SAirGroup is to acquire US airline caterer Dobbs for $780 million and merge it with its own Gate Gourmet operation to become the industry's market leader. Memphis-based Dobbs had a turnover of $891 million last year, while the combined business should generate annual sales of around $2 billion. SAirGroup aims to raise $332 million in the medium term from divesting non-core assets. Pacific Aerospace & Electronics of the USA is to acquire aerostructures and tooling specialist Skagit Engineering for $1.3 million. Pacific has announced plans to buy Novatech Engineering. British Aerospace and Simitomo Precision Products of Japan are to form a company called Silicon Sensing Systems, specialising in motion-sensing technology.
Source: Flight International
