Naval parts supplier Goodwin explores sale of defence business
London-listed supplier to UK and US nuclear submarines has received bids from buyout firms
Goodwin, the 143-year-old British component supplier for the Dreadnought next-generation nuclear deterrent submarines, is in talks to sell its defence business.
Several buyout firms that have records in defence have submitted expressions of interest to the London-listed engineer in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.
Stoke-on-Trent-based Goodwin, which is half-owned by the eponymous founding family, has a market capitalisation of about £1.4bn. The FTSE 250 company’s shares are down about 14 per cent so far this year after it missed out on radar antenna and transceiver orders and faced delays in valve orders amid the tension in the Middle East.
The company is a key supplier to several UK and US Navy frigate and submarine programmes, and Goodwin Steel Castings and Goodwin International, which are part of the group’s mechanical engineering division, have benefited from increased defence spending, according to its annual report.
The British firm makes components for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines, including the Astute boats as well as the Dreadnought-class vessels which will carry Trident nuclear missiles. It also supplies America’s Virginia and Columbia-class submarines, as well as the country’s DDG frigates and the Gerald R Ford-class aircraft carrier, according to the report.
Given the sensitivities of such military assets, any transaction and buyer could be scrutinised by British and US authorities to ensure no risks to national security.
The defence sector accounted for 57 per cent of Goodwin’s order book of £287mn, with other commissions coming from nuclear, mining, oil and gas and petrochemicals industries, the report shows. The UK accounted for 29 per cent of the external revenue and the US 16 per cent. Goodwin last year announced a collaboration agreement with US defence company Northrop Grumman.
Governments have stepped up military spending in the face of recent conflicts, in particular the wars in Ukraine and Iran, which have triggered rising transactions in the industry as big defence companies buy smaller suppliers and military start-ups.
The total value of global defence-related deals, including mergers and acquisitions and fundraisings, has already topped $40bn this year, putting it on track to smash the previous full-year record of $59bn in 2019, according to data compiled by Dealogic in late July. Deals involving companies with maritime capabilities have particularly seen an uptick.
If the Goodwin defence unit is acquired by a US buyer, it would mark the latest military asset with British roots to be sold to an American. Lockheed Martin outbid rivals last month to buy naval technology group Ultra Maritime for $3.45bn.
Goodwin declined to comment.
Goodwin, which traces its roots to a family partnership of iron founders in 1883, also has a refractory engineering business that does casting for iron, steel and nickel alloy. The firm supplies sectors including aerospace, automotive, construction, fire protection, jewellery, mining and oil and gas.