Helicopter manufacturers belong to the broader category of
aerospace manufacturers. It is useful to think of
helicopter manufacturers as falling into two categories, those that can design, certify and manufacture new
helicopter designs from scratch and those that can only manufacture extant designs
under license.
Boeing Vertol is an example of the first type and
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, who license-produced Boeing Vertol designs for much of its recent history, is an example of the second type.