Bridger Aerospace

Last updated

Bridger Aerospace
Company type Public
Nasdaq:  BAER
IndustryAerospace
Founded2014
Founder Tim Sheehy
Headquarters
Belgrade, Montana
,
United States
Key people
  • Sam Davis (Interim CEO)
  • McAndrew Rudisill (CIO)
  • James Muchmore (CLO)
  • Eric Gerratt (CFO)
[1]
Website Official website

Bridger Aerospace is an American aerospace company which provides aerial firefighting and wildfire management services. [2] The company has supported firefighting efforts in 24 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. [3]

Contents

In January 2023, Bridger went public via SPAC merger with a valuation of $869 million. [4] The company has not been profitable since going public. [5]

History

The company was founded in 2014 by Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who utilized airborne surveillance during his service. [6] [7] Initially, Sheehy operated one plane to assist ranchers with tracking their cattle from the air. [2] He shifted the company's focus to aerial firefighting during the 2015 wildfire season. [8]

In 2018, Bridger was one of four companies awarded a contract with the United States Department of the Interior to use drones in emergency situations, including during wildfires. [9] It became the first private company to legally use drones for wildfire fighting during the Martin Fire in Nevada, mapping 435,000 acres of burned land in 11 flight runs. [2] [9]

By August 2019 the company had grown to a fleet of 20 aircraft and a staff of 100. [10]

In March 2020, Bridger Aerospace offered its fleet to healthcare workers for moving supplies and patients as a response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. [11] The company also manufactured face shields that it donated to frontline workers and used its fleet to deliver other personal protection equipment to medical personnel throughout Montana. [12] [13] [14]

Bridger was the launch customer for the De Havilland CL-415EAF Firefighting Aircraft. [15]

In 2024, Tim Sheehy resigned as CEO to focus on his candidacy in the U.S. Senate election in Montana, which he later won. [5]

Operations

The company is headquartered in Belgrade, Montana and provides aerial firefighting services to government agencies, including the United States Forest Service, across the U.S. [10] Its planes are used for fire suppression and it uses unmanned aerial vehicles to map and provide surveillance of fires. [2] The drones provide fire crews with information including infrared imagery of active fires, and support communication with and tracking of firefighters on the ground. [16]

Fleet

As of 2021, the company's fleet includes over 20 aircraft, including:

AircraftNo. of aircraftVariantsNotes
AC500 Shrike Commander [8] 1STwin Engine Piston
AC690 Turbine Commander [8] 5A, B, CTwin Engine Turbine
AC681 Turbine Commander1ATwin Engine Turbine
K100 Daher Kodiak [8] 4SSingle Engine Turbine
Pilatus PC-12 [17] 3PC-12Single Engine Turbine
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter1Series 300Twin Engine Turbine with Floats
FVR902Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)
Canadair CL-415 [8] 10CL-415EAF [18] [19] Amphibious Water Bomber

References

  1. ↑ "Executive Team". Bridger Aerospace. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Writer, Abby Lynes Chronicle Staff (8 September 2019). "Fighting fires and thwarting drones: Belgrade-based sister companies expanding". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Bridger Aerospace Charts". Bridger Aerospace. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  4. ↑ Katje, Chris. "Benzinga's 'Stock Whisper' Index: 5 Stocks Investors Are Secretly Monitoring, But Not Yet Talking About". Benzinga. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 Reinhard, Beth; O'Connell, Jonathan (10 August 2024). "Montana GOP Senate candidate touts his business. It's losing millions". The Washington Post.
  6. ↑ "CEO Of Bridger Aerospace (BAER) On The Importance For Aerial Wildfire Fighting Services". TD Ameritrade Network. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  7. ↑ Record, AL KNAUBER Independent (27 August 2015). "Matter of valor: Former Navy SEAL awarded Bronze Star, Purple Heart". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bridger Aerospace - Scooping to Success". AerialFire Magazine. November 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  9. 1 2 Wright, Michael (20 July 2018). "Drones becoming vital part of wildland firefighting". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  10. 1 2 Krevat, Gaby (20 August 2019). "Bozeman high-tech firm provides jobs for veterans and Montana State University graduates". KBKZ . Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "Local company offers planes to support patients and healthcare workers". KHQ Right Now. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "Bridger Aerospace makes face shields for Bozeman Health and emergency responders". KBZK. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  13. ↑ Evans, Cameron (8 April 2020). "Bridger Aerospace delivers face shields to Frenchtown firefighters". missoulian.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  14. ↑ Davidson, Marian (16 April 2020). "Bozeman company donates masks across western Montana". KECI. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Longview delivers first production Viking CL-415eaf Enhancel Aerial Firefighter to Launch Customer Bridger Aerospace Group". VikingAir. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  16. ↑ Magill, Jim (2 November 2020). "Fighting Wildfires with Drones: On the Front Lines with Bridger Aerospace". DRONELIFE. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "2022 Brochure". Bridger Aerospace. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  18. ↑ Montana, Rachel Louise Just ABC FOX (30 September 2019). "Belgrade-based company expanding aerial firefighting fleet". KULR-8 Local News. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "Bridger Aerospace receives the first Viking CL-415EAF". Fire Aviation. 18 April 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
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