With just over 60 million birr ($2.9 million) amassed over two decade, Michael Gebru left the US to set up Bamboo Star, a company that uses abundant bamboo  in the mountainous east African country of over 80 million people.

The company manufacturers bamboo products, including chopsticks, which are exported to China. It also produces parquet, toothpicks, windows and door frames and plans to diversify its products to more exortic furniture.

Bamboo Star’s plant in Benishangul Gumuz State Assosa City, has the potential of processing 3,000 square meters of bamboo in a month. Nonetheless, according to 2merketo

According to Michael Airbus is considering to use Ethiopian bamboo for its cabin components and two Airbus engineers visited his plant to examine the quality of the trees.