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Rabat – The Moroccan shoe manufacturer Shoeleven factory on Friday inaugurated a new industrial unit in Nouaceur, Casablanca, in partnership with Turkish shoe distributor Flo Group.
Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour chaired the inauguration ceremony as the new project is funded by the Turkish capital and the Moroccan industrial support program “Istitmar.”
The new MAD 20 million ($2.01 million) industrial unit aims to create 500 direct jobs and boost industrial production to meet local needs as well as export to foreign markets including the Turkish one. The project is expected to produce 2,400 pairs per day and generate a turnover of MAD 85 million ($8.57 million).
“This project illustrates the win-win Turkish-Moroccan industrial partnership and offers the opportunity for our young people to forge their talents and for local manufacturers to become more competitive,” Mezzour said. He added that this partnership is set to develop the quality of local production in an effort to make the “Made in Morocco” brand an international reference.
The project was the fruit of two to three years of joint work between Shoeleven and Flo Group, said Azzedine Jattou, CEO of Shoeleven, adding that the factory will produce a “new generation” of shoes that will be commercialized in the national market and exported starting from next week.
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Describing Morocco as a gateway to Africa, Mehmet Buyukeksi, Vice President of Flo Group congratulated King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan ministers on their efforts to promote local production. “You can really be proud of your country,“ he said.
Commenting on Flo Group’s ambitions, Buyukeksi added, “We are hoping to export to a group of countries from Morocco. I hope that this partnership will be fruitful for both parties.”
In March, the Turkish Ambassador to Morocco Ahmet Aydin Dogan called for a renewed partnership in economic, parliamentary, and cultural fields to address issues of common interests.
In 2006, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Rabat and Ankara entered into force with the objective of eliminating tariffs and other barriers to exports, expanding trade relations, and promoting economic growth in both countries.
Yet, Mezzour previously expressed doubts about the win-win approach of FTA, stressing the need to protect small local merchants from foreign companies such as the Turkish Bim chain stores.
