10 January 2000

SEAN FARREN PRESENTS IIP AWARD TO DROMONA QUALITY FOODS

"People are the lifeblood of every business and we must invest in them if we are to succeed", the Minister for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, Dr Sean Farren MLA, said today as he presented Dromona Quality Foods with the prestigious Investors in people (IIP) Award.

Speaking at a special ceremony in the company’s offices in Belfast, Dr Farren said: "If businesses are to set themselves apart from their competitors and succeed in local, national and international markets, they need the people to do it.

"That means they have to develop their people and invest in them in exactly the same way that they would invest in machinery, equipment and buildings. Dromona Quality Foods have done just that and their business record shows the rewards that have followed as a result.

"Just as importantly, achieving IIP status has shown that Dromona has a vision for the future and an understanding of their customers’ needs. Not only does that mean those customers know the commitment and quality they will receive, but that they will keep coming back."

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

The IIP Standard was introduced in Northern Ireland in 1994. It is the national quality standard which sets a level of good practice for improving an organisation’s performance through its people.

In Northern Ireland 289 organisations have achieved IIP status.

Dromona Quality Foods was established in 1990 as the product manufacturing and marketing operators of the new Milk Marketing Board for Northern Ireland. In 1995, following deregulation of milk marketing, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of United Dairy Farmers, being able to trade commercially while supported by the parent company. It currently employs 285 staff in the provision of cheddar cheese, whole milk power, liquid milk, dairy spreads, butters and Spelga cultured products.