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Baurs celebrates 125 years with a gala night of glitter and grandeur

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The Board of Directors at A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd with the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe

In view of celebrating its historic milestone of marking 125 years of progressive innovation and growth among diverse industry sectors in Sri Lanka, A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., also known as Baurs, held a grand cocktail party capturing the grandeur of its journey, showcasing its resilience and strong commitment throughout the decades and the ambitious and bold plans to take on the future.

Held on the 30th November 2022 at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, the event saw the participation of some of the esteemed and distinguished personalities in the country. ‘We are immensely proud of our achievements and the continued appetitive for bringing about timely and innovative solutions amidst the many challenges throughout the decades. I would like to thank our valued customers, partners, employees and to everyone who is part of the very fabric that I am of,’ said Rolf Blaser, Managing Director/CEO of A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd.

Blaser took the audience through the company’s remarkable breakthroughs since its inception, paying tribute to the founder Alfred Baur who went onto setting up the first establishment to focus exclusively on organic and chemical fertilisers including providing farmers with scientific advice. Today, it takes reins as the most high-tech fertilizer factory possibly in the entire region.

The presentation showed how Baurs took the lead to be the first in many initiatives, including the first to build an industrial rail linking the harbor and plantation in 1901, introduce the Henry Ford agricultural tractor in 1919 which was the same year the tractor was built outside America, establish a fully electrified tea factory in 1936, and construct a shock-proof building with underground parking in 1941.

And the proceeding years, such as the first mural by the Australian artist Donald Friend in 1960, deploy paddy harvester in 1968 at its Polontalawa Estate where the main living area was designed by renowned architects Geoffrey Bawa and Ulrich Plesner, grow basmati rice in the island in 1975, and the first to register a biopesticide in Sri Lanka in 2020 to control Fall Armyworm.

Mr. Blaser shared Baurs’ entry into others sectors; such as healthcare in 1945 at the time when the deadly malaria was at its peak; plant protection in 1947 where a spray was developed together with Sandoz to save the Ceylon Tea from Blister Blight; aviation industry as GSA for Swissair in 1957; hospitality in 2021 with the world’s leading École hôtelière de Lausanne introducing the Swiss apprenticeship model.

Baurs have also come a long way in its digital transformation since the beginning of 1982 with IBM, and also being the first e-banking (Hexagon) customer of HSBC from 1991. The company also had its first ever upgrade execution of SAP S/4HANA completely off-site last year. Today, its technology infrastructure is one of the best-in-class, integrating cyber security, disaster recovery, sales force automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and IoT.

Mr. Blaser further went onto highlight the organic fertilizer challenge which Baurs took on last year, at the time when the country announced its intention to move towards embracing an organic agriculture approach. Baurs had been long involved in various R&D initiatives, for instance from 2017 till date, manure from dairy and poultry farming, sludge, biochar, composting, and introducing vermicompost.

And taking the initiative to bring down a team of experts from Switzerland-based FiBL and HAFL as part of its holistic masterplan for sustainable organic agriculture, which involves a continuous in-depth study analysis and solution program together with various diverse stakeholders, with the view of becoming a center of excellence in this area. Baurs have also inaugurated satellite office at its Kelaniya factory, onboarding HAFL graduate Jacques Kohli who actively works with the Swiss experts.

Baurs is only growing stronger with a dynamic board and leadership at the helm of the company, deeply rooted in its Swiss traditions and values. With its shareholder being Foundation Alfred et Eugénie Baur, the company has always pursued in the best interest of its employees and the people of Sri Lanka. Some of its CSR activities include empowering children with special needs, infrastructure development, training programs and emergency reliefs. Baurs is also making strides in sustainability, with the recent partnership with the United National Global Compact initiative.



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Sublime W15 Hanthana Estate

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By a correspondent

The Hanthana mountain range softly breathes, alive with the sound of silence. A pristine white bungalow sits facing these emerald-clad hills, its colonial crevices invoking the charm and nostalgia of a bygone era. A face from another time, kissed by the warm rays of the sun or caressed by the cool fingers of the mist. This is the resplendent Hanthana Estate by the W15 Collection, a place of beauty, a place of peace, where transcendent excellence is an apt description.

