COLCHESTER: Andy Cherry has been appointed decorative business manager for Kent Blaxill.

Simon Blaxill, Kent Blaxill managing director, said: “Andy joins us with immense experience of the market. He has knowledge gained from working with and running a national manufacturing business, and his arrival greatly enhances Kent Blaxill’s ability to grow its decorative business.”

Mr Cherry said: “My new role is to grow the Kent Blaxill decorating product, and to get the right product in the right place at the right time. I will be looking at everything from store standards to sales to customers, making sure we utilise all our expertise. There are some great people here and I want to make sure we are moving at pace. I will also be looking at potential network growth.”

Mr Cherry’s career in decorative materials merchanting began as a van driver, from where he worked his way up to become a Dulux regional manager for Wales, the Midlands and Northern Ireland. He then set up his own independent decorating merchant company, before returning to ICI and eventually becoming national commercial manager for Crown Decorator Centres. Mr Cherry joins Kent Blaxill after launching Trade Decorating Supplies for the BSS Group.