The trademark of Ethiopia, hospitality, is what laid the foundation for elico, the biggest leather producer in Ethiopia. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Emperor Haile Selassie I gave refuge to a group of Armenian tanners who fled from their home to survive the devastating aftereffects of the war. After settling in Addis Ababa, the tanners founded Awash Tannery (formerly known as Darmar Tannery) in 1957. A commemorative plaque of Emperor Haile Selassie I, who presided over the official opening ceremony, still stands proudly at the entrance to one of the main production units.
In 1972, Mr. Shalom Shalom, an Israeli investor, founded Abyssinia Tannery. It operated for three years before political developments resulted in the expulsion of the owners in 1975, and the tannery was nationalized by the state during the Socialist Derg Regime, along with the other tannery, Awash. The facilities were owned and operated by the state until the military regime was deposed in the 1990s.
Universal Leather Products Factory was established by the Ethiopian government in 1984, and was privatized by Elico in 1997. Every year, Universal and Fontanina Shoes Factory, which was founded in 2013 with an estimated investment capital of ETB 84.8 million, produce over 327,000 leather goods. Now ELICO is one of Ethiopia’s leather production giants, capable of producing more than 2.2 million square meters of finished leather every year. But more importantly, ELICO has had a significant impact on the community, creating jobs and learning opportunities while also assisting in the construction of necessary infrastructure to improve quality of life.
ELICO is a leather production giant located in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia that produces top quality export standard leather products.