Ceylon Cold Stores (CCS), trading as Elephant House, is a Sri Lankan company which produces carbonated drinks, ice cream and processed meat products. Despite competition from global competitors such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Elephant Soft Drinks remains the market leader in Sri Lanka.[2]
History
Ceylon Cold Stores was established in 1866 as the Colombo Ice Company, which in 1863 imported the country's first ice-making machine. With an initial capital of £1,600, two steam engines of 8 and 9 horsepower, and a total of 22 employees, the company started producing ice on a commercial scale.[3] The company's first premises were located on Glennie Street, Slave Island and its popular name 'Ice Kompaniya' was used locally to identify the area, Kompaniveediya.[4] German engineer Arthur Kurt Von Possner (1833–1900), who was the first manager of the company, introduced aerated water with the distinctive "Elephant" trademark on the bottles,[5]