{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"157470","rtpr_id":"nBw6fmhlDa-20261001","ticker":"ANTIN","exchange":"Euronext Paris","all_tickers":["ANTIN"],"title":"Antin Acquires HP Helicopters, a Leading US Specialty Helicopter Company","author":"Business Wire","published_at":"2026-10-01T05:00:00.132Z","article_body":"Antin Acquires HP Helicopters, a Leading US Specialty Helicopter Company\n\nFleet focused on aerial firefighting and critical utility infrastructure\n\nAntin Infrastructure Partners has acquired a majority stake in High\nPerformance Helicopters Corp (“HP Helicopters”), a US specialty helicopter\ncompany. The investment is being made by Antin’s NextGen Fund I.\n\nFounded in 2005 by Brad and Tracey Bauder and based in Redlands, California,\nHP Helicopters is focused on critical services to the utility infrastructure,\nconstruction and aerial firefighting industries. HP Helicopters’ fleet\ncurrently serves customers in 10 states in the Western US, catering to a broad\nrange of clients, notably including state and federal government agencies,\nutilities, engineering, procurement and construction firms, and aerospace and\ndefense companies.\n\nHelicopters are increasingly important in the utility and wildfire response\nsectors for their ability to carry heavy payloads and access hard-to-reach\nareas. HP Helicopters has seen strong growth in this fragmented and\nunderserved market on the back of two major but unrelated trends: a growing\nneed for emergency response to wildfires due to climate change, and rising\ndemand for mission-critical heavy-lift services by helicopters to help\nmodernize aging infrastructure and support electrification and grid expansion\nfor AI.\n\nBoth of these trends are closely aligned with Antin’s NextGen investment\nstrategy. NextGen invests in companies with proven business models and\ntechnologies that require substantial capital and expertise to scale to become\nthe next generation of infrastructure.\n\nThis investment is the eighth by Antin’s €1.2 billion NextGen\nInfrastructure Fund I. Antin is acquiring a significant majority stake in the\ncompany, and Brad Bauder will retain a minority holding.\n\nHP Helicopters is also strengthening its leadership team with the appointment\nof Santiago Crespo as Chief Financial Officer. Santiago brings over 25 years\nof experience helping scale companies across the helicopter and broader\naircraft industries.\n\nAngelika Schöchlin and Stephan Feilhauer, respectively Managing Partner and\nNextGen Partner at Antin Infrastructure Partners, commented: “We are\ndelighted to be partnering with Brad to accelerate HP Helicopters’ growth.\nThe company is a good fit for our NextGen strategy, which aims to build\ntomorrow’s infrastructure today. We see strong potential to take HP\nHelicopters to the next level by expanding the fleet, further increasing\nefficiencies, and continuing the transition to long-term exclusive use\ncontracts with clients who want to ensure availability amid a structural\nsupply shortage for heavy-duty helicopters.”\n\nBrad Bauder, CEO and co-founder of HP Helicopters, added: “We are excited to\njoin forces with Antin. This partnership is about more than just capital; it\nalso gives us access to resources and experience that will help accelerate the\ncompany’s growth. We see tremendous value in this partnership and are\nconfident that this is the best way to safely scale and grow our specialty\nservices company to help meet industry demand.”\n\nAntin was advised by Goodwin Procter LLP as legal counsel and Cozen O’Connor\nP.C. as aviation regulatory counsel. The sellers were advised by Red Mountain\nCapital Advisors as financial advisor, Varner & Brandt LLP as legal\ncounsel and Jetlaw, LLC as aviation regulatory counsel.\n\nAbout Antin Infrastructure Partners\n\nAntin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on\ninfrastructure. With over €33 billion in assets under management across its\nFlagship, Mid Cap and NextGen investment strategies, Antin targets investments\nin the energy and environment, digital, transport and social infrastructure\nsectors. With offices in Paris, London, New York, Seoul, Melbourne and\nLuxembourg, Antin employs over 250 professionals dedicated to growing,\nimproving and transforming infrastructure businesses while delivering\nlong-term value to portfolio companies and investors. Majority owned by its\npartners, Antin is listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: ANTIN – ISIN:\nFR0014005AL0). For more information visit: www.antin-ip.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antin-ip.com%2F&esheet=54612750&newsitemid=20260929604423&lan=en-US&anchor=www.antin-ip.com&index=1&md5=ad802de06ce169793dea4624322eda7f)\n\nAbout High Performance Helicopters\n\nFounded in 2005, High Performance Helicopters specializes in heavy lift\noperations, aerial firefighting, utility infrastructure support, remote area\nconstruction, and aerospace R&D. Based in Redlands, California, the\ncompany spans nationwide with mobile maintenance capabilities and specialized\nsupport infrastructure. HP Helicopters is certified to transport HAZMAT,\nstandard external cargo, and Human External Cargo in support of diverse\nmission requirements throughout the United States. HP Helicopters operates to\nthe highest regulatory standards, executing complex external-load operations\nand aerial firefighting missions in some of the most demanding environments.