Bell Captures New Ground with U.S. Federal Government, Wins 2 Out of 3 Competitions So Far in 2004

October 12, 2004

NBAA - Las Vegas, NV - October 12, 2004 - With the recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection selection of the Bell 430 for it's intermediate twin requirements, the Bell Helicopter has won 2 out of 3 U.S. Federal Government helicopter competitions this year. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The second "win" includes the DEA selection of the Bell 407 for their light utility helicopter this past August.

Commenting on these successful efforts Michael Redenbaugh, chief executive officer of Bell Helicopter said, "This is more than just a series of winning bids. It reflects the work of a great many people wanting to do the best thing for their country. Our Homeland Security group formed less than a year ago to enter and make Bell the best choice in the competitions for an important mission. They believed Bell would prevail if we competed. They were right. We are very proud to be providing the worlds best vertical lift aircraft for the U.S. Federal Government."

Despite the economic competitive pressures for globalization in the market place, the predominance of the Bell workforce and suppliers is still based in the U.S. This workforce has an unequaled history of supporting the vertical lift requirements of the U.S. government. It has not taken much to reinvigorate the company's passion for not only serving the global marketplace but also their own homeland. Also, with the uncertainty that tomorrow brings, there is a renewed concern for supportability of products that are only assembled in the U.S and whose components are manufactured abroad with little if any capacity to produce those components domestically."

Bell Helicopter Textron, 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 Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a $10 billion multi-industry company with more than 43,000 employees in 40 countries. 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, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com.

Quick Links

Connect with Textron IR

Eric Salander, Vice President, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288

Cameron Vollmuth, Manager,
Investor Relations (401) 457-2288

Email Alert


Enter your Email	*



Enter the code shown above.

Mailing Lists *
Press Release SEC Filing Presentation Event EOD Stock Quote