The latest indication of Florida’s status of being an international aviation hub comes from aerospace giant Meggitt PLC with their Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) center of excellence by celebrating its grand opening with their new facility expansion in Miami-Dade County.

Meggitt has invested close to $8 million in expanding an existing facility and adding a new purpose-built workshop to serve its growing customer base. The Miami hub was specifically located to make it easy to serve global airlines, engine manufacturers and defense customers in North and South America and could generate a significant number of new jobs over the next decade. The company has further plans to invest in the facility as it continues to grow its MRO capabilities at the site.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I’m proud to celebrate the grand opening of Meggitt’s new facility expansion today. Meggitt is a global leader in aerospace innovation, and their continued growth in Florida is great news for the local community and the state. Over the past two years, Meggitt has doubled the size of its facility, creating more jobs and opportunities in our state. I look forward to their continued success.”

“When we were looking at location options for our new aftermarket US headquarters, one of the first places we thought of was Miami,” said Tony Wood, Meggitt’s CEO. “It is an established aviation hub, centrally located with a growing economy and a ready-skilled workforce. We know the required aviation talent pool is there if we need to expand in the future. The aviation industry continues to thrive with an average annual growth rate in passenger travel of 5.5%. This guarantees the long-term success of support services like our new regional MRO center of excellence in Miami.”

“This is a significant win for our community,” said Miami-Dade Beacon Council President & CEO, Michael A. Finney. “Aviation is one of seven key target industries for Miami-Dade County, representing almost 500 aviation firms, 26,217 aviation jobs and 19% job growth in the last five years. The investments Meggitt plans to make here, coupled with the creation of new highly paid jobs, serve as strong advantages for Miami.”