The Big Interview Dupli – the new name for Tetenal UK

Effective as of March this year, long-standing partner to the fine art and photographic print industry, Tetenal UK, has a new name and branding as ‘Dupli’. We speak to CEO Mike Fawcett to discover what’s changed and why, in most regards, it’s ‘business as usual.’

As the leading supplier of photographic print equipment and consumables nationwide, any changes at Tetenal UK were always going to be big news. And yet the seeds of these changes were sewn as far back as 2019, with the management buyout of the UK subsidiary of Tetenal GmbH, based in Germany. Now, four years on, the independent UK distributor has opted for a name change to ‘Dupli’ and some fresh new branding to go with it. With this news reverberating through our industry, we thought it time to catch up with former Tetenal UK MD – now the new Dupli CEO – Mike Fawcett to find out what opportunities this will have for specialist photo retailers buying its products, and the wider photographic print trade…

BPI News: Is this a case of ‘our name may have changed, but our service remains largely the same?’

Mike Fawcett: It’s business as usual as far as we’re concerned. The team will still offer the same outstanding service to customers but with a powerful new brand and identity. It’s a testament to the strength of our team and our offering that, despite industry and market challenges, we had our best ever year in 2022. We’ve added Noritsu Green dry labs and become the official Noritsu partner for the UK and Iceland. We’re also committed to strengthening our relationships with Hahnemuhle, Epson, FujiFilm, Kodak Alaris and DNP. Plus, it’s worth adding that all of the Kodak Express stores in the country are still managed by Dupli. Our team in Leicester has also grown. There’s 35 of us now, with more joining the team in the coming months.

Q: Why choose ‘Dupli’ as a new name and brand? It’s fair to assume that ‘Dupli’ is an abbreviation of ‘Duplication’?

A: Well, we invested in consultants who took us through an in-depth, iterative process where, with the team, we examined the things that make us different, and what’s important to our employees and our customers. We are really proud of our heritage, and it was time for us to embrace a new name and identity that reflects the modern and innovative company that we are today, taking the best of that heritage and experience with us. It’s the right time for us to further invest in our brand, our team and our business. Our rebranding as ‘Dupli’ includes a new look and feel logo, website and strapline: ‘Partners in

Your invitation to a day out with Dupli this May: On the 24th at Dupli HQ, the team will be getting experimental

Print’. We wanted a name that suggests our company is continuing to offer the same superior printing services it has provided for almost 35 years.

Q: Who are Dupli’s core audience and its customers – and where do you see routes for expansion?

A: Without giving too much away, we have an event lined up for May to which we’re inviting the trade (See Page 2 for more details – Ed). We’ve exciting plans for development under the new identity, including growing the Dupli team and offering customers more support than ever before. We’ve invested heavily in our technical infrastructure to enable us to continually advance and improve our service levels. We also share common values with many of our key partners, such as Epson’s drive toward sustainability. We’re also looking to expand further into the fine art and events market. Hence the strengthening of our partnerships with brands such as Hahnemuhle and DNP, experts in fine art and events printing, makes perfect sense.

Q: The past few years have seen the photo industry face some of its biggest ever challenges but the last year was your most successful ever. What do you put that down to?

A: After completing our management buy-out in 2019, the coronavirus pandemic was certainly our biggest challenge to date. But – true to form –the team came together during a tough period to help us emerge strong and in a solid position to grow. Whilst some businesses chose to consolidate, we chose to invest in ours. Our investment in our brand is the next chapter in our business growth – one in which we aim to exceed the gold standard in delivering support to both loyal and new customers, thanks to our knowledge and expertise.

Q: Your existing partners in the trade will be relieved to learn that their points of contact remain the same for Dupli and that only the emails – and website address – have changed.

A: That’s right. Absolutely nothing is changing regarding our team. Our investment in our business and ambition for growth means that we believe that now more than ever, there is a great career path for all our Dupli colleagues, as they continue to help us lead the photographic and printing equipment markets with our experience and expertise. On a practical note, all email addresses now end in dupli.co.uk which is also the new address for our website (www.dupli.co.uk)

Our trade partners should also update their records for future purchases from Tetenal Ltd to Dupli Ltd. The Company Registration and VAT numbers remain the same. Likewise, there’s no change to bank name or details. For suppliers the delivery address stays the same, and there is no impact on orders – customer deliveries stay the same. We’ve updated our website, stationery, signage, and packaging as well as all the ways we communicate. We intend to make the transition as ‘seamless’ as possible, but please bear with us if the odd rogue piece of communication slips through!

Q: For anyone who hasn’t previously ordered from or partnered with Tetenal UK, what’s your sales pitch as regards the newly minted Dupli Ltd?

A: We believe we have the best brands with the widest range of stock, including exclusive products and next day delivery. We offer peace of mind via install and aftersales support and technical knowledge. We can help you grow your business in your own way. We’ve experience of working on big projects but are equally comfortable helping out smaller operations. Our

Partnered in print: From L to R, new Dupli Board of Directors Louise Wilce (Chief Marketing Officer), Mark Norman (Chief Finance Officer), Mike Fawcett (CEO), Phil Barker (Chief Sales Officer) and Verity Adkin (Chief Operating Officer) mantra at Dupli is: “We treat every customer like our biggest customer.”

Q: Any parting shot you want to leave your peers in the trade with?

A: We’re proud of both our heritage and expertise as well as excited about our bright future – hopefully we’ve created a brand positioning that encapsulates a unique blend of both. In the short-term yes we have a new name, but otherwise we don’t intend on anything else feeling different! Our team will still offer the same trusted experience and expertise, and customers will still have access to the best brands with next-day delivery on all products. Plus, we’ll still be offering favourable credit terms and a talented in-house Technical Support team to boot. As we settle into our new brand we will look to make improvements to our services and our communications, as a starter, but throughout we’ll make sure we talk to you and keep you informed.

Your key contacts at Dupli Ltd

Sales: Charlotte Spilane charlotte.spilane@dupli.co.uk

Technical Support: Darren Whitmore darren.whitmore@dupli.co.uk

Customer Service: Lauren Canham lauren.canham@dupli.co.uk

Hardware Sales: Chris Allsopp chris.allsopp@dupli.co.uk

Accounts Payable: Morgan Fawcett morgan.fawcett@dupli.co.uk

Credit Control: Laura Spicer laura.spicer@dupli.co.uk

Marketing: Craig Bird craig.bird@dupli.co.uk

Purchasing: Rebecca Isaacs rebecca.isaacs@dupli.co.uk