1,600 exhibitors will showcase 6,000 footwear and accessory brands in Las Vegas from February 10-13, 2006. The exhibition is designed for the global footwear, handbag and accessories industries and will present an array of fresh designs, product innovations and next season's emerging trends.

Istanbul Shoe Fashion 2006 (Summer) and Istanbul Shoe Machinery and Side Industry Fair 2006 will be held between January 25-28, 2006 at Tüyap Fair, Convention and Congress Center, Beylikdüzü, Istanbul. The exhibitions are organised by Tuyap Fairs and Exhibitions in cooperation with ART International Fair Organisation and Bizim Sektör and supported by IAYSAD, the Association of Shoe Manufacturers Supply Industrialists of Istanbul.

Effective January 1, 2006, LANXESS Distribution GmbH will transfer responsibility for order acceptance and processing and invoicing for the Europe-wide distribution of leather chemicals to LANXESS Srl in Italy. 'Significant changes in the market conditions across Europe, the desire to further improve efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility and, last but not least, enormous cost pressure have led us to streamline our European organisation', said Frank Paus, Head of Marketing & Sales in the Leather Business Unit, explaining this measure. 'Our marketing activities - including the work of our experienced external sales force - and our central warehouse in Hürth near Cologne will be unaffected', added Paus.

BASF are strengthening their international brand by introducing a standardised email address for all employees. The new format (firstname.lastname@basf.com) will be introduced from December 5 and will be used by all group companies with BASF in their name and which use the BASF logo in their market activities.

Ukraine's State Statistics Committee reports that leather industry production in Ukraine in the first ten months of this year was 11.5% lower than in the same period in 2004. In comparison, overall industrial output in Ukraine in the January to October period was 3.1% higher year-on-year.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins worth US$52 million in the first ten months of this year, a year-on-year fall of 10.9%.

Statistics South Africa reports that sales of leather and leather products in South Africa in the first nine months of this year were worth US$501 million, compared with US$486 million in the same period in 2004.

Slovenia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Slovenia in the first nine months of 2005 was 4.9% higher than in the same period the previous year. In comparison, overall industrial output in Slovenia was 2.2% higher year-on-year.

In posting their third quarter results, Richina Pacific chairman, John L Walker, chairman said that for the full year 2005 the company was expected report net profits exceeding their 2004 record net profits of US$8.2 million. This is despite the small loss of US$234,000 for the third quarter of 2005. Revenues for the quarter were US$133.9 million.

Turkey's State Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Turkey in the first nine months of this year was 24.3% lower than in the same period in 2004. In comparison, overall manufacturing sector output in Turkey in the January to September period was 4.3% higher year-on-year.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Hungary in the first nine months of this year was 2.5 per cent lower than in the same period in 2004. Hungarian leather industry companies saw their sales fall by 3.7 per cent year-on-year in the January to September period, including a fall in sales of 25.3 per cent on the domestic Hungarian market and 5.0 per cent higher sales on export markets.

Russia's State Statistics Committee reports that new capacity for the rearing of 3,000 head of cattle was introduced at Russian livestock farms in the first nine months of 2005, compared with new capacity for 3,400 head in the same period the previous year, according to the Interfax news agency.

Ireland's Central Statistical Office reports that Ireland imported raw hides and skins worth 1.4 million euros in the first eight months of 2005, compared with 1.5 million euros in the same period the previous year. Irish exports of the same types of commodities in the January to August period were worth 42.9 million euros, as against 54.1 million euros in the corresponding period in 2004.

The Czech Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in the Czech Republic in the first nine months of this year was 6.4% lower than in the same period in 2004. In comparison, overall industrial output in the Czech Republic in the January to September period was 5.7% higher year-on-year.

CTC Groupe, based in Lyon, France, are opening a new European agency in Frankfurt (Germany): CTC Germany to service their German-speaking clients. The CTC Groupe are a worldwide leader in consultancy, inspection and quality control for footwear and leathergoods.

