Aerospace M&A Outlook: Why Job Shops are now worth millions!
While the media fixates on tariffs, inflation, and geopolitical risks, industry insiders are seeing a very different picture. Airline profits are climbing, demand is surging, and aircraft order backlogs now stretch nearly a decade into the future. Why jobs shops are now worth millions.
But beneath the optimism lies a more nuanced reality: a market defined by rising input costs, a war for qualified labor, and a fundamental reshaping of what counts as “value” in aerospace M&A.
In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, I welcome back M&A specialist Bill Alderman, Founding Partner of Alderman & Company, for his quarterly check-in on the state of the aerospace and defense sector. Bill brings decades of Wall Street and industry experience to the conversation and is one of the most respected voices in middle-market aerospace and defense transactions.
Key Topics Covered
- Why Job Shops Now Worth Millions – What’s driving private equity and strategic buyers toward specialized suppliers.
- The Real Tariff Story – How tariffs are reshaping cost structures and deal valuations.
- MRO’s Growth May Have Peaked – Why maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers are facing a shift in momentum.
- Delta’s Blowout Quarter – What it signals about airline profitability and long-term demand.
- Good Accounting = Deal Fuel Defense – Why financial discipline remains a critical asset in any transaction.
- Two Speeds, One Future – The widening gap between well-capitalized players and those struggling to keep up.
About the Guest
William H. Alderman (Bill) is the Founding Partner of Alderman & Company, a boutique investment bank specializing in aerospace and defense M&A. With more than $2 billion in completed transactions, Bill has advised leading middle-market aerospace businesses for over two decades.
Before launching his firm in 2001, Bill spent 15 years on Wall Street and inside the aerospace industry, working on mergers and acquisitions with BT Securities, Fieldstone, and General Electric. He is a FINRA-registered Securities Principal with four securities licenses (Series 7, 24, 63, and 65). Beyond the boardroom, Bill is also a commercial pilot and the proud owner/operator of a Cirrus SR22.
👉 Listen to the full episode here: Bill Alderman on Aerospace M&A Resilience