Nature's gift creates wealth to the nation

 by Irangika Range

COIR PRODUCTS: An affinity towards the environment and a talent for entrepreneurship were successful pillars in her life to reach the top in her career by creating a new dimension in the coconut fibre allied products industry. She is Vijitha Irangani Cooray, Chairperson and Managing Director of Nature's Gift (Pvt.) Ltd. in Colombo.

Her skills, dedication and commitment have been recognised at the Women's Entrepreneur of Year 2006.

The Women's Chamber of Industries and Commerce has awarded her the bronze award under the medium investment category.

She started her career at the Ceylon Shipping Corporation but gave up her job after getting married to Ananda Cooray, an engineer by profession.

She got involved in her husband's business by finalising accounts while also being a housewife. "When my son started schooling, I was alone and I wanted to dedicate my time on a profitable venture," she said. Having come up with the idea to commence her own business, she ventured into producing coir-based items, which was a suggestion of her brother.

"I realised many potentials in the coconut fibre allied products manufacturing business in the International market," she said.

A new factory has been set up in Kurunegala in 1998 investing around Rs. 10 million. At the beginning her brother has helped her to handle the factory while she was controlling documentary work at the office in Colombo by organising international buyer requirements.

"Her husband encouraged and helped her by teaching technical methods and on fabricating machinery in the factory.

It has saved her a lot of money," she said.

Her first production was manufacturing coco-peat bales from coco peat. Coco peat is extracted from the coconut husk and turned into bales using modern machinery.

It is a biodegradable, eco-friendly and natural growing medium widely used all over the world for the growth of foliage plants, fruits, vegetables and a host of other plantations.

At the beginning, a buyer from UK had visited her factory in Kurunegala, and given orders to send coco peat bales to Bahrain paying money for four containers. She said though there were only five suppliers initially, she has enough suppliers in the area now.

Coco-peat blocks are marked in the form of 5kg bales and are compressed into bales. Care is taken in maintaining its unique micro structure and quality characteristics without causing harm to them.

Coco-peat is a complete organic and soil free potting medium. Its collection and processing causes no pollution, damage to habitat or the environment.

'There is a big demand for coco-peat bale in the foreign market. It has benefited customers who are interested in horticulture and farming without using chemical fertiliser and fungicides, coco-peat blocks are a safe friendly medium of growth. It is possible to supply products to different specifications depending upon the technical requirements of each country.

With the high demand for coco peat bales, she has paid attention to capture the export market for natural plants.

She has commenced to cultivate plants on a 7 acre plot of land in Wariyapola. She has also got involved in exporting cut foliage on the request of her buyers. She exports mixed bunch of flowers and fresh cut foliage as per requirements and it is a more profitable business than sending plants. She has a strong supplier network for her products from many countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh, Lebanon, Holland, Japan and Italy.

She was also the largest cut foliage exporter to Saudi Arabia last year.

Cooray has provided many job opportunities at her factories.

She has also given contracts to many people in the area and they were involved in work with their families.

Diversifying her products, she has started to export grow bags which are also manufactured using coco peat and crush materials according to buyer requirements. She has opened a new factory in Kurunegala investing Rs.10 million last year.

At present she is involved in 20 to 30 shipments per month but it differs from season to season. She won the International Star Award for quality at the 28th International Star Award Quality Convention held in Geneva. She has received requests from her buyers to export briquettes and she is keen to venture into a business related with nature.

"Our well trained and talented workmen do research work to ensure to what extent electrical conductivity, moisture and volume are found in products," she said.

The product could be supplied with potting compost as well. This organic potting compost containing all properties is needed for healthy growth of plants and it is ideal for repotting in pots, self watering plants and all indoor and outdoor plants.

The company is geared to produce any design or any specifications a client may require.

"In our attempt to foster business, we will never give way to distrust or delay and shall respond immediately to any trade inquiries.

"I check each and every item personally from the order to shipment and it is the secret of my success," Cooray said.

She said buyer and customer confidence are major factors in a growing business.

This situation should be maintained always by recognising their requirements by dedicating more energy, time and money to offer quality products.

A past pupil of Dharmashoka College Ambalangoda, she has a 14-year old son.

My husband and my son are very proud of my work and they are supportive in giving me enough encouragement. It is not easy to keep the balance in working as a businesswoman, wife and mother in this busy world. But I am fortunate that I could manage time in working without neglecting other household chores, Cooray said.