The Stephens Group Adds Aviation Safety Firm VisionSafe to Portfolio

(VisionSafe)

Private equity firm The Stephens Group LLC of Little Rock on Tuesday announced a “significant strategic investment” in VisionSafe LLC of Kaneohe, Hawaii, a company that makes cockpit smoke displacement systems for aircraft.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

In a news release, The Stephens Group said it will work with VisionSafe to boost the company’s research and development, platform certification, and sales and marketing efforts all while seeking accretive add-on acquisitions. The Stephens Group said the investment shows the firm’s continued interest in supporting businesses that provide highly-engineered critical systems and components with aerospace and defense applications.

“We are excited to work with The Stephens Group and leverage their experience and commitment to the aerospace and defense market,” MaryAnn Omerod, chief operating officer of VisionSafe, said in a statement. “This strategic investment will allow us to expand research and development, and customer support, and thereby accelerate the achievement of our strategic vision.”

VisionSafe was founded in 1989 by Bertil Werjefelt, an inventor of numerous aviation safety devices. The company designs, develops and manufactures cockpit smoke displacement systems and also provides the maintenance, inspection, and service for its products.

In-flight fires, smoke or fumes are a significant cause of emergency landings and unscheduled landings, with more than 1,000 incidents per year in the U.S. alone, according to VisionSafe’s website. The company makes a self-contained battery, pump and filter system that operates independent of aircraft power and, the company says, allows pilots to see and fly the aircraft no matter how much smoke gets in the cockpit.

VisionSafe’s website lists the U.S. military, JetBlue, Gulfstream, Cessna and Dassault among its clients.

“We’re thrilled to work with the VisionSafe team and the Werjefelt family on this growth catalyzing investment,” said Jack Nadal, managing director of The Stephens Group. “As a safety first organization, VisionSafe has developed an exceptional reputation in the cockpit smoke displacement market.

“VisionSafe’s relentless focus on safety, innovation and customer support, has led them to become a leader in the space, with units installed on thousands of business, cargo, and passenger aircraft. We’re excited by the growth prospects for the business, and are eager to support VisionSafe as we execute on organic and inorganic opportunities.”