KippsDeSanto & Co. advises FreeFlight Systems on its sale to ACR Group, a portfolio company of The Jordan Company

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KippsDeSanto & Co. advises FreeFlight Systems on its sale to ACR Group, a portfolio company of The Jordan Company

KippsDeSanto & Co. is pleased to announce the sale of its client, FreeFlight Systems (“FreeFlight” or the “Company”), to ACR Group (“ACR”), a portfolio company of The Jordan Company.

Headquartered in Irving, TX, FreeFlight is a leading provider of next generation avionics systems to global commercial and military aerospace customers.

Established in 2001, FreeFlight is at the forefront of the ongoing airspace transformation, providing a full suite of positioning, data collection, state-sensing, flight management, and air traffic management solutions and services.  FreeFlight’s customer base spans commercial airline, business aviation, and military / government users worldwide.

ACR’s portfolio of brands is known for high quality and performance and adding FreeFlight’s well-known and respected brand will help the companies realize substantial benefits from their respective technology team collaboration and customer / market access.

We believe this transaction highlights several key trends in the aerospace/defense M&A market:

  • Buyers are looking for proprietary, highly engineered, differentiated solutions
  • Cutting-edge IP and continued emphasis on R&D are critical for new systems development to exploit value in the midst of a holistic, global overhaul of legacy systems
  • Private equity continues to be an avid investor in the broader aerospace industry, looking to the middle market to implement buy and build strategies

About KippsDeSanto & Co. KippsDeSanto & Co. is an investment banking firm focused on serving growth-oriented Aerospace / Defense, Government Services and Technology companies. We are focused on delivering exceptional M&A and Financing transaction results to our clients via leveraging our scale, creativity and industry experience. We help market leaders realize their full strategic value. Having advised on over 100 industry transactions, KippsDeSanto is recognized for our analytical rigor, market insight, and broad industry relationships. There’s no substitute for experience.  For more information, visit www.kippsdesanto.com.

Investment Banking products and services are offered through KippsDeSanto & Co., a non-bank subsidiary of Capital One, N.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation, and a member of FINRA and SIPC. Products and services are Not FDIC insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit, and Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency.

Press Release

FreeFlight Systems joins the ACR Group

February 24, 2020 – IRVING, Texas – NextGen avionics leader FreeFlight Systems announced today that the Company has joined the ACR Group’s portfolio of aviation companies which includes ARTEX, Flight Data Systems, Latitude Technologies, and SKYTRAC Systems.

“We’ve always made it our mission to make flying safer and more efficient with the highest-quality, longest-lasting, and most affordable products available,” said Tim Taylor, FreeFlight Systems’ President and CEO. “Both companies share common values and goals, with focuses on safety, product performance, and client satisfaction, and together we will continue to lead the industry in the development of critical technologies that supports the aviation industry.”

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, FreeFlight Systems is a leader in providing high-performance, safety of life technologies and solutions that bring the NextGen airspace transformation to all segments of aerospace. The Company will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary, retaining the existing leadership, products, brand, locations, engineering capabilities, and sales team.

Together the aviation division of the ACR Group provides every segment of the aviation market with high value solutions including Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs), Flight Data Recorders, Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety Systems (GADSS), Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), Flight Management Systems (FMS), Monitoring, and Data Acquisition including Flight Tracking and Messaging.

Financial terms of the acquisition will not be released.

For more information on the FreeFlight Systems suite of avionics solutions, visit our product page. For more information on The ACR Group and other safety equipment, visit ACRARTEX.com.

About FreeFlight Systems

FreeFlight Systems designs and manufactures high-performance avionics for flight safety. These solutions deliver substantial safety, cost, environmental, and other benefits from the NextGen airspace transformation. Founded in 2001 and based in Texas, the company pioneered the first certified aviation WAAS/GPS receiver and the first rule-compliant UAT ADS-B system. FreeFlight Systems produces a range of high quality, American-made, competitively priced systems for installation in all aircraft types.

About the ACR Group

The ACR Group is the leading innovator of satellite-based tracking, data communications, and emergency location products & services used across aviation, marine, and land environments. The ACR Group portfolio of companies includes ACR Electronics, ARTEX, Skytrac, Latitude Technologies, Flight Data Systems, NAL Research, Ocean Signal and United Moulders (UML).