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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
approximately 60,000 trained technicians will be
needed to fill new and replacement jobs in the
U.S. airline industry between 2010 and 2020. Sterling
purchased the company from majority owners John
A. Walker, Blaine Walker and Justin Walker.
Spartan president and CEO Jeremy Gibson will
maintain an ownership stake in the business and
will continue in his post. Sun Life Assurance
Company of Canada provided senior debt financing
for the acquisition.
“We believe Spartan is a clear leader in the
aviation and NDT higher education space, with a
decades-long reputation for high-quality
education and a very strong job placement
record. It exemplifies Sterling Partners’ focus
on investing in education institutions that
provide excellent outcomes for their students,”
said Jason Rosenberg, a Sterling Partners
principal.
“Spartan students get great jobs, and there will
be a significant shortage of aviation
technicians, pilots and nondestructive testing
professionals in this country and abroad.
Spartan stands uniquely qualified to help meet
the needs of the industry by continuing to
produce skilled graduates. We look forward to
partnering with Spartan CEO Jeremy Gibson to
continue to build Spartan and help meet the
growing needs of the industry,” Rosenberg said.
“Although I was approached by several firms, we
chose Sterling Partners because of its deep
experience in building top-quality
institutions,” said Gibson, who has been
Spartan’s president and CEO since April 2007.
“Sterling will help us develop Spartan’s
infrastructure more quickly and help us expand
to new regions, while continuing to contribute
to the increased global demand for aviation and
nondestructive testing technicians.”
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