I took the early morning Ella Odessey train to Kandy, a comfortable journey that was accentuated by breathtaking vistas closer to Kandy. I was picked up at the station by the W15 driver and my personal butler for my stay. The first inkling of how my stay would pan out came when I was pleasantly surprised with the regular hotel welcome inside the Land Rover. The offer of a cool towel, the choice of a warm or cold beverage to ease fatigue, even before one steps into the foyer of a hotel, was an astute gesture towards ensuring customer delight.

W15 Hanthana Estate is a deliberately crafted blend of colonial charm (the bungalow being over 125 years old, lovingly and attentively restored to its present glory by renowned architect Chamika de Alwis) and modern opulence. The main bungalow unfolds like a tapestry of sepia and cream, weaving together six exclusive suites with four more situated a little beyond in the two storied stables, which boast an awe-inspiring view of the Uragala and Katusukonda mountains. I’m told that these mountain ranges have a certain significance to movie buffs who might recall that the famed “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) had certain shots filmed in the vicinity.

They offer numerous activities such as trekking in some of the most scenic hiking routes of the island, mountain biking, bird and butterfly watching, wildlife excursions (for the uninformed like myself, there are leopards, elusive yes but still roaming these jungles along with the more common sambar deer), nature sessions with the in-house naturalist or scenic walks and visits to nearby temples to interest you. Hanthana Estate also offers cookery lessons where you could pick your own vegetables from their herb and vegetable garden and have the pleasure of making your own lunch with the help of their chefs. One could also set off on an invigorating and informative drive through the tea plantations in their vintage Land Rover along with their naturalist who has a wealth of knowledge about the mountains, the flora and fauna, history and folklore. With kudos to the management for keeping history alive, Hanthana Estate also offers its guest a traditional, colonial inspired delectable high tea with finely cut finger sandwiches, flaky pastries, dainty fairy cakes and freshly baked scones with a pot of Ceylon tea. This high tea in a picnic form or cocktails as per guest preference, can also be enjoyed at a rock outcrop just a ten-minute jeep drive away from the bungalow which they call the ‘Rock Bar’, while the setting sun paints the skies in vivid hues.

This land initially belonged to Oodewella tea plantation, founded in 1880 which is one of the oldest tea estates in the country, considering that the tea cultivation in the country, established by James Taylor, dates back to 1867. Hanthana Group was created between 1985-1988 where Oodwella group was amalgamated with the Hanthana Estate. It would have seemed like a flashback when the great grandson of Gordon Pyper visited Hanthana Estate recently. The first Gordon Pyper had come to Sri Lanka in 1872 when Hanthana was a coffee plantation and following the coffee blight, planted tea in this beautiful estate. His son and grandson were superintendents at Hanthana and the current Gordon Pyper lived the first 11 years of his life in these environs. He affirms that its “wonderful to be back to the Hanthana of his childhood and W15 Hanthana Estate has given him wonderful memories to cherish always.”

It is an understatement to say that W15 Hanthana Estate caters to every whim and fancy of their discerning guest as they operate on an all-inclusive basis. Your personal butler is just a call away, your food is an exquisitely crafted story, your bed an epitome of comfort which entices you to linger, a shower is more of a response of sensual indulgence with irresistible Spa Ceylon products. Once you tear yourself away from your suite, the bungalow with its art, cosy chesterfield sofas and warm lighting and verdant hills that call you name – all this and more is what W15 promises. In my eyes, what makes Hanthana Estate special is not just beautiful surroundings and peace- I feel what makes this wonderous place feel like home, is the attention they pay to details such as the offer of a warm shawl when a guest involuntarily shivers, the evening turn down service where a hot water bottle is left beneath the duvet, the cushy slippers placed just right, and a myriad of little things that makes you smile or sigh contentedly.

I leave Hanthana Estate feeling a little lighter. All I can feel is that my soul is quieter and softer and more sublime.