\nThe company combines experienced crews, proven aircraft, and a safety-first\nculture to deliver mission-ready performance when it matters most. For more\ninformation visit: www.hphelicopters.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hphelicopters.com&esheet=54612750&newsitemid=20260929604423&lan=en-US&anchor=www.hphelicopters.com&index=2&md5=665cef728d635d37bcf50db2b7c72f88)\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929604423/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929604423/en/)\n\nMedia Contacts\n\nAntin Infrastructure Partners \n\nThomas Kamm, Partner – Head of Communications\n\nEmail: media@antin-ip.com (mailto:media@antin-ip.com)\n\nNicolle Graugnard, Communication Director\n\nEmail: media@antin-ip.com (mailto:media@antin-ip.com)\n\nLudmilla Binet, Head of Shareholder Relations\n\nEmail: shareholders@antin-ip.com (mailto:shareholders@antin-ip.com)\n\nBrunswick \n\nTristan Roquet Montegon\n\n+33 (0) 6 37 00 52 57\n\nEmail: antinip@brunswickgroup.com (mailto:antinip@brunswickgroup.com)\n\nHP Helicopters \n\nChristina Freundt – Media Relations\n\nEmail: marketing@hphelicopters.com (mailto:marketing@hphelicopters.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nBw6fmhlDa-20261001","title":"Antin Acquires HP Helicopters, a Leading US Specialty Helicopter Company","author":"Business Wire","ticker":"ANTIN","created":"2026-10-01T05:00:00.132Z","tickers":["ANTIN"],"exchange":"Euronext Paris","article_body":"Antin Acquires HP Helicopters, a Leading US Specialty Helicopter Company\n\nFleet focused on aerial firefighting and critical utility infrastructure\n\nAntin Infrastructure Partners has acquired a majority stake in High\nPerformance Helicopters Corp (“HP Helicopters”), a US specialty helicopter\ncompany. The investment is being made by Antin’s NextGen Fund I.\n\nFounded in 2005 by Brad and Tracey Bauder and based in Redlands, California,\nHP Helicopters is focused on critical services to the utility infrastructure,\nconstruction and aerial firefighting industries. HP Helicopters’ fleet\ncurrently serves customers in 10 states in the Western US, catering to a broad\nrange of clients, notably including state and federal government agencies,\nutilities, engineering, procurement and construction firms, and aerospace and\ndefense companies.\n\nHelicopters are increasingly important in the utility and wildfire response\nsectors for their ability to carry heavy payloads and access hard-to-reach\nareas. HP Helicopters has seen strong growth in this fragmented and\nunderserved market on the back of two major but unrelated trends: a growing\nneed for emergency response to wildfires due to climate change, and rising\ndemand for mission-critical heavy-lift services by helicopters to help\nmodernize aging infrastructure and support electrification and grid expansion\nfor AI.\n\nBoth of these trends are closely aligned with Antin’s NextGen investment\nstrategy. NextGen invests in companies with proven business models and\ntechnologies that require substantial capital and expertise to scale to become\nthe next generation of infrastructure.\n\nThis investment is the eighth by Antin’s €1.2 billion NextGen\nInfrastructure Fund I. Antin is acquiring a significant majority stake in the\ncompany, and Brad Bauder will retain a minority holding.\n\nHP Helicopters is also strengthening its leadership team with the appointment\nof Santiago Crespo as Chief Financial Officer. Santiago brings over 25 years\nof experience helping scale companies across the helicopter and broader\naircraft industries.\n\nAngelika Schöchlin and Stephan Feilhauer, respectively Managing Partner and\nNextGen Partner at Antin Infrastructure Partners, commented: “We are\ndelighted to be partnering with Brad to accelerate HP Helicopters’ growth.\nThe company is a good fit for our NextGen strategy, which aims to build\ntomorrow’s infrastructure today. We see strong potential to take HP\nHelicopters to the next level by expanding the fleet, further increasing\nefficiencies, and continuing the transition to long-term exclusive use\ncontracts with clients who want to ensure availability amid a structural\nsupply shortage for heavy-duty helicopters.”\n\nBrad Bauder, CEO and co-founder of HP Helicopters, added: “We are excited to\njoin forces with Antin. This partnership is about more than just capital; it\nalso gives us access to resources and experience that will help accelerate the\ncompany’s growth. We see tremendous value in this partnership and are\nconfident that this is the best way to safely scale and grow our specialty\nservices company to help meet industry demand.”\n\nAntin was advised by Goodwin Procter LLP as legal counsel and Cozen O’Connor\nP.C. as aviation regulatory counsel. The sellers were advised by Red Mountain\nCapital Advisors as financial advisor, Varner & Brandt LLP as legal\ncounsel and Jetlaw, LLC as aviation regulatory counsel.\n\nAbout Antin Infrastructure Partners\n\nAntin Infrastructure Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on\ninfrastructure. With over €33 billion in assets under management across its\nFlagship, Mid Cap and NextGen investment strategies, Antin targets investments\nin the energy and environment, digital, transport and social infrastructure\nsectors. With offices in Paris, London, New York, Seoul, Melbourne and\nLuxembourg, Antin employs over 250 professionals dedicated to growing,\nimproving and transforming infrastructure businesses while delivering\nlong-term value to portfolio companies and investors. Majority owned by its\npartners, Antin is listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: ANTIN – ISIN:\nFR0014005AL0). For more information visit: www.antin-ip.