Toprak Kimya will again be present at Tanning Tech this year. The company produce leather chemicals in Türkiye and have become a successful and experienced company that aims for optimum success. Toprak Kimya have many connections in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and these connections have enabled the company to manufacture high quality products. Toprak Kimya produce a large range of products and can offer their customers an experienced technical service.

Elmo Leather will become the first leather manufacturer to reduce nitrogen emissions by 80% by investing around SEK40 million in a new treatment plant at Svenljunga, Sweden. Provided all the permits are granted, Elmo Leather estimate that they can start building the new treatment plant next month (October)and be up and running from autumn 2004, considerably reducing the company's environmental impact.

Version 2.0 of LeatherLink, a set of integrated management tools for the global leather and leather products industry. It has been developed and supplied by BSG LeatherLink was officially launched at the beginning of September.

The National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (SENASA) in Argentina has confirmed the presence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the country. The outbreak occurred in the Province of Salta, near the Bolivian border. A number of pigs at a municipal abattoir showed symptoms of FMD in early September and laboratory diagnosis shortly after confirmed that these animals had the FMD virus (serotype O).

The Australian government has suspended all livestock exports to Saudi Arabia as of 28 August, following the rejection this week of 57,000 sheep by Saudi Arabian quarantine officials.

It was announced that the All China Leather Exhibition in Shanghai on September 5 that APLF Ltd and the CLIA will join forces with the organisers of Lineapelle Asia. The new venture starts with immediate effect.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reports that the United States exported hides and skins worth US$4.56 million to Brazil in the first half of this year, compared with US$4.29 million in the same period in 2002. American hides and skins exports to Brazil in the whole of 2002 were worth US$7.76 million.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Stockholm is proposing that Vietnam should conduct a study of the Scandinavian market, in order to evaluate the potential for Vietnamese exports of leathergoods and other products there, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. The Saigon Garment and Leather Company in Ho Chi Minh City are planning to start exporting their leather footwear and handbags to Scandinavia within the next few years.

In a strategic move to assist the international leather industry in the Guangdong province, Lineapelle, the Asia Pacific Leather Fair Ltd (APLF) and the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) together with the Guangzhou Municipal Government and other important organizations are cooperating to launch the new Lineapelle Asia show to be held from November 27-29, 2003, in Guangzhou, China, at the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Israel's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Israel exported leather and leather products worth US$700,000 in the first seven months of this year, compared with US$1.5 million in the same period in 2002. Israeli imports were worth US$7.1 million, against US$9.5 million in the corresponding period last year.

Armenia's National Statistics Institute reports that Armenia produced leather and leather products worth US$216,216 in the first half of this year, a year-on-year fall of 48.1%, according to the Interfax news agency. First-half sales of leather and leather products by leather industry companies were worth US$227,027.

Slovakia's Statistical Office reports that the Slovak Republic exported raw hides and skins, and leather and leather products, worth US$71.8 million in the first seven months of this year, compared with US$64.7 million in the same period in 2002.

A unique collaboration was signed during ACLE whereby APLF Ltd have joined forces with Lineapelle, UNIC and the CLIA to launch the new Lineapelle Asia event in Canton (Guangzhou) from November 27-29 this year. The new international fair is for leather and components and will take place in a large new exhibition centre (see Leather International, August, page 2).

Exhibition organisers Ezgi Ajans have announced a second leather garments exhibition in May. Called International Leather Days-FUR'IST Fair, the event will be held from May 20-22, 2004 in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Satra are planning seminars in the Far East in October to highlight current and forthcoming European legislation on restricted chemicals and substances commonly found in some footwear and other consumer products. This is an essential subject for those supplying products into the European Union.

A footwear technology roadshow being planned by Satra in the USA for October is already attracting delegates from major American manufacturers. Experts from the UK technology centre will be speaking on subjects such as choosing the right last, optimising slip resistance, avoiding discoloration problems, identifying and avoiding banned substances, ethical trading and robotic testing.

Crispin Dynamics, the UK-based developer of CAD/CAM systems for shoemaking, have recorded a further expansion of their business activities within Far Eastern territories and particularly within China. This trend of continued growth prompted a recent visit to China by CRISPIN Dynamics' agency sales manager, Graham Vollans.

