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World's largest flour mill from Prima
Prima Ceylon Ltd (PCL), which last week marked 25 years of successful operations in Sri Lanka, has established itself as a major food group offering a wide range of quality products and providing direct and indirect employment to thousands of people.

A company statement said Prima's initial investment in Sri Lanka was US $ 54 million - building the world's largest flour mill under one roof in Trincomalee within 32 months and opening in November 1980.

The cumulative investment by the Prima group during the past 25 years is estimated at $ 231 million, making it the biggest foreign investment project in Sri Lanka todate.
The single mill concept with large economies of scale was a key factor for PCL's success in providing an economically produced flour for the Sri Lanka government. Under this operating concept Sri Lanka was able to benefit from "government-to-government" wheat aid of more than $ 800 million as well.

Prima diversified into the feed business in 1982 by setting up a modern feed processing plant by incorporating Ceylon Grain Elevators, then expanded to a state of the art noodles and poultry food processing plant. The company's commitment to Sri Lanka was further cemented in April 2001 when PCL was converted from a BOT to a Build, Own and Operate (BOO) agreement which saw a further investment of $ 65 million.

"The expansion of Prima Group activities has provided valuable employment to over 3,000 persons directly while its activities are supporting the income of thousands of more people, especially in the rural sector," the statement said adding that Prima also offers scholarships to needy children of employees to further their higher education.

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