Celebrating 100 years of cleaning know-how
As we commemorate 100-years of Robert Scott, we thought we would tell some of the stories behind the man and company.
The history of the Robert Scott company is closely woven with developments in the cotton industry, especially in pioneering innovative machinery from the 1920’s to today.
Robert Scott with his two sons Jim and Peter, 1945.
Robert Scott: The father of innovation
Robert Scott left school at 15 to train as a lift engineer before joining his father, James Scott, in business at Oldham. Using his skills, he hand-built innovative knitting and weaving machines that revolutionised the production of dishcloths, dusters and mops, giving the company a competitive edge in quality, speed and cost.
With Oldham's booming mill industry generating grime and oil, Robert saw a growing demand for machine wipers. He also pioneered recycling, transforming yarn off-cuts into mops, a sustainable ethos that continues today.
Affectionately known as 'Father Scott', he was admired for his wisdom. A favourite saying of Robert’s was “Never buy off a salesman with dirty shoes - he won’t look after you.” and “When it’s raining, it’s good mopping weather.” His practical approach and forward-thinking set the foundation for Robert Scott's century of success.
A legacy of cleanliness
Robert Scott was known for his cleanliness and back in the day would often visit the cotton mill on a Sunday. He’d go round with a brush and shovel to clean the floors and machines of dust, dirt and cotton threads. This tradition lives on today with the maintenance of the surrounding parkland to the Mill. Staff will occasionally see Peter Scott weeding the flower beds or watering the plants outside Oakview Mill.
Link with the cotton industry
At that time, the whole of Oldham had a large mill industry. All of these had tonnes of machinery producing oil, dirt and grime, so Robert Scott went with the demand for rags and began making wipers for machinery. Along with a huge cotton industry, came the opportunity to re-use the yarn off-cuts and end-of-runs, something which would have otherwise been waste, and instead was turned into mops by tying together the strands. In this way, the business literally started by recycling waste into new products – a manufacturing ethos that continues to this day with recycled cotton being used to make mops and cloths.
How Jack Cohen helped us grow
A significant event that helped grow the business was selling dishcloths and yellow dusters to Jack Cohen / TE Cohen & Sons, the founder of Tesco’s, back in the 60’s. This meant the company could invest in more machinery and build a bigger product range of knitted products and move to larger premises, to Oak View Mills, the company’s current HQ. “Jack Cohen asked us if we could make circular knitted dishcloths, we only had two machines at the time. Robert's engineering training proved vital as he acquired and converted 10 old fabric knitting machines. The business rapidly outgrew Lydgate Works and we moved to the Mill in 1971."
The Wednesday pay day that almost wasn't
Up until the 1980’s, Robert Scott used to pay everyone cash on a Wednesday, which would mean journeys from the local bank carrying bags of cash until one day when Greater Manchester Police had a tip-off about a targeted armed robbery. So, when Wednesday pay-day came around Robert’s son Jimmy Scott made the trip to the bank with armed police officers hidden in the back of a Volvo in case the robbery happened. Fortunately, we think the robbers were tipped off and never appeared. Since that day, staff have been paid directly into their bank, but pay day still remains on a Wednesday.
Where cricket history was woven
From 1800 right through to 1969 Oak View Mills produced flannel material used for sheeting, shirts and also the world famous, at the time, Bokin material, which was used for the production of cricket trousers or flannels as they were then known. This was a very strong and hardwearing cloth and was exported all over the world where cricket was played. As a result, the building was known locally as ‘Bokin Mill’ and, who knows, even the great WG Grace may have worn cricket flannels made here!
The last ride of the Stotts bus
After nearly 50 years of service, the iconic "Stotts bus" made its final journey around 2020. For decades, this trusty bus played a vital role, first dropping off school kids before winding through Saddleworth villages to pick up Robert Scott employees for a day's work at the Mill.
In a time when many families didn’t own cars, it was more than just transportation — it was a daily lifeline, ensuring staff could commute with ease. Though its wheels have stopped turning, the Stotts bus remains a cherished part of the company’s history, symbolising connection and community.
Poem:
A Century Woven In Time
Built on passion and driven by family values
What sets the company apart today is that over the years we’ve always tried to be very good at what we do and passionate about the
company. Being family owned, we’ve always reinvested our success back into Robert Scott.
