GRI rooted in sustainability, continues to grow

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Specialty tire manufacturer Global Rubber Industries (Pvt.) Ltd. (GRI) has centered on sustainability from its early days.

GRI opened its first solid tire plant, a 175,000-sq.-ft. facility, in 2002. In 2018, the company began producing agricultural and construction tires. Now, GRI produces materials-handling solid tires, radial agriculture tires and construction tires with offices in nine countries and sales in more than 50 countries.

"Everything we do, we want to make sure it has that sustainability dimension," CEO Mahesha Ranasoma told Tire Business, a sister publication of Rubber News.

When GRI moved into the realm of construction and agricultural tires, "we saw a potential for us to make a difference to the way we do business and a difference in the world by creating a concept around connecting farmers," he added.

For GRI, sustainability is more than just using less resources or incorporating renewable materials. The Green X Circle initiative, which GRI launched in 2019 and says is the first of its kind, is aimed at bringing Sri Lanka's natural rubber farmers and the farmers worldwide using GRI's tires together in a "unified ecosystem."

"We can create a lot of meaningful synergy, which actually goes beyond simple sustainability, the environmental sustainability component, to social sustainability as well," Ranasoma said.

The initiative is still in its early stages. GRI is working with rubber farmers in Sri Lanka on sustainable methods of farming—ensuring that the rubber trees and the environment in general are cared for—as well as on community building and leadership development.

GRI is working with other business partners on expanding the Green X Circle concept into its next phases, which include working with end-user farmers to get their input, and eventually launching pilot programs in other countries where GRI tires are sold.

The goal is to take the Green X Circle concept worldwide and green the planet, he said.

"It's something that we really hope will make a dent in the universe," Ranasoma said.

As part of that "Greening the Planet" initiative, in October GRI planted 450 rubber trees in the natural-rubber estates of smallholder farmers in Moneragala, Sri Lanka.

GRI, which is based in Sri Lanka and close to the farming community, can be a role model for other company's focusing on sustainability, he said.

"All companies need to look at sustainability. Without a doubt, that's very important for the planet and the generations to come," he said.

GRI also is focused on sustainability in its processes, introducing environmentally-friendly initiatives at its manufacturing plants and its products.

In September, the company introduced its Ultimate Green XT tire—made of 42.8 percent sustainable materials—a premium-plus materials-handling tire, built for 24-hour-per-day, three-shift operations, enabled by lower heat build-up and higher endurance, according to the company.

The product has been well-received, and GRI plans to continue that line and extend the concept into its mainstream product range, Ranasoma said.

GRI also continues to grow.

The company's expansion project—which includes an expansion of its plant in Badalgama, Sri Lanka—is on track. In the next few months, the company expects to be commissioning its new capacities and gearing up for more growth, Ranasoma said.

"We have been continuously growing. And we have had very good demand for our products," he said.

They expect that growth to continue. GRI is continuing to invest in its technology as well as its global marketing force, he said.

The market for GRI's products has seen pretty exciting growth and demand, Ranasoma said, adding that he doesn't expect that to slow down.

Like all companies, GRI has had to contend with global supply chain disruptions. The company has worked to find solutions by putting customers at the forefront.

"There have been difficult times, we have had to manage that pain with our customers at times, but we are not giving up," he said.

Those issues have also meant inevitable price increases, "mainly arising from the unprecedented increases in freight and raw material costs," Ranasoma said.

Looking forward, GRI will continue to navigate uncertainty by keeping customers and customer service at the forefront.

"We have, through the difficult times, continuously made an effort to serve our customers and look after them ... we will continue that path," he said.

"We want to make lifelong strong relations with our customers. And we know our customers value it, and we'll continue the same path."