13 Nov 2019
Browns Thermal Engineering (Pvt) Ltd (BTEL), the manufacturing arm of Browns Group, recently signed an agreement with Banco Products Limited (India), a leader in engine cooling systems for both automotive and industrial applications. The agreement will make Browns a distributor of world renowned quality products such as a complete range of aluminum plastic auto radiators, auto AC condensers, charger coolers and radiator parts. Danesh Abeyrathne – Chief Operating Officer; Thamotharampillai Sanakan – Chief Financial Officer; Nagarasa Rathakrishnan – Chief Process Officer; and Paduma Subasasinghe – Senior Vice President, Group Human Resources, were present on behalf of Brown & Company PLC at the signing of the agreement.
“Sri Lanka has always been a strategic market for us owing to its high density of vehicles,” said Vishal Bavishi, Senior Manager – Exports, Banco Products Limited. “Therefore, we are excited to be doing business in the Sri Lankan market and to partner with Browns Thermal Engineering on this venture. We are confident that Browns’ understanding of the local consumer and their widespread distributor network will help us unlock the full potential of the market and create new opportunities for us. This is a new chapter for us and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Browns.”
Commenting on the partnership Danesh Abeyrathne, Chief Operating Officer of Brown and Company PLC, said, “The automotive industry in Sri Lanka continues to grow daily and it still holds many opportunities. We at Browns believe that with the correct partnership that brings the right mix of products to the market we will be able tap into those opportunities and take the industry to the next level. We also believe that Banco is the ideal partner for this and together we will pave the way for a prosperous future.”
Asanga Peiris, Assistant General Manager – Browns Thermal Engineering, said, “At Browns we are constantly evaluating and growing our product portfolio to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We understand that they seek only the very best and that is why we go out of our way to provide them with the highest quality products in each category. For this reason, we have chosen to partner with Banco, a leader in engine cooling systems. Their unparalleled products coupled with our deep consumer understanding and exemplary after sales service will make for a prosperous partnership that greatly benefits the customer.”
A wholly owned subsidiary of Brown & Company PLC, BTEL the only large-scale manufacturer of heat exchangers in Sri Lanka and, with a local market share of over 80%, is the market leader in the auto and industrial radiator segments. BTEL currently manufactures brass and copper radiators under the brand name of RADCO at the company’s fully equipped factory at the Browns Industrial Park in Makandura, Pannala. Browns Thermal also owns and operates a plastic moulding facility that supplies plastic components to the battery industry in Sri Lanka.
In 1982 Browns was in the business of exporting radiators to Saudi Arabia and 10 years later commenced supplying locomotive radiators to the government own railway services. Introducing corrugated radiators to the Sri Lankan market in 1988, Browns with an affiliation with a local corporate, went on to manufacture industrial radiators and then manufacture heat exchangers for tea, rubber and coconut dryers.
In 2014 Browns Thermal Engineering Ltd secured a deal with APR Energy USA, a global leader in the under-served market for rapidly deployable, large-scale power and the world’s leading provider of fast-track mobile turbine power.
BTEL, which continues to excel in the radiator industry both locally and internationally, markets products under the RADCO Brand which is the only locally manufactured radiator brand with ISO & SLS certification. The business unit, also in the business of distributing radiators to emergency power suppliers overseas, is one of the main suppliers to the Sri Lanka Railway, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Ceylon Electricity Board, and almost all other generator importers in Sri Lanka. BTEL is also a proud supplier for locally assembled UNIMO Vehicles as an OE supplier.
In addition, BTEL has a network of over 500 dealers island-wide, with its service centers in Colombo, Galle, Dambulla. Browns Thermal hopes to reach out to its clients’ island-wide with plans underway to open branches in various strategic locations around the country.
Since its inception in 1969, then operating under Browns Group Industries Ltd, it has come a long way, achieved significant successes and reached noteworthy milestones in the industry.
Banco Products Limited was established in 1961 as a private limited company. Over the decades the company regularly expanded its footprint, product scope, and added new plants and capacities. The company was listed in the Indian stock exchange in 1967. The company is recognized as a Star Export House by the Ministry of Commerce and Trade, India and has regularly invested in establishing world class research and development capabilities. This eventually led to the company’s R&D center being recognized by the Department of Science, India.
Danesh Abeyrathne, Chief Operating Officer, Browns, Brown Company and PLC
Asanga Peiris, Assistant General Manager – Browns Thermal Engineering