Greenbriar Equity Group Acquires West Star Aviation

West Star Aviation hangar
Credit: West Star Aviation

West Star Aviation, a maintenance repair and overhaul service provider, has a new owner.

Greenbriar Equity Group has acquired the East Alton, Illinois-based company from The Sterling Group, a private equity firm, which bought the company in 2022. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Greenbriar’s investment aligns with West Star’s focus on expanding its capabilities with ongoing investments in people and infrastructure, the company says.

Greenbriar, founded in 1999, is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut. It specializes in investments in the global transportation industry, including aerospace and defense, automotive, freight and passenger transport, logistics and distribution and related industries.

West Star employs more than 3,000 and operates full-service facilities in East Alton, Grand Junction, Colorado; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Millville, New Jersey; Perryville, Missouri; and Statesville North Carolina. It also operates satellite facilities in Chicago, Denver, Houston, and Minneapolis.

“We are on the brink of an exciting evolution, and we couldn’t be more energized by the opportunities ahead,” said Stephen Maiden, West Star CEO. Greenbriar’s extensive expertise in the aviation sector will enable us to serve our customers more effectively while ensuring the steadfast support of our remarkable workforce—an essential foundation of our success.”

West Star is “poised for this new era of growth and innovation and looks forward to enhancing its capabilities and expanding its reach within the business aviation market, all while prioritizing the needs of its clients and outstanding workforce,” Maiden says. 

Molly McMillin

Molly McMillin, a 30-year aviation journalist, is managing editor of business aviation for the Aviation Week Network and editor-in-chief of The Weekly of Business Aviation, an Aviation Week market intelligence report.

Paris Air Show 2025

Aviation Week's award-winning editorial team will deliver comprehensive coverage of the Paris Air Show 2025, including extensive news, insight, and analysis, continuing our tradition of authoritative aerospace journalism at the world's largest and most influential aerospace industry event.