HIG buys Aviapartner

HIG has invested in the company alongside its CEO, Laurent Levaux, and the company's management team.

Under HIG's ownership, Aviapartner plans on expanding into new markets across Europe, as well as entering the African market. It will do so through an acquisitive growth strategy and has already identified several potential acquisitions to accelerate its expansion.

HIG reportedly bought the 50% stake owned by 3i, which had acquired Aviapartner in July 2005 for €165m.

Aviapartner found itself close to bankruptcy in 2008 due to the impact of the financial crisis as well as its debt burden. In 2012, it merged with its French competitor, LBO France-backed Worldwide Flight Services.

Company
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Brussels, Aviapartner is a provider of ground handling services for airports, providing services to 27 airports across France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.

Aviapartner claims to handle 300,000 flights for 400 airlines and more than 50 million passengers per year. The company generated €350m in turnover last year. It employs 6,000 staff.

People
Laurent Levaux is the CEO of Aviapartner. Olivier Boyadjian is managing director for Europe at HIG and head of HIG France; he worked on the deal alongside principal Cédric Lépée, director Edouard Lesieur and investment manager Antonin Champagne.

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• Topics
• Buyouts
• Benelux
• Industrials
• Belgium
• HIG Europe
• Unq2015Feb