The traditional, family-run company Rotta GmbH is the latest Mannheim business to be declared insolvent. The producer of leather, textile and paper chemicals is insolvent but not heavily in debt. The temporary insolvency lawyer Markus Ernestus declared that the application will be filed as soon as possible so that the company can continue to operate under insolvency rules.

The EU Enterprise Directorate-General, responsible for EU enterprise policy, is organising a conference: The European leather and tanning industry and sustainable development on May 27 in Brussels. This has been organised in close co-operation with Cotance and the ETUF:TCL. The object of the conference is to take stock of the European leather and tanning industry's progress towards sustainable development. It will examine in more detail the objectives and strategies towards achieving the goal of sustainability in its three dimensions: economic, environmental and social. The implications of EU enlargement for the European leather and tanning sector will also be discussed.

The final conference of the project for Implementing and Evaluating Social Standards in Europe was held in Brussels on May 7. The objective of the project has been to lay down a framework of social responsibility and has been a co-operative venture between Cotance, SAI, Nyenrode and TUF:TCL. The full title of the project is Implementing and Evaluating the Cotance/ETUF:TCL Code of Conduct / Framework Agreement and Further Social Standards in Europe (B3-4000). It was conducted as part of the Cotance/ETUF:TCL European social dialogue and aimed at enforcing the framework agreement/code of conduct signed in July 2000.

BASF have launched two new ranges of readily biodegradable surfactants to the market. The Lutensol XL and Lutensol XP surfactants offer detergent manufacturers and formulators higher performance and value compared with conventional surfactants. Typical applications include all-purpose cleaners, degreasers, floor cleaners and hand-dishwashing detergents. These surfactants are also employed in formulations for use in the textile industry, for degreasing wool, and in industrial spray-cleaning processes.

Following APLF in Hong Kong, S M Naseem, chairman of the Pakistan Tanners Association, told Leather International that a large number of orders were booked during the show which amounted to around US$10 million. He also said that a good number of orders/enquiries were under negotiation and that he was optimistic they would materialize and make good business. It is expected that Pakistani exporters will benefit as a result of Pakistan taking part as focus country this year.

The first joint venture Upholstery Leather Conference, held in Verona, Italy, May 1-2, by Leather International and Ron Sauer, ended on Monday with a very enjoyable trip to the Lamborghini factory. The conference was well attended and the speakers provided lots of interesting topics for discussion.

BASF has responded to an unsatisfactory market situation by closing their formic acid plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, for a scheduled revision during an approximate three week period starting from the end of April.

The recession that has seriously affected western European leather and leather product industries during the past two years appears to be improving. Simac 2004, the footwear and leathergoods machinery and component show held in Bologna, April 27-30, closed with suggestions of increased confidence within the footwear and leathergoods technology sectors.

Rohm and Haas Company shareholders have elected Gary L Rogers to their board of directors at their annual meeting of shareholders, held in Philadelphia. Rogers was most recently vice-chairman of General Electric Company from 2001 until his retirement in December, 2003. Previously, he served as senior vice-president of General Electric Company and president and chief executive officer of GE Plastics from 1992 to 2001. Rogers was one of fourteen members of the board elected at the annual shareholders' meeting. John A McArthur, a director of the company since 1977, has reached the age of 70 and, in accordance with the company's corporate governance policies and guidelines, did not stand for re-election to the board.

The Bayer Group got off to a good start in 2004, with currency- and portfolio-adjusted sales up 9% and EBIT before special items expected to match the high level of the first quarter of 2003 (€833 million). 'The pleasing performance recorded in January and February continued in March', said Werner Wenning, chairman of the board of management of Bayer AG, at the company's annual stockholders' meeting in Cologne. 'Overall, our performance in the first three months confirms our positive forecast and gives us reason to be optimistic.'

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Brazil could topple Australia in 2004 to become the world's largest beef exporting country and the latest beef export statistics suggest that this forecast may come to fruition.

BASF have again showed that they can maintain a good course, even in stormy economic weather. 'We perform consistently thanks to our clear strategy for long-term success, as demonstrated by the good start in the first quarter of 2004', said Dr Jürgen Hambrecht, chairman of the board of executive directors of BASF Aktiengesellschaft when commenting on the company's first-quarter figures at the annual meeting on April 29, 2004.

