1. Product Description:- Brushes are hand tools which are composed of bristles or fibers of hairs or other like material set in a suitable back or handle as of wood, or plastic and used for different purposes mainly for painting or laying on colors on walls and ciellings of buildings. Various types of brushes with natural bristles, e.g. vegetable fibers and hairs (cow tail, horse tail, goat hair, badger hair, squirrel hair, etc.) are used.
2. Rationale:- Brushes are used for putting colors on walls or for painting, for shoe polishing, for removing dust from clothes. Almost all of the brushes that the country needs are imported. The Amhara Region gets its supply of brushes from Addis Ababa. The bulk of brushes that are brought to the Region are used for painting purposes. Since building construction is expanding in the Region, similar to other regions, the need for brushes will also increase. The Region will be better of if it produces the brushes that it needs for its construction industry. Brush making is usually a cottage industry activity which makes it viable even at a very small scale of operation.
3. Market Potential:- As of now, there is no unit that produces any type of brush in the Region. Since this is the case, the current and the future need for these products will require the establishment of one or two small units of brush making plants in the Region. The products of these plants could also be sold to other regions of the country.
4. Source of Raw Material:- Currently the fibers or bristles that are used for making brushes are either natural or synthetic. The handles can also be made from wood or plastic. Thus, the natural fibers and the wood handles can be obtained from local sources while the plastic materials will be imported.
5. Process & Technology:- Solid are dressed and bundles are prepared. These are straightened to fine point. It is dried and bundled according to size and length by weighing. These bundles are filled on to metal ferrule and the other end is dipped into rubber vulcanizing solution. It is dried in oven or hair drying is done by setting it in air for 48 hours. At this stage, the wooden handles are inserted. After this, bristles is polished and fine paints are buffed. Finally, the brushes are packed. Machinery required include circular saw, disc sender, multient bobbin wood working lathe, polishing and buffing machine and electric drying oven hand press, ferrule folding and crimping press, dipping tank, hand tools,……
6. Estimated Investment:- For a plant which will produce 30,000 dozens per year, the estimated investment will be:
Building/Shade 250m2 at 1500/m2 = Birr 375,000
Machinery = Birr 210,000
Working Capital = Birr 200,000
785,000
7. Benefits:- Saves foreign exchange for the country and financial resources for the regions, introduces new skills and technology, has export potential to other regions, utilizes resources of the region-hair of different animals.
8. Location:- Any urban center in the Region.