MTD Walkers re-enters marine engineering with Rs. 275 m buy of Colombo Engineering

With the recent acquisition of one of Sri Lanka’s largest marine engineering companies, MTD Walkers has re-entered the marine engineering industry to now become the biggest ship repair company in Sri Lanka.

MTD Walkers said yesterday it has paid Rs. 275 million to acquire flamboyant but award winning entrepreneur Kiran Atapattu-founded Colombo Engineering Enterprises (CEE), a fully integrated, ultra-modern ship repairing facility which is strategically located within the port of Colombo. The new company is rebranded as Colombo Engineering Services Ltd.

MTD Walkers Chief Operating Officer Lal Perera said: “This is a very exciting time in our company’s development.

By re-creating this division for marine services we will be able to meet the needs of all marine engineering services required for ships plying our waters.



 Our acquisition of Colombo Engineering Enterprises will allow us to serve our clients with a dedicated specialist team and the Walkers workshop will add value to manage the complex calculations and operations these projects require.” The new company, Colombo Engineering Enterprises will leverage on the existing Walkers’ fully equipped workshop to expand the current services offered by the Company.

During the past, the lack of proper ship repair services has meant that many of the ships had to bypass the port of Colombo and travel to Singapore.

“With the port of Colombo strategically positioned in the Indian Ocean’s shipping route, it is vital that we have fully equipped and well managed workshop that will ensure these ships do not bypass us for their repairs. Now we can boast of having one of the best workshops in this region and we intend on expanding the Marine Engineering sector of Walkers rapidly” said Perera.

Post acquisition the new owners have appointed Kiran Atapattu as the Head of the Marine Engineering Division, of MTD Walkers Plc with immediate effect.

With his years of experience in this industry, Atapattu will continue to lead the operations delivering strategic services to vessels entering the port of Colombo. “Now we become the biggest marine engineering company in Sri Lanka and are geared to compete with anyone in this region. Clients will retain their existing points of contact in terms of commissioning Colombo Engineering Services Ltd., for all marine engineering services.”

Colombo Engineering Services Ltd. has fully-equipped marine engineering facilities for ship repair work, the most modern technology and equipment for underwater services and backed-up by a fleet of high-powered crafts to respond to requirements in the high seas. All its functions and services are performed whilst the ships are afloat and therefore dry-docking or any special berthing requirements are definitely not required.  Its entire operations are carried out on ships during discharging or loading of cargo or containers, when bunkering, or when the ships are at anchor outside the harbour. Afloat repairs are also carried out on ships in the high seas.

MTD Walkers Plc has had as its core businesses the manufacture of tea machinery, and have now ventured into other engineering functions such as piling (heavy foundations), steel fabrication and other infrastructure development projects. MTD Walkers Plc has a group of subsidiaries namely: CML-MTD Construction LTD, Walker Sons & Company Engineers Ltd, Walkers Piling Private Limited, Northern Power Co. Ltd., MTD Walkers Projects and Colombo Engineering Services Ltd.