Quest Aircraft is wasting no time planning for the future after being acquired earlier this year by Japan's Setouchi Holdings. The manufacturer is nearly doubling the size of its Kodiak production facility in Sandpoint, Idaho, where it has been building the rugged utility single-engine turboprops for nearly a decade.
Construction of the new factory is slated to begin in August, with completion targeted by the end of the year.
"We are very pleased that the increased worldwide demand for the Kodiak necessitates the need to increase our production capacity," said Sam Hill, Quest CEO. "We have been ramping up production of the Kodiak, and to efficiently meet continued demand for the aircraft, we need to grow our Sandpoint facility."
The company last increased the size of its facility in 2005, when it expanded to its current 84,000 square feet. This expansion will add 75,000 square feet of additional space.
Since receiving FAA Type Certification in 2007, Quest says it has seen continued growth in the global marketplace, selling the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-powered STOL airplanes in more than 20 countries.
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