Arista Aviation Service LLC said the U.S. State Department’s Office of Aviation has awarded it a five-year contract with a maximum value of $111 million to perform maintenance on the agency’s UH-1 helicopters.

The Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for UH-1 programmed depot maintenance extends the work the Alabama company is already doing under contract for the agency.

In addition to the UH-1 “Huey” helicopter, Arista also focuses on UH-60 Black Hawks. (Contributed)

“Arista Aviation is pleased to be given the opportunity to continue to provide the Department of State, Office of Aviation, with safe, reliable, refurbished aircraft,” said Rich Enderle, the company’s president and CEO.

Under the contract, Arista will conduct recurring aircraft condition inspections, aircraft modifications, corrosion identification, removal, treatment, repair, component and accessory overhaul, and refurbishment of the Department of State’s UH-1 fleet.

Arista will perform the work at its headquarters, which was established in 2014 at the Enterprise Municipal Airport.

“We look forward to reaffirming Arista as the premier maintenance, repair and overhaul partner of choice. We will be working hard to expand Arista’s presence in the marketplace, and are already formulating plans to expand our current facility to accommodate our planned growth,” Enderle said.

Growth plans

In addition to the UH-1, Arista provides complete maintenance and upgrades for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The company also refurbishes aircraft purchased from the U.S. Army’s UH-60 divestiture program, as well as for customers that already own Black Hawks.

Arista CEO Rich Enderle speaks with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey at the 2017 Paris Air Show. (Contributed)

At the 2017 Paris Air Show, Enderle announced that Arista had completed a deal to sell four modified Black Hawks to the International Defense and Aerospace Group, marking the company’s first commercial transaction.

Arista’s primary customer focus is on the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of State and other government agencies, as well as foreign governments.

Enderle said Arista’s Alabama operation is poised for growth.

“Arista relocated to Enterprise in 2014 because of the vast quantity of aviation trained mechanics and the rich aviation history here in the Wiregrass. As a result, we have steadily grown to over 150 employees,” he said.

The Wiregrass area of Southeast Alabama is home to the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, the primary training center for Army helicopter pilots for decades.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.