Liberty Hall Capital Partners has acquired Onboard Systems, a provider of external cargo handling equipment for civil and military helicopters.
Onboard’s products, including belly hooks, cargo hook suspension systems, onboard weighing systems and remote hooks, are factory installed on over 30 helicopter models serving over 1,000 original equipment and aftermarket customers.
Onboard Systems also operates an FAA certified repair station that services, repairs, and overhauls its installed equipment. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Vancouver, WA (www.onboardsystems.com).
Liberty Hall acquired Onboard Systems in partnership with the company’s management team. The buy of Onboard Systems represents Liberty Hall’s newest strategy to acquire niche suppliers of proprietary products into both the original equipment and aftermarket segments of the aerospace industry.
“With a 40-year history, Onboard Systems has been recognized as the top provider of helicopter external cargo equipment worldwide through its continuous development and introduction of new, high performing, proprietary products,” said Rowan Taylor, Liberty Hall’s founding and managing partner. “We are excited to partner with the management team of Onboard Systems to provide the company with resources to continue its track record of innovation across its market segment.”
“Liberty Hall offers unsurpassed expertise and knowledge of the global aerospace industry, making them an ideal partner for Onboard Systems as we look to execute on our vision and strategy for the next stage of our growth,” said Jason Lemmon, president of Onboard Systems. “We are pleased to embark on this new partnership with Liberty Hall, while we continue to focus on providing our global OEMs and helicopter operators with superior service and new, exciting products.”
Liberty Hall invests exclusively in businesses serving the aerospace and defense industry and complementary industrial end markets. The firm was founded in July 2011 and is headquartered in New York (www.libertyhallcapital.com).
Onboard Systems represents Liberty Hall’s sixth platform acquisition since November 2013. “The addition of Onboard Systems expands our portfolio to include proprietary products and is highly complementary to our existing investments in different segments of the original equipment market,” said Taylor Catarozoli, a principal of Liberty Hall.
The sellers of Onboard Systems were advised by Houlihan Lokey (www.hl.com).
© 2019 Private Equity Professional | March 4, 2019