Enstrom Helicopter Corporation delights families at City of Marinette’s “National Night Out”
Enstrom Helicopter Corporation employees and their families joined the Marinette community on August 1 in celebrating National Night Out. National Night Out is an annual campaign aimed at better connecting first responders with the communities they serve. Event organizers believe bolstering relationships is the key to making neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
At Marinette’s local event, guests could interact with uniformed officers, firefighters, and EMTs, visit a fire safety house, and explore emergency vehicles from the inside. Multiple police cars, firetrucks, airboats, and a SWAT vehicle decorated the parking lot outside the Community REC Center. However, the biggest attraction proved to be Enstrom’s 480B helicopter.
“It’s amazing to see young faces light up with excitement when they get to climb inside,” said chief pilot Cody Parkovich. “For many of these kids, this is their first time setting foot in any rotorcraft. They are always full of questions, and I do my best to explain how I use the controls to fly the helicopter. Who knows? Maybe an experience like this could spark a lifelong passion for flight!”
Several Enstrom employees brought their families to National Night Out to show off the type of machine they get to work on every day.
“Despite our six-decade presence here in Menominee, some of our neighbors still aren’t aware of what Enstrom is or what we do,” said President Todd Tetzlaff. “We see each community outreach opportunity as a chance to both share Enstrom’s incredible story and improve, in some small way, the lives of everyone who calls this area home.”
Enstrom will always have one clear advantage in its community outreach efforts; wherever a helicopter flies, it is guaranteed to attract attention. As the end of National Night Out neared, dozens of interested onlookers surrounded the 480B at a safe distance, eager to capture the helicopter’s departure on video.
Enstrom’s support for hard-working first responders extends beyond just this one-day event. Earlier this year, Enstrom served as the singular sponsor for the Marinette Police K9 5K Run/Walk. Tetzlaff’s son-in-law is an officer with Marinette’s K-9 unit, further connecting Enstrom to the interests of public safety.
In addition, Enstrom’s participation in National Night Out further demonstrates the company’s overall commitment to being a good neighbor. Enstrom Helicopter regularly sponsors parades, youth sports, charity runs, the Future Fund program, and more.
About Enstrom Helicopter
From Rudy Enstrom’s early designs in 1943 to initial testing in a Michigan Quarry in 1957 to aircraft operating on six continents, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has maintained a reputation for safety, value and performance. Based in Menominee, Michigan and proudly made in the United States, Enstrom has a rich history for design innovation. The goal is to provide helicopters to the customer’s exact specification and deliver support and maintenance worldwide.