StandardAero is kicking off its 100th birthday celebration at this year’s Heli-Expo, marking milestones and accomplishments over the past 100 years, as well as some more recent achievements.

Originally founded as Standard Machine Works in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1911, the company has grown into one of the world’s largest independent repair and overhaul specialists supporting the aerospace industry. The helicopter program was launched in 1967 when StandardAero gained authorization from Allison Engine to perform repair and overhaul of the Allison (now Rolls-Royce) 250 turboshaft engine.

Adding a bit of cake to the celebration, in the past year, StandardAero has landed a number of key contracts to augment its growing maintenance, repair and overhaul service portfolio.

Among them was piece-parts MRO support for the U.S. Army TH-67 flying-hour program and, most recently, in March this year, a five-year contract for Rolls-Royce 250 support for the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department. All work on engines for the seven-ship law enforcement fleet will be performed at StandardAero facilities in Winnipeg, Canada, and Concord, N.C. The engine models include the 250-C20B and 250-T63-A-720.

Also this month, StandardAero signed charter operator HeloAir of Richmond, Va., as an authorized support center. The agreement is for one year and includes optional one-year extensions at the end of each expiration date.

“We’re very excited to have Heli-Expo 2011 as the launch venue for our second 100 years,” said StandardAero v-p of helicopter programs Tom Roche. “Given our diversity and increasing momentum, our bicentennial should really be something,” he concluded.