When boat shopping (and finally deciding on our NT 37 Pilitak), we looked at Helmsman, AT, NT, and a few others (others being irrelevant to this discussion).
Personally, I liked all three brands in comparable sizes. We looked at one Helmsman 37 (only one on the market locally at the time), but the first owner had "special ordered" a very small engine (69 HP) and I was concerned with it possibly lacking the power needed to go against head winds, and larger, local tidal currents (sometimes 5 knots - would not even attempt higher) with that HP. If it had had a bigger engine (say 125+ HP) I probably would have bought it as I liked most other things about the boat (design, features, etc.). Having only a single (sleeping) cabin, it is comparable to the AT 34. The AT 34 is a great couple's boat (occasional short stay guests) and we did offer on one of those, but unfortunately our surveyor found a major structural issue probably caused by improper "trucking" across the country.
We ended up with a 2 cabin NT 37, which for us proved to be the perfect size and layout. The NT 32/34 seemed too small for our wants/needs. However, we could have been happy with any of the 3 boats/brands.
Personally I do like the idea of American built vs "offshore" (for several reasons), but the Helmsman had good products installed and the craftsmanship and attention to detail appeared to be quite good. Both NT and AT are well designed, well constructed boats, with large followings and well proven track records, including a proven resale value (seem to hold their value well over time).
From info I have been able to gather (not first hand), it appears that Scott (at Helmsman in Seattle) does a good job of servicing and supporting his customers.
I think it really comes down to personal preference, and what is available at the time and where you are looking??
Good luck