William Cook Holdings Limited

Cavendish is pleased to announce that it has advised the shareholders of William Cook Holdings Limited on a major investment into Cook Defence Systems, from US listed aerospace and defence group, HEICO Corporation.

The newly formed company, HEICO Cook Defence Limited will be owned 80% by HEICO and 20% by William Cook Holdings.

Cook Defence Systems is an independent designer and manufacturer of track systems for armoured fighting vehicles, created in its current form in 1994 by Sir Andrew Cook CBE.

HEICO Corporation, whose headquarters are in Florida, USA, is engaged primarily in the design, production, servicing and distribution of products and services to certain niche segments of the aviation, defence, space, medical, telecommunications and electronics industries.

William Cook and Sir Andrew Cook CBE jointly commented:

“We are proud to have built Cook Defence Systems into a trusted partner to governments, armies and armoured vehicle manufacturers worldwide. In HEICO, we have found a long-term partner that values our independence, supports our growth ambitions, and shares our commitment to engineering excellence, quality, and service. We are confident about the future of Cook Defence Systems under the joint ownership of HEICO and William Cook Holdings.”

Eric A. Mendelson and Victor H. Mendelson, HEICO’s Co-Chairmen and Co-Chief Executive Officers, jointly commented:

“Cook Defence Systems represents a distinctive addition to HEICO’s Flight Support Group with many of the attractive attributes we look for in our businesses. The Company has established strong relationships across leading defense OEMs and government customers across multiple critical armoured vehicle platforms. Cook’s proprietary technology, consistent aftermarket demand, and exposure to increasing global defence spending position it well for continued growth and long-term value creation. We are pleased to welcome William Cook and his team to the HEICO family.”

Lord Leigh of Hurley, Senior Partner at Cavendish plc said:

“Given the longstanding family heritage, nearly two centuries of design and engineering excellence, and strategic importance to its customers, finding the right partner for William Cook Holdings was critical.

Preserving the firm’s autonomy, supporting the management team to continue executing its strategy, and achieving strong cultural alignment were all key priorities. We are delighted to have supported the shareholders on this transformative transaction for William Cook Holdings.”