Germany’s automotive supplier BENTELER has just opened a state-of-art smart factory in Morocco Atlantic Free Zone in Kenitra. Over $42 million has been invested in the new factory which created more than 300 direct jobs, in addition to many indirect employment opportunities throughout the local value chain.
The 17,000 m² plant, built on 50,000 m² site, is designed to produce vital automotive components, including front/rear bumpers, twist beam rear axles, crash/stabilisation struts and control arms for a major OEM.
The Kenitra facility is equipped with advanced machines, including a 3,200-ton cold stamping press, various welding systems, a cathodic dip coating system (CDP) and a 3D laser for component production.
The inauguration ceremony of the new plant was marked by the presence of Moroccan Minister of Industry Ryad Mezzour, CEO of BENTELER group
Ralf Göttel as well as the company’s management, employees, customers and partners.
Mr. Mezzour said the new factory strengthens the competitiveness of Morocco’s automotive ecosystem and deepens the integration of the local value chains.
The investment made by the German group in Morocco shows the trust the Kingdom enjoys on the international scene in its competitive industrial hub which is attracting a growing number of international investors looking for growth opportunities and a stable, efficient and innovation-driven environment, added the minister.
For his part, Ralf Göttel, CEO of BENTELER group, stressed the strategic importance of this new site committed to deliver industrial excellence combining customer proximity and sustainability.
Morocco’s automotive industry has become a major export platform and manufacturing hub, built around three main production zones (Tangier, Kenitra, Casablanca) and an expanding supplier ecosystem that feeds vehicle assembly and parts manufacturing.