BASF have launched a new logo to cover all the company's manufacturing divisions.

The 3rd Freiberg Collagen Symposium will take place from September 23.-24, 2004. Further information, programme and registration, is available on the home page at: [http://www.filkfreiberg.de]

The fourteenth edition of the Spanish international leather week, held in Madrid, closed its doors on Sunday March 28 recording 20,003 industry professionals visiting the show. The leather week is made of two separate shows, Modacalzado - the international footwear fair and Iberpiel Marroquineria - the international leathergoods trade fair. The growing international importance of the fair has been translated into an increased presence of foreign visitors. Attendance by professionals from outside Spain has grown by 5%, in relation to the edition held in March 2003, and now represents 15% of the total visitors.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw livestock hides and skins worth US$27.4 million in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year decrease of 4.4%.

One of the UK's top upholstery suppliers, Muirhead got its 'big break' with a grand appearance on Channel 4's hugely popular 'building the dream home' TV series Grand Designs.

Leather International, the leading magazine for tanners since 1867, launched a Chinese language edition at the APLF.

The president of the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies, Professor Jaume Cot, met with a number of key national heads of technical societies during the APLF held in Hong Kong at the beginning of April. His aim is increase and improve international relations between the various international leather societies within the IU (international union) especially in regions where the leather industry is rapidly growing such as China and India.

Leather industry companies operating in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi are forecasting total exports worth over US$100 million this year, an increase of 13.4% compared with 2003, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. The export figure was announced at a conference in Hanoi in mid-April.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that leather industry production in Croatia in the first quarter of this year was 2% higher than in the same quarter in 2003. In comparison, overall industrial output in Croatia in this year's first quarter was 5.6% higher year-on-year.

Brazil's National Statistics Institute reports that the production of hides and skins, and leather, in Brazil in 2003 was 2.9% higher than in the previous year. In comparison, overall industrial output in Brazil in 2003 was 0.3% higher year-on-year.

The SATRA brand reached a new level of awareness in Asia after the UK technology centre led a series of a seminars and then took part in the Asia Pacific Leather Fair in Hong Kong.

SATRA have restructured their footwear testing team to promote an operating structure which satisfies the changing demands of members and other clients.

A resolution has been passed to increase export taxes on hides and skins to 30% and ban their export within three years. According to the Regional Association of Leather Processors, this will strengthen regional tanneries.

Jasna Matic, director of the Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA), says that SIEPA will promote the Serbian leather industry to potential new investors, according to the Serbian government's website. Matic noted that an increase in the investment level of foreign companies already operating in Serbia would send a positive signal to other investors abroad who still see Serbia as a high investment risk country.

The row over import and export taxes, plus the alleged growing illegal trade and export of Kenya's hides and skins has resurfaced with a vengence. Acting Kenya Hides and Skins Association (KHSA) chairman Robert Njoka said in an Interview: 'My predecessor Amos Ngonjo stated the industry loses an estimated Ksh10 billion in revenue annually to crooks in the industry. 'This is impossible. Even if all the animals in Kenya were slaughtered today, the cumulative revenue totals would never reach that figure. I appreciate that some traders have under-declared values and weights in the past, but the figures being bandied around are laughable. 'It is just not possible for the industry to generate that kind of tax in the first place.' He added: 'Although tax evasion was rampant in the past, measures have been put in place to ensure that every single shilling is paid to the government.'

Galaxy chocolate has continued its support of young British design talent through awarding a bursary for shoe designers at the Royal College of Art.

Brazil is set to overtake Australia in 2004 to become the world's largest beef exporting country, according to the latest United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts. With higher beef production due to improved genetics and cattle production practices and an attractive currency, Brazilian exports are expected to increase 15% to reach 1.35 million tonnes cw in 2004. Remarkably, this result would come without Brazilian unprocessed beef being able to access North Asian or North American markets due to its foot and mouth disease status.

Chinese woolskin tanners, Henan Prosper, who claim to consume around 60% of the Australian shorn lambskin market, believe that the drought that has blighted the domestic woolskin market is now beginning to have a negative effect on their business. A major drought across Australia in 2002 has had a significant impact on the numbers of sheep being sent for slaughter. 'The number of stock being slaughtered in the past year and a half has fallen dramatically', Bill Stephen, general manager, Dynasty International, an Australian subsidiary of Henan Prosper, told Leather International.

