Pre-close · Aerospace & Defense

Aerospace & Defense Deals: Real Estate Carve-Outs Done Right

When the deal is aerospace and defense and the question is Real Estate Carve-Outs, the structure decisions in the first 30 days outlast the next five years. This is where Jason Powell works.

EV range $15M to $200M EV EBITDA $3M to $30M Audience Buy & Sell-side
The deal context

An independent sponsor closing aerospace and defense transactions in the $15M to $200M EV range has a defined set of moves at the Real Estate Carve-Outs stage. Most of them are not in a generic M&A textbook.

The typical aerospace and defense platform sits at $15M to $200M EV with EBITDA in the $3M to $30M range. The thesis runs on tier-two or tier-three supplier consolidation with certifications as moat. Foreign LP capital can trigger CFIUS review on the cleanest of deals. Map the cap table early.

The moves

How Real Estate Carve-Outs actually gets structured.

  1. Separate operating real estate into a single-purpose entity pre-close.

  2. Document an arm's-length lease with renewal options and assignment rights.

  3. Address title, survey, and environmental on each parcel.

  4. Coordinate the real estate close with the operating company close.

  5. In aerospace and defense, layer in ITAR / EAR registration transferred or refiled before close as part of the Real Estate Carve-Outs workstream.

The common mistake

Leaving the real estate inside the operating company. The buyer pays a higher multiple than the real estate deserves.

Jason's take
"Real estate trades at a different multiple than the business. Separate it, lease it, manage it."
Jason Powell · Real Estate Carve-Outs
Capital after close

The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.

Most independent sponsors solve the closing capital and then run into the post-close capital problem alone. The capital markets relationships that matter at month 18 are part of this practice.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
WORK WITH JASON

Bring the aerospace and defense deal. Get Real Estate Carve-Outs done right.

Direct counsel from a securities and M&A attorney with billions in structured transactions, the independent-sponsor-native playbook, and the capital markets network that opens up post-close.