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Bell Helicopter Textron Canada
Limited (BHTCL), a Textron Inc. company, celebrated its 20th
anniversary at its Mirabel facility today. Held in a totally new 3,700-m(2)
hangar, the event unfolded in the presence of Messrs. Jacques St-Laurent,
President, BHTCL; Jean Charest, Premier of Québec; the Hon. Michael Fortier,
Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada; Mike Redenbaugh, Bell
Helicopter CEO, as well as 2,000 company employees and various aerospace
sector partners.
"We have demonstrated leadership, the ability to innovate and to deliver
the goods over the last two decades. This has been a regular daily occurrence
for us for the past 20 years and will continue to be so for at least another
20," said Jacques St-Laurent.
"Our Mirabel facility is instrumental in making Bell Helicopter a world
leader in the production of vertical lift aircraft. The cooperation and trust
nurtured over the years between Bell Helicopter Textron's Texas head office
and BHTCL have been the key to our many successes and are a compelling example
of the solid ties that bind our two countries," added Mike Redenbaugh.
In the 20 years of operations at its Mirabel facility, BHTCL boasts an
impressive track record with the more than 3,200 aircraft it has designed,
assembled and delivered at Mirabel. The BHTCL team has always attached a great
deal of importance to its role as a corporate citizen.
A promising future for a company with international visibility
While expounding on the future of his company and that of the aeronautics
industry, Jacques St-Laurent appealed to the governments by highlighting the
importance of their partnership initiatives. "The future looks promising, but
the challenges that lie ahead are considerable: the competition is fierce, the
strength of the Canadian dollar offsets our productivity gains and
protectionism is the watchword for so many competing nations. We urge the
governments to find the means required to continue providing necessary support
for the prosperity, visibility and future of our industry sector," Mr.
St-Laurent said in conclusion.
BHTCL's 20th anniversary is part of a series of celebratory events
announced by the company. In the last 18 months alone BHTCL has laid claim to
its longevity thanks to the development of a new model, the Bell 429 Global
Ranger (approximately 200 orders have already been placed worldwide and a
first flight is slated in the coming months). Concurrently with the Bell 429,
the first member of the MAPL family, BHTCL has also delivered its 3000th
aircraft, invested heavily in manpower training and in obtaining a significant
contract from the American government for the delivery of 480 aircraft.
About BHTCL
BHTCL is a division of Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., a company which is a
part of the prominent Textron conglomerate. Located on more than 56,000-m2,
BHTCL's facility has the exclusive mandate for Bell Helicopter's worldwide
commercial helicopter production.
Bell Helicopter is an industry-leading producer of commercial and
military, manned and unmanned vertical lift aircraft and the pioneer of the
revolutionary tilt rotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class
customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce
serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.
Textron Inc. is a $10 billion multi-industry company operating in 33
countries with approximately 37,000 employees. The company leverages its
global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide
customers with innovative solutions and services. 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. More
information is available at www.textron.com.
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