Freight And Logistics Interests Evolve As Peace Reigns In Sri Lanka

SRI LANKA – The mood in the country has changed vastly over the past few months and the ending of Sri Lanka's 30-year ethnic war in May 2009 has created an atmosphere so welcoming to infrastructure investments that Famous Pacific Shipping Lanka (Pvt) Ltd , a member of the Famous Pacific Shipping Group, will launch an independent heavy lift and project cargo arm from this week to provide strategic logistics support for the island’s reconstruction.

From April 1, 2011 Famous Pacific Shipping Lanka (Pvt) Ltd will focus on the core business of groupage and consular, NVO and airfreight activity. Projects FPS (Pvt) Ltd will exclusively handle project logistics, heavy lifts and Customs brokerage. The new company will be under the same management as Famous Pacific Shipping Lanka (Pvt) Ltd headed by Gihan Nanayakkara, founder shareholder, Chairman and Managing Director, who says:

“In the two years since the ending of the war in my country, it is clear that the atmosphere for business and infrastructure has improved. On our island, the peace dividend is most apparent in the rebuilding of our shattered infrastructure.

“Given the rapidly growing post-war infrastructure development in Sri Lanka, and with a view to further strengthening the activities of FPS Sri Lanka in our growing market, it was decided to strategically focus our business into two segments: namely freight forwarding services in one company and project cargoes and heavy lifts in the second.”

International investors previously shunned the island for obvious reasons but now In Sri Lanka, some major projects are under construction whilst many more are in the pipeline with logistics contracts to ship the supplies required expected to be awarded in the very near future.

To accommodate the new division Famous Pacific have confirmed several new appointments for key staff. Famous Pacific Shipping Lanka (Pvt) Ltd will be headed by Roshan Paul as Head of Operations. Roshan has 15 years of freight forwarding experience and joined FPS Lanka in 2006. Sean Ramanathan joins as Sales Manager, after previously handling marketing for Deutsche Afrika-Linien GmbH and working as sales manager for Hellmann World Wide Logistics. Project FPS (Pvt) sees Mr MF Ibrahim, who joined FPS in 2000 becoming Head of Sales, Travis Meerwald as Head of Operations whilst Mr RH Sally becomes Head of Customs Brokerage.