Raven’s Aerostar business acquired by Maryland company
July 29, 2022
The final piece of the former Raven Industries has a new owner.
Maryland-based TCOM Holdings, the parent of TCOM LP, acquired Aerostar International Inc. from Raven Industries Inc., which now is a subsidiary of CNH Industrial NV.
Aerostar will become an operating business unit under TCOM, which promotes itself as the global leader in ISR awareness solutions. ISR stands for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Based in Sioux Falls, Aerostar is a global leader in the design, manufacture, integration and operation of persistent stratospheric platforms and radar systems.
“We are excited to welcome Aerostar to our growing portfolio of aerospace and defense holdings,” said Ron Bendlin, president and CEO of TCOM.
“Our ability to leverage TCOM’s proven elevated awareness solutions using tethered aerostats and Aerostar’s sophisticated sensors and stratospheric balloons will more broadly serve our DoD (Department of Defense), DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and allied military customers.”
TCOM offers multidomain awareness solutions for force protection, distant warning and targeting, critical infrastructure, and maritime and border security missions. Its elevated ISR platforms are designed to collect information from multiple integrated sensors and provide situational awareness through integrated communications equipment.
“In this era of rapid technology development, maintaining security is an evolving mission with revolutionary threats to changing targets. TCOM’s elevated awareness solutions are custom tailored to meet our customer needs for today and tomorrow,” the company said in a statement.
Aerostar stratospheric balloons provide critical advantages for a wide range of missions, bridging the capability gap between aircraft and satellites. In border security, maritime, and air surveillance applications, Aerostar radar systems provide sophisticated statistical detection, tracking and classification, as well as multisensor correlation, the company said.
“The strategic alignment between TCOM LP and Aerostar will enhance our ability to innovate in aerospace and defense, drive growth in our target markets and expand our global reach to connect, protect and save lives,” Aerostar president Jim Nelson said.
Raven’s applied technology business is what attracted major industry player CNH Industrial. Its engineered films business now is called Viaflex and was acquired by Illinois-based Industrial Opportunity Partners, which is positioning it as an independent, stand-alone business.
