• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Exclusives
    • Applications
    • Technology
    • Market
    • Other
    • Top 40
    • Buyers Guide
    • Hygiene Directory
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • Applications
  • Technology
  • Market
  • Other
  • Top 40
  • Buyers Guide
  • Hygiene Directory
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Columns
    Digital Edition
    Southeast Asia Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    California’s Wet Wipes Proper Labeling Law for “Do Not Flush” Symbol is in Full Swing

    INDEX23 Exhibitor Previews

    Meltblown Nonwovens Report

    Hygiene Products Get New Life

    Adult Incontinence Directory
    Company Cameo
    Financial News
    Machinery Equipment
    New Products
    Nonwovens News
    Patent Review
    People in the News
    Supplier News
    Top News
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    Period Care Brand August Launches in Target Stores

    Weekly Recap: Heartland Polymers Begins Production, Zeta Polimeri Becomes Radici EcoMaterials & More

    Heartland Polymers Begins Production in Alberta

    Zeta Polimeri Becomes Radici EcoMaterials

    Responsible Flushing Alliance Holds Annual Meeting
    Nonwovens Insights
    Online Exclusives
    Adult Incontinence
    Absorbent Core
    Antimicrobials
    Apparel
    Automotive and Transportation
    Face Masks
    Chemicals / Adhesives
    Construction
    Contract Services
    Diaper, Baby
    Electronics
    Feminine Hygiene
    Fibers
    Filtration
    Flame Retardance
    Geotextile / Agrotextile
    Home Products
    Hygiene Film/Components
    Industrial / Institutional
    Inspection / Quality Control
    Machinery and Equipment
    Medical
    Wipes

    Period Care Brand August Launches in Target Stores

    Responsible Flushing Alliance Holds Annual Meeting

    California’s Wet Wipes Proper Labeling Law for “Do Not Flush” Symbol is in Full Swing

    Indorama Ventures, Polymateria Partner on Biotransformation Technology

    INDA Announces Program for World of Wipes International Conference
    Air Through Bonding
    Airlaid
    Carded/Carding
    Chemical Bonded
    Composite
    Meltblown
    Needlepunch
    Nanotechnology
    Spunbond
    Spunbond/Spunmelt
    Spunlace
    Thermal Bonded
    Wetlaid

    Suominen’s Hydraspun Circula on Shortlist for INDEX23 Awards

    Smithers Releases Meltblown Report

    Trützschler Boosts Production Footprint in China

    Welspun Inaugurates Spunlace Facility in India

    Meltblown Nonwovens Report
    China
    Eastern Europe/Russia
    India
    Middle East/North Africa
    North America
    Pacific Rim
    South/Central America
    Turkey
    Western Europe

    Trützschler Boosts Production Footprint in China

    Welspun Inaugurates Spunlace Facility in India

    Zeus Non-Woven

    Major Earthquake Impacts Turkish Nonwovens Manufacturing Center

    Oerlikon Textile Relocates, Expands in Charlotte
    Associations
    Contracts / Awards
    Education
    Facilities / Capacity
    Green / Sustainability
    Legal / Regulatory
    Market Data
    Flushability
    Mergers and Acquisitions
    Product Improvement / Innovation
    R&D/Basic Research
    Shows / Events

    Zeta Polimeri Becomes Radici EcoMaterials

    Indorama Ventures, Polymateria Partner on Biotransformation Technology

    INDA Announces Program for World of Wipes International Conference

    Suominen’s Hydraspun Circula on Shortlist for INDEX23 Awards

    PADM Medical Receives U.S. FDA 510(k) Clearance for Plant-Based Face Masks
    Chart
    Companies
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Profiles
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Alliance Machine and Engraving

    ELSNER

    Dukane

    Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd.

    Foshan AZX Machinery Co., Ltd
    Brands
    Brand Owners
    • Magazine
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • Southeast Asia Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers Guide
      • All Companies
      • Categories
      • Company Profiles
      • Add Your Company
    • Applications
      • Absorbent Core
      • Adult Incontinence
      • Antimicrobials
      • Apparel
      • Automotive and Transportation
      • Chemicals / Adhesives
      • Construction
      • Contract Services
      • Diaper, Baby
      • Electronics
      • Feminine Hygiene
      • Fibers
      • Filtration
      • Flame Retardance
      • Geotextile / Agrotextile
      • Home Products
      • Hygiene Film/Components
      • Industrial / Institutional
      • Inspection / Quality Control
      • Machinery and Equipment
      • Medical
      • Wipes
      • Face Masks
    • Technology
      • Air Through Bonding
      • Airlaid
      • Carded/Carding
      • Chemical Bonded
      • Composite
      • Meltblown
      • Needlepunch
      • Nanotechnology
      • Spunbond
      • Spunlace
      • Thermal Bonded
      • Wetlaid
      • Spunbond/Spunmelt
    • Market
      • China
      • Eastern Europe/Russia
      • India
      • Middle East/North Africa
      • North America
      • Pacific Rim
      • South/Central America
      • Turkey
      • Western Europe
    • Other
      • Associations
      • Contracts / Awards
      • Education
      • Facilities / Capacity
      • Green / Sustainability
      • Legal / Regulatory
      • Market Data
      • Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Product Improvement / Innovation
      • R&D/Basic Research
      • Shows / Events
      • Flushability
    • Top 40 Companies
      • Chart
      • Companies
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Hygiene Directory
      • Brands
      • Brand Owners
    • Experts Opinions
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Whitepapers
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
      • Live From Asian Connections
    • Jobs
    • Resources
      • Suppliers Gallery
      • Literature Showcase
      • Web Showcase
      • Home Page Showcase
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Company Cameo

