Deloitte acts as lead advisor on the sale of protective apparel businesses Aegis Engineering and LBA International to The Safariland Group

A Deloitte Midlands Corporate Finance team acted as lead advisor to the main shareholder in the sale of Aegis Engineering, and its sister company LBA International, to Safariland, a US corporate acquirer.

Deal summary
Aegis Engineering and LBA International are globally recognised manufacturers and suppliers of personal protective apparel and specialist equipment protection for law enforcement, military and prison service applications. Products include body armour, ballistic helmets, bomb suits and ballistic plates, sold to an international customer base.

The acquisition provides The Safariland Group, a US based manufacturer of equipment for law enforcement, military and emergency services applications, with a significant European presence, access to a range of market-leading products and a pipeline of innovative developments.

Why Deloitte?
Steve Jenkins, Managing Director Aegis Engineering, commented that “the Deloitte team provided superb support throughout the entire deal process. They were critical to ensuring that the transaction completed. I would not hesitate to recommend Darren and the team to anyone seeking to appoint advisers to sell their business, particularly if this involves dealing with overseas parties.”

Darren Boocock, Partner at Deloitte commented “we were able to leverage our considerable experience of selling to US buyers during this process, and this benefitted out client. This really is a win-win situation. Safariland has acquired market-leading European businesses and Aegis and LBA will have the support they need to help secure the numerous opportunities available. This deal was undertaken in the post-EU referendum vote period and is the fourth significant sale to a US buyer that the Deloitte Midlands team has completed in the last 12 months. It demonstrates the continued strong interest of overseas acquirers in strategic UK assets, particularly those from the US. The deal is also another example of the benefit of clients getting the right advice from their advisory team, who need to be experienced in the complexities of cross-border transactions.”

The Midlands team comprised Darren Boocock, Andy Moody, Kevin O’Loughlin and Dan Marchington.