Profile

Cherrill Mends loves her job. Whether it’s proof-reading, negotiating with printers or travelling all over Europe, she struggles to think of something about her work that she doesn’t like. Perhaps it’s because at sports and fashion multi-channel retailer M and M Direct, she gets to delve into so many areas, even writing copy.

For the past four years, she has taken on the role of marketing services manager with vigour at a company that has grown considerably. This year, Mends expects M and M Direct to have produced a total of 15m to 20m catalogues with pagination also expanding.

“We’ve just done our biggest ever catalogue at 144pp,” she says. “We run five seasonal campaigns a year. There are two editions for the main seasonal catalogue and with other catalogues we produce there are at least five per campaign.” For the current Christmas campaign, six different catalogues will have gone out in around eight weeks totalling over 5m. Mends is involved in checking a lot of the artwork and signing off the proofing.

M and M Direct deals in end-of-line clearance items in fashion and sports. It sells brands including Nike, Adidas, Bench, Timberland and Fred Perry via its website and catalogues. It has a total workforce of 500 and has been going for nearly 20 years.

Mends has been with the firm for 14 years, starting as a PA to the company’s founders and directors. Back then, it had a total of 35 staff and the largest catalogues were 24pp. Much has changed since then and Mends is pleased to have been part of it. “It is a big company now, but it retains the family business atmosphere,” she says. “I hope that people who join today can feel that as well.”

Starting out as PA allowed Mends to see at first-hand how the business worked, making the move to marketing and then print buying undaunting. “I enjoy the opportunity to negotiate with printers as well as meeting and developing relationships with suppliers,” she says. “I’ve found the people I’ve met in the print industry are very friendly and genuine – not just the sales teams, but staff on the presses too.”

Those suppliers include Polestar, which produces the lion’s share of catalogue work at its Sheffield gravure site. Getting out and about to see printers is the way Mends learns about the processes involved. It’s also given her the chance to travel to countries including the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland. But that doesn’t mean that M and M Direct automatically goes down the overseas route for print jobs.
“We work to tight schedules,” she says “If a lorry breaks down abroad, it could be a major difficulty as our staffing in the call centre and logistics is keyed to our printing and mailing dates.  However, we have printed in Poland, Italy and Germany for catalogues that aren’t so time-sensitive and the press passes have been a plus.”

Mends is not currently on the lookout for printers –instead she spends more of her time involved with  environmental and community matters. “Recycled paper is one area I want to look at as the environment is important,” she says. She has also been involved with local events. M and M Direct is based in Herefordshire and this year sponsored the Hereford Walking Festival, producing leaflets for the tourist office, for which Mends wrote some of the copy.

It’s another ingredient that makes Mends’ job worthwhile and helps give her a passion for what she does. On the company’s website she says: “Working here for the past 14 years has always been great, seeing the company evolve. Everyone works with enthusiasm and fun with the customers as our focus.” 

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CHERRILL MENDS
Qualifications Life experience
industry experience I have been around plenty of gravure plants, but I don’t have any formal print qualifications. I take every opportunity to learn
Best part of the job The opportunity to negotiate with suppliers, getting out and meeting them and developing relationships
Worst part of the job When I have lots and lots of proofing to do with little time
Five-year goal I would like to do more of what I am doing now – the role offers so much variety