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Company History

Believe In Better is our company manifesto. It is our open-ended commitment to an endless evolution of excellence. We believe in better as an uncompromising approach to doing business.

THE EVOLUTION OF DERRIMON TRADING LTD

The Derrimon story is anything but ordinary. It describes how one entrepreneur, built a commodities distribution company which, in just 10 years, had become one of the leading distributors of consumer products in Jamaica.

Derrick Cotterell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Derrimon, was careful not to take credit for Derrimon’s success. At every step of the Derrimon story, there were strange “coincidences” and unimaginably fortuitous opportunities that Derrick and his team could only attribute to “the grace of God.” Additionally, Derrimon – named after Derrick and Monique Cotterell – has succeeded through the efforts of an entire family and committed team members.

1998
Company Incorporated
1998
2002
Nestle Distribution Agreement
2002
2006
Entered the Rice Market
2006
2008
Entered the Cold Storage Market
2008
2009
Acquired Sampars
(Marcus Garvey Drive)
2009
2011
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars
Washington Boulevard
2011
2012
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars
West Street
2012
2013
Listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange
2013
2013
Established Sampars
Mandeville
2013
2014
Official Launch Of Proprietary Brand - Delect
2014
2014
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars Old Harbour
2014
2014
Acquired 49% Stake in Caribbean Flavours & Fragrances
2014
2015
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars St. Anns Bay
2015
2017
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars Cross Roads
2017
2017
Acquired Controlling Interest of Caribbean Flavours & Fragrances
2017
2017
Acquired & Rebranded Select Grocers
2017
2018
Acquired Woodcats International Limited
2018
2020
Relocated Distribution Centre Ferry Pen, St. Catherine
2020
2021
Successful Completion of APO
2021
2021
Acquired FoodSavers NY and Good Food For Less
2021
2021
Acquisition of Spicy Hill Farms Limited
2021
2022
Acquisition of Arosa Limited
2022
2022
Opening of Select Grocers Millenium Mall, May Pen, Clarendon
2022
1998
Company Incorporated
1998
2002
Nestle Distribution Agreement
2002
2006
Entered the Rice Market
2006
2008
Entered the Cold Storage Market
2008
2009
Acquired Sampars
(Marcus Garvey Drive)
2009
2011
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars
Washington Boulevard
2011
2012
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars
West Street
2012
2013
Listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange
2013
2013
Established Sampars
Mandeville
2013
2014
Official Launch Of Proprietary Brand - Delect
2014
2014
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars Old Harbour
2014
2014
Acquired 49% Stake in Caribbean Flavours & Fragrances
2014
2015
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars St. Anns Bay
2015
2017
Acquired and rebranded to Sampars Cross Roads
2017
2017
Acquired Controlling Interest of Caribbean Flavours & Fragrances
2017
2017
Acquired & Rebranded Select Grocers
2017
2018
Acquired Woodcats International Limited
2018
2020
Relocated Distribution Centre Ferry Pen, St. Catherine
2020
2021
Successful Completion of APO
2021
2021
Acquired FoodSavers NY and Good Food For Less
2021
2021
Acquisition of Spicy Hill Farms Limited
2021
2022
Acquisition of Arosa Limited
2022
2022
Opening of Select Grocers Millenium Mall, May Pen, Clarendon
2022
1998
2002
2002
2006
2006
2006
2008
2009
2013
2014
2009 - 2017
2017
2018
2020
2021
THE BEGINNING
In 1998, Derrick imported several containers of granulated sugar to supply manufacturers of syrup. The venture was successful and profitable and so, encouraged by his good fortune, Derrick quickly expanded his reach. Despite the early success however, he was forced to back-off his new endeavour and refocus his energies on managing Cotterell’s Texaco, a gas station owned and operated by the Cotterell family.
THE NESTLE ERA
It was not until four years later that Derrimon, in its current form kicked into high gear.
In 2002 Derrick got word that Nestle was seeking to contract distributors. Neslte, the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company, was changing its market strategy. The company wanted to give greater focus to a few select accounts, and have its remaining accounts handled by regional sub-distributors. Derrick sought out the opportunity, and after consultations with Nestle, the recently formalized and relatively unknown company – Derrimon Trading – was chosen to be one of Nestlé’s four regional sub distributors in Jamaica. Derrimon received responsibility for the Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Thomas markets.
Established stationary division
THE RICE TRADE
IMPROVING DERRIMON’S OPERATIONS
The Nestle contract brought about the formal start of Derrimon and ensured the steady expansion of the business from year to year. At that point however, Derrick saw the need to enhance Derrimon’s efficiency in distributions and ensure more effective market penetration. To strengthen the team, Winston Thomas, a longstanding veteran in the business of distribution, with over 27 years of solid experience – at GraceKennedy, Lascelles de Mercado and Pepsi Jamaica – was appointed as Derrimon’s General Manager. In short order, with both Derrick and Winston fully focused on the business, Derrimon concretized improvements to its operations. It was now ready for the next level.
ENTERING THE RICE FIELD
It was clear that Nestle products, by themselves, could not create the success of which Derrimon dreamed. Increasingly, the itch to diversify, to innovate and to expand became unbearable. Nestle; thankfully, was not opposed to the idea of Derrimon diversifying its clientele. With all lights on green, Derrimon quickly began to explore the option of importing rice, and in October 2006, the fateful first container of rice was imported
UNPARALLELED SUCCESS
After selling the first container, another batch was quickly imported, and so it continued. The orders rapidly escalated from one container of rice per month, to multiple, and soon Derrimon became synonymous with rice. The secret to Derrimon’s success in the rice field was simple: unmatched dependability in availability and distribution.
Entered Frozen and Chilled meats
Two years after first entering the rice market, the itch to innovate and expand returned with fierce urgency. Rice alone, like Nestle products before it, would not be enough to create the success of which the team at Derrimon dreamed. Derrimon entered the cold storage market in 2008 and by early 2009 was able to establish its own cold storage division offering items such as offals, seafood and mutton to name a few.
Established board of Directors and acquired 1st Sampars Marcus Garvey Drive
In 2009 Derrimon Trading established its board of directors. Derrick Cotterell, Derrimon’s Founder & Chief Executive Officer, was appointed chairman. The other appointees to board were Monique Cotterell, Ian Kelly, Winston Thomas and Attorney-at-Law Alexander Williams, as an external director. President of the Airport Authority of Jamaica and Chief Executive Officer of the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) Limited, Earl Anthony Richards, was subsequently appointed as an external director.
Derrimon Trading listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange's Junior Market
Derrimon Trading Company Limited becomes the 20th company to be listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s Junior Market trading under the symbol DTL.
Launched Delect brand THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Launched Delect brand of consumer food products.
Acquire Sampar's
Acquire and re-brand (7) Sampar’s locations.
Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances becomes a subsidiary of DTL, acquired and re-branded Select Grocers.
Acquired Woodcats nternational Limited
Acquired 100% shareholding in Woodcats International Limited (WIL) a manufacture of wooden pallets and by products of wood such as mulch.
105,000sq distribution centre
Relocated our 105,000sq distribution centre in Ferry Pen, St. Catherine to improve efficiency and provide floor space to keep pace with the rapid portfolio expansion.
Successful completion of APO. New acquisitions including the US-based FoodSavers New York and Spicy Hill Farms Limited.

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