I was employed originally based in Leeds near the company's manufacturing plant, but developed a substantial customer base in the South East. In 1997, I moved South to concentrate on this area and maintained a portfolio which consistently kept me ahead of my targets. The company suddenly ceased trading without warning in December 1997 and I gave myself 7 days to find a new home for as many of my clients as possible.

HPE gave me a thorough grounding in the basic principles of litho print. I gave up a place at University - pure greed and desperation for financial independence got the better of me! I aspired immediately to ';executive' status, but the MD was not eager due to the lack of technical knowledge in his sales team.So began a journey 'backwards' through the factory. Starting in despatch, I soon developed an appreciation of the importance of quality management throughout production. As I arrived in each subsequent department, I gained the opportunity to make my colleagues' jobs in my previous department easier.By the time I arrived in prepress 18 months later, I had an intuitive eye for potential issues further down the line.Eventually, after a year in sales, I left, aspiring to larger format work and higher value orders.