Haycarb records turnover of Rs. 20.9 b and profit before tax of Rs. 1.35 b for 2018/19

The Sri Lankan multinational Haycarb PLC reported revenue of Rs. 20.9 billion, profit before tax of Rs. 1.35 billion and profit after tax of Rs. 1.08 billion for financial year 2018/19. The earnings per share of equity holders of the company increased to Rs. 32.16 for the year. 

Haycarb Chairman and its parent company Hayleys Mohan Pandithage

Haycarb Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan

Haycarb Chairman and its parent company Hayleys Mohan Pandithage said that Haycarb posted noteworthy results through the execution of its strategic plan in a year of significant challenges in the raw material supply chain for the activated carbon business and adverse local business environment for the environmental engineering segment. 

Haycarb Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan stated that the activated carbon business faced shortages and high cost of raw material in Thailand while the effects of shortages and high prices experienced in Sri Lanka and India up to the third quarter of the year impacted the operations negatively. The availability of raw material in Indonesia continued to be stable during the year under review contributing significantly to the results. He said that the retention of existing suppliers and broad basing the procurement network of the coconut shell charcoal supply chain in key coconut growing countries in the region, remains one of the most important initiatives of the Company in the short to the medium term. Haycarb also promoted sustainable business practices by establishing environment friendly charcoaling technology, through the Haritha Angara project in Sri Lanka and the Vertical Charcoal Kiln Project in Thailand. He added that the productivity improvement initiatives launched under the Lean Operational platform reduced costs and increased value to its loyal customers. 

Kariyawasan further said, “The initiatives launched to acquire new customer accounts, access new geographies, penetrate into new market segments and enhance its value added product portfolio backed by successful new product development projects showed positive results and contributed significantly to the performance of the activated carbon business. Haycarb’s’ focus on quality assurance systems is the backbone on which the company was able to provide innovative and technically superior solutions to its customers across all market & application segments.” 

He noted that the environment engineering arm Puritas Ltd. faced significant challenges both locally and regionally due to uncertainties in the external environment but posted satisfactory results consolidating its position as a superior provider of water and waste water purification solutions. The outlook for the environmental engineering sector remains stable with the increased awareness and growth for water and waste water purification systems in Sri Lanka and in the region. The ability to capitalise on these new opportunities has been strengthened through its strategic collaboration with Veolia Water for large scale water projects. 

The sector continued to play a leading role in the CSR initiative Puritas Sath Diyawara executed by the Hayleys group of companies which currently provides 160,000 litres of safe drinking water across 19 villages in the Central and North Central Provinces of Sri Lanka that were at risk of chronic kidney disease. The company continued support to upkeep the purification plants and the expansion of the “Going Beyond” project to uplift the quality of life in the region through initiatives such as distribution of school supplies to over 2,500 school children that was successfully carried out for the 2019 academic year. 

Kariyawasan stated that the company remains confident of its business model and the strategic position it holds in the coconut shell based activated carbon industry, regeneration services and the environmental engineering segment, to continue the growth trajectory of the company in an expanding global market for purification solutions backed by emphasis placed on environmental sustainability, standards and regulations globally. 

Haycarb is the pioneer manufacturer of coconut shell activated carbon in any coconut producing country with manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia supported by marketing offices in the USA, UK and Australia. The company contributes net foreign exchange revenues with its value adding processes and is a leading and technologically superior manufacturer in its chosen segment. 

The Board of Directors of Haycarb PLC comprises of Chairman Mohan Pandithage, Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan, Dhammika Perera, Arjun Senaratna, Sarath Ganegoda, Jeevani Abeyratne, Dr. Sarath Abayawardana, Sujeewa Rajapakse, M. S. P. Udaya Kumara, Brahman Balaratnarajah, Sharmila Ragunathan, Ali Asgar Munaver Caderbhoy, James Naylor and M. H. Jamaldeen.