Obstacles no bar to business diversity

by Ruwanthi Abeyakoon

HARD WORK: Managing Director, Hettikanda estate, Sarath Kahapalaarachchi, hails from Panadura.

He tries to expand the boundaries of his businesses amid several worries.

"My tea estate is in Kalawana. I started the tea estate seven years ago. It was an abandoned rubber estate. I converted it into the tea estate. There are ten employees working under me," he said.

"In Ratnapura there is a scarcity of labour. I need about forty workers. I bring labourers from other districts. So the labour cost is high. Once you bring them it is difficult to keep them. They don't stick to one place. Tea is a major industry in this area but there are several issues that hinder the progress of this industry," Kahapalaarachchi said underlining the difficulties.

He said that the road network that connect the estates to the main towns are badly damaged. "There are only by roads to the estates. These roads are damaged. The infrastructure should be there to develop the business. I like to expand my business as tea is a growing industry but until these problems are solved I cannot go further. At present I provide tea leaves for the nearby factories," he explained.

However, stepping into the business world did not commence with the tea factory for Kahapalaarachchi. He has been involved in several businesses before he ventured in to the tea industry. "I was the director at the Korean Spa, a project approved by the Board of Investments (BOI).

Korean Spa was a joint venture with a Korean Company. It started eighteen years ago when BOI was new concept. People were not aware of it. The Koreans used to export their products to our country.

I brought the Korean person down to Sri Lanka and he agreed to invest here. It created employment and we received their technology. Korean Spa is a polythene factory. They also manufacture corrugated cartoons. These are all indirect exports," he said.

"At the beginning I worked hard to reach the standard and develop the factory. The other business is Eu-retec, a tyre factory. It is a joint venture with a British company. We bought an old factory and converted it into the tyre factory.

The tyres are manufactured targeting the export market. Skytel Global and Spa Aviation are both involved in air trafficking. Spa Aviation is an expansion of the Korean Spa. It operates in Maldives," Kahapalaarachchi said.

"There are separate managers for these businesses. They look after and develop them. I support them in this endeavour," he added.

This dynamic man does not like to remain in the same line. Instead he always looks for ways to diversify his business. Thus he has brought medicine into his business world by opening up the hospital Suwa Medura. "I started it three years ago.

There are two doctors working with me. It is the leading hospital in Panadura. It is open twenty four hours and provides all modern facilities such as scanning, x-ray and laboratory services. I hope to expand it adding more buildings and providing more facilities. I believe that when you run a business you have to diversify and look for the opportunities in other fields," he said.

Around 600 workers are employed under his businesses. Kahapalaarachchi is also the President of Kalutara Chamber of Commerce.

"I also joined Business for Peace Alliance to develop my businesses. I have worked with them from the very beginning. It was encouraging and they supported my business," he added.

He pointed out that trained workers are needed to achieve heights in businesses. "There is a lack of trained staff. When the students enter society they should be able to join the work force. They should be educated properly. With their contribution the economy will prospect," he added.