E-Z-GO 2013 Annual Report Download - page 6

On both the commercial and military sides, innovation was also
a driving force in 2013. At the Paris Air Show, we announced to
commercial customers our plans to manufacture the Bell 505 Jet
Ranger XTM, a new, short-light single-engine helicopter. We also
introduced customer-driven upgrades to our fl eet with the Bell
412EPITM, the 407GTTM and the 429WLGTM. For our military customers,
we leveraged our tiltrotor technology and introduced the Bell V-280
Valor to compete for the Department of Defense’s Future Vertical Lift
long-term program. This program is expected to eventually replace
2,000 to 4,000 medium-class utility and attack helicopters and be
worth an estimated $100 billion—with additional potential for foreign
military sales.
At Bell Helicopter, customer relationships extend beyond the sale of
the aircraft. This is evidenced by the fact that our customer service
and support remained a hallmark in 2013. For the 20th consecutive
year, we ranked fi rst for customer service and support among
readers of Professional Pilot and placed fi rst in product support and
service by readers of Aviation International News. These accolades
are especially gratifying because they come from our customers—
owners and operators with very high expectations for the operability
and safety of their rotorcraft. Emphasizing our commitment to safety,
we also hosted three international safety symposia to educate pilots
and technicians on common safety practices and applications.
Moving into 2014, we plan to build on our 2013 successes. We will
grow our presence around the world by demonstrating a steadfast
commitment to product innovation and sales and service networks
that meet the exacting requirements of our customers—so they
complete every mission safe and sound.
Strong Deliveries and a Steady Stream of New Orders
Drive Revenue Growth
Bell Helicopter
(In millions) 2013 2012 2011
Segment Revenues $4,511 $4,274 $3,525
Segment Profi t $573 $639 $521
Bell Helicopter | 4
In 2013, Bell Helicopter performed well for customers,
making a record number of military and commercial
rotorcraft deliveries. This helped our full-year revenues
increase from $4.3 billion in 2012 to $4.5 billion in 2013.
We also saw a steady stream of new orders throughout 2013
and introduced new products and product upgrades that will
serve the mission needs of our customers for years to come.
Executing on existing orders, we delivered 213 commercial
aircraft, a 13 percent increase over the 188 aircraft delivered
in 2012. Many of those were “fi rsts” delivered to international
customers—helping to further strengthen our global presence.
Poland, Russia and Switzerland took delivery of their fi rst 407GXTM,
the U.K. and Nigeria took delivery of their fi rst 429TM, and United Arab
Emirates was the fi rst country to take delivery of the new 412EPITM.
This strong slate of deliveries also extended to the military, with the
delivery of 41 V-22s and 25 H-1s to customers. Among these was the
fi rst HMX-V22 that serves presidential and other special missions.
To help us seize new global opportunities and support continued
strong international deliveries, in 2013, we expanded our sales
teams around the world. On the commercial side, this led to a year-
over-year increase in orders for new rotorcraft in both our U.S. and
international markets—including a 50 percent rise in orders from
China. In our military business, we entered into an agreement with
the U.S. government to deliver 99 V-22s as part of a fi ve-year, $6.5
billion contract. Refl ecting the growing interest abroad in the tiltrotor
program, the Department of Defense informed Congress of its intent
to sell six V-22s to Israel.
Performance
Highlights