Mr. A.Y.S. Gnanam the founder of St. Anthony’s Group, established his initial business venture by trading in scrap iron and soon expanded business to export scrap iron to Europe, which paved the way for his entry into the hardware industry in Ceylon. St. Anthony’s Hardware Stores was launched in 1944 as the trading arm of St. Anthony’s Group.
The Group’s manufacturing activities commenced in 1960 with the production of wire nails, laying the foundation for numerous industries to follow. Several manufacturing ventures were undertaken by the founder who continued to steer the company till his demise.
