GRAND FORKS (AP) - Cirrus Design Corp., has an updated airplane with parts made at its plant here.

The company's third generation SR22-G3 plane made its international debut in Germany last month.

The Grand Forks plant makes parts for Cirrus light planes, which are assembled in Duluth, Minn., where Cirrus is based. The company is known for the parachutes on its line of small planes.

Tom Haggy, the plant manager in Grand Forks, said the new aircraft has not brought any new jobs to Grand Forks, but he said the composite fabrication of the new plane is done locally. Cirrus employs about 320 workers in the city.

"The really impressive part is that we were able to completely redesign the wing and launch a new product with our current work force. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Cirrus team members. Additional employees will be required as demand for our aircraft increases," Haggy said.

Cirrus finished construction on a $12 million expansion at its Grand Forks plant last year, most of it financed by low-interest state and city government loans.

The Grand Forks fabrication plant turns out roughly 2,200 composite airplane parts each week for Cirrus' general aviation aircraft.

"We've redone the layout of the facility in Grand Forks to give us a more linear flow," said Tom Bartoe, executive vice president of operations.

David Coleal, the company's president and chief operating officer, said turnover at the Grand Forks plant is relatively high, and the company - like others in the area - has found stiff competition in the community's tight labor market.

"We definitely struggle to continue to bring in more people," Coleal said. "It might be good for the location to have a 2 percent unemployment rate, but that could affect what we do."

Coleal said the company has tried to recruit and retain workers by offering competitive wages and opportunities for career advancement. Cirrus also offers a subsidized program for employees who want to get their private pilot's license.

Cirrus currently delivers about 16 aircraft a week to customers. The company is exploring the idea of making parts for other general aviation companies - a process that Bartoe said could lead to growth in Grand Forks.