By Ravini Perera
Flowers and Lassana Flora are something of a synonym in Sri Lanka. Since its inception nearly 24 years ago, Lassana Flora has become a frontrunner in floral solutions, capturing the hearts of the people as the go-to specialist for all things flora. Their reputation for providing world-class products paired with professional service has contributed immensely to their success, and by operating multiple branches across the country with experienced staff and state-of-the-art facilities, they have truly bloomed within the landscape of Sri Lanka’s floral industry.
[caption id="attachment_182002" align="alignleft" width="257"]
Lassana Flora Chairman/CEO Dr. Lasantha Malavige[/caption]
Starting with flowers and having now expanded into gifts that go with flowers, Lassana Flora has come a long way since its inception and is showing no signs of slowing down. Brunch chatted with Lassana Flora Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Lasantha Malavige (MBBS, DIPM, Ph.D.) on Lassana Flora’s achievements thus far and their goals for the New Year.
The ‘Lassana’ evolution
Lassana Flora, established in 1998, was conceptualised by Dr. Malavige, a medical student at the time. Born out of his curiosity, passion, and the dream to start his own brand, combined with a gap in the floral industry that was in desperate need of being met, Lassana Flora was initially only a part-time occupation for this medical student. However, it soon became one of the best floral solutions providers in the island.
“I launched this company two decades ago, at a time when the industry was in dire need of innovation, especially for wedding flowers. I never planned nor imagined my small establishment to have turned out to be what it is today,” added Dr. Malavige.
Consistent creativity, competitive prices, and professionalism throughout the past 20 years has helped Lassana Flora build and secure its current status and success. Furthermore, moving away from importing flowers to meet the local demand and growing their own flowers in Sri Lanka has been another accomplishment of the company. Currently, they have been recognised as the largest flower grower in the country.
Starting their journey specialising in wedding flowers, Lassana Flora has since extended operations from retail to e-commerce. As explained by Dr. Malavige: “It is a complete in-house ecosystem where most customer demands are met. By going global we want to replicate the same system carried out in Sri Lanka, on foreign soil.”
Flowers, cakes, other confectionery products, gifts, groceries and daily essentials, fruits and vegetables are amongst the most common items currently sold by Lassana Flora. “The pandemic kept us busy and we were overwhelmed with delivery orders. Our company was among the first to offer goods and groceries online during the initial lockdown. We were accommodating thousands of orders each day instead of our estimated hundred orders per day. Hence our capacity and resources were stretched beyond belief,” Dr. Malavige shared, adding: “We began to sell fresh produce in 2020 with the imposition of the first lockdown. Although it was a challenge to adapt and improve our services overnight, we fulfilled the task. Even though the first month was a struggle, we caught on quite quickly and managed to bring the full operation under control.”
Dr. Malavige, highlighting the rapidly changing situation of the country, stated that: “The past two years have been unpredictable and critical. However, we focused on what we were good at and kept adapting to the given situation. This helped us do well as a company, to keep our staff safe and to serve more than 50,000 families.”
The international market
The plan to expand and enter into the global market had taken a back seat for approximately two years. “Our initial goal was to go global in 2020. However, these plans had to be halted and our attention had to be given to other matters till 2022, owing to the global pandemic,” noted Dr. Malavige.
To offer products and services to international customers, similar to those that are offered locally, is the biggest goal of the company. However, unlike the wide array of products accessible locally, Lassana Flora will mostly focus on perishable gifts and initially offer items such as flowers and gift boxes to be sold to their international clientele.
The company, in addition to selling flower arrangements, plans on exporting locally grown flowers to be sold to international buyers. Furthermore, Lassana Flora also aims at establishing retail shops and eventually introducing online shopping to their international customers. Moreover, floriculture and nurseries are another aspect of expansion currently being considered by the company, given their success in the international market.
Bangladesh and Indonesia are two countries Lassana Flora will be expanding operations to within the year 2022. Thereafter, the company is expected to open more branches in countries in the Middle Eastern and East Asian regions.
Commenting on expansion amidst a global pandemic, Dr. Malavige stated: “We cannot wait any longer and we cannot wait till this pandemic is no more. This project has been delayed for approximately two years already. Covid-19 and its variants cannot threaten us for long periods of time, if we are fully vaccinated and we follow health guidelines. In general, a considerable amount of the world population has received their vaccinations and Sri Lanka is also considered a safe place. Therefore, if we were to follow the proper healthcare standards here and abroad we need not fear to continue this project.”
Lassana Flora has created countless career opportunities for the local community over the past two decades. They also aim at creating more openings in the years to come, locally as well as in their outlets overseas. Dr. Malavige further explained that the company takes pride in the career opportunities they have created since its launch and with their expansion. The professional and well experienced staff members employed by the company adds value to their image and that they look forward to creating more opportunities in the years to come, with world-class training to be given to potential employees.
