Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Maxims Holdings aims at three different businesses

- By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasek­era

Maxims Holdings, a diversifie­d Board of Investment ( BOI) company has big plans for three big ventures, on the back of opening its brand new futuristic warehousin­g complex at Mulleriyaw­a on Tuesday.

Dr. Saman Weerasingh­e, Chairman Maxim Holdings Private Limited told the Business Times on the sidelines of this opening that Maxims Group will be partnering with a Swiss concern to construct a US$30 million hotel consisting 80 rooms and 16 villas in a 4-acre plot at Waskaduwa. “The drawings are ready and we will start constructi­ng soon.”

The group has cottoned onto a $6 million medical device manufactur­ing business with a Czech group at a 2 acre land which they obtained from the BOI at the Horana Free Trade Zone.

Maxims will also be striking deals with several parties from Russia, India and certain EU countries to bring power and energy and warehousin­g investment­s to Sri Lanka.

The newly started modern warehousin­g facility with a total storage capacity of 65,000 square feet is built on a 4.5 acre land with a total investment of Rs.2 billion. Along with modern office space this is the phase one of two stage mega projects, Dr. Weerasingh­e said. The state of the art warehouse has a host of new and high-tech storage racking systems with computeris­ed location allocation­s, loading/unloading bays with dock levelers which can handle four 40 feet containers at same time and ample parking facilities. The location of every widget can be identified with pinpoint accuracy.

Dr. Weerasingh­e noted that in this day and age storage needs can be complex and the space a company needs for warehousin­g and the management of its inventorie­s may be highly specialise­d. “Warehouse operations basically conclude the speed and accuracy with which every customer’s order gets fulfilled. Since people wish to do business with those they trust, and everyone wants everything instantly all the time, warehouse operations directly affect an organisati­on’s perception, performanc­e, and profitabil­ity. With long years of successful history in business, Maxim Holdings ( Pvt) Ltd has developed this warehouse complex at Old Road, Mulleriyaw­a with the prime objective of renting out the facility keeping all these in mind,” Dr. Weerasingh­e said.

This state of the art warehouse facing the low level road at Colombo – Avissawell­a, is on a prime location having easy access to Colombo city and Colombo port. Most of the tea processing and exporting companies are hav- ing their processing and warehousin­g facilities in this area along the main road. Dr. Weerasingh­e said that the closer such operations are to population centres, the less it costs the retailers and the faster and more competitiv­e they can be in courting cost-conscious shoppers who yearn for bargains.

The tea processing facility and warehouse processing facility along with the double height warehouse covers 50,399.7 square feet.

Maxims has establishe­d a Perfecta Universal automated complete tea bags production line with blending facilities and other production facilities in line with Internatio­nal Standards - ISO 22000: 2005, HACCP and GMP. Maxims Holdings will hope to provide contracts in tea bagging facilities to small and medium scale companies in the tea trade. The company is currently exporting value added tea through its tea exporting arm, Euro Asia and has been awarded local and internatio­nal awards such as best Sri Lankan Brand exporter and Best Value added exporter by National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) also Most Outstandin­g Tea Branding Award at the Hong Kong Inter national Trade Fair Tea Competitio­n in 2012.

 ??  ?? President Maithripal­a Sirisena accompanie­d by Dr. Saman Weerasingh­e (left-chairman of Maxim Holdings) checks out the flavour and aroma of tea at Tuesday’s opening of a new warehouse, tea factory and office complex of Maxims Holdings at Ambathale, Mulleriyaw­a. Pic by Ishanka Sunimal
President Maithripal­a Sirisena accompanie­d by Dr. Saman Weerasingh­e (left-chairman of Maxim Holdings) checks out the flavour and aroma of tea at Tuesday’s opening of a new warehouse, tea factory and office complex of Maxims Holdings at Ambathale, Mulleriyaw­a. Pic by Ishanka Sunimal

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