Nexteer Automotive Company Sets up Plant in Morocco
Morocco’s automotive ecosystem is expanding and attracting more and more investors, upbeat over the North African Kingdom’s growth potentials in this very competitive sector.
Among these investors, Nexteer automotive, which has unveiled plans to set up a new production facility in Kenitra, about 40 km to the north of Rabat.
In a first stage, Nexteer will use the Moroccan facility for manufacturing Single Pinion-assist Electric Power Steering (SPEPS) systems and plans to extend manufacturing to driveline products in the future.
The new 18,000 m2 facility of Kenitra will be the company’s first in Africa and is scheduled for a ground-breaking ceremony in late March 2018.
The facility is to begin production in 2019.
Nexteer strategically continues to expand its global manufacturing capabilities and to align itself with its customers’ targeted regions.
Consequently, Nexteer drives greater efficiencies, responsiveness and strengthens relationships with its global OEM customers.
“Nexteer’s key differentiators include our global manufacturing footprint and our in-house capabilities in producing high-quality, safety-critical steering and driveline systems”, said Hervé Boyer, vice-president of Nexteer.
“By establishing a new facility in Morocco, we are strategically aligned with our global customers’ needs. This location will also allow us to expand our geographic operations’ reach in both Africa and Europe,” he added.
Nexteer Automotive is a multi-billion-dollar global steering and driveline business, delivering electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems as well as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving technologies for original equipment manufacturers.
The company’s global workforce of over 13,000 serves more than 50 customers in every major region of the world. The company has 24 manufacturing plants, three technical centers and 14 customer service centers strategically located in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
According to the Moroccan minister of industry, Moulay Hafid El Alami, Morocco will continue to attract foreign businessmen to invest in this sector due to the incentives offered to investors, the country’s proximity to the European market, modern infrastructures, free trade zones, qualified manpower, open economy and stability.
Currently the new Moroccan car industry has yielded results beyond all expectations and breaking all national export records. It has posted far better results in exports & revenues than phosphate and agriculture.
Experts say that the development of the automotive industry will help the Moroccan government create 90,000 jobs by 2020 in addition to the 100,000 that already exist.
French automaker Renault operates two vehicle assembly plants in Mo-rocco, in Casablanca and in Tangier, where it already produced its millionth vehicle since opening the factory in 2012.
PSA Group will begin building cars near the Moroccan coastal city of Kenitra in 2019.
Morocco has succeeded in marketing itself as an attractive & highly com-petitive export base for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