'Innovations are essential for BASF's profitable growth', emphasised Dr Stefan Marcinowski, Member of the Board of Executive Directors and Research Executive Director of BASF, during a press interview in which he presented the company's research strategy. Under the international watchword 'We innovate for growth', BASF are expanding their global research and development activities and investing additional funds for these initiatives. The aims are to stimulate growth from inside the company, increase global research capabilities and build up development centres in the regions.

Vietnam's Ministry of Trade reports that Vietnamese leather and leather products exports to France have substantially increased this year, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. The Ministry said that exports had increased by 16.4% year-on-year to euro37.7 million, but did not indicate the period the export value was related to.

Vietnam's Industry Ministry is forecasting that Vietnam's footwear and leather industry will record export earnings worth US$3.3 billion in 2006, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. The forecast is based on growing demand in the United States and Japan. Exports to the United States are projected to increase by 30% in the first half of next year as compared with the same period in 2005.

The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) has turned down a bill that would have reduced export duties on cattle and livestock products, according to the Interfax news agency. The decision is significant as the bill is among a number that Ukraine must pass in order to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The bill envisaged zero duty on exports of cattle and a duty of 15% on exports of leather products. These rates were supposed to come into effect at the start of next year.

Turkey's State Statistics Institute reports that Turkey imported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth US$358 million in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year fall of 20.6%. Turkish exports of the same types of commodities were 3.7% lower year-on-year at US$61.3 million. Turkey also exported leather products worth US$243 million in the January to September period, a year-on-year increase of 2.2%.

Serbia's Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Serbia in the first nine months of this year was 1.4% lower than in the same period in 2004. In comparison, industrial output in Serbia in the January to September period was 0.3% lower year-on-year. Serbia exported leather and leather products worth US$5.8 million in the first nine months of this year, compared with US$4 million in the same period last year. Serbian imports of the same types of commodities in the January to September period were worth US$51.5 million, as against US$44.4 million in the corresponding period in 2004.

Statistics Norway reports that Norway exported raw hides and skins worth US$49.6 million in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year fall of 9%.

Statistics New Zealand reports that New Zealand exported raw hides and skins, and leather, worth US$312 million in the twelve months to the end of September, a year-on-year fall of 17.8%.

Macedonia's State Statistical Office reports that leather industry production in Macedonia in the first nine months of this year was 17.5% lower than in the same period in 2004. In comparison, overall industrial output in Macedonia in the January to September period was 8.2% higher year-on-year.

Livestock has been badly hit in the northern areas of Pakistan, particularly in Kashmir and NWFP. It will affect the collection of raw hides and cause shortages in supplies for tanneries. According to official sources, $558 million will be needed for the recovery of livestock in these areas with immediate needs for $167 million.

From November 30-December 2, 2005, the third Lineapelle Asia will be held in Canton at the Guangzhou New Exhibition & Convention Center (pavilion J). More than 100 Italian and European companies, together with a qualified group of Chinese exhibitors, have confirmed their attendance.

Israel's Central Statistics Bureau reports that Israel exported raw hides and skins, and leather and leather products, worth US$12.4 million in the first nine months of this year, compared with US$9.1 million in the same period last year. Israeli imports of the same types of commodities in the January to September period were worth US$73 million, as against US$58.3 million in the same period in 2004.

Hungary's Central Statistical Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Hungary in the first eight months of this year was 5.1% lower than in the same period in 2004. Hungarian leather industry companies saw their sales fall by 6.8% year-on-year in the January to August period, including a fall in sales of 24.7% on the domestic Hungarian market and 0.4% higher sales on export markets.

The Czech government's CzechInvest agency has launched a programme called 'Competitiveness', under which small and medium-sized companies operating in the leather and other industries can receive up to a 50% subsidy on the cost of consulting services, according to the CTK news agency's Business News. The new programme is aimed at making it easier for companies to get access to high-quality consulting services and to increase their competitiveness.

