Friday, July 16, 2010

Safran Said to Be in Talks to Purchase Most of L-1 Identity Solutions Inc.

In March, we drew attention to reports that Bob LaPenta was putting L-1 on the auction block. It appears that the process is picking up steam.

From Bloomberg.com:
Safran is among the bidders pursuing a deal to buy L-1’s businesses that help customers track biometric data, said the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are private. U.S.-based L-1 is likely to be split up, with another buyer acquiring a separate unit that sells consulting services to U.S. intelligence agencies, said one of the people. No deal is likely to be reached for several weeks, the person said.
More information about Safran is available:
Safran-Group.com
BusinessWeek.com

Interesting questions for the future:
Will L-1 be bought whole or will it be sold off piecemeal?
Does the answer to the question above offer a verdict on L-1's strategy of acquisition rather than organic growth?