Moulay Hafid Elalamy, the Moroccan minister for Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy, laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the MATIS Aerospace plant in Casablanca today. Among the many personalities attending the ceremony were: Alain Sauret, CEO of Labinal Power Systems (Safran), Kent Fisher, vice president and general manager of Supplier Management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), Bob Noble, vice president of Partnering for Success for BCA Supplier Management, Seddik Belyamani, chairman of the board of MATIS Aerospace; Valentin Safir, CEO of MATIS Aerospace; and Hamid Benbrahim El Andaloussi, CEO of GIMAS.

MATIS Aerospace is a joint venture of Labinal Power Systems and Boeing, each owning 50 percent of the company. The company specializes in systems for the interconnection of electrical networks for the aerospace industry. MATIS Aerospace is expanding to accommodate an increased Boeing workload which will create 400 new jobs.

Over the next four years, MATIS Aerospace will begin producing engine harnesses for the CFM International* LEAP** engine program, electrical harnesses for Boeing 737, 777 and 787 airplanes, and electrical harnesses for the Dassault Falcon 5X business jet.

MATIS Aerospace currently occupies 8,500 square meters at the Nouasseur Technopole technology hub in Casablanca. The plant will expand by 4,380 square meters in 2016 to house new production areas, offices and a cafeteria. The company currently employs 850 people and projects. It will grow to 1,200 full-time employees by 2018.

MATIS Aerospace was founded in 2001 by Boeing, Labinal Power Systems and Royal Air Maroc, which has since disposed of its holding. It produces over 110,000 electrical cables each year, with sales of 662 Million MAD.