Platform Ventures Enters Specialty Construction with Acquisition of Staco Electric

Private investment firm Platform Ventures is broadening its platform reach by acquiring Staco Electric Construction Company. This deal represents Platform’s inaugural move into the specialty construction services sector, a space increasingly vital to infrastructure modernization, data center growth, and clean-energy deployment.

Deal Summary

• Buyer: Platform Ventures, a private investment firm known for its infrastructure, logistics, and real estate strategies.
• Target: Staco Electric Construction Company, an electrical contractor founded in 1971 and based in Kansas City, Missouri.
• Business Footprint: Staco provides a full suite of electrical services, including pre-construction design, system installation, maintenance, and upgrades. Its client base spans data centers/digital infrastructure, cold storage, manufacturing, commercial real estate, and healthcare.
• Scale: Staco employs over 250 electricians and technicians, delivering on complex, safety-sensitive projects.
• Strategic Rationale: Platform sees rising demand for specialty contractors to support infrastructure modernization - including data centers, clean energy, and high-reliability facilities.
• Advisors: Stephens Inc. served as exclusive financial advisor to Platform.

Industry Context

The specialty construction services sector is under transformation. As major investments flow into digital infrastructure, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing, electrical contractors capable of high-spec, turnkey solutions are becoming mission critical. Staco’s expertise aligns precisely with these trends: its electrical infrastructure work supports data centers (where uptime is non-negotiable), connectivity projects, and legacy facility modernization.

This shift reflects a broader consolidation pattern. Private equity firms are increasingly backing service platforms - not just real estate or traditional infrastructure - to capitalize on recurring, high-margin service contracts in areas like electrical construction.

Lower-Middle-Market Roll-Up Perspective

From a platform-building standpoint, the acquisition makes strategic sense on multiple fronts:

1. Entry into high-growth verticals: By acquiring Staco, Platform positions itself in specialty construction - a core part of infrastructure ecosystems critical to data, energy, and manufacturing.
2. Technical differentiation: Staco brings deep technical capabilities (design, installation, maintenance) rather than commodity contracting. This supports higher-margin, differentiated service delivery.
3. Legacy operator alignment: The deal preserves Staco’s leadership and operations, signaling Platform’s intent to grow alongside Staco rather than displace its existing model.
4. Macro tailwinds: The acquisition aligns with secular trends - power consumption, digital demand, and infrastructure decarbonization - all of which drive specialty electrical demand.
5. Platform scalability: This initial specialty contractor acquisition gives Platform a springboard for future add-ons in construction services - similar to how other PE players build infrastructure platforms.

Why This Sector Is Attractive for Roll-Ups

• Digital infrastructure: Rapidly expanding data center capacity demands reliable electrical contractors with sophisticated technical chops.
• Aging industrial grid: As industrial sites modernize, they require trusted partners to upgrade and maintain complex electrical systems.
• Energy transition: Clean-energy projects (e.g., EV charging, microgrids) depend on electrical service providers who understand both old and new power systems.
• PE capital flow: Investors are still under-penetrated in the specialty services niche, creating opportunity for scaling through platform plays.

Conclusion

Platform Ventures’ acquisition of Staco Electric Construction is a strategically significant move: it not only marks Platform’s entrance into specialty construction but also aligns with macro trends reshaping infrastructure demand. For investors, the deal demonstrates why technical, mission-critical contractors are becoming prime roll-up targets. For contractors, it highlights the value of partnering with growth-oriented platforms. And for infrastructure stakeholders, it underscores the importance of electrical specialists in a future defined by data, power, and modern construction.

If executed well, this combination could create a differentiated, resilient services business - capable of addressing the most demanding electrical infrastructure needs across a shifting economy.