Age is just a number, many of us like to say when applied to ourselves, but if anyone could claim to be the ultimate queen of such a statement it has to be Gina Goodall, recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award at The LADAS 2025.

With over 50 years of dedicated service to the laundry and hospitality industry in London, this sparkling powerhouse of a woman is still working part-time in her 80th year. Gina says she is certainly “not finished yet!” and has a wealth of knowledge and experience that is still valued by colleagues and friends today.

But how did Gina start in this industry, what challenges did she face and what ultimately drives Gina to keep working today?

The Beginning

Originally from Birmingham, Gina moved to the Thames Valley in the late 1960s with her then husband and so had to transfer from House of Fraser in Birmingham to Harrods, where she became a buyer for children’s footwear and ran the footwear department.

In 1972, Gina spotted a newspaper advert for a sales representative at a commercial laundry. Gina said: “I thought I would be good at the job – I love sales and meeting people – it doesn’t matter what the product is – I believed I could do it.”

And so Gina came face-to-face with someone who was a mentor for many of us – Jack Fowler, then general manager of CLEAN Linen Services, and later the founding publisher of Laundry & Cleaning Today. “There I was under Jack’s eagle eye, and he must have seen some potential, because I was in.”

Back then, most hotels and restaurants either sent out their own linen stock to be finished or had their own in-house laundries. Gina and Jack identified an opportunity and a new market; to deliver professional, large-scale linen services to hotels and high-end restaurants on a rental basis. No one had really sold the rental service/ package in London before on a large scale and Gina was one of the first to head into London to gain new business.

A tenacious hard worker, Gina was promoted to general manager in 1997, managing the Reading and Banbury sites. Gina recalls: “It was thrilling and I learnt all about the production side, including engineering and transport as well as continuing the sales and service side.” She served 27 years at CLEAN Linen Services.

In 1999, Gina was admitted to the Worshipful Company of launderers, joined County Linen Service and was promoted to the board of directors as sales and service director in 2002 under the leadership of Anthony Moore (Fresh Linen) and Tim Moore (County Linen), one of the largest independent commercial laundries in the UK at that time and at its height was producing one million pieces weekly.

Gina was integral to the team focusing on delivery of quality work and service to high profile customers such as 5-star hotels and household names in London. She led national and international procurement, supervised and managed teams of sales and service reps and was the key person in business development and marketing.

After 18 years of service, Gina left County Linen shortly after her long-time partner sadly passed away. Derek Webber was also a laundry man, a production manager, with over 25 years’ service with CLEAN Linen Services and Watford Launderers & Cleaners.

Gina wanted to keep busy after losing Derek and approached David Pantlin of Bates to see if she could assist the company whilst he embarked on his tenure as Master of The Worshipful Company of Launderers.

Soon after working at Bates, a privately own laundry in North West London, Galicia, run by David and Ana Budino were looking for a part-time sales specialist focusing on smaller independent hotels. This was ideal for Gina and she is now back to her roots as a sales representative and continues to enjoy meeting people and supporting her industry with her presence and good humour.

Looking for more to do?

Ever the busy bee, Gina was an inaugural member of Associated Linen Service, later transforming into the Brilliant Laundry Group, providing national coverage of linen and workwear rental throughout the UK. Gina regularly travelled on TSA business and procurement trips representing the UK travelling to America, Egypt and Slovenia. Busier still, Gina is a supporter and regular attendee of the UK Housekeeping Association (UKHA).

She was at their first conference and meeting in 1984 and 1985 respectively and became the first supplier (non-housekeeper) to be invited to join the committee. Gina is now an Honorary Member of UKHA and recently spoke at the London and South East 40th Anniversary celebration at The Grosvenor with her friend and past chairperson, Ilse Mohr.

Obviously you can see how this was useful for her ‘day job’, but the reality is that Gina treasured the camaraderie, friendship and sheer fun provided by the hotel housekeepers and other suppliers. She’s still an active member and regularly attends meetings, business luncheons and Black-Tie events. They are not just business contacts; they are friends.

Outside of work

Gina is a go-getter in every sense of the word. She somehow found time between 1986-1990 to be a Special Constable with Thames Valley Police. She was even commended for chasing and arresting an alleged armed robber.

In 1990, Gina travelled to South America on her own (to a country which had recently overthrown its dictator via military coup) to adopt her baby daughter, Sophia. Sophia is so proud of her mother and that her hard work and dedication has been acknowledged. Sophia is something of an achiever herself, having become an employment solicitor.

Gina was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1997 in her own right for her public service as a Special Constable and recognised for the significant personal impact by adopting Sophia.

How on earth did she manage being a mother while holding down such full-on jobs? “We all need support from time to time but especially as a woman in business. I had a very demanding job, a partner, a child and caring for my elderly mother – I was spinning so many plates. I had a wonderful childminder, Jean, who was there if Derek and I were stuck at the factory – which could be a regular occurrence when the factory was operating 24-hours round the clock in high seasons.”

Gina has had a long and remarkable career and has even been described as the ‘doyenne’ of our industry, has she seen much change? “I have seen so much change over 50 years in our industry, but we are still considered the ‘Cinderella’ service. Unsung and unglamorous but essential to society and the wider economy. I hope that changes.”

Gina is truly grateful for the recognition from the LADAS and seemed overwhelmed by the Big Night. Has she been lucky? “Oh, at times I’ve been very lucky – but I think you make your own luck in whatever you do.” You will probably see Gina at the next industry or UKHA event, but if not, she can either be found on the English Riviera or enjoying her pied-à-terre in Spain.

Gina Goodall at the LADAs with her daughter, Sophia