FEC Heliports

What FEC Heliports does

FEC Heliports is a privately held US design-build manufacturer specializing in aluminum helipads and the integrated lighting, fire suppression, and snowmelt systems that surround them. Founded in 1996 as a diversification of Federal Equipment Company, FEC operates from Cincinnati, Ohio, with a 40,000-square-foot primary production facility and a 30,000-square-foot secondary site in Chesapeake, Virginia, totaling more than 70,000 square feet of in-house manufacturing capacity. The company has completed over 750 heliport installations across 40+ countries, with 400+ rooftop and elevated deployments using its proprietary HELISLAT aluminum decking system and HELOMAT ground-application retrofit system.

FEC's revenue is generated through four interconnected streams: turnkey design-build helipad projects priced per engagement, direct sales of Pad-Star LED lighting and replacement parts via its website, equipment sales (H-2 NFF Foam fire suppression, hydronic snowmelt systems, safety netting, landing nets, crash boxes, prohibitive landing markers, SAFEMELT de-icer), and professional consulting for FAA/ICAO compliance audits, flight path analysis, and site selection. Pricing ranges from published unit prices of $30-$16,500 on equipment to quote-based pricing for full helipad projects and fire suppression. The company serves hospitals and healthcare facilities, corporate and commercial sites, offshore/marine operators, and government/emergency services, with hospitals as the historically dominant vertical. All design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation work is performed in-house without subcontractors, and the firm maintains active influence on heliport standards through participation on the NFPA Helicopter Facilities Committee.

Go-to-market is consultative and enterprise-oriented: direct sales engagement with on-site assessments, active presence at ASHE PDC Summit, VERTICON, EMS World Expo, and AMTC trade shows, content marketing via the company blog and social channels, and an exclusive international distribution arrangement with FEC Worldwide (UK) for non-US markets. Leadership consists of President Tom Schuman and Director of Sales & Consulting Kim Swisshelm (28 years tenure), reflecting the family-owned character of the parent Federal Equipment Company. Certifications include ISO-9001 quality management, FAA, ICAO Annex 14, NFPA 418, and CAP 437 compliance across lighting, structural, and fire suppression product lines.

Name

FEC Heliports

Legal name

FEC Heliports

Website

https://fecheliports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

FEC Heliports is a US design-build manufacturer of proprietary aluminum helipads, LED lighting, fire suppression, and snowmelt systems, serving hospitals, corporate sites, and offshore operators across 40+ countries with 750+ installations since 1996.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Infrastructure (Helipad Systems)

NAICS

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Aluminum helipad systems
• Heliport design services
• Helipad lighting equipment
• Offshore helideck installation
• Hospital helipad construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Helipad Design, Manufacturing & Installation: Complete turnkey helipad projects including site assessment, design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation. All work performed in-house with no subcontractors. Revenue generated from custom project work for hospitals, corporate sites, and offshore operations.
2. Lighting Equipment Sales: Direct sales of helipad lighting products including perimeter lights, obstruction lights, windcones, beacons, remote controllers, and replacement parts. Products sold individually with prices ranging from $30 to $16,500 per unit.
3. Equipment Sales: Sales of helipad support equipment including fire suppression systems, snowmelt systems, safety netting, landing nets, crash boxes, and prohibitive landing markers. Fire suppression systems are quote-based; other equipment has published pricing.
4. Consulting & Compliance Services: Professional services including on-site consultation, FAA and international compliance audits, flight path/airspace obstruction analysis, and helipad site selection with detailed recommendation reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FEC Heliports is a US-based design-build manufacturer that engineers, fabricates, and installs aluminum helipads (rooftop, ground, hospital, offshore, portable, parking garage, and retrofit) entirely in-house without subcontractors. The company also manufactures its own Pad-Star FAA/ICAO-compliant LED helipad lighting line and a full suite of helipad support equipment including fire suppression, hydronic snowmelt, safety netting, landing nets, and crash rescue kits.

Product overview

FEC Heliports is a design-build manufacturer specializing in helipad infrastructure, offering a comprehensive portfolio of aluminum helipad systems (HELISLAT for rooftop/elevated and HELOMAT for ground applications), complete helipad lighting solutions (Pad-Star perimeter lights, obstruction lights, windcones, beacons, floodlights, remote controls), and safety equipment (fire suppression, snowmelting systems, safety netting, landing nets, crash boxes). The company provides end-to-end services from site assessment and design through manufacturing and installation, all performed in-house in the USA, serving hospitals, corporate sites, offshore operations, and government facilities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HELISLAT: Aluminum rooftop/elevated helipad design system with over 400 installations worldwide, proven in all climates and conditions
• HELOMAT
• Pad-Star
• SAFEMELT
• FEC Aluminum

