Carmart in new drive to be a leader

Carmart, the sole agent, authorised repairer, and spare parts distributor for Mazda and Peugeot in Sri Lanka, recently implemented an ambitious corporate restructuring plan aimed at breathing new life into the proud, long-running company.

Senake Amerasinghe is now positioned as the Chairman/Managing Director. Anil Wijesinghe – a renowned corporate leader – was recently appointed as the Deputy Chairman and Yasendra Amerasinghe takes over as Director/Chief Executive Officer.

These changes have rejuvenated one of Sri Lanka’s oldest automobile importers, giving its current and future customers the confidence of knowing that Carmart is now empowered to give them the very best in service quality.

As the Company’s new Chairman, Senake Amerasinghe can call on over 40 years of automobile industry experience, as well as training in both accountancy and motor engineering, in guiding Carmart to a new leadership position. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka France Business Council, the Sri Lanka German Business Council and the National Chamber of Commerce.

After spending 15 years in Australia and the United States and obtaining his engineering degree from the prestigious University of Southern California, Yasendra Amerasinghe returned to Sri Lanka to apply his qualifications, global knowledge and professional corporate culture to the family business. He is the operational head of the company and is at the forefront of its restructuring strategy.

With a vision of becoming the leader in the over 1,500 CC passenger car segment, Carmart has made a number of changes that have already borne fruit. For example, the Company has almost fully sold out all Mazda 3 units just cleared which is a testament not only to the cars’ functionality, performance, and styling but also to the belief that customers have in Carmart’s new service culture.

As the only Sri Lankan company to be sole agent for both European and Japanese carmakers, Carmart has positioned itself as the full solution automobile provider, with cars fit for executives ranging from managers to CEOs.

Formerly the Managing Director at United Motors Lanka Ltd. and at one time, a General Manager at DIMO Anil Wijesinghe is now Deputy Chairman at Carmart, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the automobile market.

Having turned struggling companies into market leaders, Wijesinghe is widely recognised as an expert at bringing out the best in underappreciated companies. His management style is characterised by a passion for developing human resources, a philosophy that looks set to elevate Carmart’s service standards to industry-best levels.

Indeed, the Company’s strategic plan for the next three years is focused on giving its customers unbeatable service. To this end, Carmart has invested heavily in its workforce and technological infrastructure. For example, the Company regularly sends its technicians overseas for advanced training programs that upgrade their technical know-how and allow them to deliver higher levels of service quality.

The Company has also improved its workshop facilities, installing groundbreaking new diagnostic software that enables diagnostics to be carried out from remote locations, meaning that Peugeot engineers from the principal’s technical platform can help give Peugeot owners the best solutions.

With workshop facilities located in the heart of Colombo, as well as a 25,000 sq. ft. aftersales site situated in Ratmalana that has state-of-the-art total accident repair facilities, including an Italian paint booth and an AutoRobo chassis jig, Carmart is dedicated to providing its customers with the best and most convenient service possible.

The company has also commenced implementing an after sales service development plan which will enable Carmart to go beyond the expectations of its customers. The company imports genuine parts from Mazda and Peugeot and is planning to distribute parts island-wide to enable customers to easily source genuine parts at reasonable prices.

With the dawn of peace in the country and the reduction of import taxes, the prices of all cars have been reduced. Carmart plans to launch several new models of vehicles during the next 10 months to meet the needs of the target market.