    TKBD Medical Supplies

    ...

    TKBD Medical Supplies
    12.11.20
    Kilinto Industrial Park, Ethiopia
    Tel. +251911512645
    elias@tkbdaddis.com
    www.linkedin.com/company/tkbd-medical-supplies/



    An entrepreneurial couple in Ethiopia is doing their part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 in their community through a new business venture—TKBD Medical Supplies. Over the last two decades, Elias Ketema, a captain and a pilot instructor with Ethiopian Airlines, and his wife Tseday have built three successful businesses that together employ roughly 2000 people—a chain of premium coffee shops, three five-star Italian restaurants and an award-winning dairy business.

    When Covid-19 hit and lockdowns began, like most businesses they were greatly impacted, with business dropping as low as 85% below their normal operations. Face masks, recommended as one of the key solutions to help keep people safe during the pandemic, were in dire short supply. “As business people, we felt compelled to come up with a solution,” recalls Captain Ketema. “Local manufacturing of face masks was a strong business case to explore.”

    TKBD placed an order for its first mask machine, and while they were looking for suppliers of meltblown nonwovens, they realized the material was very expensive and also in short supply. “This short supply spearheaded a great opportunity to manufacture and sell meltblown to meet our business needs and to supply other local and regional customers,” he says.

    The fact that there was very little production of meltblown on the continent, especially in East Africa, also made the investment in a new line an attractive business opportunity.

    TKBD worked with Handas Consulting of South Africa, which provided a feasibility study for manufacturing meltblown locally. “The study proved the regional need for the material,” Captain Ketema explains. “We also quickly realized that the meltblown project came with significantly more complexity than the face masks business, hence we quickly got a project team of experts together and the project is progressing very well and we are very much on target with our plans for the meltblown line.”

    TKBD’s project lead, Excelsior, has worked with the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia, and more recently on projects around personal protective equipment (PPE). The business is located in Kilinto Industrial Park, where several global pharmaceutical companies are also located.

    In mid-September, TKBD started rolling out its first batch of face masks from the production line, which has a capacity of 100 masks per hour. The company focuses on the development of surgical masks, which are being used by the general public, and are comprised of spunbond outer layers with inner meltblown layers. The masks meet the Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration standards, which are harmonized with the European and American standards. 

    Another goal for TKBD is to make sure that it can offer protection for medical frontline workers. For that reason it is ensuring that the new meltblown machine it is installing can meet the N95 standards as legislated in Ethiopia, Europe and the U.S. “We want to be a significant player in the face mask and meltblown space in Ethiopia and the rest of the African continent,” Captain Ketema states. “We have ambitions to export beyond the African continent. For that reason we are very particular about our selection of suppliers for meltblown currently and the meltblown equipment suppliers that we are discussing with. We know that quality is critical and central to the industry that we are in and we intend to respect those standards.”

    Once the meltblown line comes onstream, TKBD will consume some of the production internally, but it also plans to supply the local market. Captain Ketema says the local market on its own is quite significant. “Many new face mask manufacturers have emerged in the last eight to 10 months, and we certainly plan to service them and save them and the country as a whole on lead times, raw material cost and foreign currency.”

    TKBD also has plans to export the material within Africa, including North Africa. And because its manufacturing standards will meet European and U.S. standards, it is also preparing to export globally.

