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Mohamed Serraji, founder and CEO of NTS Technics, has over 30 years of experience in the engineering field.
NTS Technics is an internationally recognized leader in the aeronautics, automotive, rail and naval industries.
The engineering company provides mechanical services for the development of planes, cars, trains and boats, with a goal to design and conceive a product that will respond to its clients’ detailed specifications.
Through hard work and determination, Serraji was able to build an entire company from scratch.
Here’s a rundown on how the self-made CEO was able to grow his company, going from 2 collaborators to 70 in only two years.
An entrepreneur at his core
Mohamed Serraji got his high school diploma at Les Orangers high school in Rabat, before heading to France to pursue a degree in engineering.
Despite his quite “classic” approach to education so far, Serraji claims he never really imagined a future where he would be working a typical nine-to-five job.
“I always knew I was going to become an entrepreneur. I come from a whole family of entrepreneurs. Our last name ‘Serraji’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘serj’ which means a horse saddle. Our ancestors ran a horse business,” explained the engineer.
In 2003, Serraji began to provide engineering services in Canada, where he was living at the time. “I am very grateful to Canada. It has offered me a lot of opportunities to study and to set up my business,” he said.
The entrepreneur had a vision of creating a solid team that would grow together, creating wealth for each other but also sharing knowledge and expertise with young people who may hold the same passion for engineering and innovation.
Serraji’s journey is an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to remain resolute and firm in pursuing their goals.
Read also: Rate of Women Engineering Graduates in Morocco Among Highest Worldwide
Moving back to Morocco
When his business started taking off in Canada, the CEO of NTS decided to start a team back in his home country in 2012.
“I came to Morocco because I saw there were many opportunities here. There are many talented people that can learn very fast, and because the life cost in Morocco is very competitive compared to Western Europe and America, we can provide hybrid solutions for our customers to increase our competitiveness,” explained Serraji when asked about his decision to bring his company to Morocco.
The initiative was very well received by shareholders, considering the aeronautics industry in Morocco was in the early stages of development, with few companies operating in the high-demand field.
The main objective of the installation in Morocco was to offer a “best cost” offer to the company’s North American and European clients.
Besides favoring a cost and time effective business, bringing the company to Morocco was also bringing new technology, international expertise and various job opportunities.
“From the start, the ministry of industry was very helpful in helping us set up a team in Morocco. We had very good incentives in terms of training people with ANAPEC (National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Competencies),” said Serraji.
The company’s offices are installed in Bouznika, so as to be close to both Casablanca and Rabat, two of Morocco’s major cities for industrial operations. The location is also favorable for interactions with the significant industrial zone in Nouaceur in the Casablanca-Settat region.
NTS Technics provides services in France as well, maintaining proximity to the leading company’s French and other European clients.
Diversify to succeed
For optimal results, NTS Technics makes it one of its priorities to diversify activities, clients, and industries.
Product diversification strategy typically allows a company to grow by introducing a new product or service into the supply chain, therefore broadening the business’ target and creating opportunity for more successful segments.
By operating in the aeronautics, automotive, rail and naval industries, NTS Technics is able to diversify its customer portfolio, reaching into completely separate industries.
On the other hand, geographical diversification refers to the existence of a company in different locations, setting foot into foreign markets to gain more clients and international ties.
In 2020, NTS Technics, which at the time only operated in three industries -aeronautics, automotive and rail – decided to open a naval division in Tanja Marina Bay, attracting clients in the major Moroccan port city of Tangier.
“Diversification is part of risk management,” explained Serraji.
A one-of-a-kind client
NTS Technics is currently the only non-Asian company to work with a world-renowned Japanese car manufacturer. In terms of workload, they are the second out of their many suppliers.
In order to maintain the well-renowned Japanese manufacturer as a client, Serraji swears by the following set of skills: creativity, confidence, and problem solving.
The partnership, which is still in place to this day, had its fair share of ups and downs.
“We had a hard patch where the quality was not up to their expectations, so we had to push through and work even harder to meet their demands,” said the CEO of NTS.
The Japanese client requires services which are in conformity with Japanese-level quality, which took much training and determination for the NTS team to reach.
Other clients of the Moroccan company include: Dassault Aviation, Michelin, Stelia Aerospace, Bombardier, and Safran.
The successful CEO ended the exclusive interview with Morocco World News by expressing his desire to “give back to his country.”
For his 2022-2025 development plan, Mohamed Serraji hopes to achieve a number of 300 collaborators, by acquiring new clients in Europe and in Japan and strengthening ties with NTS Technics’ current clients.
“My success is due in great part to the great foundation I got in my country, as well as to the support I receive daily from my great team and my close family members” he asserted.
