Financial Times

Kvilvang AS of Norway and Samaranayake Heavyfab of Sri Lanka have formed a joint venture for the fabrication of steel boat trailers and light vehicle trailers to be exported to Norway using modern technology and expertise supplied by Kvilvang AS.

This is a collaborative effort facilitated under the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce-directed Sri Lanka - Norway Industrial Co-operation (Matchmaking) Programme (MMP) that has successfully promoted the establishment of its 37 business collaborations between Norwegian and Sri Lanka companies.

In operation since 1994 and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation the objectives of the Programme are to transfer Norwegian technical competence to Sri Lanka through a matchmaking process and open new market access to Sri Lankan companies particularly in Norway and in Scandinavia, the chamber said. Orders have been confirmed for 17 containers, at the rate of two, high cube 40 Ft containers to leave Colombo every week.

The first consignment set off on its journey in the last week of February 2006. The Norwegian company is hopeful of receiving 80 such containers at Oslo during this year and plans to increase the requirements in the coming years, the chamber said. During the initial process, representatives from Kvilvang AS worked alongside the local staff imparting their technical know-how in designing and fabricating the boat trailers and light vehicle trailers.

As a further step to strengthen these ties, a training programme had already been carried out to improve the technical competence of the Sri Lankan partner at the production facility in Norway. As a long-term plan the two partners have agreed to the transferring of personnel to Norway for a better technical training in the production process.

where the Sri Lankan Technicians will be assigned to on –the-job training for short period in Norway.

On account of this considerably large manufacturing order, Samaranayake Heavyfab has opened the door for more employment opportunities within the organisation as well as reaching out by subcontracting of manufacturing to almost a dozen small scale steel fabrication companies, offering fresh employment and creating a long term job assurance in the current assignments for more than fifty technicians. The Norwegian counterpart had further plans to develop links with other industries to out source production of more products, which would be additional components in this current product line.