Spika Welding and Manufacturing, Inc., a leading manufacturer of aircraft maintenance platforms and maintenance support equipment, announces that it has been awarded a contract with the Australian Government Department of Defence to supply Black Hawk maintenance stands for Army Aviation facilities in Sydney and Townsville.
Spika won the contract, valued at over $500,000 (USD), after a team of engineers came to the United States to inspect Spika’s UH-60S Black Hawk phase maintenance systems currently in use in military facilities around the country. “Our Australian customer devoted a lot of time and effort into evaluating the available options for their aviation maintenance access requirements,” said Tom Spika, president of Spika Welding. “They found Spika offered the best design, best construction, and best overall value of anything on the market.”
Spika then worked with the Australian Department of Defence to ensure that the final design of the platform will meet all requirements of the maintenance facilities and, in particular, the fall-protection requirements of the country. “Spika is able to ensure that the product Australia receives meets and exceeds all of the electrical and safety codes of the Commonwealth, while employing all of the proven features and components that have made Spika platforms the system of choice within the US military,” Spika said. “Additionally, Spika’s experience in meeting the requirements and demands of federal contracting provides seamless facilitation and performance of foreign military contracts. It all adds up to a very satisfying experience for the international customer.”
During a recent Ambassador Tour of the Spika facility in Lewistown, Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley had a chance to see the maintenance platforms first-hand as they were being manufactured. “I’m standing in the middle of Montana, in the middle of the United States, where you’re manufacturing these platforms for defense departments worldwide”, he said. “That never happens. In my country, these kinds of things are manufactured in big cities, not rural areas.”
“When the Australian military taps a Montana manufacturer to build state of the art platforms that its Army depends on, it tells the world Montana is the place to buy when you need the best,” added U.S. Senator Max Baucus during the visit.
About Spika Welding and Manufacturing, Inc.
Spika Welding and Manufacturing, Inc. has been designing and manufacturing maintenance stands and equipment for the aerospace industry for over ten years. It provides work platforms that increase the safety and efficiency of maintenance operations in military as well as civilian facilities. Working one-on-one with the customer, Spika designs equipment to meet the unique access and space requirements of the aircraft and the maintenance facility. In addition to aircraft maintenance stands, Spika offers work stands and maintenance equipment for manufacturing, agricultural, and industrial operations. For more information, visit Spika on the web at www.spikawelding.com.