United passion - Jonathan Muirhead OBE

22 April 2016



Although he retires from all operational activities at the Scottish Leather Group in June, chairman Jonathan Muirhead OBE has been asked to remain on the board as a non-executive chairman for an additional three years. So as one of the most renowned minds in the industry prepares for semi-retirement, he delivers an overview for future generations to learn from.


Looking back on a career in the leather industry that has spanned over 45 years has proved to be a fascinating exercise. I am indebted to Leather International for encouraging me to do so and allowing me to articulate my views on the challenges we face in the future. Ours is a wonderful industry, and I have been very fortunate to have been born into a family that has leather in its blood and a heritage that allowed me to develop my own vision of leather manufacturing in the 21st century.

It is often said that there can be difficulty in encouraging young people to pursue a career in the leather industry. Well, if a young person today does not want a monotonous job, likes travel, and enjoys meeting people, and dealing with the variability and unpredictability that the nature of our raw material can bring, then a career in the leather industry is the perfect choice. Today’s leather industry is safe, healthy, clean, largely automated, continually evolving and vitally important to the many industry sectors that it supplies.

Sometimes there is a perception that the leather industry has stood still. This is borne out of a mistaken belief that as animal hides and skins don’t change, then our finished product and the way that it is manufactured hasn’t changed either. The reality is quite different.

Manual handling has reduced significantly – I remember being one of seven people operating a lime-splitting machine; the chemistry is healthier – I recall the use of chemicals such as toluene and formaldehyde in our processes; machinery and working practices are safer – serious industrial injury was commonplace in some tanneries; tannery waste is now much better treated or reused; odour can be controlled; emissions are free of harmful compounds; computerisation and digitisation have revolutionised the control of every process; social and environmental sustainability have become embedded in many companies’ working practices; safety, productivity, environmental impact and energy efficiency are all essential criteria in the choice of machinery and processes; and our people are now better trained and more highly skilled.

Questions to be answered

Despite so much evolutionary progress in so many areas, there is one aspect of our industry that hasn’t developed to nearly the same degree, and that is our generic marketing and promotion. Why, when the consumer media wants to reference the leather industry, do we still see photographs of polluted rivers in Bangladesh and colourful pits in Morocco? Why do we allow our product to be so over-engineered that it imitates synthetics? Why are so many user industries still reluctant to incorporate more of the natural characteristics of the hide or skin’s natural origin, despite the substantial economic benefit that they would derive? Why do we not better promote all of the real and obvious advantages of leather – its environmental credentials, aesthetic beauty, adaptability, performance, image and ability to add significant value?

Despite so much evolutionary progress in so many areas, there is one aspect of our industry that hasn’t developed to nearly the same degree, and that is our generic marketing and promotion.

The answers lie with us and in our failure to develop a coordinated and united strategy. The reality is that our industry is too fragmented and we often fail to recognise the bigger picture. We think that an industry-wide initiative is perhaps one that will benefit a competitor, so we don’t participate. And we always perceive legislative changes negatively rather than consider the opportunities that they may bring.

Passed by while standing still

The hard fact is that the leather industry cannot afford to remain as it is. We are being pressured at both ends of the supply chain; from the huge meat and hide supply industry at one end and from multinational customer brands at the other. Vertical integration from both sides has already taken place. Arguably, this strategy may be the best future for our industry, although we should take care not to cede control to others whose interests lie elsewhere. However, I suspect that vertical integration by either suppliers or customers won’t become widespread, so for the leather industry worldwide to become economically sustainable, investment is needed and, put simply, that must come from being able to process raw hides and skins profitably.

The other threat comes from the current young generation, who are being brought up to believe that leather is a homogenous, uniform product, and who seem unaware of its many unique characteristics and traditional image. Consumer education through marketing initiatives is vital and tanners need to raise awareness of this potential danger to their customers.

Stand together

A change of attitude by our industry leaders is required. We must embrace legislative changes and turn them to our advantage. Leather industry bodies and specific interest groups should endeavour to work together to generate marketing initiatives that will bring benefits to us all in the long term. Trade associations must be given the resources to develop coherent strategies for the industry and to promote it as a healthy, safe, reliable and responsible industry. Of course these associations need to engage more with tanners and vice versa for this to happen.

Alliances with other industry stakeholders, such as the chemical and machinery industries, and centres of leather technology learning, should be encouraged to accelerate the technological developments that will make leather a much more environmentally sustainable and higher-performing product than any of its competitors.

We speak about these issues passionately but when it comes to investing financially in any of these initiatives, the industry often fails to deliver. However, the first step should be to put pressure on all governments to protect the use of the word ‘leather’ for the genuine article only. Some countries, such as Brazil, have legislated on this issue already and more need to follow its example. The leather industry lobby in Europe and the US is a relatively small voice, but surely it is in the interest of luxury brands to support this worthwhile and necessary cause, which would protect their image as well as protect the consumer from being misled.

The recent Cotance manifesto for the future of the European leather industry represents the beginning of a strategy for industry needs, employee recruitment and development, fair trade and environmental sustainability that must be implemented to ensure that we have a successful and sustainable industry in the 21st century. However, never has the old saying ‘united we stand, divided we fall’ been more appropriate to our industry. If we fail to collectively progress the aims and objectives outlined in this manifesto, then we, as European tanners, risk losing a significant market share for our industry in the future.

Are these aims impossible? No. Are they achievable? Yes. Will they happen? I hope so, for the sake of our industry and of those who work in it today, so that they may enjoy a career in the leather industry as fulfilling as I have had the privilege to enjoy. ?

Jonathan Muirhead of the Scottish Leather Group.


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