A groundbreaking ceremony marked on Wednesday the official start of construction work on Eurocopter's new manufacturing plant in Queretaro, Mexico, which will manufacture aeronautical components and subassemblies.

Situated within the Aerotech Park adjacent to Queretaro International Airport, this industrial facility will be dedicated to the production and assembly of helicopter and aircraft components, such as tail booms, vertical stabilizers and doors.

The facility will include a workshop area for cutting, milling, pressing, surface treatment and the assembly of single parts and sub-assemblies, as well as a new benchmark helicopter maintenance center for Eurocopter.

"Eurocopter is constantly seeking opportunities for improving its global supply chain, and we have found an attractive industrial environment and a ready supply of skilled labor in Queretaro," said Eurocopter de Mexico CEO Serge Durand. "We strongly believe in the future success of this new facility. Such high tech value work packages will feed Eurocopter's supply chain in Europe."

The new plant is to be ready for product deliveries beginning in late 2012.

"Eurocopter's initial investment in the facility is the equivalent of approximately US $100 million," explained Dieter John, Eurocopter's Executive Vice President. "In the long-term, Mexico will benefit from investments amounting to as much as $550 million - driven by the Queretaro plant's future development, along with overall growth of Eurocopter de Mexico's activities and the expected arrival of additional suppliers and subcontractors in the region."

The new facility's construction represents an extension of Eurocopter's global industrial network, backed by technology transfer that will foster the regional development of high-level skills and know-how.