Producing hume pipes locally saves forex:

Talented entrepreneur shines in the country

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Many talented Sri Lankans go overseas and shine in those countries mainly due to lack of opportunities here. But some Sri Lankans are extremely talented and create opportunities within the country and shine without blaming anyone.

Managing Director Hume Pipes (Pvt) Ltd Jayantha Kumara Amarawardena, the owner of the only SLS certified and leading hume pipe manufacturing company, an entrepreneur has set an example in this regard.

He was interviewed by Daily News Business.

Amarawardena was born in Matara as the second child in a family of seven. The family moved to Kandy thereafter and he was sent to Dharmaraja College for studies. After completing his school education he entered the Katubedda Campus and obtained a National Diploma in Technology in three years.

He joined a foreign company manufacturing concrete pipes, based in Sri Lanka for 12 years and became its factory manager. He received training in India for two years in the company.

However, one day when he went to work he found that the company had put up shutters and the owners had left the country without any notice. Thereafter Amarawardena and the rest of the employees were jobless.

Turning point

Jayantha Kumara Amarawardena

"This was the turning point in my life. I went to several places in search of jobs but failed. Finally I decided to start a business of my own with the experience I had in the previous job, he said.

I did not have any money and raised a loan of Rs. 40,000 from a bank and my mother also helped me. I had a land at Bokundara and I built a small hut and started the business with only four workers, he said.

The business grew day by day. He manufactured pre cast products, hume pipes and septic and water tanks.

In 1994 Bokundara became a sales point and the workshop was shifted to the present seven acre land in Polgasowita with ample room for expansion.

One day a client asked him for a product he did not have. However, he accepted the order after he explained his requirement and completed the job to his satisfaction.

"It was a hard job and the client said that my technology was very old and advised me to go to their brother company in Germany and get the latest technology. I felt it was a good idea and went to Germany.

The prices quoted were far beyond my capacity - Rs. 80 million. Hence I took some photographs of those machines, came back and fabricated those machines with the help of photographs and the experience I gained in Germany.

I purchased some condemned train wheels and developed it to a machine within six months successfully saving a huge amount of foreign exchange.

My cost to fabricate the machine was only eight million rupees compared to their price of Rs. 80 million. Amarawardena increased his workforce to 40. So far only his company has this technology and as a result the quality of his products is of a high standard. A new factory was set up in Matara in 2000.

Hume pipes

By 2005 the company had 15 agents and sales outlets manufacturing concrete hume pipes. This product was earlier imported and it was totally stopped saving Rs 2-3 million foreign exchange per annum.

The company has 20 products in the range - hume pipes being the main product.

The company has the patent rights for the environment friendly, low cost Buffalo septic tank guaranteed for 15 years.

It is very popular and the company has manufactured 30,000 units so far to the complete satisfaction of their clients.

They are the main supplier for all major projects in the country - highways, irrigation, telecom and harbours and has even exported hume pipes to the Maldives.

It has provided 100 direct and 500 indirect jobs to people. All permanent employees earn a minimum salary of Rs. 30,000 apart from the free three meals. Work begins at 7.00 a.m. and ends around 6.00 p.m.

Workers turn out hume pipes. Pix Saliya Rupasinghe

According to Amarawardena, it is difficult to retain employees for long years because there is no recognition in the field. Therefore, he is in the process of computerizing and modernizing the system to give a better recognition to the employees.

Future plan

Asked about the secret behind his success, he said that the company is hundred percent quality conscious and that is why they received the SLS certification for three consecutive years.

"I have not gone behind any politician to get anything done nor do I blame anyone either. His future plan is to diversify into building 60 percent cost-saving houses for people and earn foreign exchange for the country. through his products.

Amarawardena is grooming his son who is in a university in Australia to take the industry forward with better technology.

Asked about the difficulties, he said that he pays seven types of taxes to the Government and it is a huge process wasting time and manpower.

If the Government could simplify the tax procedure it will be a great support to all entrepreneurs in the country to increase productivity, he said.