APLF Materials, Manufacturing and Technology is the new name for APLF Raw Materials and Manufacturing which will be adopted from the APLF 2004 edition onwards. The change has been made to reflect the changing needs of the industry, both in the materials it uses and the way it manufactures its products.

Klenzyme Ltd have won the Smart Award from the UK Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service (SBS), which aims to encourage innovation in England. Klenzyme were founded in June 2001 as a spinout company from the University of Westminster and University College Northampton. Their first products are a range of enzymes for use in cleaning dung from animal hides and skins, and for cleaning dung from animal housing. However, for the purposes of the award, they will receive a government grant to produce a spray to remove pigeon droppings.

Clariants' Business Unit Leather are offering their customers a new tool for professional leather colour matching called Match Wizard. During many years, colourists have been using Computer Colour Matching as a daily tool for their colour adjustments and quality control. In cooperation with their customers, Clariant have developed an easy-to-use software especially for the leather industry.

TFL have redesigned their website, to open up new dimensions of formation and enhanced services. The site has been enlarged with the addition of several new services like business news and fashion trends. Users can also find all the appreciated information about the trendbook TFL Forecast of Fashion Colours for Leather.

Le Cuir A Paris, the unmissable event of the season, will be welcoming the tenors of the leather industry and fashion on September 17-19, 2003.

CEC are organising an EFNET conference in Venice on September 12, 2003 with the support of CEN/ISSS and the European Commission. Admission is free and a lunch will be provided. All necessary information can be found on the website [http://www.cecshoe.be]. The conference is entitled The use of E-Business practices by SMEs in the Footwear sector. It will be held at the Villa Foscarini-Rossi (Via Doge Pisani _ StrA) in Venice and will be hosted by ANCI.

A comprehensive event programme covering topical subjects across the full spectrum of the global shoe and leather industry as well as trends will complement the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE), China International Footwear Fair (CIFF) and Moda Shanghai exhibitions, September 3-5, 2003, Pudong, Shanghai, China.

Clariant's Business Unit Leather has now fully completed their new technical centre, officially inaugurated in October 2002. The Guangzhou Technical Centre or GTC will assume the role of the main technical service centre for the Greater China region. GTC functions will include application R&D, training and technical assistance for tanners in Greater China. The facility also houses the sample distribution centre for China. This investment represents Clariant's commitment to the leather Industry in China.

Buckman Laboratories have announced the appointment of Robert Leigh Fleetwood Mann to the position of general manager of the company's Singapore location. As Buckman's investment in the eastern half of the world grows, the company continue to invest in new and invigorating leadership in offices in the East.

Due to over-whelming demand, The Leather Research Laboratory has scheduled a third Leather Orientation Course for this year. The seminar will be held November 19-20 at the University of Cincinnati, and is designed specifically for product retail and manufacturing industry professionals involved in leather purchasing, quality assurance, product design, and sales. The course is also invaluable for tannery sales staff and new employees.

The International Shoe Fair GDS, to be staged from September 18-21, 2003, in Düsseldorf, promises to be a 'colourful' affair, as anyone who wants to be 'in' next summer will be wearing brightly coloured shoes. Whether on sandalettes or sneakers, bold colours are back. From apple green to tangerine, one-tone or multicoloured, anything goes - if you like it and it puts a spring in your step, go for it! Footwear fashion should be fun.

The new models of the season were displayed at the 14th Izmir Shoes, Bags And Accessories Fair which was held between July 24-27, 2003. According to the Local and Foreign Sector's Representatives, the fair was successful with respect to the business relations and the number of trade visitors

The newly launched Electronic Plimsoll Portfolio Analysis - Leather Merchants & Wholesalers is a groundbreaking new piece of electronic financial analysis. With total industry coverage and user-friendly format, users can analyse their company, their competitors and their industry with just the click of a button.

The ILM Summer Styles, the third annual date of the International Leather Goods Fair Offenbach from September 27-30, 2003, stands for four attractive fair days around the latest novelties for spring/summer 2004 with bags and leather accessories.

