Evergreen EAGLE history

1960: Evergreen Helicopters is formed.

In 1974, Evergreen had bought the lease to a large air base in Marana, Arizona, from the Central Intelligence Agency, which was coming under congressional pressure to divest its holdings in airlines such as Air America.

By 1975, Smith had a fleet of 98 helicopters.

1978: A holding company and Evergreen Farms are formed.

Twice-weekly flights between Philadelphia and the Bahamas began in February 1979.

A new subsidiary, Evergreen Tours, was created in February 1980 to market tours and charters.

In 1982, the company entered into a more enduring contract, using helicopters to carry mail to remote outposts in northwestern Alaska.

EAGLE's mission since its inception in 1984 has been to provide a tradition of excellence in aviation ground handling services, within a competitive cost structure, while maintaining a dedication to quality.

In May 1987, Evergreen established a regional hub in Terre Haute, Indiana, to sort and ship for the firm of Express Mail.

In 1991, Evergreen began refueling Hong Kong-bound aircraft in Khabarovsk, Russia, to avoid high landing fees in Japan.

In 1992, it increased its facilities fivefold at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Evergreen suspended payment on $454 million in debt in February 1994.

Plans for a $15 million expansion of the Evergreen Air Center were deferred by debt and a $78 million lawsuit in 1996.

In the spring of 1998, Evergreen added scheduled service from Indonesia to New York via Columbus, Ohio.