Swisstek Explained

Swisstek (Ceylon) PLC
Former Name:Parquet (Ceylon) (1967-2011)
Type:Public
Industry:Materials
Founder:Singha Weerasekera (Founding Chairman)
Hq Location City:Colombo
Hq Location Country:Sri Lanka
Revenue: LKR8,970 million
Revenue Year:2023
Operating Income: LKR1,263 million
Income Year:2023
Net Income: LKR(703) million
Net Income Year:2023
Assets: LKR10,911 million
Assets Year:2023
Equity: LKR2,315 million
Equity Year:2023
Num Employees: 481
Num Employees Year:2023
Subsid:Swisstek Aluminium Ltd (87.38%)
Footnotes:[1]

Swisstek (Ceylon) PLC is a tile grout and tile mortar manufacturing company in Sri Lanka. The company was established in 1967 as Parquet (Ceylon) Ltd to manufacture parquetry. Parquet (Ceylon) signed an agreement with Switzerland-based Bauwerk AG for technology collaboration and started supplying for the domestic and foreign markets under the brand name "Swissparkett". The company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1983. Parquet (Ceylon) switched its core business by switching to manufacturing tile grout and mortar in 2009. In 2011, the company was renamed Swisstek (Ceylon) and in 2013, became a part of the Vallibel One Group. Swisstek is one of the LMD 100 companies in Sri Lanka.

History

The company was founded in 1967 as Parquet (Ceylon) Ltd to manufacture parquetry. Singha Weerasekera, the then-chairman of Don Carolis and Sons, was the founding chairman of Parquet (Ceylon).[2] Parquet (Ceylon) entered into a technology collaboration with Switzerland-based and supplied the domestic market under the brand name "Swissparkett".[3] The company expanded its business to foreign markets in 1972. The company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1983. Parquet (Ceylon) became a part of Lanka Walltiles Group in 2003.[4] In 2009, the company switched its core business of manufacturing parquetry to manufacturing tile grout and mortar. Even though the company ceased manufacturing parquetry, the sale of imported parquetry in the domestic market continued.

Parquet (Ceylon) acquired 62% of the stake in Ceykor Aluminium Industries for LKR100 million in a bid for diversification in 2010.[5] Parquet (Ceylon) change name to Swisstek (Ceylon) in 2011.[6] A Royal Ceramics-led consortium acquired a controlling stake in Lanka Ceramics PLC in 2013, thus Royal Ceramics' parent Vallibel One became the ultimate parent company of Swisstek.[7] The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. Swisstek Aluminium moved to increase its production capacity of 450mt to 1,000mt per month in 2017. The demand for aluminium stood at 2,500mt per month then.[8] Swisstek secured a US$4.5 million timber flooring contract from the Cinnamon Life Colombo project in 2019. The contract is the largest timber flooring deal awarded in Sri Lanka. Swisstek entered into the contract to supply and install 350000square feet of solid wood flooring for the project.[9]

Operations

Swisstek is one of the LMD 100 companies in Sri Lanka. LMD 100 ranks the public companies in Sri Lanka by revenue annually, and in its 2020/21 edition Swisstek was ranked 95th.[10] Swisstek (Ceylon) also produces skim coats and decorative pebbles, and its subsidiary, Swisstek Aluminium manufactures aluminium extrusions. Alumex, a related company of Swisstek is the market leader in aluminium production and controls 46% of the market share. Swisstek Aluminium Ltd has control of 30% of the market share.[11]

Finances

Financial summary
All figures are in LKR (mns)
Year Revenue Operating income Profit Assets Equity
2023 8,9701,263 (703) 10,911 2,315
2022 9,534 1,231 900 10,721 3,360
2021 5,393 975 640 6,576 2,881
2020 4,935 610 168 6,110 2,267
2019 4,294 420 750 6,504 2,101
2018 4,077 630 378 5,430 2,144
Source: Annual Report, 2022/23 (pp. 130–131)

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Annual Report 2022/23 . cse.lk . Swisstek (Ceylon) PLC . 18 June 2023.
  2. News: He believed in taking care of orphans . 11 January 2023 . . . 28 August 2021.
  3. News: Senewiratne . Hiran H. . Parquet likely to sell stakes . 11 January 2023 . . . 9 July 2008.
  4. News: Swisstek (Ceylon) celebrates 50 dynamic years of business . 11 January 2023 . Daily News . Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited . 9 August 2017.
  5. News: Edirimuni Chandrasekera . Duruthu . Parquet to launch hyper market for building material . 11 January 2023 . . . 22 May 2011.
  6. News: Parquet now Swissteck . 11 January 2023 . . Wijeya Newspapers . 7 September 2011.
  7. News: Senewiratne . Hiran H. . Royal Ceramics acquires 80% stake of Lanka Ceramic Group . 11 January 2023 . Daily News . Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited . 7 May 2013.
  8. News: Edirimuni Chandrasekera . Duruthu . Swisstek to increase capacity . 11 January 2023 . . Wijeya Newspapers . 23 April 2017.
  9. News: Swisstek bags US$4.5 mn Cinnamon Life flooring contract . 11 January 2023 . . Wijeya Newspapers . 24 October 2019.
  10. Web site: LMD 100 . lmd100.lk . Media Services Pvt Ltd . 11 January 2023 . 76 . 2022.
  11. News: Sri Lanka Aluminium maker calls for quality controls . 11 January 2023 . Economy Next . Echelon Media (Pvt) Ltd. . 26 August 2018.