Sizzling temperatures didn't deter buyers from making the trip to the NEC for Footwear UK this week, despite early apprehension from some exhibitors On the hottest few days of the year, buyers looked round the air-conditioned show in comfort while thunderstorms threatened outside and the heatwave continued to boost late sales of summer shoes and sandals back home on the high street.

Cromogenia's newly acquired plant was taken on with a view to increasing production of syntans for the leather industry. It is currently in the final stage of adjustment and will soon be in a position to meet their requirements. An atomizer has been set up in the plant production has been ongoing since July. This expansion of production capacity will enable Cromogenia to achieve two important targets: 1. to give a prompt and effective service to customers; 2. to offer a greater variety of products, thanks to the use of new technologies.

Bayer Polymers, a division of Bayer AG, are offering a new internet portal for the shoe industry. The core of the portal (www.footwear.bayerpolymers.com) is the 'Showroom'. Here, in addition to the Bayflex Footwear range of polyurethane products, there is a wealth of product information on rubber, plastics, adhesive raw materials and the associated additives. Examples of applications and additional information illustrate the wide range of uses for Bayer Polymers products.

Among the glittering names at Moda Shanghai, to be held in Shanghai from 3-5 September, 2003 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, will be Escada (Asia) Ltd. The Munich-based fashion house, founded in 1976 by Margaretha and Wolfgang Ley, has built Escada into an international brand representing elegance and femininity, quality and individuality.

The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry is optimistic that the US may grant anywhere between a 20,000 to 60,000 tonne country specific quota to Brazil in 2004.

Effective August 7, 2003, Ralf Sikorski has been appointed as a new member of the Supervisory Board of BASF Aktiengesellschaft. He succeeds Gerhard Zibell, who resigned from the Supervisory Board with effect from July 31, 2003.

A member of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has paid a two day visit to Pittards. Committee member Marian Bell and Kevin Butler, Agent of the Bank of England in the south west, met Pittards chairman Robert Tomkinson, group managing director John Pittard and group finance director John Buckley for discussions on various aspects of the British and global economies. John Pittard also raised the importance of the manufacturing sector to Britain.

On June 11, Assomac and the Council for Leather Export (CLE) signed an important protocol for collaboration in the Milan office of Aimpes. The agreement - signed for Assomac by their chairman Giuseppe Barrera and for the CLE by Sampath Srinivasan Kumar - was prompted by the Council for Leather Export itself, following the work done in Calcutta by Assomac in recent months, in particular the study on the effects of relocating the city's tanning firms to the new Leather Industrial Park.

Vein marks are very difficult to get rid of completely but can be minimised by taking special care in the process operations. Pronounced veininess is caused due to inherent problems in the feeding/starvation of cattle and so on.

One of the reasons for this is that the authorities have acknowledged the general hazards facing consumers and the environment, and they have acted accordingly. For instance, legislation governing food-contact and consumer goods in Germany (Lebensmittel- und Bedarfsgegenständegesetz) has led to a ban on azo dyes that are capable of releasing MAK amines. Other bans and demands for compulsory labelling in the making and marketing of leather have been introduced in the meantime. These include the following legislation:

The quality of hides suffers from their treatment by the packing industry, who at best see it as a byproduct of meat production. This could be averted if the meat packing company were to develop a vertically integrated cattle operation in which the hide is a product in its own right. A key component of that innovative operation is the rapid unhairing of stunned cattle carcases prior to flaying in the slaughterhouse. Since it removes hair-associated manure, dirt and microorganisms, rapid unhairing greatly reduces the cross-contamination of microorganisms on the hide to the meat.

Water intensive industries, such as the leather industry, are under increasing pressure to reduce water consumption and to improve the quality of the effluent they discharge. Tanneries may use up to 50m³ of water per tonne of raw material in the production of leather.

Fact: the tannery did not fail!

Being one of the largest and oldest tanning countries in Europe, Spain has developed two technical centres of excellence for fundamental research and technical service for tanners. The CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientíicas) in Barcelona and AIICA (Associación de Investigación de las Indústrias del Curtido y Anexas) in the tanning town of Igualada, Catalonia, are both involved in regional, national and European research projects.

