PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erickson Incorporated (NASDAQ:EAC), a leading global provider of aviation services, is pleased to announce its new certification as a Bell Helicopter Certified Maintenance Center (CMC). The agreement officially adds Erickson to Bell Helicopter’s customer support network and authorizes Erickson to perform aircraft refurbishment and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the Bell 214B and the Bell 214ST helicopters at all Erickson locations.
“The certification of Erickson Incorporated as a Bell Helicopter Maintenance Center, along with the certification of our airframe fixtures, enhances Erickson’s ability to support the Bell 214 community and highlights the strength of our relationship with Bell Helicopter,” said Vice President of Manufacturing and MRO, Kerry Jarandson.
Erickson has been awarded numerous MRO purchase orders for work on the Bell 214 including critical case and dynamic part repairs, dynamic component overhauls and major fuselage repairs. Bell Helicopter certified the Bell 214ST tail boom and the Bell 214B fuselage fixtures produced by Erickson in September of this year. These enhanced capabilities enable Erickson to provide maximum value to Bell 214 operators.
Erickson’s first Bell 214 airframe refurbishment in the newly certified fixture was a major fuselage repair for McDermott Aviation. John McDermott, of the largest privately owned and operated Heli-Aviation Company in Australia, said, “We are pleased to see the hard work and ingenuity Erickson is putting into this program. Their creativity drives needed change and supports the operators while keeping the Bell 214 a viable platform in the rotorcraft community.”
Erickson has recently received parts manufacturing approval (PMA) for Bell 214 parts from the Federal Aviation Administration. Under the agreement announced on February 9, 2015 between Bell Helicopter and Erickson, Erickson is licensed to use Bell Helicopter’s design data to produce functionally identical parts under PMA authority. Erickson owns and operates 12 Bell 214ST helicopters within its own fleet.
About Erickson
Erickson is a leading global provider of aviation services and operates, maintains and manufactures utility aircraft to safely transport and place people and cargo around the world. The Company is self-reliant, multifaceted and operates in remote locations under challenging conditions specializing in Government Services, Manufacturing and MRO, and Commercial Services (comprised of firefighting, HVAC, power line, construction, timber harvesting, oil and gas and specialty lift). With roots dating back to 1960, Erickson operates a fleet of approximately 80 aircraft, is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, USA, and operates in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Australia. For more information, please visit our new website at www.ericksonaviation.com.
This press release contains certain statements relating to future results (including, without limitation, “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict”), which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including certain other risks or uncertainties more fully described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as in the other reports we file with the SEC from time to time, which are available at the SEC’s web site located at http://www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.