හොටලයක් කතාකරයි

Hariesha, I think this is more suitable in the chill out section.

I moved it there

There is some unwritten or purposely ignored side of this story. I am not trying to defend anybody. But this guy, Nandana Lokuwithana, is not just a labor flew to dubai for 225$ salary. He was a well reputed businessman even before 2005.

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“Onyx Industries FZC” based on Sharjah is building Marriot Hotel in Dubai. Onyx, founded in 1998, is owned by little known Sri Lankan businessman named Nandana Jayadeva Lokuwithana. Onyx employs about 60 people at its Sharjah facility and mainly imports and trades steel products from China for construction industry. Contact details of Onyx are as under:
ONYX INDUSTRIES FZC
Steel Fabricators & Engineers
P.O. Box: 8416
Location: Sharjah Airport – International Free Zone (Saif Zone)
Phone: 06-5573406
Fax: 06-5573407
www.onyx(at)onyxfzc.com
In Sri Lanka Onyx group acquired Ceylon Steel Corporation (CSC)in Sept, 2009 at a cost of US$ 38 million. Onyx claimed that it would spend additional US$ 18 million to modernize CSC. The company has about 30% market share of steel used for construction in Sri Lanka.
Though CSC was its original name when founded in 1961 as government company, it was privatized and sold to HANJUNG, Korea of DOOSAN GROUP in 1996 as part of privatization drive by them govt. CSC was renamed by Korean company as Ceylon Heavy Industries and Construction Company Limited (CHICO).
However, after take over by Onyx, it was renamed back to original as CSC and started selling steel under the brand name “LANWA” . People in Sri Lanka were very familiar with Lanwa brand and not CHICO brand under which Korean company was selling steel.
Post-acquisition, CSC declared (Oct, 2011) that it is expanding steelmaking capacity from 100,111MT to 250,000MT and commission a new steel bar mill on 164-acre site in Oruwela, Athugiriya, South of Colombo. The facility also proposed to make galvanized wire, pipes, nails and other steel products needed by construction industry. The expansion was to cost about US$ 80 million of which US$ 28 million was towards new steel bar mill acquired from Italy’s Danieli.
In Sept, 2010 Nilona Holding, a member of the Onyx Group initiated a project to construct US$ 190 million project called “Marriott Hotel and Executive Apartments in Dubai Healthcare City Phase II”. The tower being constructed is called as Nilona Tower. However, after project is implemented, it would be designated as Marriott would feature 24 storey tower, which will feature 352 rooms, 128 luxury serviced apartments, various F&B outlets, and health and fitness facilities.
Dubai” Al Rostamani Pegel (ARP), a member of Al Rostamani Group, was awarded (Sept, 2010) the project for construction of Marriot hotel and hotel apartments by Nilona Holding.The hotel is centrally located only 10 minutes from some of Dubai’s premiere attractions, including Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Dubai Creek. Construction is nearing completion and scheduled to declare open after two months i.e. July, 2913. Contact details of Nilona Holdings are listed as:
Nilona Holding FZ-LLC
United Arab Emirates
Company Type: Owner, Corporation
Phone: 971-6-5573405
Fax: 971-6-5573407

http://www.lankaeagle.com/?p=6835

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"My business is not related to this story but my mindset was framed there. The village life still remains in my heart."
"I had my primary education at Pihimbiyagollewa School and passed the Grade Five Scholarship examination. Then I was sent to my father's village in Horana. I studied in President's College for four years up to grade nine. Due to the advantage of getting entrance to university from a difficult District, I studied for the Ordinary Levels from Nivanthakachethiya College in Anuradhapura and read for the Advanced Levels at Anuradhapura Central College."
"My father dreamt of making me an engineer. I was selected for the National Diploma of Technology of Moratuwa University in 1987. The years of 1987 and '88 were a dark time for our country. I was in Colombo and did home-visit tuition for Ordinary Level mathematics to earn an income."

"During this time, I studied for a course at the Sir John Kotelawala Academy and worked for the Ceylon Knit Trade, a subsidiary of the Hirdaramani Company. I learnt a lot of things from that Company."
"In 1989 I joined a Production Company in Ajman in Dubai as a Production Assistant despite the objection of my parents. By that time, going to Dubai meant menial jobs. That is why my father did not bless me. I came to the airport alone."

"I worked very hard, up to 14 to 16 hours a day. Then I joined a US trade operation company. I was promoted step by step as Production Assistant, Production Manager, General Manager and Country Manager."
"After 11 years of my stay in Dubai, I opened Nilona Apparels with 400 employees in the Sharjah free trade zone. Since we had a problem of providing food to the staff, I called my brother Chandana and we started a catering service. We provided catering services to a number of companies. My brother still runs that business. Meanwhile, I started a washing company under the name of Nilona. My experience as a Production Manager helped me immensely. After that, we opened Onex Industries which engaged in steel production and construction."

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-70607-news-detail-nandana-lokuvithana-from-rags-to-riches-the-village-lad-owns-us-260m-marriott-al-jadaf-dubai.html

A man who is coming from well-to-do background can only be Rich..

A man whose father is a poor man can never be RICH, Famous or achieve anything worthwhile...

Is this what we want among fellow Sri Lankans?

