10 QUESTIONS
10 QUESTIONS WITH... STEPHEN HARRISON
Each month we ask a cleaning industry professional the Tomorrow’s Cleaning 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Stephen Harrison, Managing Director of Harrison Wipes and Chairman of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association.
Q1 Q2
Q3 Q4
Q5
WHAT WAS YOUR
FIRST JOB? At 20 I went straight from
College to a textile recycling business in
North Carolina where I began to learn about the industry.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE CLEANING INDUSTRY?
I was born into it! I’m the 4th generation of my family in Harrison Wipes. My great grandfather, Saul Harrison founded the business in Great Yarmouth in 1891; we’re celebrating 125 years this year!
WHICH THREE WORDS DESCRIBE YOUR
PERSONALITY? Ambitious, entrepreneurial and inquisitive.
IF YOU COULD VISIT ONE PLACE IN THE WORLD,
WHERE WOULD YOU GO AND WHY? The South American rain forest. It’s far from my daily life and I think I would like to be away from mobile phones and email too.
HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE CLEANING
INDUSTRY? A global uplift in standards to ensure customers can depend on us to be consistently reliable and act with integrity. As Chairman of the CHSA I am passionate about this and we have been investing in our manufacturing standards accreditation schemes for exactly this purpose. End users really recognise the benefits and we’re delighted that more and more are specifying Accreditation Scheme membership in tenders.
Q6
IF AN INTERN WERE TO START TOMORROW,
66 | Tomorrow’s Cleaning January 2016
WHAT’S THE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE THEM? Show enthusiasm, be willing to support colleagues, work hard and believe in yourself.
Q7
IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY TOMORROW, HOW WOULD
YOU SPEND YOUR FORTUNE? I can say anything as I don’t think I will ever win! I am passionate about a charity called Norwood. I have been on seven international bike rides (on four continents) to raise money for them; accompanying a disabled friend. I would love to be able to help the charity more.
Q8
IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY AND INVITE
ANY THREE PEOPLE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY? As a keen cyclist I should say Bradley Wiggins but Lance Armstrong would be a lot more interesting. I would like to ask him why he did it.
Thierry Henry – I am a Gooner….need I say more?
Nelson Mandela – it was remarkable how he conducted himself with his captors after 28 years in prison. Read ‘Playing the Enemy’ by John Carlin; it’s a lesson to all of us on how to disarm even the most difficult opponent.
www.harrisonwipes.co.uk www.chsa.co.uk
Check out next month’s issue to see what Stephen asked our next industry professional...
twitter.com/TomoCleaning Q9
WHAT, DO YOU THINK, IS THE FUTURE OF THE
CLEANING INDUSTRY? The future is good. In particular the increase to a living wage is positive for the thousands of employees. As an industry we need to aspire to get full recognition of the true value we bring to the work environment.
Christian Harris, Commercial Director at Bonasystems, asks...
Q10
WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST MENTOR/
EXAMPLE IN LIFE AND WHY? When I joined the business I was under the wing of a cousin, Seymour Harrison, who led Harrison Wipes Sales & Marketing. He had a giant personality and was well respected in the industry. Sadly he died suddenly after I had been in the business just three years. I was thrown in at the deep end. What I learnt from Seymour had to suffice and the rest is mainly self-taught.
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