Our history
Our mission is to help make the world’s workplaces easier to clean - with better and better products that don’t cost the earth.
100 years
of serious cleaning know-how.
2019 - 2024
We launched the Cobotic Division with the innovative Meta-Scrub 60 robotic floor scrubber dryer, along with many more new products including the Pro-mist mop, folding trolley, eco wet floor sign and Oxygen-Pro fragrance system..
Â
Toucan Eco becomes the first hypochlorous disinfectant cleaner to receive double certification against viruses. Covid pandemic hit the UK and we increased stocks of vital cleaning products for frontline cleaning services.
Â
In the same year, we won the Supplier of the Year 2020, and became ISO 14001 certified, showing our commitment to environmental matters and, from October, all of our electricity comes from zero carbon hydro, wind and solar sources.
Â
We launched the eco-friendly cleaning range made from recycled and natural fibres and replaced key lines with high recycled-content plastic as part of our 5-year plan to reduce carbon emissions by 25% and production waste by 20%.
2011 - 2018
The last available part of Heybottom Mill was developed, turning the original single storey building into a two-storey storage and packing department.
Contico, based in Cornwall, was acquired to further expand our range of cleaning products.
We’re named winners in Tomorrow’s Cleaning Product Awards for the Big White refill mop and the Stream microfibre flat mop..
To support the need for additional storage we acquired a new, purpose-built 70,000 sq.ft. warehouse facility, Crown in Rochdale.
Universal Towel Company (UTC) acquired to add catering and laundry linens to our range.
Mi-cloth finalist in the Tomorrow’s Cleaning and Tomorrow’s Care awards. All brands are consolidated under Robert Scott and the new B2B ecommerce website launched.
2000 - 2010
Harold Watson of Heywood was acquired doubling mop production. Millers Brook Mill is locally known as the Mop Shop.
Having reached warehouse capacity Broadbent Works was purchased, providing an extra 30,000 sq.ft. of space.
The Brencliffe business in Burnley was bought expanding our retail presence and adding automotive products to the business.
Although Brencliffe offices were closed, it didn’t stop the investment in the site as a 16,000 sq.ft. extension was built at Rochley.
Acorn Works was expanded by an additional 12,000 sq.ft. 8m high bay racking to further increase the storage capacity of palletised goods.Â
1992 - 1999
We developed the first machine for producing webs and launched our Hygiene mop range.
Our 10,000 sq.ft. 6m high bay warehouse opened at Heybottom Mill - the first in Saddleworth and our debut investment into high bay narrow aisle racking.
We invested in our first AKAB fully automated sewing machines to improve the quality, consistency and efficiency of dishcloth sewing.
Acquired Pioneer Manufacturing, introducing microfibre into the range.
Moved Kentucky and socket mopÂ
production out of Oak View Mills to a purpose-built facility at Heybottom Mill.
A chance meeting with Compass atÂ
Interclean led us to develop what has become our current range of non-woven wipes.Â
1971 - 1988
The family business grew and moved to the much larger Oak View Mills in Greenfield. Today, this 19th century Lancashire mill remains Robert Scott's HQ.
We started manufacturing floor, oven and sponge cloths, along with flat knitted dishcloths.
Throughout the next ten years the current board all joined the company, including the next generation of family members, Alastair, Angus and Daniel, as well as Frank Murphy and Mark Smith. Sadly, Angus passed away in 2016.
While we had previously supplied Booker with mops, dusters and dishcloths, in 1988 they also ordered a new, extensive range of products. Heybottom Mill was purchased to cope with this growth.
1925 - 1964
For the first time, James started manufacturing cleaning cloths for himself at Acorn Mill in Lee near Oldham.
His only son, Robert, joined the firm and
gradually took over the running of the business.
A government scheme to reduce overcapacity in the textile industry was introduced and the mill was closed.
Robert restarted the business as Robert Scott & Sons Ltd with his sons James and Peter in what had been a small farmhouse in Lydgate.
The business started to supply yellow dusters to T.E.Cohen & Sons (then a market trader), more recently known as Tesco. We have supplied them ever since.
