David Adler, who retired as president of Sikorsky Aerospace Services in November 2015, has joined BrightWater Partners to serve as president of newly formed BrightWater Aviation Capital. The new entity will include Enterprise, Alabama-based Arista Aviation Services (Booth C6844) and Upland, California-based R&B Machine.
BrightWater Aviation Capital will focus on sales, lease, and sustainment of military and commercial aircraft. According to BrightWater principals Mark Williams and David Sosa, Adler’s mandate will be to find aftermarket business to support military and commercial customers around the world.
At Sikorsky Aerospace Services, Adler presided over the OEM’s aftermarket business for military and commercial customers around the world. He joined Sikorsky in 1998, when the company acquired Helicopter Support, where he served as president. He formed Sikorsky Aerospace Service (SAS) in 2008.
BrightWater Partners provides principal investing, transaction advisory, and capital-raising services to lower middle-market companies in special manufacturing, aerospace/defense, and specialty distribution. It currently lists six companies in its portfolio.