Microturbo, a subsidiary of Turbomeca (Safran), today held an inauguration ceremony to mark the grand opening of a new facility in San Diego, CA. dedicated to the production of auxiliary power units (APU) for commercial aircraft.

Pierre Yves Morvan, CEO of Microturbo and Rick Elgin, Microturbo VP/GM of Microturbo San Diego presided over the ribbon-cutting event attended by local officials and industry partners.

The 22,000 sq ft facility includes a 6,500 sq ft production area and will support Microturbo's growth in the business aviation market since it has taken the full responsibility for APU of the Bombardier Global 7000/8000 and Dassault Aviation Falcon 5X. A total of 60 people are currently employed, with further growth envisioned when full-rate production is attained.

“Today's event is a major milestone in reinforcing Safran's presence in the business aviation market in the US” said Pierre-Yves Morvan. “Our facility in San Diego reflects our commitment to this state and towards its skilled resources. We will continue to grow our presence in the commercial and the business jet market to ensure optimum service for current and future customers,” he added.

Rick Elgin, said “Microturbo has made significant investments in the San Diego plant, which features a state-of-the-art industrial design. The open area concept allows for visual interaction between the assembly floor and the various departments, emphasizing our core business and resulting in an easy flow from one space to another for greater efficiency.”

Microturbo has been present in the United States for more than 40 years and provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services to military and business aviation customers from its Texas facility.