The Aerotec Group, including Airplane Equipment & Services, is a leading European services company to the air cargo industry which employs around 120 employees. The company’s core focus is the repair and maintenance of air cargo containers. Aerotec Group also provides certified maintenance and repair services for regulated passenger aircraft components. The company maintains customer relationships with well-known global air cargo companies at all relevant German cargo airports.

“The fabulous development of Aerotec as well as the successful management buy-out exemplify our special expertise in facilitating successful succession planning in medium-sized companies. We contribute our extensive operational expertise to this process and always cooperate with our portfolio company as a close and reliable partner along the development path,” comments Eric Blumenthal, Managing Partner of AURELIUS Growth Investments.

In 2016, AURELIUS acquired a majority stake in Airplane Equipment & Services as part of a corporate succession. Over this time, the company has achieved very good operational performance, 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 veteran and specialist, joined as the company as new CEO. Kusserow took over responsibility from founder Willy Reinhardt, seamlessly continued the company's development and now acquired a stake in Airplane Equipment & Services as part of the transaction.

"My special thanks go to the AURELIUS Growth Investments team, led by Eric Blumental, who closely supported us from the very beginning and engaged as a valuable sparring partner," said Frank Kusserow.

“The right partners are key to every transaction. We are convinced to have found a suitable investor and management combination in Borromin and Frank Kusserow. With their direction and support, we have every confidence about Aerotec Group’s successful future development,” Blumenthal continued.

In the transaction, AURELIUS Growth Investments was advised by 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).

Contact persons for the transaction

Eric Blumenthal
Managing Partner, AURELIUS Growth Investments

Florian Scheck
Senior Investment Associate, AURELIUS Growth Investments

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 developed into a leading service provider for the air cargo industry in the DACH region. The company operates five independent offices 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 firm. Deep operational expertise and experience enable AURELIUS to accelerate value creation within its portfolio companies. The Group has offices in London, Luxembourg, Munich, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Madrid, Milan and Dusseldorf.

Our key investment platforms are AURELIUS European Opportunities IV fund and listed AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8, Ticker Symbol: AR4), which specialise in corporate carve-out transactions and acquiring companies with development potential in the mid-market. The investment strategy’s core element is growth of its portfolio companies, supported by a team of almost 100 operating taskforce experts.

AURELIUS Group additionally operates in the areas of growth capital, real estate and alternative lending solutions. AURELIUS Growth Investments is focused on transactions involving buy-and-builds, buyouts and succession solutions across the small cap sector. AURELIUS Real Estate Opportunities focuses on real estate investments, the value of which can be increased in the long-term by means of active management. AURELIUS Finance Company provides flexible lending solutions to firms across Europe.

AURELIUS Growth Investments is a member of AURELIUS Group. Its portfolio comprises eleven companies. In addition to capital for investments and growth, AURELIUS Growth Investments supports the management of its portfolio companies through its extensive entrepreneurial experience and helps with realizing operational potential and the implementation of growth initiatives.

Kontakt

Eric Blumenthal
Managing Partner
Tel: +49 (0) 157 725 280 55