( CNN ) -- The steady hum of sewing machines fills the air inside a large glovemaking factory on the outskirts of Addis Ababa , the bustling Ethiopian capital . Patches of leather move through an array of working stations as busy laborers work feverishly to meet the company 's export quota : 5,000 gloves a day . The operation belongs to Pittards , a UK-based company whose trading partnership with Ethiopia dates back to the early 1900s . Here , hardy , durable cow hide is made into work gloves . These are ideal for builders and gardeners , and are mainly exported to the U.S. And then there are the stylish designs -- created from a different type of animal skin , these are made to keep fingers warm in Tokyo , Paris and Rome . `` The fashion glove is made of sheep skin which is unique to Ethiopia , '' explains Tsedenia Mekbib , general manager at Pittards Products Manufacturing . `` The durability , the stretch ability and the strength makes it popular for gloving leather specifically . That has been the one strength of Ethiopia and the leather sector . '' Sophisticated designs with decorative touches may be the hallmark of this type of glove , but they must also be practical . Ethiopia 's climate makes this animal skin effective at withstanding the winter chill -- an essential selling point . And this effective material is in abundant supply . Ethiopia 's 90-million cattle , sheep and goat population is one of the world 's largest , according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization . Creative process . What slips onto the customer 's hand may be elegant , but the process to create the glove certainly is not . It all starts in the tannery where workers -- dressed in aprons and thick , elbow-high protective gloves -- convert the raw animal hides and skins into finished leather through a number of processes . Some of the steps include soaking the skin and fleshing it to remove any unwanted parts . A retanning process where the leather is colored is followed by a stage under a special vacuum dryer where the skin is dried and then stretched to increase its surface area . Once all this has happened , another machine softens the leather to make it flexible -- an important feature of gloves . The end product , ready for export , is pure sheep skin prepared to be turned into gloves -- labeled with the thickness and the area it covers . Export ban . In a move to encourage value addition and increase revenues generated by the leather sector , the Ethiopian government banned all exports of raw hides and skins in 1989 . Between 2006 and 2012 , the total value of Ethiopia 's exports of leather and leather products grew from $ 66 million to $ 112 million . And it 's not just Pittards that have realized the opportunity to make gloves in Ethiopia . According to the Leather Industry Development Institute , two other factories in the country are focused on creating the hand garments . Shoes is another major area which uses Ethiopian leather . The country is home to dozens of shoemaking companies , including local names such as Oliberte and international players like the Huajian Group , a Chinese company that has been exporting some 20,000 pairs of shoes a month since it launched its manufacturing facility outside Addis Ababa in 2012. Business conditions . Despite a major focus to rapidly build its energy and transport infrastructure , Ethiopia is still struggling to provide the best conditions for businesses setting up shop in the country . `` The challenges that we encountered when we started business are from power cuts to logistics to foreign currency availability , to lead time in having available raw materials , '' explains Mekbib . `` Having the solutions to these challenges would allow us to be competitive as a country and as a company as a whole . '' Beyond these issues , international manufactures also struggle to recruit workers . Ethiopia 's population is growing at a rate of 2.89 % , placing it among the top 15 fastest growing populations in the world , according to the CIA Factbook . But a large workforce and a skilled work force is not the same thing . In fact , Mekbib says `` bridging the gap between the rest of the world and the skills set in Ethiopia on the ground has been the greatest challenge so far . '' Another growth area , is the number of Ethiopians entering the middle class and showing a desire to buy high quality clothes . In a report published this month , the IMF said the country is on track to achieve its goal of reaching middle income status by 2025 . The trend is so clear to Pittards that they are now targeting consumers inside the country . But for Ethiopians , it 's not just the top quality of the leather products that makes them take out their wallets , it 's also access to a label they can call their own : made in Ethiopia . Read this : Could Africa be world 's next manufacturing hub ? Read this : Producing quality footwear in Africa . More from Marketplace Africa .
Sheep skin from Ethiopia is particularly useful in making gloves . Ethiopia 's 90-million cattle , sheep and goat population is one of the world 's largest . The wool they produce can be used to make a wide variety of products including leather goods like shoes and bags for travelers.