Story ID: 433
Brightwater Aviation Plans UAG Acquisition
By: Amy Laboda
Caption: United Aero Group acquisition to expand BrightWater Aviation portfolio.
Word Count: 198
BrightWater Aviation president David Adler inked a letter of intent to acquire Stratford, Connecticut-based United Aero Group (UAG, Booth B4609), the companies announced on Tuesday at Heli-Expo 2019. UAG holds extensive inventories of helicopter parts for the Sikorsky S-76, UH-60, and S-70, in addition to several Bell, Leonardo, and Airbus models. The acquisition will complement Brightwater’s expanding logistics and supply chain services business, it said.

“UAG, in conjunction with Arista Aviation and our other BrightWater entities, builds upon our focus of providing unrivaled service to commercial, utility, and military operators throughout the world," Adler said.

UAG founder, president, and general manager Jamie Gelder and Brightwater’s Adler both have Sikorsky experience in their pasts. Adler was the president of Sikorsky Aerospace Services, the aftermarket business of Sikorsky Aircraft, which grew from $600 million to $2.5 billion annual revenue annually under his leadership from 2008 to 2015. Gelder served at Sikorsky Aircraft as director of aftermarket sales and support.

"I’ve known and worked with Jamie for more than 20 years," said Adler, "and we are thrilled that he has decided to contribute his creative expertise, and that of his organization, toward building on this philosophy.”