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Convenience Foods (Lanka) Managing Director Thilanka De Zoysa receiving the Gold award at the National Business Excellence Awards 2015
Lankasoy, the flagship brand of Convenience Foods (Lanka) PLC, a subsidiary of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd. (CBL), recently received the prestigious Gold Award for the second consecutive year in the category of Manufacturing – Food and Beverage sector at the National Business Excellence Awards organised by The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka.
With 25 years in the industry Lankasoy is the pioneer and market leader in the soy food industry. Entering the market at a time when quality standards were rarely set for soya products the company was the first to obtain the local SLS mark. The company which at the beginning had manual operations gradually converted its operations to automation; thus further cementing its position as a high quality product. Its manufacturing processors are ISO 9001:2008, ISO 22000:2005, GMP, HACCP certified.
Through innovation and leadership Lankasoy continued to set the standard for the industry by introducing new flavours and shapes that attracted new customers. Lankasoy, the pioneer brand of textured soya protein (soya meat) in Sri Lanka recently introduced a first-of-its-kind iCook ‘stir fry’ soya meat product range to the Sri Lankan market. This range especially caters for young adults who seek easy-to-make, delicious, and healthy meals.
The company is known for revolutionising the soya market in Sri Lanka. Currently the company exports its products mainly to ethnic markets but will explore the possibility of expanding to international markets in the near future.
Continuing its legacy of diversification, Convenience Foods Lanka PLC recently launched Nutriline cereal range with three variants, a tasty, healthy, and wholesome cereal enriched with multigrain delivering optimal nutrition for children. The new cereal range is produced with a unique combination of using only the natural ingredients and adhering to international standards using locally grown grains. Ramba is another healthy baked snack made using locally obtained raw materials and available in five flavours which comes under the healthy snack range under the brand name.
The company attributes its success over the years on its innovative approach to the market and corporate culture.
“We are focused on giving value to the consumer and due to our continuous research and development process we have been able to introduce new soya products to the market,” said Convenience Foods (Lanka) PLC Managing Director Thilanka De Zoysa. “In addition our dedication to sustainability, both environmental and financial, allows us to pass on the benefits to the consumer. And in the end all our stakeholders – from the shareholder to the people in the community – share in our profits and successes.”
At its state-of-the-art factory Lankasoy employs a lean manufacturing method that ensures reduction of energy and wastage to help in its efforts to be environmentally sustainable while delivering quality products. The company encourages employees to provide suggestions on how to improve production and reduce wastage and over the years many of these suggestions have been implemented. This has allowed employees to take ownership of the initiative to become sustainable and made it driven from the bottom up rather than from the top down.
This unique corporate culture has driven revenue and profitability of the company to greater heights.
The National Business Excellence Awards are granted based on the results of seven aspects of every applicant. These are leadership, corporate governance, capacity building, performance management, local and global market reach, corporate social responsibility, and business and financial results.
Lankasoy has been honoured with many awards including SLIM Brand of the year, National Productivity Award and CNCI Achievers Award which manifests its business excellence.
Lankasoy Textured Soya Protein Nuggets are rich in protein, have no cholesterol and are manufactured using non-genetically modified defatted soya flour.