Ex-Howitt sales manager Paul Millington has been recruited to head up sales in the north west. He will join the Leeds firm after a period of gardening leave.

Singh said he was pleased as punch to sign up Millington, a former colleague from Waddington Chorleys (now Communisis Chorleys). He has lured another former Chorleys colleague, Alan Ridyard, out of retirement to join the firm as a consultant.

Ridyard has a long DM pedigree. He was key in setting up Lettershop and was a director of direct mail at Chorleys for 18 years. He had been in retirement for about 18 months.

He was supposed to do two days a week for us but hes already up to 3.5 days, said Singh. I just felt I needed a bit of guidance to help us get that bit better.

Singh joined John Blackburn from Communisis Chorleys in January.