The Factories  
 

- Nawalakanda Tea Factory
- Wewelkandura Tea Factory

 
 

Nawalakanda Tea Factory

 Nawalakanda Tea Factory, one of the largest single tea producing factories in Sri Lanka, is renowned for producing
  teas with a unique character. The factory is situated 15 kilometers off the Pelmadulla-Embilipitiya main road in a
  remote village named Nawalakanda, 200 meters above sea level. Since tea leaves are plucked from tea gardens only
  in  the Rathnapura District of the Sabaragamuwa province, the teas from this factory fall into the Orthodox
 "Low-Grown" Catalogue of the weekly tea auction.

 Nawalakanda Tea Factory dates back to the 1980s. The foundation stone of the factory was laid in 1984 and by
  1987 the factory had commenced production. Initially the factory handled a daily capacity of two thousand kilograms
  of green leaf.


 Constant upgrading of equipment and quality have resulted in a state-of-the-art tea factory, equipped with the finest modern machinery such as a fully   automated tea roller system, efficient tea driers and color sorters. Handling capacity is currently fifty thousand kilograms of green leaf daily. Annually   Nawalakanda manufactures two and half million kilograms of Sri Lanka's black tea production. The factory has integrated with the growers of the  neighboring  tea gardens, whose freshly plucked leaves are transported to the factory very quickly to retain the freshness.
 
  The factory maintains a very firm relationship with almost 6000 small holder farmers. Thus, it is a unique relationship of community based socio economic   integration.Nawalakanda employs 600 persons. This includes 450 factory workers and 150 factory staff. We at Nawalakanda regard our Staff as a very   valuable asset.
 
  Nawalakanda maintains a very strong 'Quality Policy', which has facilitated a unique manufacturing process during rolling and shifting tea. This has indeed   resulted in Nawalakanda producing top grades such as PEKOE's, OPA's, BOP's and BOP.SP's.
  The production process, beginning from the freshly plucked tender leaves to the packed teas that are dispatched, strives to maintain the quality to retain   the world famous "taste and aroma" of "Ceylon Tea".

  Complimenting our manufacture process, the factory has obtained the prestigious ISO 22000:2005 Certification for Food Safety Management Systems,   Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system (HACCP) and CQC One Star Certification. A cornerstone in our endeavor is to mainain high standards.
  Nawalakanda Tea Factory has always maintained strong relationships with tea brokers, tea buyers and its smallholder farmers. Maintaining a strong   relationship  with our Stakeholders is our key to success in the industry. We will at all times endeavour to constantly upgrade the factory with modern   machinery and  technology to sustain and improve the quality of the tea produced. Nawalakanda Tea Factory will be an ever-expanding entity that would   contribute  positively to the tea industry and the economy of Sri Lanka.
 

Wewelkandura Tea Factory

 Wewelkandura Tea Factory, inaugurated in 1995, is situated at the foot of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, one of the
  World's few remaining virgin forests. The factory is situated along the Rathnapura-Kalawana main road in a small
  village named Uda Pebotuwa, 600 meters above sea level. Green Leaf is plucked exclusively from tea gardens in the
  Sabaragamuwa Province, making the teas manufactured in this factory to fall into the Orthodox " Low Grown"
  Catalogue at the weekly tea auction.

The land on which the factory is built was part of a large tea estate owned by the Founder of the BHP Group.
 A part of this land was selected to build the factory, due to the convenient location. The foundation stone was laid
 in 1994 and by 1995 the factory had started operations with an initial capacity of two thousand kilograms of green
 leaf.


Today the factory is able to handle twenty five thousand kilograms of green leaf daily. Annually, Wewelkandura Tea Factory produces approximately half a   million kilograms of black tea to the Sri Lankan market. Green leaf is transported to the factory from about 4000 small holders farmers from the region.

 Wewelkandura Tea Factory is also well known for producing top grades such as PEKOE's, PEKOE 1's, BOP's, BOP.SP's, OP's and OPA's. We are very    concerned about the freshness of the teas produced, and take great care to grade leaves to keep up to the "ultimate Quality in the Cup".

We have assessed the potential that Wewelkandura Tea Factory has in out-performing its competitors to produce teas of high quality and we will strive to  sustain Wewelkandura as the key player in the region.