Industry Perspective: Eurocopter
American Eurocopter opened its new production facility near Columbus, Miss., in October.

American Eurocopter opened its new production facility near Columbus, Miss., in October. Once the commotion had died down, HAI Convention News paid a visit to interview president and CEO Marc Paganini, right, to discuss the progress Eurocopter has made in getting the operation up and running. Eurocopter’s activity in the last year was a main thrust of the interview.

Why did you want to expand in the U.S., and what made you decide
to settle in Columbus?

It was a logical step in our plan to increase our footprint in the U.S. We have been there for 30 years, for the most part in the areas of repair and product support, and we wanted to move up a level to become a U.S. manufacturer. We decided to invest in a new plant to help us do just that, as well as to attract skills in other areas that do not duplicate the work carried out at our facility in Grand Prairie, Texas.