Products and services

• HELISLAT Aluminum Helipad System Proprietary aluminum decking system engineered for rooftop, elevated, and parking garage helipads; lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and proven in over 400 installations across every climate.
• HELOMAT Ground Application Aluminum ground-level helipad system designed to retrofit existing damaged elevated locations and to support integrated snowmelting capabilities.
• Hospital Helipads Specialized helipad solutions for medical facilities, optimizing real estate for rapid patient transport and direct emergency department helicopter access.
• Offshore & Shipboard Helipads Corrosion-resistant aluminum helipad platforms designed for offshore oil rigs, shipboard installations, and maritime environments, compliant with CAP 437 standards.
• Portable & Remote Helipads Transportable helipad systems designed for rapid deployment in remote locations, temporary operations, or emergency response scenarios where permanent infrastructure is unavailable.
• Retrofit & Resurface Services Solutions for upgrading or resurfacing existing concrete helipads with aluminum systems, including on-site assessment and full conversion services.
• Pad-Star Series Perimeter Lights LED perimeter lighting for helipad touchdown and lift-off zones (TLOF); available in AC and DC configurations with elevated ground, pole, and inset semi-flush mounting; FAA-compliant with 10-year warranty.
• Obstruction Lights Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible LED obstruction lights meeting FAA and ICAO standards for marking helipad perimeter and approach obstacles.
• Lighted Windcones Internally and externally lit windcone assemblies for wind direction guidance; FAA AC 150/5345-27 and ICAO Annex 14 compliant, with 25,000-hour rated LEDs and aluminum construction.
• LED Beacons Programmable LED locating beacons providing clear directional guidance to helipads, available in three-color configurations for location identification.
• Remote Lighting Control Systems AC and DC remote lighting controllers (including manual and remote operation kits) enabling pilots to control helipad lighting systems.
• Battery Powered Lights Portable, battery-operated helipad lighting systems designed for temporary or remote deployments where grid power is unavailable.
• Floodlights LED floodlights including mini-floodlights for walkway lighting and ultra-low hooded surface floodlights designed to reduce pilot glare.
• Replacement Parts Replacement components for heliport lighting, including LED replacement bulbs, mounting cans, lenses, lens clamps, and windsocks.
• H-2 Fire Suppression System Fully automated NFF (Non-Fixed Facility) Foam fire suppression system compliant with NFPA 418, designed for hospital and offshore heliport safety.
• Aluminum Helipad Snowmelting System Hydronic snowmelt system fully integrated into aluminum decking materials, custom designed for rooftop and ground helipads to maintain safe landing conditions in winter environments.
• Fuel-Water Separator Containment system for managing fuel and water runoff from elevated helipads, required by National Fire Protection Association standards.
• Safety Netting Fall protection netting for helipads elevated more than 24 inches above ground or roof level, ensuring personnel safety during operations.
• Landing Nets Helideck landing nets designed to prevent helicopters from skidding, sliding, or pitching off helipad surfaces during landing and takeoff.
• Crash Boxes ICAO and CAP 437 compliant crash rescue kits designed to assist emergency response during helicopter incidents on helidecks.
• Prohibitive Landing Markers Portable markers displaying the international standard landing prohibited signal (yellow cross on red background) for temporarily closing helipads, compliant with CAP 437 standards; includes storage bag, rope, and a 5-year warranty.
• SAFEMELT Granular UREA-based snow and ice melt designed specifically for helipads; non-corrosive to aluminum surfaces, biodegradable, and safe for surrounding vegetation.
• Design-Build Services Full-service helipad project delivery including site selection, design, engineering, manufacturing, and installation, all performed in-house without subcontractors.
• Helipad Siting & Consulting Consulting services for helipad location selection, flight path analysis, airspace obstruction evaluation, FAA and international compliance audits, and detailed recommendation reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ years in business since 1996
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FEC WorldwidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFEC Worldwide is FEC Heliports' international partner strategically located in the United Kingdom just outside of London. They are the only licensed and approved distributor of FEC Heliports to the International community, assisting all international customers with their heliport needs.
• AAMS (Association of Air Medical Services)minorOthersIndustry association partner supporting air medical transport professionals. FEC participates in AAMS events including the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC).
• HAI (Helicopter Association International)minorOthersLeading helicopter industry association. FEC participates in HAI events and VERTICON conferences.
• NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)coreOthersStandards development organization. FEC's Jeff Sterwerf was appointed to the NFPA Helicopter Facilities Committee, contributing to heliport safety standards development.
• HeliplannersminorOthersIndustry partner for heliport planning and design services.
• NemspaminorOthersNational EMS Pilots Association - industry organization for EMS pilots.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carmanah Technologies: Carmanah designs and manufactures solar-powered LED helipad perimeter and obstruction lighting systems, directly overlapping FEC's Pad-Star product line. Both target hospital, offshore, and emergency-services heliport operators with FAA/ICAO-compliant lighting.
• Mid-Continent Instrument Co. Mid-Continent manufactures aviation lighting products, including LED offerings for rotorcraft and airport applications. It is a comparable specialty lighting peer serving similar aviation customers with FAA-rated products.
• Flight Light Inc. Flight Light supplies FAA-certified helipad and obstruction lighting, including perimeter lights, beacons, and windcones. It directly competes with FEC's Pad-Star lighting catalog for FAA-compliant heliport illumination projects.
• Survival Systems Inc. Survival Systems Inc. designs and manufactures helicopter emergency egress equipment, including crash rescue kits and survival gear for offshore helidecks. Its CAP 437 / ICAO-compliant crash boxes compete directly with FEC's crash box product line.
• Aerospace Optics Inc. Aerospace Optics Inc. (Aero-Vision) manufactures FAA-certified LED lighting products, including helipad obstruction and perimeter lights. It serves a similar aviation customer base with comparable specialty lighting products.

Regional players

• HeliMods: HeliMods is an Australian company that designs and manufactures helicopter landing systems and ground equipment for offshore and emergency-service operators. It is comparable to FEC's offshore/marine helipad line but operates primarily in the APAC region.

Broad incumbents

• Avports: Avports operates and manages a portfolio of heliports and airports in the US, including ground infrastructure. As a broader aviation-infrastructure operator/manager, it overlaps FEC's market for enterprise heliport services in the New York metro area and beyond.
• ADB Safegate: ADB Safegate is a large global provider of airfield and helipad lighting, ground equipment, and air traffic solutions. While much broader than FEC, its heliport lighting and ground systems compete for the same enterprise aviation-infrastructure budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FECHeliports
• Facebookfacebook.com/FECHeliports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18444916/admin/feed/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/fecheliports_usa

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FEC Heliports