Camber's latest deal builds on training capabilities

Camber Corp. has made an acquisition that brings tactical systems software and simulation capabilities to the Huntsville, Ala., company.

Terms of the deal for Novonics Corp. were not disclosed. The company is based in Washington, D.C., and provides simulation based learning systems, software/systems design and development and program and strategic planning to the Defense, Homeland Security and State departments.

The company also provides solutions around introducing users to complex technologies, Camber said in a statement.

Novonics uses simulation and distributed networks for training and to support exercises. The approach saves money and increases readiness because it lets users prepare and train in multiple scenarios, Camber said.

Camber said that it sees an opportunity growing for innovative training and simulation work, as the government faces decreased budgets.

“Novonics' experience, customer knowledge and successful project execution is an excellent strategic fit for Camber,” said CEO Walter Batson.

The addition of Novonics builds on Camber’s work in simulation-based training, network test and evaluation, command and control, information management and training architectures, Batson said.

Some of the systems Novonics has worked on include the Navy Battle Force Tactical Training System, the U.S./Singapore Readiness Interoperability Network and the National Institute of Justice Use of Force Trainer with Voice Recognition.

The investment bank Aronson Capital Partners served as an advisor to Novonics.

Larry Davis, a partner at the firm, said the acquisition illustrates several trends in the market, including continued interest among buyers for companies with differentiated software development capabilities in areas not likely to face budget pressures.

He also is seeing increased focus on companies with technologies that can make agencies more efficient and provide more cost-effective solutions. In this case, virtual/constructive training versus live training.

A final trend Davis cited is the resiliency of private equity-back companies to make deals “despite spending headwinds across the sector.”

Camber is owned by New Mountain Capital, a private equity group that has funded several companies in the government space including Deltek and Apptis.