John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) is a Sri Lankan multinational conglomerate company. It has business interests in hotels and resorts management, port, marine fuel and logistics services, IT services, manufacturing of food and beverages, supermarkets, tea, stock broking, life insurance, banking, and real estate.
JKH is a full member of the World Economic Forum[2] and has issued Global Depository Receipts on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, and was the first Sri Lankan company to be listed overseas. Keells is reportedly the most valuable company in Sri Lanka since the 1980s.[3]
History
Edwin and George John founded John Keells in the 1870s. They incorporated the company in Colombo, Ceylon with the name E.John & Co. It was initially set up as a manufacturer of tea and essential foods. In 1948 E. John & Co. merged with two UK based companies including Thompson and White & Co. Ltd.[4]
In 1960, it merged with yet another broking company, Keells & Waldock