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Lockheed Martin Acquires Amor Group

US Security & Aerospace Giant Extends its Global Reach with Strategic Acquisition

Lockheed Martin, the US-based, global, advanced technology, security and aerospace company has acquired Amor Group, the UK technology company that specialises in business critical solutions for the energy, transport and public services sectors. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The strategic acquisition of Amor Group allows Lockheed Martin to extend and strengthen its existing capabilities within the UK public sector, in addition to a number of adjacent markets including energy and transportation, particularly the oil and gas and airport management sectors. The deal will make Lockheed Martin a top ten ICT player in the UK market.

Amor Group will become an important part of Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions business, specifically reporting to the civil line of business. The deal will more than double the Information Systems and Global Solutions business headcount in the UK to more than 1,000 and it is expecting this will grow by a further 200 by the end of the year.

John Innes, Amor Group CEO added: “We were at the stage in our life cycle where we were looking at refinancing to support our growth ambitions as well as allow our private equity partners to exit in line with their original investment plans. The opportunity to become a part of Lockheed Martin is fantastic, not least because of the remarkable synergies between our cultures and ambitions. They offer a strong platform for growth in terms of talent, clients, geographic footprint, offerings and investment. It’s a perfect fit at the right time.

“Our success is a direct result of our talented and dedicated employees. We’re excited that this deal will enable us to continue to expand our reach. I’m proud that all of our fantastic achievements to date have allowed Amor Group to become a key part of one of the world’s respected and significant businesses.”

Stephen Ball, Lockheed Martin UK Chief Executive Officer said: “This transaction provides opportunities for both Amor Group and Lockheed Martin to grow through innovative IT technology and key international markets. Amor Group will be an important addition to our Information Systems & Global Solutions business.”

The deal marks a successful exit for Amor Group’s previous funders – Growth Capital Partners, Sword Group and Scottish Enterprise.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “We welcome this investment in a leading Scottish business. Since the group was formed in 2009 Amor has seen significant growth and now employs over 600 people across the UK. That growth reflects both the skills and expertise of the company’s management and workforce and Scotland’s ability to nurture and grow highly successful technology businesses.  

“This acquisition by one of the world’s largest aerospace and technology companies demonstrates Amor’s international standing, Scotland’s attractiveness to global investors and their confidence in Scotland’s economy. Through our enterprise agencies we look forward to continued working with the company and supporting further growth.”

Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive Lena Wilson welcomed the acquisition, saying: “This deal secures for Scotland an operation that will continue to grow and provide more highly skilled jobs as it does so. It gives us some valuable inward investment by a major player in the global technology market that will help raise Scotland’s profile within the industry worldwide. And it provides a healthy return for the public sector investment we made in the Amor Group which will in turn be reinvested in other Scottish businesses’ growth.”

James Blake, Partner at Growth Capital Partners said: “GCP has had a fantastic 4 years working with John and his team from the inception of Amor as a buyout in 2009 through an exciting period of year on year growth, culminating in this exit which is a great outcome for our investors. Amor has significantly outperformed through a combination of charismatic leadership, top quality management and the positive drivers for demand inherent in the core sectors of energy, transport and public services. John Innes, Scott Leiper and David Blyth have done an exceptional job in growing the business since the buyout.”

Key sector benefits identified by the deal include:

Energy: The deal provides significant opportunities for growth through the application of further Amor Group and Lockheed Martin IP across the global Energy sector. Lockheed Martin provides cyber security, energy efficiency and advanced grid management solutions to a number of utilities.  Amor Group specialises in IT managed services, information management, process safety and security for top global Oil & Gas, Power Generation & Utilities operators.

Transport: Amor Group has developed the Chroma Airport Suite which helps airport operators deliver the next generation of airport operations by providing a single technology platform focused on stakeholder collaboration and integration. It manages more than 3 million aircraft movements and tracks 700 million passengers a year for airports around the globe including Dubai, Avinor, and Toronto Pearson. This complements Lockheed Martin’s well-established Transportation Solutions business which serves the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and several global customers.

Public Services: Lockheed Martin has been the number one provider of information and communications technology (ICT) to the Federal Government in the USA for 20 years and is the fastest growing provider in UK Government ICT services, building a strong track record and reputation though working on UK Census and MoJ. Amor Group has a strong focus on the UK’s public services sector which includes contracts for key procurement and education systems. The combined experience, expertise and research of the two parties will help drive further innovations across all facets of the UK public sector to delivering value for citizens.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

In its latest set of results, Amor Group posted a fourth consecutive year of strong earnings growth in both the UK and International markets. It is a privately held company with more than 500 employees across seven facilities in the UK with a presence in 15 additional countries and clients including Dubai Airports, Toronto Pearson, DONG Energy, National Grid, Skills Funding Agency and Scottish Government. Amor Group shareholders were advised by PwC in this transaction.