Hayleys Fentons Limited has completed a manufacturing facility for Shield Restraint Systems (Pvt) Ltd at the Wathupitiwala Export Processing Zone, the contractor said in an announcement carried by two newsrooms on Tuesday.
The plant is valued at over Rs. 1 billion. Construction ran roughly 14 months from the laying of the foundation stone on 7 January 2025 to handover, and the company said the facility was delivered on schedule.
The factory is to manufacture premium safety restraint systems for the global automotive industry — the seatbelt and occupant-restraint components that must meet international certification standards before they can be fitted to vehicles.
Why the build was demanding
Hayleys Fentons described the project as among the more technically exacting industrial builds its projects division has undertaken, citing the precision and international compliance requirements of a specialised manufacturing environment.
“Delivering a facility of this complexity, built to meet stringent international manufacturing standards, within an agreed timeline, demonstrates that Sri Lankan construction expertise can compete at the highest global level,” said Sujith de Alwis, Deputy Managing Director for Projects at Hayleys Fentons Limited, as reported by the Colombo Gazette.
He said the company was “proud to have played a part in supporting this investment in Sri Lanka and strengthening the country’s position within the global automotive supply chain.”
Roshani Dharmaratne, Executive Director of Hayleys Mobility Limited, said projects of this type “demand far more than construction excellence,” pointing to quality management, coordination across disciplines and adherence to international standards as conditions for delivering on time.
Context
The announcement is a company statement rather than independent reporting, and both outlets carried it substantially as issued. The claims about scheduling and technical standards are the contractor’s own.
The completion lands alongside data showing the sector expanding: the Central Bank’s construction PMI rose to 61.4 in July from 60.0 in June, supported by a steady inflow of new projects, though surveyed firms continued to report shortages of bitumen and skilled labour.
Export Processing Zones are the standard vehicle for export-oriented foreign manufacturing investment in Sri Lanka, and Wathupitiwala, in the Gampaha district, is among the older zones administered by the Board of Investment.
What was not reported
Neither outlet named the country of origin or parent company of the investor behind Shield Restraint Systems, gave the value of the underlying manufacturing investment as distinct from the Rs. 1 billion construction contract, or said how many people the plant will employ. Neither reported its production capacity, its target export markets, or when manufacturing is due to begin.