Garmin, a name synonymous with avionics, navigation and communication tools for pilots, is opening a new facility at Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA) in Arizona.
It property of two adjacent hangars providing approximately 75,000 square feet. Company officials said the space will be utilized for aircraft certification and flight testing by about 75 employees.
Garmin’s decision to open a shop in Mesa was based in part on the region’s favorable weather. Conditions are conducive to flight testing and the infrastructure of the airport, which includes three parallel runways, two of which are over 10,000 feet in length.
Company officials noted that Mesa Gateway is already home to customer support and service centers operated by manufacturers Embraer, Gulfstream, and Textron Aviation.
“We are excited to add another aviation facility to our business,” Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president and managing director of aviation, said in a statement. “The capabilities this location will provide are instrumental in extending aircraft airworthiness approvals and market coverage for our product lines. This expansion represents Garmin’s continued investment in infrastructure that supports growth and innovation in our aviation business segment.”
The airport traces its roots to World War II, when it was a training base for pilots. The facility was named Williams Air Force Base in honor of Charles Linton Williams, an Arizona-born pilot. The military maintained the base until 1993 when it was closed and Williams Gateway opened in 1994.
The Mesa location is Garmin’s third flight operation center in the U.S. Garmin also has shops in New Century, Kansas, and Salem, Oregon.
