C T Holdings PLC, formerly known as Ceylon Theatres Limited, is one of the largest
conglomerate companies in
Sri Lanka. The company was incorporated in 1928 by
Chittampalam A. Gardiner and quoted on the
Colombo Stock Exchange
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) ( si, කොළඹ ව්යාපාර වස්තු හුවමාරුව, translit=Kolamba Vyapara Vasthu Huvamaruva; ta, கொழும்பு பங்கு பரிவர்த்தனை) i ...
ever since. In 2019, Brand Finance ranked C T Holdings eighth amongst the most valuable conglomerates in Sri Lanka with a brand value of LKR18,981 million.
C T Holdings also ranked eighth in the ''
LMD 100'', a list of leading listed companies in Sri Lanka by the business magazine, ''LMD''.
History
Ceylon Theatres Limited was founded by
Chittampalam A. Gardiner and
Alfred Thambiayah in 1928. It is the first Ceylonese company to enter the
film screening business. Four years later the company was
floated. The Regal Cinema in Colombo and another in Nuwara Eliya made up the assets of the company. By 1950, Ceylon Theatres was the largest film circuit in the country. The company controlled 69 permanent cinemas of which 14 were located in Colombo.
In 1981, under the leadership of Albert A. Page, the company acquired Millers and
Cargills venturing into retailing and distribution. In 1991 the company built the
Majestic City
Majestic City, traded as C T Land Development PLC, is a seven-storey commercial and shopping complex, located in Bambalapitiya
Bambalapitiya is a southern coastal neighbourhood of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The area also known as Colombo 4, spans ab ...
shopping complex and
cineplex. When the
Government of Sri Lanka divested its stake in Lanka Ceramics Limited, Ceylon Theatres acquired 65% of the shares.
Empire Residencies, a 37 and 33-storeyed residential apartment twin-tower completed in 2009. In 2010, the company name was changed from Ceylon Theatres to C T Holdings. Kotmale Holdings, a dairy products manufacturing company was acquired in 2011. The company acquired a license to operate a commercial bank, and
Cargills Bank was launched in 2014. In the same year,
Cargills Square
Cargills Square is a shopping mall in the city of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. The mall is located in the heart of the city at the junction of Hospital Street and Mahathma Gandhi Road, opposite Jaffna Hospital. Work on the Rs.500 million shoppi ...
was established in Jaffna. In 2015, Empire Cineplex was established in
Arcade Independence Square.
Operations
The company operates cinemas such as Regal Colombo, Empire, and Majestic cinemas. The company has been described as one of the most traditionally managed
family-held businesses in the country.
C T Holdings operates
KFC and
TGI Fridays
TGI Fridays (operating in the UK as FRIDAYS) is an American restaurant chain focusing on primarily American cuisine and casual dining. The restaurant's founder said the name stood for "Thank God It's Friday", although some television commercial ...
franchises in Sri Lanka. C T Holdings entered into a partnership with BookMyShow, an India-based online ticketing platform. The partnership allowed access to the Vista ERP system, a customisable
ERP System. C T Holdings announced a share repurchase plan in 2020. In the board of directors' view, the share price then did not reflect the growth prospects of the company and, therefore, was conducive to repurchasing shares. Millers, a subsidiary of C T Holdings gained control of the
Bandarawela Hotel in 2022.
See also
*
*
List of Sri Lankan public corporations by market capitalisation
References
External links
C T Holdings PLC profileon Colombo Stock Exchange
{{Authority control
1928 establishments in Ceylon
Companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange
Conglomerate companies of Sri Lanka
Entertainment companies established in 1928
Holding companies established in 1928
Holding companies of Sri Lanka