Anyway I like to relate a story of Woolworth....

Young Woolworth came to town to sell milk.. He saw a queue for a job interview... Those good old days Child Labour was not illegal.. So he too joined the queue.. The owner asked from this Green Boy to tell about himself.. He said he gets up early and go to cows shed.. Milk.. and walk upto town and sell milk.. go back home..

Shop Owner said I will recruit you... " How much will you pay me?" the young boy asked.." nothing... food and accomataion will do!" Young one settled as its better than his poor family..

After few years this young boy bought the business from his owner.. When he reached 30s he built the tallest building then in USA... WOOLWORTH BUILDING...No one questioned him about his background and Woolworth Building is his building...

වන සතුන් එළවීමට ගිනිගොඩවල් ගසාගෙන සිටි බවත් නිතර පවසයි.
අවුරුදු 25ක් යනු මාස 300කි.
ඩොලර් කෝටි 22ක් උපයා ගැනීමට
අවම වශයෙන් මාසයකට ඩොලර් 750,000ක් ඉක්මවා
ඉපයිය යුතුය.
ඩොලර් 225ක මාසික වැටුපක් සඳහා
ඩුබායි ගිය තරුණයෙක් වන මගේ හිමිකරු යයි කියා ගන්න කෙනා
පට්ටම පට්ට චරිතයක් වන්නේ ඒ නිසාය.
ඒ විතරක් නම් කමක් නැත.
එයා ඩොලර් මිලියන 48ක් වැය කරමින්
ශ්‍රී ලංකා දූපතේ වානේ සංස්ථාවද මිලදී ගෙන තියනවලු.


According to the information in the Internet   the person who wrote this has omitted an important middle part  of the story.  


From Internet-

He was born in Medawachchiya in a village named Kotiyagala. Had primary education from the village school.

Was selected to follow the NDT course on the first attempt at the A/L examination, I did not pursue it.
According to him,
From the exposure that I got in Colombo, I moved onto the textile trade. Later on I was able to join a textile company based in the UAE as an Assistant Administrative Officer. As time passed by I was able to make my way through as production manager, factory manager, company director, and finally I was able to become the General Manager.
As I felt that there was a risk in continuing my business in the textile industry in the future, I formed Onyx group a steel fabrication company. With the vast development which took place in the UAE, I thought this was the major investment I should concentrate on.

Lokuwithana said that he migrated to Dubai in 1989 as an apparel factory operator and then started his own garment factory employing 400 workers. “Next  moved into the heavy industry field by forming the ONYX Group .


He was working in Shatjah and started Onyx in 1998.
(As per Bloomberg): Onyx Industries FZC provides fabrication and engineering services. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

As per the internet that is a big company .

http://onyx.ae/about.htm
http://www.onyxfzc.com/
http://onyx.ae/projects.htm

Weatehr 'Mara' story is correct or not , above Sinhala  story writer has neglected his growth in Sharjah from 1989 in his calculations.

Steel fabrication, Steal fabrication or Story fabrication ?

man who is coming from well-to-do background can only be Rich..

A man whose father is a poor man can never be RICH, Famous or achieve anything worthwhile...

Is this what we want among fellow Sri Lankans?


Well said Mr Yellow Knife. & Mr Seek too.

නිහල් මහතාගෙ  සිංහල අකුරු උදවුවට ස්තුතිය්.
බැරි වෙලවත් මෙ ලොකුවිතන මහත දුබායි ව්‍යාපර පටන් ගත්තෙ 2005 න් පස්සෙ නම් මෙ ලියපු කෙන ශුවර් එකට ඒකත් රජපක්ස ගෙ කියයි.

Kith

Some are really good achievers...its really worth studying them than envy

My elder brother resigned from a company where he was the accountant... He earned a good salary and enjoyed all perks..

He had to start from scratch... By that time he was father of two children.. He had a hard time.. He tried many options with the saved money...

First it was a mushroom farming... failed....Followed by orchids... followed by chemicals..all failed..

He started to get into construction..Now he is a very good businessman... Invited to many events... It all happened within a decade or less

So I personally know that there are many Sri Lankans

We have to be proud of such good Sri Lankans..

If cousin of yours was cousin of MR....

We could have seen another set of nice Sinhala Poems..

Is this the one I asked you about ?

yellow knife wrote:Kith

Some are really good achievers...its really worth studying them than envy

My elder brother resigned from a company where he was the accountant... He earned a good salary and enjoyed all perks..

He had to start from scratch... By that time he was father of two children.. He had a hard time.. He tried many options with the saved money...

First it was a mushroom farming... failed....Followed by orchids... followed by chemicals..all failed..

He started to get into construction..Now he is a very good businessman... Invited to many events... It all happened within a decade or less

So I personally know that there are many Sri Lankans

We have to be proud of such good Sri Lankans..

yes

well Kith

In many developing countries its is the connected parties to the rulers get good opportunities..

I was reading about ENRON, WASTEMANAGEMENT, SUNBEAM of US...

I dont see much of a difference in above as well..Arnold selecting or electing as Mayor of California has something to do with Enron..

But lets not always be suspicious about people who do grow faster than the rest..financially... It is not always a crime that make them rich...

Regarding this mariot hotetl in Dubai lets wait without running into conclusions...