A company that provides some of the top-ranked aviation maintenance and repair services in the country traces its origin back three-quarters of a century and to a business founded in Grand Junction.

West Star Aviation celebrates 75 years in operations in 2022 and the combination of companies that started in Grand Junction and Illinois.

The operation has grown over the years and changed ownership and names. But some things haven’t changed, said Debi Cunningham, vice president of marketing for West Star Aviation.

“Dedication to our original philosophies results in a company that fosters technical expertise, encourages the personal and professional development of our employees and places high value on attention to detail in every aspect of our business,” Cunningham said. “This means a constant focus on customer service and complete satisfaction that is engrained in the very fiber of West Star Aviation, and we are proud to recognize this milestone.” 

West Star Aviation traces its roots to a small aviation company founded in 1947 in East Alton, Ill., at what is now St. Louis Regional Airport. 

The company changed ownership and names in 1987, becoming Premier Air Center. The operation developed a reputation for technical expertise and personalized service in maintaining and refurbishing airplanes.

Meanwhile, Monarch Aviation was founded in 1952 at what was at that time Walker Field in Grand Junction. What started as a sales and service business became a business aircraft maintenance and refurbishment facility.

In 2004, the principals of Premier Air Center acquired what became the West Star Aviation facility in Grand Junction, combining the two operations under the West Star brand.

An expansion followed and included the addition of full-service locations in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Perryville, Mo., as well as smaller satellite locations across the United States. In Colorado, West Star also operates facilities in Aspen and Denver.

In addition, West Star acquired Avant Aerospace and Dallas Aeronautical Services.  

The expansion continues with the addition of facilities in Grand Junction, East Alton and Chattanooga to keep pace with growing demand for maintenance and repair services.

In Grand Junction, the expansion will include a 40,000-square-foot hangar. An adjacent, two-story building will offer another 35,000 square feet of shop and office space. 

Scheduled for completion in 2023, the project will increase the total operational footprint to 365,00 square feet.

The Grand Junction location is the largest fixed base operator for West Star in providing fueling, deicing and other services.

In addition to more facilities, West Star expects to increasing staffing in Grand Junction with 80 employees now and another 100 employees over the next few years.

West Star Aviation has ranked as the top maintenance, repair and overhaul services provider for eight consecutive years in annual survey compiled for Professional Pilot magazine.