Abans Group opens high-tech refrigerator manufacturing facility

The manufacturing arm of Abans Group, AB Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd, recently opened a 100, 000 square foot manufacturing facility in Bandaragama with a manufacturing capacity of 150,000 refrigerator units per single shift per annum.

Sri Lanka currently has suspended the import of most of the consumer durable items, including refrigerators in a bid to save foreign exchange. 

The facility was declared open by Abans Group Chairperson Aban Pestonjee and the principal product, Abans refrigerator GreenPro, was ceremonially unveiled by Abans Group Managing Director Tito Pestonjee and Director Dr. Saroshi Dubash. 

The inauguration was also attended by Abans Group Director, Rusi Pestonjee, Abans PLC Digital Lead Jerastin Dubash, top-tier Abans Group management and other dignitaries. 

“With stringent import restrictions, this is the ideal time to commence manufacturing locally,” said Abans Group Managing Director Tito Pestonjee.

Group Chairperson Aban Pestonjee personally congratulated AB Manufacturing and the project management team led by Director Jagath Jayasundara for accomplishing the project amidst many challenges. 

Jayasundara pointed out that the opening of the facility, hot on the heels of a pandemic, economic strife and social unrest, was a considerable personal achievement for the AB Manufacturing team and the project constituents. 

“The new facility will significantly curtail the foreign exchange outflow of the country while creating several hundred skilled employment opportunities within the country,” pointed out Jayasundara. Abans is the only deep freezer manufacturer in Sri Lanka, producing both hard top and glass top categories. In addition, AB Manufacturing operates a state-of-the-art washing machine production plant which manufactures Abans and Haier products and functions as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for several other brands. Abans has moved its freezer manufacturing operations from its Ratmalana facility to the Bandaragama complex. Jayasundara said that the facility will enable the further expansion of the company’s manufacturing product portfolio in time to come.