Hayleys

Hayleys is one of Sri Lanka's oldest and most diversified business groups. Its origins date to 10 January 1878, when Charles Pickering Hayley established Chas. P. Hayley & Co. in Galle after working as a shipping agent. The original business exported Sri Lankan products such as coir, cinnamon and citronella oil while importing goods from Britain. Over time, the enterprise moved from merchant trading into a broad portfolio of industrial, agricultural, consumer and service businesses. The company developed through family succession, partnerships, corporate restructuring and the creation of specialized subsidiaries. It became associated with Hayley and Kenny Ltd. in the early twentieth century, converted into a private limited company in the 1930s and 1940s, and entered the public market under one corporate umbrella in 1954. From the middle of the twentieth century onward, Hayleys pursued value-added manufacturing rather than relying solely on commodity exports. Important examples included the creation of Haychem with Bayer for agrochemicals, Haycarb for activated carbon made from coconut-shell charcoal, Ravi Industries for coir brushes and Dipped Products for rubber gloves. The group now operates across more than 17 sectors through a large network of subsidiaries and business units. Its activities include eco-solutions, hand protection, water and air purification, agriculture, consumer and retail, leisure, textiles, construction materials, plantations, industrial inputs, power and energy, transportation and logistics, business-process outsourcing, tea exports, mobility, projects, investments and engineering. The group also has interests in activated carbon, rubber products, coir and fibre goods, apparel and fabrics, tea and rubber plantations, hotels and resorts, renewable energy, shipping, household and consumer products, and engineering services. Hayleys expanded internationally through manufacturing facilities and commercial operations in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and North America. Its products and services are sold in numerous overseas markets, while its Sri Lankan operations remain central to the group. The company has also developed partnerships with international corporations including Bayer, Mercedes-Benz, TATA International, DyStar, Symrise, Volvo, Fujifilm, Procter & Gamble, Gillette, FedEx and others. A major phase of expansion began in the 2000s. Hayleys entered power generation with AES in 2001, ship ownership in 2003 and renewable energy from 2013 onward. It acquired the Ceylon Continental Hotel in 2010, later rebranding it as The Kingsbury, and purchased Alumex and Amaya Leisure in 2011. Further expansion included the Advantis Free Zone, a controlling interest in Fentons, the Kuda Rah resort in the Maldives and, most significantly, a controlling stake in Singer Sri Lanka in 2017. The Singer transaction was described in the reference material as one of the largest acquisitions by a Sri Lankan listed company at the time. Hayleys has also used sustainability and responsible-business initiatives as part of its corporate identity. It joined the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate in 2008 and launched the Hayleys Lifecode framework in 2022 to guide environmental, social and governance objectives. The group has received recognition in Sri Lanka for corporate citizenship, business reputation and national economic contribution. It remains an active listed conglomerate with operations spanning manufacturing, exports, infrastructure, services, consumer markets and natural-resource-linked industries.

Hayleys traces its origins to Charles Pickering Hayley, who arrived in Ceylon in 1871 and worked for the shipping agency Thomson Mitchell & Co. After that firm closed in 1877, he established Chas. P. Hayley & Co. in Galle on 10 January 1878. The early enterprise traded in local exports, especially coir, cinnamon and citronella oil, while importing products from Britain. His sons later joined the business, helping establish a family continuity that shaped the company's early development. In 1909, Hayley and W. W. Kenny acquired Thurburn Stores on Deans Road. The partnership was incorporated as Hayley and Kenny Ltd. in 1935. Chas. P. Hayley & Co. became a wholly owned subsidiary in 1944, and the wider enterprise was brought under a public corporate structure in 1954. This transition created the platform for later diversification beyond merchant trading. During the postwar decades, Hayleys developed a portfolio of manufacturing and plantation-related businesses. In the 1960s, it partnered with Bayer of Germany to establish Haychem for agrochemical production. It also created Haycarb to manufacture activated carbon from coconut-shell charcoal, turning a local agricultural by-product into a higher-value export. The group acquired Ravi Industries, a coir-brush producer, and founded Dipped Products to make rubber gloves. These initiatives helped shift Hayleys toward industrial processing and export manufacturing. The group began international expansion in 1983 with its first overseas venture in the United States, now associated with Haycarb USA. During the following decade it broadened into hospitality, plantations and textiles. In 2001, Hayleys entered power generation through a partnership with AES. In 2003, it became a ship owner through an investment in the container vessel Orient Stride, while Dipped Products established its first overseas manufacturing plant. A new corporate visual identity was introduced in 2006. Hayleys' modern expansion combined acquisitions with new infrastructure and international partnerships. The group joined the UN Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate in 2008, and Dhammika Perera became its majority shareholder in the same year. It acquired the Ceylon Continental Hotel in 2010, later rebranding it as The Kingsbury, and purchased Alumex Group and Amaya Leisure in 2011. Renewable energy became another growth area from 2013, with wind, hydropower and solar projects in Sri Lanka. The Advantis Free Zone opened in 2015. In 2016, Hayleys acquired a controlling stake in Fentons Group and purchased Kuda Rah Resort in the Maldives. The following year it acquired 61.73% of Singer Sri Lanka PLC and a majority stake in Sri Lanka Shipping Company, significantly increasing its exposure to consumer retail and maritime services. In 2018, it formed a strategic partnership with Martin Bauer and renamed Hayleys Global Beverages as Martin Bauer Hayleys. Hayleys Fabric acquired 98.84% of South Asia Textiles in 2021, supporting a move toward higher-value textile exports. In 2022, the group launched Hayleys Lifecode as an ESG roadmap. Today, Hayleys is a listed Sri Lankan conglomerate operating through many subsidiaries and business units. Its portfolio includes industrial exports, hand protection, activated carbon, fibre products, agriculture, plantations, textiles, construction materials, logistics, energy, hospitality, consumer and retail operations, engineering and business services. The group maintains manufacturing and commercial operations across several continents and remains closely connected to Sri Lanka's export economy.

