Noritake Lanka Porcelain Pvt Limited (NLPL) enters 2016 with conformity to Integrated Management Systems (IMS).

These systems conform to the requirements of Quality Management Systems (QMS), Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSAS) and thus represent the ISO’s most well-known standards ever.

QMS (known as ISO 9001) helps organisations to implement quality management systems while EMS (known as ISO 14001) helps organisations to implement environmental management systems. OHSAS (known as ISO 18001) helps organisations to implement occupational health and safety management systems.

The NLPL management decided to go for the IMS in October 2014. Following this, a Steering Committee was formed to obtain the Certification within one year. The Noritake team performed well with the necessary documentation and requirements with the support of the management committee. The Stage-1 Audit took place in June 2015 and based on the comments received, the necessary rectifications were conducted rapidly. Stage-II took place in November 2015 and qualified NLPL for the IMS certification.

The awards ceremony was held recently with Director General of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) Dr. L. Senaweera as Chief Guest. NLPL’s Senior Director Mr. T.C. Thennakoon received the certification in the presence of several representatives from the SLSI and NLPL.

Noritake Lanka Porcelain Private Limited (NLPL) is the pioneer porcelain tableware manufacturing conglomerate in Sri Lanka and was established in 1972 as a joint venture company between Ceylon Ceramic Corporation and Noritake Co., Limited of Japan. The Company's production facility is located in Matale where rich minerals such as quartz, feldspar and dolomite deposits are located.

The factory operates under stringent production systems developed by the parent company in Japan. It launched operations in 1972 with a mere 150 strong workforce which today stands at 1,200 skilled workers.

Tableware products manufactured by the Company are well within the strictest tableware standards – ‘California Proposition 65 Standards’ and ‘ FDA Standards’ of the USA for lead and cadmium release. Apart from Japanese expertise, its management processes are supported by ISO systems.

Noritake Lanka Porcelain Pvt Ltd currently exports more than 6 million pieces of porcelain ware valued at over Rs. 2,500 Mn. They are marketed in 100 countries across all five continents. NLPL is the major supplier of porcelain ware to leading hotels in Sri Lanka.

NLPL is ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems certified since the year 2000. Since then the Company has continuously improved its quality and product range. During the past fifteen years Noritake’s quality has reached the highest levels with significant profit making penetration into both local and export market.

Photo caption: (From left) Ms. Nalika Weerasinghe, Management Trainee, QA-IMS Noritake; Ms. Deshani Ratnayake, Assistant Manager HRD, Noritake; Mr. D.S Samarasinghe, Quality Assurance Manager, MR-IMS, Noritake, Mr. Ashoka Bandara, Factory Manager, Noritake; Mr. T.C Tennakoon, Senior Director, Noritake and Dr. L.N Senawera, Director General of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution