The Power of 5 in 1: Introducing the McNaughton McKay Group

McNaughton McKay Group MMG

With the NAED National coming up next month, McNaughton McKay will have much to discuss about its future.

The company, which hired a new EVP Sales and Marketing, which has 62 branches and almost 2000 employee owners (it’s an ESOP), is evolving and positioning itself for the future.

Many may not know that the company is really 5 companies, with one in Germany.

It is bringing the businesses together under an overarching brand. While this does not change local operations, it does provide hints into a more expansive future.

Welcome to the McNaughton McKay Group

The press release shares:

“Marking a milestone in a legacy that spans more than a century, McNaughton McKay Group (MMG) today announces the launch of a new unified brand. This new name brings together five industry-leading companies under one banner – a bold step that brings clarity to the organization’s identity and celebrates its shared strength, legacy, and vision for the future.

MMG represents the following:

• McNaughton-McKay Electric Company
• The Reynolds Company
• Caniff Electric Supply
• Flow-Zone
• S&D Service & Distribution GmbH

Together, the brands of McNaughton McKay Group represent a trusted network, relied on by the world’s top companies to deliver the innovation, products, and expertise that keep industries moving forward. The MMG brand reinforces a shared commitment to delivering leading-edge solutions, personalized service, and local expertise with a global reach — not just for quality products, but for problem-solving, partnership, and progress.

“This is the next step in our evolution — not a replacement for the companies our customers know and trust — but a way to amplify their collective strengths,” said Mark Borin, President and CEO of MMG. “By uniting together under McNaughton McKay Group, we strengthen our ability to serve as one team of Empowered Owners, while honoring the legacy and local expertise of each company. This brand is a reflection of that – a shared identity that honors our past and positions us for the future.”

A Shared Commitment, Ready for What’s Next. MMG is more than a name, it marks a unified commitment to the future. Built on legacy, driven by empowered people, and connected in purpose, this new identity aligns the organization’s strengths, amplifies its voice in the market, and opens the door to new opportunities for innovation, investment, and growth. Rooted in more than a century of trust and performance, MMG reflects the organization’s evolution and direction, without disrupting the deep local ties and trusted relationships that have defined its companies for generations.”

An Evolving and Growing McNaughton McKay Group (MMG)

For those interested in the evolution of the company, and perhaps its strategic direction, I encourage you to watch the video. A couple of key things I noticed:

• 2018
• Portfolio
• Solutions

Why these three words?

McNaughton-McKay and The Reynolds Company came together in 2018, and the company became an ESOP. It’s now 2025. Historically ESOPs are almost done paying out major loans and generate much cash … enabling other investments.

What could those investments be? Perhaps other acquisitions to fit under the portfolio?

And within the portfolio, they could be other electrical distributors, or they could be other “solutions” which could infer other types of distributors, or perhaps software companies, or engineering resources, or …

And if it was distributors, like the Caniff acquisition, they may not be Rockwell-oriented distributors. They could be construction or perhaps they are automation distributors in other geographies to enable the company to take advantage of industrial development. With this structure they adhere to Rockwell’s “two degrees of separation” criteria.

The model becomes comparable to what others are doing … acquiring businesses and keeping them under their brands. Consider Graybar’s acquisitions of Shepherd Electric, Cape Electric, Metro Electric, Shingle & Gibb, CX Connexion, and more. Or Sonepar’s OpCos. Or many CED profit centers, and there are other examples.

Are you ready for their next press release? Inevitably an acquisition. The questions are … who, where and what industry.

It will be interesting to see how the company grows. An exciting time to be an employee owner.