The Special Guests of Wray Bros Expo 2024
On Tuesday 5th November 2024, Wray Bros will host its first Expo – showing off the latest advancements in janitorial and workwear goods. It’ll give local and national businesses the opportunity to experience how these innovations can optimise cleaning operations, sustainability goals and create healthier spaces, more welcoming spaces.
Aside from product showcasing, machine demos, food and drink, and networking opportunities, the day will also feature two special guests who will be around the entire runtime to chat and offer insight into Wray Bros’ operations and future industry developments. Here, we’ll take an in-depth look at the guests, explain their background, and discuss what they can talk about on the day.
Mark Wray, Managing Director
Mark Wray, along with his brother Graham, started trading as Willy Wiper in 1985 thanks to a grant from the Princes Trust. The two brothers traded as a company to supply rags/wipers to industries and business across Liverpool.
The Wray brothers found it difficult to survive due to a declining market. So, they moved toward supplying cleaning materials, but had little-to-no buying power as manufacturers were not keen to supply them directly. In 1995, Wray Bros joined Jangro - a group of janitorial distributors with a collective turnover of approximately £18 million. It consisted of around 40 companies with a limited supply chain.
In 1998, Mark was asked to be the sales director for the group and was invited to join the board. He was instrumental in developing the Jangro brand, and within two years of joining they produced their first 138-page catalogue. This helped kickstart Jangro’s growth into a network worth over £200 million. At the same time, Mark and Graham purchased a run-down shipping warehouse in Pleasant Hill Street, Liverpool. This became their home for the next 25 years.
Mark eventually left the Jangro board in 2005 and to concentrate on developing Wray Bros into the largest Jangro distributor in the Northwest of England. To further this agenda, he purchased a clothing embroidery company in 2011 to expand on the already extensive offering the Wray Bros had.
With continued growth, Mark and the team decided instead to build their first media-production studio in 2014. In 2019, the business relocated the distribution dept to a state-of-the-art facility ½ mile away from the building they had occupied for 25 years.
By 2021, Wray Bros had finished production on their fourth studio – totalling over 4,000 sq. ft in size. The modern facility is manned by graphic designers, videographers, and digital marketing experts. In 2022, Mark oversaw the construction of a brand-new UK headquarters for the global brand i-team.
Mark will offer insight into the industry’s use of AI, the use of the Wray Bros Studios, and anything else on your mind concerning him or the business.
Mark Woodworth, General Manager
Mark Woodworth joined Wray Bros in 2006 in a customer services position, eventually progressing to customer services manager - a role which included the responsibilities of a sales representative and training customers. Mark has trained over 1000 customers and clients in the years he's been at the business.
Mark was an integral part of Mark and Graham Wray's planning when establishing the partnership with i-team collaboration, and acts as the paint point of contact for the global manufacturer. He is now General Manager at the Wray Bros Fulfilment Centre, overlooking the recording and completion of all order going in and out of the site.
He is proud of his Wray Bros journey, being a part of the company since it was a single site making a million in turnover a year, to now, where the business has multiple sites in the city and its turnover has risen to over five million - complete with its own media-production studio and neighbouring i-team HQ.
Mark takes neither ‘red' or a 'blue’ side in the City's football derby - he is in fact an avid Tranmere Rovers fan. He has a passion for travel and visiting music festivals.
He will be there throughout the day to share his valuable insights on how to get the most out of your cleaning supplies.