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AIN ATIQ, Morocco --- The new Labinal (SAFRAN Group) plant in Ain Atiq, near Rabat, was officially inaugurated today, in a ceremony presided by His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco. Because of the King’s presence, several tens of thousands of people traveled to the Labinal site in Morocco.
During the inauguration ceremony attended by a number of VIPs and guests, Jean-Paul Béchat, Chairman of the Executive Board of SAFRAN, underscored the Group’s confidence in the future of Morocco, and in the country’s competitive assets as a subcontractor to the aviation industry.
His Majesty Mohammed VI bestowed the Alaouite Wissam (commander) medal on Jean-Paul Béchat.
The new production site spans some seven hectares (about 17 acres), and offers 10,800 square meters (116,640 sq ft) of floorspace. It is dedicated to the assembly and marketing of electrical connection systems for the aviation industry. Representing an investment of 100 million dirhams (about 9 million euros), this plant offers a state-of-the-art working environment for its personnel.
“For Labinal, the inauguration of this plant opens a new chapter in a story that started nearly five years ago in Morocco, with the creation of Matis Aerospace in 2001, then Labinal Maroc in 2004,” said Philippe Petitcolin, Chairman of Labinal.
“With this plant, primarily dedicated to production of wiring for the entire Airbus family, Labinal can keep pace with the growth in aircraft production rates, and also contribute to industrial development in the region.”
The decision to set up operations in Rabat follows a long tradition of collaboration between Morocco and the SAFRAN Group. The Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM), which deploys more than 60 CFM56 engines, teamed up with Snecma as early as 1999 to create Snecma Morocco Engine Services, a joint venture that provides maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.
Subsequently, RAM and SAFRAN joined Boeing to create Matis Aerospace in 2001.
In 2005, SAFRAN started two new businesses: Aircelle Maroc, for the production of nacelle components for commercial airplanes, and Teuchos Maroc, an engineering company.
Labinal, a SAFRAN Group company, is a world-class supplier of electrical wiring systems, as well as design and engineering services for the aerospace and defense markets. It has built up extensive expertise over a number of years, with broad experience as a partner to the world’s main aircraft manufacturers. Labinal is organized in three divisions, all dedicated to total customer satisfaction: Wiring Europe, Wiring North America, and Engineering and Technology.
SAFRAN is an international high-technology group with four core businesses: aerospace propulsion, aircraft equipment, defense security, communications. It has 58,000 employees in over 30 countries, and annual revenues exceeding 10 billion euros. SAFRAN comprises a number of companies with prestigious brand names, and holds, alone or in partnership, global or European leadership positions in all of its markets.
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