EADS Socata CEO Jean-Michel Léonard today ceremonially placed the first stone for the industrial center of EADS Socata's Moroccan subsidiary, Socaero.

Situated in the new industrial park at the Casablanca-Mohammed V International Airport, this 54,000 sq.ft (5,000 sq.meter) facility will work on sub- assemblies for Socata and its aerostructures customers – mainly elements for the Airbus A320 and A340, Eurocopter's AS 350/355 helicopters, the Dassault Aviation Falcon 7X business jet, and Socata's own TBM 850 business aircraft.

Socaero began operations in 2007 in the Aeropôle zone near Casablanca airport. Today, the company employs 90 people.

"This ceremony demonstrates our will to develop Socata's investments and facilities in coherence with the growth strategy for our activities," Léonard said. "We chose Morocco because of its geographical and cultural proximity with our other sites, as well as for the local competencies – particularly in the aeronautical sector, along with the hosting conditions we were looking for."