Kerrwil

What Kerrwil does

Kerrwil Media Limited is a privately held Canadian B2B publishing company founded in May 1964 in Midland, Ontario, and operates as the oldest privately held publishing company in Canada. The company maintains a portfolio of 11 industry-specific publications and digital platforms serving the electrical, lighting, automation, mechatronics, drives and controls, electric vehicle equipment, power utility, and telecommunications sectors in Canada and the United States. Its product set spans established flagships such as Electrical Industry Canada (launched 2014 in partnership with Electro Federation Canada), Le monde de l'électricité en ligne (founded 1965 for the Quebec market), Canadian Electrical Wholesaler, and US Lighting Trends (published under the GMG-Kerrwil banner with Channel Marketing Group), alongside newer titles including Panel Builder US, Mechatronics Canada, EV Equipment + Systems, Drives & Controls, and Power & Telecom Industry.

The underlying technology consists of integrated print, digital, and online publishing platforms — branded websites, bimonthly and monthly email digests, and on-site event/webinar solutions — supported by twice-yearly audited circulation data (formerly through BPA Worldwide and the Canadian Circulations Audit Board) to verify readership, geography, and title qualification. Kerrwil generates revenue through a dual-stream model: advertising sales across print, digital, and online platforms (with rate cards, agency commissions up to 15%, and multi-year discounting) and subscription-based digest publications distributed to qualified professional audiences. Go-to-market is sales-led, with dedicated sales teams per brand targeting enterprise advertisers in specific industry verticals, complemented by industry association partnerships and association-co-branded publications.

The company is family-owned, with John Kerr serving as President and the founder's 1964 mission ("we will be a member of the industry first and publisher second") continuing to guide operations. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range, consistent with a focused niche publishing business that has prioritized vertical depth, audited audience quality, and long-term advertiser relationships over rapid scale.

Name

Kerrwil

Legal name

Kerrwil Media Limited

Website

https://kerrwil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kerrwil is a privately held Canadian B2B publishing company that operates 11 industry-specific publications and digital platforms serving electrical, lighting, automation, EV, power, and telecom professionals across Canada and the United States, generating revenue through advertising sales and subscription-based industry digests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Midland

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Kerrwil generates revenue primarily through advertising sales across its print, digital, and online platforms. The company sells solutions to advertisers seeking to reach specific industry audiences, offering brand awareness, preference building, and measurable results.
2. Subscription/Digest Revenue: Professional audiences subscribe to industry-specific bimonthly or monthly digest publications with content including news, features, research, white papers, and industry updates. Publications target qualified professionals in specific segments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kerrwil is a B2B trade media company that publishes 11 industry-specific print digests, digital editions, and online platforms serving the electrical, lighting, automation, mechatronics, EV equipment, power, and telecom sectors in Canada and the US. It sells integrated advertising solutions to manufacturers and service providers seeking to reach qualified professional audiences, complemented by subscription-based digest publications and custom webinars/virtual events. The company operates with dedicated sales teams per brand, association partnerships, and recipient-qualified circulation audited twice yearly.

Product overview

Kerrwil is a Canadian B2B publishing company offering a portfolio of 11 industry-specific publications and digital platforms serving the electrical, lighting, automation, EV, power/telecom, and marine sectors. The company provides print, digital, online, and web-based solutions through publications including Electrical Industry Canada, Le monde de l'électricité en ligne, Canadian Electrical Wholesaler, Lighting Design & Specification, Panel Builder & Systems Integrator, Drives & Controls, Panel Builder US, Mechatronics Canada, EV Equipment + Systems, Power & Telecom Industry, and US Lighting Trends. Kerrwil operates integrated digests and websites that deliver brand awareness, market intelligence, and advertising solutions to B2B audiences across these specialized industrial segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Electrical Industry Canada: Established in 2014, published in association with Electro Federation Canada, serving electrical equipment influencers in contracting, plant electrical, commercial and engineering segments.
• Le monde de l'électricité en ligne
• Canadian Electrical Wholesaler
• Lighting Design & Specification
• Panel Builder & Systems Integrator
• Drives & Controls
• Panel Builder US
• Mechatronics Canada
• EV Equipment + Systems
• Power & Telecom Industry
• US Lighting Trends

