Tine (company) facts for kids
| Cooperative | |
| Industry | Dairy |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Oslo, Norway |
|
Area served
|
Norway Global |
|
Key people
|
Hanne Refsholt (CEO) |
| Products | Tinemelk milk Jarlsberg cheese Snøfrisk Diplom-Is |
| Revenue |  NOK 20.4 billion (2013) |
| 948 mill. | |
|
Number of employees
|
5,600 (2013) |
TINE SA is Norway's biggest dairy product company. It is a special type of business called an agricultural cooperative. This means it is owned by the farmers who supply the milk. About 15,000 farmers own TINE, and it has 5,600 employees. In 2013, the company made about 20.4 billion Norwegian kroner in sales.
TINE sells almost every type of dairy product in Norway. Some of its most famous products around the world include Jarlsberg cheese, Snøfrisk goat cheese, and Ski-Queen (brunost). TINE is the largest of the thirteen farmer-owned cooperatives in Norway.
What is TINE?
TINE is a company that belongs to many farmers. These farmers work together to produce and sell milk and other dairy products. Instead of selling their milk to different companies, they all sell it to TINE. This way, they can work as one big team.
TINE takes the milk from the farms and turns it into many different foods. These include milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. Because TINE is so large, it provides most of the dairy products that people in Norway buy.
How TINE Started
Dairy cooperatives, where farmers work together, have been around in Norway since 1856. The company we know as TINE today began in 1928. It was first called "Norwegian Dairies' Export Company." This company helped Norwegian dairy products be sold to other countries.
Over the years, the company changed its name a few times. In 1942, it became "Norwegian Dairies' Sales," and in 1984, it was simply "Norwegian Dairies." The name "TINE" was first used as a brand name for their products in 1992. In 2008, TINE was even named the world's number one cooperative based on its size! In 2010, the company officially became TINE SA, following new laws for cooperatives.
The Name "TINE"
The word "tine" comes from an old Norwegian tradition. A "tine" was a special wooden container. People used these containers to keep butter and cheese fresh for a long time. It was a very important tool for storing food in the past. So, the company name "TINE" connects to this history of keeping dairy products good.
TINE's Family of Companies
TINE owns parts of, or all of, several other companies. These companies help TINE sell different types of food and drinks.
- Diplom-Is: This is the biggest ice cream maker in Scandinavia. TINE owns 100% of this company.
- Fjordland: This company makes ready-made meals. TINE owns 51% of Fjordland.
- Norseland Ltd.: This company sells TINE's products in Ireland and the United Kingdom. TINE owns all of it.
- Norseland Inc.: This company helps sell TINE's cheeses in Canada and the United States. TINE owns all of it.
- Sunniva: This company makes and sells juice and soft drinks in Norway. TINE owns all of it.
- OsteCompagniet: This company sells special, more expensive cheeses in Norway. TINE owns all of it.
- Wernersson Ost: This company sells cheeses from Norway and other countries in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. TINE owns all of it.
