Lankan wins SLF award in Los Angeles

Susantha Sisilchandra won an award at the fifth Annual SLF Awards Ceremony. The award was presented by Upul Dharmadasa, CEO of Upul Travel Service in the USA. The Award Ceremony was held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California under the patronage of Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Sri Lanka's Consul General in Los Angeles.

Sisilchandra, a 33-year-old Sri Lankan Entrepreneur based in Dallas, Texas, USA is the CEO/President of Ceyhinz Link international, Inc. set up his US based company with 100% Sri Lankan made products generating millions of dollars annually. Sisilchandra, an old boy of Nalanda College, is an IT professional who graduated from the University of Hawaii Pacific in Hawaii and Massey University in New Zealand.

He introduced Sri Lankan made coir substrate to greenhouses and nurseries in North America and 30 countries. Ceyhinz Link competes with foreign companies who promote similar products made in Sri Lanka and India. His brand Riococo is one of the well-recognised and accepted growing substrate brands among top greenhouse growers worldwide.

He also introduced coir fibre based Sri Lankan made ecological restoration products for the project in North America and many other countries. His products are mainly used by the US Army Engineering (Corp) and US National Guard projects in many states in the USA.

Ceyhinz Link International (CLI) processes, manufactures and markets high quality coir (coconut fibre) for use in the production of hydroponically grown greenhouses. His products contribute to vegetables and flowers (specially tomatoes, pepper, cucumber and cut-flowers); as well as a soil amendment for commercially grown potted flowers and crops, garden centre goods and ecological restoration products.

He invented and introduced products to the Hawaii State that protects its natural coast from coastal erosion. These products are used by the Hawaii State Government to protect its islands' coastal erosion.

The SLF Awards Ceremony is organised by the Sri Lanka Foundation. It is a 501 C (3) non-profit organisation formed in April 2003 by Walter Jayasinghe, MD. The main focus of the foundation is to promote Sri Lankan culture in the United States and globally. In addition, an annual Award Presentation ceremony is held to recognise the members of the Sri Lankan expatriate community.