Tom Sempers is brand director for Abbey Glen

– a business that has always been part of his life. The 120 year old company was founded by Tom’s great-great-great grandfather in the 1890s and is one of the first and remaining independent laundries in the UK. Tom has been visiting the factory since he was a toddler!

Tom Sempers is brand director at Abbey Glen

As brand director, Tom is helping to shape the evolution of a heritage company –bringing a fresh perspective to take the business into a new era. Sitting at the intersection of strategy, growth, and reputation, Tom is focused on modernising the brand while staying true to its legacy.

On the Role of a Brand Director

My main roles and responsibilities include owning the brand strategy and visual outlook, driving commercial growth through the brand, leading content output, and building and executing our communication strategy. I’m also responsible for internal brand alignment, asset creation, sustainability leadership, and supporting market expansion and positioning.

Essentially, my role is about enabling a historic B2B industry to grow by applying more engaging, direct-to-consumer marketing principles. It’s not just about “doing marketing” or bringing Abbey Glen into the 21st century—it’s about shaping how the business is perceived, how it differentiates, and ultimately how it scales.

I work very closely with the other directors and senior management team, and together we’re driving and shaping the future growth and expansion of Abbey Glen.

On Inspiration and Motivation

The legacy and history of the company was something I simply couldn’t ignore. At the same time, I saw a clear gap in terms of digital progression and overall footprint, which made it an obvious fit for me.

What’s been most exciting is working from what feels like a blank canvas in terms of output, but with such a rich story to build from. With over 120 years of servicing the industry, the company has seen and been through so much. Being able to bring that story to life and showcase it to others is something I really enjoy.

A lot of what inspires me is deeply rooted in the family nature of the business. Having the opportunity to put my own footprint on the company and help it grow into future generations is hugely motivating. At the same time, I take a lot of inspiration from the past—recognising how much work has gone into building the business into what it is today, and using that as a foundation to move it forward.

On Sustainability

Sustainability has always been a major focus for us. It’s just that in recent years, the spotlight has increased— we’re talking about it more, but it’s not new to us.

Because of the nature of the industry and the heavy machinery used day to day, we’re constantly looking for more sustainable alternatives and improvements to existing processes. A lot of that is driven through innovation and investment in new equipment. We have a fleet of new machinery at our Sheffield site and are continuously upgrading to best-in-class systems.

This extends beyond the factory too—into transport, EV adoption, packaging, and stock procurement. It’s a full end-to-end approach. We also work closely with our customers to help them meet their own sustainability goals, whether that’s through packaging or delivery solutions.

One of the biggest ongoing challenges, however, is transport. There isn’t yet a market-ready, proven, and affordable alternative for large HGVs. Given the power and mileage required for 21-tonne vehicles, this transition will be slower compared to other areas like smaller fleet vehicles.

On Innovation and Technology

Technology is already having a huge impact on the industry. Automation and new machinery mean we can process significantly higher volumes of work in less time and at greater efficiency, which ultimately increases capacity and allows us to serve more customers.

AI is the obvious talking point at the moment, particularly in terms of speeding up workflows. While we are adapting where appropriate, we are also very conscious of our heritage and the importance of maintaining a personal touch. That’s a key differentiator for us, so we take a considered approach to adopting new technologies, especially those that are customer-facing. One area I’m particularly excited about is automated sorting. It’s a stage in the process that has arguably been left behind in terms of innovation, so the development of new sorting systems could have a major impact on efficiency and throughput.

On Opportunities and Industry Evolution

There are clear opportunities for improvement in areas like stock management and visibility, as well as greater flexibility in service models. Traditional rental models don’t always cater well to smaller, more dynamic businesses such as boutique rentals or Airbnb-style stays.

I see a big opportunity for more flexible, variable contracts and on-demand stock delivery. Alongside that, the rise of AI and more advanced modelling systems presents a huge opportunity to improve stock visibility and enable real-time reporting for both operators and customers. We’re also constantly looking at revenue and service diversification—making better use of existing infrastructure and capabilities. Having spent time in London, I’ve seen how trends like boutique rentals and same-day delivery logistics are growing, and those patterns are now starting to move further across the country.

On the Future of the Industry

One of the biggest challenges in the industry is the continued focus on price. Too many contracts are still awarded based on the lowest cost per item, which creates pressure that can lead to reduced quality, limited reinvestment, and surface-level sustainability efforts. Ideally, I’d like to see a shift towards value-based models—where pricing reflects outcomes and service, not just unit cost. That includes customers understanding total cost rather than item cost, greater investment in people, and using technology to enhance roles rather than replace them.

A healthier industry is one where businesses doing things properly aren’t penalised for it. Looking ahead, I see the industry becoming increasingly tech-enabled, sustainability-driven, and service-focused. Growth in UK staycations, particularly in the current economic and political climate, will continue to drive demand. At the same time, new demand pockets will emerge from under-served areas, particularly in boutique and short-term rental markets. The key shift is moving from simply supplying linen to delivering a full service As the market becomes more competitive, it won’t be enough to just provide products—high-quality, bespoke, and personal service will become even more important. If I had to summarise it: the future is a tech-enabled, sustainability-driven, service-based industry—not just a laundry business.

On Hobbies and Spare Time

I’m a very active person, so I’m normally running, playing padel, golf, football or watching any type of sports on the TV. I’m also a big foodie so I love trying new restaurants and places for a good coffee. Some may say that isn’t very relaxing, but it is to me! I’m also a big family man so I spend a lot of my spare-time visiting them, going out with my friends or going on trips with my girlfriend. I have quite bad OCD so I love to clean and tidy my flat – that’s probably quite an unusual hobby.