Although a proportion of the employees hired to operate and oversee the foreign outlets will be foreign nationals, Dr. Malavige explained that their strategy is to assign Sri Lankan nationals to senior level positions. “We are thrilled about these upcoming opportunities for the locals. We will be able to send our employees abroad as a part of our expansion project. This will not only be a great support to us in terms of quality management but also a fantastic opportunity for them to gain exposure and to develop their skills even further,” he said.
Moreover, he went on to explain their ideas to conduct a six month staff exchange and rotational programmes for the employees. This will help enhance their creativity and expertise and to form a platform to learn from each other.
Embracing opportunities
A brand in need is a brand indeed. Lassana Flora as a brand has grown significantly in terms of image, customer loyalty, turnover, and much more, owing to their constant developments and adjustments.
“I want Lassana Flora to be remembered for its service standards. This is something that is lacking in our country. I would like to see certain standards being set in this industry and everyone adhering to such standardisation,” commented Dr. Malavige.
When inquired about the future of the company, he said: “It would give me great pleasure to see Lassana Flora improving and expanding even further in the future. It is yet to tap into its full potential. I want to see this truly Sri Lankan brand developing into a global brand one day.”
Entrepreneurs play a vital role in contributing towards the development of a country’s economy. Their visions, actions, and investments can bring about great change. Dr. Malavige, a leading entrepreneur in the country, by his involvement and contribution to the industry has made a significant impact in Sri Lanka.
“Entrepreneurs and professionals should spearhead projects to find solutions for societal problems. There are incalculable amounts of issues that need to be addressed within any country, including Sri Lanka. For instance, Sri Lanka is currently struggling with insufficient foreign currency to pay for imports when most of such imports can be produced within the country,” he noted. Hence, great opportunities await great entrepreneurs with incredible ideas to solve simple problems.
Dr. Malavige went on to highlight that professionals should consider becoming entrepreneurs, creating more opportunities in society. Furthermore, such professionals should encourage and motivate others not only by their words but also by their example. “Intelligent people often end up getting a job that restricts their thinking and creative abilities. In other words, they become stuck in a particular occupation which will not utilise their capabilities to the fullest. This will deprive the country from receiving the maximum benefits out of such gifted individuals,” he expressed.
Dr. Malavige also encourages all professionals and young entrepreneurs to be creative and to find and embrace opportunities as they come. Curiosity to learn, experiment, and deliver, and at the same time the ability to understand the customers are essential factors to succeed in all fields.
Website: https://lassana.com
Instagram: @lassana_flora
Facebook: Lassana Flora
[caption id="attachment_182002" align="alignleft" width="257"] Lassana Flora Chairman/CEO Dr. Lasantha Malavige[/caption]
Starting with flowers and having now expanded into gifts that go with flowers, Lassana Flora has come a long way since its inception and is showing no signs of slowing down. Brunch chatted with Lassana Flora Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Lasantha Malavige (MBBS, DIPM, Ph.D.) on Lassana Flora’s achievements thus far and their goals for the New Year.
The ‘Lassana’ evolution
Lassana Flora, established in 1998, was conceptualised by Dr. Malavige, a medical student at the time. Born out of his curiosity, passion, and the dream to start his own brand, combined with a gap in the floral industry that was in desperate need of being met, Lassana Flora was initially only a part-time occupation for this medical student. However, it soon became one of the best floral solutions providers in the island.
“I launched this company two decades ago, at a time when the industry was in dire need of innovation, especially for wedding flowers. I never planned nor imagined my small establishment to have turned out to be what it is today,” added Dr. Malavige.
Consistent creativity, competitive prices, and professionalism throughout the past 20 years has helped Lassana Flora build and secure its current status and success. Furthermore, moving away from importing flowers to meet the local demand and growing their own flowers in Sri Lanka has been another accomplishment of the company. Currently, they have been recognised as the largest flower grower in the country.
Starting their journey specialising in wedding flowers, Lassana Flora has since extended operations from retail to e-commerce. As explained by Dr. Malavige: “It is a complete in-house ecosystem where most customer demands are met. By going global we want to replicate the same system carried out in Sri Lanka, on foreign soil.”
Flowers, cakes, other confectionery products, gifts, groceries and daily essentials, fruits and vegetables are amongst the most common items currently sold by Lassana Flora. “The pandemic kept us busy and we were overwhelmed with delivery orders. Our company was among the first to offer goods and groceries online during the initial lockdown. We were accommodating thousands of orders each day instead of our estimated hundred orders per day. Hence our capacity and resources were stretched beyond belief,” Dr. Malavige shared, adding: “We began to sell fresh produce in 2020 with the imposition of the first lockdown. Although it was a challenge to adapt and improve our services overnight, we fulfilled the task. Even though the first month was a struggle, we caught on quite quickly and managed to bring the full operation under control.”
