contractor, expanding its Habco Partnership mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services platform into Virginia and strengthening its electrical contracting capabilities across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Founded in 1920, E.G. Middleton is a third-generation, family-owned business serving government, industrial, transportation, and commercial customers. The company designs, installs, and maintains electrical systems for large-scale infrastructure and institutional projects.
E.G. Middleton’s capabilities include high-voltage power distribution, substations, building wiring, site lighting, specialized control systems, utility distribution, military installations, ship repair infrastructure, and other mission-critical electrical applications.
The company employs approximately 120 skilled workers, including more than 100 electricians, and maintains long-standing customer relationships with organizations including the U.S. Navy, Dominion Energy, and Newport News Shipbuilding.
Blackford said E.G. Middleton’s experience working in mission-critical environments, including shipyards, piers, and dry docks, adds specialized technical capabilities to the Habco platform. The acquisition also establishes a stronger presence for Habco across Virginia and the broader Mid-Atlantic region.
The combination is expected to create opportunities for the companies to pursue larger projects, increase capacity, and cross-sell services across their respective customer bases. Blackford views the transaction as an add-on acquisition designed to broaden Habco’s capabilities while expanding its geographic footprint.
E.G. Middleton President and CEO E.G. Middleton III, known as Rudy, and the company’s existing management team will remain with the business following the acquisition.
Blackford Capital, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focuses on majority-control investments in lower-middle-market industrial companies across manufacturing, distribution, and services. The firm typically targets businesses generating between $20 million and $200 million in revenue.
KEY QUOTES:
“The best add-on acquisitions offer more than scale—they make the platform strategically stronger and more capable. E.G. Middleton brings Habco deep technical expertise, a strong Mid-Atlantic presence and customer relationships built over generations, all of which create new avenues for durable growth across the combined business.”
Jeff Johnson, Managing Director At Blackford Capital
“E.G. Middleton has grown by doing demanding work well and earning the trust of our customers. Partnering with Habco and Blackford gives our team additional resources and reach to build on that foundation while preserving the values and operating culture that have served us well. I’m energized by what we can accomplish together.”
E.G. Middleton III, President And CEO Of E.G. Middleton
“Rudy and his family have built E.G. Middleton into a highly respected business with a history that spans more than a century. We are grateful for the trust he has placed in Habco to help carry that legacy forward.”
Andrew Habel, CEO Of Habco
