Thoroughbred Air Synergies
Bringing operators and suppliers together to deliver strategic efficiencies
Helicopter Industry Cooperative
The only Industry-Driven and Strategy-Focused Cooperative for helicopter operators and suppliers
Thoroughbred Air Synergies represents the union of multi-disciplinary expertise and experience in part 135 commercial helicopter tour and charter operations, urban heliport development, operations and management, intergovernmental coordination and community relations, and management and coordination of financial services brokerage. In coming together, the core management behind this cooperative is intent on harnessing the power of a collective interest and capitalizing on synergies within the helicopter aviation industry so that members can focus on their operations and maximize returns.
The Synergistic Experience
A new level of strategic advantage, business development, and operational efficiency
Members will be able to rely on Thoroughbred Air Synergies to help source their varied needs and alleviate the pressures in ways historically only available to the largest operators. Thoroughbred Air Synergies will lead efforts to cut existing expenses with vendors and find other operational efficiencies among all partners. Thoroughbred Air Synergies will also offer business development services.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies’ partners will have access to preferred lending sources who understand and appreciate the intricacies associated with the industry, which will streamline the borrowing process and be a particularly valuable resource when interest rates on existing loans adjust or reach maturity.
Whatever your business goals are, we can help you achieve them. If you want to sell an aircraft, Thoroughbred Air Synergies will assist in finding a buyer. If you want to expand into a new territory, Thoroughbred Air Synergies can help you acquire an existing business operation there. If you wish to sell your business or merely a portion of it to raise capital, Thoroughbred Air Synergies will serve as the business broker on a commission basis and help you realize the liquidity event.
As a Thoroughbred Air Synergies member, you will have access to business coaching and financial modeling assistance at no cost to help you grow your business enterprise. Our team has extensive experience in growing businesses in the aviation industry and other sectors of the economy and will coach you on the same growth initiatives that helped them adapt, transform, and prosper.
All members have a vested interest in growing other member businesses to their full potential, as this means increased needs which translates to increased buying power and more negotiating leverage with vendors, suppliers, and service providers.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies will provide back of the house reservation management services to its member organizations for a fee.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies can provide optional internal audits upon request for a fee. Our audits will give you peace of mind that your operations are fully compliant with all FAA regulations, so that if and when an FAA audit occurs, minimal corrective actions are called out. The downstream consequences of corrective actions can of course be horrendously disruptive, including fines and suspended operations. It is always advisable to have a fresh set of qualified eyes review your operations, and welcomed when it is at a very reasonable expense.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies will leverage its multiple relationships with part 145 repair stations across the country to service your aircraft at the lowest financially feasible rates. Even if you already have in-house maintenance, this member benefit enables your company to become part of a network with access to parts and supplies. This service comes at no out-of-pocket cost to you; you simply pay a percentage of the savings you realize as a result of Thoroughbred Air Synergies’ efforts.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies is available to augment your existing marketing initiatives or completely take over and run your digital marketing programs.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies aims to provide an interactive technology platform for all member firms. The goal is to assemble and merge data to present the cooperative members’ purchasing power in sum to vendors and suppliers. Your degree of participation will be voluntary, and your data will be protected by the confidentiality provisions of our partnership agreement.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies will work on behalf of member firms to source materials, personnel, and services for every aspect of operations. There are dozens of inputs every helicopter operator needs to be successful, and Thoroughbred Air Synergies is positioned to secure the best possible rates. Thoroughbred Air Synergies will assist with everything from employee benefits programs to booking software licenses, replacement aircraft components to hull insurance, commission rates paid to resellers, etc. As a member entity, you have no obligation to participate, but if you do take advantage of this benefit, you only provide Thoroughbred Air Synergies a percentage of your measurable cost-savings.
In addition to benefiting from the cooperative bargaining power of Thoroughbred Air Synergies’ members, formal succession plans can be established within our network to give member business owners security of knowing that their family and employees will be protected in the event of sudden disability or death. By electing to become a vetted member, Thoroughbred Air Synergies will commit to purchasing the member business based on its EBOC (Earning Before Owners’ Compensation) and a 3x multiple paid over a 5-year period in the event of a death or disability. Owners can also elect to purchase a key man insurance policy, which will make succession terms even more favorable.
As core owners of aviation companies get older, one of the most difficult hurdles they face is succession planning – not only finding a successor that understands the business, but more importantly, the valuation for their life’s work. There is strength in numbers. A solo owner operator looking to sell their company gets significantly lower multiple than a large group of owner operators finding efficiencies among themselves and going to market as conglomerate.
Thoroughbred Air Synergies’ number one objective is to maximize the pecuniary benefits of each member’s business operations. At some later date, Thoroughbred Air Synergies may solicit institutional or public funds to finance a consolidation of participating member entities. All such members will have the right to tag along with the sale of combined organizations, but with no obligation. The goal is to have more size, scale, and operational efficiencies to negotiate the best transaction possible for all members. Those members who make an early commitment to a future liquidity event will be awarded a reduced commission and receive a greater multiple on their earnings. For members who reserve the right to make a decision at a future date and then elect to be dragged along, a multiple will be paid, and the commission paid to Thoroughbred Air Synergies may be incrementally greater. Regardless, participation will yield an exponentially higher return than an individual private party sale.
How Does It Work?
Members benefit tremendously from the collective size and scale that Thoroughbred Air Synergies will achieve at absolutely no risk. There are no upfront costs or fees. Thoroughbred Air Synergies is supported by a percentage of the savings it achieves for its members, payment for a la carte services, and compensated through commissions on transactions such as the acquisition or disposition of a member entity or related assets that are the direct result of Thoroughbred Air Synergies’ effort.
Members
