Our Legacy

I begin by simply expressing who we are. A. Baur & Co. is a name that is synonymous with embracing emerging and contemporary challenges and opportunities that not just helps manage its status quo but to always give a new face to the organisation whilst continuing to instill the rich traditions and values of its Swiss heritage which are deeply embedded in its foundation. As we celebrate our 125th anniversary this year, we are only growing stronger and more resilient.

As a Transformational Company

With a distinctive reputation and a track record for change and innovation, we always take bold steps to explore, understand, act and be the industry first through a blend of sound professional and scientific skills including various knowledge sharing and thought-leadership initiatives.

Till date we stand tall in the agriculture sector as the first company to focus on the fertiliser business during its humble beginnings in the year 1897 where we pioneered producing a combination of both organic manures as well as chemical fertilisers and in 1901, we built and operated the first ever industrial rail in Sri Lanka which was used to transport our own cargo directly from the stores.

During the same year we also began providing our valuable customers with scientific advice and the technical know-how, establishing ourselves as an advisory-based fertiliser distributor as opposed to merely a conventional distributor.

In the years following, A. Baur & Co. saw a tremendous spur of ground-breaking innovations such as; deploying the first tractor used in agriculture in 1919, establishing the first fully-electrified tea factory in 1936, ending the malaria epidemic in the country in 1946 through our insecticide and subsequently foraying into the healthcare industry.

Partnering and bringing Swiss Air to Sri Lanka, building the first underground parking in the iconic Baurs headquarters which is a colonial shock-proof architectural landmark in Fort, producing the first basmati rice in Sri Lanka in 1975, registering the first biopesticide in the Country in 2020 namely FAWLIGEN to eradicate and control fall army worm and last year we launched the first Swiss apprenticeship model in the hospitality sector together with the world’s first and number one hospitality management school, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne.

We take great pride in having one of the most advanced high-tech fertiliser factories probably in the entire South Asia region, fully integrated with artificial intelligence and machine learning technology.

No sooner the government announced its intentions to adopt an organic agriculture approach we promptly established dialogues with key organisations and administrations across the world to see how best we can take up what we called the fertiliser challenge.

We contracted two globally renowned research institutions who are experts on this subject and organised a well-defined comprehensive study tour to Sri Lanka during August last year. We are now well equipped with a blueprint and strategy to embrace any challenge in this area, and we are in a constant dialogue with them and other relevant stakeholders in further exploring the research and findings.

We will also confidently share this knowledge with our peers in both the industry and academia and seek ways in achieving this transition in a suitable and successful manner.

Whilst continuing to strengthen our position in our core agri business we have evolved to be one of the leading names in the healthcare, consumer, airlines, machinery and education sectors.

We recognise ourselves as an organisation focused on learning and growth, with a significant proportion of our investments going into R&D, technology, processes and people. This together with our partners who are some of world’s leading brands in their respective sectors we hope to create and bring about impactful and meaningful solutions and services entrusted with our corporate values- trust, reliability, quality and innovation.

As a Caring Colleague

It is our people that makes A. Baurs & Co. what it is. To us we prefer calling them our colleagues than the term employees and we carry ourselves as a close-knit family. We are owned by a charitable foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland and our shareholder places prominence in the long-term goals and sustainability of the organisation as opposed to those that are short-term.

When the pandemic hit us hard during April 2020, instead of following the footsteps of many organisations across the Country that were downsizing jobs and pursuing various salary-cut activities, we focused on giving our colleagues assured job security with no pay cuts and we went beyond with also sending packs of essential goods to them and their loved ones.

This was a very challenging and difficult time especially as the global event was unprecedented in its nature, taking a heavy toll in our lives and economy overall.

We continued to stay firm on our priorities during this period, which was to protect our entire workforce both mentally and physically to stabilise our supply chain and to keep engaging with our loyal customers at its best.

One could experience not just the required guidance, training and continuous development needed to succeed and thrive in both their professional and personal lives but also the mutual respect, care and integrity in this day and age, where much of our workplaces are exposed to stress and toxic environments.

We believe in promoting a healthy work-life balance among our colleagues, and to be able to positively contribute to their growth is what we always intend of doing.

We make it our habit to recognise and give opportunities to those willing to take more responsibilities to broaden their horizons and evolve out of their comfort zone, all so whilst ensuring that no creativity, freedom, and independence is compromised. We are certainly flattered to see the energy, enthusiasm and passion among our colleagues in return.

Our culture has been centred on diversity, equity and inclusivity long before these buzzwords made it to the mainstream corporate world in the recent years. We proactively listen to all views and opinions of our colleagues and ensure that there is active participation and contribution from both sides.

Our commitment to gender equality and women empowerment goes without saying. We understand the importance of our fellow women colleagues and their tremendous strengths, contribution and of course perseverance. That being said, I must say that we make no exceptions, everyone at A. Baur & Co. is treated the same with empathy and encouragement irrespective of their gender or status.

With the view of conveying much hope and enthusiasm, all our colleagues across the Country from our headquarters to production sites and sales centres, indulged and engaged in feel-good vibe that featured freestyle dancing, gestures and expressions, and this was all compiled as a YouTube video titled the ‘Jerusalema Challenge by Baurs’.

As a Responsible Citizen

We often see ourselves indulging and initiating various socially responsible agendas, and the majority of our efforts go towards uplifting children and schools in the rural towns. Our aim is to empower them throughout their youth years, and we do this by giving them adequate and appropriate knowledge and training, through our six-month internship program which has welcomed many full-time employees over the years.

We are blessed to be the principal donor to a school for children with hearing deficiencies. One of our key initiatives is the school furniture project that falls under Baurs’ infrastructure development pillar. Till date we are privileged to have impacted thousands of lives by donating school furniture to over 380 schools and over 280 institutions including religious establishments across all 25 districts.

This furniture is made in Switzerland based on specific physique requirements of the children. I am proud to say that we have brought more than 210 fully packed 40-foot containers over the years and we will continue to strengthen this effort and do more in the coming years.

Sustainability has been a key priority to us at A. Baur & Co. and this is well reflected in the various responsible innovations spurred and initiated since our inception including integrity and professionalism in all our dealings and interactions.

We have made it our responsibility to embrace this aspect deeper and organisation-wide and make all colleagues at A. Baur & Co. as sustainability champions. During the early part of last year, we joined hands with the United National Global Compact (UNGC) to further reassure our commitment towards sustainability.

This will involve aligning our culture, strategies and operations across corporate and business level units with its ten core principles covering Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-corruption along with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Journey

We are a modern and dynamic corporate with a business model that keeps changing and evolving with the times. Our legacy began when Alfred Baur of Switzerland arrived in Ceylon and founded A. Baur & Co. in 1897 and we will continue this legacy, by sustaining and championing our mindset and attitudes towards innovation, growth, and development in the years to come.

As a nation we have weathered many storms and have grown by leaps and bounds, and we at A. Baur & Co. are truly privileged to be a part of this journey.