Company to create 20 new jobs and make a capital investment of $5.9 million

MIRAMAR, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced Kellstrom Defense Aerospace, Inc., a Merex Group company, will expand its South Florida operations to the IDI Corporate Park in Miramar. The expansion will create 20 new jobs, in addition to retaining 106 jobs, and make a capital investment of $5.9 million in the Miramar community.

Governor Scott said, “Over the last four years Florida’s businesses and the hardworking people of Florida have created more than 700,000 new jobs, and we are excited that companies like Kellstrom Defense continue to grow. These new jobs will give even more Miramar residents the opportunities they need to succeed and provide for their families. We will keep Florida working to grow jobs for all our families so we can become the global leader for job creation.”

Florida is already home to more than 2,000 aerospace and aviation companies that employ more than 82,000 Floridians and create an annual payroll impact of more than $5 billion in the state. Florida has long been the world’s premier gateway to space, the undisputed air traffic hub of the Western Hemisphere, a major hub for flight training, and maintenance, repair and overhaul, and home to leading manufacturers of all types of aircraft and aircraft components.

Strategically located in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area, Kellstrom Defense has been a leader in providing distribution and program management/supply chain services in the aviation industry since 2001, and is well positioned to manage the Merex Group’s respective divisions from the Greater Fort Lauderdale location.

“The investment in our new South Florida facility and the availability of highly trained and experienced aerospace talent in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area supports the business growth we are expecting in the coming years,” said Chris Celtruda, CEO for the Merex Group and Kellstrom Defense.

The Merex Group is a leading provider of “Total Solutions” for aftermarket support for legacy aerospace defense platforms. The comapny services more than 35 armed forces worldwide that operate aging fixed and rotary wing platforms. The Merex business model delivers "Total Support" by addressing customer requirements from all possible angles: OEM spares/components, repair/overhaul management, manufacturing & engineering solutions, and overall program management.

Secretary of Commerce and EFI president & CEO Gray Swoope said, “Florida is a leader in the aviation and aerospace industry, specifically in the MRO sector. Because of our top infrastructure, unmatched aviation and aerospace workforce and low tax climate, companies like Kellstrom Defense are choosing Florida to grow their businesses. We thank Kellstrom Defense for choosing to expand in Florida and look forward to their continued success.”

This project was made possible through close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward County and the City of Miramar.

Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “The expansion of Kellstrom Defense’s Florida operation is another success story in the state’s pursuit of fostering high-skill, high-wage jobs for Florida families. The creation of 20 new jobs over the next three years and a capital investment of nearly $6 million shows that Kellstrom Defense, and many companies like it, are committing to Florida because of the low tax, pro-growth policies of this administration.”

City of Miramar Mayor Lori Moseley said, “We are very pleased to welcome Kellstrom Defense to the City of Miramar.  What better place to locate an aviation company than in Miramar - a South Florida aviation hub now and for the future.”

“We are proud that Kellstrom Defense Aerospace, Inc. has chosen to relocate to the City of Miramar in Broward County, Florida,” said Broward County Mayor Tim Ryan. “By choosing Broward County, Kellstrom Defense Aerospace, Inc. joins some of the world’s leading aviation and aerospace companies in recognizing that Broward County offers the kind of strategic location and pro-business environment where aviation and aerospace companies can thrive.”

Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance president and CEO Bob Swindell added, “We are very happy that Kellstrom Defense Aerospace is expanding in Miramar. The company’s decision to expand in our region is a good indicator that our efforts in growing Broward County’s Aviation/Aerospace cluster continue to pay off.”

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Kellstrom Defense Aerospace, Inc., a Merex Group Company, is a leading provider of aftermarket logistics support for U.S. manufactured defense platforms including: C-130, P-3, F-16, F-5/T-38 and Boeing 707 defense derivatives as well as various rotary wing platforms.  Kellstrom Defense specializes in complete Supply Chain Management (SCM) services by establishing strategic alliances and partnerships with the defense aviation industry's leading manufacturers and repair centers to offer a suite of logistic solutions to Operators, Depots and Aircraft MRO Centers worldwide. 

Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida.  EFI facilitates job growth for Florida businesses through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses.

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