Piaggio Aero has appointed Waterford, Mich.-based Pentastar Aviation a non-exclusive authorized service center. The agreement allows the MRO to provide maintenance services and support for the Piaggio Avanti II. The company, which also has a Van Nuys, Calif. operation, will act as a Piaggio Aero sales center in the upper Midwest. “This agreement represents a mutually beneficial relationship for Pentastar and Piaggio,” Rick Maloney, Pentastar Aviation’s president and CEO, told AIN. "We’re in a region that was heavily impacted by the economic turbulence of the past few years. As we emerge from that turbulence, the Piaggio [aircraft] is well suited to the evolving needs of many individuals and organizations in our region. We look forward to providing maintenance and sales support to both new and existing Piaggio customers.” As part of the service center agreement, Pentastar will provide warranty maintenance and repairs for Piaggio aircraft, maintain a parts inventory and provide support for Avtrak, Piaggio’s chosen computerized maintenance tracking program. Pentastar is the 18th North American Piaggio Aero authorized service center.