Amal shines in bicycle trade

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

Making a brand name for a product in one's own country is a great achievement for a patriotic man. He may get better opportunities elsewhere out of the country but it does not satisfy him.

Chairman Suriyage Limited and Hainan Lanka Amal Suriyage is an entrepreneur who was determined to make a brand of his own in the bicycle manufacturing industry in the country despite several opportunities abroad .

He was interviewed by Daily News Business for Biz Bud column this week.

An old boy of St Joseph's College, Colombo 10, Suriyage was a cycling lover from his childhood.

He did his higher education in agriculture at Aquinas College Colombo. He recently launched a project to manufacture 10,000 bicycles for Jaffna with the support of the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka and ZOA, an NGO.

Excerpts from his interview.

Q: What is your background before starting your business?

I come from a simple family. My father who was a trader cum farmer had a bicycle spare parts shop in Maradana. Therefore I grew up in an environment of bicycles. In 1978 I got an opportunity to go to Norway and then to France and worked in a strawberry farm and later as a painter there I worked very hard, sometimes till midnight and earned a lot of money.

As a young man I did labour related work mostly such as driving, harvesting and even colour washing.

In the meantime I wanted to study French and entered the Sorbonne University. A new language was no barrier for me as I can pick anything quickly. My first car was an Audi and I had a comfortable life in France. I had the habit of going to Bike Exhibitions and my first business was to send six French made bicycles to my father's shop which made his shop famous amongst cyclists. Unfortunately, he did not have a capital to proceed further and could not face the open economy.

However, I always felt that I am a man without an identity in another country. Then I returned to Sri Lanka for my sister's wedding and did not go back.

Q: What happened after that?

I brought my used car to Sri Lanka when I came and wanted to sell it to find a capital to start a business. The car was outdated and I had to pay a huge penalty. I went from pillar to post to obtain a loan and I failed and the car was then confiscated. But I never gave up.

Starting a business is very difficult in this part of the world. I obtained the first loan like seeking pearls. My sister-in-law from Singapore helped me to import cloth belt in rolls and then at home. I added value by fixing a buckle locally and sold in the market. I tried all types of businesses but all failed. As time passed I introduced Shimano bicycle spare parts to Sri Lanka for high end racing bicycles. Then my father gave me a small cubicle and asked me to start on my own business.

Apart from spare parts I sold some niche garments as well. But my first love was for bicycles. I introduced cycling clubs in several places in the country which became very popular those days and I have been Vice President of the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka twice and the President of the National Mountain Biking Association to date. I still promote cycling.

I am fortunate to hear some matters like lobbying for cycle lanes has paid dividends. The first lane is coming up from Anuradhapura to Padaviya and hope the RDA will make this a national policy

Q: You have come a long way since then and explain about your business today.

My Company, Hainan Lanka Co Pvt Ltd is located at Waikiyawatta, Athurugiriya Road, Koratota, Kaduwela is the authorized agent for Atlas cycles of India and my own brand Rider. It imports bicycles in completely knocked down (CKD) form. The CKD components arrive semi-processed to the Hainan factory where it undergoes further value addition. This is then assembled into complete units and sold to dealers. The company was formed in 1994 has been marketing a variety of bicycles through Singer showrooms and other dealers.

30,000 bicycles are sold each year and another 10,000 exported.

The company has received ISO Certification (ISO 9001: 2008) on Atlas bicycles, EPL from CEA and SEDEX-UK accreditation for exports.

The highly advanced technology e.g. zincs phosphate (Pre Treatment) and electrostatic painting booths used in the process is of French origin and environment friendly.

Hainan Lanka Pvt Ltd, sells five types of bicycles under the brand names Singer, Atlas and Rider.

They are standard bicycles, mountain bicycles, children's bicycles, and ladies SLR City bicycles.

The organization currently sells its products through Singer showrooms directly to individual consumers throughout the island.

Q: What are the difficulties you faced in this journey?

Like many other businessmen, I went through ups and downs, got hoodwinked by cut throats but mastered the trade as time goes on. Finding capital was a major problem.

Q: What is your position in this industry today?

I am the third person to open a local bicycle industry in Sri Lanka and enjoy 20% of the market share. We have started exports to UK in small quantities at present.

What are your future plans?

'Quality is my first love'. Therefore I want to be the number one in quality in the bicycle manufacturing industry and maintain this.

I am planning to expand to the export market, entering the North and East markets by locating a bicycle factory in Vavuniya and establish a dealer network and service centres islandwide.

Q: What is the highest achievement in your business so far?

I have turned a family business into a multi dollar operation, through sheer grit and labour. This entrepreneurial spirit combined with my passion for cycling excellence has been able to play a pivotal role in the innovation and development of east and west bicycle technologies for the benefit of the domestic industry and market.

I have introduced highly professionalised bicycles to Sri Lanka and pioneered in introducing Shimano technology by having the high end transmission of gears in mountain bikes. I also went further by introducing Bianchi bicycles from Italy which played a pivotal role in bringing five gold medals for Sri Lanka at the SAG Games. I have also introduced many brands of French and Italian origin like Mercier, Peugeot, and Gitane and revolutionized cycling in Sri Lanka.

Q: What support do you get from the family for the business.

My family and wife come from a business background and they have supported me in times of need. She is a director of Hainan Lanka. Son Sangeeth is a keen sportsman who has the endurance to run the business when he is ready to do it.

"Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration and that is what separates an entrepreneur from a mere individual in society" and Suriyage firmly believes in this.