Antin takes majority stake in US helicopter firm from its €1.2B NextGen fund
What's the deal? Antin Infrastructure PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired a majority stake in High Performance Helicopters Corp (HP Helicopters), a US specialty helicopter company. The investment comes from Antin's NextGen Fund I. The deal value was not disclosed.
Who's involved? Founded in 2005 by Brad and Tracey Bauder and based in Redlands, California, HP Helicopters serves utility infrastructure, construction, and aerial firefighting customers across 10 Western US states. Its clients include state and federal agencies, utilities, and aerospace and defence firms. Co-founder Brad Bauder will stay on as chief executive officer and retain a minority holding.
Why now? HP Helicopters has grown on the back of two unrelated trends: rising demand for wildfire emergency response tied to climate change, and a need for heavy-lift services to modernise ageing infrastructure and support grid expansion for AI. Both align with Antin's NextGen strategy, which backs proven businesses that need capital to scale into next-generation infrastructure.
The money. This is the eighth investment from Antin's €1.2 billion NextGen Infrastructure Fund I. The firm manages over €33 billion in assets across its Flagship, Mid Cap, and NextGen strategies.
What's the endgame? Antin sees room to expand the fleet, improve efficiency, and shift clients to long-term exclusive-use contracts. "We see strong potential to take HP Helicopters to the next level by expanding the fleet," said Angelika Schöchlin and Stephan Feilhauer of Antin.
The new hire. HP Helicopters appointed Santiago Crespo as chief financial officer. He brings over 25 years of experience scaling companies in the helicopter and broader aircraft industries, supporting the firm's push to grow under new ownership.
The signal: Infrastructure investors are moving into niche, hard-to-serve markets where supply is tight and demand is structural. With heavy-duty helicopters in short supply and wildfire and grid needs rising, specialty aviation is emerging as an infrastructure play.
Read more: finanznachrichten.de
Image credit: USDAgov