CTC Groupe, France, a worldwide leader in consultancy, inspection and quality control for footwear and leathergoods, has announced the accreditation of its Hong Kong based laboratory CTC Asia Ltd by HOKLAS. The laboratory meets the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025:1999 standard, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. This concerns specific tests undertaken in the 'Textiles and Garments' category, for footwear, gloves and leathergoods that are analysed as stipulated in the HOKLAS Directory of Accredited Laboratories under the registered number of '158'. The scope of accreditation covers the testing of footwear, gloves, leather goods and textiles.

Croatia's Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the production of leather and leather products in Croatia in the first nine months of this year was 8.6% lower than in the same period in 2004. In comparison, industrial output in Croatia in the January to September period was 4.9% higher year-on-year.

Estonia's Statistical Office reports that the number of cattle on farms in Estonia on September 30 this year was 259,600, compared with 258,500 on the same date in 2004, according to the LETA news agency.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal Statistics Office reports that the production of leather and leather products in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first eight months of this year was 6.3% lower than in the same period in 2004. In comparison, overall industrial output was 5.8 per cent higher year-on-year.

Belarus' Ministry of Statistics reports that Belarus produced 148 million square decimetres of chrome-tanned leather in the first nine months of this year, a year-on-year fall of 17.9%, according to the Interfax news agency.

Striking workers at Tyson Foods' Lakeside Packers have returned to work and the plant is expected to return to its 20,000/week capacity soon.

Albania's National Statistics Institute reports that Albania imported leather and leather products worth US$35.2 million in the first eight months of this year, as compared with US$40.7 million in the same period in 2004. Albanian exports of the same types of commodities in the January to August period this year were worth US$8.01 million, against US$8.93 million in the corresponding period in 2004.

7 Language vocabulary of leather

Leading footwear industrialists in India have been given a first-hand insight into SATRA's range of products and services.

Based on an international tender, the Government of Bangladesh has signed a contract with an Indian consortium comprising M L Dalmiya & Co Ltd, Schemco Consult Pvt Ltd, Indian Leather Industry Foundation, Consulting Management Incorporate Pvt Ltd and Sheltech Pvt Ltd for the survey, planning, design, estimate, preparation of tender documents and supervision for the development of tannery estate with integrated common effluent treatment plant (CETP). The new zone was announced by Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) chairman ABM Kamarul Islam and ML Dalmia and Company Director KN Jalain after signing the MoU.

The award ceremony of the Lineapelle & Tokyo Leather Fair Competition was held at the Lineapelle exhibition at the end of October. The winners were two young Japanese designers, Konen Kamo (footwear) and Arata Higuchi (leathergoods), from two major fashion schools in Japan, the Bunka Fashion College and Esperanza Institute of Footwear Design and Technique. Nearly one hundred students took part in the competition and their works were described as excellent by the members of the jury. Kamo and Higuchi stood out for the originality and research content of their prototypes.

The decision by CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology to phase out leather research was taken some time ago and the industry was notified of this in July 2004.

Cleans UK Leathercleaner and Rejuvenator Kit has been developed in the UK by car valet businessman Paul Rylatt following years of trying to find the perfect leather cleaner.

SATRA have invested more than £50,000 in new equipment to expand their capability to assess the chemical permeation of industrial products, including chemical-resistant gloves and suits.

The British Glove Association, in association with the Worshipful Company of Glovers, has announced details of its Student Glove Design Competition 2006.

The board of Pittards plc is pleased to announce that Jill Williams has been appointed to the group board with effect from November 2, 2005.

On October 3, Europe's leather research and training centres together with a number of European leather trade associations launched in Naples, at the SSIP, the start of 'One Leather Training', a EU-supported project that will develop, over the next two years, a multi-lingual internet platform capable of delivering professional training and skills development for tannery workers and managers as well as initial training to unemployed people and first job seekers.

