Columbia Helicopters said Thursday it will be sold to a private equity firm, the second time in less than a year the Oregon company has announced a sale.
In November, Columbia announced it would sell to a Texas helicopter company, Bristow Group, for $559 million. But the deal collapsed as Bristow faced questions about its own business, ultimately filing for bankruptcy.
Aurora-based Columbia, which has been owned by the family of founder Wes Lematta since his death in 2009, now says it has a new buyer.
AE Industrial Partners is a Florida investment firm that says it specializes in aerospace and defense. It said Thursday that Columbia CEO Steve Bandy will remain at the helm and that current majority owner Nancy Lematta will “retain a significant ownership position.”
The companies didn’t report terms of the deal.
