Walking the talk

When we last spoke with Alsco’s Group Chief Executive Asia–Pacific Mark Roberts in 2023, he spoke about reframing Alsco’s priorities: using fewer resources, investing in people and communities and letting financial performance follow from doing the right things well. It was a practical, quietly ambitious shift that began in New Zealand and was only just taking root across the wider Asia–Pacific business.

Two years later, that foundation has solidified, even broadened, under a more unified regional leadership structure. With Steven Barden leading Australia and Monique Welsh overseeing New Zealand and Asia, Roberts’ early vision has evolved into a shared, region-wide approach, with each executive aligned on the same principle – progress must be visible, measurable and grounded in action rather than rhetoric.

“My original interest in baking sustainability into the business strategy was born in New Zealand as far back as 2017,” Roberts, a 35-year Alsco veteran, tells The CEO Magazine. “It has gradually gained momentum through accumulated efforts over many years and has grown into a much bigger picture.

“The appointment of two senior general managers who are like-minded and aligned to my philosophy has made my role in the process much easier. And, pleasingly, it is now the underlying business culture that is driving the process further.”

Everyday sustainability

From the outside, Alsco looks like a classic business success story: A 136-year-old company founded in Nebraska, United States, that is now a global leader in workplace uniforms, linen and hygiene services with more than 18,000 employees and operations across 12 countries.

In Australia alone, its 1,500 staff support more than 48,000 customers from hospitals and hotels to workshops, schools and cafes. And a further 1,000 employees in New Zealand service 27,000 customers.

Behind the numbers, however, lies a deliberate decision to weave sustainability into the very fabric of the business. In fact, when Roberts relocated to Sydney in 2020, the aim wasn’t to reinvent the wheel but to incorporate what had already worked so well in New Zealand.

“When I moved to Sydney, I encouraged the business to rinse and repeat what we had been doing in New Zealand and was pleased to find there was a fertile environment to continue defining and driving responsible corporate governance,” he explains.

Crucially, that responsibility has never been confined to environmental metrics alone. Roberts remains adamant that profit is essential, but how profit is made matters just as much.

“Of course, it is important for any business to make a profit to fuel investment and to provide a sustainable and engaging working environment,” he acknowledges. “But the way we make profit is critical in terms of capturing the engagement of employees and customers.”

Local magic

While Roberts has set the tempo, it’s Barden and Welsh who carry it to the front line. Barden, for one, describes the company’s four ‘big bold goals’ – net zero waste, a 20 percent improvement in resource efficiency, a US$5 million investment in staff and community and a 100 percent ethical supply chain – as the backbone of the Australian strategy.

But the execution is owned more and more by teams on the ground.

“The frontline teams are increasingly driving sustainability and operational change from the ground up,” Barden says.

He explains that through the Champions for Change program and branch-level committees, staff identify local opportunities, lead initiatives and showcase impact, ranging from water reduction to smarter route optimization.

This bottom-up approach is mirrored, although differently shaped, in New Zealand. Welsh points to the decision to appoint a ‘sustainability hero’ in each facility who is passionate about sustainability and helps to drive communication, volunteering and engagement.

“Sustainability is a key growth pillar in the New Zealand Strategic Plan and is highly visible across all Alsco locations,” she explains. “The visibility has ensured that sustainability is top of mind in decision-making.”

New Zealand’s head start is evident in its results: coal has been completely eliminated from all production sites five years ahead of schedule, and carbon emissions have been reduced by 60 percent.

This progress is supported by partnerships, such as with the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority and a 10-year capital plan focused on upgrading plants with more energy-, fuel- and water-efficient machinery.

Across both countries, the consistency comes from leadership alignment, but the magic comes from local ownership.

“We’re all singing from the same hymn book,” Roberts says. “We run the region as one, knowing there will always be small differences where we can adapt, but what matters most is keeping our big goal front of mind.”

Tangible progress

While culture and leadership set the stage, the region’s achievements are equally anchored in tangible milestones. One of the biggest has seen Alsco divert more than one million kilograms of textiles from landfills across Asia–Pacific.

The material gets converted into recycled cellulose and PET through a partnership with Blocktexx that began in 2018. Within a year, those fibers will be used to manufacture dispensing equipment, creating a fully circular loop.

The company has also installed nine major solar systems across the region, with some Australian branches now sourcing up to 63 percent of their energy needs from solar. Energy audits, boiler upgrades and water-saving technologies are reducing resource use at scale.

In Australia, ethical sourcing has also become a defining priority, with 85 percent of supply chain partners audited by Deane Apparel and 70 percent of linen suppliers reviewed by Australia Linen Supply.

“Our supplier audits ensure compliance with labor, environmental and transparency standards,” Barden says. “Good progress means embedding sustainability into every decision, from product design to supplier selection. It’s about measurable impact.”

Future-focused growth

Despite the progress, they know there’s still more work to be done.

“Alsco will maintain a values-driven approach consistent with our organizational values,” Welsh says. “Safety for staff and customers remains a top priority, and we will continue to invest in this area.

“Training is also essential, as the growth of our people and customers drives our business. Sustainable success is a priority, and we are committed to sustainable management practices.”

Roberts is clear that the next big step-change will come from new plants.

“Where we can build from scratch with the latest technology is an enormous step forward,” he says. “We are building in Wollongong in 2026 – it’s the first new plant we have built in Australia since the 1990s, so it’s a real cause for excitement.”

Doing the right thing

Throughout the journey, Roberts is adamant that the most powerful part of the Alsco story is its carefully considered progress.

“Revenue and profit have grown each year in the last five years,” he notes. “We have not backed off our commitment to our strategy around sustainability one iota and, thankfully, have had shareholder support to continue investing for improvements.”

And still, there is no central ESG department.

“Alsco has made all of our progress on shared responsibility, and to this day, we still do not have a dedicated ESG or sustainability manager,” Roberts confirms.

“We have steadily improved our storytelling as we have built significant milestones along the way. Actions are important – not words – and you can’t begin telling authentic stories until you have the runs on the board.”

In other words, the story of Alsco’s sustainability is ultimately the story Roberts wanted told from the outset – that doing the right thing first is still the best path to lasting results.