Despite cattle hide wettings being up 19% - 16.4 million cattle hides were soaked in 2002 compared with 13.8 million in 2001 - there was much gloom in the leather footwear segment of the business. Footwear imports grew to 1.6 billion pairs in 2002, up 8% from the previous year. China led the onslaught with 1.3 billion pairs out of the 1.6 billion. The average cost of a pair of non rubber footwear entering the US market from China was $6.92, down from $7.06 per pair in 2001.

Luis Ernesto Collazo, sales director, Le Fark (Mexico): 'Mexico's tanneries have continued to receive leather orders. However, most of the production is aimed at export markets. Domestic consumption remains low.

These days each customer wants their own leather, which is unique to them. This makes life more difficult as we have to supply many small batches of specific leather types in a range of colours. But it is the only way we can compete', says Silvino Navarro, managing director, Incusa.

Lottusse 1877 produce some of the best quality shoes in the world and they are the leading Spanish brand when it comes to traditional Goodyear welted shoes. Each pair is hand crafted using many shoe making techniques which date back to the mid-nineteenth century.

The Provincial Sindh Government Livestock Department has launched an awareness campaign against infectious diseases in livestock with the emphasis on haemorrhagic septicaemia, which has a high mortality rate and is currently prevalent in the province.

Sheep supply is generally low through June-August but, this year, slaughter levels are well below those of previous years. It would appear that fewer sheep are being sold direct as saleyard throughput remains at similar levels to recent years. Some centres continue to pen unseasonably high numbers, which has been offset by much smaller yardings at other markets, reflecting the patchy seasonal conditions.

I would like to reply to the letter from Mark Ziprin in the July edition of Leather International. Mr Ziprin is quite correct in pointing out the discrepancies in hide prices quoted between the UK and Ireland in my monthly column. However, prices quoted are an overview and are intended for guidance purposes only.

Prices rose steeply in the first week of the four-week period ended 26 June. The increases continued through week two, with prices levelling off towards the end of the month. The sudden rise in prices has made Korean tanners step aside, for a while at least, but they will no doubt re-enter the market once prices are more attractive. Even though it is a quiet time of year, Korean tanners still import a large amount of raw hides, and when they return to their normal purchasing levels, this is likely to push prices higher again.

Hide prices continued to fall during June and were widely expected to fall further into July, but at the end of June the fall suddenly stopped and in the first week in July there was a small increase in prices.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) officials have suspended 17 Argentine beef plants from exporting to the US following a sanitary mission. The inspection team randomly selected 17 slaughter plants and discovered the plants failed to comply with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) procedures, and in some cases, animal welfare guidelines.

Russia's Agriculture Ministry has reported that the total number of cattle on farms in Russia as of June 1 this year was 27.8 million, a decrease of 3.9% compared with the same date last year, according to the Interfax news agency.

THE BAN ON beef from cattle more than 30 months old should be lifted says the Food Standards Agency. The slaughter of older cattle, up to seven years old, could release more than 150,000 tons of beef to retail from January 2004. The ban was introduced at the height of the BSE crisis and will be replaced by tests for BSE after the animals are slaughtered.

The American hide market has done a complete turn around since our last report. Having fallen gradually over the months, the market bottomed and surged higher in mid June, with prices soaring on a percentage basis into double digets on a number of selections in the following three weeks.

Leather International provides a worldwide selection of raw materials prices for the leather industry. Although we update these on a regular basis, they are only intended as a guide since market fluctuations occur constantly.

Seton Trading Group have announced that they are restructuring their business activities. In the future, trading will be relocated to Costa Rica, under the direction of Dave Buechler.

In this Limeblast, I am going to touch a number of subjects rather than elaborate on one single item. It is said that a change of diet creates an appetite.

The Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association reports that Vietnam exported footwear worth US$1.35 billion in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 23.5%, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. The Association noted that the increase in exports was partly due to an increase in the number of orders received by Vietnamese factories during the SARS outbreak in China. Vietnam expects to export footwear worth US$2.1-2.2 billion this year as a whole.

Stahl's display at this year's Tanning Tech will represent a challenge of diversity, breaking away as it will from stereotypical designs and materials. The theme on which the display will be based is 'Metamorphosis of Light'.

