French aerostructures specialist Potez — the company originally founded by Henry Potez in 1916 — has taken a first step beyond its national borders with the inauguration of a new production plant in Spain. The 6,000m2 facility is located in close proximity to the Aeropolis Technology Park and Seville Airport.

The site will be dedicated to the production of structural assemblies for civil and military fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. It will be equipped with state of the art production tooling, including a riveting machine scheduled for delivery in June.

The Spanish facility is the company’s third site, alongside its historical site in Aire sur l’Adour in southwest France (350 people) and its design office in Blagnac (20 people). The company’s president, Roland Potez, explains that the choice of Seville represents a compromise between the availability of a highly qualified workforce, cost considerations and geographical proximity within the European Union.

The new plant will initially employ 15 people. The workforce is expected to reach 100 by 2022.