Blackstone swoops on Senior in £1.3bn aerospace supply chain play
Manufacturing giant Senior has agreed to a £1.3bn takeover by a consortium backed by Blackstone and Tinicum, marking the latest London-listed industrial firm to be taken private as overseas buyers target UK assets.
The recommended all-cash offer values the FTSE 250 engineer at £1.28bn, with an implied enterprise value of roughly £1.4bn, the companies told markets on Tuesday. Shareholders will receive 300p per share, including a 2.15p final dividend.
The price represents a 36.6 per cent premium to Senior’s six-month average share price and more than 50 per cent to its 12-month average.
However, it is only a modest 2.8 per cent uplift on its most recent closing price.
Senior’s board said it intends to unanimously recommend the deal, with irrevocable undertakings already secured from investors representing around 18 per cent of the share register.
Its chairman Ian King announced: “The Board believes that Bidco’s offer recognises the attractiveness of Senior and represents an opportunity for Senior shareholders to realise an immediate cash value at an attractive enterprise valuation”.
Renewed interest in UK industry
The deal comes amid rising interest in Senior, which has been the subject of various approaches in recent months, as private equity giants increasingly look to UK-listed industrial firms.
Earlier bids included interest from Arcline, as well as a £1.14bn proposal from Advent, both of which ultimately simmered down as the Blackstone-Tinicum consortium emerged as the preferred bidder.
Headquartered in Hertfordshire, Senior supplies high-performance components and systems to aerospace and defence customers including Boeing and Airbus. Its position in these supply chains has made it an attractive target as global aviation activity recovers and defence spending rises.
The consortium plans to combine Senior with AeroFlow Technologies, an existing Tinicum portfolio company, creating a larger aerospace platform with broader capabilities and more stable revenues across economic cycles.
The takeover also comes against a backdrop of sustained interest in UK equities from overseas buyers, with relatively lower valuations and a weaker pound continuing to draw private capital into London-listed firms.
Defence demand underpins valuation
Senior generated around £738m in revenue in 2025 and operates across aerospace and energy markets, though its exposure to defence and aerospace programmes has become increasingly important to its growth outlook.
The agreed offer values the business at around 15.2 times adjusted earnings, and 22 times operating profit for 2025.
This reflects the premium placed on suppliers with predictable order books and long-duration contracts.
Private equity firms have stepped up activity in the sector in recent years, targeting companies tied into global aircraft production and defence supply chains, where revenues are supported by multi-year programmes and rising geopolitical tensions.
The transaction will be implemented through a court-approved scheme of arrangement, with shareholder documentation expected in the coming weeks.