The business community is prepared to extend its support and expertise in taking Sri Lanka to the next level of development. Therefore, it is important to promote an entrepreneurship culture with a positive mindset to drive growth, Chairman and Managing Director, Russel’s (Pvt) Ltd., Russel Perera said.
“We must not lose confidence. Everyone should work for the betterment of the country. In this journey, a collective effort without any division is essential and we need to make use of the windows of opportunity that is presented in today’s context,” he said.
There are more opportunities for the youth to engage in income generating avenues at present. It is necessary to look for new business ideas in keeping with the present trend. The use of modern technology should be looked at seriously to competitively meet the demands of the world today.
An entrepreneur culture will have far reaching benefits and out of the box thinking will generate more employment for the country as well as value creation which will have multiple benefits for every strata of the society.
Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching and running a new business, which initially is often a small business. Entrepreneurship has been described as the “capacity and willingness to develop, organise and manage a business venture along with any of its risks to make a profit”. Russel Perera understands this and he has set a benchmark for his venture.
Having embarked on a revolutionary business concept and process Perera has been the pioneer in the out-sourcing of the serving of tea. Russel’s (Pvt) Limited has been successful in gaining a name that is synonymous with quality in every sphere of the businesses it focuses on. The company has grown from a tea serving business to become a diversified entity. Its businesses range from the supply of high grown tea and outdoor catering to fashion and design expertise.
Russel’s has an impeccable record of over 32 years in service excellence as a tea supplier to the local market and has gained recognition as one of Sri Lanka’s most reputed organisations today. Having started operations in 1988 with a workforce of 25 people, the company considers its well-trained team of over 200 employees as its biggest strength.
“We envisage a future where we will ultimately be involved in taking this country to much greater heights. Diversification plays a key role in our strategy to tackle and capitalise on the many challenges which come our way. We march forward together with resilience to take on new ventures and convert them in to something that benefits us as an organisation and society as a whole.
“Our superior service range goes beyond tea and into catering as well. We are recognised for our flavour and exquisite taste among our clientele in Sri Lanka. Russel’s catering service, backed by its loyal, skilled and professional staff handle varied catering events.
Being a strong believer in business diversity, in 2000, we extended our reach to the apparel industry with the production of high quality garments under a new division, Russel’s Fashion and Design (Pvt) Limited with the signature brand St. Francis. The new feature of Russel’s garment industry, is the SF clothing online store which offers the latest in fashion in casual wear for ladies”.
Russel’s aims to be the country’s leading F&B service provider whilst diversifying and creating household brands as well as the country’s highest paid employer empowering employees who in turn takes the best care of the customers. A significant portion of the income generated is diverted into the business mainly for the benefit of the staff. The company conducts continuous training sessions and rewarding initiatives to recognise and motivate staff in bringing out the best in them. This has resulted zero employee turnaround and the first two employees (rom the inception) are still a part of Russel’s team. Having grown from a small outlet to an entity with a highly trained workforce extending service to multiple organisations across the nation, the secret behind Russel’s tasty cup of tea is the comprehensive training that ensures no compromise in quality at any company where they handle the serving of tea.
Having made a name in the market of Sri Lanka, especially in the tea industry, Russel’s Group has a promising future under the guidance of the Founder and with support from his wife Bernie and two sons Jehan and Rashen.