For the European Commission, CEN/ISSS and CEC (the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry) e-business is considered to be both a challenge and a must. So they are planning an Efnet conference near Venice on September 12. Admission is free but prior registration is obligatory for catering reasons as lunch will be provided.

Leeds leather manufacturers Pittards have been chosen to feature in a film to be shown at the Trades Union Congress Conference in September. Pittards have established exemplary relationships with KFAT, the textiles union to which many of the Pittards' employees belong.

Israel's Central Statistics Office reports that Israel imported raw hides and skins worth US$800,000 in the first half of this year, compared with US$1.1 million in the same period in 2002. Israeli exports of the same types of commodities were worth US$3.4 million in the January to June period, the same as in the corresponding period last year.

The October 2003 edition of the Asia Pacific Leather Fair has received a significant boost with an influx of new and established brand names in footwear and leathergoods exhibiting for the first time.

Russia's State Statistics Committee reports that Russia imported 5.8 million pairs of leather footwear worth US$56.2 million in the first half of this year, according to the Interfax news agency. Imports from non-CIS states totalled 5.2 million pairs worth US$52.9 million, and from CIS states, 600,000 pairs worth US$3.3 million.

Latvia's Central Statistical Bureau reports that Latvia exported raw hides, leather and leather products worth US$9.65 million in the first half of this year, compared with US$5.58 million in the same period last year.

The Czech Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Czech Republic in the first half of this year was 28.9% lower than in the same period in 2002. In comparison, overall industrial output in the Czech Republic in the January to June period was 5.6% higher year-on-year.

The newly launched Electronic Plimsoll Portfolio Analysis - Leather Merchants & Wholesalers is a new piece of electronic financial analysis. The providers claim that with total industry coverage and user-friendly format, you can analyse your company, your competitors and your industry with just the click of a button. Complete with every company in your industry, the analysis includes functions and applications of a Plimsoll Portfolio Analysis plus:

It is not so much that anything has changed - although uncertainties were at their height in relation to Iraq - but that the biggest performer in the market, America, is still sluggish. And only a snail's pace behind is Germany, with continuing weak demand amidst economic problems.

Satra's new automotive facility has directly benefited after the UK Accreditation Service confirmed accreditation for hundreds of tests at the UK technology centre. These cover most of Satra's consumer product sectors. However, many are specific to the automotive industry and, in conforming to ISO 17025, reach an enviable standard.

At the start of the four-day Supercar Run at the end of June, from Kensington Gardens to Monte Carlo, to raise funds for the Children with Aids Charity, Opus 9 unveiled their entry, a British racing green TVR Chimaera, featuring a printed leather interior.

Satra has devised a new strength test for leather that provides as much information about its physical properties using a single test piece as previously when it took two different tests and four separate test pieces!

During the agm of the Spanish Confederation of Tanners, Jaime Alvira was elected president of CEC-Fecur, a position that also entails the presidency of Acexpiel. Alvira takes over the seat of Jacinto Codina, who held the position from June 2002.

Italian leather chemical manufacturers ALPA have new office contact details. The new telephone number for the company's headquarters close to Milan is: +39 02 931 58501. The company fax number remains the same.

During the annual board meeting of SIC SA, the new board members unanimously elected Paul Batigne as chairman and managing director of SIC SA for a term of six years. The shareholders appointed other new administrators for the whole of the leather sector for a term of office of six years as follows:

At the general assembly, held in Athens (Greece) on the May 23, 2003, Antonio Brotini, president of ANCI, was elected unanimously as chairman of the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC). In the next two years, Brotini will be responsible for the path taken by the main representative structure of the EU-footwear sector.

Assomac, the Italian association of manufacturers of machinery for shoes, leathergoods and leather producers, have elected Giovanni Gaia as the new president. Gaia is chairman of Atom SpA, a footwear machinery business established by his father Lorenzo in 1946. He replaces Giuseppe Barrera who has held the position for the past four years. Assomac are the organisers of the Tanning Tech and Simac exhibitions held in Bologna.

In 1996, before Russian orders dried up borrowing was easy but, when and customers could not pay, banks had to call in these loans. This era of reckless lending is history. Banks went under and took many leather industry firms along with them but the ones who remain are leaner, more objective and ambitious.

