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Bajaj goes to Ranna

David Pieris Motor Company (DPMC), the largest automotive company in Sri Lanka on performance, has recently embarked on an expansion programme, whereby a modern assembly plant for Bajaj vehicles will be built at Ranna in the Hambatota district at an investment of Rs 700 million. The plant, a Board of Investment approved project, will be sited on a part of 100 acres of land owned by the company which will be served by water bodies developed on the land and water recycling systems.

A high powered delegation from Bajaj Auto led by General Manager (Export Operations) Ashok Saxena, had discussions with senior officials of David Pieris Motor Company, headed by Deputy Chairman and Managing Director Sumith Cumaranatunga, on the appropriate integration of information communications technology systems of the two companies to further facilitate seamless operations.

New range of motor oils from Toyota

Toyota Lanka announced an expansion of their catalogue of genuine parts and accessories. The catalogue will now include a new range of Toyota factory-approved genuine oils from Japan. Toyota Genuine Motor Oils are specifically formulated to keep Toyota running at peak performance even in the toughest conditions.

Toyota Genuine Motor Oils have been carefully formulated taking into consideration the diverse driving conditions. Toyota Genuine Motor Oils are blended to provide complete engine protection against starting friction, heat stress and engine sludging, which in turn gives better performance and ensures maximum engine life.

The Toyota Genuine Motor Oils range includes Petrol and Diesel Engine Oil, Manual Transmission Gear Oil, Automatic Transmission Fluid, Differential Gear Oil, Limited Slip Differential Gear Oil, Long Life Coolant, Disk Brake Grease, Break Fluids and special oils and chemicals such as WS and CVT Gear Oil, Suspension Oil (for Land Cruiser) & EFI Injector Cleaner.

General Manager Operations Toyota Lanka, Senani Perera, said “Once a Toyota owner converts to the Genuine Toyota lubricant range and the engine system adapts to the lubricants, they will see before long how effective these oils are.”

“Toyota Genuine Long Life Coolant works with the lubricant range to provide a service life of two years or 40,000 Kilometres in radiators and coolant systems. The coolant provides protection against boiling or freezing and contains special corrosion inhibitors to protect engine hot spots, the radiator and aluminum engine components,” said Manager Spares Priyantha Perera.

Marketing Manager, Janak Badugama said “We are positioning our range of Genuine Motor Oils as the ‘positive blood type for all Toyota vehicles’ because it stands to reason, if genuine parts are the muscles of your vehicle then the genuine lubricants will be what keeps them in motion.”

Toyota stated that these lubricants have been developed to meet the same exacting standards as its other array of Toyota genuine parts and accessories.

AMW awards long serving employees

Associated Motorways PLC recognised its long serving employees through an award ceremony which was held recently at the BMICH.

Employees who have completed 20, 25 and 30 years at AMW were received awards for their excellent service. Chairman designate and Managing Director of the Associated Motorways PLC Tilak de Zoysa recognised with a long service award for 30 years service by the outgoing Chairman of the group Ajita De Zoysa at the ceremony.

The other award recipients were Deputy Managing Director Ranjan De Silva, Personnel Manager Marcus Liyanage for 20, 30 years respectively along with ten other employees.

Besides the above staff, children who have excelled during the year 2007 for academic co-curricular and extra activities also received merit awards for excellence in their respective areas.

Facets - a marketing tool for Sri Lanka’s gemstones

Facets Sri Lanka 2008, Sri Lanka’s only international trade show will begin on September 6 at the BMICH Exhibition and Convention Centre with the over 150 local and foreign booths on display.

The exhibition that has an 18-year history is a landmark event in the international industry calendar and is one of Sri Lanka’s main promotional activities.

“The Facets exhibition was set up mainly to focus on Sri Lanka as one of the few source countries in the world for gemstones today.

It is a reputed and looked forward to event in the international industry calendar,” said Chairman of the Facets Organising Committee, Macky Hashim,

Asked why they decided to host an event of this magnitude he said that Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) at the time had thought it useful to have a gem show in Sri Lanka to draw international buyers who were being attracted by competitive Asian countries back to Sri Lanka.

“This was a modest but committed effort by the then Chairman and Committee to have this exhibition for which the SLGJA put in Rs. 500,000 as a start-up fund,” he said.

Initially the exhibition included around 40 booths and today this number has more than tripled.

“The Facets Organising Committee also promoted the show internationally in 2000 by visiting overseas gem and jewellery trade shows, advertising and promoting the importance of the Facets Sri Lanka Show as an international gem and jewellery event of a source country for gems,” Hashim said.

He also thanked America Gem Traders Association and ICA who supported Facets by encouraging American buyers to visit the show and successive governments of Sri Lanka, the relevant ministries, NGJA and EDB who made the event stronger from year to year.

For the 2008 show, a large delegation from China will attend for the first time.

The gem exports net residual value is expected to be nearly 75 to 80 percent in the next five years. “We hope to have increased value addition to our precious and semi precious stones by way of developing the jewellery industry to meet international design, style and quality requirements by using Sri Lanka gemstones in their jewellery manufacture.”

“Our vision for 2011 is to reach the $ one billion earning target which is not impossible,” he said.

SLGJA also hopes to integrate the various segments of the gem and jewellery industry and trade in this country, to promote jointly the industry’s prospects hand in hand with the facilitation and support of the Sri Lankan Government and Government Ministries and the Authority.

Aravinda Brand Ambassador for Havoline

Chevron Lubricants Lanka has announced the signing up of renowned Motor Car racing champion Aravinda Premadasa as Brand Ambassador for Caltex Havoline.

“We have truly enjoyed working with Aravinda Premadasa over the years and excited about entering this next chapter of yet another successful partnership”, said Managing Director/CEO of Chevron Lubricant Lanka PLC Kishu Gomes.

The “Havoline” brand has a rich heritage extending back to the early years of the last century. With this impeccable pedigree, the “Havoline” brand has become widely recognised around the world for its outstanding quality and superior performance. Caltex Havoline branded products signify high quality, reliability and performance.

Formulated with breakthrough fuel efficient technology, the Havoline range of products is guaranteed to provide the highest level of production and performance in passenger cars operating under all service conditions.