Swarnalatha

Phoenix has undergone tremendous changes since being founded in the year 1976. But throughout this passage of time, certain pillars have remained constant.

Swarnalatha, the eleventh person to join the company in its history of employment, has been a part of Phoenix since 1981. As a witness of all of the company’s ups and downs, pivotal moments and milestones, her Phoenix story is unique and indispensable.  

Swarnalatha reminisces the beginning of her three-decades long journey at Phoenix and smiles - “working at Phoenix was my first job”. She joined the manufacturing plant in Welisara when the company was involved in the production of plastic dolls, and her work involved attaching the different body parts of the doll to assemble the final structure. After Phoenix moved on from this venture, Swarnalatha contributed her skills and dedication to the packaging of toothbrushes where she continues to work to this day. 

While most young people today would shudder at the thought of a work environment and duties that remain unchanged for decades, Swarnalatha’s quiet contentment in following a reliable routine is evident in her demeanour. She has perfected her craft over the years and developed strong relationships with fellow team members at the company. 

And Swarnalatha is proud of her commitment to the different roles she plays in her life. After working six days of the week, she spends the remainder of her time with her family and takes care of her household duties. At the end of each work day, she does the cooking and other chores at home before watching a little bit of television and then retiring to bed early. During her time off, she enjoys going to the market and visiting her elder daughter in Kadawatha. 

Her eyes light up when she speaks of her two daughters, aged twenty-four and thirty, as well as her five-year-old grandson for whom she undoubtedly holds a special place in her heart. As expected from any Sri Lankan, her favourite food is pol sambol. And as expected of any Sri Lankan mother, she doesn’t forget to mention her hopes that her younger daughter gets married soon! Swarnalatha herself has been married for thirty-two years, and she laughs while recalling that she and her husband got married despite their families’ disapproval of the union. 

Swarnalatha’s advice for new entrants into the Phoenix team is simple yet profound: make sure that you do your job well. And she renews this unassuming and determined attitude every day when she enters Phoenix, even after thirty years. It cannot be denied that it’s the team pillars like Swarnalatha, who have stood by the company since it began, that define the Phoenix story. 

Phoenix has undergone tremendous changes since being founded in the year 1976. But throughout this passage of time, certain pillars have remained constant.

Swarnalatha, the eleventh person to join the company in its history of employment, has been a part of Phoenix since 1981. As a witness of all of the company’s ups and downs, pivotal moments and milestones, her Phoenix story is unique and indispensable.  

Swarnalatha reminisces the beginning of her three-decades long journey at Phoenix and smiles - “working at Phoenix was my first job”. She joined the manufacturing plant in Welisara when the company was involved in the production of plastic dolls, and her work involved attaching the different body parts of the doll to assemble the final structure. After Phoenix moved on from this venture, Swarnalatha contributed her skills and dedication to the packaging of toothbrushes where she continues to work to this day. 

While most young people today would shudder at the thought of a work environment and duties that remain unchanged for decades, Swarnalatha’s quiet contentment in following a reliable routine is evident in her demeanour. She has perfected her craft over the years and developed strong relationships with fellow team members at the company. 

And Swarnalatha is proud of her commitment to the different roles she plays in her life. After working six days of the week, she spends the remainder of her time with her family and takes care of her household duties. At the end of each work day, she does the cooking and other chores at home before watching a little bit of television and then retiring to bed early. During her time off, she enjoys going to the market and visiting her elder daughter in Kadawatha. 

Her eyes light up when she speaks of her two daughters, aged twenty-four and thirty, as well as her five-year-old grandson for whom she undoubtedly holds a special place in her heart. As expected from any Sri Lankan, her favourite food is pol sambol. And as expected of any Sri Lankan mother, she doesn’t forget to mention her hopes that her younger daughter gets married soon! Swarnalatha herself has been married for thirty-two years, and she laughs while recalling that she and her husband got married despite their families’ disapproval of the union. 

Swarnalatha’s advice for new entrants into the Phoenix team is simple yet profound: make sure that you do your job well. And she renews this unassuming and determined attitude every day when she enters Phoenix, even after thirty years. It cannot be denied that it’s the team pillars like Swarnalatha, who have stood by the company since it began, that define the Phoenix story.