Meet Our President Mark Ryan

Mark Ryan has worked in drycleaning for 45 years and runs a family business that is now in its fourth generation. We asked him how he started, what has changed, and what he would tell members today.

How did you come into the drycleaning and laundry industry?

From a very early age, while my Dad was at work and Mum was busy with my younger siblings, my grandfather Alan would take me to the big laundry and other smaller drycleaning plants. For a boy aged 5 to 12 in the 1970s, this was a fantastic adventure and the coolest daycare ever. The staff became my friends, and my time was never dull.

That planted the seed. My business still carries the family name after four generations and 93 years.

What are the biggest changes you have seen in the industry?

I have seen many changes over the last 45 years. In no particular order:

• The costs of operating, resulting in drastically falling profit margins.
• The cycle of operations, from centralised plants with agencies, dry stores and contract drivers in the 1960s, to chain stores in multiple locations in the 80s and 90s, and back again in the 2000s.
• The level of technology and innovation that has supported those changes.
• The quality of the garments coming over the counter, and I don’t mean better.
• The rise of the hybrid operation, using wetcleaning, wash-dry-fold and 24-hour service boxes.
• Government regulation and compliance costs.

Why did you join the DIA Board, and what do you most want to contribute during your term?

I saw and heard my grandfather, father and uncles speak highly of the rewards of meeting like-minded friends, and of the feeling of giving back, which benefited both the business and the individual. Nowadays it is my own story and experiences, and sharing them with newcomers, that drive me.

What is one piece of advice you would give to a member running a drycleaning or laundry business right now?

Back yourself. Charge for the job you do. Be proud and confident that you do a better job than your competitor. Do not, at any cost, fall into the trap of discounting. And forever renew your DIA subs.