Western Aircraft held a ribbon-cutting celebration recently to dedicate two new buildings at its 18-acre complex. The buildings, totaling 26,000 sq ft, include an expanded parts facility as well as a two-story building that houses support shops for Western Aircraft’s services operation. “We started this journey nearly four years ago with tremendous support from the city of Boise and the state of Idaho and today we thank all our partners for their efforts and contribution to our vision,” said Jeff Mihalic, president of Western Aircraft. Western’s business expansion was driven in large part by the sales tax exemption on installed parts passed by the Idaho legislature in 2012 and the growth of Western’s capabilities and sales force. “Ninety-five percent of our customers are based outside of the state of Idaho. We’re now capturing customers from as far south as San Antonio, Texas, and as far east as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” he added. The overall expansion includes more than $2.3 million in new facilities and more than $2.4 million in facility improvements and specialized tooling. Additionally, due to the added business, Western Aircraft has increased staffing from 150 to 200 employees.