AEROSPACE AND AVIATION BUSINESSES SOAR HERE.

Just ask West Star Aviation, the area’s premier FBO, which boasts a 10,500′ runway at Grand Junction Regional Airport.  

With over 400 employees and a payroll that exceeds $18 million, West Star Aviation is a leading employer and pillar in the Grand Valley business community.

But they are only a small portion of the local industry, which includes engineers, consultants, manufacturers and pioneers in the UAV Industry.

“In a nationwide search for a location to start his business and raise his family, [Ed Armstrong] chose Grand Junction for its quality of life, outdoor recreational opportunities and an economic environment in which his business could be successful and grow…”

– Armstrong Consultants, Inc.

CONTACT

Six Reasons to Fly in the Grand Valley

1.

The Grand Junction Regional Airport is a designated Colorado Aviation Development Zone, offering aircraft manufacturers special tax benefits.

2.

As Colorado’s first Jump-Start tax credit zone, a designated Hub Zone and an Enterprise Zone, Mesa County in the Grand Valley offers innovators in aviation and aerospace plenty of opportunities to grow and succeed.

3.

The year-round mild climate and natural topography makes for a great testing ground for advanced sensor testing.

4.

The FAA recognizes the Grand Valley as an ideal place for UAV operations – 14 operators have been Certificates of Authorization here, including the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.

5.

With an expanding engineering program and a new pilot training program, Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction is committed to supplying local business with the right talent.

6.

Colorado has the perfect atmosphere for aerospace. In the U.S., the state ranks first in private aerospace employment and 2nd in NASA prime contracts.

Fly with the best

West Start Aviation | Wren Industries, Inc. | Lewis Engineering, Inc. | Twin Otter International | Mesa County Sheriff’s Office | Armstrong Consultants | Dragonfly Innovations, Inc. | Colorado Flight Center

West Star Aviation Hangar Grand JunctionMeet a pillar of the Grand Valley aviation industry:  West Star Aviation

Download: GJEP Aviation and Aerospace Industry Brochure
Download: Mesa County Workforce Aviation, Aerospace Parts and Manufacturing Industry Report

Industry News and Events

GJ company makes gear for manned trip to Mars

May 11, 2017 - This morning, The Daily Sentinel published a beautiful cover story on Wren Industries, the Grand Valley's very own connection to NASA's Orion Spacecraft project, destined for deep space. Here is an

Global Manufacturing Corporation Acquires Lewis Engineering

March 2, 2017 - We are pleased to announce that yesterday, Lewis Engineering entered into a partnership with Jabil, an international supply chain management and manufacturing provider with a global aerospace and defense contract manufacturing operation. The

West Star Aviation Expands

February 10, 2017 - West Star Aviation, a leading employer in Mesa County, has outgrown its facilities by the Grand Junction Regional Airport and is expanding into new digs near the Mesa Mall. Here's the

Millions in CO Grants for Emerging Companies

January 24, 2016 - Earlier this week, our friends at the Southwest Innovation Corridor published a blog post on the Colorado Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant, which provides millions in grants and incentives to emerging companies

PHOTO CREDITS for this page

West Star Aviation