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Home»success stories»Sama Aero sets up its aircraft engine shop in Nogent-sur-Oise

Sama Aero sets up its aircraft engine shop

in Nogent-sur-Oise

Sama Aero is a young company specializing in the management, storage and recycling of aircraft engines. It has chosen Nogent-sur-Oise, in the Hauts-de-France Region, as the location for its first operational engine shop. Thibault Daboux, founder of Sama Aero, explains why he decided to base the company in the Hauts-de-France Region.
Date de publication Published on 04.03.2026
Nord France Invest

Who is
Sama Aero?

The company was founded in 2024 by Thibault Daboux and has positioned itself in a growing sector: recirculating parts from aircraft engines that have reached end-of-life or been withdrawn from service.

The company is involved in a specific phase of the engine life cycle: recovery, disassembly, and recycling components that are still usable. Removable parts are then returned to international maintenance circuits.

Sama Aero also provides regulation-compliant storage services for engines in commercial transit.

A move to the Hauts-de-France Region
driven by logistical and economic factors

As the company’s needs were analyzed, the Hauts-de-France Region gradually became the clear choice. Location was a major consideration: “Many of our customers are based in Amsterdam, London, Belgium or Germany. We needed to be connected to northern Europe, while remaining close to CDG and Orly,” explains Thibault Daboux.

🔎The choice of location determines your success. Discover our 6-step method for finding the ideal location and ensuring the long-term success of your project.

Real estate was also a key factor. Sama Aero’s search for a cost-effective existing building with a surface area of between 1,000 and 2,000 m² naturally led the company to the department of Oise. It was near to major European hubs and had a more accessible real estate market than Paris, making it an excellent candidate.

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After several visits to different regions (Hauts-de-France, Paris, Sarthe, Grand Est), the company identified a building meeting all its criteria in Nogent-sur-Oise, in the Creil Sud Oise Urban Community.

🔎Discover the advantages of the aerospace sector in Hauts-de-France

Choosing the site: an industrial engine shop
adapted to aeronautical requirements

The new Sama Aero site is a technical engine shop with ceiling height of over 7.5 meters, wide sectional doors and a reinforced floor that can hold aircraft engines weighing 10 to 12 tons. The space has the capacity for modular layout, to create teardown and storage areas.

Commissioning of the site is scheduled for early 2026, once the renovation works have been completed and the equipment installed. The company plans to grow from its current small team to around 20 employees in the next three years.

🔎Recruit easily in Hauts-de-France

A local industrial ecosystem
that supports development

Thibault Daboux also highlights that he found a dense industrial fabric around Creil, made up of numerous small and medium-sized businesses specializing in welding, metallurgy, handling, wooden crate manufacture and gantry cranes.

This close proximity to service providers and expertise makes it easier for the company to set up its operations and pursue future projects.

Reindustrialization can only work if the whole chain exists, from the largest to the smallest link.

A territory offering a strategic location
in Europe

For Sama Aero, the geography of the Hauts-de-France region is an operational advantage, as 99% of its business is international.

With the American market already very mature, the start-up’s main opportunities lie in Europe.

However, the heart of European aeronautics is located around the northern cities of Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and England.

Located at the crossroads of these major markets, the region offers immediate access to northern logistics hubs.

Being based in Hauts-de-France allows Sama Aero to limit its logistics costs and offers a competitive advantage over its mainly American competitors.

🔎Explore the business opportunities offered by setting up in the Hauts-de-France region

Being connected to the motorway network allows a customer in Amsterdam to ship an engine for around €1,000. This accessibility is a decisive advantage in our model.

Geographically, Hauts-de-France is probably the best region in France to set up in when serving a European market.

Regional support
for Sama Aero

Nord France Invest assisted Sama Aero, answering the company’s technical questions about its move, identifying buildings and connecting it with the regional aeronautics cluster, Altytud.

The Hauts-de-France Region and Creil Sud Oise Urban Community have also identified potential public assistance programs to back the company. This support will focus on recruitment, to identify and train the profiles required.

There was always someone to talk to, who got back to me quickly. The NFI website is clear and easy to use. It’s a point that may seem insignificant, but in reality marks the beginning of a fluid and efficient relationship.

A development project
in Europe?

Céline Céline
Gautier Gautier

Start your support program with Céline and Gautier, our aeronautics specialists in Hauts-de-France.

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