Manufacturing

The District has a number of industries engaged in the production of various items. The manufacturing sector is dominated by businesses in the area of  Dressmaking, Carpentry, Metal, fabrication, Distillation of alcoholic beverages (akpeteshie and pito), Leather works,Ceramics,Quarrying,Baking,Milling, Wood processing (saw mills) and Batik / tie and dye making

The Akropong Area Council has the highest number of industries in the District. About 29.4% of industrial establishment in the District are in this Area Council. Abuakwa Area Council follows with about 23.8%, the Nkawie Toase Area Council is the third in the District with about 19.3% and it is followed by Barekese Area Council with 15.6%. Afari Area Council is the one with the least number of industries in the District.

About 30% of the industries, engaged in manufacturing are in the dressmaking / tailoring business. These businesses are mainly micro and small-scale enterprises without permanent employees and the owners usually depend on apprentices to undertake their activities. 

The Abuakwa Area Council has the highest concentration of tailors and dressmakers, followed by Akropong and Barekese. The Atwima Koforidua Township has the highest number of tailors and dressmakers and this is followed by the Abuakwa town.

The production of Akpeteshie and pito is the second in the manufacturing industry in the district constitute about 17.6% of industries.The highest production centre of Akpeteshie and pito is the Barekese Area Council followed by Nkawie and Akropong Area Councils. Barekese, Nkawie-Kuma and Ahwia are the major towns with high production of this alcoholic beverage. This beverage is currently consumed directly by people in and outside the district and this certainly has a lot of health and economic implications. Measures are required to find and link the product to other industrial users. 

Wood Processing especially furniture and other products is also a major small-scale industrial activity in the District with about 15.3% of industries in the District are engaged in  this sector. The Abuakwa Area Council has the highest number of carpenters in the District. Akropong, Barekese and Nkawie Area Councils follow it.

Palm oil and palm kernel oil extraction is also another important small-scale industrial activity in the District. About 9.5% of small scale industries in the District are engaged in the processing of palm oil. The business is carried out mainly in the Nkawie Area Council. (Particularly Nkawie-Panin and Fankomawe are the major production centres in the District). Most of the palm oil processors do not have the processing equipment and therefore depend on obsolete and inefficient production methods.

Another important small-scale industrial activity in the District is in the area of leather works. About 7.4% of industries in the District can be found in the sector. Products usually made by businesses in the sector include ladies footwear, men’s sandals and shoes. Most of the leather workers are found in the Abuakwa Area council and in the Abuakwa Township. 

The District has large deposits of quartzite (clay) at Afari and Mfensi that can support the ceramics industry. Unfortunately, the sector is not well developed and as such only about 3.3% of industries in the District belong to the sector. They are concentrated at Mfensi and Afari. There is only one group-based enterprise that is engaged in pottery. Additional investment is needed by the sector to develop into a major industrial activity in the District.

Quarrying

Quarrying is another business that has a lot of potential in the District because of the availability of huge rock deposits at Barekese and Ntesere. There is only one active quarry being operated by a private investor called Consar.