Simplex Manufacturing of Portland Oregon have announced that they have acquired the granular spreader product line from Heli- Ap. Simplex will build the full line of spreader at their Portland, Oregon headquarters.

The new Simplex GS250 30 cubic ft. spreader weighs in at an industry low 90 lbs while the Simplex GS400 55cubic ft. spreader weighs approximately 135lbs, making both products the lightest spreaders available. Both new Simplex spreaders can be re-started in flight in the case of engine stoppage. The new Simplex spreaders also feature the ability for the top portion of the tank to slide up, increasing tank volume by up to 30%. This allows the operator to carry lighter volume materials without compromising safety by overloading denser materials.

Mark Zimmerman, President and CEO of Simplex manufacturing, commented that the new spreader’s design allows for any helicopter with a conventional three- prong cargo hook wiring harness to use our system with all of the functionality and available features, without the need to install additional wiring to the aircraft. He also stated that “The acquisition of this new line of spreaders is just another indication of Simplex Manufacturing Co’s continued investment in the agricultural spray market”. He also commented that “Simplex has been the leader in the spray business for 65 years and we intend to maintain that leadership position with additional new agricultural products that will be introduced later this year”.