Global Aeronautical Supply, Abipa Canada and ARM form international player in precision machining
by CM Staff
The new group has stated it will provide an ideal balance among the global aeronautics sector in North America, Europe and North Africa.
From left to right : Janie C. Béïque, president and CEO of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ; Eric Girard, Quebec minister of Finance and MNA for Groulx; Jean Blondin, president and CEO of Abipa Canada; Ludovic Couillaud, president of ARM Group; Julie Pottier, senior vice president, Channels and Marketing, Export Development Canada and Suzanne Benoît, president and CEO of Aéro Montréal. (CNW Group/ABIPA Canada)
BOISBRIAND— The Canadian company Abipa Canada Inc. and the French ARM Group announced their strategic alliance, in the presence of Eric Girard, the Québec Minister of Finance and Member of the National Assembly for the division of Groulx. Under the banner “ABIPA International,” the new aeronautical group became a player on an international scale in the sector of machining and assembly of sub-sets.
This transaction is the outcome of a common vision shared by the two companies to respond to market demand from major OEMs and equipment manufacturers to consolidate the supply chain. According to a company statement, Abipa Canada and ARM Group have complementary customer bases and products.
The new group has stated it will provide an ideal balance between two strong geographical areas in the global aeronautics sector, North America and Europe, as well as its strategic location in North Africa. The group reports a turnover in excess of $100 million CAD. It has 400 employees and its industrial presence spread over six sites and three continents, in Canada, France and Morocco.
As part of this transaction, which closed on November 1, 2021, all Arm Group shareholders have joined Abipa shareholders in the capital of Abipa Canada, the parent company of the new group.
On this occasion, and to support the financial structure of the new group, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, as well as Export Development Canada (EDC), are investing a total of $15 million CAD in equity as part of a balanced capital structure with management. As a result of this transaction, the group’s main shareholders are now the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, the Couillaud family, Jean Blondin, Ace Capital Partners, a subsidiary of Tikehau Capital, IRDI, and EDC.
Jean Blondin will continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer and Ludovic Couillaud will join Abipa Canada’s Executive Committee as Executive Vice-President and General Manager Europe and Morocco.
“We are proud to have been able to complete this important transaction thanks to the support of our long-standing partner, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and Export Development Canada. This strategic operation, which enables us to move up the value chain of our customers as a strategic supplier and expand our industrial offer, gives us great confidence in the future of Abipa International,” said Jean Blondin, President and CEO of Abipa Canada, in a company statement.
