Multichemi invests Rs 350 m for second factory

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Nature’s Secret Beauty Creations Ltd, Sri Lanka’s largest herbal cosmetics manufacturer, will invest another Rs 350 million to build their second factory in Horana.

Multichemi Group Chairman and Managing Director Samantha Kumarasinghe said they will start constructing the factory next year.

“During the past decade, our company has progressed steadily and our superior-quality herbal cosmetics are now accepted in many countries worldwide. The company is now receiving sizable local and foreign orders and this was one of the main reasons to go in for a second factory. Our capacity in the Horana factory is almost nearing capacity,” he said.

Kumarasinghe also disclosed plans to diversify into the beverage market. “We have done extensive research with the Peradeniya University to come out with an Aloevera drink which would be the first of its kind that would be launched in Sri Lanka on a commercial basis.”

The herbal Aloevera drink will be launched next year.

The natural ingredients used in Nature’s Secrets products are grown locally and carefully extracted in Nature’s Beauty Creations high tech laboratories, maintaining ISO and GMP standards, ensuring authenticity, hygiene and freshness.

Nature’s Secrets Plant Research Centre and Tissue Culture Laboratory were also opened early this year. This is the first of its kind research centre related to plants for any private sector organization in the country.

“We do extensive research which is around 5 percent of our capital,” he said. The research centre works with local as well as foreign research institutes.

As a further step, the modern plant tissue culture laboratory will use advanced techniques to propagate and conserve rare, endemic and valuable medicinal plants in Sri Lanka.

Kumarasinghe however said Sri Lanka is not doing enough R&D and this is a grey area the authorities should address immediately.

“If adequate emphasis was given to R&D, more natural resources could have being used by entrepreneurs to manufacture products to meet international markets.” he said. The company also launched EcoProtect Engineering (Pvt) Limited, in 2004, a joint venture between Multichemi and Coco Technologies Corporation of Philippines introducing for the first time in Sri Lanka the designing and installing of eco-friendly erosion control system using coir based geo-textiles and other coir products.