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DSI celebrates Golden Jubilee in style

A road show in Colombo and a massive cleaning up campaign in the Galle Fort were the key events held in connection with the 50th anniversary celebrations of DSI, one of the leading conglomerates in Sri Lanka.

"Both were highly successful and motivating workouts for the DSI team which showed a high level of enthusiasm," a spokesman for DSI said.

During the DSI Walk

The Galle fort cleaning project was held in the second weekend of March 2012 with the participation of over 3,000 staff members. The participants cleared up the garbage in the Fort, cut the grass and made the place look neat and tidy.

The cleaning up operation covered a three kilometer stretch along the beach from the Navy camp up to the Lighthouse Hotel as well.

To add colour to the event, DSI held a Road Show in Galle town with vehicles plying displaying the DSI range of products. A festive mood prevailed in the town with colourful flags, banners and balloons being displayed.

In Colombo City, in the following weekend, the DSI Walk started off from Nelum Pokuna Mawatha (Green Path) and continued via Alexandra Place and then moved along Baptist Chapel road (in front of ODEL), and then proceeded via Lipton Circus to Dharmapala Mawatha, and then proceedeed via Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, and moved towards Independence Square surpassing Albert Crescent and Independence Avenue.

DSI which started off in the year 1962 has since expanded its horizons into various sectors such as footwear, tyres, rubber products, IT, brushes, tiles, water bottles, mini hydro projects, and many other sectors under its diverse portfolio.

Presently, with a workforce of around 8,000 employees, DSI is a key contributor to the Sri Lankan economy.

DSI is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of footwear and tyre in Sri Lanka with an established market presence through its strong brand name coupled with state- of-the-art technology and highly experienced workforce.

DSI spans its wings beyond the horizon of Sri Lankan shores, catering to various market segments in Asia, Australasia, Europe, America and Africa and rapidly expanding and exploring new markets with their continuous research and development. DSI celebrates 50th anniversary this year and the theme would be local to global.

'Dulux 3 in 1' takes towns by storm

One of the leaders in the decorative paints category, Dulux took to the streets of various towns recently to promote Dulux 3 in 1 paint for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

As the name suggests Dulux 3 in 1 has three beneficial qualities. The first is that it is bacteria resistant whereby the special formula of the paint helps to resist the growth of bacteria and fungus on walls.

The second key feature of the paint is that it has a micro-bond latex film which allows it to be resistant to common household stains and thereby make it easier to clean.

The third feature is that once applied, the paint gives an even coating along with a natural and elegant sheen to the wall. In addition to these three benefits this paint is also within the international standards for lead content, ensuring that it's safe to use in rooms of small children.

The Dulux 3 in 1 truck was easily identifiable as it had a large cut out of a Dulux 3 in 1 paint tin on its side.

The promo truck initially visited the towns of Maharagama and Piliyandala and travelled to several main towns, including Anuradhapura, Peradeniya, Matale, Malabe, Dambulla, Hambanthota and Kuliyapitiya to name a few, within a period of 27 days.

Through a selected radio station the towns visited and to be visited was informed to the public along with updates from the location. Representatives from Dulux were on hand to educate the public of that area about the main benefits of the product. Through an interactive activity, one of the benefits of the paint which is the easy to clean function was showcased to the public. Individuals were requested to draw on the surface and then given soap and water to wash off the drawing, which provided a hands-on experience and effectively highlighted the paint's ability to be stain resistant. In addition to educating the public about the product, Dulux also conducted a radio promotion throughout the 27 days. Each day a 'password' was announced on a selected radio station and the first five individuals who gave the correct answer at the Dulux 3 in 1 truck location received a gift from Dulux. Individuals who visited the Dulux 3 in 1 truck also had the opportunity of winning discount vouchers from Dulux as well.

Ceylinco Life builds own distinctive branch in Jaffna

Marks 10 years of presence in the peninsula with new office and series of community projects

Ten years after it opened its first branch in Jaffna, Ceylinco Life has reiterated its commitment to the residents of the city by building a custom-designed new office on company-owned land at 37-41 Kannathiddy Road, Jaffna.

Ceylinco Life branch in Jaffna

The 30th Ceylinco Life branch to be located in a company-owned building, the new branch will be home to 32 sales consultants and eight sales supervisors working under the Head of Branch.

Providing 3,500 square feet of purpose-designed space on two floors, the Ceylinco Life Jaffna branch offers spacious fully air-conditioned customer service areas and office space on the ground floor, a well-equipped training room on the first floor and plentiful customer parking facilities. It has its own 40 kVA stand-by generator.

