IRELAND; ITALY —Power management enterprise Eaton has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire COL Group from Oaktree's Power Opportunities strategy in a transaction valued at an enterprise value of €810 million. The target company, an established Italian manufacturer of medium-voltage electrical distribution equipment, projects revenues of €250 million for 2027. Subject to customary regulatory clearances and closing conditions, the transaction is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2027.
This strategic transaction substantially enhances Eaton's European power distribution infrastructure and manufacturing operations across Italy, incorporating facilities in Turin, Milan, Bergamo, and Catania. By integrating COL Group's specialized portfolio of SF₆-free switchgear, grid automation systems, and modular power architecture, Eaton positions itself to capture expanding demand from grid operators and data center developers requiring resilient, sustainable grid-to-chip energy solutions.
The acquisition addresses critical structural shifts across EMEA power markets, driven by accelerating data center construction and utility modernization initiatives. COL Group brings over a century of industrial legacy and an operational workforce of 400 employees, offering immediate technical capabilities to relieve regional supply chain bottlenecks in electrical equipment. Electrification trends and energy transition mandates are prompting utilities and enterprise facilities to upgrade legacy distribution infrastructure with environmentally friendly alternatives.
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Eaton is a global power management corporation operating across data center, utility, industrial, and aerospace segments, generating $27.4 billion in revenue in 2025 across 180 countries. This acquisition strengthens Eaton's competitive positioning in the EMEA region against competing capital equipment suppliers, expanding its addressable market and scaling specialized manufacturing assets to meet long-term power demands.
