For years, Dunn’s was easily recognised by its rhino logo and the tagline, “The Power People,” which accurately reflected its focus as an electrical company. Over time, however, Dunn’s expanded beyond electrical products to include hardware, plumbing, kitchens, lighting, furniture, home décor, concrete, aggregates, and blocks. Today, Dunn’s supports every stage of a project, from the foundation to the finishing touches. While the company evolved, its branding remained tied to its origins. This need for alignment is the reason behind its modernisation, it says.

Dunn’s was founded in June 2009 by CEO Steve Dunn, starting with about nine employees at 2B Derrymore Road in Kingston. The company’s initial goal was to provide reliable electrical products and stand out through exceptional service. There was no extensive catalog of furnishings or building materials; the focus was strictly electrical. The commitment to reliability, quality, and customer care established the foundation for the company’s future growth.

Dunn’s expansion was guided by a key question: What else do customers need? Contractors often required hardware in addition to electrical supplies, while homeowners and developers needed a range of products for their projects. By listening to customers, Dunn’s recognised that purchases were part of larger projects, prompting the company to broaden its offerings to support entire projects rather than isolated needs.

It expanded its offerings to include hardware, plumbing, kitchens, furniture, home décor, lighting, concrete, aggregates, and blocks. This shift allowed the company to engage with customers throughout the entire building process, from initial construction to final finishes. As operations grew, Dunn’s relocated to 15¾ Red Hills Road, Kingston, to accommodate its larger product range, team, and ambitions.

However, the old branding conveyed a much narrower focus.

“The Power People” was effective for an electrical supplier, suggesting expertise and specialisation. As Dunn’s expanded beyond power-related products, the brand no longer reflected its full scope. The rebrand was not just about updating the logo, but about aligning the company’s identity with its broader offerings. The previous tagline, while foundational, had become too limited.

Dunn’s needed a tagline that reflected its evolution. The shift from “The Power People” to “Your Building and Finishes Partner” marks a strategic change. The new tagline emphasises Dunn’s role as a partner, not just a supplier. Partners help customers achieve their goals, aligning with Dunn’s mission to inspire customers to build greatness. The company now positions itself around the customer’s entire vision, not just a single category.

The visual rebrand reflects this evolution. Dunn’s original cartoon-like rhino conveyed strength, dependability, and approachability, fitting for an electrical and hardware business. As the company matured, its visual identity also needed to mature. The updated branding adopts a modern, sophisticated look that mirrors the business’s growing complexity.

Dunn’s now serves both practical categories, such as concrete and hardware, and aesthetic-focused areas, such as kitchens, lighting, furniture, and home décor. The brand must convey strength without appearing one-dimensional, and appeal to both contractors and homeowners. The updated rhino and visual system symbolize this transformation. The company’s strength remains, but has matured.

Successful rebrands can be risky because companies sometimes focus so much on appearing new that they disconnect from what customers trusted originally. Dunn’s challenge was different: modernise the expression without changing the principles beneath it. Those principles remain evident in the company’s core values: Respect, Integrity, Team Collaboration, Customer-Centricity, and Compassion.

Customer-centricity, in particular, explains the expansion. Dunn’s added categories because customers needed more comprehensive solutions. Integrity becomes more important as those categories multiply. A company promising to be a ‘building and finishes partner’ must maintain dependable standards beyond the department where its reputation began. Team collaboration is essential when electrical, hardware, plumbing, building materials, and home finishes all operate under one name. Respect and compassion ensure that beneath the scale and modernization, business remains fundamentally about people.

Continuity is central to Dunn’s story. The company did not change its identity to forget its origins, but because its growth required a brand that reflects its current capabilities. In 2009, Dunn’s needed to show expertise in electrical products. Today, it aims to support customers at every stage of the building process. This evolution is why the rhino and the brand needed to change.