West Star Aviation has revealed details of the planned major expansion of its facility in Grand Junction, Colorado. A new 40,000ft² (3,716m²) hangar is to be established with an additional 35,000ft² (3,252m²) of shop and office space.
The shop space will include a larger interior shop, a complete composite shop and tool room. The new facility will be focused on the expansion of large aircraft capability and is slated to be complete in 2023. The expansion would increase the location’s operational footprint to approximately 379,000ft² (35,210m²).
The company plans to add 84 additional technicians in the next 12 months and an additional 100 new jobs as the facility expansion nears completion. This expansion is being supported by a Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit and Strategic Fund Project from the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC).
In addition to the expansion project, and for the Strategic Fund portion of the package, the Grand Junction Economic Partnership and Industrial Developments will provide a local match to jumpstart the construction of the project. This will also allow for the jobs to be created and filled at a faster pace.
“We are pleased to be able to implement a growth and expansion plan for our Grand Junction facility,” said Dave Krogman, general manager at the facility. “The expansion will not only benefit our customers, with additional large aircraft capability, but also the community with additional job growth and career opportunities. We are grateful for our community’s support during our expansion and thankful for our working relationship with the local community which has always been a priority in Grand Junction.”
“West Star has been one of the fastest-growing business MROs for the past 20 years,” said Jim Rankin, West Star Aviation’s CEO. “We are committed to implementing sustainable growth that benefits both our customers, employees and the surrounding community. The expansion project will ensure West Star Aviation will be well-positioned to meet our customers’ needs for the next five years and beyond.”
