Kent excels in diverse fields

Kent Holdings Ltd will soon start its own Pure Crystal Trophy production line. Here 24% leaded crystal will be coated with 24kt gold to add value for the export market, Kent Holdings Ltd Chairman Gamini Saparamadu said.

Kent took the science of the Laser Beam to an unprecedented level by introducing the 3-Dimentional Subsurface Laser Engraving on crystal cubes and trophies.

Their Wooden Packaging Factory for Value Addition Products is automated and a BOI approved factory. It is busy in designing and manufacturing value added wooden containers for clients both in Sri Lanka and abroad.

Their efforts did not go unnoticed when their packaging was awarded (in Japan) and World Star for excellence in packaging in Germany. “We take great pride in claiming that our company won these awards after a very stringent process of selection in Japan and Germany.”

Major tea companies who are into the export of value added tea is the local clientale. “In the very near future we will be launching into the production of premium packaging,” Saparamadu said.

With nano-technology to enhance the quality of the material used and new production methods, would help to gain efficiency and productivity. In doing so we will elevate our packaging to the next level.

It is a fair comment to say that Kent brought in the much needed standards and professionalism to photo framing industry.

“We are passionately committed to restore, protect and frame photographs professionally to last generations and beyond. With the help of state-of-the-art software we reconstruct and restore damaged and destroyed old photographs to give life to treasured memories.”

Kent introduced DuraGard photo protection method to Sri Lanka in 1988, which became a generic name in the photo restoration business which is now upgraded to DuraKoat.

Kent WeddingStory Book completely changed the mindset of people who thought the conventional wedding albums are here to stay.

Adding value to Kent agricultural scientific research, an intensively monitored greenhouse located in the unpolluted hill country grows a rare medicinal plant which demands prolonged Day Light. During its inflorescence, the plant demands fourteen hours of uninterrupted day light.

At the Kent Agro-Research Centre, 5200 Kelvin degrees of day light matched illumination is artificially created and provided directly to the plant for its sustenance.

“We will strive harder to contribute to medical research by developing methods to overcome problems faced in the growing of rare herbs. We will employ the findings from our agricultural research in the future to take on the challenge of growing difficult and rare plants for the purpose of medicine.

“This company in Kent Group will not only bring in much needed foreign currency earnings to Sri Lanka , but also will bring in fame and perhaps plot Kent name in the world map as a committed agro research company.”

Kent scientifically managed Export Agricultural Estate located in Matale District grows a Hybrid Variety of ‘Murunga’ (drum-stick /Moringa oleisernrum) and yet another special crop - ‘Dragon-Fruit’ (hylocereus undatus). The growing demand for these crops have enticed us to expand the cultivation to dry zone in the country as well.

Kent still remains as the pioneers who introduced large format digital printing to Sri Lanka. Thanks be to this, today the advertising industry derives the full benefit

“Today. Kent Group is a conglomerate with diverse business practices. They employ many hundreds of empowered men and women, who are focused and committed with utmost faithfulness to our cause and mission.”

Internationally the group is represented in UK, USA, Australia and Kent Dubai.

Saparamadu is the recipient of the National Platinum Award For The Sri Lankan Entrepreneur Of The Year 2003, the highest national honour awarded by the Federation of Commerce and Industry in Sri Lanka for an entrepreneur.

He also won the Union Assurance Challenge Trophy for The Entrepreneur of the Year 2003.

Many internationally reputed brands are imported and marketed in Sri Lanka and the Maldives by kent trading companies under the name and style of Trade Master Lanka Ltd and Royal Machinery and Equipment Ltd.

The McRay Kent Paving Stone, produces a porous yet hardy paving stone for Sri Lankan road ways and domestics.

Central Government , Local Government and Industrial Parks are main clients,” he added.

In a clinically arranged design facility, specialized coloured glass is formed to make decorative stained-glass to satisfy the demand of discerning architects and house-proud people.

“Kent Group’s all the engineering requirements are met by our own engineering Company. It manufactures and installs architecturally designed out door steel structures, Gantry structures to install large advertising hoardings across main highways, wrought iron furniture for out door use.”

Kent was born as a fully owned subsidiary of Photo Grafix commercial and advertising studios.

“Today after 27 years, when we look back through the corridors of success, amongst the tall columns we see the taller figures, those are the figures of our faithful employees and loyal clients.”.

Currently Kent operates islandwide through a network of seventeen branches. “We intend increasing this number to 20 branches by the end of the year 2011 and up to 26 branches by the end of 2012.”