Phil Castle, The Business Times

Even with more than 300,000 square feet of facilities at the Grand Junction Regional Airport, space is at a premium at West Star Aviation. Airplanes are packed into hangars like sardines — albeit sleek, jet-powered ones.

It’s a function of growing demand for the maintenance, repair and overhaul services offered there. It’s also a function of another growing trend: bigger aircraft.

“It’s just the way the industry’s gone. All the models have grown,” says Dave Krogman, general manager of the West Star operation in Grand Junction.

That’s why Krogman says he’s looking forward to the latest expansion, which will include a 40,000-square-foot hangar and an additional 32,000 square feet of shop and office space.

A $1.7 million package of state and local incentives made the decision to proceed with the $16 million project in Grand Junction an easier one, Krogman says. “They were huge.”

Steve Jozefczyk, deputy director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, says the combination of incentives is a first for Mesa County and one of only handful ever offered in Colorado. “The state recognized the impact of West Star in Mesa County.”

With a staff of more than 500, West Star ranks among the largest private employers in the county. The expansion is expected to create another 110 jobs.

The new hangar will be the largest for West Star Aviation in Grand Junction and accommodate large aircraft, Krogman says. A larger interior shop, composite shop and tool room also are planned.

Scheduled for completion late in 2023, the expansion will increase the operational footprint for West Star at Grand Junction to 380,000 square feet.

West Star also plans to expand its facilities in East Alton, Ill., and Chattanooga, Tenn.

“This expansion plan is our most aggressive investment in our future to date,” says Jim Rankin, chief executive officer. “We are committed to implementing sustainable growth that benefits both our customers and employees. These expansion projects will ensure West Star Aviation will be well positioned to meet customer demand needs for the next five years and beyond.”

Incentives helped in confirming plans to expand facilities in Grand Junction, Krogman says.

Jozefczyk says the Colorado Economic Development Commission approved a total of $1.7 million in state and local incentives for the project.

GJEP and the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce were involved in efforts to secure the incentives. “This is one of the largest ones we have done and one of the most impactful,” he says.

The package included $1.45 million in Colorado job growth incentive tax credits that will be paid out over an eight-year period as West Star adds staffing related to the expansion.

In addition, a cash incentive will be paid ouf of a state strategic fund. GJEP and Industrial Developments Inc. will pay a total of $246,000 to match the money from the strategic fund.

Jozefczyk says it’s rare for the Colorado Economic Development Commission to combine incentives from more than one program. 

It’s a first for a Mesa County project and one of only a handful of projects in the state, he says.

The combination of incentives recognizes the role West Star Aviation plays as one of the largest private employers in Mesa County, he says. Moreover, those jobs pay an average annual wage of $51,318 — 11 percent above the average annual wage for the county.

Jozefczyk says the effort involves the best use of incentives in helping an existing manufacturing business with a large staff expand. “It’s kind of an ideal situation.”

Krogman says West Star will continue to offer the same services that have made the company the top-ranked maintenance, repair and overhaul provider in an annual magazine survey for seven consecutive years.

But with the latest expansion, there’ll be more room to do it.