Nalinda joins Epic group:

‘Sustaining a business is a great challenge’

CEO Nalinda Jayamanne

Starting a new business may not be a challenge, but making it a sustainable business in a competitive environment is a huge challenge. Prime Coat International is a company set up with lots of confidence and strength to face these challenges. Of course, being a subsidiary company of the Epic Lanka Group, which is a giant IT solution provider in the country with proven track records, is an advantage to this new born company.Nalinda started his career as a company sales representative in Coca Cola at the age of eighteen. His long standing experience in a multinational and local company related to food and the beverage industry, had given him confidence to take a leap forward, changing his focus towards the coating industry.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. How do you feel the difference between the two companies?

A. It’s a new challenge, which is a totally different experience. I have lots of new things to learn, but I am sure my 24 years of experience in the Sales & Marketing field would help me face the challenges successfully.

Q. What made you to select Sales & Marketing as your career?

A. I played cricket during my school days which was my hobby and I got the opportunity to work with the Coca Cola Company. After sometime, it came to a point where I had to give up one thing. There I gave priority to my professional career which I think was a wise decision. I had passion, the right attitude, integrity and the determination to become a sales manager at Coca Cola at the time I left the company.

Q. What happened later?

A. I later joined Maliban Milk Products (PVT) Ltd., as the Head of Sales & Marketing, where I was able to make significant improvements to Sales & Marketing. This was well recognized by the company and within four years Maliban Milk was able to become the No 2 company in the Milk Powder industry.

Later Epic Lanka chairman Nayana Dehigama invited me to join his new business as a Director /CEO and here I am.

Q. What is the secret behind your success?

A. Due to my starting as a company sales representative, I knew everything from A to Z in selling through my practical experience. And also I have the passion, the right attitude, integrity and the determination to achieve both company goals as well as my own. I look after my team while motivating them.

Q. What are your challenges and how are you going meet them?

A. As this is a new business, getting a 10 percent market share is a challenge. But it has already made a name as the first ever water based paint manufacturer. Also my chairman strongly believes in innovation and with that, I am confident of achieving the Company goal.

Q. What are your future plans?

A. We will mainly step into acquisitions and joint ventures during this year. We are still not present Islandwide.

I want to identify the consumers first of all and protect them in order to pave the way for an expansion islandwide I am hoping to expand our distributor network during the next two years, covering the north and east areas where lots of construction work is taking place.

Our range of products namely metal, auto paint, emulsion, water proofing and anti corrosive fillers will be attractive to the construction industry personally, I wish to be a good husband, father, son and a good friend to relatives and my friends.