Michigan-based Enstrom Helicopter Corp., will re-open as Enstrom Aerospace Industries in a transaction approved by the Western Michigan Bankruptcy Court on Tuesday. Enstrom’s new owner, MidTex Aviation of Texas, appears to have plans to retain some of Enstrom’s considerable talent base to continue the Enstrom chopper business and to “expand into providing engineering services and component manufacturing for other OEMs.”
MidTex elaborated that it intends to launch an aerostructures and components business from the existing Enstrom factory in Menominee, Michigan, which may branch directly into the rapidly developing VTOL and eVTOL segments of the aviation business. MidTex further stated that it has already retained several former Enstrom employees on a contract basis to work through the acquisition process.
Enstrom was most recently acquired in 2013 by a Chinese firm, Chongqing General Aviation Industry Group Co. Ltd, and was unable to make forward progress in the market after several reported cash infusions from that ownership group.
