American Eurocopter announced the purchase of a Eurocopter EC135 T2e helicopter by The Washington Companies of Missoula, Mont.

Starting as Washington Construction Company in 1964 with a loan and a leased bulldozer, company founder Dennis Washington has built and diversified his business, growing from a small construction company to a major corporation with a group of individual, privately held companies located across the U.S. and western Canada.

“As the company has grown, our need for travel between our various company locations grew as well, so the decision was made to purchase a second helicopter,” said Will Clark, flight department manager for The Washington Companies. “We chose another Eurocopter product, the EC135, because of the twin engine design and inherent safety of the aircraft.”

Scheduled for delivery in March, the new EC135 joins the company’s fleet of aircraft, including an EC130. The company estimates the two helicopters will each see about 100 hours of flight time this year.

The Washington Companies’ endeavors include mining, marine and rail transportation, aviation and technology service, heavy equipment distribution and environmental remediation. Serving clients around the world, the company provides equipment, technology, service and special expertise to increase each client company’s efficiency and profitability.

“We are pleased that The Washington Companies has once again chosen to place its trust in a Eurocopter product and the support of American Eurocopter,” said Treg Manning, Vice President-Commercial Sales and Marketing for American Eurocopter. “We work hard every day to earn and keep the business of customers like The Washington Companies.”

The technologically-advanced EC135 helicopter combines a wide, unobstructed cabin with Eurocopter’s Fenestron® tail rotor and bearingless main rotor for excellent performance, range and payload capacity – along with low-noise operation and multi-mission capability. Oversized sliding side doors and rear clamshell doors enable fast loading/unloading of passengers and equipment. The airframe has a high degree of crashworthiness due to an energy-absorbing fuselage and seats, as well as crash-resistant fuel cells.

About American Eurocopter

American Eurocopter is the U.S. affiliate of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world, and a subsidiary of EADS North America Holdings, the North American operations of EADS, the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. American Eurocopter is a helicopter manufacturer and markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer. The product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. Company headquarters and main facility are in Grand Prairie, Texas, with a large manufacturing and production facility in Columbus, Miss