VELONA’S TRANSFORMATION INTO AN ENDURING LEGACY BRAND

With a legacy spanning over eight decades, Velona is perhaps the oldest surviving clothing brand in Sri Lanka, offering the best in comfort, safety and cutting-edge technology for Sri Lankan babies, toddlers and adults. “Thread Works, which owns the Velona brand, has always focused on product quality and safety, winning the hearts and trust of Sri Lankans throughout its journey”, says Dr Gehan De Soysa, Chairman and CEO of Thread Work.

In this interview he delves into the company’s journey, deep commitment to consumers, focus on superior quality, innovation and R&D, people strategy and plans to diversify and grow during the unfolding, unprecedented economic crisis.

He begins by explaining the impact of the recent economic challenges:

In 2012 we began to commit ourselves and focus our resources on R&D, developing environmentally sustainable and chemical-free products, resulting in the brand winning multiple accolades in the sustainability space and becoming the very first diaper brand to receive the Australian toxic-free certification.

Today, the Velona group occupies several verticals such as clothing, hygiene, pharma and agro. We are the market leader in the clothing sector and dominate the baby and adult diaper segments in Sri Lanka.

The post-Covid period was a challenging time for the Sri Lankan economy. However, in times of economic turmoil, exceptional companies survive and thrive by finding opportunities within the disruptions, which was our strategy throughout the challenging period, bringing us success in our markets here and overseas.

Since we source raw materials from the global top 500 suppliers list to ensure the highest quality of our products, the global recession also affected our operations. We had to revise prices, but we made sure that we, as a company, always took on half of the burden without placing the entire weight on the end customers.

What are the ingredients behind the successes of Velona Cuddles, your baby diaper and clothing range here and overseas?

Our diapers, Velona Cuddles, are all about innovation. We ventured into this space when it emerged that there was a dire need for a safe diaper without toxic substances in Sri Lanka.

Be it Cuddles or clothing, our prime concern is always the safety and comfort of the end user. We believe whatever we produce should offer exceptional value to consumers, which is why we invest considerable resources in R&D. Over the years, our innovation focus helped us introduce several winning products to the market, like Velona Cuddles Bamboo Diapers, preborn diapers, and ultra-breathable diapers.

As a company, we are driven by an ethos to constantly research the known and unknown consumer requirements and keep abreast of global trends that can improve consumer experiences, adopting innovations immediately so that Sri Lankans can enjoy the best and safest products in the world.

Can you take us through the ongoing diversification and expansion of the company with Velona Care and Velona Agro?

Through the period of economic downturn, we carefully chose two spaces the company should be in where we could offer more value to Sri Lankan consumers.

Velona Care is our pharma vertical focusing on well-being. In keeping with our core values we have introduced natural Ayurvedic products that extend to the health and beauty care segments. We introduced a cough lozenge called Menthosil and a menthol inhaler to the market, and the product portfolio also includes surgical products, Analgesics – pain-relieving balms, and creams. We also introduced an aloe vera extract, the first of its kind to be taken in a therapeutic dose, to the Sri Lankan market – this has the approval of the Ayurvedic Medical Council of Sri Lanka.

Our venture into agro-business was an obvious choice because Sri Lanka is a paradise island blessed with a variety of exotic tropical fruits, so we decided to begin exporting diverse tropical fresh produce of the country under the brand name Velona Agro. We currently export cinnamon, coffee beans, Sri Lankan Bee’s Honey, mangoes, king coconuts, pineapple, and papaya, and we are open to expanding and growing this export business as demand picks up.

How are you inspiring and motivating people in your company to be the best they can be?

Velona has survived the test of time because we have the leadership, the talent and a loyal and committed team to take the company beyond Sri Lanka.

I believe people are motivated when they feel they belong and can contribute to a higher purpose. That is why we allow our employees to actualize their full potential within an ethical and supportive environment.

As a manufacturer, distributor, and retailer we always strive to give our employees a family environment at the company and maintain positive and fruitful relationships, including them in the decision-making process as much as we can. Rewards and recognition, career development and progression, leadership, equal opportunities and becoming a part of something great are some of the key principles we follow when managing our employees, and over the past few years, we have been able to create a loyal employee base around us.

What is your strategy for growth, and what is the next big thing for Thread Works?

Our growth strategy is to offer exceptional value through highly functional products that are both safe and comfortable by setting new benchmarks for international standards with our products to improve the lifestyles of the people of Sri Lanka. This is why we have also undertaken the sole distributorship of international brands such as PEAK and SEBAMED that are of supreme quality. In terms of exports, we are on a mission to capture more global markets in the future – and take our Sri Lankan identity to the world.