West Star Aviation Opens New Hangar, Announces Inaugural Graduating Class of West Star Aviation Academy, Solidifying Position as an Industry Leader

EAST ALTON, Ill., Sept. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- West Star Aviation is proud to announce the completion of its newest hangar at the East Alton facility. In addition, West Star Aviation Academy (WSAA), established in January 2024 by West Star Aviation in partnership with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), proudly celebrated the graduation of its inaugural class of 23 students. Over the past several years, West Star has made meaningful investments to expand its facilities and its team to support significant growth and excellent customer service.

The new hangar, officially named Hangar 67, adds 75,700 square feet of space, including 40,000 square feet of dedicated hangar space and 35,700 square feet of support space for the company's advanced modification capabilities. In addition to providing a significant increase in available hangar space, the expansion enhances West Star's capacity for interior, avionics, and sheet metal services, while enabling the implementation of cutting-edge production technologies, including a new state-of-the-art design center. With the completion of the new hangar, West Star's network encompasses 1.5 million square feet of hangar space across the US.

West Star Aviation Academy represents the company's innovative approach to addressing the Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) shortage. WSAA stands out as the only aviation program of its kind, where individuals are carefully screened, interviewed, and hired into a full-time, paid position. Participants are required to complete a customized Part 147 Airframe maintenance curriculum in a dedicated West Star classroom and learning hangar during their first 7.5 months of employment. Unlike other programs that demand balancing full-time work with night classes or learning on the job, WSAA enables apprentices to fully focus on developing the skills and knowledge essential for a successful aviation career. As a result, graduates are exceptionally prepared to join operations with hands-on experience working with West Star's aircraft, systems, manuals, and procedures. West Star is pleased to announce the second class of students has recently started at the company with expected graduation in spring 2025.

About West Star Aviation

With more than 77 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as satellite locations in Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Chicago, and West Palm Beach. The company's extensive capabilities encompass maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide.

About The Sterling Group

Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to $1 billion. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 73 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $25 billion. Sterling recently closed its sixth investment fund with $3.5 billion in commitments and currently has $9.4 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit sterling-group.com.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.

SOURCE The Sterling Group

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