A Manchester family business that works with retail giants and fashion stores celebrated its 25th birthday this week, lauding the talent that staff brings to the company.
Duo UK provides high profile national brands such as Tesco, Boohoo and Missguided with top-quality, environmentall-friendly packaging.
Today, Duo UK turns over £25million and employs more than 120 people between their two sites in Manchester and Nottingham.
Managing Director David Brimelow said his main philosophy has always been to put values first.
He said: “Integrity is an important attribute at Duo. We care for our employees and are committed to nurturing new talent and supporting staff throughout their career.”
This sentiment was echoed by logistics coordinator Tom Gibsons who talked about the close-knit nature of the firm.
He said: “When you become an employee for Duo you become part of the family.”
This intimate working relationship is not just confined to the company itself, but also its business partners, big or small.
They have worked with Manchester brands Boohoo and Misguided from the very beginning of their journey up to their current fame and hope to help other start-ups in the future.
To commemorate their anniversary, Duo has splashed out £1.1million on brand new, top-of-the-range equipment, including a £750,000 co-ex machine which produces better quality polythene using recycled materials more quickly.
David explained: “This investment gives us a great platform to build on our first quarter of a century in business.”
It is a far cry from the company’s 1988 launch when they employed just 17 members of staff and only had four machines.
A significant part of their success has to be pinned to their unique innovations regarding packaging, but Duo put their achievements down to the hard work and dedication of the staff.
Sales support manager Eddie Chandley said: “We all share the same vision for the company’s future, with a passionate, hands-on approach by team members across all levels.”
The company is now setting their sights on creating more efficient packaging for online retail such as re-sealable bags for ASOS to make returning goods more straightforward.
For more information visit http://www.duo-uk.co.uk/
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