Hosts top 125 dealers and their families at two-day event at Shangri-La Hambantota

A two-and-a-half-decade journey of manufacturing excellence leading to market domination was acknowledged when CEAT Kelani Holdings felicitated the Company’s top dealers at a spectacular awards gala recently.

The top 125 CEAT dealers in Sri Lanka and their families came together with representatives of the Company’s senior management after a lapse of three years to celebrate the success of their combined efforts to overcome the adverse impacts of the global pandemic and the economic downturn.

CEAT’s top 10 dealers countrywide received handsome awards for their contributions to the Company’s performance while the top 45 dealers received awards of excellence and the top performers in each of four tyre categories were recognised separately at the dealer convention.

The two-day event at the Shangri-La Hotel in Hambantota took place just days after CEAT Kelani was lauded by the country’s President, political and business leaders at its 25th anniversary celebration in Colombo.

In his welcome speech, CEAT Kelani Chairman Chanaka de Silva said: “I am proud to say that CEAT Sri Lanka, as a premier tyre manufacturer, has been resilient through these tumultuous times. But our resilience was not just a testament to our company’s strength. It reflected the unwavering support, trust and dedication of our esteemed dealers. Each one of you played a crucial role in ensuring that we stayed on course, even when the path was riddled with obstacles.”

“I am filled with hope and optimism as we look ahead. The road to recovery has begun, and together, we embark on a journey of growth, innovation, and shared success. Let’s continue to work together, forging a legacy that future generations will look back upon with pride,” he said.

CEAT Kelani Managing Director Ravi Dadlani emphasised that “As we look towards the future, I am excited to share that we have ambitious plans in the pipeline. We are deeply committed to quality improvement, ensuring that every tyre that comes out of our production line is of the highest standard. Furthermore, we are gearing up for expansion, aiming to reach even more corners of our nation and ensuring that every Sri Lankan has access to the best tyres in the market.”

Top dealers honoured at the event received cash awards, gift vouchers, trophies and certificates in recognition of their performances in each of the product categories that CEAT manufactures, as well for overall excellence. CEAT’s overall best dealer was U&H Wheels of Colombo 2, while the runner-up was Padalangala Rajapaksha Tyre House, Padalangala.

In the Category awards, Paramount Tyre Traders Colombo 14, won the Radial category, U & H Wheel Service Colombo 02 the Truck category, Sumith Marketing Company Ambalangoda the Light Truck category and Tharaka Tyre House Mawathagama the Three-wheeler category.

The CEAT brand originated in Italy and is now backed by German manufacturing technology and extensive research and testing facilities in India and Europe, enabling the tyres to meet the exacting standards for export to countries in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East.

A Rs 8 billion investment in state-of-the-art tyre manufacture, the CEAT Sri Lanka manufacturing operations in Kelaniya and Kalutara encompass tyres in the radial (passenger cars, vans and SUVs), commercial (nylon and radial), motorcycle, three-wheeler and agricultural vehicle segments.

Widely considered a model for a successful privatisation of a state-owned enterprise, CEAT Kelani Holdings now manufactures half of Sri Lanka’s pneumatic tyre requirements, exports about 20 per cent of its production to 16 countries and plays a significant role in helping the national economy conserve foreign exchange by reducing dependence on imported tyres.