LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (“LLCP”), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, announced today that it has sold its portfolio company SK AeroSafety (“SK” or the “Company”) to Bridgepoint, a global private equity firm. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Wokingham, United Kingdom, SK is a leading global provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services for aircraft safety equipment. Originally part of SK FireSafety Group, the Company has successfully developed into the market-leading independent provider of aircraft safety testing, inspection and maintenance services through organic growth initiatives and a series of strategic international acquisitions. The Company operates in 14 fully integrated facilities across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Josh Kaufman, Head of Europe at LLCP, said, “The management team, led by Chris Wright, Ben te Beek and Robert Sims, has done a tremendous job growing SK into the leading global player within its specialized safety component niche. We are proud of the growth achieved and the expanded geographic footprint under our stewardship since partnering with management in 2019. SK is in a strong position for continued growth and we wish the management team and their new partners all the best in the future.”
Chris Wright, CEO of SK AeroSafety, added, “We are grateful to have partnered with LLCP over the last four years. Their deep experience investing across Europe and the U.S., and their support in executing our successful M&A and international expansion strategy have enabled us to achieve meaningful growth. We are excited to build on SK’s position as the leading global provider of aircraft safety MRO services.”
The sale of SK AeroSafety will be LLCP’s 17th successful exit since March 2020. SK AeroSafety is the final investment in Levine Leichtman Capital Partners Europe, L.P.
Houlihan Lokey LLP served as financial advisor and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as LLCP’s legal counsel in connection with the transaction. Management was advised by Liberty Corporate Finance and Addleshaw Goddard LLP.
About Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, LLC is a middle-market private equity firm with a 39-year track record of investing across various targeted sectors, including Franchising & Multi-unit, Business Services, Education & Training and Engineered Products & Manufacturing. LLCP utilizes a differentiated Structured Private Equity investment strategy, combining debt and equity capital investments in portfolio companies. LLCP believes that by investing in a combination of debt and equity securities, it offers management teams growth capital in a highly tailored, flexible investment structure that can be a more attractive alternative than traditional private equity.
LLCP’s global team of dedicated investment professionals is led by nine partners who have worked at LLCP for an average of 19 years. Since inception, LLCP has managed approximately $13.3 billion of institutional capital across 15 investment funds and has invested in over 100 portfolio companies. LLCP currently manages $8.7 billion of assets and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Charlotte, Miami, London, Stockholm, The Hague and Frankfurt.
Contacts
Mark Semer/Sara Widmann
Gasthalter & Co.
(212) 257 4170
llcp@gasthalter.com
