Q: Could you briefly tell us about the evolution of Autogroup International?

A: Autogroup International was established in Sri Lanka more than 20 years ago and as a Board of Investment (BOI) business, we have grown from humble beginnings into a talented team of over 150 people that built a global reputation as a world leader in the right-hand drive conversion of American SUVs, pickup trucks and muscle cars.

Q: How has the company’s reputation for being a global leader in left to right-hand drive conversion contributed to its growth?

A: Autogroup International is recognised globally for our high quality, safety and legally compliant right-hand drive conversions, and this reputation has contributed to ever increasing demand for our vehicles from over 40 countries worldwide. With thousands of vehicles safely converted to right-hand drive steering, the underlying ‘magical’ theme that emerges is our teams’ pride in their work.

As Henry Ford said over 100 years ago, “quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” And this is just as relevant today for our complex automotive manufacturing and is inherently embedded into every part of what our talented teams do every day.

Q: How does the company keep pace with the regulatory environment?

A: We operate in complex regulatory environments given our vehicle conversion business and we export to a number of countries with complex legislation. However, we have a large, talented team of engineers whose sole focus is our global compliance requirements and ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance programme.

The total right-hand drive conversion process involves many major changes. It is not merely a matter of swapping a steering wheel over. Once the vehicle has been prepared, our qualified engineers and technicians then utilise a variety of specially designed jigs to ensure both a professional finish and ISO accredited uniformity of production.

Autogroup International designs and manufactures brand-new right-hand drive dashboards and many other components that provide excellent safety and control, and a factory finish, while retaining driver ergonomics with the steering wheel centralised to the driver’s position.

Q: And how does Autogroup International foster a culture of creativity and innovation?

A: Our culture is very unique as we have eliminated the old-fashioned hierarchy and traditional patriarchy approach, and now embrace a culture of respect where all team members are heard and actively contribute.

Our culture of openness, generosity to our community and being open to change greatly assists with our creativity and innovation. We actively celebrate our world-class culture, working as one team to deal with the complexities of converting vehicles to right-hand drive and our teams from across the business exhibit great pride in what we deliver to our clients.

It is the goal of Autogroup International to manage our environmental impact, and create a safe and healthy workplace for employees, customers and the public, and to continuously improve our performance and profitability. We intend to fulfil these responsibilities as far as is practical through the application of our quality management system.

Q: What are the key challenges faced by the company in this highly competitive environment?

A: Our greatest Sri Lanka-based challenge is the combination of government bureaucracy and the ongoing brain drain as talented people leave the country.

Q: And last but not least, what are your future plans in terms of expansion, new products or services and so on?

A: Autogroup is growing rapidly, our order book is overflowing and we are expanding constantly. We plan to increase our workforce by 25 percent by December, and are looking at significant expansion with a new factory in 2024 and exciting new product offerings.

– Compiled by Allaam Ousman
INTERVIEWEE DETAILS