Leonardo shakes up the Heli-Expo 2020 helicopter show by unveiling the acquisition of the Swiss Kopter in order to “further strengthen its worldwide leadership and position in the rotorcraft sector”.
Leonardo will take over the Swiss Kopter, which is finalizing the development of the single-engine SH09 helicopter, by the end of the first quarter of 2020. The announcement took place during the first hours of the second day of the Heli-Expo 2020 trade show, which opened on Monday, January 27. Even though Leonardo buys 100% of Kopter Group AG, the current subsidiary of Lynwood (Schweiz) AG will act as an autonomous legal entity and competence centre working within the Helicopter Division of Leonardo. The purchase price, on a cash and debt free basis, consists of a $185 million fixed component plus an earn-out mechanism linked to certain milestones over the life of the Kopter SH09 program, starting from 2022. Heli-Expo 2020 will close on January 30.