Spotlight
Elloumi Group
Information last updated on 20 May 2024
About the Founder and Founding Story
Mohamed Taoufik Elloumi was born in April 1921 in Sfax, Tunisia.[8] He married Souad Blaïech, and together they had three daughters and three sons: Hichem, Faouzi, Salma, Hajer, Tarek, and Nâama Elloumi.[9]
In 1946, when Tunisia was still a French protectorate, 25-year-old Taoufik founded Elloumi, Inc. under the French protection. This was one of the first Tunisian electrical equipment companies to specialize in electrical contracting for low-, medium-, and high-voltage networks, as well as the manufacture of household products.[10]
Growth Phase
After gaining independence in 1956, Tunisia undertook an intensive process of modernization, rebuilding government institutions and the civil service.[11] Taoufik acquired several French establishments operating in the electrical equipment field, playing a key role in the country’s reconstruction by establishing electrical lines between major regions, along with his involvement in nationwide electrical installations. That same year, he became one of the largest cable suppliers to Société tunisienne de l’électricité et de gaz (STEG), the national electricity company.[12]
Taoufiks company continued to grow steadily over the next decade. In 1961, he established M T Elloumi, headquartered in Tunis Ville, as an electronic parts and equipment wholesaler.[13] Two years later, he founded one of the earliest electrical wire factories in Africa, Chakira Cables, as part of Elloumi Group’s cable production division.[14]
The 1970s saw the second generation of the Elloumi family become involved. In 1977, the founder’s son, Hichem, joined the family business after completing his studies in France, where he received an engineering degree from L’Ecole Polytechnique de Paris and École supérieure d’électricité (Supélec).[15]
During the 1980s, the company began establishing new subsidiaries.[16] The largest, Cofat, was founded in 1984 as part of the Elloumi Group’s automotive wiring division. Cofat specializes in producing automotive electrical and electronic distribution systems.[17] In the late 1980s, a division of Cofat entered a joint venture with Delphi Corporation, an American automotive products manufacturer. Since then, the Elloumi Group has diversified into real estate, agricultural research and production, food processing, and management and information systems consulting.[18]
In the 1990s, the family business experienced rapid growth and expansion. In 1992, Hichem Elloumi founded COFICAB as a family-owned subsidiary of the Elloumi Group and the flagship company of the family’s business. Specializing in the automotive cables industry, the company has a presence in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia and boasts 17 industrial facilities.[19] Hichem has been the CEO and chairman of COFICAB since its inception.[20] In 1994, the Elloumi Group founded Stifen in Korba, Tunisia, as a food processing company under the management of Salma Elloumi Rekik, in response to a request from the Ministry of Industry to assist in industrializing the agricultural sector.[21]
The leadership of the family business changed hands following the death of Taoufik Elloumi in March 2005.[22] Taoufik was succeeded by his son, Faouzi, as CEO of Elloumi Group, while Hicham continues to serve as chairman and CEO of the company’s flagship business, Coficab, with his sister Nâama Elloumi serving as Coficab’s vice president.[23] The Elloumi family is also actively involved in politics; in 2011, Salma joined Nidaa Tounes, a secularist political party, alongside her brother Faouzi. In 2015, she assumed the role of Tunisian minister of tourism and handicrafts.[24] Recent years have also seen increased involvement from the family’s third generation. In 2018, Fatma Rekik, daughter of Salma Elloumi Rekik, assumed the role of CEO of Stifen, which she runs to this day.[25] Other third-generation members who hold leadership positions include Hichem’s son Zied Elloumi, who is president of Chakira Cables.[26]
Today
Faouzi Elloumi continues to helm the Elloumi Group from its headquarters in Sidi Hassine, Tunis.[27] The company boasts a workforce of over 10,000 employees and operates 30 subsidiaries across sectors including automotive cables and wires, power and telecom cables, wire harnesses, agribusiness, real estate, urban planning, retail, home appliances, consulting, and banking.[28]
Notes
Photo Credit: Group Founder Hichem Elloumi. Image Credit: Elloumi Holding. Image Source: COFICAB Website.
[1] “About COFICAB Group.” COFICAB Group, https://www.coficab.com/about-us/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[2] United States Embassy, Tunis. “The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.” Received by Department of State, 26 Mar. 2009. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[3] “Hichem Elloumi – Global.” Digital Magazines, https://digitalmag.theceomagazine.com/hichem-elloumi/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[4] “About COFICAB Group.” COFICAB Group.
[5] “تونس : مجموعة اللومي التونسية تطلق بناء مصنعها المغربي الثالث بطنجة.” Tunisie Telegraph, 18 March 2024.
