Online edition of Daily News

Managing Director and Chairman of the Ruhunu Grinding Mills (Pvt) Limited, Padmasiri Muthumala with the Minister of Central Region Development Tissa Attanayake who presented him the ISO 9001 Certificate at a felicitation ceremony at Devon Rest, Kandy.Pictures by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy South group correspondent

In the mid seventies, the Government of the day not only imposed severe restrictions on the import of chilies and rice but also restricted the movement of these items internally from area to another and in local parlance people called it the Haal Polla, Miris Polla (Rice barriers, chillie barriers) and the result was a shortage of these products in all parts of the island except in the areas in which they were grown, said the Chairman/Managing Director of Ruhunu Grinding Mills (Pvt.) Limited Padmasiri Muthumala which won the ISO 9001 award for packeted condiments, table salt, cereals and spices.

Ruhunu Grindings Mills created history by becoming the first in this category of trade to be awarded the ISO certificate.

Muthumala said that despite the scarcity and the people being compelled to find substitutes for condiments, there was a sort of consumer resistance towards packeted condiments and he personally experienced this when running a grocery in the Central Market in Kandy. Customers come for chilies which are generally kept underground and when they are offered the packeted products they reject them as they are often adulterated with flour, dye, papaw seeds even powdered brick.

Quality tests being carried out in the laboratory before the product is released to the market.

Muthumala then felt there was an opportunity for a flourishing business if only the confidence of the customers could be won. A grinding mill could be set up but how was he going to find the raw materials with all these restrictions. The government changed and the new government introduced the open economy which allowed free imports in 1977.

Born in deep down South in Dickwella and after leaving school he had a short stint in the Army before coming to Kandy to help his brother-in-law Dharmadasa Weeraratne who was having a highly successful business enterprise in Kandy.

In achieving his goal, he made his first move in 1978, when he started a grinding mill on a leased out building at Peradeniya Road, Kandy with two employees who performed the functions of the huller operator and salesman cashier. From the outset his instructions to his employees were that quality must be maintained and not compromise quality for commercial gains whilst keeping a low margin of profit. Muthumala also found through experience that if the quality of the goods sold is good, the price factor did not influence it.

Even when people brought various food items to be ground, they were handled with utmost care and not cheated by adulteration. Thus the customer's confidence was won.

Food items being packed under hygienic conditions.

Business flourished and within a short span of four years it was bursting at its seams and the existing premises could not cope with the volume of business. In 1982 a new complex was built and opened at Peradeniya Road, Mulgampola in Kandy. The main customers were tourist hotels which insisted on Ruhunu products as their food tasted better using Ruhunu condiments. The network of business was expanded by introducing a three-wheeler van for delivery within the Municipal limits. The sales network later spread to the districts and the Central Province and now serves most parts of the island.

In 1994, Muthumala was in the team of 20 selected by the UNDP and the ILO, a study tour of Bangkok where they were exposed to modern technology and new methods of improving business. This tour was of immense benefit and helped to combine tradition with new technology and new vistas opened for him. It was sponsored by the Sri Lanka - German Foundation. Muthumala also went to the Maldive Islands with samples of his products to promote business as a member of the IDB delegation.

In 1997, Muthumala and Ruhunu Grinding Mills received their first award when they received an award at the Entrepreneur of the year contest organised by the Chamber of Commerce.

In 1999 Ruhunu Grinding Mills reached the high spot when Muthumala won the Gold Award for medium scale industry in the Central Province. In the same year he was awarded the National Gold Medal for medium scale industry by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) at the Entrepreneur of the Year 1999 Awards Ceremony.

Muthumala who knew that the Ruhunu Grinding Mills was enjoying the confidence of the customers next targeted the ISO Certification through the Ari Lanka Standards Institute which entails rigid tests and top quality performance. With this in mind, the factory was shifted to a new complex at Kundasale along the Kandy - Digana road in 1999.

At the new complex new technologies were introduced and the worker welfare facilities were upgraded. Muthumala said that in order to get the best from the workers, they must be provided with facilities and they must not be overworked.

New restrooms were built, quarters provided for night shift workers, medical facilities, sports and recreation were introduced for worker welfare. They were given all paid annual trips to any place of interest they preferred. There were also funeral donation schemes, Workmen's Compensation scheme and other welfare programs which helped to stabilise the employer - employee relationship. The result was that the workers performed their tasks willingly and never thought of looking for greener pastures.

In 1995, Ruhunu Grinding Mills changed from a proprietary concern to a Limited Liability Company adding to the directorate the wife and son of Padmasiri Muthumala.

The distribution network was expanded islandwide while a break was made in export market by exporting rice and flour and ground spices to New York and Australia.

Muthumala attributes his success to quality using new technologies and the dedication of his employees who now number nearly 100 motivated through various incentives offered to improve performance.

A large fleet of vehicles is used in the distribution of the products. All products are quality tested in the laboratory before they are released to the market.