STAMFORD, Conn. -- Hexcel has formally opened a new manufacturing facility in the MidParc Free Trade Zone in Casablanca, Morocco. At the $20 million facility, Hexcel transforms lightweight honeycomb materials into engineered core parts that provide structural reinforcement for aerospace applications, including aircraft structures, engine nacelles, and helicopter blades. The company expects that the new site will employ more than 200 people by 2020. Customer deliveries from the facility are already underway.

The Moroccan plant is part of Hexcel's worldwide effort to create a diversified and robust global supply chain to support aerospace customers' growing demand for engineered core. In recent years, Hexcel has increased capacity at its existing plants in order to support its engineered core business. It plans further expansions to capture additional opportunities in the global market.

Hexcel CEO Nick Stanage commented, "We could not be more pleased to become neighbors here in MidParc with our customers, including Airbus, Boeing, Safran, and Bombardier. This facility is critical to our success because it positions us to secure additional growth with our aerospace customers in Morocco and around the world."

Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Morocco's Minister for Industry, Trade, Investment and Digital Economy, said, "The aerospace sector is achieving its potential in terms of export business and local integration, following the launch of the Industrial Acceleration Plan. The recently launched engines and composite materials ecosystems add significantly increased value that Hexcel will support and reinforce. The company is the driving force of the composite materials ecosystem, and its business is sure to encourage other structural investments to the region."

Source: Hexcel Corp