Manufacturer of Ground Support Equipment and Aircraft Production Tooling for Sale

• Opportunity to acquire a 70-year-old family business which manufactures and supplies ground support equipment and aircraft production tooling to the aviation industry and military.

• Specialising in design and manufacture, the company has been supplying the UK’s Ministry of Defence for over 60 years and other major aircraft manufacturers and aircraft operations for over 50.

• The company is located in the South East of England in a prime location close to motorway networks and a major airport.

• With extensive knowledge and experience of sector, the company has established a strong range of reliable products and solid contractual links with its client base. In addition, it designs bespoke products for its clients which it owns or share-owns.

• The company’s financial performance reflects the need to drive sales and marketing to build on a strong core performance.

• The business could successfully expand into the commercial aircraft manufacturing and operating sectors.

• There is scope to considerably develop the ‘spares and repairs’ arm of the business.

• Existing products could be extensively marketed to customers in Europe and Worldwide.

• The company is ISO 9001 accredited. All products carry the CE Mark and a 12-month warranty (minimum).

• The sale offers an outstanding opportunity as a bolt-on opportunity for a company looking to break into the military aircraft industry sector or expand their existing operations.

Products & Services

The core business is designing and building products to a client’s bespoke requirements.

In addition, they sell their own range of ‘off-the-peg’ ground support equipment and aircraft tooling products including:

• Aircraft Maintenance Jacks and Wheel-Change Jacks
• Tow-bars
• Tyre Inflation Kits
• Charging Regulators
• General Purpose Aircraft Chocks
• Oxygen and Nitrogen Charging Trolleys

Services include:

• Sales and product advice
• Replacement parts and spares
• Repair of equipment.

Premises

• Freehold.
• 33,000 sq. ft. of land including offices, factory, store-room and car-parking.
• The vendors are open to including the purchase of the freehold within the sale. A property investor may wish to acquire the premises for redevelopment whilst an engineering-focused buyer may wish to acquire the trading business alone.

Employees

• In addition to the vendor, there is a full time Operations Manager who runs the business day to day, 2 managers, 2 administration staff and 7 operatives (2 of whom are sub-contracted).
• A part-time Design Manager oversees the design facility.

Reason for sale

• The vendor is in his seventies and wishes to retire. No family member is available to take on the business.

Financial overview

Year ending 31th July	2013	2014	2015	2016 Forecast
Sales revenue	£1,878,758	£1,648,308	£1,447,784	£1,200,000
Gross profit	£517,021	£506,388	£484,226
Percentage	28%	31%	33%
Adjusted EBITDA	£301,232	£281,483	£268,087	£200,000
Percentage	16%	17%	19%	17%

SOLD