Hardships inspire to become successful

The success story of Udeni Nakandala:

Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Challenges make people strong and determined. Many have been inspired by hardships to become successful in their endeavours and to be a role model to society. For Udeni Nadheera Nakandala challenges were a blessing in disguise as she could make maximum use of her true potential to make many lives meaningful. Her untiring efforts have paid rich dividends and she steered her company to reach remarkable heights within a short span of time. She was interviewed by Daily News Business.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: What is the business you are engaged in and how do you set about it?

I am the CEO and Managing Director of Kavin Polymers (Pvt) Ltd., a footwear manufacturing company catering to the domestic and overseas markets. I can look back at a service record of 20 years where I joined this company as a management trainee. While undergoing training I managed to pursue my university career at the Sri Jayawardhanapura University and graduated in B.Com with a second class upper.

Having gained experience in all disciplines, I was made a board member of the company in 1998 and was entrusted with administrative affairs. Subsequently in 2000, I was appointed as the Finance Director and on January 1, 2009 elevated to the position of the Managing Director and CEO of the company with a controlling stake.

The initial business of the company was to manufacture and supply footwear to a multinational company under an established brand. During 2004, due to the global economic conditions this arrangement came to an end prematurely, leaving us with an unemployed workforce of over 200 and huge financial borrowings infused to develop the production facility at Kandy.

We were left with not many options. The easiest was to wind up operations by liquidating the assets leaving behind a stranded workforce or to venture into new fields to generate income and to keep going. The stakeholders of the company did not have to debate too long on this issue.

A decision was made to accept my proposals and to revitalize the company searching for new avenues to generate income. With my academic knowledge and the industrial experience backing me, I was the chosen one. Challenges were nothing new to me. My whole life had been a challenge. Losing my father before I sat for A/Ls, leaving behind an unemployed mother with no income together with an unemployed elder brother and a younger sister who was still studying I decided to get employed risking my academic career. This is how I joined the industry and worked up to the position I am holding today.

A landmark in the battle for survival in our new ventures as independent operators was the introduction of the Teema brand footwear into the market in 2005. Equipped with vast manufacturing experience, within a short period of time we managed to offer a variety of popular designs to the market.

However, with little or no experience in marketing and distribution, selling the products became an enormous task.

With virtually inexperienced sales personnel and with dealers who were reluctant to deviate from selling the established brands Teema products found its way into the market. With limited access to Northern and Eastern provinces, the initial operations were carried out in the rest of the island.

Learning process continued building a loyal customer base. The results have been very satisfying. Today we are proud of our market share which is growing every year.

Q: How do you balance your personal life and business?

The company has three manufacturing units, a tea plantation supported with a main administration and trading division at Boralesgamuwa. The main manufacturing unit of Teema is situated at Ambatenna, Kandy. The affiliated factory supporting the main unit is operating at Cheddipalayam in the Batticaloa District. The primary raw material natural rubber is being processed at a factory in Kotiyakumbura Ruwanwella.

The company has a tea plantation 50 km away from Kandy in the slopes of the Knuckles.

I do visit all these installations regularly and spend a lot of time with the employees attached to these units. It is a busy schedule. In addition I regularly visit the dealers and distributors of Teema products islandwide. Jaffna and Batticaloa are not strange places to me.

Even with this busy schedule I find time to spend time with my mother and family members. I am an active Rotarian of the Rotary Club of Colombo. Whenever it is necessary I do not miss opportunities to upgrade my academic skills.

I am a second year student of the Tamil Language Course conducted by the Human Resource Division of the Colombo Campus. I still find time to join my employees whenever my presence is required.

Q: What were the challenges you faced?

Starting from scratch to provide employment for over 200 stranded employees, to identify and design income generating avenues to repay the borrowings, to establish a market for an unknown brand, competing with established market leaders, setting up a manufacturing unit at Batticaloa district during the period of ethnic conflict prior to cessation of hostilities, to change the status of the company from a recurring loss situation to a profitable venture after an unplanned end of operating as a supplier to a multi national company, to convince and prove to my team that a woman could successfully lead the company to its success were the challenges I faced.

Q: What are your goals?

To serve the customers with fashionable, comfortable footwear at an affordable price and to maintain a satisfied customer base for Teema products, to upgrade the living standards of our employees and their family members to enable them live a happy, comfortable contented life and to provide adequate opportunities to the young generation to achieve high level of academic skills. I have a team capable of handling all the affairs successfully and we have completed 26 years of service. A program has already been designed to build my team and groom my successors to takeover and continue the journey when I retire.

Q: Was being a woman an advantage to be in business?

To be a woman or a man does not matter as long as you are focused towards what you do. For both men and women in business or otherwise to be successful it is important to identify objectives and to draw up plans to achieve the targets within the set time frame.

Q: What is your advice to women in business?

My advice is not to lose your identity as a woman because you are in business. Be firm and still maintain your charm. Do not get distracted by obstacles and setbacks. Always remain cool and believe in what you do. Do what you believe. Always speak the truth and be truthful to yourself.

Q: What are your achievements in family life and business?

My mother Wimala Nakandala underwent numerous hardships to bring me up without my father. She is a happy mother today with all the comforts one could expect at her age.

Years back I was selected by JASTECA for an entrepreneurship training program in Japan which provided the stepping stone to what I am today. In 2010, we were selected as the joint national silver award winner by Ceylon National Chamber of Industries in Achievers program for Business Excellence.

I was selected as the Woman Entrepreneur of the Central Province 2010 by FCCISL and the company I represent was selected as the Central Province Bronze winner.

Q: What is your contribution to society?

CSR programs are important events in Teema calendar. During the year 2008, the manufacturing division of the company extended its arms to a remote village in the Batticaloa district by setting up a training and production facility empowering 50 women mostly widows, unfortunate victims of the ethnic conflict by providing economic opportunities. Partially physically challenged and underdeveloped personnel are among the employees of Kavin Polymers.

In-house training facilities are provided for these personnel to upgrade their academic and working skills. Over 50 women from the villages surrounding the factories both in Kandy and Batticaloa are benefitted from sub-contract programs which they perform from their homes while attending to their domestic work.

The annual scholarship programs provide financial assistance to students to enable them continue with their studies. We provide relief to youths undergoing rehabilitation programs in the Eastern Province. We engage in regular cross cultural programs promoting ethnic harmony in a multiracial society.