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Friday Sep 27, 2024
Saturday, 31 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Expressing his views on Cherubium Lanka’s success at bagging the coveted Entrepreneur of the Year – 2014 award, NMK Group of Companies Managing Director Manjula Narayana said:
“I am honoured to have won the Asia Pacific Entrepreneur of the Year award, which I consider as an accolade given in recognition of my services to my motherland Sri Lanka. I also consider it as an award won by Marina customers in Sri Lanka as well as in 40 other markets in the world.”
“I am confident that I can build a world-renowned brand under the Sri Lankan flag. Let me also share this joy with the Marina team and express my gratitude to Enterprise Asia and The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Sri Lanka Malaysia Business Council for the tremendous work they have done.”
“I invite all young entrepreneurs to step forth at this point in time when Sri Lanka is heading towards becoming the ‘Miracle of Asia’.”
If there was ever a giant in the FCMG market and the food industry in Sri Lanka with a vision to nourish the nation, it is none other than Manjula Narayana and his Marina team. Having emerged from a humble yet supportive background, Narayana embarked on his career in 1978 at a very young age.
He was actively involved in many trading activities from the beginning of his inspiring journey and the first milestone in his career was in 1992, when he was appointed as an agent for FELDA in Malaysia. His continuous passion for improvement, innovation and excellence saw him expand the business to reach greater heights.
Driven by a vision of long-term value, sustainable economy and remarkable passion to contribute towards a ‘strong and healthy nation’, he launched operations at his local manufacturing plant in 2006. Two factories and many remarkable achievements later, the NMK Empire is now a Rs. 18 billion worth commercial operation.
In his attempt to educate the farming community, Manjula Narayana gave the local agro-economy a facelift in 1978 shortly after he embarked on his journey. By 1982, the oil industry in Sri Lanka had reached spectacular heights under his guidance.
Noble vision
However, with a noble vision in mind, Narayana invested heavily in research and development, both locally and internationally. He took it upon his shoulders to re-establish the values of coconut oil within Sri Lanka and to educate the people of its benefits and nutritional value.
Under the flagship brand ‘Marina’, Narayana was able to launch many coconut oil based products. Among them are many household names such as Marina Physically Refined Coconut Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil and the recently launched Marina Lite.
His brands had to compete with established players in the market locally. However, backed by a strong distribution network and a vision to succeed, Manjula Narayana managed to grow the business from strength to strength. Available in more than 30 countries today, the Marina brand is not unknown to the global market of coconut oil today.
A true advocate of knowledge centric workplace, he ensures that his workforce of 550 people receive ample training on their specific job roles and other disciplines such as health and safety at his state-of-the-art facilities.
The vision that drives NMK industries today is none other than what Mr. Manjula Narayana set out to do. The brand ‘Marina’ is rooted in the minds of the Sri Lankan consumer as a ‘wholesome and healthy’ brand that convey the world of its originality as a nation.
For its superior quality and trusted value proposition, the brand was recognised as the SME brand of the year at the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards in 2013. Developing a brand synonymous with the goodness of health, Manjula Narayana is an inspiring entrepreneur with a vision, mission and passion to do his country proud.
