26 Feb 2016

PAI Partners ("PAI"), a leading European private equity firm, and ADB Airfield Solutions ("ADB"), a global airfield lighting solutions provider, today announce the acquisition of Safegate International AB ("Safegate"), from Fairford Group ("Fairford").

PAI Partners and ADB Airfield Solutions to acquire Safegate from Fairford Group

PAI Partners (“PAI”), a leading European private equity firm, and ADB Airfield Solutions (“ADB”), a global airfield lighting solutions provider, today announce the acquisition of Safegate International AB (“Safegate”), from Fairford Group (“Fairford”).

Safegate is a leading airfield solutions business providing aircraft docking guidance systems, gate management systems, airfield lighting solutions and air traffic control systems to more than 1,300 airports in 130 countries. Thanks to its pioneering R&D capabilities, Safegate delivers integrated, technology-driven solutions to help airports meet increasing demand for safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly airfield operations. Safegate is headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, has more than 300 employees worldwide and generated revenue of SEK 1.3 billion in 2015.
Fairford, the private investment company of the Osseiran Family Trust, has a range of investments across Europe, predominantly in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Fairford has owned Safegate since 1991 and under Fairford’s ownership, Safegate has developed from being a business with docking guidance systems and airfield lighting technologies into a world leader in airfield passenger throughput technologies.

Laurent Rivoire and Ragnar Hellenius, Partners at PAI, said:
“This is a very exciting moment. Through this combination between PAI-owned ADB and Safegate, we are creating the world leader in advanced airfield guidance systems, from aircraft landing to parking. Thanks to its scale, cumulative experience and innovation capabilities, ADB Safegate will be well positioned to assist airports in dealing with traffic expansion in absolute safety. We look forward to the successful development of the new ADB Safegate group.”

Christian Onselaere, CEO of ADB, said:
“At ADB we are excited and looking forward to team up with Safegate. ADB can build on 69 years of experience in the airfield lighting market. We have grown from a product supplier to a leader in turnkey solutions and services for the airside. The new combination will create a true expert in products, solutions and services from the airside over the gate to the tower. Our company ADB Safegate will use its power of innovation and global reach to offer best-in-class solutions that help airports meet the growing challenges of higher traffic throughput, the need for more efficiency and sustainable growth.”
Bengt A. Dahl, Chairman of Fairford, and Salah Osseiran, Director of Fairford, said:
“We have been proud owners of Safegate for 25 years. Under Fairford’s ownership, Safegate has remained at the forefront of technological innovation, strengthened its solutions offering and dramatically expanded its geographic footprint across the globe. Today, Safegate is associated with some of the world’s leading airports and has established itself as a leading innovator in its core markets. The Safegate success story is testament to its world class management team and we would like to thank everyone at Safegate for their hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. We wish Safegate all the best in its partnership with PAI and ADB and look forward to seeing it continue to grow from strength to strength.”

Per-Olof Hammarlund, CEO of Safegate, said:
“Together with Fairford, we have built a premier global airfield solutions provider with a track-record of growth, excellence and innovation. We are thankful to Fairford for their constant support over so many years. We look forward to the partnership with PAI and ADB to deliver the next chapter of our story, as we continue to pursue our vision of becoming the world leader in integrated airfield solutions. Safegate’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation runs deep in our organisation and we are excited to work with partners who share our values. Our clients and employees stand to benefit from a broader platform of airfield solutions, greater global reach and continued focus on growth.”

Evercore and deNovo Corporate Advisors acted as financial advisors and Ashurst acted as legal advisor to Fairford. Rothschild acted as financial advisor to PAI.