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The launching Ceremony of Inco-2011 was held at the DTET Auditorium at Colombo 10 on Saturday, 9 October, 2010 from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m with all the Council Members and the Past Presidents attending.
The Chairman/Managing Director, of Multichemi Group of Companies at Horana Samantha Kumarasinghe, graced this occasion as the Chief Guest while Eng. Chitra Boteju was the Guest of Honour. Samantha Kumarasinghe having started his first company in 1993 with only 12 employees has grown today to a fully Sri Lankan owned group of companies with over 400 employees, working in manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
With many pioneering projects under his credit, Samantha Kumarasinghe is the proud founder of Nature’s Secrets Herbal Cosmetics, which he plans to build to a global brand.
In December 2008, 15 years on from the inception of his first company, his creative leadership and remarkable achievements and dedication resulted in him being awarded the coveted Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2007.
In his address, Samantha Kumarasinghe mentioned that IIESL is doing a great service to the local industry through ‘Inco’ Industrial Exhibition. He requested the IIESL to join the patriotic forces for their campaigns launched against conspiracies such as ‘CEPA’ aimed at acquiring and dominating the local economy, which is more dangerous than conquering a country militarily.
In the address of the President of IIESL, Eng. Upali Gunawardana, mentioned that Inco has become an important event of the Institution in its calendar of events for the year. The slogan
‘Ganuwanata Yomuwuna Piridasunak’ is true to its words and the fact that Inco is the best Industrial Exhibition in the Country is a feather in the hat of IIESL, he said.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman – Inco 2011 Eng. Shantha Senarath, mentioned that Inco is organised by the IIESL with one objective in mind. That is the local industry promotion. By organising Inco the Institution assists and guides the local industrialists to improve and develop their industries to International Standards for them to become exporters eventually. He further mentioned that there was a time in the country the industries were shut down and the owners of those industries found that it is cheaper, safer and easier to import products from other countries and sell here and earn a few bucks as profit. Do they realise that they send out 10 times greater amount of foreign exchange to earn that few rupees as profit, he questioned. He said that he is happy to see that trend is slowly but steadily changing and that is the type of attitude change that Inco is trying to infuse in the minds of the local business entrepreneurs through Inco.
Delivering the Vote of Thanks Eng. Jayantha Lankatillake, thanked the Chief Guest and all others who were present. He also thanked all stake holders who made Inco-2010 a great success.
Inco-2011 Industrial Exhibition & Trade Fair is scheduled to be held on 24 - 26 June, 2011 at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Exhibition Centre at BMICH for the 9th consecutive year. The chairman and the organising committee request the local industrialists and business entrepreneurs to make use of the opportunity created by Inco to get publicity for their products and services by participating in Inco-2011. For Stall Bookings and further details you may contact the Inco Secretariat (Thilakaratne) on 077 7741073.