Deal Details

ORCA Division of Metron Is Acquired by SPA

Industrial

Metron sale of the ORCA Division to SPA, a portfolio company of ACP

Summary

Metron announced today that its Operations Research & Cyber Analysis (“ORCA”) division (the “Business”) has been acquired by Systems Planning & Analysis (“SPA”), an Arlington Capital Partners (“ACP”) portfolio company.

Baird served as exclusive financial advisor to Metron on this transaction.

About

ORCA is a leader in operations research, systems of systems engineering, model-based system engineering, and digital engineering processes for the Navy and other national security customers. ORCA provides data-driven decision support services influencing critical national security and defense strategic direction for over a decade. This longstanding reputation of executing state-of-the-art engineering is aided by ORCA’s respected suite of advanced tools including Cyber Assassin and the Naval Simulation System as well as its team of technical experts. ORCA is based in San Diego, California.

SPA’s acquisition of ORCA illustrates the following buyer priorities in Government & Defense M&A: (1) interest in model-based systems engineering (2) importance of proprietary tools and solutions to enable missions of national significance; and (3) continued private equity investment in the Government & Defense sector.

Metron, Inc. is a scientific consulting and research firm dedicated to solving challenging technical problems primarily for national security. Metron’s technical expertise and leadership spans analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, autonomy, data fusion and tracking. For over thirty-five years, Metron has invented and delivered innovative solutions through a unique first-principles approach to advanced mathematics, computer science, physics, and engineering. Metron tailored solutions are designed to solve its customer’s most difficult mission problems. Metron is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

SPA provides innovative and leading-edge solutions that integrate technical, operational, programmatic, policy, and business factors in support of important national security objectives. SPA provides systems engineering, modeling and simulation, advanced analytics, strategic advisory, and industrial policy solutions to government and defense customers in the United States and Australia, including Strategic Systems Programs, the broader undersea and surface warfare community within the US Navy, Office of the Secretary of Defense (“OSD”), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (“DTRA”), Space Force, Air Force and the Australian Department of Defense. SPA is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

ACP is a Washington, DC-based private equity firm that is currently investing out of Arlington Capital Partners V, L.P., a $1.7 billion fund. The firm has managed approximately $4.0 billion of committed capital via five investment funds. ACP is focused on middle market investment opportunities in growth industries including government services and technology, aerospace & defense, healthcare, and business services and software.

Industrial

Metron sale of the ORCA Division to SPA, a portfolio company of ACP