Kellstrom Defense Aerospace, Inc., a Merex Group company, will expand its South Florida operations to the IDI Corporate Park in Miramar, Florida. The expansion will create 20 new jobs, in addition to retaining 106 jobs, and make a capital investment of $5.9 million in the Miramar community.

According to Enterprise Florida, strategically located in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area, Kellstrom Defense has been a leader in providing distribution and program management/supply chain services in the aviation industry since 2001, and is well positioned to manage the Merex Group’s respective divisions from the Greater Fort Lauderdale location.

“The investment in our new South Florida facility and the availability of highly trained and experienced aerospace talent in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area supports the business growth we are expecting in the coming years,” said Chris Celtruda, CEO for the Merex Group and Kellstrom Defense.

The Merex Group is a leading provider of “Total Solutions” for aftermarket support for legacy aerospace defense platforms. The company services more than 35 armed forces worldwide that operate aging fixed and rotary wing platforms, state economic development officials said.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Over the last four years Florida’s businesses and the hardworking people of Florida have created more than 700,000 new jobs, and we are excited that companies like Kellstrom Defense continue to grow. These new jobs will give even more Miramar residents the opportunities they need to succeed and provide for their families. We will keep Florida working to grow jobs for all our families so we can become the global leader for job creation.”

This project was made possible through close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward County and the City of Miramar.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “The expansion of Kellstrom Defense’s Florida operation is another success story in the state’s pursuit of fostering high-skill, high-wage jobs for Florida families. The creation of 20 new jobs over the next three years and a capital investment of nearly $6 million shows that Kellstrom Defense, and many companies like it, are committing to Florida because of the low tax, pro-growth policies of this administration.”

Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance President/CEO Bob Swindell added, “We are very happy that Kellstrom Defense Aerospace is expanding in Miramar. The company’s decision to expand in our region is a good indicator that our efforts in growing Broward County’s Aviation/Aerospace cluster continue to pay off.”