1. 2022Hayleys Lifecode launches

   The group introduces a corporate ESG roadmap covering environmental, social and governance priorities.

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2. 2017Singer Sri Lanka acquisition

   Hayleys acquires a controlling interest in Singer Sri Lanka PLC and expands substantially into consumer and retail activities.

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3. 2010Acquisition of Ceylon Continental Hotel

   Hayleys acquires the Colombo hotel that is later rebranded as The Kingsbury.

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4. 2001Entry into power generation

   The group enters power generation through collaboration with AES Corporation.

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5. 1983First overseas venture

   Hayleys establishes its first international venture in the United States through the business now associated with Haycarb USA.

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6. 1960Industrial diversification accelerates

   Hayleys establishes or develops businesses in agrochemicals, activated carbon, coir products and rubber gloves.

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7. 1954The group enters the public market

   The Hayleys enterprise is placed under a public corporate structure, creating the basis for later group expansion.

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8. 1935Hayley and Kenny becomes a private limited company

   The partnership associated with Hayley and W. W. Kenny is incorporated as Hayley and Kenny Ltd.

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9. 1878Chas. P. Hayley & Co. is established

   Charles Pickering Hayley opens an import-export business in Galle, trading Sri Lankan coir, cinnamon and citronella oil alongside imported British goods.

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A Sri Lankan-origin diversified conglomerate positioned around export-oriented manufacturing, natural-resource value addition, infrastructure, logistics, consumer businesses and international partnerships.

• HaycarbActivated carbon

  Haycarb is Hayleys' activated-carbon business, developed around the use of coconut-shell charcoal as a feedstock. It represents the group's long-standing strategy of converting Sri Lankan agricultural resources into value-added industrial exports. The business expanded internationally, including through a United States venture established in the 1980s.

• Dipped ProductsRubber hand protection

  Dipped Products is Hayleys' rubber-glove and hand-protection business. It was established during the group's industrial diversification and later developed overseas manufacturing capacity. The business serves industrial, professional and consumer protection applications through rubber-based glove products.

• Hayleys FabricTextile manufacturing

  Hayleys Fabric is the group's textile and fabric platform. Its strategy includes manufacturing and exporting value-added fabrics, supported by the acquisition of a controlling stake in South Asia Textiles in 2021. The business forms part of Hayleys' wider apparel and textile manufacturing activities.

• AdvantisTransportation and logistics1958

  Advantis is Hayleys' transportation, logistics and maritime-services platform. Its activities have included shipping agency services, ship ownership, vessel operations, logistics infrastructure and the Advantis Free Zone. The business grew from the group's shipping-agency operations, which were reorganized as Maritime Agencies in 1958.

• The KingsburyHospitality2012

  The Kingsbury is Hayleys' Colombo hotel property, created through the rebranding of the Ceylon Continental Hotel acquired in 2010. It represents the group's presence in urban hospitality and complements its wider hotel and resort interests in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

• Hayleys renewable energyPower and energy2013

  Hayleys' energy portfolio includes wind, hydropower and solar-generation projects in Sri Lanka. Renewable energy became a more prominent area of activity from 2013, complementing the group's earlier entry into power generation through its AES collaboration.