As part of their group globalisation strategy, Tata International, the largest exporters of finished leather from India, have tied up with leading footwear and leather accessory makers, Martinez Group of Spain and Oxalaga of Romania. These two companies will be procuring finished leather from Tata to manufacture their products.

There's much more to gloves than simply keeping your hands warm. As the world's leading fashion designers are showing, they also make the perfect summer accessory.

LVMH, the world's largest luxury-goods company, have announced that net profit rose by 30% in 2003, driven by their Louis Vuitton leathergoods, and reaffirmed their outlook for 'tangible' profit growth in 2004.

An evening of celebration and fashion was held on February 1 in Düsseldorf, Germany, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of German leather manufacturers Christ. Guests were invited from all over the world to join the celebrations and the evening was a complete success. Walter and Berthold Christ, the founder's two sons, greeted representatives from the leather clothing and fashion industry. Customers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux countries were also invited, as were guests from south America and the Far East.

The Bayer Group have announced their intention to increase both their operating result before depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and their operating result (EBIT) before special items by more than 10% in 2004. This was announced by Bayer management board chairman Werner Wenning at the company's Spring financial news conference on Thursday March 18 in Leverkusen.

BASF's figures for 2003 clearly show that the tremendous hard work by the company's employees worldwide has been successful: BASF have strengthened their position as one of the world's leading chemical companies. In a difficult market environment, sales increased by 3.6% to €33.4 billion. Excluding currency effects, the growth would have been substantially higher and sales would have reached €35.7 billion. The forecast made last November for income from operations (EBIT) before special items was exceeded: it increased in 2003 by about 4% to almost €3 billion. Cash provided by operating activities reached a record level of €4.9 billion. EBIT in 2003 contained special charges of €335 million. These special charges were primarily related to restructuring measures taken to increase efficiency as part of the Ludwigshafen Site Project.

Introduction

The plant in Alcover, Spain, that Cromogenia-Units acquired last year with a view to increasing the production of syntans for the leather industry is already in its final adjustment stage. An atomiser has been set up in the new plant, located 100km south of Barcelona, and has been in operation since last July.

Spanish tannery machinery manufacturers, Poliesters Reforcats Ara, have upgraded their stainless steel tipping paddle. The MAB-X-TV range is available in a range of sizes with a capacity from 1,000, 3,000 or 5,000 litres.

Until recently, the Spanish speciality leather chemical company, Quimser, have been little known outside of their domestic market. However, Pere and Salvador Esquerra, the second generation of the family-owned business, have ventured into foreign markets.

With the exception of the doubleface market, 2003 was another depressing year for the Spanish leather sector. According to figures released by the Spanish tanners' association, CEC-Fecur, exports of finished leather fell from €403 million in 2001 to €330 million in 2002 to only €273 million last year. This a fall of 32% in two years (see Table 3).

In order to satisfy the increasing demand and to provide a better service, Spanish leather chemical producers, Inquimica, have relocated their premises to a new production plant in Rubi, 25km from Barcelona. The new location will also be the administrative and commercial headquarters as well as the customer technical service.

The Igualada Tanning School, otherwise known as the EUETII - ESAI, has been offering leather technology studies for over four decades since it was founded 1958. As well as a tanning school, staff and students at the Escola Universitaria d'Enginyeria Tecnica Industrial d'Igualada (EUETII) are also involved in collaborative research with the private sector, governmental and other European Union funded projects.

Reporting today on a market's situation, an industrial sector, it is impossible if we don't bear in mind the very complex reality such as that raised by the world economy and its currencies. The devaluation of the dollar versus the euro is producing conflict and benefit zones because, given the current world situation, it affects every region.

Prices across most major US selections remained steady or declined slightly as tanners stayed out of the market during the early weeks of March. Many were sitting on inventories of hides awaiting orders following the major fairs.

Hide prices continued to decline slowly throughout February and into early March as business conditions remained difficult. As Chinese tanners returned to work after their new year celebrations, the much hoped for increase in demand failed to materialise and Italy remained doggedly quiet.

