JAT Holdings, the leader in wood coatings in Sri Lanka for the past 25 years, was recently recognised among the top 20 conglomerates in LMD’s Brands Annual 2020. Based on a survey conducted by Brands Finance Lanka, JAT was one of the youngest brands to be placed alongside 20 of Sri Lanka’s top performing blue-chip conglomerates.
Over the years, JAT established a market presence as one of the strongest conglomerate brands in the country, as well as being the largest distributor in the world for Sayerlack. Under the visionary leadership of Managing Director Aelian Gunewardena, JAT evolved since its inception in 1993 to represent in a large spectrum of categories in the furnishing and finishing industries, and was recently recognized for its efforts at the renowned Presidential Export Awards 2019 and National Business Excellence Awards 2019.
Regarding its position among LMD’s Top 20 Conglomerate brands, CEO Nishal Ferdinando commented, “Being one of the 3 non-listed conglomerate brands in this list is a true testament of the strength of the brand equity JAT has built over the years, while being a forerunner in the wood coating market, expanding into foreign markets and diversifying into multiple sectors locally.”
Managing Director Aelian Gunawardene added, “We are honoured and grateful that JAT Holdings has again been recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Top 20 Conglomerate brands in LMD’s Brands Annual 2020 listing. We look forward in continuing our journey of being the market leader and influencer in the furnishing and finishing industry, and playing a pivotal role in contributing to the economy of our country and the region.”
JAT was also previously listed among the top conglomerates in 2015 by Brands Finance Lanka, while its Managing Director Aelian Gunewardena was recognised as one of the ‘100 Sri Lankan Business People’ by LMD’s 100 Club: the 2019 A-List, as well as winning the Platinum Award for the 22nd Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 awarded by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL). He has been the brainchild and driving force behind the success and transformation of JAT, and instrumental in growing the business. Today, JAT is a trusted household name in Sri Lanka for its world-class wood coating products. The company’s reputation is also backed by a strong product portfolio with an impressive range of products across a wide array of leading international brands including Sayerlack wood coatings from Italy, Herman Miller seating and desking solutions from the US, SEA kitchens and wardrobes from Germany, LifeWood luxury hand-crafted flooring from Australia, Harris paint brushes from the UK and leading Sri Lankan paintbrush range Brush Master.
Playing its role as a leading conglomerate in the private sector, the company also contributed to measures to combat the recent unprecedented COVID-19 global pandemic by expanding operations into the personal and home care sectors with the launch of its JAT Care brand. Entering a new industry vertical, JAT Care markets a complete range of hand sanitizers and disinfectant surface cleaners, in line with the company’s commitment to ensure the health and safety of all citizens of Sri Lanka.