Hexcel, an advanced composites company based in UK, will build a $20 million facility in Casablanca, Morocco to convert honeycomb materials into engineered core parts for light weighting and structural reinforcements in the aerospace industry.

The facility will be located in the Midparc Free Trade Zone Industrial Park at Casablanca, and will become fully operational by 2017. It is likely to have more than 200 employees by 2020 once operational.

It is a part of Hexcel’s worldwide investment strategy, and will try to meet the global aerospace industry’s growing demand for engineered core.

At a ground breaking ceremony organised for the building recently, Thierry Merlot, vice president and general manager of Hexcel said, “Morocco’s forward-looking industrial policy, economic growth plan and the establishment of industrial free trade zones influenced our choice of location."

"Morocco has a highly skilled, competitive workforce, is well situated geographically and has a quality infrastructure. Other deciding factors were the local Mohammed V international airport and the close proximity of several Hexcel customers, including Safran (Aircelle), Airbus (STELIA), Daher and Bombardier,” he added.

Till the facility gets fully operational, Hexcel will occupy a temporary facility on the Midparc site that will begin operation in Q4 2016. (MCJ)