Cade Lucas
Werribee’s Master Dry Cleaners are celebrating 75 years and the importance isn’t lost on general manager David Hudson.
“When I meet people in our business, customers, suppliers, it’s the first thing that comes out of my mouth”, said Mr Hudson, the third generation of his family to run the business.
“It’s a big deal.”
It’s a big deal that the Hudson family and employees past and present will be celebrating at the Werribee Football Club on Sunday, July 30 .
It’s an appropriate location given Chirnside Park is just a stones throw from the company’s post-war origins.
“It was started by my grandparents Neville and Valda in Werribee in 1948,” Mr Hudson said.
“It was at a location in Watton Street and also in Station Place.”
Neville was elected to state parliament for the Liberal Party in 1976, leaving sons Bill, Peter and David’s father, Jim, to take over and expand the business.
“At one stage in the 90’s they had 13 retail stores and a large industrial laundry in Hoppers Crossing,” said Mr Hudson of the company’s peak when Master Dry Cleaning stores were in retail strips across Melbourne.
After selling a large portion of the business in early 2000’s, the business scaled down but still retains a presence well beyond Wyndham.
“We’ve got four retail stores, a plant in South Kingsville, a curtain and blind cleaning factory in Melton and about 65 employees,” said Mr Hudson who took over a decade ago.
While they’ve grown beyond Werribee, it remains Master Dry Cleaners spiritual home, something that was demonstrated when their Watton Street store burnt down in February 2019.
Mr Hudson credits Werribee locals with helping them recover.
“We had unbelievable support from the community.”
COVID, changing work habits and the rising cost of living present further challenges, but Mr Hudson said the relationship they have built with their customers was the key to surviving into the future.
“The next challenge for our business is to provide different services to our customers because we have an engaged and loyal customer base that trust us and we want to maintain that and an increased offer of service to them can only be a good thing.”