The new building stands on 48.7 perches of land, leaving room for future expansion, the company said.

Speaking at the opening of the new branch, Ceylinco Life Managing Director and CEO R. Renganathan recalled that when the company opened its original Jaffna branch in May 2002, it was staffed with just one sales supervisor and 10 sales consultants. Over the following ten years, Ceylinco Life had set up seven more branches in the district - two in Nelliady, two in Atchuvely and one each at Chunnakam, Chavakachcheri, and Manipay, and today serves its populace with eight Branch Heads, 42 Agency Supervisors and 201 sales consultants, Renganathan said.

"All of them are well-trained and earn above average incomes. Many of them have their own modes of transport and have built their own homes.

We as a company are happy that we have been able to make this contribution," he said. "It is also our intention to further expand in the Jaffna district," he said. Renganathan also outlined some of the community projects carried out by Ceylinco Life in Jaffna, including the construction of classrooms for three schools at Eralai, Jaffna and Velanai , the donation of a tube well to a school for special children in Kaithady, and a road safety education programme for 27 schools.

On the day of the opening of the new Jaffna branch, the company donated medical equipment to six hospitals in Jaffna, Atchuvely, Annaikottai, Tellipalai, Chavakachcheri and Point Pedro.

Ceylinco Life operates more than 180 branches, the largest branch network among local life insurance companies, and has won multiple international and local awards for its commitment to the community and success in brand equity building.

The company ended 2011 with a record Gross Written Premium Income of Rs 9.816 billion and total income of Rs 13.698 billion, while it's Life Fund grew by 19.9 percent to Rs 38.2 billion as at December 31, 2011.

Ceylinco Life solvency margin, which illustrates its financial strength and ability to honour all claims, stood at eight times the minimum statutory requirement at the end of the 2011 financial year.

Elephant House Ice Cream continues to dominate beyond borders

Serving the nation with pride and pleasure for over decades, Elephant House is one of the market leaders in the ice cream category and commands unprecedented levels of brand recognition that cut across demographics.

Neil Samarasinghe

Entering the overseas market in 2002, Elephant House Ice Cream has increased its dominance in the Maldives ice cream market by capturing a staggering 50% volume market share as per the latest reports by Maldives Customs Statistics Division.

"Elephant House entered the Maldives market in the year 2002 at a time when the market was dominated by internationally renowned brands.

"With the right distributor management mechanisms and relevant marketing strategies the brand was able to clinch the top position by surpassing all the international brands by year 2009. Since then, the brand holds the undisputed market leadership in the Maldives.

"This indeed proves that Sri Lankan products can not only compete with international brands but it can lead in those markets by giving it the right direction and focus." said Neil Samarasinghe - Head of Frozen Confectionery, Elephant House.

The Elephant House brand is currently being served in more than 59 resorts in the Maldives including the Sheraton Chain of resorts. "Achieving this with a product which needs a temperature controlled distribution is commendable considering the logistical difficulty the country faces due to its geographical location.

"Hence a special mention must be made of Amir Mansoor of Lily Distributors and Chaminda Thambawita - Elephant House Area Sales Manager" said Samarasinghe. Lily International (Pvt) Ltd is the sole distributor for Elephant House Ice Cream in the Maldives.

NDB opens 64th branch in Embilipitiya

The National Development Bank (NDB) opened its latest branch, offering a wide range of financial services and solutions to the people of Embilipitiya. The commitment to continuously expand NDB's branch network across many cities and towns, is re-iterated with the opening of its 64th branch in Embilipitiya.

Raj Aboobucker - Vice President, Retail and SME Banking opening the Embilipitiya branch with Indika Kudagamage - Regional Manager and Sameera Tennakoon - Branch Manager.

Embilipitiya is a significant commercial hub progressing towards rapid economic development and integration.

Banana cultivation is a prime source of income and the town is also recognised for the rich rice it provides for the country. Fostering a SME culture amongst its people, NDB provides the business community at Embilipitiya with the expertise and infrastructure that will support such endeavours.

Commenting on the occasion CEO of NDB Russell de Mel said, "The growing customer base continues to emphasize the importance of the increasing branch network that has become priority at NDB today.

Economic drivers have been recognized and custom built into all branch operations to capitalize on various activities within cities. With a rich heritage in SME financing, NDB is geared to re-iterate their commitment of development banking through propelling services amongst the urban and rural communities."

The Branch is located at Pallegama, Embilipitiya and will be open from Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm.

NDB remains dedicated to bringing its customers one-step closer to accomplishing their lifelong ambitions and uplifting their standards of living through the range of services that is accessible through its growing branch network.