Holland Car
Holland Car PLC (ኔዘርላንድ መኪና) was an Ethiopian CKD automobile assembler with official head offices in the Getu Commercial Center and the TK International Building in Addis Ababa. Its general manager was Tadesse Tessema Alemu, and the company had 200 full-time employees and a fluctuating number of part-time ones. The firm was declared in bankruptcy at FY2014.[1]
Overview
Holland Car operated with two plants. Its main plant was located in Mojo. The second assembly plant was opened in the late 2008 under the name Cassiopeia Assembly Factory and is located in Tatek.
Holland Car was founded in 2005, as a joint-venture between the Trento Engineering BV and Ethio-Holland PLC, an Ethiopian importer of used Lada automobiles from the Netherlands. Its first product was the Holland DOCC (Dutch Overseas Car Company) which is a rebadged Tofaş Şahin.[1] Beginning in 2007, Holland Car assembled the Lifan 520 as the Holland Abay, but the relationship with the Chinese Lifan Group was ended in 2009. Holland Car claims that the Chinese company attempted to take control of its Ethiopian partner, while Lifan states that the reason for the termination was that sales did not meet expectations.[2] In 2009, the company started a new joint-venture with JAC Motors. New products in 2009 were the Holland Tekeze, the Holland Abay Executive and the Holland Awash Executive. The newest product of Holland Car is the Shebelle, first released in 2010.
In 2009 Holland Car was the winner of the Africa’s Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises Award in the category of most innovative company, and the Overall winner of the 2009 Africa SMME of the year.[3]
In April 2013, it was revealed that Tadesse Tessema had left Ethiopia and failed to deliver cars to more than 100 buyers.[4]
On 17 April 2013 it was reported that court proceedings were under way in Ethiopia and that its founder Tadesse Tessema's extradition was about to be pursued.[5] It was also widely reported in April 2013 that Tadesse Tessema was going to be added on Interpol wanted list.[6]
Model lineup
- Holland ABAY (2007-2010)
- Holland ABAY Executive (2009-2013)
- Holland Ahadu (2011-2013)
- Holland Awash Executive (2009-2013)
- Holland DOCC (2005-2010)
- Holland Emay (2011-2013)
- Holland Naomi (2011-2013)
- Holland Shebelle (2010-2013)
- Holland Tekeze (2009-2013)
References
- 1 2 Holland Car website: "About us"
- ↑ Binyam Tamene, "Ethiopia: Holland Car Rolls Out Three New Models", Daily Monitor, published 9 September 2009 (accessed 28 July 2010)
- ↑ "Ethiopian firm named Africa's top SMME", Holland Motors website (accessed 28 July 2010)
- ↑ Zemen Bank Distances Itself from Access, Holland Car Creditors, Addis Fortune, April 4, 2013
- ↑ Ethiopian Customers Demand Extradition of Holland Car Founder, April 17, 2013
- ↑ Ethiopian businessman Tadesse Tessema to be added to Interpol’s wanted list, Awramba Times, April 16, 2013
External links
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