Mr. Nimal Dias Jayasinha, a former Managing Director of Hoechst Marion Roussel in Sri Lanka had a vision when he decided to strike out on his own and form his own Pharmaceutical Importing house, a Pharmaceutical company that had at its heart not only sound financial strength, but also a great sense of compassion for the patients of our country.
Bringing together the two multinational giants E Merck and Pharmachemie and naming the company by the amalgamation of those two names, he imparted his vision to the 35 pioneering employees at a rented house in Tichbourne Passage in Colombo, and Emerchemie NB was born.
That was 25 years ago. Today, the acorn he planted has grown into a giant Oak, having over 800 employees under its shelter and with its own Head Office Complex, Warehouse and Manufacturing Facility with a turnover of 20 billion Rupees annually. It has turned out to be a pharmaceutical powerhouse, albeit one with a heart, as envisaged by the founder.
25 years is but a moment in the greater scheme of things. A legacy or a legend takes much longer to nurture and to build for posterity. We are in the process of building such a legacy, one where the continued good health of our future generations is not only possible but is assured as well.
Ranging from a Sage of Pharmaceutical Marketing to a Marketing Wunderkind and comprising of Seasoned Administrators, a Medical Professional, Legal Luminaries and a Financial Whiz Kid the Board of Directors is as diverse as the range of products we market.
Having outstanding people who are proven leaders in every aspect concerned with pharmaceuticals gives us a unique spearhead in keeping ahead of the times... and the competition...
It has been an overwhelmingly nostalgic journey that both the Company and I have traversed over the last 25 years. Having been impelled to initiate many activities to start up the organization under the name and style of EMERCHEMIE NB (CEYLON) LIMITED, the ready assistance of HSBC in extending the requisite working capital virtually over the counter, remains etched in my mind and that too with loads of gratitude. We had a Staff Cadre of 35 persons and the initial monthly turnover was a mere SLRs. 15 million. However, the passion to grow fast and furiously remained innate and within a matter of a couple of years we were able to boast of having many products within the Top 50 of the country and gratifyingly as at present we are nearing a SLR 20 billion annual turnover.
Rapid growth had its pangs - staff, training, storage and distribution and space for the ever-increasing cadres. The cantering sales and margins enabled the Company to invest in its own property located in the metropolitan area itself and by 2005 we moved into our plush Offices at Maligawatta Road, Colombo 10 in addition to building a modern Warehouse Complex in Kelaniya. Pride of place was given to nurturing the human resource element and despite the costs involved an elaborate organizational structure involving Legal and Administration, Human Resources, Logistics, Warehousing, Finance, Training, Medical and Regulatory Affairs and Sales and Distribution, was created to set in motion a 'process-driven' operation which has afforded beckoning employment opportunities for more than 800 persons, thus simultaneously securing optimum levels of productivity for the Company.
Internationally and locally, EMERCHEMIE NB became a recognized 'BRAND' and as I write, we represent some of the most reputed Pharmaceutical Suppliers such as Merck, Dr. Reddy's, Sun Pharma, Bago, Beximco, Renata, Proctor and Gamble, Wockhardt and Alkem in addition to many others and enjoy a market share of 12% of the entire Pharmaceutical Market and remain within the TOP 3 in the Pharmaceutical spectrum in Sri Lanka, making available to the populace an entire spectrum of high quality products.
A noteworthy development within the Organisation was the creation of a Manufacturing Arm in 2012 by way of a fully owned subsidiary under the name EMERGEN LIFE SCIENCES (PRIVATE) LIMITED. The Organisation created history within the pharmaceutical firmament in 2015 by winning a SILVER Award at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva - a unique and unparalleled achievement, for its Patented Process for manufacturing Formoterol and Budesonide Inhalation Capsules in the treatment of Asthma. The products being manufactured by us are presently supplied not only to the Private Sector but also to the network of State Sector Hospitals and ere long we hope to enter the Export Market as well.
The past has been enriching even though the present remains challenging due to circumstances beyond our control, the future certainly is most exciting. We realize that by staring too long at the past that we could miss what is right in front of us and hence look forward with PURPOSE AND PASSION to a robust growth phase over the next years, through the dedicated efforts of motivated and well-trained staff and youthful and dynamic leadership skills. We fully well understand and believe that 'Winners do not Quit' thus bracing ourselves with the necessary fortitude through desire and determination.
Mr. M. Prathaban
Deputy Chairman / Group CEO
Ms. M. C. Dias-Jayasinha
Director
Dr. J. A. Weeratunge
Director - Medical & Regulatory Affairs
Mr. A. M. H. Kosala
Group Finance - Director
Mrs. M. N. Dias-Jayasinha
Director
Mr. A. B. Meddegoda
PC - DirectorLeadership is a quality that needs to be inculcated over a long period, through observation and experience. Since we are primarily a marketing company, we have nurtured our next line of leaders from within, sharing our collective vision, so that in time, the baton of leadership can be passed on without compromising our values.
Mr. T R M Fernando
Director - Emerging Business
Mr. W M V Perera
Associate Director - Business Development
Mr. H U R Peiris
Associate Director - Business Development
Mr. P N Mendis
Associate Director - Business DevelopmentOur business operations teams are headed by a group of passionate individuals who are tirelessly driven to achieve our shared Vision
