Nought to sixty

John Morfield

April 18th 2023

When it comes to filtration, one name in the Tees Valley area stands out – John Morfield. Now in its 60th year of business, the company is celebrating its homegrown Teesside roots while looking forward to the future.

Founded in 1962 by Peter Johnston, John Morfield was born out of a need to supply filtration products to the steel and chemical companies of Teesside. In 1971 Tom Crabtree joined the business and in 1982 he went on to become 50/50 partners with Peter. When Peter retired in 1999, John Morfield was left in safe hands with Peter’s son, current managing director Stephen Johnston.



From a modest start with a turnover of £4,607 in its first year, the company has become the biggest distributor of filtration products in the UK and Ireland, with an annual turnover of £16.5m. The company’s diverse and prominent customer base of manufacturers in the pharmaceutical, power generation, chemical, automotive and food and beverage industries is a testament to the depth of expertise in filtration products John Morfield possesses.

But who is John Morfield? Is he the top salesperson or maybe the company mascot? Actually, John Morfield was born out of a clever combination of surnames. Shortly after Peter founded the company, he took on two investors, Mr Moore and Mr Whitfield, to help fund its ambitious growth plans. When the time came to name the company, the three partners combined their surnames, resulting in the name John Morfield.

As the company celebrates its diamond anniversary, it continues to grow and expand further afield from its humble Teesside beginnings. Yet John Morfield’s ties with the community are as strong today as they’ve ever been. The company proudly supports the local sports scene thanks to managing director Stephen Johnston’s unwavering love for the beautiful game. As well as being a community business partner at Middlesbrough Football Club, he also sponsors youth soccer and netball teams in Teesside and Scotland. John Morfield’s appreciation for its roots is no surprise – being more than just a supplier has always been the cornerstone of the Morfield philosophy.

The company’s commitment to going above and beyond for its customers means that services such as lab support, offering next-day shipping and stockholding agreements are all included as a standard service. In fact, John Morfield’s stockholding
is a vital element of its continued success. Valued at £2m and strategically distributed across three locations – Thornaby on Teesside, Bellshill in Scotland and Cork, Ireland – it provides important geographical coverage for the industrial, food and beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. Additionally, it ensures that customers receive stock promptly, even for hard-to find items, which is particularly valuable after the challenging events of recent years. It’s worth noting that not all additional extras are exclusive to enhanced business services they also include educational support.

In the past, filtration may have seemed more like voodoo than science. However, John Morfield has launched a new initiative to make the sector more accessible and understandable by providing excellent service and educational literature. Through digital publications and industry case studies, the team has helped disseminate new knowledge while making filters less of a chore and more of a fascinating and crucial part of any industrial process.

But what sets John Morfield apart from its competitors is its people – they admit they’re nuts about filters! While some folk get excited about fast cars or fancy gadgets, the employees at John Morfield are just as passionate about the intricacies of filtration. With 45 staff, including the longest serving employee Julie Spuhler – Peter Johnston’s daughter, who has been with the company for 46 years – John Morfield takes pride in its team of experts, industry veterans and specialists alike. They know the right filter can make all the difference in the quality of a product, and take pride in helping their customers find the perfect solution for their unique needs.

Whether it’s a complex filtration problem or a simple product question, the team at John Morfield is always eager to help, because at the core of it all, there’s nothing they love more than filters. It’s clear to see why John Morfield has proven to be a formidable player in the filtration industry, with its steadfast commitment to customer service playing a vital role in its success. By offering additional business services as standard and maintaining prompt and reliable service even in the aftermath of major global events, John Morfield has encouraged companies to rethink and question what an equitable relationship with a supplier should look like. As a result, John Morfield’s meteoric rise as a homegrown hero of the Tees Valley is a testament to the enduring power of kindness and expertise in business.