Hemas Consumer Brands (HCB), one of Sri Lanka’s leading FMCG company, was honoured with the prestigious title of “Overall Winner” at the JASTECA Awards 2025. This recognition reaffirms HCB’s position as a national benchmark in operational excellence (lean management), driven by its influential adoption of Japanese 5S and Kaizen practices.
Standing out among a highly competitive field of multinational corporations and local enterprises of all scales, HCB was celebrated for its consistent delivery of best-in-class performance, rooted in a bottom-up performance culture.
Organized by the Japan Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association, the JASTECA Awards have been the pinnacle of operational excellence recognition in Sri Lanka since 1996. They honour organizations that embody Japanese principles of quality, productivity, employee engagement, and corporate social responsibility.
Award winners are selected through a rigorous evaluation process, including both onsite and offsite audits conducted by Japanese and Sri Lankan experts. These assessments focus on each organization’s operational strength and the competitive edge it creates.
Sabrina Esufally, Managing Director of Hemas Consumer Brands, commented: “Being named the Overall Winner at JASTECA 2025, among the best organizations in Sri Lanka, is an immense honour—especially as the awards return after a five-year hiatus. This recognition celebrates our operational excellence, achieved through our people’s relentless pursuit of perfection and commitment to eliminating waste. It also reinforces our purpose of enriching lives through products that are not only of the highest quality but are made responsibly, sustainably, and efficiently.”
Viraj Jayasooriya, Director – Manufacturing at Hemas Consumer Brands, added: “This recognition is built on a foundation of world-class Japanese management practices. Our lean journey begins with the 5S system, which instills discipline and employee engagement while driving quality, productivity and agility. The strong foundation of 5S is complemented by Kaizen, our philosophy of everyday innovation which empowers every team member to challenge the status quo and continuously raise the bar.
Our journey is defined by a bottom-up approach, with relentless efforts to eliminate waste across the value chain and create stakeholder value. Every day, our employees generate 20 to 30 innovative ideas, reflecting a deep sense of ownership and creativity. These ideas not only propel the company forward by better serving its consumers but also enhance the lives of our employees and their families.”
HCB’s achievement at the JASTECA Awards 2025 marks a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s industrial landscape, showcasing the transformative power of lean thinking with employee-driven innovation.
About Hemas Consumer Brands
Hemas Consumer Brands, a leader in Sri Lanka’s Home and Personal Care sector for 60 years, focuses on empowering families to aspire for a better tomorrow. The business takes pride in utilising local insights to innovate and develop consumer-centric propositions that have helped establish its purpose-led brands as trusted household names in Sri Lanka. Driven by its deep understanding of the Sri Lankan consumer and an unwavering commitment to delivering superior quality and value through its products, Hemas Consumer Brands continues to enrich the lives of communities across the country.