July 18, 2025
TIP738: Heico: The Quiet Aerospace Compounder
We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast NetworkAbout this episode
In this episode, Clay dives deep into the remarkable story of Heico — a quiet compounder that’s delivered over 22% annual returns for more than three decades. While aerospace may seem like a commoditized or slow-moving industry, Heico flips that assumption on its head. Clay breaks down how the Mendelson family transformed a struggling parts supplier into a $38 billion industry leader through exceptional capital allocation, a culture of ownership, and a nearly unbreakable moat built on regulatory mastery and being a partner that customers can trust. Whether you're an investor, entrepreneur, or business strategist, this episode offers timeless lessons on how to build and sustain a truly durable business. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 01:27 - The story of how the Mendelsons took a tiny parts supplier and turned it into a $38B aerospace powerhouse. 06:47 - How Heico turned strict FAA regulations into its biggest competitive advantage. 10:10 - Why airlines prefer Heico parts over the OEM alternatives. 17:50 - What makes Heico’s acquisition playbook similar to Berkshire Hathaway. 27:58 - Why Heico’s products and services are extremely sticky and provide predictable, recurring revenue streams. 37:25 - Why economic downturns benefit Heico, creating a countercyclical business model. 47:19 - How Heico’s culture is unique and has created hundreds of millionaire factory workers. And so much more! Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join Clay and a select group of passionate value investors for a retreat in Big Sky, Montana. Learn more here . Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Interview with Eric Mendelson . 50x Podcast with Nick Howley . Book mentioned: Lessons from the Titans . Related Episode: TIP731: Owning Best-In-Class Businesses w/ Joseph Shaposhnik . Related Episode: TIP709: The Art of Long-Term Investing w/ Francois Rochon . Follow Clay on X and LinkedIn . Check out all the books mentioned and discussed in our podcast episodes here . Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed . NEW TO THE SHOW? Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter . Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs . Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok . Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here . Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool . Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services . Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts . SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors : Hardblock AnchorWatch Cape Intuit Shopify Vanta reMarkable Abundant Mines HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify ! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it! Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm