Introducing…Andy Blunt
We spoke to Andy Blunt, Print Manager at CMCS, about his role, his career so far, and why The Molineux is his favourite place in the world.
So Andy, what’s your role and what does that involve?
I manage the print section for CMCS, and that involves looking after the machines, service agreements, production work – that kind of thing. We do a lot of testing here, so that when our customers need us, we can respond in the proper manner. Some of the tests are short, some are more comprehensive, and we do them to prove the process works. All of the documents we print for our customers have some financial value or legal implications, so when we test we take their data, print the document, and enclose it, all while ensuring that the finished product is fit for purpose.
Great! What’s your career background?
I’ve been in print all my working life. I won’t mention my age though! I’m still enjoying the job, so I’m very fortunate in that regard. I started at 16 as a letterpress apprentice, doing my City and Guilds qualifications, when print was still something of a dark art. Around that time was the end of lead-based type. It was fascinating to watch – some type was hand set by compositors, whereas other type was cast using hot metal as you typed, monotype & linotype, with smoke coming out of the machine. It’s a lot different these days. Back then, there was no social media and no internet, so print was a very powerful form of communication.
And what are you working on at the moment?
Lots of bits and pieces – every day is different. With what we do here, it adds to the interest. Out there in the industry, clients are always looking to do something different, and their customers have new expectations too, so it’s constantly moving. Even yesterday I learned something new. This is probably going to bore you to death, but I was working with two Xerox analysts and we encountered a file type that none of us had seen before. It was a PDF file where you can have the media embedded at the head of the file in ASCII, not XML.
No no, that’s definitely interesting, in its own way! What do you think makes a good print manager?
To be honest, it’s dealing with people. At the end of the day, it’s people who make the place work. So you’ve got to understand your staff, because everyone’s different. I like to deal with people as I like to be dealt with. Then there’s also the communication side of things too.
Do you think you’ve learned to be a better communicator?
Ha! I’d probably not be the best person to speak to about that. We all think we know the right thing to do, but we don’t. It’s hard to see your own shortcomings.
What’s a common misconception people have about your job?
That we do very little! But maybe that’s a misconception that we have here ourselves. People have told us they think we’re just polishing the machines and drinking coffee. In the past, when working in production environments, it was easier because you knew what was coming day to day, week to week. There are very few repetitive days here. I like that variety. Just as we’re doing now – again this will sound so mundane – I’ve got my colleague Jade out on the shop floor dynamically perforating, horizontally and vertically, and we’ve never done that before. We have to move with our customers’ needs, and we’re here to do that.
Do you think the industry’s changed a lot since you started?
In some ways it has, but in others it hasn’t. It’s a mysterious industry we work in, but also quite incestuous in a way. If you work in it long enough, you end up seeing a lot of the same people from one place to the next. It’s the same in a lot of traditional industries – as the number of businesses shrinks, there’s not been the new blood come in. You need new blood and new ideas, and need to be open to those changes. I can see it in engineering with my some of my friends. They joined as apprentices and they’re still there, without many younger people coming through to replace them.
Anyway I think that’s enough about work. What did you have for tea last night?
Because I was late getting out of work, we had something relatively easy: gammon and pineapple with croquette potatoes and peas. It wasn’t intended – I was meant to be having some asparagus from my mate’s allotment, but I didn’t get out in time to go and pick it up.
Still, a very good tea nonetheless. What’s your favourite crisp?
As I like to call them – salted ready, aka ready salted.
You’re the second person to choose ready salted this month, and I can’t stress how much I disagree with you. I’d rather have no crisp at all than resort to a ready salted.
Maybe it’s an age thing? Give it 20 years and you’ll get into them.
Ok we’ll see. What would a perfect day look like for you?
It’d be a day spent with my partner of thirty-odd years. We’d go out and have a nice time – I wouldn’t ask for any more than that. I know some people would want to go to Antigua but I don’t need that. In a way, Covid was good for us because we got to spend more time together. We both had the same thought – we were worried about spending so much time together! But we don’t fall out. We have the same values so that’s why we’re so close.
Good answer! Where’s your favourite place ever been?
It would have to be The Molineux. I’ve been a Wolves season ticket holder for years, so I’ve been there at least a couple of thousand times.
Do you have a favourite word?
Yes, but not one you could publish!
Very sensible. How about a word you can’t stand?
Anything that’s negative. I just can’t stand negativity generally – there’s always a solution to whatever problem you’re facing.
Which three guests would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?
Oh crikey. Only three? All in their pomp – Johnny Cash, John Lennon, and Liam Gallagher.
Have you ever met a celebrity?
I’ll say Peter Knowles. He was a footballer who used to play for Wolves in the 60s and 70s, and was in a similar vein to George Best. But he gave football up to become a Jehovas witness. I met him a few years ago and he was a window cleaner at the time. He’d aged very gracefully! When you’re young and still at school you have your heroes, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed when I eventually met him.