TPM (1998) was METL’s first foray into manufacturing when it acquired a Government owned sisal bag manufacturing business in early 1998. Having bought several sisal estates a few months earlier, this was a logical step, since the local sisal bag market utilises lower quality sisal fibres, which are not exportable. The business was run down at acquisition, and METL quickly initiated a full rehabilitation, which got production started again very rapidly. Production methods were improved to make the sisal bags more competitive for the packaging of agricultural exports such as coffee and cashewnuts.

However, imported jute bags and locally-produced polypropylene bags have been a growing threat to the success of the local sisal bag market, in the absence of an adequate supporting policy to promote use of sisal. The result has been that despite good sales of TPM’s (1998) sisal bags to the coffee and cashew industry, there is still significant excess capacity in the production plant. To compensate for this, and to improve efficiencies and profitability, METL has started the manufacture of jute fibres alongside sisal manufacture.

The company will continue with its aggressive marketing policy combined with improved distribution channels to expand its sisal bags market within Tanzania and the neighbouring countries.