MARKET
In agrarian economies, water pumps comprise a market in the same way that computers do in technology-driven economies. The market itself has undergone radical changes over the last ten years, largely driven by global competition and demand. With the liberalisation of the Chinese economy, cheap imports have flooded the Sri Lankan market. Similarly, a large number of water pumps from India and Europe have also entered the market.
The Jinasena Centric Water Pump is the only water pump that is wholly manufactured in Sri Lanka. Despite competition, the Jinasena Centric Water Pump continues to enjoy a significant market share because of its sturdy construction, proven track record, availability of spare parts and reputable after-sales service. However, since there was a demand for cheaper water pumps, Jinasena began researching how alternative raw materials reduce the cost of producing a pump without compromising on quality. Jinasena was the first company in Sri Lanka to use high-quality engineering plastics to manufacture water pumps.
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ACHIEVEMENTS
For over 50 years, the Jinasena Centric Water pump has been the market leader and the preferred brand amongst consumers in Sri Lanka.
The Jinasena Centric Water Pump won Quality and Productivity Awards in 2003 and 2004. Jinasena Pumps Ltd has also been awarded ISO 9001 certification. The water pump is also being exported to The Maldives and to Botswana. Water pumps that are over 30 years old are still brought in for routine services – an achievement in itself, and a testament to the durability and quality of the product.
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HISTORY
Jinasena Limited was founded in 1905 as a bicycle-repair shop but soon moved into machinery repairs. Its founder, C. Jinasena, was a man of vision. He was a chartered engineer by profession and was educated in the UK.
Sri Lanka at that time was known as Ceylon and was under colonial rule. Engineering – like many areas of enterprise – was the sole preserve of the British. When Jinasena Limited moved from servicing and repairing machinery used extensively in the tea and rubber industries into manufacturing these very same machines, it was like David going up against Goliath.
Jinasena Limited was the first Ceylonese-owned engineering company – and by 1932, it was rated among the five leading engineering companies in the island.
In 1950, the son of the founder T. S. Jinasena designed and manufactured the first Jinasena Centric Water Pump. After years of servicing and repairing foreign water pumps, and gaining first-hand knowledge of their shortcomings vis-à-vis local conditions, the Jinasena Centric Water Pump was designed to overcome these problems and provide users with trouble-free performance. The original water pump was fitted with a Hoover motor; but in 1967, a foundry was set up – and in 1973, a factory dedicated to manufacturing electric motors was established. Jinasena Electrical Motors benefits from its technical agreements with German firm, Messrs. E. Blum Gmbh, as a result of which it has access to the latest developments in designing and manufacturing electric motors and a virtual guarantee of meeting the highest international standards. Its factory comprises machine, winding and assembly shops, and state-of-the-art testing facilities.
The Jinasena Group also has interests in diverse fields, including hotel operations, generators, pneumatic rubber tyres, garments and agricultural machinery. Its agricultural machinery centres around a mission to design and manufacture mechanised farming equipment that is suited to farming conditions in Sri Lanka – in particular, the relatively small paddy fields in rural areas.
The range of tractors, threshers, reapers, choppers and weeders really began to make their presence felt when the brand quickly gained the trust of the rural Sri Lankan farmer, who is traditionally extremely sceptical about the mechanisation of time-tried methods.
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PRODUCT
The success of the Jinasena Centric Water Pump was not only a result of its design and quality, but also in the after-sales service provided by the company. To this day, Jinasena is the only engineering company to own and manage 20 sales and service centres islandwide.
Today, the Jinasena Centric Water Pump continues to dominate the market with its quality, reliability and after-sales service. However, in the face of a competitive market, the company has consistently innovated its design and raw material use, and added new products to satisfy growing consumer needs. These factors have played an important role in turning Jinasena into a high performance and successful company.
The Jinasena range of products comprises the following:
☺ Domestic centrifugal water pumps
☺ Domestic pressure-booster pumps
☺ Industrial centrifugal pumps
☺ Sludge pumps for waste-water treatment
☺ Submersible and floating aerators
☺ Submersible pumps for bore holes and tube wells
☺ Agricultural (engine-driven) kerosene-powered water pumps
☺ Diesel pumps
☺ Packaged fire and pressure-booster system
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RECENT DEVELOPMENT
In 1990, engineering plastics were first used in the manufacture of the Jinasena Centric Water Pump impeller. A new range of domestic water pumps using high-quality engineering plastics was introduced in 1995.
In 2005, a plastic pump was designed for the Maldivian market. Extruded aluminum is used for the pump’s housing, eliminating the use of cast iron and making this a totally corrosion-free pump.
Jinasena now produces pressure-booster systems for highrise buildings and office blocks, and custom-built fire-fighting booster systems.
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PROMOTION
Mass-media publicity, together with word of mouth, was used for promotional purposes in the early days. The Jinasena Group was the first organisation to sponsor and be involved in the inaugural Sinhala TV drama, Dimuthu Muthu.
The core value of the company is quality, and Jinasena hasn’t compromised on this aspect despite price competition. Its advertising too has focused on quality. Jinasena moved away from teledrama sponsorship when the quality and values portrayed therein weren’t consistent with the organisation’s values and its brand image. However, Jinasena uses newspaper and radio advertising for its marketing campaigns.
Road shows are an important facet of marketing – and they are carried out throughout the year. Rural marketing involves debates and talent contests among school children at village level, quiz programmes for farmers and educational programmes for rural folk. Together, these help inform and educate the general public around the island.
The 20 sales and service centres islandwide not only provide a backup to the 400-strong dealer network, but also offer readily available spares. At these centres, mechanics are always on call to undertake repairs.
The Jinasena Corporate Social Responsibility policy revolves around two objectives. First, to pass on the knowledge passed down by its forefathers for the betterment of the country and its people. Second, to identify and provide assistance whenever it can – and wherever it is needed most. For several years, Jinasena has donated water pumps and provided water free of charge to those who need it most.
In 2000, Jinasena adopted its first school in the historic town of Anuradhapura. The school was on the verge of being closed, having only 45 students, many of whom were malnourished. A kitchen was built initially and students were provided with a wholesome mid-day meal. Subsequently, the company constructed new classrooms, a computer room and a library. The school now has more than 150 students. A second school in Nochchiyagama has also been adopted.
In the early 1980s, the company began an innovative project to train and register plumbers and mechanics, so that repairs and installations of water pumps could be carried out in a professional manner. In addition, the company trains school leavers to become machine operators and mechanics at no cost – and, more importantly, without any obligation to the organisation.
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BRAND VALUES
A Jinasena Water Pump will stand the test of time. There’s a story worth recounting – one that exemplifies the brand value of a Jinasena Centric Water Pump. A customer walked into its offices recently with a water pump under his arm. A customer usually brings a product back if it is in need of repair or if there is a complaint. According to the customer, the pump had been purchased and installed by his father 25 years ago. It had never been serviced, yet it had continued to provide water to the household. When his father died, the son was forced to look for the pump, as he didn’t know where it had been installed. The only reason he brought it in, he said, was to ask if he needed to service it, even though it had worked for 25 years without needing a repair. The pump was reinstalled – and it still works perfectly!
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THINGS YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT Jinasena
♥ Jinasena began as a bicycle repair shop in 1905.
♥ The first Jinasena Centric Water Pump was designed and manufactured in 1950.
♥ Engineering plastics were first used in the manufacture of the water pump impeller in 1995.
♥The Jinasena Centric Water Pump is famous for being the ‘fit and forget’ pump. The phrase was coined in the 1950s by designer T. S. Jinasena.
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www.jinasena.com
