January 22, 2024
The M.H. Companies Expand into New Mexico
Lighting agent to merge with Resource Group. Becomes second lighting agent to span from Canadian border to Mexican border.
In a significant development that affects lighting markets in the Mountain Time Zone, Resource Lighting of New Mexico is set to become a subsidiary of The MH Companies of Colorado. The new entity will operate under the name Resource Lighting, an MH Company. This merger unites two prominent Current HLI agents, both sharing multiple brands across their product lines.
Resource Lighting and The MH Companies have a long history as specification-focused agents, dating back to their representation of Lighting Corporation of America (LCA), also known as Columbia Prescolite Moldcast (CPM) in the 1990’s, which became known as Hubbell Lighting in the 2000’s and 2010’s and is now known as the Current HLI brands. Throughout their history, both companies have been recognized to be among the leading specification-focused agents in their respective markets.
Strategic Geographic Expansion
This merger marks a strategic expansion, creating a territory footprint up-and-down Interstate 25, spanning from the Montana-Canada border to the southern borders of New Mexico and Texas with Mexico. This positions them as the second agent with such extensive North-South coverage in the United States. Previously, Denver-based Illumination Systems Inc. achieved a similar expansive reach, albeit with a slightly different geographical focus that includes Arizona and does not include New Mexico or El Paso.
The MH Companies, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, has been a leading lighting agency in Colorado, southern Wyoming, and western Nebraska for over five decades. More recently, it expanded into Idaho, Montana, and northern Wyoming.
Scott Jackson of The MH Companies expressed enthusiasm about the merger, “We at MH are all very excited about this merger. Resource is a great company with a stellar reputation that I think will blend nicely with the MH culture. There have been many changes in our industry over the last decade regarding agency size; there are now some monster sized agencies out there.”
Resource Lighting, owned and operated by the Rice and Curtis families since 1999, has established itself as a generally well-regarded agency in the New Mexico and El Paso, TX markets. Wayne Rice of Resource Lighting expressed optimism about the merger, “Resource is delighted to join forces with The MH Companies as it will allow us to maintain our small company values focused on employees and customers.”
With the primary terms of the merger agreed upon, the finalization is expected in the first half of 2024. The operational details of the merger will be disclosed following its completion.
