Kaman Corporation awarded $53 million composites contract from Bell Helicopter

Kaman Corporation (NASDAQ:KAMN) announced that the Helicopters Division of its subsidiary, Kaman Aerospace Corporation has been awarded a five-year contract with a potential value of $53 million to build composite helicopter blade skins and skin core assemblies for Bell Helicopters. Under the terms of the contract, Kaman will provide 18 different assemblies for H1, 406, 407, 412, 427, 429, 430 and BA609 aircraft. All work will be performed at the Kaman HeliworX(TM) full-service aerospace innovation and manufacturing support center in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Initial deliveries to Bell's Hurst, Texas, facility will begin in late 2009.

"We are delighted by this opportunity to work with Bell Helicopter in producing world-class rotorcraft," said Neal J. Keating, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kaman Corporation. "This is further evidence of our ability to leverage our OEM capabilities in support of other helicopter manufacturers."

"Kaman has the skills and competitiveness we require in the composite blade-manufacturing arena," said Mary Simmerman, Senior VP Supply Chain Management at Bell. "We expect this to be a positive agreement for both companies."

In addition to Bell, some of the biggest names in aerospace, including Sikorsky and Northrop Grumman, receive manufacturing support from HeliworX. Backed by Kaman's infrastructure and expertise, HeliworX is the only subcontractor with the OEM advantage capable of offering design/analysis, manufacturing, and test and flight solutions for companies that require an experienced outsourcing option. Other capabilities include integration, composite and metallic manufacturing, final assembly, rotor blade manufacture, erosion protection, whirl towers, and a sand erosion test facility.