Hexcel Corporation, announced today that it will expand its global engineered core capacity by building a 117,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Casablanca, Morocco.

The new facility is part of Hexcel's ongoing worldwide investment to create a diversified and robust global supply chain to support aerospace customers' growing demand for engineered core. Engineered core is formed and machined honeycomb material used for light weighting in structural applications such as aircraft secondary structures, nacelles, and helicopter blades. In recent years, Hexcel has increased its capacity at existing plants to support its current engineered core business and plans further expansions to capture additional opportunities in a global market with excellent growth potential.

The new Moroccan plant will be built at the MidParc Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Industrial Park, located close to Morocco's Mohammed V airport and near several Hexcel customers including Safran (Aircelle), Airbus (STELIA), Matis (a joint venture between Boeing and Safran) and Bombardier. Construction on the $20 million project begins in the spring, and the plant is expected to be fully operational by mid-2017. By 2020, it is expected to employ more than 200 people.

Hexcel's Chairman, CEO and President, Nick Stanage, said: “We believe engineered core has an excellent growth outlook and global upside potential. This new plant will position us to win new business to supply engineered core for engines and nacelles and other commercial aerostructure applications. We expect to partner more closely with our key customer base in Europe, Middle East, Africa and North America through this new Moroccan center of excellence."

Bob Noble, Vice President, Partnering for Success, Supplier Management, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said, “Through our joint venture Matis, Boeing has been an anchor of the growing Moroccan aerospace ecosystem since 2000. We welcome Hexcel's new facility, which will serve to further expand regional capabilities, increasing the value Morocco offers aerospace companies around the world."