Grünwald, September 6, 2022 — AURELIUS Growth Capital sells Aerotec Europe GmbH (“Aerotec Group”) including its subsidiary Airplane Equipment & Services A.E.S. to the financial investor Borromin Capital Fonds IV.
The Aerotec Group, including its subsidiary Airplane Equipment & Services, is a leading service company for the air cargo industry in Europe. Repair and maintenance of air freight containers are the focus of the company with around 120 employees. In addition, certified maintenance and repair services are provided for regulated passenger aircraft components. The company maintains customer relationships with well-known Global Air Cargo companies at all relevant German cargo airports.
“The corporate development of Airplane Equipment & Services as well as the successful management buy-out exemplify our special expertise in facilitating successful succession planning in medium-sized companies. We bring our operational approach intensively into this process and always accompany our portfolio as a close as well as reliable partner on the development path,” comments Eric Blumenthal, Managing Partner of AURELIUS Wachstumskapital.
In 2016, AURELIUS acquired a majority stake in Airplane Equipment & Services as part of a corporate succession. The company has achieved very good operational development during its time in the AURELIUS portfolio — including significant revenue and earnings growth. Together with the AURELIUS team, the management successfully navigated the upheavals of the COVID pandemic. In 2021, Frank Kusserow, an industry expert, could be won as managing director. Kusserow took over responsibility from founder Willy Reinhardt, seamlessly continued the company’s development and acquired a stake in Airplane Equipment & Services as part of the transaction.
“My special thanks go to the AURELIUS Growth Capital team around Eric Blumental, who supported us in close shoulder-to-shoulder from the very beginning and stood by us as a valuable sparring partner,” says Frank Kusserow.
“In transactions, it always depends on the partners. We are convinced that we have found a suitable investor and management combination in Borromin and Frank Kusserow. Accordingly, we are confident about the future operational development of the Aerotec Group,” Blumenthal continued.
Advisor AURELIUS Growth Capital:
Stephens Investment Banking (M&A, Philipp von Grawert and Valentin zur Strassen),
EGO HUMRICH WYEN (Legal, Dr. Alexander Ego, Dr. Jan-Henning Wyen and Dr. Achim Spengler), Ebner Stolz (Financial Due Diligence, Joerg Schoberth and Jan Philipp Schwedhelm) and CIL Management Consultants (Commercial Due Diligence, Juliane Kaden-Botha and Florian Wohlfart).
About Borromin Capital
Borromin Capital Management GmbH (Borromin) successfully structures, finances and accompanies corporate successions in Germany and neighboring countries. By providing equity capital, Borromin enables company owners to transfer their life’s work in an orderly manner and ensures the continued development of the companies. In addition, we participate in Group spin-offs and provide equity capital for fast-growing companies. We attach great importance to the management teams becoming co-entrepreneurs through equity participation.
Borromin was founded in 2001 in Frankfurt as an independent consulting firm for equity financing (private equity) owned by the partners and is currently advising the fourth Borromin Fund. The funds’ capital is provided by institutional and private investors from Germany and abroad.
About the AEROTEC Group
The Aerotec Group (as well as Airplane Equipment & Services) was founded in 1997 in Cologne by Willy Reinhard as a service company for maintenance and repair work on regulated components of passenger aircraft. Since then, the company has expanded its service portfolio and become a leading service provider for the air freight industry in the DACH region. The company maintains five independent branches near the airports of Cologne, Frankfurt, Leipzig and Basel. Each location offers its customers certified services at the highest level.
About AURELIUS
AURELIUS is a pan-European alternative investment group with offices in London, Luxembourg, Munich, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Milan, Madrid and Düsseldorf. AURELIUS has extensive operational expertise as well as experience and is thus in a position to accelerate the value creation process in its portfolio companies.
The main investment platforms are the AURELIUS European Opportunities IV Fund and the exchange-traded AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8, stock exchange symbol: AR4), which acquire group spin-offs and companies with development potential in the midmarket sector. The core element of the investment strategy is to grow the portfolio companies with a team of nearly 100 in-house operational taskforce experts.
AURELIUS is also active in the business areas of growth capital, real estate and alternative forms of financing. AURELIUS Growth Capital participates in LBO transactions for midmarket succession solutions. AURELIUS Real Estate Opportunities focuses on real estate investments with sustainable value enhancement potential through active management. AURELIUS Finance Company offers flexible financing solutions for companies throughout Europe.