The Wickramaratne Group of Companies is not an Organization which sprung on roses. It had its own harder beginning and tales of hardships. A man from the South of Sri Lanka ventured to take on new challenges in the big city of Colombo.

The Founder of this Organization which has now reached its highest level of prestige was late Mr. David Wickramaratne. He came to Colombo with a few coppers in his pocket in year 1949 and joined his uncle late Mr. H.G.P. Methiyas Silva as his Assistant at the St. Johns Vegetable Market. He along with two friends started the Janatha Suppliers partnership which included the Janatha Restaurant in year 1960. Later he commenced his own business under the name Wickramaratnes in year 1965 at Gas Works Street, presently the Bodhiraja Mawatha, at the heart of Colombo where the business activities are centrally located.

From humble beginnings, as a provider of food supplies to the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in the 1960’s late Mr. David Wickramaratne, sourced food items directly from domestic farmers, stored them in rented warehouses and cold rooms and drove the supplies himself to the Army Camps. The unique feature here was his helping the farmer from whom he made purchases directly without the intervention of a middle man by passing the benefit to the farmer.

From being that humble supplier of food items, today the enterprise he pioneered has grown to be a large Group with six subsidiary Companies spanning construction to agriculture. The Group has evolved into a family concern of a conglomerate with a strong commitment towards its suppliers and partners, i.e., the Sri Lankan Government, multinational Corporations, and countless small and medium scale private enterprises.