Textured Jersey ‘Achievers Awards 2016’ recognises innovation that counts

The most important event in Textured Jersey Lanka’s (TJ) employee calendar, ‘Achievers Awards 2016’ concluded in a grand ceremony recently held at the company auditorium in Avissawella. TJ rewarded 144 employees who had collectively helped to deliver on their mission to take the textile industry to the next level. 

The award categories included Employee of the Year Associate, Staff and Executive; Best Department and a significant award under the category ‘All Ideas Matter’ which goes to employees who had come up with viable innovative ideas, which benefitted the company. The All Ideas Matter (AIM) award was launched two years ago under the company’s ‘Reach LIVE’ program. Speaking at the event, Textured Jersey Head of HR Prabhash Hettiarachchi said that the main objective of AIM was to recognise and add value to employees who have contributed to the industry throughout the years with their innovative ideas, hard work and dedication. 

This year there were three innovative winning ideas, which had shown great results. Nilantha Dias from TJ’s Dying Department won 3rd place for his new recipe for dying threads through a new bleaching method, which has helped to cut costs by 25%. Second place went to Jayasiri Jeevaloka and Nilantha Alwis also from Dying for identifying a default in the baby-dying machine and finding a solution to reduce downtime, helping the company to make a saving on spare parts. 

AIM winners Sajeeva Chandrasiri and Upul Ariyaratne with TJ officials

The most innovative idea that won 1st place came from Knitting Manager Sajeeva Chandrasiri and Executive Knitting Upul Ariyaratne who introduced a new quality management plan to the clothing and knitting processes bringing down quarantine time and reducing the reprocess time. The idea also extended to automating and restructuring the entire quality management process. 

“I had the support of my entire team in putting this idea forward. At every step we got their views and there was a lot of enthusiasm in exchanging views and information, which helped immensely. The program to recognise and reward innovative ideas of employees is a scheme that not only helps and encourages us as a team but brings everyone together to push for the improvement and future growth of the organisation. As the head of the division I am greatly encouraged by it,” said Knitting Manager Sajeeva Chandrasiri.

The Employees of the Year who had gone above and beyond their duties in supporting the Company to climb to greater heights this year were, W.K.T.C. Kumarathunga from the Associate Category; G.A. Prasanna Chandana Silva from the Staff category and Manjula Rankothgedara and Princely Weerakoon from the Executive and above category. There were 1st and second runners up in all three categories who won special awards for their contributions.

TJ CEO Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne said, “I see this as the most important event of the company and I would like to say that the judges have recognised people with three emerging forces i.e. Dedication, Courage and Loyalty i.e. those who have dedicated so many years of their lifetime to the industry, given of their time and experience. Those with the courageous mindset of doing change in the industry; the world stands today because of these people who are always looking to achieve a task efficiently with new innovative ideas, becoming today’s game changers. 

Then there are those with the will to win in any situation and today we have recognised them under the ‘Reach LIVE’ program. The dedication and the contribution of them all have helped us get where we stand in the industry today, listed amongst the best 25 companies that makes over 2 billion profit.”

133 employees from all levels received long service awards, for completing 5, 10 and 15 years of service respectively. The company also awarded the best department for their contribution, with ‘Finishing’ walking away with the prize.

TJ Group with the winning employees