Celebrating 100 years of cleaning know-how
As we commemorate 100-years of Robert Scott, we thought we would tell some of the stories behind
the man and company.
The history of the Robert Scott company is closely woven with developments in the cotton industry,
especially in pioneering innovative machinery from the 1920’s to today.
Historical highlights
Robert Scott: The father of innovation
Robert Scott left school at 15 to train as a lift engineer before joining his father, James Scott, in business at Oldham. Using his skills, he hand-built innovative knitting and weaving machines that revolutionised the production of dishcloths, dusters and mops, giving the company a competitive edge in quality, speed and cost.
With Oldham's booming mill industry generating grime and oil, Robert saw a growing demand for machine wipers. He also pioneered recycling, transforming yarn off-cuts into mops, a sustainable ethos that continues today.
Affectionately known as 'Father Scott', he was admired for his wisdom. A favourite saying of Robert’s was “Never buy off a salesman with dirty shoes - he won’t look after you.” and “When it’s raining, it’s good mopping weather.” His practical approach and forward-thinking set the foundation for Robert Scott's century of success.
A legacy of cleanliness
Robert Scott was known for his cleanliness and back in the day would often visit the cotton mill on a Sunday. He’d go round with a brush and shovel to clean the floors and machines of dust, dirt and cotton threads. This tradition lives on today with the maintenance of the surrounding parkland to the Mill. Staff will occasionally see Peter Scott weeding the flower beds or watering the plants outside Oakview Mill.
Robert Scott with his two sons Jim and Peter, 1945.
Link with the cotton industry
At that time, the whole of Oldham had a large mill industry. All of these had tonnes of machinery producing oil, dirt and grime, so Robert Scott went with the demand for rags and began making wipers for machinery. Along with a huge cotton industry, came the opportunity to re-use the yarn off-cuts and end-of-runs, something which would have otherwise been waste, and instead was turned into mops by tying together the strands. In this way, the business literally started by recycling waste into new products – a manufacturing ethos that continues to this day with recycled cotton being used to make mops and cloths.
How Jack Cohen helped us grow
A significant event that helped grow the business was selling dishcloths and yellow dusters to Jack Cohen / TE Cohen & Sons, the founder of Tesco’s, back in the 60’s. This meant the company could invest in more machinery and build a bigger product range of knitted products and move to larger premises, to Oak View Mills, the company’s current HQ. “Jack Cohen asked us if we could make circular knitted dishcloths, we only had two machines at the time. Robert's engineering training proved vital as he acquired and converted 10 old fabric knitting machines. The business rapidly outgrew Lydgate Works and we moved to the Mill in 1971."
The Wednesday pay day that almost wasn't
Up until the 1980’s, Robert Scott used to pay everyone cash on a Wednesday, which would mean journeys from the local bank carrying bags of cash until one day when Greater Manchester Police had a tip-off about a targeted armed robbery. So, when Wednesday pay-day came around Robert’s son Jimmy Scott made the trip to the bank with armed police officers hidden in the back of a Volvo in case the robbery happened. Fortunately, we think the robbers were tipped off and never appeared. Since that day, staff have been paid directly into their bank, but pay day still remains on a Wednesday.
Where cricket history was woven
From 1800 right through to 1969 Oak View Mills produced flannel material used for sheeting, shirts and also the world famous, at the time, Bokin material, which was used for the production of cricket trousers or flannels as they were then known. This was a very strong and hardwearing cloth and was exported all over the world where cricket was played. As a result, the building was known locally as ‘Bokin Mill’ and, who knows, even the great WG Grace may have worn cricket flannels made here!
The last ride of the Stotts bus
After nearly 50 years of service, the iconic "Stotts bus" made its final journey around 2020. For decades, this trusty bus played a vital role, first dropping off school kids before winding through Saddleworth villages to pick up Robert Scott employees for a day's work at the Mill.
In a time when many families didn’t own cars, it was more than just transportation — it was a daily lifeline, ensuring staff could commute with ease. Though its wheels have stopped turning, the Stotts bus remains a cherished part of the company’s history, symbolising connection and community.
Long serving employees
Poem:
A Century Woven In Time
Built on passion and driven by family values
What sets the company apart today is that over the years we’ve always tried to be very good at what we do and passionate about the
company. Being family owned, we’ve always reinvested our success back into Robert Scott.