The Challenge

A global textile manufacturer was evaluating whether to establish operations in Ethiopia and, if so, which industrial park would best support their operational requirements. The investor needed a clear picture of infrastructure quality, utility reliability, incentive structures, workforce availability and cost, regulatory environment, and the track record of comparable tenants in each park under consideration. Standard promotional materials from park operators and the investment promotion agency provided high-level information but did not address the specific operational requirements and risk tolerance of a large-scale textile manufacturer.

The investor also needed an honest assessment of risks and constraints, beyond the promotional narrative.

Our Approach

We conducted a detailed assessment of the industrial parks under consideration, visiting each site and collecting primary data on infrastructure, utilities, workforce, and existing tenant experience. We supplemented site visits with structured interviews with park operators, existing tenants, government counterparts, and logistics providers. On the investor side, we worked to understand their specific operational requirements, quality standards, and risk threshold, so that the assessment framework matched their actual decision criteria rather than generic investment criteria.

The final deliverable gave the investor a clear comparative picture across parks, with specific findings on each of their priority requirements and a frank assessment of risks, mitigation options, and outstanding uncertainties.

Key Activities

  • Site visits and infrastructure assessment across multiple industrial parks
  • Primary data collection on utilities, connectivity, and facility condition
  • Structured interviews with park operators and existing tenants
  • Workforce mapping including availability, cost, skill profile, and training infrastructure
  • Regulatory and incentive framework analysis
  • Logistics and supply chain connectivity assessment
  • Risk assessment and mitigation mapping
  • Scenario-based investment structuring options

Outcomes

The assessment gave the investor a grounded, site-specific picture of their options that was materially more useful than the promotional materials they had previously received. The frank treatment of risks and constraints was specifically cited by the client as the most valuable element, because it allowed them to identify which risks were manageable and which would require changes to their operating model. The process supported a faster investment decision than the investor had initially anticipated, because it resolved the key uncertainties that had been holding back their internal approval process.