Products and services

• Electrical Industry Canada Industry publication and digest outreach covering electrical equipment buyers, specifiers, installers, and maintainers across contracting, plant electrical, commercial, and engineering segments in Canada, with a unique industry digest outreach approaching 25,000 weekly.
• Le monde de l'électricité en ligne (Le monde de l'électricité) French-language Quebec electrical market publication serving electrical contractors, engineers, plant electrical staff, and the electrical channel across the $2.5 Billion Quebec electrical market, written and produced in Quebec.
• Canadian Electrical Wholesaler Bimonthly digest and online platform providing electrical wholesale distribution news, expert analysis, market research, guest editorials, opinion pieces, global insights, and benchmarking for Canadian electrical wholesaling professionals (recipient-qualified).
• Lighting Design & Specification Online website and bimonthly digest focused on specialty lighting products for Canadian professionals who specify, design, and buy lighting equipment.
• Panel Builder & Systems Integrator Publication for Canadian professionals involved in the design, specification, build, manufacture, installation, and commissioning of control panels and systems.
• Drives & Controls Bimonthly digest and website produced for professionals involved in drives systems and related control infrastructure within the Canadian Motion and Control markets.
• Panel Builder US US-focused media platform exclusively for panel builders and system integrators responsible for design, manufacturing, integration, installation, and testing of control panels.
• Mechatronics Canada Canadian media brand focusing on professionals who manufacture, buy, specify, install, commission, and maintain electrical and mechanical engineering systems combining robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, control, and electrical engineering.
• EV Equipment + Systems Publication delivering up-to-date resources and product knowledge of electric vehicle equipment and systems for EV installers, integrators, and specifiers.
• Power & Telecom Industry Bi-monthly digest and online platform focusing on the Canadian power utility and telecommunications industries, serving decision makers and specifiers across power, telecommunications, and CATV markets.
• US Lighting Trends US lighting industry publication reaching 25,000 lighting professionals (largest circulation in the lighting industry) with twice-monthly distribution, published under the GMG – Kerrwil banner in partnership with Raleigh-based Channel Marketing Group.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000 weekly unique outreach for Electrical Industry News Week
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Electro Federation CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Electrical Industry News Week and its related platforms are published in association with Electro Federation Canada. This partnership has enabled the publication to quickly become the go-to resource for those that buy, specify, install and maintain electrical equipment in Canada.
• Channel Marketing GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the GMG-Kerrwil banner, US Lighting Trends is published in partnership with Raleigh-based Channel Marketing Group under the leadership of David Gordon. The editor Linda Longo brings expertise and understanding of the lighting industry.
• Magazines CanadaminorOthersKerrwil is an active member of Magazines Canada (formerly Canadian Business Press) where both J.W. (Jack) Kerr and John Kerr served as Chairmen. Kerrwil maintains industry best practices and benchmarking through this membership.
• BPA WorldwideminorOthersKerrwil was a past member of BPA Worldwide and the Canadian Circulations Audit Board. Their main platforms are audited twice yearly to confirm readership, geographic location and title.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brunico Communications: Canadian B2B media company publishing trade magazines, websites, and events across marketing, media, and entertainment verticals. Comparable as a Canadian-headquartered multi-platform B2B publisher with similar relationship-based sales approach and audited audience model.
• Endeavor Business Media: US-based B2B media company publishing dozens of trade titles across industrial, electrical, and design verticals including lighting and systems integration. Comparable as a multi-vertical B2B trade publisher serving similar professional audiences with print and digital advertising revenue.
• Annex Business Media: Canadian B2B trade publisher operating a large portfolio of industrial and professional magazines across similar verticals including electrical, automation, and manufacturing. Directly comparable as a Canadian-headquartered multi-title B2B media company with similar advertiser-driven revenue model.

Regional players

• Constructo: Quebec-based B2B publication serving the construction and electrical contracting market in French. Comparable as a French-language Quebec trade publication serving overlapping contractor audiences with Kerrwil's Le monde de l'électricité en ligne platform.
• Summit Media Group: Canadian B2B media company publishing trade titles across industrial and construction verticals. Comparable as a Canadian B2B trade publisher serving similar industrial audiences, though operating in adjacent rather than directly overlapping verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Global B2B media and events company with extensive trade publication and exhibition portfolio across multiple industries. Comparable as a B2B media peer but operates globally at vastly larger scale with integrated events and data offerings beyond Kerrwil's niche.
• Ensemble IQ: Large North American B2B media company operating a broad portfolio of trade publications, data, and events across retail, technology, and consumer verticals. Comparable as a scaled B2B media platform but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Kerrwil.
• Thomas Publishing: US-based industrial B2B media company operating Thomasnet and trade publications serving industrial and manufacturing buyers. Comparable as a B2B industrial media platform serving similar professional purchasing audiences but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kerrwil-publications-limited
• Facebookfacebook.com/396270003764183

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kerrwil