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Ethiopia: Messebo Bought 200 Trucks for 700 Million Birr

MesseboLOGO1Messebo Cement Factory PLC, one of the cement producers in Ethiopia, procured MAN transport trucks for 700 million Birr in the aim of cutting transportation cost and be competitive in the local market.

Messebo is one of the companies under the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT) and owns a cement manufacturing plant near Mekelle City. According to the company’s deputy general manager, Kidane Tekelehaimanot, the fact that the plant was 780 kilometers away from the capital city, where there was a major construction boom, put the company at disadvantage dto compete in terms of price. “Though Messebo Cement is known for producing high-quality cement, the cost of transporting the product all the way from Mekelle to Addis Ababa is a big challenge,” Kidane noted.

All the 200 trucks were supplied by the German truck maker, MAN, and assembled locally by Mesfin Industrial Engineer – another member of EFFORT, the Deputy General Manager explained. It will also enable us to deliver our products to the central market promptly. There were complaints coming from customers on delayed delivery caused by the logistical issues because of the remoteness of the factory from Addis Ababa. Now we can delivery our products according to schedule.”

Messebo was established back in 1997 with a paid up capital of 240 million Birr located 15 kilometers North West of Mekelle near Messebo Hills. Currently the company own 2 cement plants which the company invested 1.2 billion Birr for the first plant and 2 billion Birr for the second plant.

The company has an installed production capacity of 2.3 million tons of cement in a year. The company has managed to produce and sell nearly 2 million tons of cement in a year time.

Currently Messebo supplies a special cement for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Source: The Reporter