Summary
Established in 2005, Girum Food Complex is a family-owned wheat milling and biscuit company headquartered in Addis Ababa, with its factories and primary base of operations located in Adama (Nazret). The company has two production facilities, one for wheat flour and the other for biscuit manufacturing. The biscuit production line has an annual capacity of 2,680 tons. The company produces three biscuit brands – Happy Biscuits, Milkano Biscuits and Glucose Biscuits – which account for 68% of total sales. The company has previously worked with Partners in Food Solutions and TechnoServe to improve its food quality processes and expand its product offerings.
Investment Thesis
Girum has a strong market share and positive brand reputation. The growing demand for wheat and biscuits makes a compelling case for investment consideration in the industry. Adama’s surrounding region is a fertile space for agriculture development. With the right technical assistance, expanding wheat and other crop production in the area could support local businesses and smallholder farmers, support and/or create jobs for the local host and refugee communities, and decrease import dependence.
Refugee Impact
There is an opportunity to provide training to the company on the advantages of integrating refugees and IDPs into their value chain.
Smallholder farming is a subsistence livelihood for many of the displaced communities. Sourcing inputs from them would provide them with additional income.
Community TVET training could also target refugee and host communities to prepare them for agro-manufacturing jobs within the company. A future investment would then support expansion of employment opportunities for these newly trained workers.
Management
Abeba Tesfaye, Co-Owner and Managing Director