Join us for this episode with Mintesinot Lemma, CEO of Mintu Investment Group, a conglomerate engaged in various sectors, including plastic, flour, and beverage manufacturing, import/export, real estate, and more. He inherited a candy factory and expanded it into a large group of companies. In this conversation, we discuss: - The manufacturing sector in Ethiopia - Operations and business challenges within Mintu Investment Group companies - Ethiopian bottling and beverage industry - Merkato and its potential - Wheat and oilseed exports - The current real estate market Tune in for an engaging conversation about Mintesinot's entrepreneurial journey of transforming an inherited candy factory into a successful business empire. Connect with Mintesinot on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mentesinot-lemma-09a16831 More from our partners: Dashen Bank Website: https://dashenbanksc.com Telegram: https://t.me/DashenBankEthiopia EthioTelecom Download Telebirr Remit App on Playstore : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ethiotelecom.telebirr.remit&hl=en&pli=1 Appstore: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/telebirr-remit/id6642675033 Website: https://www.ethiotelecom.et/ 00:00 - Intro 02:19 - Opening 03:55 - Business journey 12:50 - Merkato Market 25:29 - Other businesses 28:18 - Plastic Manufacturing process 38:27 - Managing a manufacturing company and meeting the demands 41:26 - Product sourcing 46:07 - Technical employees recruiting 47:27 - Electricity challenges 50:10 - Investment return period 51:51 - Bottled water and beverages 58:57 - Associations 01:04:08 – Exporting business 01:45:56 - Import business 01:48:23 - Real estate 01:53:17 - Future plans 01:54:01 - Run down questions 01:57:49 - Wisdom 01:59:05 - Family and business Social Links https://t.me/MERI_PODCAST https://twitter.com/MERI_Podcast https://www.instagram.com/meripodcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKNuQ80qNSpt2x-7dsazJg https://youtube.com/@Meriwoch?si=yIpJ3byprnVNwKi1 https://youtube.com/@mericlipset?si=wwa0KeQ_Nv2aPy9l https://www.tiktok.com/@meripodcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/meriethiopian/ Copyright Notice for Meri Podcast: All rights reserved. The content featured in this podcast is protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of any portion of this podcast is strictly prohibited. For permission to use our content, please contact us at info@meri.et Thank you for respecting our copyright.