2 Fast-Growing Industrial Mid-Cap Stocks to Buy Now

Mid-cap stocks MYR Group (NASDAQ: MYRG) and VSE Corporation (NASDAQ: VSEC) operate in completely different industrial sectors, with MYR Group focusing on electrical contracting and VSE on aviation aftermarket services.

However, they are fundamentally cut from the same cloth, as they rely heavily on recurring, non-discretionary service revenue. Utilities must maintain the grid, and that's where MYR comes in. Planes must be serviced to remain airworthy, which is how VSE generates income.

As of July 6, VSE's shares are up more than 38% this year, and MYR's shares are up more than 102%. Here are three reasons why I still like each of these pick-and-shovel stocks.

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MYR Group benefits from the data center supercycle

The company is well-positioned for the massive multi-year build-out of data centers, renewable energy integration, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Because its commercial and industrial (C&I) segment specializes in complex electrical contracting, it is seeing intense demand from tech companies expanding their artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Additionally, utility companies face a multi-decade grid modernization cycle to handle higher power loads and connect new clean energy sources, giving MYR Group a structural tailwind that isn't reliant on normal economic cycles.

Double-digit revenue and earnings growth

MYR Group's execution is translating into rapid earnings growth. In the first quarter, revenue was reported as $1 billion, up 20% year over year, led by strong growth from its transmission and distribution segment. Earnings per share (EPS) jumped 106% over the same period last year to $2.99. Consolidated gross margins expanded to 13.4% (up from 11.6% the prior year), fueled by excellent productivity, favorable project closeouts, and shifting to higher-margin project mixes.

Record backlog for MYR and expansion

MYR Group provides incredible long-term revenue visibility. It ended Q1 with a record backlog of $2.84 billion (up nearly 8% year over year). To capitalize on this pipeline, the company is aggressively expanding via acquisition. In May, MYR entered a definitive agreement to acquire Valley Electric and Comet Electric for $328 million. This strategic move heavily scales its C&I presence in the Western United States, giving it immediate local market share to capture sweeping infrastructure projects across the coast.

VSE's acquisitions should drive growth

In May, VSE closed a $2 billion acquisition of Precision Aviation Group. This deal is a game changer that dramatically expands VSE's global footprint, scaling its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities to 61 locations across eight countries. The business is expected to be immediately accretive to VSE's adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin.

In April, VSE bought NorthStar Technologies, a provider of MRO and third-party logistics services supporting the engine aftermarket. NorthStar specializes in teardown, kitting, and other labor- and technically intensive services across multiple engine platforms. The acquisition enhances VSE's position within original equipment manufacturer (OEM) aftermarket supply chains.

VSE is seeing strong earnings growth

Thanks to massive demand in commercial engine aftermarket sales and exclusive long-term OEM distribution agreements, VSE is seeing strong revenue and earnings growth.

In Q1, it reported revenue of $324.6 million, up 26.8% year over year, and earnings per share (EPS) of $1.04, up 55.2% over the same period a year ago. The company's recent acquisitions led VSE to boost its yearly forecast. It now expects full-year revenue to grow from 57% to 61%, compared to earlier guidance of 19% to 23%. It also increased its estimated adjusted EBITDA to 18.1% to 18.5%, up from earlier estimates of 16.8% to 17.3%.

A highly resilient business mix insulated from macro risks

VSE operates in a strategic sweet spot within the aviation aftermarket. Roughly 48% of its exposure is in business jets and general aviation, with about a 50% focus specifically on engine components. This mix makes VSE highly resilient to macroeconomic headwinds, such as fluctuating commercial airline demand, fuel price spikes, or geopolitical conflicts.

John Cuomo, VSE's president and CEO, said that as it integrates Precision Aviation Group and realizes cost synergies, the company is targeting long-term adjusted EBITDA margins of more than 20%. This means that the company is becoming substantially more profitable as it scales.

The rewards outweigh their risks

MYR's biggest concern is its exposure to fixed-price contracts, particularly in its C&I business. However, despite the fixed-price nature of its backlog, consolidated gross margins recently expanded to a record 13.4% as the company shifts away from low-margin clean energy projects toward high-margin data center and grid modernization infrastructure.

VSE's big concern is that it took on substantial debt to purchase Precision Aviation Group. If integrating that business hits operational bottlenecks, cost overruns, or corporate friction, it could delay the synergy timeline and pinch near-term cash flows. However, Precision Aviation brings highly predictable, immediately cash-accretive cash flows, which should enable VSE to quickly pay down its debt.

James Halley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends MYR Group and Vse. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.