Stahl launches Ethiopian facility
Leather chemicals group Stahl launched an operation in Ethiopia this week to serve the country’s growing leather and footwear manufacturing industry.
The lab is located in Akaki Kality, 20km south of Addis Ababa, and was officially opened at a ceremony attended by the Ethiopian Minister of Trade, Mekonnen Manyazewal, and the Ethiopian ambassador to the Netherlands, Hans Blankenberg.
Huub van Beijeren, Stahl’s CEO, said: “Part of the rapid development in the economy of Ethiopia is due to continued growth in its leather and shoe manufacturing industry, and we see our customers for global shoe brands enter the expanding market. For Stahl this is the right time to provide a high level of local technical advice and training facilities. After all, this is what Stahl does: we provide service and support to customers on a local level.
"We are very proud and happy that the Ethiopian government and other local authorities embraced our vision and supported us wholeheartedly with our plans.”
The lab will initially use imported chemicals but Stahl plans to establish a plant to produce chemicals for its own use and for the use of other sectors that require similar chemicals.
Mr Blankenberg said: “In the past four years I have seen many companies from the Netherlands coming to Ethiopia. Ethiopians know us for our contribution to the horticultural sector and most recently two large beer brewers, Heineken and Bavaria, have made substantial investments in the country. It pleases me very much that now also the leather sector in Ethiopia will be able to benefit from Dutch knowledge and expertise.”
Stahl provides chemicals, dyes and coatings for leather, as well as flexible and non-flexible substrates for performance coatings, textiles and related products. It operates eight manufacturing sites and 30 technical service laboratory facilities and employs 1,250 people in 28 countries.
