Journey with beverages to Situ Medura : Homemade brews, good to the last drop

by Aditha Dissanayake

Forget better, greater and fresher. The typical jargon of most advertising campaigns for beverages. Think instead of multi coloured drinks brewed right at your doorstep. Drinks that make strong bonds. Drinks that aim at the heart in the most relevant and emotionally appropriate way possible.

Think... if you are a connoisseur of soft drinks, by now you ought to know what this week's topic is all about. Even though you may not have seen enough advertisements as you do with other beverages to rekindle your memory.

Minimal advertising, yet in high demand? Yes. Because those at Pet Packaging (Pvt) Limited, the manufacturers of three beverages plus bottled water, believes in the motto "when you make a great drink you don't have to make a great fuss".

Managing Director of Pet Packaging (Pvt) Limited Sarma Mahalingam, attributes the success he has gained within a year of having introduced a range of beverages under the brand name of "My" into the local market, (i.e My Cola, My Orange and My Soda) to the quality of the products.

"They suit the local palates and come in plastic bottles manufactured with internationally accepted food-grade material which is biodegradable" says Sarma. "The bottles are made with a by-product of petroleum and are like polyester shirts and will take the same amount of time to degrade as a polyester shirt".

Having left for Maldives to earn a living in 1980, Sarma returned home in 1992 realizing there is great potential in exporting bottled water to the small islands forming the Republic of Maldives.

With the knowledge he gained from an educational tour in Scotland and adhering to the strictest methods of maintaining hygienic conditions (the entire production line is free from human "touch")using a microbiology laboratory where the conditions of the water are analyzed and tested, Sarma can claim that his "Crystal" water bottles and beverages top the list as some of the safest and cleanest in the local market.

Having started the business with forty-six, the company now provides permanent employment to over 250 workers and has a plant in Kandy and a factory in Kadawatha. Around 35,000l of water is bottled per day in a variety of sizes ranging from 250ml to 5l and are mainly exported to Maldives. The beverages which have begun to gain rapid popularity among local consumers are distributed by 31 agents, islandwide.

Like most other successful entrepreneurs, Sarma believes in hard work, commitment and having a firm focus on what he wishes to achieve. With a modest laugh he says "I will grow as much as I can".

As someone who knows if you want something very badly you can achieve it, even though it may take patience, very hard work and a real struggle, there is no doubt he will.