Supply chain solutions leader strengthens FDH’s presence in rotorcraft market

FDH Aero (“FDH”), a distributor of aerospace hardware, replacement parts, electronic components, and chemicals, has acquired Calco Industries, LLC (“Calco Aerospace” or “Calco”) from founders Charlie and Lisa Gralapp. This acquisition meaningfully strengthens FDH’s position in the military rotorcraft supply chain and presents an opportunity to accelerate growth with new and existing customers as a complement to FDH’s existing military rotorcraft exposure.

“We are looking forward to continuing our excellence in customer service as a part of the broader FDH organization,” said Daniel Gralapp, Vice President at Calco Aerospace. “We believe Calco’s partnership with FDH will further augment our ability to provide excellent support to our customers and continue on our growth trajectory.”

“Charlie, Lisa, Daniel, and the team have built an exceptional business servicing blue-chip OEMs in the military and commercial aerospace markets,” said Fred Short, Vice President of Sales at FDH Aero. “We are excited to partner with their team and help bolster Calco’s growth while continuing to support their best-in-class customer service.”

Fort Worth based Calco is a leading supply chain partner to OEMs in the military and commercial aerospace markets. Calco operations will continue to be led by Daniel, Charlie, and Lisa Gralapp, with support from the global FDH organization.

“Calco is an excellent fit with the FDH family,” said Scott Tucker, CEO at FDH. “Calco will help bolster our defense supply chain position and complement several of our recent acquisitions which we believe should allow for accelerated future growth.”

Calco Aerospace is FDH’s eleventh acquisition, and ninth completed since Audax Private Equity invested in the company in 2017.

Holland & Knight and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisors to FDH on the transaction.

Duff & Phelps served as financial advisor and Greenberg Traurig served legal advisor to Calco.

ABOUT FDH AERO

FDH Aero is a leading distributor of aerospace hardware, replacement parts, electronic components, and chemicals to commercial and defense aircraft manufacturers, subcontractors, component distributors, commercial airlines, and MRO/aftermarket solution providers. FDH is headquartered in El Segundo, CA and has operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.fdhaero.com.

ABOUT AUDAX PRIVATE EQUITY

Audax Group is a leading alternative investment manager with offices in Boston, New York, and San Francisco. Since its founding in 1999, the firm has raised over $30 billion in capital across its Private Equity and Private Debt businesses. Audax Private Equity has invested over $8 billion in more than 150 platforms and over 1,000 add-on companies, and is currently investing out of its $3.5 billion, sixth private equity fund. Through its disciplined Buy & Build approach, Audax seeks to help platform companies execute add-on acquisitions that fuel revenue growth, optimize operations, and significantly increase equity value. With more than 300 employees and over 100 investment professionals, the firm is a leading capital partner for North American middle market companies. For more information, visit the Audax Group website www.audaxgroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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