Prima Ceylon; Sri Lanka's First Recorded Foreign Direct Investment
Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited’s core business: the milling of wheat flour, on which most of its other activities are based. Prima’s success has pivoted on the crucial bakery sector of the F&B industry, which comprises the backbone of the flour trade in Sri Lanka. As one of its unwritten corporate principles states: “We provide solutions to help you grow”, Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited provides a vital Bakery Support service. It underscores its commitment to serving this sector. Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited also plays a dynamic role in providing customer services that cater to the transfer of baking skills, awareness of product benefits, baking applications and their benefits as well as providing solutions to various trouble shooting issues.
"The state-of-the-art Flour milling complex in Trincomalee was declared opened by late president J. R. Jayawardene who was the first to open the country for foreign investments which stated as a remarkable milestone in the history of Prima"
Our History
Prima Limited was founded in 1961 as the first flour mill in Singapore, and one of the pioneer flour millers in Southeast Asia. This was in response to the Singapore Government’s encouragement of foreign investments in its industrialization program.
From a modest flour miller, Prima has grown steadily to become an industrial group with international operations. Although we have diversified into other areas, our primary activities continue to remain in food and its allied industries. Following are some of the key milestones of Prima Limited in Sri Lanka.
1977
Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited, was one of the world’s largest flour mill under one roof at the time was initially is set up in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, with the conclusion of an investment agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka. As the first company to be established on the island, it focuses on Prima’s core business: the milling of wheat flour, on which most of its other activities are based. The state-of-the-art Flour milling complex in Trincomalee was declared opened by late president J. R. Jayawardene; who was the first to open the country for foreign direct investments which stated as a remarkable milestone in the history of Prima. Over the last four decades Prima has played a dynamic and vital role to help bolster Sri Lanka’s food security, foreign reserves, employment opportunities, the local bakery industry and related industries, staying true to its corporate purpose of ‘We provide solutions to help you grow.
1980
The mill commences operations in 1980 with a daily milling capacity of 2,500 tons and a silo capacity of 110,000 tons. At the official opening of Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited flour milling complex in Trincomalee, our Founder Mr Cheng Tsang Man contributed RS3.3million donation for the President’s Fund of Sri Lanka. Inaugurated in 1978, the Fund continues to benefit the underprivileged, among other causes.
1981
Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited sets up a model bakery in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for the production of quality bread and confectionery on a non-profit making basis.
1982
Ceylon Grain Elevators PLC, a public listed company in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is established to pioneer integrated feed milling in the country. It also handles bagging and transshipment operations of free-flowing grains. It commences operations in 1984.
1992
Prigo Agro-Industries Pte Limited acquires a 55% stake in Ceylon Oils and Fats Limited from the Sri Lanka Government. The latter’s name is changed to Ceylon Agro-Industries Ltd to reflect the new ownership and direction of the company.
2001
In June, a significant milestone is recorded in Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited’s history when the company converts from a build-operate-transfer project to one of build-own-operate. Under the new operations, Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited is no longer a contract miller for the Sri Lanka Government, but purchases and mills its wheat, and distributes and markets the flour.
2004
In September, Prima Baking Training Centre is established in Colombo to provide practical training to practitioners and promote modern baking techniques in Sri Lanka.
2005
Prima Management Services (Private) Limited (PMS) is a member of Prima Group of companies in Sri Lanka and is approved by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. PMS was established to provide professional IT enabled services and shared services to organizations locally and internationally.
It provides IT Consultancy, Software Development, state of the art Surveillance Solutions, Data Analysis and ERP Solutions.
2011
Prima Ceylon Machinery (Private) Limited is a subsidiary of Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited. Offering the Sri Lankan baker with access to modern machinery that meets international standards whilst providing technical and maintenance services.
2015
Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited (PCL) further increased its silo capacity from 220,000 MT to 350,000 MT with a daily milling capacity of 3,600 tons.
2017
Ceylon Agro Industries Limited went on a brand extension by entering the Dairy category, which is a brand new journey for Prima Group. Prima Stella Dairy products are manufactured from 100% locally sourced fresh milk produced by Sri Lankan dairy farmers at our State of the art manufacturing facility in Welimada.
2018
Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited (PCL) commemorates its 40th anniversary in Sri Lanka. PCL gifts S$2 million to the Singapore Management University (SMU) to endow the Prima Ceylon Scholarship for Sri Lankan students.
2019
Ceylon Agro Industries Limited commissioned its latest high tech noodle manufacturing plant and this sophisticated fully automated facility is in line with the international FSSC 22000 infrastructure design requirements.
In order to support maize (Corn) farmers to sell their maize immediately after harvesting, Ceylon Grain Elevators PLC invested over Rs.100 Million in installing a Corn Dryer at the Feed Mill premises so that CGE can purchase these Corn even with high moisture and dry as per CGE requirement.
