W.M. Mendis bags two coveted awards at SLIM-NASCO 2014

Thursday, 11 September 2014 01:46 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

W.M. Mendis & Company, one of the largest distillers of the finest liquor in Sri Lanka, clinched a coveted Gold award for the ‘Best Territory Manager of the Year’ and a Bronze accolade for the ‘Best Front Liner of the Year’ in the Alcohol and Tobacco segment at the glittering SLIM-NASCO – 2014 Awards ceremony held at the Waters Edge, recently. The Gold & Bronze awards were won by Deepal De Silva and Indika Ekanayaka respectively.

The annual SLIM-NASCO awards is the pinnacle event in the Sales and Marketing calendar as the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, the premier marketing body in Sri Lanka, recognises and rewards the country’s sales persons. As a longstanding company established in 1947, W.M. Mendis & Company has earned an enviable reputation for its wide range of coconut and blended arrack products. Many of these spirits are exported and are increasingly popular around the world. Winning these two accolades was an important milestone for W.M. Mendis as they were the maiden honours to be conferred on two members of the sales force after the ownership of the company changed hands with Perpetual Capital Holdings Limited. “Bagging two awards at this prestigious national event was a big motivation and inspiration to all of us,” says Head of Sales Chinthaka Perera. “We are also elated as our vibrant sales team was able to score a big hit,” he noted. “Clinching a Gold award in particular was not easy.” “We are honoured to have made it to the frontline within this short space of the take-over of the company,” was an enormous achievement, said Chief Strategy Officer Savith Kalupathirana. It was a privilege to have made a tremendous impact on the market as a company with a history spanning 65 plus years,” he emphasised. “We express our gratitude to our customers and staff members at all levels for helping W.M. Mendis achieve excellence.” The new management seeks to optimise capital productivity and regain the dominance W.M. Mendis was once famous for. While W.M. Mendis also has a substantial presence in the market, it has anchored itself firmly across all segments of operation in the Sri Lanka liquor segment. The ambition therefore is to continue to maintain its presence in these key markets and also enhance its position in the Country Made Foreign Liquor (CMFL) segment, which is the future in boosting topline, optimising capital productivity and remaining refreshingly relevant to emerging potential consumer segments for profitable growth.