History of M & A in the Connector Industry (C-150-24) Oct 2024

Bishop and Associates has just released an updated version of their research report analyzing the history of mergers and acquisitions in the connector, cable, and cable assembly market. This research report, which looks at acquisitions by year, by acquiring type (manufacturer, distributor, or private equity firm), and by manufacturer, examines how mergers and acquisitions have changed the landscape of the connector, cable and cable assembly industry.

Since their founding in 1985, Bishop & Associates has tracked acquisitions in the connector industry. These include acquisitions by manufacturers of connectors or cable and wire, manufacturers who produce cable assemblies or wire harnesses, distributors that focus on connectors as part of their product offering, and private equity companies. During this period, more than 850 acquisitions of these types have been recorded.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, many of these acquisitions, particularly those of traditional connector manufacturers, have ventured outside of the standard connector arena. Connector manufacturers over that time have acquired companies that focused on sensors, antennas, complex medical equipment, raw materials, software, and vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure applications. Others have focused on specific product types, such as fiber optics or ruggedized connector and cable assemblies.

This report also looks at the history of individual acquirers. Of the more than 850 acquisitions recorded, over 600 or 77% were initiated by manufacturers. These acquisitions, which represent over 190 different manufacturers, include many companies who later become targets of acquisitions themselves. It also examines the individual acquisition history of these manufacturers, providing the total number of acquisitions during the period and how these totals compare with other manufacturers’ acquisition habits.