[6] Goldstein, Andrea. Multinational Companies from Emerging Economies: Composition, Conceptualization and Direction in the Global Economy. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. p.89. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[7] “About COFICAB Group.” COFICAB Group
[8] Ibid.
“La dynastie Elloumi, discrets rois de l’export tunisien.” Jeune Afrique, 17 July 2020, https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/1007190/economie-entreprises/la-dynastie-elloumi-discret-roi-de-lexport-tunisien/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[9] “Décès de la défunte Souad Blaïech veuve Taoufik Elloumi | Univers News.” UniversNews, 20 December 2022, https://universnews.tn/deces-de-la-defunte-souad-blaiech-veuve-taoufik-elloumi/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[10] United States Embassy, Tunis. “The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.”
“كوفات ( مجمع اللومي ) : وحدات انتاج جديدة في تونس والعالم .. و ريادة في مجال صناعة مكونات السيارات.” Attounisiyoun, https://attounisiyoun.com/%D9%83%D9%88%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%81/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[11] “Tunisia: Industrial Policy in the Transition to Middle-income Status.” Manufacturing Transformation: Comparative Studies of Industrial Development in Africa and Emerging Asia, edited by Carol Newman, et al., Oxford University Press, 2016. Accessed 21 May 2024.
[12] “La dynastie Elloumi, discrets rois de l’export tunisien.” Jeune Afrique.
“كوفات ( مجمع اللومي ) : وحدات انتاج جديدة في تونس والعالم .. و ريادة في مجال صناعة مكونات السيارات.” Attounisiyoun.
[13] “LSEG: Financial Markets Infrastructure and Data.” LSEG, https://www.lseg.com/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[14] “Chakira Cable.” CHAKIRA CABLE Tunisia | Manufacture of electronic, telephone and special cables, lox and medium voltage, telecom and auto cables, https://www.chakira-cables.com/en/index.php. Accessed 20 May 2024.
“Cablegate: The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.” Scoop Independent news, https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WL0903/S02050/cablegate-the-elloumi-group-a-tunisian-company-success-story.htm. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[15] Hichem Elloumi – Global.” Digital Magazines.
[16] United States Embassy, Tunis. “The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.”
[17] Ibid.
“Home.” COFAT, https://cofat.com/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[18] United States Embassy, Tunis. “The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.”
[19] “Hichem Elloumi – Global.” Digital Magazines.
United States Embassy, Tunis. “The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.”
[20] “Hichem Elloumi.” OECD Events, https://www.oecd-events.org/mena-oecd-government-business-summit/en/speaker/99dc3e55-f482-eb11-b566-000d3a20ecf5/hichem-elloumi. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[21] “Stifen Egypt.” LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/stifen-egypt/. Accessed 20 May 2024.
“Cablegate: The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.” Scoop Independent news.
For Salma Elloumi Rekik Bibliography, see: Afolayan, Enu. “Salma Elloumi Rekik, a glimmer of hope for Tunisian tourism revival.” Africa M.E., 14 December 2015, https://africa-me.com/salma-elloumi-rekik-a-glimmer-of-hope-for-tunisian-tourism-revival/. Accessed 21 May 2024.
[22] “About COFICAB Group.” COFICAB Group
[23] Ibid.
United States Embassy, Tunis. “The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.”
“رئيس مجموعة “كوفي كاب”: من المتوقع أن تتجاوز الصادرات 200 مليون دولار بحلول عام 2027.” بوابة الأهرام, 23 April 2024, https://gate.ahram.org.eg/News/4791067.aspx. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[24] “TOP 10 MOST POWERFUL ARAB WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT 2017.” Forbes, https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/list/top-10-most-powerful-arab-women-in-government-2017. Accessed 21 May 2024.
[25] “La dynastie Elloumi, discrets rois de l’export tunisien.” Jeune Afrique
[26] “زياد اللومي يلتحق بحزب آفاق تونس.” Tuniscope, https://www.tuniscope.com/ar/article/177122/arabe/politique/zied-571415. Accessed 20 May 2024.
[27] “La dynastie Elloumi, discrets rois de l’export tunisien.” Jeune Afrique.
United States Embassy, Tunis. “The Elloumi Group: A Tunisian Company Success Story.”
[28] “About COFICAB Group.” COFICAB Group
To cite this article please use:
“Elloumi Group” Family Business Histories Research Project, New York University Abu Dhabi and Tharawat Family Business Forum, 10 Sep. 2024, familybusinesshistories.org/spotlights/Elloumi-Group