Montreal, Canada – October 2nd 2019 – DART Aerospace is pleased to announce that it has recently acquired aerial firefighting mission equipment leader Simplex Aerospace.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Simplex Aerospace is an aviation industry veteran serving thousands of operators and OEMs worldwide. Its reputation as a world leader in the innovation, manufacturing and certification of aerial application systems has been built over a 73-year history of supplying cutting-edge designs, high-quality craftmanship and reliable customer support to its client base.
The newly combined entity, which will transition into operating under the DART brand, will now have more than 320 employees in eight locations worldwide, including four manufacturing centers of excellence.
DART’s acquisition of Simplex Aerospace will also allow the Canadian-based mission equipment manufacturer to broaden and diversify its firefighting product portfolio. It will enable DART to offer several exciting new product categories to its global network of OEMs and helicopter operators, including firefighting belly tanks, aerial cleaning supplies and agricultural spray systems.
“With the support of Simplex’s 200+ international product certifications and its years of experience in the aerial firefighting sector, DART will strengthen its global leadership position by providing helicopter mission equipment for offshore, firefighting and utility applications, as well as an increased portfolio alongside our current product offering of 900+ STCs” states Alain Madore, DART’s President and CEO.
“We are proud to be delivering the added value that Simplex’s products and capabilities will bring to the DART brand” said Mark Zimmerman, President and CEO of Simplex who led the company through 18 years of success. “Together, our unique STC portfolio and complementary product lines will enable us to achieve revenue synergies and expand our reach across the aerial firefighting sector worldwide.”
Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
DART provides industry-leading design, manufacturing and market-certified solutions for the helicopter and aerospace industry. With an impressive line-up of over 900 STCs, DART offers a comprehensive portfolio of mission equipment and related services, replacement parts and tooling for civil and military operators, all major rotorcraft OEMs, completion centers and MR&O facilities. DART’s key products include: flotation systems, landing gears, interior and exterior accessories, cargo expansion, external loads, cable cutters and filters. All this, in addition to extensive engineering capabilities and manufacturing centers delivering fast time-to-market solutions with superior customer support in over 120 countries worldwide.
Additional information may be found at dartaerospace.com.
About Simplex Aerospace
From aerial agricultural applications to today’s most advanced aircraft fire-fighting equipment, Simplex Aerospace, based in Portland, Oregon is an industry leader serving thousands of operators worldwide. Simplex’s reputation as the world leader in design, manufacturing, and certification of aerial application systems has been built over a 73- year history of supplying innovative designs, high-quality craftsmanship and reliable customer support.
Simplex specializes in multi-mission rapid on-off tank systems requiring minimum aircraft modifications.
As an industry pioneer, Simplex introduced the first aluminum centrifugal pump designed for aerial applications in 1946. Today, Simplex maintains its industry leadership by incorporating the latest technology in design and manufacturing systems from high-strength, low-weight composite materials to produce the highest performance and most cost-effective airborne systems available.