The Peggy May Legacy Centre officially opened Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the life and contributions of Southport Aerospace Inc.'s former CEO. The event drew May’s family, friends, and colleagues, many of whom spoke about her lasting impact on the organization and the community.
Southport CEO Nathan Peto says the day was both emotional and celebratory.
“It was a very special day here at Southport,” he notes. “We got to dedicate the Peggy May Legacy Centre today with Peggy May's family, and it was a real nice capstone to finishing this new administration building, but also recognizing our former CEO, who has a tremendous legacy on what Southport is today and the people that work here.”
The Southport team has already been working out of the new space for several months. Peto says the staff has adapted quickly and embraced the change, with room to grow in both workforce and capacity.
“We have grown into it, started to make it our home, and the team has really taken the ball and run with it,” he says. “But this building is designed to grow, and we're going to be growing our team.”
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Centre built for growth and future expansion
The new facility includes additional workstations and excess floor space, built with long-term expansion in mind. According to Peto, that’s part of Southport’s broader vision as it expands its services.
“We built it to grow as an organization,” he adds.
During the ceremony, Peggy May’s husband, Frank May, offered heartfelt reflections on his wife’s legacy and what the day meant to their family.
“Well, absolutely! Unbelievable day for me and my family—for Peggy, for sure,” he says. “And again, like I said during my speech, Peggy would never want to be highlighted as an accolade. It’s more about the people that she has here with her and all of that support.”
Peto says Frank’s speech was one of the most moving moments of the event.
“Frank has been such a champion of Southport, a tremendous partner to Peggy in everything that Southport did,” Peto says. “Frank could be caught making pancakes for employee breakfasts, providing security at events, maybe being volunteered.”
“To have Frank here talk about how important Southport was to Peggy and to recognize the May family here today—it was really a special moment and a day I won't soon forget.”
Team effort behind the transition
Peto also credits the staff for their efforts in the move and the transition into the new building, calling it a major undertaking.
“I just want to mention how proud I am of the Southport team on making a big transition to this new building,” he continues. “It’s an exciting time, but it took a lot of work from a lot of people, and they all deserve the accolades.”
