1. Product Description: Metal safe boxes are heavy boxes made of thick steel sheets constructed in double form where concrete is put between the steel sheets. The heavy boxes are primarily used for keeping cash, jewelry, gold, important documents and other valuable items. The boxes are made in such a way that they are heavy and can not be lifted and carried by individuals. Besides, their doors are locked with numerical configuration which makes them unopenable unless one knows the configuration. These two features of a safe box make it a very dependable and secured store for valuable items. In recent years, due to the increasing theft of religious symbols, icons and other ecclesiastical- objects, many orthodox churches are buying and using metal safe boxes for the safe-keeping of these religious objectives.
2. Rationale: Metal safe boxes are imported and they are also fabricated at home. The technology of making safe boxes is simple and many technicians have acquired the skill of fabricating metal safe-boxes. In Addis Ababa, there are a number of workshops which fabricate metal safe boxes for the local market. The safe- box requirement of the Amhara Region is met by imports form Addis Ababa. More and more churches in the Region want to have safe- boxes for the safe- keeping of objects. In addition cooperatives, shops, offices, merchants, etc need to have safe-boxes.
3. Market Potential: Products like metal safe-boxes are produced in batches. First, parts or components are fabricated piece by piece and the pieces are welded and /or riveted. The final product is a composition of many parts and pieces. In this type of production process, workshop machines can be used for producing/fabricating different types of products depending on the demand of each product. For example, one workshop can fabricate components of grain mills, parts of metal safe boxes and bodies of edible oil mills. With this type of product mix, the workshop can operate full time which is one basic condition for making a plant viable. As the market for each product expands, there will be specialization and different workshops could produce the different products.
4. Source of Raw Material: The metal sheet and the numerical lock will be imported. The parts of the concrete can be produced in the Region.
5. Production Process Technology: The major process is cutting and grinding of the metal sheet parts of the box, welding together the parts, putting the concrete between the metal sheet, again welding, fixing the numerical lock, and machining the outside parts of the box for smoothness and painting. The required machinery and equipment are those which are standard machines, instruments and tools in a metal fabrication workshop.
6. Estimated Investment: The fabrication workshop will require a work shade of about 300 m2 which will cost about Birr 300,000. Plant and machinery will cost about Birr 600,000. Total investment will be Birr 900,000.
7. Benefit: acquiring new skill, know-how, saving of the Region’s resources, safe- keeping of valuable property, escelestical objects, which are part of our cultural and historical heritage, plus the other common benefits.
8. Location: Bahir Dar and Combolcha.