World's largest sail builder opens factory in Lanka

North Cloth Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. was the latest entity to come under the North Sails Sri Lanka Group, when the factory was opened by Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen last week.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen opens North Cloth Lanka (Pvt) Ltd in the presence of Deuty Chief of Mission of the US Embassy Valerie Fowler, Gampaha District MP Dulip Wijesekera, President of North Cloth Tom Davis and Managing Director of North Sails Sri Lanka Larry McDonald.

In a special message, Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa said that the opening of the new facility of North Cloth is extremely significant at a time that the country is moving towards economic prosperity with the end of the 30-year-conflict. Internationally, many look at Sri Lanka in a favourable manner.

International organisations that left the country during conflict, have now returned and begun businesses.

An internationally recognised organisation identified Sri Lanka as an ideal destination for investment and tourism. Regarded as one of the greatest success stories of North Sails, the operational facilities of the Group in Sri Lanka have significantly contributed towards its growth and success, with North Manufacturing Lanka being its largest sail making plant. In a major milestone in the Group's 15-year-long journey in Sri Lanka, North Cloth joins North Manufacturing, North Sails 3DL Lanka and Southern Spars International, subsidiaries of North Sails Group LLC, USA, the world's largest producer of sails and sail technology leader.

North Cloth will produce sail cloth for export.

The first production was initiated at the Biyagama Free Trade Zone by Minister Bathiudeen.

Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy Valerie Fowler, Chief of Economic and Commercial Affairs of the US Embassy Edward Heartney, Gampaha District MP Dulip Wijesekera, Director, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka M.K.D. Lawrence, President of North Cloth Tom Davis, Managing Director of North Sails Sri Lanka Larry McDonald, COO, North Sails, Sri Lanka Tof Nicolle Griffith, Senior General Manager of North Manufacturing Thalib Sanoon and other company heads and staff of North Sails were present.