Shepherd Trades - Growth & Succession Partners

Electric Investments.
Grounded Partnerships.

Shepherd is a long-term home for ICI electrical service businesses. We invest in strong operators to support succession and growth. We preserve the local independence and leadership that make these businesses successful.

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What We Do

A Long-Term Partner For Whatever Comes Next.

We work with owners and leadership teams on everything from accelerating growth and navigating change to planning for succession.

Our approach is flexible, but the goal is consistent: build strong, independent businesses that retain good people and keep delivering for their customers.

Growth

Resources and support to open new locations, add service lines, and deepen key accounts at a pace you can manage.

Transition

Flexible structures to buy out a partner, simplify ownership, or take chips off the table.

Succession

A plan for you to step back, and a long-term home for your people, customers, and legacy.

What We Offer Owners

When Partnerships Are Measured In Decades, Everything Changes.

We invest with no intention to exit. We bring long-term capital and steady support so you can do right by your people, your customers, and the future of the business.

Thoughtful
Transitions

We build a clear step-by-step plan with you: timing, role, handover, and communication with your team and customers, so the business doesn’t miss a beat.

Practical
Support

We lend help where it counts: data and reporting, safety, talent, cash flow, and proven playbooks from service businesses like yours.

Industry
Commitment

We only invest in ICI electrical services. We focus on what matters and ground decisions in how crews work, how customers buy, and what safe, reliable execution looks like in the field.

Shared
Ownership

You can keep a meaningful stake in your business, while we help you create simple, fair programs for key leaders and employees to share in the upside together.

Who We Partner With
What We Look For In A Partner
You care about the long-term future of your people and your brand, not just the economics of a transaction.
You run an established ICI electrical service business with a strong reputation in your regional or technical market niche.
Your work includes service, maintenance, and small-to-mid-sized projects where uptime, responsiveness, and field judgment matter.
Your business has scale – often but not always $3 to 10M+ of earnings – that allows you to serve customers reliably and invest in your people.
You have stable crews, disciplined safety practices, a culture of excellence, and long-standing customer relationships built on trust.
You’re thinking ahead to growth or change and want an aligned, long-term partner who can work through those decisions with you.

Why our model is unique

Independent By Design. Together on Purpose.

We keep operating companies independent and local. We add standards, capital, and support in a few important areas – safety, reporting, governance, and leadership – and leave day-to-day decisions with your people.

Independent Companies

Each business keeps its name, leadership, and way of serving customers. We don’t roll you into a single brand or central operating platform. You stay independent, with a long-term partner in your corner.

Local Decisions

Decisions stay with the local team that knows the work. We add clear standards and seasoned judgment to make decisions stronger and more consistent, building on what works – not replacing it.

Legacy First

We take care of the people, reputation, and quality standards that define the business. Changes are paced so your team isn’t stretched, and customers remain the focus.

Long-Term Horizon

We plan in years and decades, not deal cycles. That lets us invest steadily in people, systems, and safety without chasing quick wins. We live with our decisions forever.

Our process

Earning Trust.
Building Alignment.

Every partnership starts with a conversation. We begin by listening and learning your business, and we move forward only when the timing makes sense for you.

[01]

Listen & Learn

We start with a conversation about your goals, concerns, and the business today. We’ll share how we work and whether Shepherd is a real option. If it isn’t, we’ll say so quickly.

[02]

Dig In Together

We review financials, customers, and operations with you. We’ll walk jobs, meet your people, and build a shared view of what’s working and where we think we can help.

[03]

Shape A Fair Deal

We agree on price and structure: how much cash you receive at close, and your continued interest in the business. The structure should feel balanced and easy to explain.

[04]

Plan The Transition

Together we map leadership changes, communication, and the first 6–12 months. Everyone involved will have clarity on what is changing, what is staying the same, and when it's all happening.

[05]

Support Steady Progress

Once we’re partners, we focus on a short list of priorities each year: stronger supervisors, better data, safer work, cleaner cash flow. Small gains that add up, with you and your team in the driver’s seat.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Decentralized Model

Independent partnerships led by the people who know their customers and markets best – supported by a long-term partner

Local Autonomy

Decisions made close to the ground, where relationships are built and competition is won, with shared playbooks for when it matters

Legacy Mindset

Protecting the people, reputation, and standards that make each company distinct, while giving them the backing to endure

Long Term Horizon

Investing in growth and resilience – because we live with the results forever.

What is Shepherd’s ownership philosophy?

We respect the judgment of operators who know their people, customers, and markets firsthand. Our companies stay independent, keep their identity, and make decisions close to the work, with standards and guidelines added only where it protects safety, financial integrity, or long-term value. We avoid synergy and cost-cutting agendas and focus instead on steady, durable growth built on strong teams, reliable service, and long-term customer relationships.

What makes Shepherd different from private equity?

Shepherd isn’t a private equity fund or a strategic buyer. We invest permanent capital and have no requirement to sell, and we don’t run an integration or consolidation playbook. Operating companies remain independent, and leadership stays in control of day-to-day decisions. Our role is to provide long-term stability, disciplined standards, and support that helps strong service businesses grow on their own terms.

Do owners need to stay involved after the transaction?

It depends on what makes the most sense for you and the business. Some owners want to stay involved and keep building; others are ready to step back or retire. Both work for us.

What matters is clarity. We’ll decide together what role, if any, you want to play after close, and make sure the right leadership and support are in place for the business to succeed. Whether you stay for six months or six years, the goal is the same: a smooth handoff and a strong future for your people and customers.

What happens to my team, brand, and culture after a partnership?

Your team, brand, and culture are likely what drew us to your business in the first place; they’re part of what we’re investing in. We keep leadership and decision-making close to the work. We don’t rebrand, consolidate, or integrate operations into a corporate platform. The goal is to protect what makes the business distinct while adding support where it helps – things like systems, financial discipline, and shared learning across the group.

What kinds of businesses does Shepherd partner with?

We partner with established electrical service businesses serving industrial, commercial, and institutional customers. Our focus is behind-the-meter low- and medium-voltage work; companies providing maintenance, service, and installation that keep facilities running reliably. We also selectively consider high-voltage and transmission opportunities where the model, culture, and scale fit our approach.

The common thread is reliability, quality, and deep customer trust. We work comfortably in both union and non-union environments.

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Get in touch

What's Next?
Let's Talk.

If you run an established ICI electrical service business and are thinking about growth, partner changes, or succession, we’re happy to talk. Use the form to get in touch or email us at info@shepherdtrades.com. We'll reach out to schedule an initial call to better understand your objectives.

A conversation isn’t a commitment; it’s a chance to see if we can help. All our conversations are strictly confidential.

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