Investindustrial

Grupo Inaer (www.grupoinaer.com) is the world’s largest provider of emergency and mission critical on-shore helicopter services contracted on a long-term basis with public administrations. The Company has over 40 years of experience and is a market leader in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Chile. Grupo Inaer operates the fourth largest fleet in the world with up to 260 aircraft of which 150 are owned by the company. Headquartered in Alicante, Spain, the company employs 1,600 people.

At its current size, Inaer has a clear competitive advantage over its local peers:

• large and modern fleet;
• strong bargaining power with suppliers;
• extensive network of operating bases;
• highly trained personnel with its own flight simulator;
• own maintenance facilities operating to superior quality standards in services;
• public contracts on a long-term basis create a quasi-infrastructure like concession business;
• other economies of scale such as in insurance and purchasing.

Under Investindustrial’s control the company has reinforced business line diversification to reduce seasonality by expanding its position in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) sector and has increased margins from a change in sales mix, economies of scale, synergy/efficiency gains from consolidation of separate companies and the implementation of restructuring/cost-cutting plans. Furthermore the company has pursued selective acquisitions in Spain and grown internationally (Chile, Italy, France, Portugal, UK) through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. In particular, Inaer has completed five bolt-on acquisitions: Cegisa (fixed wing fire-fighting business in Spain), Helicasa (strategic entry in Cataluña), Elilario (Italy), Amuk (UK) and Proteus (France).