Sri Lanka’s market leader and only integrated manufacturer of cement, INSEE Cement, has once again secured a coveted spot on LMD’s list of Most Respected Entities 2022. The rankings are based on research carried out by AC Nielsen, and data gathered through unaided and unprompted telephone interviews with “managers and above”, where each respondent was asked to name their picks for the top 3 companies in Sri Lanka, along with other questions. The Most Respected Entities ranking by LMD is one of the most prestigious accolades within Sri Lanka’s corporate sector and reflects the market-leading position that INSEE Cement enjoys.
Delighted at the achievement, Nandana Ekanayaka, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer at INSEE Cement remarked, “Loyalty and Trust have played a key role in our ranking on the Most Respected list in 2022. We have proven our mettle as a customer-centric brand over the past few years, and more so in a post-pandemic era, and continue to single-handedly navigate the local construction industry during these unprecedented times. Additionally, with INSEE SANSTHA Cement being the only cement product in the country to be 100% locally produced, we have also been able to maintain prices in a highly volatile market, which also aided the continuous growth of customer trust and loyalty. This loyalty is reflected by public endorsement as we were voted People’s Housing and Construction brand of the year for the 11th consecutive time, and the most loved cement brand for the second successive year by LMD. We take this opportunity to renew our determination to continue in innovation and reaffirm our commitment to ‘build for life’.”
During both the global pandemic and Sri Lanka’s present economic crisis, INSEE Cement leveraged its position as the only integrated manufacturer of cement in the Island, to ensure uninterrupted supplies, amidst the most challenging and volatile operating environments in its history. During the cement scarcity experienced in 2021, INSEE ensured adequate supplies to the market by operating 24/7 at maximum capacity, fulfilling in excess of 40% of the total market demand, locally, helping to stabilize prices and support business continuity within Sri Lanka’s construction industry.
One of the hallmarks of INSEE Cement’s market-leading position has been its unwavering commitment to collaboration. As a result, the Company has built a solid reputation for fostering a culture of learning and innovation over the years, which has directly contributed towards the advancement of quality and performance across INSEE’s own products, and across the industry too. One of the Company’s most prominent ongoing initiatives in this regard is the “INSEE i2i Collaboration Space” – a dedicated center of excellence, for the development and promotion of new products and solutions, across the industry, in line with INSEE’s benchmarked quality standards. More recently, INSEE Cement collaborated with multiple stakeholder groups to establish the new SLS 1697 Standard, which is equivalent to British Standards for Portland Composite Cement, yet another industry first in Sri Lanka.
While pioneering and guiding Sri Lanka’s cement and construction industries with regard to quality and innovation, INSEE Cement is also a socially and environmentally conscious organization, with numerous comprehensive initiatives in this regard. The Company believes that social and environmental responsibility is fundamental to corporate citizenship and these concepts are formalized in INSEE’s Sustainability Ambition 2030; its groupwide sustainability policy and framework. The Company’s sustainability initiatives cascade down to five pillars: Climate & Energy, Biodiversity & Water, and Circular Economy all driven by mutually beneficial Community and Stakeholder Engagement, and a strong foundation of Occupational Health & Safety standards.
Through its Sustainability Ambition 2030, INSEE Cement has clearly mapped-out definitive timelines to meet ambitious social and environmental goals, including taking definite action to support the Paris Climate Agreement, through a 15% carbon reduction from its 2020 baseline figure, among multiple other ambitious initiatives. Throughout the pandemic, and the economic crisis, INSEE Cement has engaged in numerous social welfare programs, donating dry rations, medical supplies and equipment, care packages, and even contributing towards the building of new hospital facilities through the donation of cement and the provision of engineering consultations services, free of charge paving the way to the community hearts and minds making INSEE one of the most recognized and respected organization in the country.