Pilots again rank Bell No. 1 in support

HOUSTON – Bell Helicopter has been named No. 1 in customer service and support, for the 14th year in a row, in Professional Pilot Magazine’s annual helicopter product support survey.
The report, published in the magazine’s February edition, ranks Bell No. 1 in the turbine category and No. 2 in the piston category. The company – a division of Providence-based Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) – is a designer and manufacturer of commercial and military helicopters in use in more than 120 countries.
“Once again we are humbled to receive this honor,” said Mike Blake, Bell’s executive vice president for customer solutions. “Achieving 14 years in a row means a great deal to Bell. To know that our customers value the effort we put forward to support their aircraft is very rewarding.
“Congratulations to everyone in the Bell Customer Support Network,” he said, “and a heartfelt thank you to our great customers.”
Bell’s recent acquisitions of SkyBooks and McTurbine both were part of an effort to deliver even better customer support in 2008, Blake noted in today’s announcement, adding that the company “will strive for further improvements in 2008.”
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is an $11 billion company employing 40,000 people in 32 countries. Besides Bell Helicopter, its brands include Cessna Aircraft, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee. Additional information is available at www.textron.com.
The results of Professional Pilot Magazine’s 2008 Helicopter Product Support survey are published in the magazine’s February edition, available online at www.propilotmag.com.