Berk International is a manufacturer and wholesale supplier of industrial wipers, wiping cloths, nonwoven wipes, tissue products and paper towels, based at 400 E 2nd Street in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. The company operates in the business to business segment of the cleaning and maintenance supply industry, selling primarily in bulk quantities to distributors, jobbers, janitorial supply houses, safety supply companies and industrial buyers across the United States rather than to individual household consumers.
The Boyertown location functions as both a production and converting site and a shipping point, which means orders are processed, packed and dispatched from the same campus where material is converted into finished wiping products. For buyers who purchase by the case, the carton or the truckload, that consolidation matters: it shortens the chain between an order being placed and freight leaving the dock.
Product Range
Berk International's catalog centers on wiping products, a category that sounds simple but covers a wide range of materials, each suited to different tasks. Broadly, the company's offerings fall into several families:
- Reclaimed and recycled cloth wipers, including knit cotton, terry, flannel and colored or white rag products that are graded, cut and packaged for industrial use.
- New material wipers made from first quality fabric, cut to consistent sizes for applications where lint control and uniformity are important.
- Nonwoven disposable wipes, including hydroentangled, spunlace, airlaid, meltblown and DRC style materials used for solvent wiping, paint preparation, food service and general maintenance.
- Paper wipers and towels, including center pull rolls, jumbo rolls, shop towels and creped paper products.
- Tissue and dispenser products used in facility maintenance programs.
- Specialty items such as low lint and solvent resistant wipes for finishing, printing and automotive work.
Because industrial wiping needs vary so widely, the practical value of a supplier like this lies in breadth. A metal fabricator worried about absorbing cutting fluid, a print shop cleaning press rollers, a painter wiping down a surface before a topcoat and a restaurant sanitizing prep tables all need different substrates. Having cotton, nonwoven and paper options available from a single source allows a distributor to fill varied customer requests without managing several vendor relationships.
Manufacturing and Converting
Wiper manufacturing involves more steps than most end users realize. Bulk material arrives in rolls or bales, is inspected and graded, then cut, folded, interfolded or perforated to specification before being compressed, bagged, boxed and palletized. Weight per case, count per bag, fold pattern and packaging format all affect how a product performs on a shelf and in a shop.
Berk International handles this converting work in house and supports custom specifications, which is a common requirement for distributors who need a particular case count, a private label bag, a specific sheet size or packaging that matches an existing product line. Buyers looking at bulk programs typically discuss sample evaluation, packaging format, case dimensions, pallet configuration and lead times before committing to a recurring order.
Industries Served
The customer base for bulk wiping products is broad. Typical end markets include:
- Automotive repair, body shops and paint refinishing
- Manufacturing, machining and metal fabrication
- Printing and graphic arts
- Construction, painting and contracting trades
- Janitorial and building service contracting
- Food service and food processing
- Healthcare and laboratory settings
- Oil, gas and heavy equipment maintenance
- Aviation and marine service
Most of these customers reach Berk International indirectly, through the distributors and supply houses that stock the products. That two step distribution model is standard in the industry, and it shapes how the company works: pricing, packaging and program support are built around resellers who need to protect their own margins and keep their shelves filled predictably.
Location and Facility
Boyertown sits in the borough system of Berks County in southeastern Pennsylvania, roughly between Reading and Pottstown and within reasonable driving distance of Allentown, Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley freight corridors. The location is practical for national distribution. Interstate 78, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, U.S. 422 and the Route 100 corridor put the facility inside one of the densest logistics regions in the country, with overnight or two day LTL service reachable to much of the Northeast, Mid Atlantic and Midwest.
The site is set up for freight traffic. Carriers picking up or delivering at 400 E 2nd Street handle standard dock work, and the facility is accustomed to regular truck activity. The property includes a wheelchair accessible entrance and wheelchair accessible parking, which is useful information for visiting sales representatives, walk in appointments and anyone attending a meeting on site.
Working With the Company
Because the product line is sold by the case, bale or pallet, most transactions begin with a conversation rather than a shopping cart. Prospective buyers generally contact the company by phone at +1 610-369-0600 or through the website to describe the application, the volume expected and the packaging they need. From there the process usually involves:
- Identifying the right substrate for the task, since absorbency, strength when wet, lint level and solvent compatibility differ sharply between cotton, nonwoven and paper products.
- Requesting samples for hands on evaluation before a first order.
- Confirming packaging details such as sheet size, count per package, cases per pallet and labeling.
- Setting up freight terms and, for repeat buyers, a standing reorder schedule.
Distributors who carry wiping products often note that consistency is the deciding factor in the category. A wiper that changes weight, size or absorbency between shipments creates complaints downstream, so long running supply relationships in this industry tend to be built on repeatable specifications and dependable shipping windows rather than one time savings.
Practical Information
- Address: 400 E 2nd St, Boyertown, PA 19512, United States
- Phone: +1 610-369-0600
- Business type: manufacturer and wholesaler of wipers, wipes, tissue and paper towel products
- Sales model: bulk and wholesale, business to business, with distribution across the United States
- Accessibility: wheelchair accessible entrance and wheelchair accessible parking lot
Buyers new to the category are generally best served by calling with a description of the specific wiping task at hand. Application details, including what is being wiped, what solvents or fluids are involved and whether the wiper needs to be disposable or launderable, determine which of the company's product families will actually perform in the field.