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Team US101 Names Thirteen Michigan Suppliers to Support Next Marine One Helicopter

Discussions with other Michigan-based firms continue

OWEGO, NY, September 1st, 2004 -- Team US101 has selected 13 companies in Michigan to supply components for the American-built US101 medium-lift helicopter. Team US101 is competing to provide the president of the United States with a fleet of next-generation helicopters better known by the call-sign: “Marine One.”

“We are pleased to announce that these Michigan companies – anchored by Honeywell in Boyne City and Smiths Aerospace in Grand Rapids – will participate in building US101 helicopter parts and subsystems for our Commander-in-Chief,” said Stephen D. Ramsey, Lockheed Martin’s US101 program vice president and general manager. “These firms have demonstrated quality workmanship and the appropriate past performance necessary to earn membership to Team US101.”

Meanwhile, Team US101 continues discussions with a number of other Michigan-based firms regarding their possible participation in the presidential helicopter program.

The Michigan companies that will supply components for the US101 helicopter are:

* ACR Industries, Inc., Macomb
* Dow Corning Corporation, Midland
* Flexfab, Inc., Hastings
* Honeywell Aerospace, Boyne City
* Howmet Corporation, Whitehall
* Moeller Manufacturing Co., Wixom
* Smiths Aerospace, Grand Rapids
* TQ Maching, Inc., Muskegon
* Plascore, Zeeland
* Parker – Abex Division, Kalamazoo
* L3 Communications, Grand Rapids
* Formsprag Clutch, Warren
* Aeroquip Aerospace Division, Jackson

These companies are among the more than 200 suppliers in 41 states chosen to date by Team US101 to produce key elements of the president’s next Marine One aircraft. Leading American companies on Team US101 include General Electric, Northrop Grumman, ITT and Kaman. Over the course of the helicopter fleet’s operational service life, 90 percent of the total life cycle costs will flow to Team US101’s American suppliers, creating and sustaining thousands of jobs nationwide while working on the presidential helicopter fleet.

"We are proud to be a major supplier of high technology systems to Team US101 for the presidential mission," said Bruce McEwen, director of business development at Smiths Aerospace.

The contract award from the U.S. Navy to build the presidential helicopter fleet is expected in December 2004. “The US101 is the safest, most technologically-advanced, and the only three-engine, battle-tested helicopter available for the president,” Ramsey added. “And with the help of our Michigan suppliers, the US101 helicopter will be as American as the workers who build it.”

Team US101 is led by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration – Owego, which serves as the prime contractor and systems integrator for the American-built US101 aircraft, an American variant of AgustaWestland’s successful EH101 multimission helicopter. The US101 team collectively brings unmatched rotorcraft expertise and experience to this program: Lockheed Martin (prime contractor and systems integration), AgustaWestland (aircraft design) and Bell Helicopter (aircraft production), while General Electric will supply each helicopter’s three CT7-8E engines.

For additional information, visit http://www.TeamUS101.com.

Greg Caires, US101 Communications, (607) 751-3200, e-mail greg.a.caires@lmco.com.