DOS PINOS RL MILK PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE

(abbreviated as COOPROLE R. L. but more popularly known as “Dos Pinos”) is a cooperative producer of , beverages, and candy products headquartered in ,. It has a brand portfolio of over 600 brands and its products are sold throughout and the Caribbean. Cooperativa de Productores de Leche R. In these initial years the cooperative was forced to diversify its business because milk prices were regulated in Costa Rica which limited the profitability of the business. The cooperative decided to focus then on the “noble products” (dairy derivatives) which helped its bottom line and helped it expand its number of processing plants. In 1978 Dos Pinos opened a large powdered milk plant in allowing it to better process milk from the northern part of the country. In 1982 it was reported that the company had 10 operating plants in Costa Rica. In 1988 the firm completed its first formal export order abroad opening itself to selling to nearby countries. In 2007 it opened its operations in by building a large distribution center and setting aside space for a future processing plant. 7 million dollars. Founded in 1947, the enterprise takes raw milk from its members and processes it into fresh milk, long-life milk and other dairy products. Most members are medium-sized local farmers with an average of ten hectares of land. In total, the cooperative comprises around 5,000 employees. Together with the European Financing Partners S. A. , DEG supports the company’s sustainable and responsible path to growth. With a long-term loan of 19 million US dollars provided in 2021, DEG has been enabling the cooperative to improve its liquidity during this demanding pandemic and to drive forward the expansion of the company. The company is now investing in the modernisation and expansion of two production facilities as well as in the improvement of the cold chain infrastructure. As an employer and cooperation partner, the company generates local income and is committed to local communities, for example in the areas of education, health and sustainable waste management. The loan will be used, among other things, to modernise and expand two production facilities and also to improve Costa Rica’s cold chain infrastructure. Supported by DEG’s Business Support Services Dos Pinos will also increase resource efficiency in many production processes. Members receive more than three quarters of the net income. They also receive agricultural inputs and services from the cooperative. The focus of the multi-certified business is on the production of high-quality milk and dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese. “This includes providing social and economic development to our farmers and employees or maintaining a responsible relationship with the environment. We are also committed to providing health and wellness to our consumers through first quality products based on our continuous innovation process. “But with our loan to Dos Pinos, we are also supporting their impressive commitment to local communities in the areas of education, healthcare and sustainable waste management. In this way it helps to improve the supply of food in developing countries and to enhance local value added. Just recently, it provided a long-term loan of USD 20 million to a leading peanut processing company in Nicaragua. in the Duarte Industrial Park, about 22 kilometers from the capital of the Dominican Republic, it has 8,500 square meters of construction and is one of the most modern and technologically advanced plants of its kind in the Dominican Republic. The Cooperativa de celebrates 75 years of experience, positioned as one of the most important companies in the dairy industry and with a high degree of innovation in its products. Its market position is synonymous with quality, innovation and high nutritional value. Achieving an impact on employment, on economic dynamism, the clients and countries we supply, the capacities of our plant, the innovation that we export from the parent company to bring products of great nutritional value and in accordance with the trends of the Dominican consumer” , explained the international business director of the Cooperative, Luis Alberto Alfonso. In addition, one of the leading companies in the non-dairy beverage category, where innovation and diversification predominate as one of the fundamental pillars on which the brand has been built. Due to the diversification of its business model with the incorporation of well-known brands such as the purchase of the Gallito candy and chocolate brand that is present in the region, as well as Las Heladerías La Estación (Costa Rica). Founded in 1947 by a group of 25 visionary men with an agricultural vocation, who constituted what is today a cooperative model of 100% Costa Rican capital, with an important distributive and dynamic effect on the Costa Rican and regional economy. demonstrating the group’s confidence in investing in the country. > **_“The Dominican Republic represents a country with great potential for commercial growth, holding privileged positions in terms of economic performance, proof of this is that the Dominican Republic is the country with the highest economic growth in Latin America, with 5. 4%, accumulating six years with a average economic growth close to 6% per year, according to ECLAC,” said Alfonso. Corripio Distributor is also one of the most recognized and leading brands in the food industry in that country. It also has a modern wastewater treatment plant and fire alarm systems, made up of a raw material receipt, an area for formulation, filling, and a place for finished products. In the region, 1,600,000 liters of milk of the highest quality are collected daily. It exports to 11 countries: the United States, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, and Belize; it has production plants in Costa Rica (6), Nicaragua (1), Panama (1) and now the Dominican Republic (1)