The first of two phases of the Gulfstream Aerospace new Savannah Service Center has officially opened.

In March last year the company announced a seven-year, $400 million long-range expansion plan for its Savannah headquarters and business-jet manufacturing and maintenance facilities. It includes the new 624,588-sq-ft service center on 76.6 acres at the southwest quadrant of the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

The first phase includes a 136,200-sq-ft hangar that can accommodate up to 18 large-cabin aircraft, repair shops, a fuel farm, an engine run-up area, an employee parking lot and a new cafeteria.

When Phase II is completed in 2009, the aircraft hangar space used for maintenance will more than double to 282,300 sq ft, making it, according to the company, the largest purpose-built business jet maintenance facility of its kind. The second phase also includes a second hangar, a second engine run-up area, additional repair shops and parking spaces.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Joe Lombardo, the company’s president, reflected on the growth of the company and Gulfstream’s need to build a new center. “In our old service center across the runway we could work on as many