By Ruvini Jayasinghe
Sierra Cables PLC, a subsidiary of Sierra Group, has established a stronghold in Sri Lanka and overseas markets as the complete and comprehensive wire and cable supplier for residential, commercial and industrial sectors during last few decades.
With an expansive product range, the company is a powerhouse in the local cable industry and expanded operations into the international arena with plants in Fiji and Kenya.
Sierra Cables PLC manufactures, supplies, and exports a comprehensive range of copper and aluminum cable products for the power sectors in Sri Lanka and overseas.
Sierra Cables’ extensive product portfolio and services include providing cables as per the BS/SLS/any international standard or customer specified standard in varied current conducting capacities, tolerances, sizes, diameters, lengths, thicknesses and other technical specifications in order to meet the clients’ requirements.
The comprehensive product range include low voltage cables for building & industrial which include PVC/XLPE Cables, FR cables, LSHF cables, photo Voltaic cables, Overhead Line Conductors and for a variety of applications.
All products are made with highest quality raw material and in compliance with industry standards. The company’s product quality and excellence has been recognized with the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & OHSAS 45001 quality and safety certifications.
Heading Sierra Cables PLC as their Managing Director, is the culmination of a long journey in the cable and pipe industry for Shamendra Panditha. In an interview with BMD, Mr. Panditha traced the history of Sierra Cables, a quoted company on the Colombo Stock Exchange from its early days to its current status of market leadership in the industry.
Excerpts from the interview.….
Q: Back to the beginning: How was Sierra Cables Established and what it its current status in the industry?
Sierra Cables Limited a power cables manufacturer mainly into Building wire, copper cables for Industrial and Aluminum conductors and cables for Ceylon Electricity Board. was incorporated in 1999 as a legal entity. In 2000 Sierra Cables acquired Alucop Cables Limited and relocated their factory in Athurugiriya . In 2002 the company began operations with the manufacturing of armoured cables upto 4x400mm2. In 2005 our company obtained a public listing on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). By 2009 Sierra Cables began the manufacturing of Aerial Bundled Cables (ABC). In the same year Sierra Cables PLC won the CNCI Industrial Excellence Gold Award for excellence in industrial sector for enhanced Quality standards, productivity, employee benefits and relations. Their plant for manufacture and distribution of PVC pipes and fittings was set up as a subsidiary – Sierra Industries (Pvt) Ltd in 2011.
The company’s maiden international manufacturing plant was set up in 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya. Sierra Cables East Africa Limited mainly focuses on the emerging Eastern African region. The following year in 2016, the company set up a plant in Fiji, a joint venture with 02 Fijian companies which accessed the Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand markets through an associate company, Cables PTE Limited, in Fiji Island.
In 2018, we progressed to manufacturing Fire Resistant Cables, obtaining certifications from laboratories in Singapore (TUV), India (Central Power Reacher Institute) and France (LCIE Testing Laboratory). Our Subsidiary Sierra Industries Pvt Limited won massive order worth USD 4.4 million from China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). Last year we moved to manufacturing Solar cables in-house, attaining SLS Certification (SLS 1542). First manufacture to obtain SLS certification in Sri Lanka.
Sierra Cables won a Silver the 55th Annual Report Awards Ceremony in 2019, under the category of Manufacturing companies with a turnover up to five billion. For 2020 and going forward we have reported a topline growth of 39% for quarter of FY2019/20. Our forecast is topping Rs.5 billion in sales turnover for the current financial year.
Your cables power the country’s large industrial sectors like energy and communications. How do you ensure quality and standards of your products over time?
All raw materials used in manufacturing are tested in our own laboratory to maintain superior quality standards. We use only virgin raw materials and not recycled materials. our copper quality is 99.9999 purity. Finished products are also subjected to stringent quality tests to ensure that only the absolute highest quality products are allowed into the market. It is because of these strict quality management measures that we have been awarded ISO 9001, ISO14001 and International standards as well as SLS certifications.
With our commitment to research and development, logistical capabilities, engineering and manufacturing operations we manufacture the broadest product range in the industry.
Quality Certifications
– SLS 412, SLS 733, SLS 750, SLS 1186, SLS 154-2-31, SLS 1504-2-11, and SLS 1542.
– ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 14001: 2015
– OHSAS 45001: 2018
– International Standards – BS, AS, NZS, NFC, JIS, ASTM and International Electro Technical Commission (IEC) Standard, along with certifications from laboratories in Singapore, India and France.
– Builder Green Certification
Q: What is your contribution to sustainability?
We stared the renewable energy generation and installed solar panels of total capacity of 1 MW utilizing the roof top of the factory. Total generated energy we transfer to the National grid. In order to reduce wastage, in line with our sustainability agenda and strategy to optimize resources, we follow wooden drum recycle and reuse program. In spite of disposing the XLPE lumps, we make XLPE blocks to use for landscaping with the assistance of Holcim Geocyle. Further below are some of our projects for Sustainability.
• Recover the waist heat of the steam and re-use it, there by minimize the energy use of the steam in curing chamber and wire drawing machine.
• Make the facility to rainwater harvesting and use this water for machinery and general purposes.
• Compressed air usage optimized by introducing water cooling instead of air cooling.
Q: What are the more recent projects you have undertaken?
KEELLS – Waterfront
Rigid Tyre Factory in Horana
Inter-Continental hotel
Brandix – Ratmalana
Ceylon Beverages Can Pvt Limited
Queensbury Hospital – Galle
Havelock City – Phase v
Imperial Builders Destiny Project
China Harbor Engineering Limited
Tween Peak APS Lanka
RDA – Access International
Shangrila Hotel- Hambanthota