Enstrom rescue could be finalised this week

Michigan based manufacturer Enstrom closed on Friday 21st January after 62 years with the company filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  This means the company is being liquidated and there is no potential for reorganisation under the current ownership.

Over the 62 years of production, Enstrom built 1341 helicopters according to market intelligence specialists Parapex Media, according to figures they produced for HeliHub.com.  These included

• 660 F28A, F28C and F28F
• 3 TH-180
• 419 F280C, F280F, F280FX and F280L
• 259 480 and TH-28

Potential parties are lining up to buy the assets of the company and reopen it – with an appreciable amount of business to be done in parts sales alone.  The liquidation process is never a quick one, but we understand that this could happen as early as this week, allowing the purchasers to take a booth at the Heli-Expo event next week in Dallas to lay out their plans for the future of Enstrom.  Local reports suggest that liquidation lawyers Butzel & Long have a preference to sell to a US buyer, in contrasting to the previous owners – the Chinese company Chongqing Helicopter Investment Corporation.

We trust that the legacy of this helicopter manufacturer, built through at least six different owners over the years, will have a long-term secure future.