The French group specialised in the sale of school and office supplies is in the process of setting up a production unit in the Fouchana industrial zone in the governorate of Ben Arous. The company seeks to create 250 jobs within 3 years and 1,700 jobs within 10 years, with an investment of pound 500,000, the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) said on Friday. As part of monitoring the setting up of this new production unit, FIPA Managing Director Jalel Tebib received on Friday Technical Manager (Tunisia) and Research and Development Manager (China) Rahim Salhab of the French group. Tebib outlined the specific features of Tunisia's business climate, which have helped several foreign companies in recent years expand their investments in a number of sectors, notably the plastics industry, and FIPA's role in providing advice, guidance and assistance. Founded in 1947, MAPED is a French family-owned company that designs and manufactures school writing, colouring and office products, fun activity kits an d mobile food containers. Present in 120 countries, the group has 17 subsidiaries and operates in the cutting, tracing and erasing markets. Its manufacturing units are based in China, India and Mexico. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse