PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nautic Partners, LLC (“Nautic”) announced that it has partnered with management to acquire Aerostar Aerospace Manufacturing, LLC (“Aerostar” or the “Company”). Aerostar is a manufacturer of high-complexity, close-tolerance machined parts used in commercial aircraft, primarily in engines and in auxiliary power units. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Aerostar has developed a niche in manufacturing high-complexity parts using challenging materials such as titanium, Inconel, and other hard-metal alloys. The Company employs an experienced staff, including engineers and machinists with substantial experience in 3D modeling, design for manufacturability, and new product introductions. As a result of its best of breed technical capabilities, Aerostar currently enjoys long-term contractual relationships with several marquee Tier-I and Tier-II aerospace customers, and supports some of the largest and most rapidly growing platforms in commercial aerospace.
“In Nautic, we have found a partner who shares our values, and who will provide Aerostar with the resources it needs to grow far into the future,” said Brandon McDermott, CEO of Aerostar. “I am very proud of Aerostar’s talented management team and employees, and I expect an excellent partnership with Nautic.”
Chris Pierce, Managing Director of Nautic commented, “The outlook for the commercial aerospace market is attractive, yet the supply chain for critical machined components remains quite fragmented. Nautic is excited to have found in Aerostar a company with strong operations, good platform exposures, in-demand capabilities, and a blue chip customer base. Aerostar is well-positioned to benefit from and drive consolidation in the space.”
In conjunction with Nautic’s investment in Aerostar, the Company will be undertaking a strategic expansion and capital plan, moving to a new 55,000 sq. ft. facility that is a quarter mile from its current campus and also investing in state of the art equipment to nearly double production capacity over the coming years. “We are excited to build the infrastructure at Aerostar to support the growth of both our current and future customers,” said Rob Lynch, Aerostar’s Vice President of Operations.
Nick Vidnovic, Senior Associate of Nautic added, “We look forward to working with the Aerostar team to build a larger business both organically and via targeted acquisition efforts, which we believe will be attractive to Aerostar’s customers, employees, and shareholders.”
National Bank of Arizona provided financing for the transaction. Greene Holcomb and Fischer acted as financial advisor to the Company.
About Aerostar
Aerostar Aerospace Manufacturing, LLC is an AS9100, ISO9001 precision component manufacturer of machined parts used in commercial aircraft, primarily in engines and in auxiliary power units. Aerostar specializes in hard metal high complexity turning and milling. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, and was founded in 1983.
About Nautic Partners, LLC
Founded in 1986, Nautic is a middle-market private equity firm that has managed over $3 billion of assets throughout its history. The firm has completed 123 transactions in partnership with management. Nautic targets equity investments of $25-$75 million, representing majority ownership in niche businesses with strong market share and growth potential, identified enhancement opportunities and strong management teams. Areas of focus include industrial products, outsourced services, and healthcare. For more information, please visit www.nautic.com.
The information provided herein is not an offer or sale of any security or investment product. The information is provided for the purpose of demonstrating investment capabilities to prospective portfolio companies.