In a strategic move to bolster its offerings in the critical digital infrastructure sector, Vertiv has announced its agreement to acquire the Great Lakes Data Racks & Cabinets family of companies. This acquisition is valued at $200 million, underscoring Vertiv’s commitment to expanding its influence in the data center market. Great Lakes, headquartered in Edinboro, PA, is esteemed for its innovative approach to designing and manufacturing bespoke data rack enclosures. Their products and solutions cater to the foundational needs of contemporary data centers, supporting enterprise, edge, colocation, and hyperscale AI computing markets.
The acquisition price tag represents about 11.5 times the expected 2026 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), factoring in potential cost synergies and cross-selling opportunities. Through this integration, Vertiv anticipates a significant enhancement in its ability to deliver cutting-edge, pre-engineered AI-ready rack solutions.
Since its inception in 1985, Great Lakes has operated manufacturing and assembly facilities across the U.S. and Europe. Their product catalog spans standard and custom racks, integrated cabinets, seismic cabinets, and advanced cable management solutions for both retrofit and greenfield applications. This acquisition significantly bolsters Vertiv's end-to-end critical digital infrastructure offerings.
Gio Albertazzi, CEO at Vertiv, emphasized the strategic importance of this acquisition by saying, “Great Lakes is a leading rack manufacturer with an extensive portfolio of high-end rack solutions and innovation capabilities... Our combined capabilities enable us to deliver comprehensive, engineered infrastructure solutions that go beyond basic integration, addressing the complex challenges of next-generation AI technology.”
By merging Great Lakes’ expertise with Vertiv's current portfolio, the company envisions delivering noteworthy customer benefits. These include consolidated infrastructure sourcing, expedited deployment through pre-engineered solutions, and improved operational efficiency via factory integration of Vertiv™ power and cooling solutions. The merger also promises improved scalability for AI and edge computing applications, complemented by Vertiv's comprehensive global service network.
The transaction awaits customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. The finalization of the acquisition is slated for the third quarter of 2025.
