Employee Spotlight
Meet Gareth Draper
"We build trust so that when customers move roles, they choose to take us with them."
Business Development Director, Commercial Linen
The Philosophy
Listen First, Sell Second
With 35 years in the industry, Gareth has built his career on a deceptively simple principle: understand the customer before reaching for a proposal. It is an approach rooted in genuine curiosity and a belief that durable business relationships cannot be manufactured through scripts.
Whether navigating the M25 to reach our Slough or Camberley laundries before 7 am, or weaving between appointments on foot through London, Gareth thrives on personal connection. Email chains, he will tell you, rarely seal a deal.
"I specialise in consultative sales. My job is to fully understand a customer's needs so we can deliver the service that best meets those requirements."
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Built on Personal Interaction
Gareth is candid about what drives him: face-to-face contact and the energy that comes from reading a room rather than a screen. His natural sociability is not just a personality trait; it is his professional toolkit.
This commitment to in-person engagement shapes every decision Gareth makes, from how he plans his diary to how he structures long-term customer relationships that outlast individual job titles and organisations.
"I'm naturally social and at my best when meeting customers face to face. Good business is built through personal interaction, not email chains."
THE ROLE
The Art of Laundry Matchmaking
Working within a close-knit flat-work sales team of just three, collaboration sits at the heart of everything Gareth does. He partners daily with Account Management, Customer Service, and Site Directors across our laundries.
The role demands both strategic thinking and operational awareness. Finding the right laundry partner for a hotel means understanding lead times, linen volumes, quality standards, and geography, then translating that complexity into a service promise the customer can rely on. When asked what customers value most, his answer is immediate: honesty. Trust, built over time through consistent delivery, is what turns clients into long-term partners and advocates.
"We're effectively laundry matchmakers. We pair hotels with the right laundry based on location, size, and service expectations."
A Day in the Life
Early Starts, Open Roads
4:20 AM
The day begins. Route planned, calls reviewed, coffee on.
BEFORE 7:00 AM
At the Slough or Camberley laundry for early site visits and operational check-ins ahead of the customer day.
MID-MORNING
Customer appointments across London, often on foot between meetings, maximising face time and minimising travel gaps.
AFTERNOON
Collaboration with Account Management and Site Directors on proposals, service matching, and pipeline development.
END OF DAY
Debriefs, follow-ups, and planning the next morning. Then a brisk walk to reset before experimenting in the kitchen.
Qualities that define exceptional business development
What Gareth Brings to CLEAN
Consultative Sales
Approach
Honesty and Trust
Core Value
35 Years in the industry
Experience
Face-to-Face, Always
Style
Customer Retention
Strength
Slough, Camberley & London
Locations
