Helitak Firefighting Equipment, an Australian-based aerial firefighting tank manufacturer, announced on February 22, 2024, that the company was expanding its operations in the United States. The company has recently secured the lease of a 20,000-foot property at Camarillo Airport in California, where it will grow its operations in the United States.
The new 20,000-foot facility will mirror the production facilities of its Australian base in Lake Macdonald, Queensland, where the company currently produces its range of tanks that are exported around the world for customers utilizing one of the many proprietary external tanks for type one, two and three helicopter aerial firefighting operations.
Expansion of the company facilities to in the United States will primarily focus on tanks for the recently FAA-certified FT-11K CH-47 tank, the FT4500 tank for the Sikorsky UH-60, and the soon-to-be-certified in the United States FT-1300 tank suitable for the Airbus H-125/AS-350.
“Continuing to expand has always been a goal for the company, and the recent acquisition of the Camarillo property will greatly expand our capabilities to service our customer base in the United States and Europe,” said Helitak CEO Jason Schellaars.
“Being able to duplicate our production efforts in Australia and double our production capacity with the new facility will greatly improve the delivery time of our tanks to our customers, and with fire seasons getting more severe around the world, it was a calculated move on our part to ensure that we can not only delivery products faster but have a fully functional repair center available in the United States for any tanks that need repairs or replacement parts that we will now have available on-site in the USA for our North American customers,” he concluded.
The facility will open in early March, adding several dozen jobs to the local economy as production ramps up. Once fully operational, the facility will house various production elements of the tank building process, including a cutting station, assembly area, fiberglass shop, design facilities, and office space to accommodate the U.S. expansion.
“Our team has worked incredibly hard for many years servicing our customers in the United States from our Australian headquarters, and although we have had a small facility in California for several years to assist with customer deliveries, installation, and repair, we are looking forward to the expansion in Camarillo to serve our customers better locally,” said Helitak Business Development Manager, Nick Noorman.
One question we often get asked is “What’s better tanks or Buckets” and the answer is always the same they both have their place in aerial firefighting.
So as part of our product expansion, Helitak will introduce a select range of Buckets to our range. We will have buckets ranging from 317gal, 871gal, and 2642gal with other models to follow. Please call past our stand at Heli Expo for more information on our Tank and buckets
About Helitak Firefighting Equipment
Helitak Firefighting Equipment is an award-winning world leader in developing external tank solutions for the aerial firefighting industry, founded by Jason Schellaars, an engineer and helicopter pilot who believed it was possible to improve on tanks currently available to the industry. Helitak continues to develop new products and improve the industry’s lightest and most efficient tanks.
