From a financially challenged engineer, Salah Oqbi builds the world's number two chalk factory
AMMAN - Salah Oqbi only had the fare for the bus that carried him from Amman to Karak, but for him that ride was the firt step in the journey to establish the second largest chalk factory in the world, whose products are now exported to more than 70 Arab and foreign markets.
Inside his factory, which he insisted on establishing in his village in northern Karak, Oqbi spoke of his success story and how he faced many obstacles to achieve his dream.
"While going back from Amman that day, I listened to a radio show, during which a Jordanian investor talked about the lime industry in the Kingdom", he said, adding that the fact that there were no chalk factories in Jordan caught his attention.
Oqbi started examining the idea of setting up the first chalk factory in Jordan. He weighed the risks and the opportunities and started preparing a study on the project. The first two feasibility studies led to nowhere, he said, but he learned from the failure.
He headed to the Development and Employment Fund and presented his ideas. The fund granted him a JD30,000 loan in exchange for a mortgage on his house, his father's house and his friend's house.
He established the factory in 2003 in his village of Elalia in the Mujib area between Madaba and Karak, approximately 90km south of Amman. The plant currently provides decent jobs for more than 70 people.
"The factory is not only mine; it belongs to all the residents of my village who stood by me and worked with me day and night from day one", Oqbi said.
His story, he added, illustrates how young Jordanians are capable of achieving their goals when given the opportunity.
In recognition of his effort, His Majesty King Abdullah visited the pioneering factory last Thursday in line with his "continuous support for innovative ventures that have a positive impact on local communities".
"When I sought assistance from government institutions as a young man who had an idea for a new project, I found all the support I needed, especially since I chose my area, classified as one of the poverty pockets, for the plant," Oqbi said.
The factory has had many positive effects on the area, according to Salem Amr, a local resident.
He noted that the plant, which started small with a limited number of workers, has developed significantly over the years.
Amr said young area residents have benefited from the job opportunities provided by the project, especially women who face difficulty in working in areas far from their village.
For Sajeda Tawarah, who has been working in the factory for four years, the job has helped her improve her family income.
Mohammad Omar, a worker at the factory, said he receives a JD350 monthly salary, which enables him to support his five-member family.
The factory's capital grew tremendously over the years, leading to an increase in labour from two to 70 in order to meet the increasing demand for chalk locally and internationally.
When Oqbi started thinking of promoting the factory's production abroad, the industrial engineer took part in a course held by a Dutch institution concerned with developing industries in Third World countries.
Representatives from 20 countries participated in the course, which focused on the development of factories and enhancing marketing skills.
During the event, the idea of producing non-toxic chalk occurred to Oqbi due to the availability of the required raw materials in the Kingdom. A new production line was added to manufacture this type of chalk in 2008.
The factory achieves a 50 per cent annual growth rate, which led the entrepreneur to study the possibility of adding a new production line to manufacture colour pencils in the future.
The more orders the factory receives, the more Elalia prospers in a win-win situation for the entrepreneur, his fellow village people and Jordan.
© Jordan Times 2012