UPHOLSTERY leather business in China is reported to be working at full steam, while shoe leather business remains mixed with a clear advantage for tanners working for the big shoe brands. Garment leather tanners do not have good orders.

Since our last issue, prices of just about all selections of US hides have continued to fall. To the surprise of many, the much anticipated seasonal rally that almost always occurs in the weeks leading up to the APLF in Hong Kong failed to materialise.

Quinn Mexico has recognised the need to move away from hazardous chemicals and move towards water-based compounds.

In presenting collections at Deri Gunleri's 13th edition of International Leather Days, and at the 1st Istanbul Leather Fair, held earlier in the year in Türkiye, Stahl introduced the new Fourane range of fur and wool dyes for the leather industry to complete the product package for producing doubleface leathers for clothing.

Tough, durable pumps and mixers from Landia are helping Pittards, a leading supplier of high performance leathers, to enhance their objective of continually improving their already high environmental standards.

Liquiguard Technologies, Florida, USA, have introduced a unique water-based leather protective coating.

Three new Lowatan products have been released by J H Lowenstein, USA:

Now that Gemata SpA have acquired Rollmac, they have formulated a group image.

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.

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.

Three top personnel have resigned at Adidas India, subsidiary of German sports footwear makers Adidas Salomon AG.

At the recent annual general meeting of the Australian Hide Skin and Leather Exporters' Association Ltd, the following office bearers were elected:

Vytautas Slanina was appointed as the new chief executive officer of the Stumbras leather producer in Siauliai in Lithuania in mid-March, according to the LETA news agency. Slanina replaces Jonas Adomavicius, who had been ceo since 1991.

A L Mudaliar has stepped down as chairman and director of Bata India Ltd. He has been a member of the Bata board for nearly two decades and chairman since 1989.

Supporting this year's 'Finishing Week' at the British School of Leather Technology in Northampton, England, in February, Stahl provided a training course covering both the practical and theoretical aspects of leather finishing.

Gustavo Adrián Defeo has been appointed as global technical manager for leather dyestuffs at Bayer, based in Italy.

The crisis continues with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. And the main reason is the fact that consumer spending has changed. I read a very interesting set of thoughts expressed by Ron Sauer in one of his reports in February. I also think that consumer spending has changed as a result of the general economical crisis that has hit the world and which has made us suffer for more than three years, the longest crisis ever experienced by the leather industry as far as I know.

Written by Mike Glasson, curator of the Walsall Leather Museum, this book is full of nostalgic and historic photographs of the leather industry in Walsall over a period spanning nearly two hundred years.

Although the summer of 2004 hasn't begun, we are already preoccupied with how shoe fashions will look in 2005. According to BASF, the spring/summer season, which is just around the corner, will be highlighted by fresh and cheerful colours for the ladies.

In his new book, Braiding Fine Leather, craftsman and author David W Morgan guides beginners through the early stages of simple projects before moving on to advanced techniques used in more complicated types of braided work. The subtitle of the book is: Techniques of the Australian whipmakers.

Wittchen, one of the largest domestic producer of luxury leathergoods, posted a Z2.1 million net profit, despite a Z1.2 million drop in revenues, which fell to Z1.4 million largely as the result of theft.

This year, the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists annual conference and dinner dance will be held at the University Arms Hotel in Cambridge on Saturday September 11, 2004. An interesting and informative day of presentations from a range of sectors from our industry is promised, followed by a dinner dance where there is an ideal opportunity to meet old acquaintances and entertain guests. The venue is in the heart of this historic and beautiful city offering a wealth of attractions for accompanying guests.

The BLC Leather Technology Centre are currently leading the way in creating renewable energy from waste and have received two prestigious UK grants to carry out research into biofuel production from leather waste.

In January, a course in leather design and technology was incorporated in the curriculum of a vocational high school in the wholesale leather garment district of Zeytinburnu. Türkiye's young generation are ambitious and eager for higher education but a small fraction gain entrance to university. For the others, a vocational high school is often the only option and community-based 'apprentice' schools have gained a higher profile to cope with burgeoning demand. Many have added leather-related courses, offering practical and theoretical courses in design and technology.

