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Scandinavia has built a solid reputation as one of the hotbeds of modern design deeply rooted in simplicity and functionality. In Sweden, this trend-setting spirit lives on in Duni, a global company that specializes in concepts, services and products that enhance any eating and drinking experience. President and CEO Hans von Uthmann explained that Duni has carved its niche among home interior, travel and hospitality companies that give a high premium on quality services and designs. "With our napkins, table covers and other products and expertise, we can change the mood of a restaurant and help it cater to a particular theme, whether it be the European Championships, Independence Day, Christmas or any occasion," von Uthmann boasted. Duni, which employs 4,700 personnel and operates in 30 countries, is divided into three divisions: retail, professional and travel. While the retail division caters to individual consumers, the professional unit engages in business-to-business operations with hotels and restaurants. The travel division grew two years ago with the acquisition of De Ster, which makes serving equipment, food containers and utensils for the air industry. De Ster, which remains a world leader in the field, enjoys a 50 percent market share in Europe and a 30 percent market share in Asia and the Americas. For Duni, the purchase of De Ster made sense because the company spotted a growing trend toward "food on the go" in both air and rail travel. And the company also saw that more and more people are having fast-food or take-out meals over home-cooked meals. Much innovation is behind the booming business of Duni, which was the first to introduce colored napkins to the European market. Aside from having developed and patented different kinds of materials for table napkins, the company takes great pride in the quality of all its products. Following the success of the Dunilin, Dunicel and Dunisilk a few years ago, the firm recently launched its Banquet line, which are disposable table napkins that look and feel like linen ones. In fact, some clients mistook them for the real thing and washed them. As part of the company's internationalization, Duni has been expanding its presence in Asia through an existing office and production facility in Bangkok. The Bangkok office will oversee the Duni's aggressive marketing campaign for South Korea and Singapore. Through its Bangkok operations, Duni also wants to bolster its travel division by adding even more Asian airlines to its long list of customers, a few of which are Japanese air carriers. Less than a year into the job as CEO, von Uthmann said that Duni has been already reaping some benefits of the De Ster acquisition and expressed pride over how the company has successfully pulled its businesses together and worked as a group.
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Hans von Uthmann continues to set trends for dining and drinking occasions.
Duni's tableware patterns have moved beyond merely utilitarian functions to meet new design challenges.