Our Story
A Canadian Success Story from Humble Beginnings
As Eucalan's founder, Mary Ellen Edgar ventured into the world of alternative laundry during a trip to Australia. While visiting, a friend gave her the Ministry of Agriculture's home remedy for washing woolens; a lanolin-based, no-rinse laundry solution. Living in the Canadian countryside and accustomed to economizing with well water and a septic tank, Mary Ellen tested the formula herself. She was amazed at how beautifully her husband's red and white argyle wool sweater washed up. Encouraged and enthusiastic, Mary Ellen proceeded to go to the next level and began producing the new product on a commercial basis.
EUCALAN yOO-kuh-lan
The derivative of the company name, Eucalan, is the combination of two of the prominent ingredients from the original product formula — eucalyptus and lanolin.
NO-RINSE PRODUCT
In addition to its ecological value, the practical significance of Eucalan is that it can be used in both front and top-loading washing machines as well as in a basin for hand-washing. And with its unique no-rinse benefit, Eucalan is the perfect travel companion, making it simple to wash delicates in away-from-home accommodation and hotels.
With a year of great success selling to independent yarn shops and at trade exhibits, Mary Ellen was then joined by members of her family, which began its steady expansion through the employment of other staff members. Today, Eucalan is still very much a family affair with Mary Ellen as hands-on advisor and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Edgar, at the helm as Chief Executive Officer.
“I’m always on the lookout for potential customers and remain driven to provide the very best service and the very best product at the very best price - and to succeed at business in a fair and honest way.”
MARY ELLEN EDGAR, FOUNDER
From humble beginnings in 1989 to a Canadian success story over thirty years later, Mary Ellen's vision for the company for the next five years is that the Eucalan brand name gain more recognition as the number one specialty laundry product in the world. Confident that the team running the company will achieve this goal, Mary Ellen plans to spend more time with her husband, Harold Edgar, a dedicated farmer who has no intentions of retiring at this point.
