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International Star Award for Quality 2009 in Geneva:

Richard Trading wins gold award

Harshini PERERA

It cost me not money but a lot of hard work and dedication to reach the highest goal that any person can achieve during his life time, Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd, Managing Director Richard Jayatissa told Daily News Business. Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd won the gold award for quality products at the International Star Award for Quality, 2009 in Geneva.

It was the first time that Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd won an international award in the printing and print related categories. He said that it made him proud as a Sri Lankan at the ceremony. The Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd, won the Mass Media award for the Outstanding Socio-concept Entrepreneur in 2008 and this was the 36th award won by Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd. The company was one among the ten outstanding enterprises to win the TOYP award of the year 2002.

The company was started in a small scale since his father was engaged in the stationery shop. After the untimely death of his father, Richard determined to continue the business and took a brave step in abandoning his education. He was not able to complete his GCE (O/L) examination. Since then, self-education has become the main factor for his personal as well as business progress.

"I never grieved that I could not complete my education but studied hard for my progress. I enrolled with the ICBT Campus and completed an MBA in the University of Western Sydney. At present I have an islandwide distribution of stationery," he said.

Production of exercise and notebooks are being done in two factories at Kurunegala. They provide employment for 500 employees and exports more than 40 percent of the production. Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd, is the holder of the licence to print World Disney.

"We started exploring overseas markets in 1996. As a result we started exporting to European and South America. There is a massive opportunity for us to explore into more markets. The factory in Kurunegala is on 10 acre and is equipped with automatic machinery that could turn out 7,000 books per day. The Government provided us with a duty-free concession for printers with the initiation of the Printers' Association of Sri Lanka", he said.

Since India opened its markets, Sri Lankan printers had to change their strategy to face the competition. Therefore, Sri Lankan printers had to upgrade the quality of publications. Hence Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd initiated publishing high quality children's book especially for the exports markets. The publications are in nine languages and Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd, has introduced a book of puzzles.

Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd has taken the initiative in going in line with the self-sustaining concept at their factories. Accordingly they have started cultivating the fruits and vegetables required daily. They have also worked towards saving energy by using fire-ovens and collecting water in a lake for the use during a drought. The company also started plantation programs in the Welikanda area.

Richard Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd has also started producing pens and pastels as their latest products for schoolchildren. "The demand for our products has increased due to the affordable price. We have also stepped into publishing revision books for students for the A/L and O/L examination. The sales network of the company has operations islandwide," he said.

Outlining the future plans, he said that the company will open a branch in the UK in the near future. In Sri Lanka, the company provides books at discounted prices and donates books to schoolchildren in rural areas. He said that it is his duty to the society to understand the difficulties faced by parents with regard to their children's education.

Global recognition for Janashakthi at 18th World Brand Congress

Janashakthi Insurance PLC clinched dual honours at the 18th World Brand Excellence Awards Ceremony in Taj Lands End Hotel in Mumbai, India. It was bestowed with the "Award for Brand Leadership - Service Industry" and the "Award for Social Marketing".

General Manager Sales and Marketing Ravi Liyanage with Head of Marketing Paddy Weerasekera accepted this award on behalf of Janashakthi.

The awards were presented by the World Brand Congress at its 18th World Brand Summit. This year's Congress was themed "BRANDS - Re:Charge; Innovate; Re:Engage in today's times".

Liyanage hailed this as a singular endorsement of its endeavour in brand building and brand management efforts. "This also could be attributed to our underpinning brand propositions; the quality of our service and the creation of greater value via constant investment in brand building. Janashakthi team is extremely honoured with this recognition where our customer-centric deliberations in developing brand and related activation have been appreciated by a global jury," Liyanage said.

The World Brand Congress is the single largest rendezvous of the best brains behind some of the world's most successful and sought after brands.

The Congress is an annual meeting place for leaders from every sector and is a non-profit making activity aimed at a professional cause of development and growth. With a membership embracing 60 countries Brand Asia is a body committed to raising the standards of marketing and brand management across all industries in Asia and the world.

Good corporate governance has established the image of the company as a socially responsible entity, delivering greater and consistent value to customers, employees, shareholders and the country at large during the fifteen years of its service to the nation.

Brand Excellence:

Ceylinco Life wins global and local awards

Ceylinco Life has been honoured with a Brand Leadership Award on the global stage in acknowledgment of the pre-eminence it commands as a corporate brand, just days after the company was recognised locally for brand excellence by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM).

The Brand Leadership Award was presented to Ceylinco Life at the 2009 Global Awards for Brand Excellence of the World Brand Congress, at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai, on Wednesday.

Ceylinco Life was presented with the Bronze award in the Service Brand of the Year category at the SLIM Brand Excellence awards.

The company's Deputy Chairman R. Renganathan said, "As the winner of the Brand of the Year and Service Brand of the Year in Sri Lanka more than once, we appreciate the value of third party endorsements of brand excellence.

“SANASA Development Bank Ltd chairman Dr. P. A. Kiriwandeniya opened the 50th Customer Service Centre at Kurunegala Road, Wariyapola recently. Here the Chairman accepts a deposit from a customer. General Manager / CEO, Nimal J. B. Mamaduwa looks on.