For generations of Moroccan consumers, FLASH has been a familiar chewing-gum brand. Behind it stands Maghreb Industries, a family-owned manufacturer established in Casablanca in 1959 that now supplies customers across five continents.
Founded by Mohamed Marrakchi, the company has evolved from a small chewing-gum operation into a confectionery producer combining its own consumer brands with manufacturing services for international customers.
FLASH, introduced to the Moroccan market in 1979, remains central to that history. But Maghreb Industries has built a broader business around confectionery production, product development and exports.
The company states that international sales account for 50% of its turnover, although it does not specify the financial year associated with that proportion.
Its development offers a distinctive example of Moroccan industrial entrepreneurship: a recognised domestic brand supported by manufacturing capabilities serving markets far beyond Morocco.
From a Casablanca Factory to a Moroccan Consumer Brand
Maghreb Industries traces its origins to 1959, when Mohamed Marrakchi established Maghreb Company Chewing Gum in Casablanca.
Production of FLASH began in Spain in 1965, before the brand entered Morocco in 1979. The business had adopted the Maghreb Industries name five years earlier.
Over the following decades, FLASH developed into a portfolio of chewing-gum products offered in different flavours, formats and packaging.
Its current catalogue includes traditional sticks, coated products and alternative presentations designed for different purchasing occasions.
The company also developed Yamy, a confectionery brand covering products such as lollipops and chewy sweets.
This diversification broadened its commercial offering beyond chewing gum while retaining FLASH as a central part of its identity.
The Marrakchi family’s involvement has continued across generations. Hakim Marrakchi, identified by the company as chief executive, has held a leadership role since 1989.
Under successive stages of family management, the business has expanded its manufacturing operations and developed commercial relationships beyond the domestic market.
Five Continents and a Business Beyond FLASH
Maghreb Industries identifies 1991 as an important milestone in its diversification and export development.
Its subsequent international expansion included European markets and, according to the company’s official history, the beginning of exports to the United States in 2011.
Today, Maghreb Industries reports serving customers across five continents.
Its activities extend beyond products marketed under the FLASH and Yamy names.
The manufacturer also produces private-label chewing gum and confectionery for commercial partners, offering customised flavours, shapes, ingredients and packaging.
Its research and development facilities support that activity, allowing products to be adapted to different customer requirements.
Maghreb Industries also reports manufacturing gum base and packaging in-house, giving it control over additional stages of production.
This creates two complementary commercial activities: developing its own consumer brands and manufacturing products for customers operating under other labels.
The company-reported export contribution of 50% of turnover illustrates the importance of international business to its model. However, without a disclosed reporting period, it cannot be treated as a verified 2026 financial result.
The distinction is important for understanding the company’s development: FLASH provides consumer recognition, while customised manufacturing extends its commercial reach beyond the brand itself.
Hakim Marrakchi and the Modernisation of an Industrial Business
Maghreb Industries’ international development has been accompanied by investment in production infrastructure.
In 2015, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced financing of up to MAD 50 million to support a new manufacturing facility in Casablanca.
The project included renewable-energy technology and measures designed to improve industrial efficiency.
By 2017, the company had installed a rooftop photovoltaic system at its new factory. The EBRD subsequently reported that the installation and related efficiency measures had reduced energy costs by 60% at the time.
The investment was part of a wider effort to modernise manufacturing operations.
The EBRD also supported Maghreb Industries in strengthening corporate governance, marketing and export strategy, linking operational improvements with its international ambitions.
Hakim Marrakchi described the family company’s approach in a 2018 EBRD interview as focused on long-term planning and investment rather than immediate profit alone.
That perspective helps explain an industrial model combining established consumer brands with specialised manufacturing services and international customer relationships.
Maghreb Industries has not publicly disclosed sufficiently recent financial results to measure its revenue growth or profitability in 2026.
Nevertheless, its documented history shows a business that has moved from domestic chewing-gum production into a broader international confectionery operation.
From a familiar Moroccan chewing-gum brand to a manufacturer serving customers across five continents, Maghreb Industries has built its business on family ownership, industrial expertise and export markets.