Thanksgiving Cranberries Brought To You By JBI Helicopters

When families sit around the table for Thanksgiving and indulge in some delicious cranberry sauce, helicopters are probably the last thing on their mind. However, helicopters and cranberries actually have a closer relationship than people might think. In fact, in New England, Bell helicopters are instrumental in the farming of cranberry bogs. JBI Helicopters, an aviation company located in Pembroke, New Hampshire, collaborates with various cranberry farms, which are also suppliers of Ocean Spray, to help farm and harvest the holiday fruit to perfection.

In 1979, Joe Brigham owned half of a cranberry bog while working for Wiggins Airways. It was his connection to aviation that inspired him to utilize helicopters for a very important process in cranberry farming: ditch mud removal. In the springtime, helicopters help clean out the mud and weeds from the ditches that help flood the bogs by lifting a mat carrying all the leftover mud. This was how helicopter cranberry farming in New England was born. Eventually, Brigham sold the cranberry bog to buy his own helicopter- a Bell 206 Jet Ranger - and start JBI Helicopters.

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Today, JBI Helicopters uses their fleet of Bell 206 Jet Rangers, 407s and 429s to assist in more than just ditch mud clearing. They spread fertilizer and herbicides in May all the way up to harvest season in August. During harvest, helicopters serve as the heavy lifters, carrying 800 lbs. of cranberries in a fly-off tote to a processing plant where the berries are cleaned and delivered to grocery stores. This fly-off tote was actually an innovation developed by JBI because the Oak bins originally used to transport cranberries proved to be too heavy to lift.

Ray Newcomb, President of JBI Helicopters, loves working in “Cranberry Land.” Each year he sends packages of cranberries to JBI customers with detailed cranberry recipes to make over the holidays. He believes that there are many cranberry uses from stringing cranberries up around your Christmas tree to baking a cranberry pie.

Next time you are gathering cranberries at your local supermarket for your holiday festivities, think of JBI Helicopters, working hard to make your holidays - and taste buds - happy. More Cranberry Facts from Ray Newcomb:

  • Cranberry Origins: Cranberries started growing in the sandy dunes of Massachusetts near Cape Cod
  • Cranberries became popular amongst sailors because they were used to cure sea sickness and scurvy. Today, cranberries are still sold by the barrel.
  • There are 15,000 acres of cranberry farms in Massachusetts and 23,000 acres in Wisconsin
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About Bell

Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.

We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.

Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.

About Textron

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products; volatility in interest rates or foreign exchange rates; and risks related to our international business, including establishing and maintaining facilities in locations around the world and relying on joint venture partners, subcontractors, suppliers, representatives, consultants and other business partners in connection with international business, including in emerging market countries.

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