Composites company Hexcel Corp. has broken ground on a new $20 million engineered core facility at the Midparc Free Trade Zone Industrial Park in Casablanca, Morocco.
When fully operational in 2017, the facility will convert HexWeb honeycomb materials into engineered core parts that are used for structural reinforcement and light weighting in aerospace applications, including aircraft structures and helicopter blades.
HexWeb honeycomb is made from a wide variety of materials including thermoplastic, fiberglass and carbon fiber composites and aluminium.
Until the new site is ready, Hexcel will occupy a temporary facility on the Midparc site that will begin operating in the last quarter of 2016.
When completed, the plant is expected to employ more than 200 people by 2020.
At the ceremony, Hexcel Vice President and General Manager, Thierry Merlot, 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 — all of which are key logistical criteria for our industry.”
In January, the Stamford, Conn.-based composite materials and structural parts manufacturer took over Leicester, England-based composite reinforcements manufacturer Formax.