Maliban bags Quality Award once again

Friday, 10 June 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Maliban Biscuit Manufactories confirmed the superiority of its products and brand by taking home the prestigious ‘National Quality Award’ for the second time on Tuesday. Winning the award under the Large Scale Manufacturing category, Maliban initially won the award in 1996.

By Cheranka Mendis

Awarded by the Sri Lanka Standard Institution on an annual basis, the awards recognises quality performances of local companies after in-depth evaluation into key business concepts such as leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement analysis, knowledge management, workforce focus and process management.

The company’s win is based on the quality that has been the core element of business for the past six decades as well as customer-connect or focus, Group CEO Lakshman Weerasuriya said. He stated that for Maliban, quality and innovation was the company’s religion.

Achieving steady growth and the status of market leader within its sphere, Maliban is equipped with world class infrastructure with modern machinery and has implemented various projects such as energy saving, waste management, material savings and water management projects during the past four years to achieve sustainability and development. Weerasuriya said that the award, coming on the backdrop of the esteemed iTqi Super Taste Awards presented by the International Taste and Quality Institute of Brussels at which the company won for its cream-cracker, gold Marie and chocolate cream biscuits a few weeks back, endorses the quality of the brand.

“This is the third generation of innovation and quality. Maliban’s stunts in the export market with 80% of our exports reaching Britain while also serving countries such as France, Germany, Canada and Italy has also helped the brand establish in the international market. As a third world country, our exports of food are well scrutinised by the British passing on the items ordered. Our strong presence in the said markets amidst such tight conditions also guarantees our quality,” Weerasuriya said.

He stated that a number of orders to Africa had been cancelled during the past years as the requirement was for the product to be more filling for the stomach and not quality. “We give quality, even if it’s expensive,” he asserted. Weerasuriya assured that steps would be taken to further guarantee the quality levels in the future.

On recent successes, the company’s Smart cream-cracker which was launched in September is said to have doubled in volume within just seven months of introduction to the market. This is the first time success was achieved in such a short time, officials at Maliban said. More new and innovative products will be introduced to customers soon, they added.