Tailwind Hospitality, Inc., in partnership with private equity group Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, LLC, has acquired small airport concessionaire Air Host, Inc., which operates full-service restaurants, bars, retail, and gift shops in seven regional airports. Tailwind also operates in 28 non-hub and small hub airports located across 18 states.
Founded in 2001 by partners Alan Giaquinto and Jeffrey Switzer, Tailwind provides retail and food and beverage concessions in mainly small airports, and in the majority of locations is the sole concessionaire. Switzer, the CEO of Tailwind, will lead the combined companies post-closing.
“We are excited to partner with Palladin as we grow our network and work with our airport partners to provide premium services to business and leisure travelers,” Switzer said. “The additional capital and operational resources will help to strengthen the leading services, product offerings and support that are the hallmark of our company.”
Rob Fioretti, managing director of Palladin commented, “The experience of the management team and their commitment to employees and customer service provide an excellent foundation for growth and development. We look forward to working with the team and growing Tailwind both organically and through acquisitions.”
