Nexteer Automotive facilitated a function with clients, employees and government authorities – including Moroccan Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy, Mr. Moulay Elalamy – to celebrate the inauguration of its first African plant in Kenitra, Morocco.
The new plant will produce Electric Power Steering (EPS) systems for Groupe PSA, as well as Driveline systems for FCA, Groupe PSA and Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. The organization hopes to hire around 500 individuals at the Kenitra plant by 2020.
The systems created at the Kenitra plant for Groupe PSA will incorporate Single Pinion EPS systems – Nexteer’s premium steering system that is as of now included in A-C fragment vehicles for Nexteer clients like BMW and Groupe PSA. The Driveline systems that will be created at this plant will incorporate halfshafts for new generations of some of the bestselling models from FCA, Groupe PSA and Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi.
Development on the 10,000 m2 Kenitra facility started in Q1 2018 and took just nine months. The facility is currently being topped with machines and intending off for the beginning of production in September of this current year.
Herve Boyer, President of Europe, Middle East, Africa and South America, Nexteer Automotive, stated, “We got incredible help from the Moroccan authorities with this crucial investment. The pro-investment approach towards beginning new businesses in this region is extremely valuable, and we want to express our great appreciation to the Moroccan government for enabling us to enter this great market in such a short lead time.”
Moroccan Minister of Industry, Mr. Moulay Hafid Elalamy, stated, “A leading manufacturer of steering systems has joined the worldwide leading automotive suppliers based in Morocco. With this new establishment, a new highly technological craft is being developed in the Kingdom and hence contributes to the integration of the value chain and the ascent of the Moroccan automotive industry”.
Mr Elalamy included, “By the completion of industrial projects conducted by renowned suppliers such as Nexteer, the attractiveness and competitiveness of the Moroccan automotive platform is reinforced ”.
