Haworth Scouring

What Haworth Scouring does

Haworth Scouring Company Ltd is a Bradford, UK-based industrial commission wool processor founded in 1966 and wholly owned by Curtis Wool Direct since 2008. The company operates one of the world's largest dual-set wool scouring facilities on a purpose-built 8-acre site, with capacity to process up to 1,000 tonnes of greasy wool per week (3.5 tonnes/hour) and, via sister operation Haworth Combing, to produce up to 150,000 kg of wool tops per week across 22µm–40µm fibers using Schlumberger Era combing machinery installed in a multi-million GBP 2017 investment.

The core technology stack centres on temperature-controlled wash bowls using biodegradable detergent, a specialised dust and fibrous-debris extraction unit, moisture-management dryers tuned to customer-specified regain values, and a state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant achieving 4 litres water per kg of greasy wool processed, 100% rinse water recycling, 4–4.5 MJ/kg energy use, and up to 20% lanolin recovery. Haworth Scouring holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, Soil Association GOTS, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, and EU Eco-label certifications. Co-located sister entity Enco Global Testing provides environmental and textile testing services.

The business operates on a B2B commission processing model in which wool merchants, textile manufacturers, and sustainable fashion brands ship greasy wool to Bradford for scouring and/or combing at fees based on volume and processing requirements, with the customer retaining ownership of the wool throughout. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct phone (+44 1274 846500) and email ([email protected]) engagement, supplemented by the Curtis Wool Group cross-promotion network spanning Curtis Wool Direct, Haworth Scouring, and Enco Global Testing. Customer segments are horizontal across British, Norwegian, Irish, New Zealand, and Real Shetland wool origins.

Name

Haworth Scouring

Legal name

Haworth Scouring Company Ltd

Website

https://haworthscouring.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Haworth Scouring is a UK-based commission wool processor scouring up to 1,000 tonnes of greasy wool per week and producing wool tops via Schlumberger Era combing, serving wool merchants, textile manufacturers, and sustainable fashion brands under Curtis Wool Direct ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wool Processing Services

akta.pro primary industry

Natural Fiber Processing (Cotton/Wool/Flax/Hemp) (IMAOAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wool & Fiber Production (Shearing, Sorting, On-Farm Grading) (AFAEAFAD), Washing, Rinsing & After-Treatments (Soaping/Neutralizing/Enzyme Wash) (IMAOACAH)

Keywords

• Wool scouring
• Wool combing
• Commission processing
• Textile manufacturing
• Wool tops production

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Commission Wool Scouring: Commission-based wool processing services where customers send greasy wool for scouring (cleaning). Charges are based on volume of wool processed, not the sale of wool itself.
2. Wool Combing Services: Commission combing services converting scoured wool into wool tops (combed fibers). Multi-million GBP investment in Schlumberger Era combing machinery enables high-capacity processing.
3. Environmental Testing (via Enco Global): Environmental and textile testing services provided through affiliated company Enco Global Testing, serving both textile industry and other business sectors with environmental waste concerns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Haworth Scouring operates as a commission wool processing company offering industrial wool scouring (cleaning raw greasy wool to remove lanolin, dirt, and vegetable matter) and wool combing (transforming scoured wool into combed tops) services. Customers provide their own raw wool for processing at the company's Bradford facility, with pricing based on volume processed. The company also offers access to environmental and textile testing capabilities through its affiliated Enco Global Testing service operating on the same site.

Product overview

Haworth Scouring operates as a commission wool processing company offering integrated wool scouring and combing services. The core product is the wool scouring service, which cleans raw greasy wool through industrial washing, rinsing, and drying processes. Wool combing is offered as a complementary processing service that transforms scoured wool into combed tops using Schlumberger Era machinery. The company also provides access to environmental and textile testing capabilities through its affiliated Enco Global Testing service. The product portfolio ranges from raw wool receiving through to finished scoured or combed wool products, with specialty offerings in British, Norwegian, Irish, New Zealand, and Shetland wool types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wool Scouring Commission wool scouring service that removes wool grease (lanolin), dirt, and vegetable matter from raw wool through a multi-stage process including pre-scouring treatment, temperature-controlled washing with biodegradable detergent, rinsing, drying, and quality control. Designed for wool merchants and textile manufacturers who supply their own raw wool for processing.
• Wool Combing Commission wool combing service using Schlumberger Era combing machinery that transforms scoured wool into combed tops, with capacity to produce up to 150,000 kgs wool tops per week for wools ranging from 22µm to 40µm. Serves textile manufacturers and wool merchants requiring high-quality combed wool tops.
• Wool Types Supply Supply of various wool types including Greasy, Sorted, Scoured, or Combed wool from multiple origins. Specialties include British, Norwegian, Irish, New Zealand, and Real Shetland wool for textile manufacturers and wool merchants.
• Environmental and Textile Testing (via Enco Global Testing) Environmental and textile testing services provided through affiliated company Enco Global Testing, serving both the textile industry and other business sectors with environmental waste concerns. Detects compounds in effluents across various industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces water consumption to industry best practice of 4 litres per kg of greasy wool processed (vs typical industry rates)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Enco Global TestingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnco Global Testing operates on the same 8-acre site as Haworth Scouring and Haworth Combing. Provides environmental and textile testing services, including modern equipment able to detect the smallest qualities of compounds in effluents. Acquired by Curtis Wool Direct in 2009 alongside Haworth companies.
• Haworth CombingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the same site operations as Haworth Scouring. Multi-million GBP investment in Schlumberger Era combing machinery completed in late 2017. Both companies are wholly owned by Curtis Wool Direct.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Modiano Group: Italian-headquartered global wool trader and processor with operations in UK and other origins. Comparable as a multi-geography wool merchant and processor serving similar wool merchants and textile manufacturer customers.

Broad incumbents

• Chargeurs Luxury Materials: French-listed parent of Chargeurs Wool (now Marling & Evans), a major global wool topmaker with operations in China, Europe, and South America. Comparable as a much larger, established wool processor with global scale and similar focus on premium fabric supply.

Others

• Bremworth: New Zealand wool carpet manufacturer and wool products company. Comparable as a downstream consumer of scoured and combed wool, providing insight into end-market demand for processed wool, though it does not directly compete in processing services.

Direct peers

• H. Dawson & Sons: Australian wool broker and processor offering wool buying, testing, and topmaking services. Comparable as a vertically integrated wool processing business with similar scouring/topmaking operations serving global wool merchants and textile manufacturers.
• Lempriere Wool: Australian wool trading and processing company procuring, carbonizing, and processing wool globally. Comparable as a multi-origin wool processor serving textile manufacturers with similar blending and provenance services.
• Curtis Wool Direct: Parent company and largest wool merchanting/processing company in the Northern Hemisphere. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated wool trader and processor serving the same UK textile market, with overlapping ownership and customer base.
• Michell Wool: Australian wool topmaker and processor producing wool tops for global textile manufacturers. Directly comparable as a wool topmaking operation using similar combing technology and serving international fashion and textile customers.

Regional players

• Standard Wool UK: UK-based wool buyer and exporter specializing in British and other wools. Comparable as a UK-based wool merchant and exporter operating in the same Yorkshire textile cluster and supplying similar textile manufacturer customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haworth Scouring