Seattle, WA, USA--(Jobwerx News)--Leading producer of commercial and military helicopters, and revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft, acquires after market service group.

In a move to continue the expansion of its helicopter service and support capabilities, Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc., announced that it has acquired the maintenance and overhaul assets of US Helicopter, Inc., a privately-held company providing depot-level maintenance and upgrade installations for a variety of Bell's government products. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"This acquisition is a natural fit with Bell's strategy to further advance our after-market service and support offerings - particularly in critical growth areas such as military and homeland security," said Mike Redenbaugh, chief executive officer of Bell Helicopter. "We plan to use the well-established capabilities at US Helicopter to expand our service to our government customers and to support our proposed offerings for the U.S. Army's Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) programs."

US Helicopter assets will be integrated into Bell Helicopter's government support affiliate, Bell Aerospace Services, Inc., which provides logistics and maintenance services for customers. "The US Helicopter workforce brings vast military helicopter servicing expertise, primarily in the areas of Huey maintenance and Huey II conversion services for the U.S. Army," said Mike Prieto, president of Bell Aerospace Services. "This move also puts us even closer to our customers as the plant is located adjacent to Fort Rucker - the center for Army Aviation."

At the Paris Air Show, Bell announced that it is nearing final FAA certification for the new 210 light utility helicopter - which will mark a major milestone for the program and bring the aircraft one step closer to delivery. The Bell 210 offers a high-performance, cost-effective solution for agencies engaged in critical utility missions such as Homeland Security, law enforcement and firefighting.

The Bell 210 - which made its first flight earlier this year - recently completed a rigorous four-month testing program, led by Bell affiliate, Edwards & Associates. "The 210 combines outstanding performance with an existing logistical base, unbeatable direct operating costs and a very low initial acquisition cost. The Bell 210 is truly one of the best total value propositions in the market today," stated Mike Blake, Executive Vice President and COO of Commercial Business for Bell.

Bell Helicopter, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., is a $1.6 billion, leading producer of commercial and military helicopters, and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce of over 7,500 employees serves customers flying Bell aircraft in over 120 countries. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others.