Mohamed Khattou started out in business collecting waste from the beaches around Agadir and wherever possible he recycled the waste, often turning it into upcycled goods. Hence the name of his company Upcyclemo.
Khattou Makes Progress Recycling in Morocco
Upcyclemo was backed by Saad Abid, the founding president of Bahri, a non-profit organization whose goal is to protect the coastline and educate future generations on protection of the environment.
Mohamed Khattou started Upcyclemo in 2013 and after meeting with an architect with similar beliefs in recycling he took his business more seriously, employing three craftsmen, a salesman, an international deliveryman and a “hunter” of heavy-duty tyres.
Mohamed Khattou also requisitioned the services of a carpenter for items requiring a wooden structure.
As for the points of sale, the startup currently has two, one in Agadir and another in Marrakech. However, the ambitious, Mohamed Khattou aims to open two showrooms in Casablanca and Rabat, before attacking the international market. This requires the development of a European network. In this case, a boutique located in the 10th arrondissement of Paris markets the products of Upcyclemo.
Upcyclemo has generated a monthly turnover of 25,000 Dirhams producing a monthly profit of 10,000 Dirhams. In 2016 the company had an annual turnover of 230,000 Dirhams from a startup capital of 5,000 dirhams. (1000 Dirham equates to around 90 Euro)