Alumex Group to invest Rs. 250 m on expansion

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

The Alumex Group, a leading manufacturer of aluminium extrusions in Sri Lanka, will invest Rs. 250 million on expansion this year, Group General Manager Alumex, Pramuk K. Dediwela told Daily News Business.

Pramuk Dediwela

The investment includes a new factory being built in Sapugaskanda with ultra modern technology. At present the company manufactures over 3,000 mts of aluminium extrusions per year and it will be increased up to 4,000 mts after expansion, he said. However, the company will have the capacity to manufacture 10,000 mts of extrusions shortly. At present the country needs 4,000 mts of extrusions.

Dediwela said that the demand for their products will increase in the near future as the north and east development work is under way and the company is prepared to meet the demand. The Alumex Group is equipped with a modern extrusion, Alumex wood effect and powder coating facilities in addition to an in-house plant to produce Aluminium extrusion Dyes using state-of-the-art machinery.

The UK EN ISO certified company saves around USD 6 million foreign exchange annually for the country by manufacturing aluminium extrusions locally. It has an environmental friendly recycling plant as well. Alumex exports its products to Australian super luxury apartments earning foreign exchange, Dediwela said. The aluminium billets required are imported from world renowned manufacturers.

The company manufactures doors and windows with a wood effect at a cost of 30 percent less than real wood products, it is stronger than normal wooden products. The company has also provided employment to 450 people.

However, the low quality, cheap imported aluminium extrusions in the market affects the company and the other three quality manufacturers in the country, he said. If the Government can stop the import of inferior aluminium extrusions, the local companies could prosper, he said.