4 Langley Close
Harold Hill Industrial Estate
Romford, Essex, U.K. RM3 8XB
+44 (0)1708 377 330
sales@harrisonwipes.co.uk
harrisonwipes.co.uk

Founded in 1891, Harrisons is one of the U.K.’s leading manufacturers of nonwoven wipes. Originally based in Great Yarmouth, the family-owned business moved between several East London locations before settling in Romford, Essex, where it is headquartered today. Following the acquisition of Ecotech (Europe) Ltd’s business and assets in February, Harrisons entered the wet wipes market for the first time, making 2025 a landmark year for the company.

It also announced a new 3PL (third-party logistics) partnership and launched its new industrial wipes range in May.

While Harrisons began in the scrap metal trade, it transitioned into a rag-based wiping business for most of the 20th century. The turning point came when third-generation leader Seymour Harrison partnered with Johnson & Johnson to distribute the J-Cloth across the U.K. Recognizing that the future lay in nonwoven technology, Harrisons evolved into the U.K.’s largest dry nonwoven wipe manufacturer.

For many years, Harrisons has manufactured dry nonwoven wipes for all sectors, including aerospace, automotive, facilities management, janitorial, printing, HoReCa and general industry. Harrisons is also a key U.K. distributor for both Chicopee and Sontara. Through this partnership, Harrisons brings the latest nonwoven innovations to the U.K. wipe market, including the J-Cloth Compostable, according to Stephen Harrison, managing director.

The acquisition of Ecotech expanded Harrisons’ product range, significantly increasing manufacturing capacity and enabling the business to manufacture wet wipes for the first time. Harrisons now operates 18 production lines with an annual capacity of over 100 million square meters.  

In the past 12 months, Harrisons has made significant investments in manufacturing. Beyond the capacity added through acquisition, it has also installed a new interfold machine, tripling its interfold wipe production and expanding its ability to meet customer demand.

On the sustainability side, Harrisons has long worked to reduce solvent use, support greener wiping practices and help customers maximize performance without unnecessary waste or cost.

Its new Industrial Range includes two plastic-free innovations. Made with Sontara materials, the Tech 100 is a breakthrough in wiping sustainability, high-performance wiping with reduced environmental impact. Its fibers are 100% cellulosic and offer superior absorbency while reducing environmental impact.

Made from wood pulp and lyocell, the Prem 100 is capable of absorbing five times its weight and has a velvety texture that ensures fast clean-up and minimal surface abrasion.

Years before this, Harrisons introduced the U.K.’s first certified compostable color-coded wipe, the Chicopee J-Cloth Compostable.

The business is also making progress across its operations and has already reduced material waste by 45% in two years. Efforts also include distributing from a BREEAM-certified warehouse and achieving Planet Mark certification on its net zero journey.
According to Harrison, in the wipes market, freight volatility remains a challenge, with global uncertainty pushing input prices up and down. “To shield customers, Harrisons maintains 12 weeks’ worth of raw material stock—ensuring consistent product availability even during disruption,” he says.

Meanwhile, the U.K.’s dry nonwoven market has been stagnant for years, he adds, and the company sees an opportunity to reinvigorate the space with its Industrial Range of high-performance nonwoven wipes—meeting the needs of Britain’s 270,000 manufacturing-based businesses.

Harrison says it’s a very exciting time for the company as they are looking to set up the business for sustainable growth. “On the product side, we’re focused on putting our new Industrial Range into the hands of end users across the U.K. Aside from that, everyone should watch closely as we work to lean into wet wipe manufacturing and bring more exciting sustainable innovations to our customers,” he concludes.