Acorn Capital Management, a private equity firm investing exclusively in the aerospace, defense, intelligence and space sectors, entered an agreement whereby it will acquire a majority interest in MTI Aviation, a provider of repair, overhaul and parts distribution services, with a primary focus on electro-mechanical, hydraulics, pneumatics and power generation components. MTI serves a diverse global customer base, including commercial airlines, maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) providers and aviation parts distributors. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks, and MTI will be the first platform investment in Acorn’s Fund VI.
MTI’s founder and CEO Jorge Mejia will remain a significant shareholder and continue to lead the company.
“MTI represents a compelling platform aligned with our strategy of investing in highly differentiated aerospace and defense businesses with strong growth potential,” Greg Agnew, partner at Acorn Capital Management, said. “The company has established an attractive market position with high-quality customer relationships, technical capabilities, a proven track record of execution and a sterling reputation in the industry. We look forward to partnering with Jorge and the MTI team to support the company’s next phase of growth.”
The partnership will provide MTI with access to increased resources and capital to accelerate expansion initiatives and augment its growth profile. The company intends to pursue both organic growth opportunities and targeted add-on acquisitions to further enhance its capabilities and expand its global footprint.
“This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for MTI,” Mejia said. “Acorn brings deep industry knowledge and a shared vision for growth. With Acorn’s support, we believe MTI is well-positioned to build on its strong foundation and continue delivering high-quality solutions to customers worldwide.”
Rick Nagel, managing partner of Acorn, said, “We have been looking for the right platform investment in the component repair and overhaul sector to complement our other more parts-focused portfolio companies that operate in the aviation aftermarket. MTI is the ideal investment for Acorn given its high-quality operations, as well as strong corporate culture. We are excited to see what Jorge and his team can achieve with great resources behind them.”
Terms of the proposed transaction were not disclosed.
