JSfirm Member Press: Second Independent Survey Validates Bell’s No. 1 Position in Product Support

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, once again claims the number one ranking in product support by the readers of Aviation International News magazine. Bell has been awarded this honor every year since the magazine began including helicopters in the poll in 2006. "At Bell, our goal is to provide our customers complete mission solutions,” said John L. Garrison Bell Helicopter President and CEO. “From the day they sign a purchase agreement to the day the aircraft is no longer in service we are committed to providing Bell Helicopter customers with the highest level of product support.” Earlier this year, Bell realigned its support and service organization, including its subsidiary and affiliate organizations under the direction of Danny Maldonado, Senior Vice President Customer Support and Chief Service Officer. "For the past several years Bell has focused on transforming the customer service model to provide a more seamless approach to meeting our customers’ support and service requirements,” said Danny Maldonado, senior vice president of Customer Support and Chief Services Officer. “This award is testament to our continued commitment to ensure our customers’ success.” Bell continued to increase its winning margins in the seven of the ten categories rated. Bell‘s customers rated them first in terms of parts availability, cost of parts, speed in AOG service, technical manuals, technical representatives and maintenance tracking. With Bell‘s more than 120 customer service facilities in 32 countries, six strategically located supply centers and a multitude of customer support representatives and product support engineers focused on improving responsiveness and lowering direct operating costs, operators around the world are already benefiting. "The aviation industry is constantly changing. I have challenged my team to anticipate those changes and find new ways to support our customers and provide them with a service solution for their every need,” added Maldonado. “We have set the bar in terms of product support, now we need to raise it.” Bell‘s overall score increased over its 2009 scores by more than 13 percent. About Bell Helicopter Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor 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. About Textron, Inc. Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, 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 Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems.