Global Standards - Local Talent - Unparalleled Service Excellence
An acquisition
GPV Lanka is new – not, in terms of operations but name. The company was originally established in 1997 under name Elsuma (Pvt) Limited which was later changed into CCS Elsuma (Pvt) Ltd and then to CCS Lanka in 2009; it was formed as the brainchild of a Swiss investor and an entrepreneurial Sri Lankan. In February 2019, CCS was acquired by the GPV group and was renamed: GPV Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. With the acquisition, GPV became a leader in the EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) sector in Europe.
GPV Electronics Lanka operates as a contract manufacturer providing complete electronic manufacturing services to global clients and the production unit in Sri Lanka is currently one of the biggest production units in the GPV Group, second only to the operation in Thailand.
Being part of GPV has allowed the electronics unit in Sri Lanka to expand and grow in a manner which would not have been possible otherwise. From 2011 to 2021 GPV Lanka has increased its revenue to 48 million CHF and hopes to increase that number to 58 million CHF in 2022.
A specialised service offering
The company offers a niche and specialised service – assembling circuit boards customised for customer requirements. GPV Lanka services a large variety of industries ranging from aerospace, electric trains, clean-tech, tools and medical to name a few. This diversified clientele has allowed the factory to remain unaffected in the grander scheme of things when individual sectors face obstacles. GPV Lanka abides by strict guidelines and standards regarding suppliers and most often defines and nominates the components and suppliers to be partnered with subsequent to quality conformation. However, GPV has a global procurement department that facilitates this and allows the company to streamline its production. However, certain mechanical parts and packing materials are sourced locally.
Thriving through challenges
The GPV group and GPV Lanka, as did many other companies around the world, faced many challenges during the coronavirus pandemic and found it difficult to meet their previous high standards of productivity, and habit of timely delivery. However, GPV was able to persevere through – and today stands higher on the totem pole of EMS providers in Sri Lanka.
The company has planned a major expansion which will see fruition in 2023. GPV has also laid the foundation for a new factory which is expected to raise company revenue to 75 million CHF and above once completed. GPV Group is investing largely in their Sri Lankan base in the hopes to match its output with its operation in Thailand. Currently, their factory there has an output that is twice that of what is manufactured in Sri Lanka. The new factory will increase the company’s production area probably to 11,000 square meters.
The mechanism of success
The company attributes its success and the group's willingness to expand operations in Sri Lanka to its staff. GPV Lanka has a highly dedicated regiment of blue-collar workers who have stayed with the company for a long time and have grown in skill and efficiency alongside it. The company claims that its engineers and white-collar staff are mainly graduates from Sri Lankan state universities and have the skills and acumen to be highly adaptable in an industry which is always changing. Aside from its staff, as a company, GPV Lanka has a culture of great work ethic.
The company states that its competitive edge is that it is a ‘one-stop shop’ which enables them to have a very streamlined supply chain and increase efficiency to provide extremely quick delivery times which in turn serves to attract and retain customers. GPV Lanka does stress that the quality of their products is not to be overlooked and that too is a key factor in their success.
Building lasting relationships
Globally GPV advocates the idea that it is not a manufacturing company but a service provider – which makes an ideal status quo for an EMS manufacturer with a comprehensive service offering. In that sense, the company places great emphasis on the necessity for service excellence to compete and stay relevant in an increasingly competitive industry. However, the need to stay updated, both technologically and strategically cannot be overlooked – GPV Lanka is very firm regarding this and takes measures to predict how technology will change and to anticipate shifts in customer requirements. Currently, they use SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and THT (Through Hole Technology) in their assembly but stress that they have plans to implement newer technologies for manufacturing in their new factory.
GPV Lanka adheres to ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 which correspond with process quality, health, safety, and environmental standards. The company has set itself high ethical and moral standards to comply with, mainly to create a safe working environment for their loyal and dedicated staff but also because they understand it is a must when exporting to developed markets – it builds goodwill with clients and fosters a foundation to build lasting work relationships. GPV works closely with the EDB and the latter has been instrumental in assisting the company with their networking and promotional activities especially by means of access to global trade fair and exhibitions.
In a nutshell, GPV Lanka is very savvy in its understanding of the market it operates in and goes above and beyond to manufacture quality products in an unmatchable delivery time. GPV Lanka encourages local suppliers to manufacture general use products such as cables to meet global standards as such items can be used in components ranging from aeroplanes to toys – and if such suppliers that meet the requirements of the European markets were found locally, they could consider procuring such items from Sri Lanka instead of other destinations such as China or Taiwan.
