Top tanners at AYSD

About 40 Turkish tanneries producing shoe uppers and sole leather had stands at Türkiye's 28th biannual Footwear Industry Components Fair (AYSD), December 12-15, in Istanbul. Almost 15,000 visitors from some 20 countries attended the fair. This is a popular local trade show for tanners such as Sepiciler Caybasi, Mader Deri (tannery for Matras); Kampana/Savranoglu Deri; Alkoc Deri Sanayi and Asil Deri of Kayseri, as well as the Uyguner brothers. When Turkish footwear producers edged away from their mainstream leather colleagues in the mid 1990s, component manufacturers generally tagged along. They are slowly becoming more diversified, export-orientated and show signs of more competitive vision. Uyguner, for example, recently added garment leather production to expand their traditional range of shoe uppers. Sepiciler Caybasi, located outside Izmir, have produced sole and upper leathers since 1930 and now have sales agents in Germany, Greece and the UK for their calf, goat and steer skins and sole leather. Asil Deri and Savronoglu are about the only two Turkish based suppliers with sufficient quality to supply Yesil Kundura, the Istanbul-based manufacturers (and brand minder) of Hush Puppies, Wolverine, Harley Davidson, Cat(erpillar), Camel Boots and other rugged walking footwear. Iranian visitors were much in evidence at this fair and keen to cement relationships with Turkish producers and suppliers of leather, chemicals and machinery.