Dan Technocraft

Dan Technocraft is a company that evolved from handicraft production to modern technology. In 1973 Daniel Mebrahtu G/Egziabher started business with a capital of fifteen birr enough only to buy brushes and paints. Armed with these materials he started an advertising business in a garage of a private house. The name of his organization at the time was “Dan Technical Studio.”

Encouraged by the advertising business he decided to move on to a different business lines and opened “Cotton House” on Churchill Road in 1974. He bought abujedid cloth from the local market, prepared drawings of cultural crosses, prepared silkscreen and printed the crosses on the abujedid which were sewn into summer shirts. His handicraft products attracted local as well as foreign tourists.
In October 1976he left “Cotton House” and established “Dan Craft & Technical Center” behind Flamingo Restaurant on Bole Road. In the new workshop he started producing lampshades made from embroidered shammas, gift articles, jewelry boxes, briefcases, decorated chairs and several items that were used for office and home decoration.
Although his new handicraft business was flourishing, circumstances forced him to move on to another line of business. Consequently, he established “Dan Technocraft” and started producing office, household, hospital and school furniture such as metal cupboards, lateral metal cupboards, file cabinets, tables, chairs, cash safe and other materials of import quality. Besides manufacturing different types of furniture of import quality the organization has also served as a spring board for a lift company, Dan Lift Technology, which it incubated for years. Today, Dan Lift Technology is the only of its kind in the country engaged in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of lifts, traffic lights and escalators.
Dan Technocraft is staffed with highly skilled professionals in the areas of electricity, metalwork and woodwork. The number of employees of the organization at present is 150.

Mission and vision

The mission and vision of the organization is to be hub of technology engaged in technology transfer with the view of contributing to the development of essential, appropriate and affordable technology in the country.

Values

The values of the organization are: customer satisfaction and providing affordable, durable and quality products.

Participation and Awards

The company has participated in various trade fairs for which it was awarded certificates. Some of them are: Industry and Handicrafts Development Exhibition and Bazaar held at Addis Ababa Exhibition Center (15th – 24th April 1994), Domestic Products of Industries and Handicrafts Exhibition and Bazaar held at Addis Ababa Exhibition Center (10th – 24th March 1995) and International Trade Fair of World Association of Small and Medium Enterprises held in Addis Ababa (6th – 13th March 1994).

Since the time when it was known under the name of “Dan Craft & Technical Center” the company has been producing affordable furniture and other materials from locally available raw materials. For the extraordinary role it played in saving foreign currency, availing job opportunities, innovation and technology transfer it has been honored with numerous national and international awards of which UNIDO Award, for innovation and successful enterprise (October 27, 1997) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Trophy for Innovative Enterprises for significant contribution to the Industrial Sector (April 2008) are worth mentioning.

Social Contribution

Beside manufacturing furniture for households, offices, hospitals and educational institutions the company has also been giving support to professional associations by sponsoring their annual conferences. Some of the professional associations whose conferences had been sponsored by Dan Technocraft in the past include: Ethiopian diabetes Association (November 13, 2006), Ethiopian Society of Mechanical Engineers (24th December 2004) and Ethiopian Medical Association (30th June 2000).