Türkiye's strong leather industry links with Russia were evident at the most recent edition of Le Show held in Moscow.

Luxury goods group Gucci, which includes Yves Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi and Bottega Veneta, made a pre-tax loss in the first quarter of almost US$13.77 million, compared with a pre-tax profit of US$30.6 million for the same period last year. Domenico De Sole, Gucci's chief executive, blamed the sharp fall on the war in Iraq, the outbreak of SARS in Asia and the recent strength of the euro.

Dr Roberto Giacobbe has recently retired from his position as managing director of Stahl Italia after twenty five years working for the company. During this time he has successfully led Stahl Italia's organisation and business, ensuring the growth of the company in a key market and building an effective sales network to meet business demands.

The Turkish government minister responsible for foreign trade, Kursat Tuzman, has urged leather producers and sectoral associations to use brand names to stimulate recognition and quality guarantees, particularly for export items. Branding has become the rage, even though some inexperienced firms are still learning that the trust and emotional bond with your sneakers, burger or backpack must be developed in stages, or that any old name slapped on a pair of shoes does not automatically generate sales.

In his closing statement as president of Assomac, Giuseppe Barrera described the trading conditions of the past year as an 'annus horribilis'.

Ross Barker, the senior trading manager for Michell Leather, is leaving to take up the position of sales manager with Balsim & Co Pty Ltd, a division of the Victor Smorgon Group. He will be concentrating chiefly on their Eastern European interests.

Leather products and footwear are to be given a push by the Ministry of Enterprise Development, a news release from the Enterprise Development has said.

The chairman of the Pakistan Tanners Association, S M Naseem, has asked the Ministry of Commerce & Central Board of Revenue (CBR) to impose a 25% duty on import of finished leather as tanners are not getting orders from domestic garment manufacturers.

Managing partner in C Kalyanam & Co, Periamet, Chennai, died on July 3. Mr Duraivelan, MA, BL, was born in 1920 in Madras and commenced his career as an advocate of the Madras High Court and practised law for five years. In 1950 he joined his family business of C Kalyanam & Co, which had been founded by his father Shri C Kalyanasundaram Chettiar in 1928, and was involved in tanning and exporting finished leathers in buff calf, cow calf and cow hides.

Madura Garments, the garment division of the Aditya Birla group company Indian Rayon, have entered into a licensing agreement with the Bangalore-based Atlas Medicon for manufacturing leather accessories under the Louis Phillipe, Allen Solley and Van Huesen brands. Atlas Medicon will now manufacture and market leather products carrying these brand names.

The Pakistan government has approved a plan to establish an industrial zone for tanneries in Silakot at a total cost of Rs90 million (US$1.56 million). Rana Ijaz Ahmed, human rights advisor, Punjab, told a delegation from the Silakot Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the proposed tannery zone will be developed on a 300 acre tract of land.

Seeking to gain support ahead of a series of state elections, India's Hindu ruling party is campaigning to protect the cow from commercial exploitation, saying it defiles the sacred animal.

Local leather footwear makers are optimistic about the remainder of this year, with strengthening export demand despite the war in Iraq and the SARS outbreak, according to Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association (MFMA) president Lisa Fong. The Association represents about 500 local shoemakers and, in 2001, exports of footwear dropped by 8% to RM325 million (US$85.5 million) from RM353 million (US$92.89 million) in 2000.

The new General Secretary of the TUC, Brendan Barber, has been looking at new leather technology for golf.

RDF Fuarcilik Ltd have announced revised dates for their AYSAF and AYMOD footwear fairs. The Turkish organisers rescheduled the fairs to avoid clashing with Lineapelle and national holidays.

Bayer Chemicals are investing around €400,000 in renovating, modernising and expanding their leather pilot plant in Leverkusen. The completion of the applications development revamp is scheduled for the last quarter of 2003. According to Dr Bernhard Wehling, head of the Leather Business Unit, these measures are being introduced so that the increased demands of the customer can be met even more effectively. The best conditions are being created for development work in the field of automotive leather in particular. 'The new facilities are the ideal foil to our established machine park, ensuring that the tests carried out are even more realistic than before', says Wehling.