N.V. Consolidated Industries Corporation a private company with approximately
150 shareholders, was established in 1967. It is situated near the southern end of Paramaribo.
N.V. CIC commenced its commercial activities with the production and distribution of powder detergents for household and industrial use. The initial equipment included a spray tower (capacity 2400 T per annum), a steam boiler and a box-filling machine. Diversification of the product range followed in the second year of operation, with the production of liquid detergents and toothpaste. Production was extended gradually, while the capacity of the spray tower was upgraded several times and presently mounts to 4800 T per annum.

In 1971 the annual turnover of the company reached a level of one million Suriname guilders (i.e. the equivalent of ± U.S. $ 550.000,-).
Company performance during the seventies was characterized by diversification, quality improvement and gradual enlargement of domestic market-shares.

In 1976 exports to the neighboring French-Guyana commenced. In 1977 annual production of powder-detergents reached a level of over one million kilograms.

One year later production of plastic packaging materials started.
At present the company has eight blow-molding and three injection-molding machines in operation and produces a wide variety of bottles and caps.

After the military coup in 1980 Suriname faced major political and economical problems for more than a decade. Foreign currencies for the purchase of raw materials, spare parts and replacement-investments were no longer available. The phenomenon of "scarcity made its entrance and the purchasing power of the population dropped tremendously.

It was not until 1992 that raw materials and spare parts could again be purchased as needed through the so-called "EA-licenses" ( with foreign currencies purchased on the black - or parallel market). In 1993 the monetary authorities finally liberated the foreign exchange market.

In the above mentioned situation in the eighties, CIC looked into possibilities for resourced-based activities.
CIC pioneered in the fields of horticultural, agriculture and agro processing.
Its one-time horticultural subsidiary (shares were sold in 1994) exports ornamentals twice a week to Holland.

Another subsidiary reached the shelves of a major supermarket chain in Holland with its Coropina brand of tropical fruit based food-products. Mainly due to these pioneering activities the number of employees grew from 130 to 220 between 1983 and 1996.

As Suriname became a member of Caricom in 1996, CIC entered a new era with a totally different (open) market situation. On the one hand, CIC instantly faced a challenging and highly competitive  environment in the local market, since import duties were no longer levied on products from Caricom countries. On the other hand, interesting new markets had opened and the combination of manufacturing both packaging material and detergents offered unique opportunities. 

CIC had to change its course and new strategic goals were set. More emphasis was put on quality management and cost reduction. Under the “leaner and meaner” device, shares of the agricultural, horticultural and agro processing subsidiaries were sold and CIC decided to focus on its core-business i.e. chemicals and plastics. In 1998 CIC embarked on a comprehensive program of rehabilitating  and modernizing production facilities, while innovating the product range. Formulations, packaging and labels were improved in order to comply with the requirements of the new markets.

 In the course of three years existing facilities were overhauled, introducing up-to-date technologies and machinery. By June 2000, replacement investments in the plastic factory had resulted in a reborn production facility, with state-of-the-art blow molding and injection molding equipment. As a result of continuous development and innovation, the plastic factory is HACCP and ISO 9000; 2000 certified since 2006 and our plastic bottles, jars and caps are manufactured under “Clean-Room” conditions. The liquid detergent plant was ISO 9000: 2000 certified in April 2007  and the powder detergent plant is modernized to suite the third millennium and ISO-certified in August 2007.
 

CIC, Leaders in Detergents and Plastics