    TKBD expects its first meltblown line to be operational by the first quarter of 2021.
    Suggested For You
    Rebel Converting Rebel Converting
    Polykote Corp. Polykote Corp.
    U.S. Pacific Nonwovens Ind. Ltd. U.S. Pacific Nonwovens Ind. Ltd.
    UNITIKA LTD UNITIKA LTD
    Nonwovens By Design, LLC Nonwovens By Design, LLC
    Toray Plastics (America) to Provide Rooftop Space for a Solar Panel Installation Toray Plastics (America) to Provide Rooftop Space for a Solar Panel Installation
    GPMI Expands Disinfectant Wipes Production GPMI Expands Disinfectant Wipes Production
    Ontex to Cease Manufacturing in Mayen, Germany Ontex to Cease Manufacturing in Mayen, Germany
    H.B. Fuller to Focus on Sustainability at INDEX20 H.B. Fuller to Focus on Sustainability at INDEX20
    Flexible Wipes Production Lines Flexible Wipes Production Lines
     Kelheim Fibres to Increase Viscose Fiber Prices Kelheim Fibres to Increase Viscose Fiber Prices
    INDA Announces RISE® Award Finalists INDA Announces RISE® Award Finalists
    Avgol Avgol
    Lydall Inc. Lydall Inc.
    DuPont DuPont

    Related Buyers Guide Companies

    • Rebel Converting

      Rebel Converting

      ...
      Mike Kryshak, Rebel Rouser 06.01.22

    • Polykote Corp.

      ...
      Nicholas Guzzo, Polykote Corp. 05.09.22

    • U.S. Pacific Nonwovens Ind. Ltd.

      ...
      Priscilla Wong, Administrative Director 05.04.22


    • UNITIKA LTD

      ...
      TAKURO URABE, sales representative 04.24.22

    • Nonwovens By Design, LLC

      ...
      Jeff Willis, President 04.13.22

    Loading, Please Wait..
    Trending
    • Period Care Brand August Launches In Target Stores
    • Nike Uses Needlepunch Technology For New Line Of Apparel
    • Zeta Polimeri Becomes Radici EcoMaterials
    • Heartland Polymers Begins Production In Alberta
    • Kimberly-Clark Ranks Third Among 100 Most Sustainable Companies
    Breaking News
    • Period Care Brand August Launches in Target Stores
    • Albany International Announced CEO Succession Plan
    • Ahlström Partners to Make Sustainable Butter, Margarine Packaging
    • ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit Heads to Capitol Hill
    • Weekly Recap: Heartland Polymers Begins Production, Zeta Polimeri Becomes Radici EcoMaterials & More
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    March 2023

    • INDEX23 Exhibitor Previews
    • Meltblown Nonwovens Report
    • Hygiene Products Get New Life
    • Adult Incontinence Machinery Directory
    • Adult Incontinence Directory
    • Growth Continues for Adult Incontinence Products Market
    • Techtextil North America & Texprocess America 2023
    • View More >



    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Melodea Launches New Plastic-Free Packaging Solution
    GOED and NASC Announce Strategic Partnership
    NPA: ‘Major Victory’ in Colorado After Amendment to Eating Disorder Bill
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    HOFFMANN MINERAL to Focus on Comprehensive Sustainability Strategy
    HMG and Prodrive Renew Technical Partnership
    Eastern Coatings Show Sets Schedule for Technical Papers
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    FDA OKs FemDx Medsystems' FalloView Device
    FDA Clears NeuroRPM Parkinson's Disease Monitoring Tech
    Vaporox Earns FDA Nod for VHT-200 Wound Care Device
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Adragos Pharma Acquires Clinigen's Development Unit, Lamda Laboratories
    Vantage Nutrition Acquires ComboCap
    Secarna, SciNeuro Enter Research Agreement for CNS Diseases
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    Thread Beauty Expands Cosmetics Line at Target
    The Body Shop Expands its Refill Program in Canada
    Clinique Introduces Digital Retail Concept—Clinique Lab
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    Arbonne Welcomes New Executives
    Total Sales for Naples Soap Company in 2022 Increase 2% Despite Inflation, Supply Chain Issues
    IBA Supports FDA in the MoCRA Rulemaking and Implementation Process
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    hubergroup Print Solutions Presents Sustainable Portfolio at PAMEX 2023
    Weekly Recap: Packaging Inks, Toyo Ink Top This Week’s Stories
    Eastern Coatings Show Announces Schedule for Technical Papers
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    eProductivity Software acquires Tharstern Group
    Imageworx details new facility, Avery Dennison tackles recycling and more
    TLMI announces 2022 Eugene Singer Award winners
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Period Care Brand August Launches in Target Stores
    Albany International Announced CEO Succession Plan
    Ahlström Partners to Make Sustainable Butter, Margarine Packaging
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Exactech Boosts AI Expertise with Licensing Deal, Team of Scientists
    Anchor Harvey Celebrates 100th Anniversary in 2023
    Arjun Ishwar Joins Miach Orthopaedics as Sales and Marketing VP
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    onsemi Honored with Supplier of the Year 2022 Award by Hyundai Motor Group 
    Weekly Recap: Dave Rahami, Zebra, Dracula Technologies Top This Week’s Stories
    Midsummer, UCLA Collaborate on Perovskite-CIGS Tandem Solar Cells

    Copyright © 2023 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login