Hayleys Plantations wins big at National Business Excellence Awards 2019

The victorious KVPL team. From left: Eranda Welikala, Kushani Rajapakshe, Susantha Wijesinghe, Ranil Fernando, National Business Excellence Awards Chairman Sunil Wijesinghe, Johann Rodrigo, National Chamber of Commerce Senior Deputy President Nandika Buddhipala, South Africa’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robina Patricia Marks, National Chamber of Commerce President Asela de Livera, Anuruddha Gamage, Shenali Panditharatne, Anura Senanayake, Vidura Weerabahu

• Kelani Valley Plantations second RPC to be crowned Overall Gold Winner in history of awards   
• Hayleys Plantations sector collectively wins six awards

Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL) consolidated its reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most respected plantation crop producers when it was presented the Gold Award for Overall Excellence at the National Business Excellence Awards 2019. 

The second plantation company to win the prestigious title, KVPL follows the footsteps of its sister company Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTEL) which was crowned the Overall Winner, an honour typically reserved for large blue-chip companies, the previous year.  

Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai

The prestigious award was presented to the victorious KVPL team at a gala event by South Africa’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robina Patricia Marks. 

Kelani Valley Plantations also set a new benchmark for the sector when it bagged Gold Awards for Excellence in Performance Management, Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility and the Extra Large Company categories, in addition to Silver Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance and the Agriculture and Plantations Sector. 

Commenting on KVPL’s record-breaking performance at this year’s awards, respected industry veteran and Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said: “As an organisation, we are deeply honoured to be crowned winners of the National Business Excellence Awards for the second consecutive year. Bagging the award at a time when the plantation industry faces unprecedented challenges is a testament to the progressive approach we have employed at Hayleys Plantations, which we hope will inspire change within the sector and the economy at large.” 

Additionally, KVPL set another benchmark for the sector in 2017, becoming the first RPC to be among the Overall Winners’ bracket, including a spot among the top three companies of the year at the National Business Excellence awards by winning the Overall Bronze Award and further consolidated its position by securing eight awards.

Organised by the National Chamber of Commerce since 2004, the NBEA is considered to be among Sri Lanka’s longest-running and most prestigious corporate awards with a reputation for professionalism, and stringent evaluation. 

The performance of Hayleys Plantations sector at the NBEA is the latest in a string of accolades and prestige secured by KVPL and TTEL, who also jointly brought home the Gold award at the 55th CA Sri Lanka Annual Report Awards in the Plantation Companies category. Similarly, Hayleys Plantations crowned the Winner of Great HR Practices at the National HR Conference in 2018 and 2019. 

Among the leading and most successful RPCs currently operating in Sri Lanka, KVPL, TTEL and Horana Plantations PLC– which together comprise the plantation sector of the Hayleys Group – have consistently set new benchmarks in human resources management and environmental sustainability by winning awards and accolades at the national and international level, including Gold Awards at the National HR Excellence Awards, Asia-Pacific HR Excellence Awards, Global HR Excellence Awards, South Asian Partnership Summit and Business Awards (SAPS), SLITAD People Development Awards, JASTECA CSR Award in 2015, in addition to the Sri Lanka Health and Wellbeing Special Award, as well as Gold and Silver Awards at the National Social Dialog and Work Place Co-operation Awards. 

Supported by a legacy and culture of excellence established by its parent Hayleys Group and ably guided by the visionary leadership of its Managing Director Roshan Rajadurai, Hayleys Plantations has been at the forefront of a progressive transformation in the plantation sector. Through a sustained focus on employee welfare and the development of a performance-based culture, Hayleys Plantations is rapidly emerging as one of the homes of innovation and excellence within the industry and benchmark in human capital management.