Jul. 6—BETHALO — West Star Aviation on Thursday broke ground for an expansion of its East Alton Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility.
The expansion — named Hangar 67 — will add 75,700 square feet of space at West Star, bringing the total facility to just over half a million square feet of hangar, back shop, and space for modifications and painting. It will include 40,000 square feet of new hangar capacity, 22,300 square feet of additional back shop space, and 13,400 square feet of additional storage space.
"The current expansion project for East Alton will ensure West Star Aviation will be well positioned to meet our customers' needs," said Jim Rankin, CEO of West Star Aviation.
West Star Aviation has nearly 600 employees at the St. Louis Regional Airport. Mike Zada, Vice President of Project Management for West Star Aviation, said Thursday's groundbreaking signified more than just a couple of new buildings for the company.
"It is the realization of our vision for growth, and our vision for reinvesting in West Star Aviation," Zada said.
West Star Aviation will work Contegra Construction and the St. Louis Regional Airport on the project. Completion is scheduled for early Spring 2024.
"The recent rapid growth in the MRO industry has accelerated the need to add additional space to our facilities, allowing us to better serve our valued customers in a timely manner," said Brian Bauwens, General Manager of the East Alton facility.
According to Bauwens, the expansion will create 60-80 new job possibilities at West Star.
Danny Adams, Airport Director for the St. Louis Regional Airport, noted that both he and Bauwens started their positions around the same time last year.
"We both came in, and I think our first meeting was, 'Let's build something,'" he said. "Here we are a year later and we're already breaking ground on a new hangar."
State Sen. Erica Harriss, R- Glen Carbon, said the West Star investment signifies the value of the aviation industry in the area.
"By expanding our aviation infrastructure, we're creating opportunities for economic development, job creation and increased connectivity for our region," she said.
State Rep. Amy Elik, R- Alton, shared similar sentiments.
"Our community knows what an asset you are to the entire region and appreciate the services you provide," Elik said.
Bethalto Mayor Gary Bost said he knows West Star Aviation had choices for where to place the project, and he is glad they chose Bethalto.
"The relationship we formed with the St. Louis Regional Airport and West Star is unlimitless in what we're going to perform in the next few years," Bost said.
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