The QIMA IBD seal entrusts the company with the sustainability standard necessary to stand out in the market, expanding exports.
Founded in 2006, the DND GROUP is comprised of the following divisions: DND Chemical, DND Waters, and DND Agricience, aiming to deliver innovative and high-performance solutions with inputs for the following sectors: sugar-energy, industrial, water treatment, and agricultural.
DND Chemical began its journey focusing on chemical and biological specialities to enhance processes in the industrial and agricultural sectors, with the goal of boosting performance. The implementation of the projects was conceived with the environment and future generations in mind, aiming to promote environmental awareness and sustainability among collaborators.
Headquartered in the city of Barrinha/SP, with its first branch in the city of São Miguel dos Campos/AL, the company works with reliable and certified products according to their fields of operation. Among the certifications, stands out the certification of approved inputs, attested by QIMA IBD, thus ensuring a rigorous quality standard for the brand.
The team of collaborators, numbering around 90 professionals, is trained and qualified in providing technical consultancy for the application of chemical solutions in various market segments. Additionally, the DND Group has its own fleet, ensuring efficient service, as well as an exclusive department for research and development of new products according to the needs of more than 350 clients distributed across South America, Central America, Asia, and Oceania.
Case Study
DND Chemical encountered a great opportunity and challenge when faced with the growing demand for organic products in the sugar-energy industry. Initially, the company had a certification for organic inputs for ethanol production; however, this certification did not encompass the food category.
Facing the need to obtain national and international level qualifications to prove the organicity of the sugar they produced, the company was motivated to seek knowledge and attain the necessary certifications to meet this specific demand. This scenario propelled the DND Group to take significant measures towards its adaptation and growth in the organic products market.
The challenge
Initially, DND Chemical only had an organic certificate covering ethanol production but not the food category. When the mills they served needed support, qualification, and domestic products that validated the organicity of sugar produced, the DND Group proposed to tackle the challenge of entering the organic market and acquiring the necessary knowledge that the sector demanded.
Additionally, according to the company CEO, Daniel Ferreira, the certification process, production chain procedures, allowed raw materials, and ways of working with clients were previously unclear, even though the company already held an organic certificate from another certifier. Hence, this was a gap that DND aimed to address.
The process
After researching on the Internet for qualified companies offering guarantee organic certificates, combined with client recommendations and positive feedback, DND Chemical found QIMA IBD. “Our biggest clients have QIMA IBD certifications, which facilitate communication and sales processes,” says Mariana de Souza Bento, Quality Analyst at DND Group.
Considering the global prestige of the certifier and the comprehensive support offered to partners, the DND Group opted to establish a partnership with QIMA IBD. By doing so, DND received a detailed explanation of the certification process, clarifying the main doubts of the sector and outlining strategies for approaching the clients. Additionally, they adhered to the proposal that most aligned with the primary challenge of the company: demonstrating the excellence of the organic products they produced.
After DND Group chose QIMA IBD, a company that showed organization from auditing to documentation, we gained many benefits. Among them, the knowledge of organic procedures and platforms, where and how to seek information, whom to contact, and how to proceed, in addition to internal improvements that allowed us to better manufacture, develop and even store our inputs.”
Duly certified, DND Chemical showcases its products in events, digital platforms, and printed materials, highlighting the IBD seal as a testament to quality and commitment to sustainability.
Assessment and implementation
After the entire evaluative procedure, in-person and detailed by the company, in addition to direct observation of demands, carried out by qualified auditors, DND Chemical achieved its Approved Inputs certificate. Such certification provides extra assurance of safety and trust, ensuring clients and partners that their products/services were inspected throughout the entire production process.
With four years of partnership, the DND Group uses the IBD Approved Inputs seal on its products, and with the implementation of the certificate, the company noticed an improvement in sales and market insertion internationally. Currently, the entire organic sector receives support, solutions, and direction from QIMA IBD.
In products intended for sugar production processes, the previously mentioned seal appears on products: DXD 0900 – DFLOC Clarifier ORG; LMD 0526 – Mass Lubricant ORG; EZD 5500 – Alpha Amylase Enzyme ORG and EZD 6500 – Dextranase Enzyme ORG. For ethanol manufacturing, the certification is present OrG.
All items produced by the corporation prioritize innovation, technology, and high performance, being carefully crafted according to the needs of each sector and strictly following the Quality Management System from raw material acquisition to finished product, promoting timely delivery and bringing security and reliability to the clients.
Results
Currently, DND Chemical boasts a portfolio of 16 approved inputs for organic production, 9 of which are inputs and 7 are fertilizers. This expansion has allowed the company to achieve significant presence in various countries. CEO Daniel Ferreira highlights that, although the initial challenge was to develop approved inputs for organic production that met client expectations, obtaining the IBD certification opened doors for large opportunities in the international market. He adds: “It was a game changer because there's DND Chemical before and after the QIMA IBD certification! Post certification, our company, which already had a strong national presence, became even more recognized, especially in the international market, where we weren't exporting much. Now our exports are in large scale.”
The CEO of the DND Group claims that, aside from the global reach of QIMA IBD, their support is the standout feature, as it allows for clarifying specific doubts regarding legislation governing diverse organic production markets, both domestic and international, and that their best-selling organic product is the one with the QIMA IBD seal.