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Sunday Dec 15, 2024
Tuesday, 26 February 2019 00:47 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Kelani Cables PLC, Sri Lanka’s number one company in the secure electrical and communication cables manufacturing sphere, celebrated its 50th anniversary in a comprehensive manner with many events.
The celebrations, held at Kelani Cables Company premises, were attended by Kelani Cables Chairman Upali Madanayake and Mrs Madanayake, Deputy Chairman Suren Madanayake and Mrs Madanayake, the Board of Directors, Kelani Cables Director/CEO Mahinda Saranapala and Mrs Saranapala, and former Managing Director Hemantha Perera and Mrs Perera.
To mark the occasion, Kelani Cables Chairman Upali Madanayake planted a ‘Na’ sapling and unveiled a plaque at the company premises. Kelani Cables Chairman Upali Madanayake was also awarded by Kelani Cables Director/CEO Mahinda Saranapala for his contribution to the Sri Lankan economy through his entrepreneurship.
The first employee, and all retired employees who are still living, were invited to the event, and their service to the company was appreciated. In addition, present employees who have served the company for over 20 years were also recognised.
The event, attended by the senior management with all employees of the company, was entertained by a popular music group with popular singers in the country.
The company staff and the company were offered blessings by the clergy, and after the Pirith ceremony, staff and the management of Kelani Cables offered alms to the Buddhist priests.
A blood donation campaign was also held to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the company.At the occasion, Kelani Cables Director/CEO Mahinda Saranapala said: “We are celebrating today the grandeur of a company that has existed for 50 long years with pride. We are privileged to have the presence of our Chairman Upali Madanayake here today, who is a gentleman with a futuristic vision.”
He also stated, “Our Company’s success story has not been a bed of roses. We had ups and downs in our long journey towards success. Eventually, we became Sri Lanka’s number one company in the secure electrical and communication cables manufacturing sphere. Our Chairman, directors, workers and all stakeholders have contributed towards this success. At this juncture, I pay gratitude to all of them.”
Kelani Cables Company was initially commissioned in 1969 at the Kiribathgoda YMBA building’s ground floor with the name, ‘Ceylon Non Ferrous Metal Ltd’. Its owners were P A P A B Wijegunawardene and Mrs C Wijegunawardene. Its first business was importing copper and manufacturing normal electrical cables. The entity became a listed company in the Colombo stock market in 1973.
In the 70s, the company was situated at Kelaniya, Wewelduwa, where the present factory is situated, to manufacture electrical cables. At the inception, the company sold its products to CEB and Sri Lanka Telecom. In 1973 the company’s name became Kelani Cables and afterwards it became a listed company.
In 1981 Kelani Cables became the first Sri Lankan electrical cable manufacturer to obtain SLS 773 certification for PVC cables and SLS 750 for All Aluminium Conductors (AAC). In 1995 Kelani Cables became an affiliated company of Pacific Dunlop Cable Group, a multinational company in Australia. Ian Campbell was the Managing Director. In 1999 however the company stopped investing on electrical cables, hence ACL bought a major portion of the company’s shares. Upali Madanayake became the company’s Chairman. In 2003, Hemantha Perera became the Managing Director.
Mahinda Saranapala became Kelani Cables’ Director/CEO in 1 April 2011. With his dynamic leadership, Kelani Cables became Sri Lanka’s number one company in the secure electrical and communication cables manufacturing sphere.
The main product of Kelani Cables is manufacturing secure electrical and communication cables. Apart from that, the company produces: CFL and LED bulbs; insulation and masking tapes; and it recently ventured into producing the Kelani Breezer fan to the Sri Lankan market.
Kelani Cables is known as a company that engages in CSR. Amongst its major CSR projects, ‘Kelani Saviya’, carried out in association with the Peradeniya University to groom school leaving students as electrical technicians, stands tall. It has already been conducted for 10 years. ‘Kelani Saviya’ is the first CSR project of this nature conducted by a private sector company in association with a State university in Sri Lanka.
The same program was eventually extended as ‘Kelani Shakthi’ in association with Jaffna University.
Kelani Cables has obtained an array of accolades and standard certificates over the decades.
Kelani Cables is a one hundred percent Sri Lankan company serving the nation for 50 years, manufacturing electrical and communication cables. The company achieved “Super Brands” status in the electrical and telecommunication sector in 2008 for the professional supremacy it demonstrated in the electrical and communication cables sphere. The company is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. In 2017 Kelani Cables won World Class Global Performance Excellence Awards, and the company won the Gold Award for B2B Brand of the year at the SLIM Brand Excellence in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017, as well as the CNCI Industrial Excellence Award consecutively for 3 years from 2006 to 2008, and for this achievement was recognised with CNCI Industrial Excellence Crystal Award in 2008. The company clinched the Taiki Akimoto 5S Gold award in 2007, National Safety Gold Award in 2010, SLIM Brand Excellence 2013 Gold award in B2B category, and SLITAD people development Gold Award in 2013. In 2015 and in 2016 Kelani Cables was awarded Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award. The company won Best Green Reporter Gold award at 2016 Presidential Environmental Awards and 2016 National HR Excellence Silver award. Kelani Cables was awarded the prestigious National Quality Award in 2016 for the company’s sustained business excellence.
Kelani Cables is one of the first companies in Sri Lanka that is signatory to the National Green Reporting System. Owing to its health and safety-oriented culture and environmental stewardship, Kelani Cables has been certified as a globally recognised ‘Responsible Care’ charter.
