Suren Cooke Agencies is a leading pest management services company in Sri Lanka with a strong presence in the Maldives. In the decades since its founding in 1985, the company has had a remarkable transformation, growing from a small family-owned enterprise to a business that is making an impact as an enabler driven by an ethos of innovation and sustainability, explains Rajitha Cooke, a Director at Suren Cooke Agencies.
The company is, in many ways, an enabler. Suren Cooke Agencies not only protects against what can easily be crippling damages to property caused by pests, but it also keeps people safe from viruses and other contaminations – making it a government-sanctioned essential services provider when Covid19 broke out. The company is the leading pest control solutions provider in Sri Lanka that provides services to a variety of industries such as the food industry, hotel industry and public health sector as well as commercial buildings and private premises. They are looking to revolutionise the pest control industry by introducing non-toxic, eco-friendly pesticides and chemicals – keeping in line with their present and future sustainability goals.
Give us an overview of the company and its growth journey thus far?
My parents started the business in 1985 with a few employees working out of a small office offering pest control services limited to Colombo.
With deep commitment, focus and vision, the company has grown exponentially over the years, and today we have an island-wide reach with a strong presence in the Maldives. We are among the few pest management companies to be globally accredited and recognised by international governing bodies and standard institutes for the products and services that we render. We expanded into supplying public health insecticides and equipment and later moved on to manufacturing ancillary pest management equipment using recycled plastic keeping in line with our commitment towards innovation and sustainability.
Our business stands on the pillars of following ethical business practices, integrity, sustainability, and technology. We invest in the latest technologies and train our people to be educated in the latest technologies and best practices to be efficient and sustainable as an organisation. Sometimes, it takes extra effort to convince customers to adopt sustainable solutions. We introduced water-based fogging equipment and insecticides to the market in the fight against dengue. Previously, fogging used fossil fuels and was harmful to the environment. Trials had proven our water-based fogging equipment and insecticides to be effective, but it took a lot of convincing before public sector officials switched to our eco-friendly equipment and insecticides.
Some of our innovations have had significant outcomes. A few years ago, the Sri Lankan fruit and vegetable exports to the EU faced severe restrictions due to a fruit fly infestation. Since there was no feasible solution, the restriction continued. However, we were able to introduce our new fumigant, which again was globally recognised as an accepted treatment against fruit flies which removed the restrictions and paved the way for the Sri Lankan fruit and vegetable export industry to once again flourish. Today, we are the only company in Sri Lanka that supplies sustainable fumigation services for organic produce to international standards.
Can you tell us how Covid-19 and the unravelling economic challenges affect your company?
Covid-19 did challenge the business; however, we were prepared for the challenge. Over the years, we developed innovative solutions and built expertise around disinfection and containing viruses and other contaminations, and so when the Covid-19 outbreak started, we knew just what to do. That enabled us to be classified as an essential service by the Sri Lankan government.
We had the proper safety protocols, suitable disinfectants, equipment, and knowledge on how to disinfect any environment. Our services were paramount for food services companies and export businesses to continue their operations unhindered during the pandemic. Therefore, despite the challenges around ensuring employee safety and wellbeing, we had exceptional growth in the past two years. Our revenue grew 50-60% in the 2020/21 financial year compared to a growth rate of 20-30% the previous year.
While supporting the growth of the existing business, we also introduced several new products and services during this period. We expanded our range of public health products and equipment and introduced innovative solutions to the market. For example, we introduced the country’s first remote rodent control monitoring system that did the job with little human intervention which saved organisations and individuals time, money and increased efficiencies of rodent eradication.
What is your outlook for the business and plans for the future?
The current business environment is not ideal for companies to grow, however as an organisation we remain positive and are focused on uncovering growth opportunities. At Suren Cooke Agencies, we are bracing ourselves for the pandemic to last for a few more years, but we must move on, weigh the risks and continue with our plans. Sustainability is a key driver, and we will not venture into any business activity that harms the environment and people. Part of our growth strategy includes diversifying into the agriculture space because we believe that is a growth sector. We will continue to look into avenues to manufacture and distribute eco-friendly, organic pesticides for the domestic and export markets.