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BOI invests Rs. 763 Mn in Horana Export Processing Zone: Next leap of Sustainable Best Practices

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Senior officials at the contract-awarding ceremony

The newfound government is accelerating its efforts to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the country by providing much-needed infrastructure to existing and new investors. The Horana Economic Processing Zone (HEPZ) is a center of attraction due to its location.

One key feature of the BOI zones is the provision of services that enable investors to operate their businesses smoothly, and investors always prefer the “turn-key nature” of these facilities. Electricity, water, and drainage systems; inbound illumination systems; and internal roads are the key attractions to the investors. These essential facilities enable investors to conduct commercial operations or constructions immediately after signsing of agreement with the BOI.

The constituency of the Horana EPZ consists of more manufacturing-led investors, and the wastewater treatment plant (CWWTP) is an integral part of the operation. Most importantly, the Horona EPZ’s long-term viability and compliance with the ESG framework of the organization make it even better at meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 15).

 Hence, it was identified by the BOI that the capacity of the existing Common Wastewater Treatment Plant (CWWTP) needs to increase its capacity, which is used for the treatment of wastewater discharges from industries at HEPZ, and therefore, augmentation of CWWTP up to a capacity of 3000 m³ per day is essential to cater to the present influent volume of 1750 m³/day and forecasted additional volume of wastewater generated from the expansion of the existing projects and new projects to be established in vacant lands while uplifting the environmental sustainability of the zone and mitigating the health issues.

The BOI Capital Budget lists this project as a priority activity to reduce any possible environmental impacts and meet the CEA’s requirements for getting an Environmental Protection License (EPL) for the Horana Export Processing Zone.

The bids were invited through the National Competitive Bidding process, which had eleven (11) bidders that submitted the bids, and only four (04) applicants were eligible for the detailed evaluation. Bids were evaluated; at the evaluation stage, the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) determined the least substantially responsive bidder that had fulfilled the relevant qualifications and experience required for awarding the contract.

Hence, the Cabinet of Ministers, by decision dated 05/06/2023, has granted approval for the proposed enhancement of the common wastewater treatment plant (CWWTP) at Horana Export Processing Zone, utilizing BOI funds, after the competitive bidding process and technical evaluation are completed. On 9th December 2024, the Cabinet took the final decision and approved the contract award to Luminex PLC, located at No. 24, New Galle Road, Moratuwa.

The BOI always works with the Central Environmental Authority, takes necessary action to mitigate imminent adverse environmental and health issues, and follows instructions to maintain the treatment efficiency of the existing wastewater treatment plant at HEPZ. Because of this, the proposed addition should make the treatment system efficient and effective, Further, it will strengthen the existing Common Wastewater Treatment Plant (CWWTP) and fully meet the discharge effluent standards and CEA requirements. (BOI)

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Mr. Burger opens third outlet in Wattala, expanding its reach in Colombo’s suburbs

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Mr. Burger, one of Sri Lanka’s emerging fast-food brands, has officially opened its third outlet in Wattala, marking another milestone in its steady expansion. Since launching in 2017, the brand has grown in popularity for its signature fusion-style burgers, now serving customers from three key locations: Bambalapitiya, Rajagiriya, and Wattala.

The new Wattala branch strengthens Mr. Burger’s presence in the Colombo suburbs, offering its full menu of customer favorites, including the Chicken Pounder, Dual Mode, and Monster Chicken burgers. Known for its focus on quality and affordability, the brand has built a loyal customer base by consistently delivering fresh, flavorful meals.

Open from 11 AM to 2 AM daily, Mr. Burger caters to both daytime and late-night diners. The company also operates its own delivery service alongside availability on Uber Eats and PickMe, ensuring convenience for customers across all three locations.

Speaking about the latest expansion, founder and CEO Ikram Salam highlighted the brand’s commitment to growth while maintaining its core values. “The Wattala opening is an exciting step for us. We’ve always focused on providing a great product with a strong customer-first approach, and this new outlet allows us to serve more customers while staying true to what makes Mr. Burger special.”

With its expansion into Wattala, Mr. Burger continues to strengthen its footprint in Sri Lanka’s fast-food industry, reinforcing its commitment to accessibility, quality, and customer satisfaction.

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