Hornchurch & Upminster MP, Julia Lopez, was invited today to visit Harrison Wipes - a family-run manufacturing company in Harold Hill that has been trading for 130 years in products that create clean, safe workplaces.

The local business was keen to share with Mrs Lopez the work they are doing with the wider cleaning industry on skills and apprenticeships, highlighting fantastic career opportunities for young people in what is one of the UK's top ten sectors.

The firm, run by Stephen Harrison, was founded in Great Yarmouth in 1891 and has been based in Harold Hill since 2002, from where it has continued to grow. While the pandemic presented the company with huge challenges when the hospitality sector was restricted, Harrison Wipes quickly modified their production to support the high demand for cleaning products to prevent disease, helping to fulfil a vital need within the UK economy. Now the other side of the pandemic, Harrison Wipes have set bold plans to grow the business, employ more local constituents and develop environmentally-sustainable products.

The visit also provided an opportunity for Mr Harrison to champion the importance of the cleaning sector more broadly, an industry worth £59 billion . He explained that his business contributes 50 jobs to the local economy and has recently partnered with a nearby marketing agency to train a new apprentice. 

Speaking after the visit, Mrs Lopez said: “It was great to visit this fantastic Harold Hill business and better understand what kind of opportunities are available to constituents in the cleaning industry. Many people do not realise that we have some really innovative and dynamic manufacturing businesses in the constituency, some of whose roots go back over a century. I was glad to have the chance to meet the business's new apprentice and hear of their intention to partner with local charities and community groups that might benefit from support'.