Global specialty chemicals manufacturer Sartomer Company will increase the prices of its acrylate and methacrylate monomers and oligomers effective November 15 (or as contracts allow). Increases will vary by product line as follows:

The world population now tops six billion, placing a tremendous burden on the environment and natural resources. By converting hides - organic 'waste products' from the food industry - into valuable leather, leather manufacturers help to conserve these resources and thus protect the environment, provided, of course, that little new waste is produced during the manufacturing process and the end product is ecologically and toxicologically harmless. To ensure that this is the case, the Leather Business Unit at LANXESS Deutschland GmbH offers a comprehensive service package that sets new standards for leather industry suppliers worldwide.

Fashion Access October 2005 ran from October 6-8 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The fair was widely perceived as a great success, underscored by the record number of buyers it attracted (7,182) from all over the world.

In line with his growing interest in nature conservancy and butterlflies, Dudley Cheeseman has decided to diminish his involvement in the leather and footwear industries. Having recently resigned from his long-term directorship at SATRA, he has now just left the board of Iconography.

BASF continued on their growth path in the third quarter of 2005. This was confirmed by a further improvement in the figures presented at the company's Autumn Press Conference in Ludwigshafen. The strong business performance seen in the first half of the year maintained its momentum in the third quarter. The summer lull was less pronounced than expected. With strong demand on the one hand, and very high and very volatile oil prices on the other, necessary price increases could be passed on to the market only to a limited degree.

US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez convened a meeting to discuss new opportunities for collaboration in international standards through ratification of the new Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). At the Secretary's invitation, ASTM International President James A Thomas, ANSI President Mark Hurwitz, and senior representatives of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic participated in the high-level standards round table.

TFL, supplier of speciality chemicals to the leather industry, have announced their intention to increase prices across the whole product range on a global basis.

SATRA has expanded its footwear test capabilities by investing £75,000 in new equipment. These additions reflect the growing demand for assessments in the technology centres core field of footwear and materials evaluation. As a result, SATRA now has two additional Bally permeometers, traditionally used to assess the water resistance of heavy leathers, particularly soling and now required to test insoles and footbeds for the new safety footwear standard EN ISO 20344:2004

Russia's State Statistics Committee reports that leather industry companies in Russia recorded an average sales margin of 4%, and an average return on assets of 1%, in the first half of this year. In comparison, the average first-half sales margin and return on assets in Russia were 14.6% and 3.3% respectively.

The steep decline in sales of European Union (EU) finished leather to its number one market, the United States, has been highlighted by a comprehensive report on the global leather (and textile) market written for the European Commission. Faced with developing country competition, the report, written by consultants Market Access Information and Analysis, and the Institut Français de la Mode, says that exports to the USA fell by 40% between 2000 and 2003, tumbling from euro489 million in 2000, to euro334 million in 2002 and euro293 million in 2003.

The state of Rio Grande do Sul (RGS) in the south of Brazil has traditionally been the heart of the country's leather industry. However, leather exports from the state plummeted by 17% in the first 9 months of this year by volume, whilst the national leather industry fared better with exports increasing by 1%. The decline suffered by RGS was sharpest in September when external sales fell by 25% compared with August. Exports to the four main destinations fell to the area's four most important clients: Hong Kong, United States, Italy and China. In the same period the Brazilian industry as a whole experienced a 7% growth.

The consensus of opinion regarding the Bologna shows is that there were fewer visitors but that the quality was high. As normal when times are hard the time wasters stayed away and only those focused on doing business bother to show up. One regular who has been exhibiting for many years writes: 'My personal opinion is that this was - for once - a good fair for many participants (I refer to Lineapelle) and that is of much more importance since the prospects were very negative. But then - as these fairs/exhibitions go -- what's good for one is not necessary good for his neighbour.'

