Defense firm BlueHalo will expand its reach into the space engineering market with the acquisition of Albuquerque-based Design & Development Engineering Services.
The deal was announced on July 5 and will bolster BlueHalo's capabilities in the areas of space hardware, laser communications systems and directed energy. Representative from Design & Development Engineering Services (DDES) and BlueHalo were unable to be reached for comment. It is unclear when the deal is set to close. DDES designs and manufactures electronic systems for spacecraft in military and national security operations.
"DDES has established itself as a leader in developing space-qualified hardware and we are incredibly excited to partner with the DDES management team as we expand our space manufacturing capabilities and continue to provide unique, world-class solutions for our customers," Jonathan Moneymaker, CEO of BlueHalo, said in a statement.
DDES is not the first Albuquerque engineering company to join BlueHalo. Applied Technology Associates (ATA) announced plans to merge with the growing defense firm last year. Alabama-based engineering firm AEgis Technologies Group, which had a local presence, and Ohio-based engineering and software firm Brilligent Solutions were also in on the deal. At the time of the merger, ATA was the largest Hispanic-owned business in New Mexico, according to Business First research. BlueHalo later acquired Base2 Engineering and Fortego.
BlueHalo is part of Arlington Capital Partners, a private equity firm in Maryland that has managed almost $4 billion worth of capital through five funds.
The announcement comes shortly after the news of a possible move for BlueHalo, which was scouting the Max Q commercial development near Kirtland Air Force Base, Business First reported last month.
Albuquerque has emerged as one of BlueHalo's prime locations. In unveiling its acquisition, Arlington Capital partner David Wodlinger said the city is "a great community in which we are looking to invest further."
"BlueHalo continues to make significant investments in engineering talent and specialized facilities in order to better serve important missions in space, and we are delighted to have DDES join the team," he said in a statement.
