Ceylon Biscuits Limited facts for kids
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Formerly
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Williams Confectionery Limited |
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| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1939 Dehiwala, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka. |
| Founder | Simon Arthur Wickramasingha |
| Headquarters | Pannipitiya, , |
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Area served
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International |
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Key people
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R S A Wickramasingha (Chairman) |
| Products | Biscuits Chocolate Cakes Jelly Snacks Soy based products Cereal products Organic products Soups |
| Brands | Munchee (biscuits) Ritzbury (chocolate) Tiara (cakes) Lanka Soy (soy products) Nutriline (breakfast cereals) Samaposha (breakfast cereals) Go Jelly (jellies) Samaayu (herbal porridge) Rasa Hari (soups) Cecil (fruits and nuts) Hi Tapper (treacle and jaggery) Ramba (snack foods) Revello (chocolate) |
| Revenue |  Rs. 1.996 billion (2018) |
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Operating income
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Rs. 561.730 million (2018) |
| Rs. 118.604 million (2018) |
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| Total assets |  Rs. 1.364 billion (2018) |
| Total equity | Rs. 1.008 billion (2018) |
| Owner | CBL Investments Limited (71.38%) People's Leasing & Finance (7.44%) Dawi Investment Trust (6.75%) |
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Number of employees
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286 (2018) |
| Parent | CBL Investments |
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Ceylon Biscuits Limited, also known as CBL, is a famous Sri Lankan food company. It is best known for making Munchee biscuits, which are very popular in the country. CBL is one of the oldest biscuit makers in Sri Lanka and sells the most biscuits, holding a large part of the market.
Contents
The Story of CBL
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Humble Beginnings
The story of CBL started in the 1930s. A man named Simon Arthur Wickramasingha bought a small factory that made biscuits by hand. In 1939, he officially started the company Williams Confectionery Limited in Dehiwela, Sri Lanka, with just ten workers.
In 1957, the factory got a major upgrade with new machines from the United Kingdom. When Mr. Wickramasingha passed away in 1961, his four sons took over the family business.
A Biscuit for School Kids
In the 1960s, the government of Sri Lanka wanted to give school children a healthy snack. They worked with an American group called CARE. At first, they gave kids a bun and milk. But it was hard to keep the buns fresh.
CARE decided that a special, healthy biscuit would be a better choice. The Wickramasingha family won the contract to make these biscuits.
The Birth of Munchee
The company's old factory was too small to make all the new biscuits. So, in 1968, they opened a new factory in Pannipitiya. This factory was run by a new company called Ceylon Biscuits Limited (CBL).
CBL bought two new biscuit-making machines from Germany. One machine made the healthy biscuits for schools. The other machine was used to make biscuits for everyone else. This was when CBL launched its famous brand, Munchee. Some of the first Munchee biscuits were Hawaiian Cookies and Milk Short Cake.
Growing with New Partners
In the 1980s, CBL continued to grow. They partnered with a British company called Associated Biscuits. This allowed CBL to make popular biscuits like cream crackers and wafers.
Later, the American company Nabisco bought Associated Biscuits. CBL's partnership continued, which helped them bring in more modern machines and create new types of cream biscuits.
More Than Just Biscuits
In 1991, CBL started making chocolates under the brand name Ritzbury. They also began making chocolate-coated biscuits and wafers. A few years later, they bought another biscuit factory, which helped them expand their chocolate business even more.
In 2002, the company started a new bakery line to make cakes under the brand Tiara. They also moved their chocolate-making to a new, modern factory.
Going Global
By the year 2000, CBL was exporting its products to many countries. These included the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
The company also expanded into India. They bought an Indian company and started making Munchee and Ritzbury products there for a while.
New Ventures in Sri Lanka
CBL didn't just stick to biscuits and chocolates. Over the years, they bought other companies to make different kinds of food.
- In 2000, they bought a company that made soy products, like Lanka Soy.
- In 2004, they bought a company that made organic dried fruits and juices.
- In 2014, CBL started its own small supermarket chain called Star United.
- In 2017, CBL partnered with SPAR, an international supermarket brand, to open SPAR stores in Sri Lanka.
Today, CBL is a major food company in Asia, known for its wide range of tasty products.
Success in the Market
CBL has been very successful with its brands.
When Ritzbury chocolate started in 1991, it was the fourth most popular brand in Sri Lanka. By 2010, it had become the number one chocolate brand in the country.
Similarly, when CBL bought the Lanka Soy brand, it was not very popular. But within a few years, CBL turned it into the market leader for soy products in Sri Lanka.
See also
- Marie biscuit
- Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Limited