Dr. Malavige, highlighting the rapidly changing situation of the country, stated that: “The past two years have been unpredictable and critical. However, we focused on what we were good at and kept adapting to the given situation. This helped us do well as a company, to keep our staff safe and to serve more than 50,000 families.”
The international market
The plan to expand and enter into the global market had taken a back seat for approximately two years. “Our initial goal was to go global in 2020. However, these plans had to be halted and our attention had to be given to other matters till 2022, owing to the global pandemic,” noted Dr. Malavige.
To offer products and services to international customers, similar to those that are offered locally, is the biggest goal of the company. However, unlike the wide array of products accessible locally, Lassana Flora will mostly focus on perishable gifts and initially offer items such as flowers and gift boxes to be sold to their international clientele.
The company, in addition to selling flower arrangements, plans on exporting locally grown flowers to be sold to international buyers. Furthermore, Lassana Flora also aims at establishing retail shops and eventually introducing online shopping to their international customers. Moreover, floriculture and nurseries are another aspect of expansion currently being considered by the company, given their success in the international market.
Bangladesh and Indonesia are two countries Lassana Flora will be expanding operations to within the year 2022. Thereafter, the company is expected to open more branches in countries in the Middle Eastern and East Asian regions.
Commenting on expansion amidst a global pandemic, Dr. Malavige stated: “We cannot wait any longer and we cannot wait till this pandemic is no more. This project has been delayed for approximately two years already. Covid-19 and its variants cannot threaten us for long periods of time, if we are fully vaccinated and we follow health guidelines. In general, a considerable amount of the world population has received their vaccinations and Sri Lanka is also considered a safe place. Therefore, if we were to follow the proper healthcare standards here and abroad we need not fear to continue this project.”
Lassana Flora has created countless career opportunities for the local community over the past two decades. They also aim at creating more openings in the years to come, locally as well as in their outlets overseas. Dr. Malavige further explained that the company takes pride in the career opportunities they have created since its launch and with their expansion. The professional and well experienced staff members employed by the company adds value to their image and that they look forward to creating more opportunities in the years to come, with world-class training to be given to potential employees.
Although a proportion of the employees hired to operate and oversee the foreign outlets will be foreign nationals, Dr. Malavige explained that their strategy is to assign Sri Lankan nationals to senior level positions. “We are thrilled about these upcoming opportunities for the locals. We will be able to send our employees abroad as a part of our expansion project. This will not only be a great support to us in terms of quality management but also a fantastic opportunity for them to gain exposure and to develop their skills even further,” he said.
Moreover, he went on to explain their ideas to conduct a six month staff exchange and rotational programmes for the employees. This will help enhance their creativity and expertise and to form a platform to learn from each other.
Embracing opportunities
A brand in need is a brand indeed. Lassana Flora as a brand has grown significantly in terms of image, customer loyalty, turnover, and much more, owing to their constant developments and adjustments.
“I want Lassana Flora to be remembered for its service standards. This is something that is lacking in our country. I would like to see certain standards being set in this industry and everyone adhering to such standardisation,” commented Dr. Malavige.
When inquired about the future of the company, he said: “It would give me great pleasure to see Lassana Flora improving and expanding even further in the future. It is yet to tap into its full potential. I want to see this truly Sri Lankan brand developing into a global brand one day.”
Entrepreneurs play a vital role in contributing towards the development of a country’s economy. Their visions, actions, and investments can bring about great change. Dr. Malavige, a leading entrepreneur in the country, by his involvement and contribution to the industry has made a significant impact in Sri Lanka.
“Entrepreneurs and professionals should spearhead projects to find solutions for societal problems. There are incalculable amounts of issues that need to be addressed within any country, including Sri Lanka. For instance, Sri Lanka is currently struggling with insufficient foreign currency to pay for imports when most of such imports can be produced within the country,” he noted. Hence, great opportunities await great entrepreneurs with incredible ideas to solve simple problems.
Dr. Malavige went on to highlight that professionals should consider becoming entrepreneurs, creating more opportunities in society. Furthermore, such professionals should encourage and motivate others not only by their words but also by their example. “Intelligent people often end up getting a job that restricts their thinking and creative abilities. In other words, they become stuck in a particular occupation which will not utilise their capabilities to the fullest. This will deprive the country from receiving the maximum benefits out of such gifted individuals,” he expressed.
Dr. Malavige also encourages all professionals and young entrepreneurs to be creative and to find and embrace opportunities as they come. Curiosity to learn, experiment, and deliver, and at the same time the ability to understand the customers are essential factors to succeed in all fields.
Website: https://lassana.com
Instagram: @lassana_flora
Facebook: Lassana Flora