SMALL GRANTS STORIES: GTEX Benefit Corporation

COVID-19 Response / Articles / 26-01-2023

After completing my education in textile engineering in Milan, I returned to my hometown of Mahdia and started textile firm GTEX Benefit Corporation with my sister. The company specializes in natural, hand-woven silk garments. We leveraged local know-how, as well as my own expertise in weaving noble fibers (premium-quality fibers such as cashmere and silk) to produce these products.

To build the company and improve our production and delivery processes, we partnered with local firms specialized in these areas. As the company grew, we created many indirect sewing and embroidery jobs, not only in Mahdia, but throughout the entire Sahel. Our goal was to revive a historically important sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic hurt us financially but taught us to be more forward-looking and diversify our resources. Now, we plan to expand our business by using new raw materials and automating production processes, with the goal of accessing international markets.

We are grateful for the financial support provided by the COVID-19 Enterprise Recovery Fund, established by the US government as part of its USAID Tunisia JOBS program, which helped us cover numerous unexpected expenses and sustain our staff during the health crisis.
 

Makrem Ghidaoui - Manager of GTEX Benefit Corporation

Back to our stories