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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Personality plus W. Jinadasa : The Southern entrepreneurial spirit by W.T.J.S. Kaviratne, Ambalangoda Special Correspondent
Sri Lanka's Southern Province, from time immemorial, has been well-known as the birthplace of intellectuals, professionals and entrepreneurs of the highest calibre. W. Jinadasa, Chairman, Andaradeniya Estate (Pvt) Ltd., and winner of the coveted Bronze and Silver Awards at the Sri Lanka Entrepreneur of the Year - 2002, is one such person. Jinadasa was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was born to a family of 10 members in a lesser known hamlet called Andaradeniya in Deniyaya, an area famous for low country tea. His parents found it extremely difficult to provide the basic requirements for the large family of eight sons and two daughters. Education Jinadasa, the most industrious in the family with inborn talents, left school, Deniyaya Maha Vidyalaya, in 1977, just after completing his secondary education, due to the pressure of the family burden and financial constraints. Since then, he had to shoulder the burden of the whole family. Career Jinadasa joined a tea estate in the area as a 'trainee field officer' and worked there for six months without any pay. At the end of the training, he started receiving a monthly allowance of Rs. 100 and after one year, Rs. 200 per month. Through sheer hard work, dedication and enthusiasm, he was able to gather knowledge on every aspect of the tea industry and in 1982, he left the factory to venture on his own by starting to collect green leaves from smallholders of the area. Initially, he was granted a loan of Rs. 10,000 from the Deniyaya branch of Bank of Ceylon. The tea industry was full of vicissitudes, but he was never hesitant in taking risks throughout his career. The initial capital investment of Rs. 10,000 showed considerable profits and helped him to further expand the collecting of tea leaves for a chain of tea factories in the area, he said. Success Jinadasa, who had ventured into the tea industry by 1990, was successful and out of his profits, he was able to purchase 100 acres of neglected tea plantations in the area. He personally attended to re-planting and developing these lands and took prompt action to obtain a good harvest of green leaves. Tea smallholders of the villages of Viharahena, Andaradeniya, Imbularawa and Yaulla had great confidence in this young collector of green leaves, mostly due to his amiable attitude towards them. Almost 90 per cent of the smallholders of the area were by then selling their green leaves to Jinadasa, who by now provided employment to over 100 persons. Tea factory Jinadasa, who felt the immediate necessity of a tea factory, decided to purchase the Mahakanda Tea Factory at Neluwa. This factory was functioning at a loss and even the tea estate of about 12 acres around the factory was neglected. He bought both the factory and the tea plantation and developed them to be profitable ventures even though so many of his friends and well-wishers warned him against taking a great risk. The factory, located in a very scenic area, was renamed Batuwangala Tea Factory. Referring to the mist covered range of mountains around 'Andaradeniya Estate', Jinadasa said the area has potential for ecotourism. The Bank of Ceylon granted him Rs. 47 million with which he could increase the daily output of the factory from 10,000 to 30,000. Today, the Andaradeniya Factory of Neluwa has become the highest tea producing factory in the Southern Province. In an era when most tea factories were closing down due to numerous reasons, Jinadasa came to rescue the low-country smallholders of tea. The Batuwangala Tea Factory, Neluwa, Fortune Tea Factory, Urubokka, Devonia Tea Factory, Kotapola, New Wawulagala Tea Factory, Imaduwa, and New Nivitigala Tea Factory are some of the factories bought by Jinadasa. Employment Opportunities Fourty-four year old Jinadasa is still a bachelor and all his brothers and sisters are employed under him. Over a thousand people are employed in his factories which also indirectly employ many more. Through annual tea exports, foreign exchange is also earned. Jinadasa emerged a winner at the entrepreneur of the Year - 2002 awards, organised by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka; he bagged the National Bronze Award and Southern Province Silver Award. He attributed several factors for his success. Apart from dedication, hard work, non-hesitancy and quick action, his success was also due to financial assistance from banks, all institutions dealing in the tea industry, the staff of tea factories in the estate sector and is family members, Jinadasa said. If the government could provide more facilities, the tea industry could be improved further, he said. Fact File Name: W. Jinadasa Present Position: Chairman, Andaradeniya Estate (Pvt) Ltd., School Attended: Deniyaya Maha Vidyalaya Achievements: Entrepreneur of the Year 2002, Silver and Bronze award winner |
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