Using butchers knives and hammers we started making mops, a far cry from the automatic machines we use today.Â
Our history
Our mission is to help make the world’s workplaces easier to clean - with better and better products that don’t cost the earth.
100 years
of serious cleaning know-how.
2019 - 2024
We launched the Cobotic Division with the innovative Meta-Scrub 60 robotic floor scrubber dryer, along with many more new products including the Pro-mist mop, folding trolley, eco wet floor sign and Oxygen-Pro fragrance system..
Â
Toucan Eco becomes the first hypochlorous disinfectant cleaner to receive double certification against viruses. Covid pandemic hit the UK and we increased stocks of vital cleaning products for frontline cleaning services.
Â
In the same year, we won the Supplier of the Year 2020, and became ISO 14001 certified, showing our commitment to environmental matters and, from October, all of our electricity comes from zero carbon hydro, wind and solar sources.
Â
We launched the eco-friendly cleaning range made from recycled and natural fibres and replaced key lines with high recycled-content plastic as part of our 5-year plan to reduce carbon emissions by 25% and production waste by 20%.
2011 - 2018
The last available part of Heybottom Mill was developed, turning the original single storey building into a two-storey storage and packing department.
Contico, based in Cornwall, was acquired to further expand our range of cleaning products.
We’re named winners in Tomorrow’s Cleaning Product Awards for the Big White refill mop and the Stream microfibre flat mop..
To support the need for additional storage we acquired a new, purpose-built 70,000 sq.ft. warehouse facility, Crown in Rochdale.
Universal Towel Company (UTC) acquired to add catering and laundry linens to our range.
Mi-cloth finalist in the Tomorrow’s Cleaning and Tomorrow’s Care awards. All brands are consolidated under Robert Scott and the new B2B ecommerce website launched.
2000 - 2010
Harold Watson of Heywood was acquired doubling mop production. Millers Brook Mill is locally known as the Mop Shop.
Having reached warehouse capacity Broadbent Works was purchased, providing an extra 30,000 sq.ft. of space.
The Brencliffe business in Burnley was bought expanding our retail presence and adding automotive products to the business.
Although Brencliffe offices were closed, it didn’t stop the investment in the site as a 16,000 sq.ft. extension was built at Rochley.
Acorn Works was expanded by an additional 12,000 sq.ft. 8m high bay racking to further increase the storage capacity of palletised goods.Â
1992 - 1999
We developed the first machine for producing webs and launched our Hygiene mop range.
Our 10,000 sq.ft. 6m high bay warehouse opened at Heybottom Mill - the first in Saddleworth and our debut investment into high bay narrow aisle racking.
We invested in our first AKAB fully automated sewing machines to improve the quality, consistency and efficiency of dishcloth sewing.
Acquired Pioneer Manufacturing, introducing microfibre into the range.
Moved Kentucky and socket mopÂ
production out of Oak View Mills to a purpose-built facility at Heybottom Mill.
A chance meeting with Compass atÂ
Interclean led us to develop what has become our current range of non-woven wipes.Â
1971 - 1988
The family business grew and moved to the much larger Oak View Mills in Greenfield. Today, this 19th century Lancashire mill remains Robert Scott's HQ.
We started manufacturing floor, oven and sponge cloths, along with flat knitted dishcloths.
Throughout the next ten years the current board all joined the company, including the next generation of family members, Alastair, Angus and Daniel, as well as Frank Murphy and Mark Smith. Sadly, Angus passed away in 2016.
While we had previously supplied Booker with mops, dusters and dishcloths, in 1988 they also ordered a new, extensive range of products. Heybottom Mill was purchased to cope with this growth.
1925 - 1964
For the first time, James started manufacturing cleaning cloths for himself at Acorn Mill in Lee near Oldham.
His only son, Robert, joined the firm and
gradually took over the running of the business.
A government scheme to reduce overcapacity in the textile industry was introduced and the mill was closed.
Robert restarted the business as Robert Scott & Sons Ltd with his sons James and Peter in what had been a small farmhouse in Lydgate.
The business started to supply yellow dusters to T.E.Cohen & Sons (then a market trader), more recently known as Tesco. We have supplied them ever since.
Using butchers knives and hammers we started making mops, a far cry from the automatic machines we use today.Â