State Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, honored Mellady Direct Marketing by naming the Santa Clarita-based company the Small Business of the Month.
“Small business really is the backbone of California,” Wilk said during a speech at the event. “Two out of every three employees work for a small business. And it gets depressing in Sacramento where it’s always about big business, big labor and always bigger government and the small entrepreneur back home doesn’t have a voice. So that’s why we do this.”
Mellady Direct Marketing provides digital marketing and direct mailing services throughout the Santa Clarita Valley and Los Angeles County. Their clients have included Henry Mayo, CSUN Valley Performing Arts Center and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Foundation among others, according to their company website.
Jim and Jill Mellady founded Mellady Direct Marketing in 1985 as a home-based business. Jim and Jill would stick labels on mailers by hand and take them to the post office themselves. Today, Mellady prints and ships 400,000 pieces of mail per day, according to Jill.
“This is kind of the American dream,” Jill said. “I never thought it was going to be where it is today. But with hard work and great people and the support of our community we’ve been able to make it happen.”
Before starting the company, Jim worked as Director of Engineering at Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works. He is a graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Jill is a graduate of College of the Canyons and worked at Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works in contracts and administration. Jim and Jill lead Mellady Direct Marketing together with Jim overseeing the firm’s daily operations and Jill guiding its sales and marketing efforts, according to their website.
Every month. Wilk selects a local small business in his district for their outstanding performance to receive the award, and the Melladys were honored to be selected this month, according to Jill.
“I mean I could cry,” Jill said. “It’s like wow. We’re getting rewarded for the great work we’re doing and the success we’ve had and Senator Wilk has come forward to honor us and it means so much.”
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