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antin-ip.com%2F&esheet=54612750&newsitemid=20260929604423&lan=en-US&anchor=www.antin-ip.com&index=1&md5=ad802de06ce169793dea4624322eda7f)\n\nAbout High Performance Helicopters\n\nFounded in 2005, High Performance Helicopters specializes in heavy lift\noperations, aerial firefighting, utility infrastructure support, remote area\nconstruction, and aerospace R&D. Based in Redlands, California, the\ncompany spans nationwide with mobile maintenance capabilities and specialized\nsupport infrastructure. HP Helicopters is certified to transport HAZMAT,\nstandard external cargo, and Human External Cargo in support of diverse\nmission requirements throughout the United States. HP Helicopters operates to\nthe highest regulatory standards, executing complex external-load operations\nand aerial firefighting missions in some of the most demanding environments.\nThe company combines experienced crews, proven aircraft, and a safety-first\nculture to deliver mission-ready performance when it matters most. For more\ninformation visit: www.hphelicopters.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hphelicopters.com&esheet=54612750&newsitemid=20260929604423&lan=en-US&anchor=www.hphelicopters.com&index=2&md5=665cef728d635d37bcf50db2b7c72f88)\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929604423/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929604423/en/)\n\nMedia Contacts\n\nAntin Infrastructure Partners \n\nThomas Kamm, Partner – Head of Communications\n\nEmail: media@antin-ip.com (mailto:media@antin-ip.com)\n\nNicolle Graugnard, Communication Director\n\nEmail: media@antin-ip.com (mailto:media@antin-ip.com)\n\nLudmilla Binet, Head of Shareholder Relations\n\nEmail: shareholders@antin-ip.com (mailto:shareholders@antin-ip.com)\n\nBrunswick \n\nTristan Roquet Montegon\n\n+33 (0) 6 37 00 52 57\n\nEmail: antinip@brunswickgroup.com (mailto:antinip@brunswickgroup.com)\n\nHP Helicopters \n\nChristina Freundt – Media Relations\n\nEmail: marketing@hphelicopters.com (mailto:marketing@hphelicopters.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-10-01T05:00:00.19817354Z","server_sent_at_ms":1790830800198},"received_at":"2026-10-01T05:00:00.247Z","source_url":"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929604423/en/"},"analysis":{"id":"146136","press_release_id":"157470","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Asset Management","sector":"Financials"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"m_and_a","narrative":"Antin Infrastructure Partners' NextGen Fund I has acquired a majority stake in High Performance Helicopters, a California-based specialty helicopter operator focused on aerial firefighting and utility infrastructure services across 10 Western US states.\n\nThis is the eighth investment from the €1.2 billion NextGen fund; founder and CEO Brad Bauder retains a minority holding, and Santiago Crespo joins as CFO.\n\nThe deal aligns with Antin's NextGen thesis around wildfire emergency response and grid modernization, with plans to expand the fleet and shift toward long-term exclusive-use contracts.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"NextGen Fund I adds aerial firefighting/grid-services platform -- deployment pace and thematic tailwinds worth a brief note for ANTIN holders."},"keyFigures":{"dealValueUsd":0,"customDimensions":{"antin_aum":"€33 billion","nextgen_fund_size":"€1.2 billion","deal_number_in_fund":8}},"quotedText":"We see strong potential to take HP Helicopters to the next level by expanding the fleet, further increasing efficiencies, and continuing the transition to long-term exclusive use contracts with clients who want to ensure availability amid a structural supply shortage for heavy-duty helicopters.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Brad Bauder","role":"CEO and co-founder of HP Helicopters, retaining minority holding"},{"name":"Tracey Bauder","role":"co-founder of HP Helicopters"},{"name":"Santiago Crespo","role":"incoming CFO of HP Helicopters"},{"name":"Angelika Schöchlin","role":"Managing Partner, Antin Infrastructure Partners"},{"name":"Stephan Feilhauer","role":"NextGen Partner, Antin Infrastructure Partners"}],"products":[],"companies":[{"name":"Antin Infrastructure Partners","ticker":"ANTIN","relationship":"acquirer"},{"name":"High Performance Helicopters Corp (HP Helicopters)","relationship":"target"},{"name":"Goodwin Procter LLP","relationship":"legal counsel to acquirer"},{"name":"Cozen O'Connor P.C.","relationship":"aviation regulatory counsel to acquirer"},{"name":"Red Mountain Capital Advisors","relationship":"financial advisor to sellers"},{"name":"Varner & Brandt LLP","relationship":"legal counsel to sellers"},{"name":"Jetlaw, LLC","relationship":"aviation regulatory counsel to sellers"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"€1.2 billion","context":"size of Antin's NextGen Infrastructure Fund I"},{"amount":"€33 billion","context":"Antin's total assets under management"}]},"materialImpact":{"score":2,"reasoning":"Antin's NextGen Fund I (not the listed company itself) acquired a majority stake in a private portfolio company. 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