Business Profiles: 10 Associates' David Worthington

Nov 16 2010 by Henryk Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THERE’S one number that is especially significant for David Worthington.

At the age of 10, growing up in Liverpool, young David won a prize for his painting of a lifeboat in a competition run with the RNLI.

The prize was presented by Huddersfield’s Harold Wilson, who was MP for Huyton and spent two terms as Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.

“When I was 10 I used to paint pictures and draw all the time,” says David.

“Art provided the entry point into my career and my job now as managing director of 10 Associates.

“After leaving school, I went to St Helen’s Art College, which was fabulous. I remember being impressed because Paul Rutherford, of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, had gone there.

“I did fine art, pottery and ceramics and graphic design, which was great because you covered all the disciplines and found out which you were best at.”

David completed his studies and walked straight into his first job.

He recalls: “I was being presented with my HND in design on the Friday and started work at £60 a week for Whittaker Wright Associates the following Monday.

“I remember working on projects such as designing a brochure for abattoir equipment – so it was hardly glamorous!”

However, David soon felt he had been chosen for greater things.

He says: “One day, the boss took me to one side and said ‘I cannot really afford to pay you more, but I cannot afford to lose you, so I’m increasing your pay to £90 a week.’

“It was only later I found out he’d said the same to everyone on the staff and everyone was on £90 a week.”

David’s next big break came with a move to Yorkshire and the fast-growing Judith Donovan Associates in Bradford.

“I applied for a job as designer and they gave me a job as senior designer,” he says. “It was a very big organisation, which had created a big industry in direct mail and it was very successful.”

Now living in Huddersfield, David went on to join Pillings Creative Communications in Elland, working on accounts including Yorkshire Bank, before being made redundant – just as he and his wife were raising a family. Suddenly, money was tight.

He says: “We went shopping at Iceland and bought ‘Thrifty Mince’. I was definitely at a low point!”

Fortunes changed when David landed a job at ADM, based at Dogley Mills, Fenay Bridge, and met two people destined to play a big part in his future – Jill Peel and Linda Bottomley. Together, they would go on to launch 10 Associates.

Says David: “I was senior designer and account executive at ADM while Jill, who regularly won design awards, was creative director and Linda was studio manager. We made a good team combining sales, design and artwork.”

All three moved to another company, Bluedoor, based in Heckmondwike, but after three years decided their destiny lay in working for themselves.

“We decided we wanted to set up our own business before we reached 35,” says David. Thus, 10 Associates was born.

The new company began in start-up accommodation at the Media Centre. Says David: “It meant we could just ‘plug and play’.

“It was a great opportunity for us to be in the town centre and close to the station to get to Leeds and Manchester.”

In 2007, the company moved to its present address at Bradley Business Park, where it now has a staff of eight.

“We needed to move and ‘grow up’ as a business without having the Media Centre hold our hands,” says David.

“We were in a start-up unit surrounded by people in their late teens and we were in our mid-30s.”

Just how much they have grown up was brought home to the team when David and Jill were listed in the 2009 Who’s Who of Britain’s Business Elite.