Consorzio Toscana Shoe Components, an Italian Shoe machinery, footwear components and accessories manufacturer is planning to procure garment and leather products amounting to £5 million from Ethiopian leather products manufacturers. The company has assigned Swiss Social & General Services (SGS S.A) to carry out the quality inspection on its behalf.

The company has also expressed its interest to contribute to the development and expansion of the Ethiopian leather industry to establish lasting and strategic partnerships with Ethiopian manufacturers.

“They indicated to us that they liked our products and would like to work with us,” says the manager of New Wing Addis Shoe Factory, one of the companies Consorzio Toscana has shown interest to buy leather products from. The manager is hopeful that in two or three weeks time, SGS  would finalize the inspection and Consorzio Toscana would decide on which products to buy from New Wing Addis. New Wing Addis manufactures women shoes targeting the export market.

A few weeks ago Toscana has held a discussion forum at the 6th ‘All Africa Leather Fair’ organized from February 20-22 by the Ethiopian Leather Industries Association (ELIA), the Leather Industry Development Institute (LIDI), to introduce the company and present its future plans to the Ethiopian leather industry.
SGS is carrying out product inspection for eight companies producing leather and garment products.

Source: Capital