There are many chemical companies supplying the leather sector in Türkiye. All the firms are diversified, with leather usually the smallest proportion. Visionary firms like Organik Kimya got out of formulation business in leather chemicals over a year ago and now supply only bulk raw materials.

Derimod Deri Konfeksiyon Pazarlama Sanayi ve Ticaret AS are one of Türkiye's oldest garment producers and they have moved to a new showroom, just opposite their old location in Zeytinburnu, the leather wholesale district of Istanbul.

LeatherXchange declared insolvency less than a week before their planned Automotive Leather Conference at the Jaguar Conference Centre in Coventry, UK, March 22-23.

In February, Elmo Leather were granted permission by the Environmental Testing Delegation to build a new treatment plant in Svenljunga and the Elmo board has now given the go-ahead to an investment of SEK42 million (US$5.6 million). Building work will commence immediately and the new treatment plant is expected to be open by February 2005.

Spring and summer 2005 leather collections will be on display at the trade fair, Le Cuir A Paris, later this month. The 5,000m² show is being held at the Paris Expo-Porte de Versailles, April 15-16 featuring 150 exhibitors from 12 countries.

Turkish State Minister, Kursat Tuzmen, who is responsible for economic matters, announced additional support for exporters during 2004. The government has long provided credits to exporters who register with official exporters' unions but the process is long and involved.

The Elmo Leather Group saw sales decrease in 2003 by 5% to SEK771.1 million. Sales volumes dropped by 0.3 million sq m to 2.9 million sq m of finished leather due to weak demand for furniture leather in north America and Europe and the phasing out of production in Denmark in the second half of 2003. Increased average prices did not fully compensate for the reduced volumes.

Some sixty tanneries are currently working in Türkiye's eastern province of Hatay, with a capacity of 500,000 tons of finished skins per year. Quality is excellent and Ibrahim Ethem Oner of Cerkez Deri stated that the zone is working close to capacity.

According to Kadir Ertürk, his computer programs can cut production costs by about 15%. A turn-key project costs about $50,000 but customers spend, on average, about $15,000 to $20,000 to tailor the programs to individual specifications.

International Leathers are stepping confidently into the future with a strong marketing development plan. In a difficult climate for western industries, International Leathers are taking positive action to develop a strategy of differentiation for a global market.

J P H Wojas shoemakers saw their profits rise to around Zl.1 million on revenue of Zl.48 million in 2003, a 160% increase in profits and a 9% decline in sales over 2002. 'We withdrew from working with clients who owed us money', said company president Wieslaw Wojas. 'This helped improve our results.'

As I write this, I am about to leave for the Asia Pacific Leather Fair in Hong Kong. However, the magazine will not be distributed until after I return home to the UK. I wish I had a reliable crystal ball which would tell me what was going to happen during the fair but as I do not, I waver between the notion that fewer people will attend because they managed to survive and continue to trade after last year's cancellation and the idea that people will flock to the show in their anxiety to get back into the swim.

The latest ABARE projections for this year's national slaughter of 27 million lambs and sheep, which were released at the recent Outlook 2004 Conference, also noted that the Australian flock is still contracting, and is now well down on the mid-1990s peak of 34 million. This has affected not only the total wool clip but the sheepskin trade, so badly that Laverton, Victoria, company JA Steele and Co has closed.

In the past ten years, the share of South Korean made cars in the US market had risen from 1.2% to 5.8%, while ships have jumped from 0.5% to 2.7%. However, during the same period, South Korean exports of shoes to America, which were among the country's main export items in the sixties and seventies, have fallen from 6.4% to 2.7%.

The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) recently said the Indian leather industry expected exports of leather and leather products from India to touch $4 billion by 2010. Leather footwear exports would reach $2.4 billion by 2010.

To expand the export market of Bangladesh leathergoods, the 6th Dhaka International Leather Fair, 2004, began in Dhaka on March 23. Manufacturers of leather products from India, Italy, Germany, South Africa, the USA, Holland, Switzerland, the UK and host country Bangladesh participated in the event.

Thomas G Bata, third-generation scion of the family behind the world's oldest footwear company, recently strolled into his Bangkok offices for the first time in ten years on his way to cracking open the Chinese market.

International leather chemical makers, TFL, are hosting an event for customers alongside the Lineapelle fair in Italy.