Budding entrepreneur

The shoe factory

Hard working and energetic Prasanna Bhathiya Karunaratna will win the hearts of all customers not only with his polite talk and charming smile but with his quality shoes as well.

If you buy his shoes once you will never go to another place because he will never let you down.

Educated at Isipathana College, Karunaratna was at one time a marketeer.He even did a course at the CITI in 1977. But what inspired him most was his sister's shoe factory and that made him start a shoe factory with one of his friends.

Production in progress

" I had the production knowledge due to the experience in the garment trade., said Karunaratna.

My friend gave me the funds but we incurred a massive loss and had to close down within two years of opening the factory. My love for shoes forced me to start again at a rented place in a very small way.

Prasanna Bhathiya Karunaratna

"I design all my shoes and that is my inborn talent." He started with ladies' shoes which had a good market. He started by selling to small outlets. "In the initial stages I had three people to do the manufacturing. Then by accident I got involved with DSI. Nandadasa Rajapaksa and Chandralal valued my talents and supported me a great deal. Their support inspired me a lot."

At present he has six people working under him while he also outsources some work. He produces gents, and ladies shoes under the brand name Lexus while childrens shoes are produced during the Christmas and New Year season. He said that all the shoes are designed by him.Anybody visiting his factory at Piliyandala can purchase shoes. He said that banks want collateral from small entrepreneurs while from big entrepreneurs they don't ask anything.

Karunaratna said that "The Finance gave me a loan without collateral." Nobody has supported me to improve my business and if some bank supports me I can flourish.

In the event some bank support me I can give employment and produce a quality shoe to the international market said Karunaratna. He is a father of two girls and one boy, his wife is also employed.

S.G.