Dairy Industries Jamaica Limited
Dairy Industries Jamaica Ltd. (DIJL) are producers and contract-packagers of a range of milk-based products. The company, located in Kingston, Jamaica, produces and markets well-known household brands. DIJL's line of products includes canned processed cheese under the Tastee Cheese, Crest and Cheder brands; and Tastee processed cheese in vacuum packs and spreads; Anchor and This Is Really Great which are market-leading yogurt brands; and Anchor milk powder and Tastee processed cheese in vacuum packs and spreads. The company also recently rolled out Country Gold an economical cheese-based product.
The company’s flagship product is Tastee Cheese which commands the largest share of the cheese market in Jamaica. Eaten with spiced and sweetened buns, bread or crackers, the product is a staple for quick snacks or on-the-go lunches for many Jamaicans. There is a strong tradition with Jamaicans of having spiced buns with cheese at Easter time and Tastee Cheese is the cheese of choice. A high proportion of the cheese consumed each year occurs in the few days around the Easter holidays.
The company was formed on April 23, 1964, the result of a partnership between GraceKennedy Ltd. and the New Zealand Dairy Board, now known as Fonterra Co-operative Group of New Zealand, one of the world's leading exporters of dairy products.
An exporter and earner of vital foreign exchange, Dairy Industries products reach consumers in North America, and CARICOM Countries. Over the years we have continued to modernize our facilities to keep up with developments in technology. Our factory in Kingston houses a modern processed cheese manufacturing and filling line, vacuum packing line for cheese, a cultured products room, sachet packing as well as a cheese spread processing and packaging lines.
In 1995 DIJL became the first company in the Caribbean to be certified to ISO 9001 standard. This achievement was repeated in 2003 when the company obtained the ISO 9001:2000 certification. In 2007, we received Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification from the Guelph Food Technology Centre for our food safety programme.
We are firm believers in the importance of maintaining high levels of quality, food safety and operational excellence, and are on a quest to continuously improve our people and processes through training and innovation. Our highly skilled staff of just over 100 persons, plays a very important role in the success of DIJL.
Community Involvement
It is not only the people who are employees and customers that are important to DIJL. The dairy producer epitomizes good corporate citizenship in the community, and has implemented programmes to its neighbours in the communities adjoining its operations and across the country.
The company assists the Drews Avenue Primary and Infant School with nutritious products and developing its infrastructure, and works with other schools and other organizations in the area on activities that benefit Jamaica's children.
We also support several sporting activities. Since 1996, DIJL has sponsored Waterhouse Football Club's participation in the National Premier League. The team won the championship in 1998, 2003, and 2006, and has also won three Jackie Bell knockout titles. The company's sponsorship has so far totaled more than J$20 million. In 2003, DIJL, in cooperation with other corporate partners, helped to raise funds for the construction of a mini-stadium at Drewsland, the team's home ground.