About C.D.D.E.F.

During the latter part of the 18th Century, late Mr. Charles David de Fonseka, a great Philanthropist, married late Ms. Helen Agnes Gunawardena. He then became heir to acres of Coconut land in Panadura and built the ‘Abayakarunarathne Mudalindaramaya’ in Welipitiya,Panadura, with the support of locals in the area, together with a ‘Chaithya’ in the temple premises.

The Late Mr. Fonseka, by birth right owned a liquor business and during the colonial era, he was popularly known as ‘Reinda’ (business owner). Since both Mr. and Mrs. Fonseka were much more involved in practicing the Buddhist doctrine, they slowly crossed the threshold, to open the ‘golden door’ to produce Vinegar from Coconut Sap, instead of liquor.

Hailing from a family of business acumen, Late Mr. Eric took over the entire business and the land outright under his purview as the sole proprietor of the de Fonseka family. His wife Late Mrs. Constance de Fonseka, a salient figure in the de Fonseka family, then took over the reigns after the sudden demise of her spouse Late Eric Bertram de Fonseka in early 1960’s.

Late Mrs. Constance de Fonseka took over the reins after the demise of her husband. She was a lady determined to make her mark at a time where men dominated business fields. She gracefully arose as a strong businesswoman, challenged by a world of men, to steer the company towards success.
She then tirelessly worked to safeguard the business, by finding suitable distributors. It was at this stage that she was able to score one of CDDEF’s best contracts, M/s Reckit & Colmans Pvt Ltd in 1971 (known today as Reckitt Benckiser). This was the first remarkable turning point for the company, as it provided exposure to multinational corporate culture and the global business environment.

This business contract cemented CDDEF as a legitimate co-packer in the country.

Mr. Rohantha de Fonseka, the son of Late Mrs. Constance de Fonseka, took over the family business gradually, eventually having full control of the company in the 1990’s. Mr. Rohantha de Fonseka worked tirelessly in multiple business fields, to achieve success in whichever project he put his mind to. Today, he’s the most successful person to run C. D. de Fonseka & sons and is renowned across the island for his achievements. Mr. Rohantha de Fonseka’s guidance has allowed CDDEF to climb the ladder of success. Some of his notable contributions to the business includes:

• Patented and invented the manufacture of Coconut Vinegar from Coconut Water
• Revolutionized contract manufacturing by supplying to all major reputed brands on the island
• Systematically upgraded the whole facility to Global standards (ISO 22000:2008, SLS …)
• Introduced Quality systems with a fully functioning Laboratory
• Introduced the Acetaor process for High Strength Vinegar (First in Asia)