Striving for excellence: ICC reaches 40-year milestone

Pirith chanting ceremony

Chairman, CEO and Board of Directors - ICC

Appreciating employees of ICC

Multi-disciplined, award-winning construction giant, International Construction Consortium Ltd. celebrates 40 years of success in the industry, a milestone that has been achieved by delivering services unmatched by any other in the sector.

Starting with humble beginnings in 1980, ICC has grown from strength to strength and today boasts the image of being one of the market leaders in the construction space in Sri Lanka.

Founded by late chairman Norman Weerasooria and current chairman Harsha De Saram, the company initially focused solely on construction of building and infrastructure projects until 2000 and thereafter, ventured into the property development space by establishing fully-owned subsidiaries such as Nivasie Developers Ltd., ICC Housing Ltd., ICC Development Holding  Ltd. and ICC Developers Ltd., etc.

From there on, ICC continued to add to its diverse portfolio, a plethora of offerings under engineering solutions, such as, ICC Readymix, ICC Precast, ICC Durra, ICC Timber, ICC Acotec and ICC Smart Eco Solutions, while adding a number of real estate developments under the property development portfolio, making ICC a complete, end-to-end one-stop-shop.

Threading on a steady path towards a positive growth trajectory, ICC in the last four decades has grown to be in the forefront of the industry, who has gained specialised technical and managerial expertise over the years by bagging some of the biggest projects on offer. Acknowledged even in the international space as a trusted construction partner, ICC has established its presence in Maldives and in the Middle East.

Some of the key building projects executed by ICC locally include the construction of the Secretariat for Personnel Identification for the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development at Battaramulla, Asiri Surgical Hospital at Narahenpita, Central Hospital at Colombo 8, the Smart Green Buildings for the Relocation of the Institute of Technology of the University of Moratuwa, Iceland Business Centre and Havelock City Phases II, III and IV among a plethora of others. 

Further, in addition to developing top residential developments such as Oceanfront Condominiums, Mount Clifford Residencies, Orchid Apartments and Nivasiepura, the multi-disciplined contractor has also contributed to the country’s tourism sector by constructing high-end leisure properties such as Jungle Beach Resort, Cinnamon Bey, Chena Huts, Anantara Tangalle and Ulagalla Walawwa Resort. 

Furthermore, ICC has been heavily engaged both in the roads and bridges sectors as well as in water supply and drainage. Currently ICC is executing a section of the prestigious Central Expressway for GOSL.

Meanwhile, ICC’s contribution in the international market includes Mohanna Gardens in Doha-Qatar, construction of Back of House Buildings for Kudausfushi Island Resorts and construction of an Airstrip in Fuvahmulah, Maldives.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, on 4 August, a simple event took place at ICC head office, respecting recommended safety protocols due to the current COVID-19 pandemic in the country and live-streamed to every ICC work-site, division and project across the country. The event commenced with pirith chanting; one of the main purposes of the event was to pay tribute to the late chairman and the co-founder Norman Weerasooria and to appreciate the employees who dedicated their time, effort and strength over decades for the success of the organisation. 

Speaking at the occasion, ICC Chairman Harsha De Saram said: “Our thirst for innovation, strong flare in the technical know-how and in-depth knowledge in the local construction and engineering sphere is what makes us stand tall. Having always strived to maintain the highest professional standards in what we do, ICC takes pride in saying we have been highly successful in this regard. Our track-record affirms that stance.”

Giving his thoughts and ideas about the journey as one of the oldest members of the crew, CEO Namal Peiris stated: “We always functioned with the objective of uplifting the local construction industry, where Sri Lankan talents and expertise are nurtured to be on par with global standards. We at ICC strive to maintain the highest professional standards across all processes. All of this would not be possible without our dedicated workforce, who’s the backbone of our entity.”

Since its establishment 40 years ago, ICC has bagged a number of awards that affirm its excellence in the highly competitive sector. The endless list of awards, accolades and recognitions comprises of the National Business Excellence Awards by the National Chamber of Commerce (NCC), the CIDA National Award for Construction Excellence and the ICTAD National Award for Construction Excellence. 

In addition, ICC won the Gold Medal for ‘Excellence in Civil Engineering Construction’ awarded by IFAWPCA (International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors Association) for a World Bank-funded road rehabilitation project some years ago.

ICC is ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified and the first construction entity in the country to receive the highest CIDA Grading, CS2, for the major disciplines in local construction. Over the past 40 years, ICC has developed a strong customer-centric approach and a constant quest for quality of the highest order. The emphasis on these two key elements has enabled ICC to reach the top in this highly competitive industry.