DIMO Legacy – A journey through history
Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO) was founded in 1939 by four young entrepreneurs. Tata Motors’ relationship with DIMO began in 1961 when the very first Tata Motors truck was exported to them in 1961. DIMO offers customers excellent and unmatched after-sales service, along with a variety of mobility and logistics solutions. For over seven decades, DIMO has been touching the lives of people of Sri Lanka several times over.
DIMO Legacy
The Humble Beginning 1939 – 1960
It all began in 1939 with Harold Algama, Stephen Peiris, P.D. Alexander and Cyril Algama coming to work one morning to find that with the advent of World War II, their employer, a German named Mr. F.K. Heller had been incarcerated and the business seized by the Government. With little money and few prospects, the four unemployed youth decided to start their own business.
This was the beginning of DIMO.
A Historic Partnership 1960 – 1970
TATA Motors, India ventured into the international market starting with Sri Lanka by partnering with DIMO in 1961. Demarked with the three-pointed star, the very first TATA vehicle exported out of India arrived on the shores of Sri Lanka. And thus began one of the most successful business relationships which paved the way for years of mutual trust and success.
Delving into Diversification 1970 – 1990
Despite the business climate of a planned economy, DIMO endured due in large part to their focus on after-sales service and always putting the customer first. DIMO started producing radiators, brake linings, gaskets and kingpins which were very rare due to the imposed import restrictions.
The Formative Years 1990 – 2000
The Company found that Sri Lankan society was experiencing a substantial "brain drain" and therefore a need to develop human resources arose. The dawn of the 90s witnessed the launch of the DIMO Automobile Training School (DATS) established in collaboration with Daimler AG, Germany to develop a course of international standards. The school became the first one of its kind in the private sector to offer an automotive technology education as a social service.
The New Millennium 2000 – 2008
The new millennium witnessed DIMO reaching a pivotal milestone by meeting the demands of internationally approved norms and standards with ISO 9001:2000 for the Company´s operational practices and ISO 14001: 2004 for their environmental management practices certified by Det Norske Veritas Inc. (DNV).
The Dawn of a New Era 2009 – present
With the end of the war and the resulting growth in the economy, DIMO had laid the foundation to achieve world-class status through their years of strategic business practices particularly with their focus on services. Hence, a new era of business diversification was set in motion.
