Safran secures stake

Safran, an international high technology group focused on aerospace propulsion, aircraft equipment and defence security, has acquired an 81 per cent stake in GE Homeland Protection, a major supplier of baggage screening systems to airports, for $580 million 


Safran, an international high technology group focused on aerospace propulsion, aircraft equipment and defence security, has acquired an 81 per cent stake in GE Homeland Protection, a major supplier of baggage screening systems to airports, for $580 million 

Safran, an international high technology group focused on aerospace propulsion, aircraft equipment and defence security, has acquired an 81 per cent stake in GE Homeland Protection, a wholly owned affiliate of General Electric and a major supplier of baggage screening systems to airports, for $580 million (£398 million).

The deal propels Sagem Security, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safran, to the number one slot in global airport security services while General Electric retains a 19 per cent interest and a seat on the Board.

The deal brings leading-edge defence security technology under one roof and boosts Safran’s presence in the explosives and narcotics detection market, which is worth an estimated $2.4 billion.

GE Homeland Protection has the largest worldwide installed base of baggage screening machines. The company has 780 employees located in the US, Europe and Asia, and posted sales of some $260 million in 2008

Jean-Paul Herteman, Safran CEO, said: “Following our 2008 acquisitions of SDU-Identification, a Dutch manufacturer of secure passports and ID documents, and Motorola’s biometrics business, adding GE Homeland Protection will significantly bolster our Group’s third core business. This makes Safran a pivotal player in the security market, a business that will generate 20 per cent of the Group’s total revenues in the medium term, with double-digit profit perspectives and reducing exposure to aerospace cycles.”

Nick Britton

Nick Britton

Nick was the Managing Editor for growthbusiness.co.uk when it was owned by Vitesse Media, before moving on to become Head of Investment Group and Editor at What Investment and thence to Head of Intermediary...

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