Umeco plc

Deal Summary

Catalyst advised Umeco plc on the sale of its Repair and Overhaul Division (R&O Division) to Ametek Inc for £36 million.

The board of Umeco made the decision to sell the R&O Division in order to focus on its composite materials and supply chain activities. The R&O Division provides a comprehensive aftermarket repair and installation service to operators of fixed and rotary wing aircraft from facilities in the UK, France and Singapore.

Ametek is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with sales of $1 billion. It has 10,000 employees across more than 70 manufacturing locations, over 70 sales and service operations in the United States and more than 30 sites in other countries.

What difference did we make?

Using our knowledge of the aerospace sector Catalyst completed a strategic review of the four businesses in the R&O Division and advised the Umeco board that the highest price would be achieved by marketing the R&O Division to a discrete group of strategic US trade buyers who were looking for a European and Far East platform to enter this market.

In Ametek, Catalyst identified a strategic purchaser for whom the acquisition of the R&O Division was critical in advancing its ambition to build a worldwide repair and overhaul capability.

The greatest challenge in this transaction was project managing and coordinating the simultaneous review and appraisal of four businesses in three countries by two potential US buyers. This ensured the Umeco board had two fully funded indicative offers from which to choose their preferred purchaser.