Cirrus Aircraft recently opened an expanded aircraft paint and finish facility at its Duluth, Minnesota headquarters. The 16,000-sq-ft expansion at Duluth International Airport (KDLH) yields a 35 percent increase in aircraft spray capacity for the company’s SR-series pistons and SF50 Vision Jets. Cirrus’s entire Duluth paint and finish facility is now 86,000 sq ft, the company noted.

“We are proud to expand the Cirrus paint and finish facility at our Duluth headquarters,” said Cirrus Aircraft CEO Zean Nielsen. “These investments allow us to both meet the increasing demand for our leading-edge aircraft and create additional jobs in our local communities.” The company currently has 130 employees at its paint facility, but with this expansion expects to hire 50 more.

Meanwhile, Cirrus is also currently expanding into the former Northwest Airlines aircraft maintenance facility at KDLH and is also preparing for further growth in Duluth, according to Cirrus v-p of operations John Gallo.