Peumi Pharmaceuticals credits success to 30-year partnership with CIC

Wednesday, 30 October 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In just over two decades, CIC Holdings PLC has transformed itself from chemical manufacturer to a pioneer in the arena of environmentally friendly, sustainable agribusiness enterprise. By dint of innovation and commitment, the company has earned a solid reputation, and has set the industry standard in many areas.

Respected and admired for its principles, and for a philosophy built on good governance, ethics, concern for the environment and community investment; CIC Holdings is also famed for its dedication to stakeholder engagement and the encouragement of long term, fruitful partnerships and ventures. Partnership advantages Peumi Pharmaceuticals Chairman Tennyson Peiris is one who considers his business an excellent example of the advantages offered by partnership with CIC Holdings. In 1983, Peiris was employed by the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC), and having formed an excellent network and gained valuable experience, was looking for an opportunity

to give his entrepreneurial spirit free reign. He approached CIC Holdings (at the time, ICI) and with their support, in the same year he began Peumi Enterprises. The business was registered under and named after his spouse, who took on the responsibility of running the fledgling business while Peiris continued at the SPC. Just a year later, Peiris took over the business, as the sole proprietor of Peumi Pharameuticals, engaged in the supply of pharmaceuticals and consumer items. His right hand at all times, his wife, remained and continues to date as one of the pillars of the business and his “tower of strength”. Peiris warmly thanks the then Senior Director CIC C.S. Edwards and Product Manager S.K. Wijekoon for their faith in him. Strong foundation “They laid a very strong foundation for me under CIC,” he says with a smile. “They gave me a good start, in 1983 we had one employee and ran the business out of our home; today, we employ over 40 people and next year we will be moving our operation to our own custom built five-storey building. This building is a monument to the partnership between CIC and Peumi Pharmaceuticals, and will stand, indefinitely, as a landmark of our relationship.” CIC Holdings Managing Director S.P.S. Ranatunga is also someone Peiris takes time to commend “I want to thank Mr. Ranatunga and the rest of the management at CIC,” he said. “They put their faith in me and took me from a small businessman with a dream, to the position of Chairman of one of the leading pharmaceutical suppliers in the Western Province.” Together through changes Peiris also went on to say that through the changes at CIC he remained on good terms with everyone “We have always co-operated and worked together,” he recalls “It was a good company and it will always be a good company and I will always honour them and be thankful and loyal to CIC Holdings for what it has done for me.” Reflecting on the success of Peumi Pharmaceuticals, Ranatunga said: “Peumi celebrates three decades of doing business and is one of the leading lights of the distribution network dealing in internationally recognised premium human vaccines, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements and infant formulas. They are a great example of our slogan ‘Nurturing Life’. Peiris has an unblemished record and we are proud of the success he has achieved, and look forward to our continued partnership.”