Erickson to Manufacture Seeker Aircraft

PORTLAND, Ore., March 02, 2016 -- Erickson Incorporated (NASDAQ:EAC), a leading global provider of aviation services, is pleased to announce an exclusive agreement with Seeker Aircraft, Inc. to be the United States manufacturer of the Seeker Aircraft.

The Seeker Aircraft is a one-of-a-kind, purpose-built light observation aircraft specifically designed and developed for aerial surveillance missions. The aircraft provides superior fields of vision, the ability to carry a variety of sensors, and the capability of stable, slow flight. The Seeker is an invaluable tool for a variety of applications ranging from border patrol, law enforcement and natural disasters to pipeline and powerline surveillance

“The Seeker provides unparalleled observational capabilities over both austere environments and urban terrain,” said Seeker Aircraft CEO David Pohlman. “To ensure the quality of the Seeker’s construction meets the demands of its end users, we are very pleased to have a partner whose dedication to excellence assures us of producing a top quality aircraft.”

Erickson is teaming with Seeker Aircraft to deliver this special purpose airplane in volume with this agreement.

“Our mission is to provide the safest, most capable and cost effective observation aircraft on the light aircraft market today. Our mission is driven by the growing demand for real-time information across diverse industries and government services,” added David Pohlman.

Erickson offers fully-integrated manufacturing, engineering and maintenance capabilities and is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and partner for leading helicopter OEMs. With a skilled and diverse workforce, Erickson’s manufacturing and Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organization is certified by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). For more than 40 years, Erickson Incorporated has been a leader in aircraft manufacturing maintenance and development.

“We are looking forward to manufacturing the Seeker product at Erickson. In addition to the work we do with legacy aircraft and OEM parts manufacturing, full scale aircraft production is a seamless fit into our operations,” said Kerry Jarandson, Vice President of Manufacturing and MRO at Erickson Incorporated.

Seeker Aircraft, Inc., is based in Albuquerque, N.M. and is the original equipment manufacturer for the SB7L-360A and SB7L-360A2 Seeker.

About Seeker Aircraft

The Seeker is a versatile, one-of-a-kind, light observation aircraft that was specifically designed and developed for surveillance missions. This fixed-wing aircraft provides a cost-effective solution for missions requiring short take-off and landing capabilities, easy maintenance in the field, and excellent cockpit visibility. Seekers are currently flying missions in Australia, Jordan, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Tanzania, UAE, Iraq, Yemen, China and the US with the New Mexico State Police, among others. In development since 1993, Seeker Aircraft, Inc. manufactures, distributes, and supports the Seeker worldwide. Seeker Aircraft, Inc. is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information, go to www.seekeraircraft.com.

About Erickson

Erickson is a leading global provider of aviation services and operates, maintains and manufactures utility aircraft to safely transport and place people and cargo around the world.  The Company is self-reliant, multifaceted and operates in remote locations under challenging conditions specializing in Global Defense and Security, Manufacturing and MRO, and Commercial Services (comprised of firefighting, HVAC, power line, construction, timber harvesting, oil and gas and specialty lift). With roots dating back to 1960, Erickson operates a fleet of approximately 80 aircraft, is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, USA, and operates in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Australia. For more information, please visit our new website at www.ericksonaviation.com.

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results (including, without limitation, “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict”), which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including certain other risks or uncertainties more fully described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as in the other reports we file with the SEC from time to time, which are available at the SEC’s web site located at http://www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Seeker Contact
Michele Martinez (505) 761-9000

Erickson Contact
Bobby Lambrix - Media Requests
(216) 372-6277, [email protected]

Zachary Cotner - Investor Relations
(503) 505-5804, [email protected]