Next up to share what it is like to work at one of the UK’s leading food manufacturers and suppliers, is Mark Smith. Under the spotlight as we enter the last month of the year, Mark shares a detailed account of life in the Finance Department here at Quattro Foods.
Over to you Mark!
Q. Please can you describe your role at Quattro Foods…
My job title is Financial Controller, and my role is everything financial! Whether it be processing invoices, paying suppliers, statutory returns, cash flow, product costing or preparing accounts, it’s all just numbers…
Q. How long have you been working at Quattro Foods?
I’ve worked for Quattro Foods for seven years man and boy.
Q. Have you always had an interest in the food industry?
To be honest, before I started at Quattro Foods I never had an interest in the food industry. Over the years I have worked in a variety of business sectors, defence, fuel, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, property, retail, recruitment and service industry.
It sounds strange, but the process and manufacture in the cosmetic industry is exactly the same as in the food industry, and from a financial reporting perspective there is very little
difference.
Q. What are your favourite aspects of the job?
Being the only person in finance, and slightly OCD, I love the daily routine. Accountancy is very repetitive. It involves the same tasks each month. I can carve up the tasks with weekly deadlines, and know what I have to do and when I have to do it.
Q. What are your least favourite aspects of the job?
I don’t really have any least favourite aspect of my job. As the company has grown, the tasks and workload have grown too. The mundane daily tasks now take three times longer to complete, which eats into the rest of the day.
Q. Have you noticed any remarkable changes in the industry since you joined the business?
There are certain products we manufacture that are, “core” lines. We have manufactured them week in week out for eight years. As we offer a bespoke product development service, our customers often come to us to develop a product that they want to sell for maybe a couple of months. As the manufacturer, we are driven by our customer’s requirements, and as company, we have seen the product range we produce grow significantly.
Q. What do you find most rewarding about your job?
When I joined Quattro Foods in October 2011, the company had 11 employees and was selling about £1m a year. We have grown year on year, now employing 40 staff and selling over £4m a year. It’s nice to know I have been a part of that.
Q. What is it like working with the Quattro Team?
I have watched the team quadruple in size since I joined, and I can safely say we are a wonderful team. Everyone plays their part in making the company a success.
Q. In your opinion what four words describe Quattro as a business?
Bespoke. Knowledgeable. Customer focused.
Q. Do you see any major changes for the food manufacturing industry for the future?
The British high street is seeing less and less retail outlets and more and more food outlets. It is a very competitive industry. Food manufacturers need to adapt to this growing and varied market.