Exit Interview – Q&A With M+A Matting’s David Watterson

After 34 years’ service in the business of supplying mats to the linen, uniform and facility services industry, David Watterson, M+A Matting’s vice president of field and international sales, recently announced his retirement from the LaGrange, GA-based company. M+A helped fuel the growth of the mat-rental market, starting with its founding in the early 1960s as Mountville Mills Inc. Because of Watterson’s pivotal role in that growth, we asked if he’d answer a few questions about where the business is headed in the 2020s and beyond. Excerpts of his responses appear below.

What’s next for the mat business – will sales continue to increase? What sectors offer the biggest growth opportunities – restaurants, hotels, factories?

I am very bullish on the textile rental industry, and particularly the matting industry. We have only scratched the surface in North America. It is quite common for laundry route sales professionals to walk over many mats that have been purchased from other sources. That creates opportunities! The hospitality and service sectors continue to grow, industrial markets are strong and there is an emphasis on sustainability. Safety has never been more important. Our industry is “green” with reusable products and mats that prevent accidents before they happen. Educating consumers about our industry is the biggest challenge we face.

Healthcare seems like a natural for the mat business because of the cleanliness factor. Are laundries making much progress in that sector with mats – either rental or direct sale?

I have never understood why mats have not played a larger role in the healthcare sector. The healthcare industry has always been challenging from a mat perspective. However, recently introduced products such as adhesive backed mats and other heavy-duty matting solutions will help service these accounts. The clientele at healthcare facilities tends to be older, and providing a safe, clean, healthy environment is imperative.

You oversaw the international business for M+A, what are the prospects for the European and other international markets in ’24 and beyond? Will they grow?

My responsibilities included Asia, Australia, South America and the Middle East, not Europe. Our European colleagues are doing very well and growing the mat business. The worldwide market for mats is enormous and emerging. As countries grow and become more modernized, safety and cleanliness becomes even more important. This is an area that M+A will continue to dedicate more resources and focus on.

How big an opportunity for growth do you see with facility services … not just mats but also cleaning supplies, paper towels, mops, etc.?

Facility services is a real opportunity for laundries. If we can appeal to more of the customer’s needs by offering paper products, towels, cleaning supplies and mats, etc., we can increase the number of subscription products we offer, while enhancing our overall value to the customer. This also means they require fewer vendors to service their accounts. Larger facilities such as schools, hospitals, shopping centers, etc., are the biggest opportunities.

How should a laundry operator or supplier partner begin the process of leadership succession? What lessons did you learn at M+A that you can share?

I would encourage independent laundries and suppliers to spend time today developing a good succession plan. In 1999 when Mountville Mills made their first acquisition, we had a management meeting, and it was obvious that a succession plan, moving forward, was a concern. All the people, approximately 20 in attendance, were in the same age range. As a result, we started our management-trainee program that was instrumental in addressing the succession planning for our organization. Aging is a hard trend; we know it is going to happen, so planning simply makes good business sense. Once our management-trainee program was well established, we added the intern portion to the program. There is a book (The Anticipatory Organization by Daniel Burrus) that may not address succession planning directly but helps you in all aspects of running your business by being better at anticipating upcoming events.

You developed an effective internship/apprenticeship program at M+A that generated positive results. Can laundries replicate something like what you did to draw in qualified people who will spend their careers in the industry?

Our route-based industry is an ideal way to start an intern program. With a 10-week program hiring juniors in college during their summer break, you can use them as route and professional sales support. This enables you to introduce them to the industry and determine if you want them to build your team in the future. If done correctly, they will pay for themselves during the summer by increasing sales. This is a low-cost, low-risk method to recruit young talent into your organization. You will find out in short order if the person is a cultural fit. If they met our criteria, which many did, we offered them jobs once they graduated. You must have someone in your company be responsible for this initiative.

How can companies attract more qualified salespeople, who will stay long enough to learn the business and grow with you?

My biggest achievement for M+A Matting was to implement a management trainee/intern program. We have had more than 50 people go through the program over 25 years, there are 14 individuals that are still with the organization. That is a good retention rate, and the caliber of people has been outstanding. Out of the program came our CEO, COO and managing director for Europe, along with many other talented employees. Many of these trainees came from friends of friends, classmates, teammates, acquaintances, etc. In most small or medium-sized organizations, referrals from people you know is the best source to find talent. We have hired several college athletes, not because they are athletes but because you can talk to their coaches. I call it eliminate the resume! To develop this program successfully you need a champion (a coach if you will), a career path and patience! I get credit for developing talent and this program, but the reality is this program developed me. I learned far more from these colleagues than I ever taught them. My advice – always recruit even if you do not have a position available at the time and just talk to people. People always want to help people. It also helps if you have fun along the way, which we did!!

What’s the biggest change you have seen in the laundry business from the time you started 34 years ago with Mountville Mills to today?

Labor shortages and the cost of labor are the biggest challenges facing most industries, including the textile rental industry. You could add turnover of sales personnel; it is even harder to retain route sales professionals today. Additionally, one other challenge facing our industry is educating the consumer about the value and benefits of utilizing textile rental services.

What’s next for David Watterson? Retire fully, or do you see yourself continuing to play a role as an adviser to M+A or other companies?

I enjoy trading, golf, etc. but really do not see myself as a stay-at-home retiree! Therefore, I will do something else, re-invent myself and pursue other passions that I have.