• 2022Hayleys Lifecode

  Sri Lanka · International

  Hayleys launched Hayleys Lifecode as a group-wide roadmap for environmental, social and governance objectives.

  Outcome. The framework provided a common sustainability structure for the conglomerate's diverse businesses.

  Source
• 2008CEO Water Mandate participation

  International

  Hayleys became one of the signatories to the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, linking the group to an international initiative focused on corporate water stewardship.

  Outcome. The initiative became an early public element of Hayleys' sustainability and responsible-business positioning.

  Source

• 2021Acquire South Asia TextilesM&A

  Hayleys Fabric pursued greater scale and value addition in export-oriented textile manufacturing.

  What changed. Hayleys Fabric acquired a 98.84% stake in South Asia Textiles Limited.

  Aftermath. The acquisition strengthened the group's position in value-added fabrics and textile exports.

  Source
• 2017Acquire a controlling stake in Singer Sri LankaM&A

  Hayleys sought to broaden its portfolio beyond industrial exports and strengthen its presence in consumer and retail markets.

  What changed. The group acquired 61.73% of Singer Sri Lanka PLC.

  Aftermath. The transaction became a defining expansion of Hayleys' consumer and retail platform and was described as one of the largest acquisitions by a Sri Lankan listed company at the time.

  Source
• 2013Develop renewable-energy generationStrategy

  Hayleys diversified its energy activities and pursued power generation based on renewable resources available in Sri Lanka.

  What changed. The group developed wind, hydropower and solar plants.

  Aftermath. Renewable energy became an established component of Hayleys' power and energy portfolio.

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• 2022Hayleys launches Hayleys Lifecode

  The group introduced Hayleys Lifecode as a framework for pursuing environmental, social and governance objectives across the conglomerate.

  Campaign
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• 2021Hayleys Fabric acquires South Asia Textiles

  Hayleys Fabric acquired a 98.84% stake in South Asia Textiles as part of a strategy to expand value-added fabric exports.

  M&A
  Source
• 2018Hayleys forms strategic partnership with Martin Bauer

  Hayleys Global Beverages was renamed Martin Bauer Hayleys following a strategic partnership and joint-venture investment involving Germany's Martin Bauer group.

  M&A
  Source
• 2017Hayleys acquires controlling interest in Singer Sri Lanka

  Hayleys acquired 61.73% of Singer Sri Lanka PLC, a major expansion into consumer retail and household products. The group also obtained a majority stake in Sri Lanka Shipping Company, strengthening its maritime position.

  M&A
  Source
• 2016Hayleys acquires controlling stake in Fentons and Maldives resort

  Hayleys acquired a 75% controlling interest in Fentons Group and purchased Kuda Rah Resort in the Maldives, later associated with the Amaya Kuda Rah brand.

  M&A
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• 2015Advantis Free Zone begins operations

  Hayleys' logistics and maritime business opened the Advantis Free Zone, expanding its trade-related infrastructure activities.

  Product launch
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• 2013Hayleys expands into renewable energy

  The group began developing wind, hydropower and solar facilities in Sri Lanka, adding renewable generation to its energy portfolio.

  Other
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• 2012The Ceylon Continental is relaunched as The Kingsbury

  The Colombo hotel acquired by Hayleys was rebranded and presented to the market as The Kingsbury.

  Product generation
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• 2011Hayleys expands through Alumex and Amaya Leisure acquisitions

  Hayleys acquired the Alumex Group and Amaya Leisure PLC, increasing its presence in construction materials and hospitality.

  M&A
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• 2010Hayleys acquires Ceylon Continental Hotel

  The group acquired Colombo's Ceylon Continental Hotel in what was described as its largest investment at that point. The property was subsequently rebranded as The Kingsbury.

  M&A
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• 2008Dhammika Perera becomes Hayleys majority shareholder

  Dhammika Perera became the majority shareholder of Hayleys, marking a change in the group's ownership structure.

  Leadership change
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• 2006Hayleys adopts a new visual identity

  The group replaced a corporate logo that had been used for approximately five decades as part of a refreshed visual identity.

  Other
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• 2003Hayleys begins ship-owning activities

  The group entered ship ownership with an investment in the container vessel Orient Stride, broadening its transportation and maritime activities.

  Other
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• 2001Hayleys enters power generation through partnership with AES

  Hayleys expanded from its established industrial and export activities into power generation through a collaboration with AES Corporation of the United States.

  Other
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1. Hayleys