Possessing a strong resolution in contributing to the nation despite the many opportunities that presented itself to him in the UK, Madushanka Fernando, the Group Chief Executive Officer of St. Theresa Industries, returned home to Sri Lanka soon after graduating with a first class honors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Liverpool.

Having started off his career as a young engineer, Madushanka has established himself a go-getter thus by far achieving a great deal in his pathway. With a continuous aim towards building and executing bigger plans from the beginning of time, he talks about some of his greatest milestones by far, beginning with CNC Angle Line Production Plant for Lattice tower structures back in 2013.

Considering it as his first task, Madushanka worked on putting up a plant within three months, not long after his higher studies. He undertook the operation of the plant himself with a couple of other technical staff by his side. “Till today I can challenge any engineer or a technician about any minute details to operations about the plant and show them how to do it including workshop drawings, machine coding, operating the CNC machine, materials sorting and handling, etc.”, he shares. This plan by far has done nothing but generate a major revenue till date to the company due to products such as power and telecommunication, lattice towers as well as building and bridge structures. With the augmentation of the production capacity, STI has also expanded the facility with an updated and new CNC Angle in 2018.

Upon sensing a rise in the African infrastructure and electricity market in years to come, Madushanka Co-founded the St. Theresa Industries Kenya Limited in June 2014 and thus have been serving Kenya alongside other African regions with STI’s knowledge and productions in order to develop their system reliabilities. “Kenya market made me the person who I am today, I learnt many skills including different negotiation skills and working with different partners in the region”, Madushanka wholeheartedly expresses.

Fastforwarding to 2019, the year in which Qingdao Huijintong Power Equipment Co., Ltd. (HJT), China formed a partnership with ST. Theresa Industries, Madushanka shares his gratitude for their presence in his journey. “HJT is a great partner in my journey; helping me to expand my businesses in Africa and other Asian Regions and also developing my teams to work towards these engineering projects”. HJT is publicly listed as the largest lattice structure manufacturer in China. In conjunction, the companies arranged a signature for an initial contract worth 42M USD with the national electricity utility company.

Going up against the pandemic and post pandemic economic crisis in the country, Madushanka coordinated the Technology License Agreement between Hubbell Power Systems, Inc., USA and St. Theresa Industries, Sri Lanka in 2021 in order to bring more than USD 10 Million annual revenue to the country by manufacturing specialized engineering products under the Hubbell license. “This patented product is more than 100 years old in the USA and South America, but it has not been tested or used in Asian Regions”, he explains. Managing to break the perceptions in many engineering organizations and institutions, Madushanka conducted numerous research and developments so as to enter the market; a mission that he pulled through with triumph. “My territory under this product covers Sri Lanka, Kenya, India, Australia and New Zealand now.”

Venturing from humble beginnings, STI has no doubt implemented successful breakthroughs during nearly half a century of service. Now with over two hundred employees and twenty plus awards, the business nurtures millions of corporates and households across four countries through the manufacturing of all types of steel fabrication and accessories that are used for power generation and distribution. “Lightning People’s Lives” is our business, and we continue to do our work to that motto”.

The products and services STI provides to support worthy causes focuses on aligning with their motto. “From 1973 to 2012 we made light engineering products to enhance the electrification of Sri Lanka. Now we are providing advanced engineering products and services such as electricity and telecommunication towers, Helical anchors and bridges which serve millions of households in Sri Lanka and in East Africa”, he explains, “our project management and engineering design sectors provide a very significant revenue to the group”.

With Covid-19 being a survival game and a turning point in learning many life and business related lessons, Madushanka’s will to commit to the country’s advancement remains till date. STI as a group has its future secured due to the ability of foreseeing. Envisioning the problems and crisis STI was going to face, Madushanka emphasizes on working towards the betterment of the company despite all odds. “I predicted the banking crisis in Sri Lanka and wage lending patterns for entrepreneurs and I personally managed to negotiate with a foreign partner from China and I proudly managed to get a 04M USD credit line to our company in early February way beyond the fuel crisis and other unprecedented events”, he explains and goes onto share one of his favorite quotes by John. F. Kennedy, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”.

Madushanka looks forward to improving their export order by eighty percent of the company’s portfolio, starting from the end of the year. “This is so that we are independent as a company, and we do not have to rely on Sri Lanka’s economy”, he openly voices. Intent on eradicating the economic ramifications, STI has set up their holding company in Singapore as Ceylon Energy Limited, thus bringing next level investment and projects to Asian and East Africa. Looking forward to expanding the promotion of their products, STI has thus far opened branch offices in said regions. “One thing to take, there are uncontrollable and controllable things we can do as people. When it comes to what I can control, I do my best. There are no doubts about it. But uncontrollable things such as Government policies, inflation rates, I can only lobby and influence relative parties”, Madushanka says.

When asked how the company’s philosophy correlates to his ethos and characteristics as a leader, Madushanka says, “If your vision is engraved to your core, you should not give up your cause. It is a game, victory and loss are part and partial. Good thing is that I have won the toughest part of the game. I know that my destiny is indestructible now”.

Madushanka’s advice to the upcoming entrepreneurs and leaders concentrates on the importance of never giving up one’s cause and action as well embracing all blessings in hand and making the most of it. “If you are giving up so easily you are in the wrong business and you should definitely find something else”, he says. Madushanka makes it a point to share with us his favorite inspirational quote by Albert Einstein, “Life is like riding a bicycle you have to keep moving to keep your balance.”  It’s well known by many of us that if there is will, there most certainly is always a way.

 

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