Abay Industrial Development S.C., an economic wing of the Amhara Regional State, is constructing a metal factory with an investment of four billion Birr, adding it to its portfolio of investments. The factory is being built in Bahir Dar. The factory will produce materials that are essential for the construction industry, according to Melaku Alebel, chairperson of the Board of Directors of Abay. Besides meeting the local demand, the factory plans to export its products to neighbouring countries eventually. The plant is expected to be completed in two and a half years. Abay is in the process of setting up the nation’s largest steel cold rolling mill complex in Bahir Dar. It also plans to set up a cement factory in Dejen, 240Km northwest of Addis Abeba, two furniture factories in the cities of Debre Tabor and Debre Berhan and a textile factory in Gonder.