SOIB: Helping an eco-friendly brick manufacturer transform its business model

Assistance to enterprises / Articles / 16-02-2023

Abdelmalek Ghannem is the founder of Société Industrielle de Bloc (SOIB), a manufacturing company that produces compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB), which are soil-based building material. Abdelmalek grew up in the small village of El Alam in Kairouan governorate and earned his law degree from the University of Sousse. He continued his studies in France and the US, earning advanced degrees in communications and leadership. With this expertise, he led numerous international trainings in soft skills for development organizations in Europe and Africa.

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After moving back to Tunisia, Abdelmalek jumped back into academia, teaching communications and law, supervising research theses, and authoring scientific articles in soft skills and personal development. At the same time, he served as president of Tunisia’s Junior Chamber of Economy, a non-governmental organization of young students and entrepreneurs. 

 

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It was in this role that he came up with the idea to bring eco-friendly earth blocks to Tunisia. In 2006, on a trip to South Africa representing the Chamber, Abdelmalek discovered the innovative building material and saw its potential for Tunisia’s construction industry. Unlike traditional clay-fired bricks, compressed stabilized earth blocks can be assembled without mortars or columns, reducing cement usage by 90%. In addition, the blocks can be built with soil found near construction sites, reducing transportation costs.

With this knowledge, Abdelmalek launched SOIB in 2009 in the town of Ghezala, Bizerte. He selected this town due its abundance of construction material, especially mine waste. As the first company in Tunisia to use compressed soil to manufacture construction molds, SOIB received global recognition, including at the International Salon of Construction and the International Exhibition of Creativity and Technological Innovation. 

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As demand for SOIB's environmentally-friendly bricks grew throughout Tunisia, however, it needed to open up regional offices to reduce transport costs. In 2019, Tunisia JOBS partnered with the company to help it develop its franchise network, with offices in Sfax, Djerba, and Tozeur, and to introduce clear franchise regulations and a code of conduct.

As a result, SOIB nearly tripled its sales, created eight new jobs, and provided its eco-friendly building solutions in more regions. In 2022, global news agency Reuters ranked the company as one of the top five creators of climate-change solutions, and it was a finalist of an innovation award by the United Nations MENA Housing Forum, which promotes inclusive, sustainable housing.

 

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“We are proud of how far we have come, and we are glad to play a role in reducing energy usage and lowering gas emissions, while also creating job opportunities throughout the country.”
Abdelmalek Ghannem
Founder – SOIB

 

 

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