US automotive company Adient to set up new plant in Kenitra

US automotive company Adient is set to establish a new production unit for fairings in the industrial zone of Kenitra, western Morocco.

The project related agreement was initialed Monday by Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, and the company’s Executive Vice President EMEA, Michel Berthelin.

 

The project, requiring a budget of $18.23 million, will cover an area of 24,5000 square meters and seeks to generate 1,600 jobs.

The new Adient project targets the outfitting with seating and interior applications of 750,000 vehicles produced by its customers, mainly PSA, VW and Toyota, and an export turnover of €60 million.

 

The agreement provides for the launch of a supplier ecosystem to ensure the development of the automotive value chain in Morocco and confirms the group’s willingness to locate new activities in Morocco including headrests and armrests.

 

The global leader in the automotive seating segment also plans to create a technical and engineering center for automotive upholstery in Morocco for product development and design. The first of its kind in the Kingdom, this technical center will generate 50 engineering positions.

“This investment attests to the confidence shown by renowned investors in Morocco, which is now positioned as a platform for production and export of equipment and motor vehicles,” said Elalamy during the signing ceremony.

 

This major project will strengthen the integration and competitiveness of the automotive sector in Morocco, he added, recalling that this project is part of a long-term strategy of the Adient Group in the Kingdom and strengthens the competitiveness of Morocco’s offer and the quality of its human capital.

 

For his part, Berthelin said “this agreement will support our ambitious production expansion in seat covers and the development of the associated technical know-how.”

 

“Besides its favorable geographical location, Morocco is a dynamic workforce which benefited from quality training,” he added.

 

In 2018, Adient opened a manufacturing site in the Atlantic Free Zone for a total investment of $16.7 million. The plant employs 245 people.

The factory was the first subsidiary of the Adient group in North Africa. It specializes in the lamination of fabrics for automotive seats and supplies automotive companies such as Renaut, PSA, Opel, BMW, and Nissan.