Gulfstream Aerospace is building a 202,000-sq-ft/18,766-sq-m service center on the east side of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, complementing its existing 679,199-sq-ft/63,100-sq-m main Gulfstream Savannah Service Center at the Georgia airfield, the company announced this morning. When the $55 million Savannah Service Center East is completed in second-quarter 2019, Gulfstream will have more than 1 million sq ft/92,903 sq m of dedicated customer-support hangar space, offices and back shops in Savannah.

“This expansion of our customer service and support organization is the result of the strong and steady fleet growth we’ve had for several years and the arrival of the G500 and G600 in the coming months,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “As we’ve announced recently, we’re also expanding to meet customer needs in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Van Nuys, California. These new facilities will keep us well positioned for support, maintenance, and refurbishment of the Gulfstream fleet, which is now at nearly 2,700 aircraft.”

Attending the expansion announcement event were state and local dignitaries, including Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. The event was held at Savannah Technical College’s Aviation Training Center, whose students will play a “key role” in Gulfstream’s growth.

“Our Savannah expansion is also the direct result of our partnership with Savannah Technical College,” Burns said. “The school’s aviation programs, which have provided us with more than 500 skilled employees over nearly 20 years, will help us meet the workforce needs this expansion creates.”

Like the existing Savannah service center—which is the largest such facility in the world—the East Savannah location will offer a wide range of services, including aircraft-on-ground resources, hourly and calendar-driven airframe inspections, avionics installations and interior refurbishments.

In addition to Savannah, Gulfstream has factory-owned service centers in Brunswick, Georgia; Long Beach, California; Cahokia, Illinois; Westfield, Massachusetts; Appleton; West Palm Beach, Florida; Dallas; Las Vegas; Beijing; Sorocaba, Brazil; and London Luton.