Mexico City, Mexico - Eurocopter has inaugurated a new unit in Mexico where the helicopter manufacturing giant will invest millions over the next few years and produce "high-technology aircraft structural metallic components," the company has said.

"Our company is ready to continue investing. We see a maximum investment potential of approximately $550 million," Eurocopter President and CEO Lutz Bertling said.

Bertling said the "inauguration of the plant in the central Mexican state of Queretaro marked the 30th anniversary of our 'Eurocopter de Mexico' subsidiary, which continues our nearly 50-year presence in the country."

The facility at the Aerotech Industrial Park adjacent to Quertaro Intercontinental Airport is a 12,000-square-meter plant and will be the single-source production site for structures used in jetliner doors, according to the firm.

The site is also home to a recently-opened 1,000-square-meter maintenance center specialized in the Ecureuil family of helicopters, which serves the region's Eurocopter clients operating the popular lightweight rotorcraft.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto attended the ceremony at the industrial facility of the French-German-Spanish helicopter manufacturer which was created in 1992. "Eurocopter's total investment will depend on sales in Mexico over the next few years," Bertling said.

The initial investment at the plant in Queretaro totals $100 million, demonstrating "how serious we are about being here in Mexico," Bertling said. Construction of the Quertaro manufacturing center began in early 2012, followed by the hiring and training of personnel during the year.

It will create approximately 200 specialized jobs, enabling the plant to generate 200,000 production hours annually during its initial phase of activity. Eurocopter employs 250 people who provide support to a fleet of more than 450 helicopters operating in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.

This inventory includes the AS350 B3, utilized in public services, private transportation, and aerial utility work; the EC145, deployed for oil and gas airlift; the Dauphin family for private transportation, along with oil and gas missions; and the EC725/EC225, deployed in air force, navy, and governmental duties.

Serge Durand, the CEO of Eurocopter de Mexico, said that "the importance of Eurocopter's industrial commitment to Mexico is demonstrated by the role of Quertaro's as the sole manufacturing source for all the aircraft components it will produce. This makes the new facility a vital element in Eurocopter's global supply chain," he said.