Venezualan officials have ordered all customs entry points to undergo detailed examinations of all containers of footwear and textiles. The order came from José Gregorio Vielma Mora, National Tax and Customs Superintendent of the Venezuelan IRS/SENIAT following the publication of a report by the Venezuelan Footwear Chamber (CAVECAL), headed by Estéfano di Loreto.

Stahl continue to expand their presence in India with the recent opening of a new Applications Laboratory in Kolkata. The laboratory is the first to open in the new Banthala leather complex, where it is situated alongside the New Horizons tannery, and is fully equipped to process leathers from wet-blue to finishing and for the application of aftercare products for leathergoods.

China is forecasting a trade surplus of $100 billion this year, a threefold increase on 2004's $32 billion.

Automotive upholstery specialist DK Leather Corp have set up a 60,000 sq ft warehouse and installation facility in the Netherlands.

The 2006 edition of International Leather Guide, brought to you by the publishers of Leather International, is now available. The Guide provides details on more than 7,000 companies operating in the leather industry in over 100 countries. In addition, products and services specifically for the industry are included. More than 220 chemical, machinery, merchant, tanners and raw material supplier's products are listed, in an easy A-Z format for quick identification.

Abstract

The handling and any recovery of products contained in limed fleshings in the tannery has long been a serious expense. Moving this material for eventual dumping incurs labour costs, even when the specialised equipment developed for the purpose is employed.

Tanning materials can be classified into three main groups according to their chemical nature:

One of the most difficult and tedious operations carried out in the leather process consists of folding raw skins (in 4, 5 or 6 folds, according to the size) in order to pile them onto a pallet. This is usually done directly onto a pile on the ground although, in the best of cases, it may be carried out on a table. Operators sometimes find they only have 15 seconds to carry out this task.

In my research to gain a PhD, using titanium (III) as a tanning agent proved something of a thankless task, but it did highlight the ways in which the parameters of the tanning bath affected the uptake of the metal and, hence, the shrinkage temperature of the resultant leathers. Some of the results are discussed here.

The US Senate have voted to retain a ban on the imports of Japanese beef into the country. Although there have been twenty cases of BSE in Japan, the Senate vote was 72-26 in favour of preventing Japanese beef coming into the US in retaliation for the continuing on US beef into Japan.

Tasman are currently handling more than 85,000 hides/week across five locations, one of which is for pork. They have recently completed plant expansions at their Omaha and Amarillo facilities by adding 4,000 hides/day to their capacity. In addition they broker a further 10-15,000 hides/week which are sold directly to the tanners.

Federally inspected slaughter for the week ending October 1, 2005, was estimated at 606,000 head. This compares with 639,000 the previous week and 635,000 a year earlier. FIS is currently running at 2.1% below last year.

Kenyan newspapers recently published an article about the re-opening of the famous KMC (Kenya Meat Commission). At the time this meat plant was the supplier of the Kenya's highest quality cattle hides. KMC opened in 1950 but closed their doors in 1992 after complete refurbishment by the Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan.

Kansas has signed a trade agreement with Taiwan as part of a deal for US beef producers to furnish beef hides.

The weak US dollar against the euro has done nothing to assist European hide sales to Asia. Fortunately in the last days of September we note an improvement since the dollar started strengthening. Heavier hide types in general find takers within Europe at steady or sometimes even firmer prices but it is average weight medium quality cowhides which are plentiful and only sell at reduced prices.

Heavy Texas steers that had traded at $65 or between $69.50-$70.50 c&f throughout the summer, finally started to weaken in the days leading up to the Shanghai leather fair in early September. By the end of the month, Texas were tenuously holding on to $63.50 and tanners in Korea and China were reluctant to bid $68.50 c&f.

The merger in South Germany of long standing hide trader Gruenberg with Germany's biggest meat packer Moksel has created a very powerful organisation which is said to now absorb about 80% of the area's hide production. Traders are left to divide the remaining 20% between themselves which cannot keep all of them in business.

Finally the big autumn kill commenced in Ireland in mid September and hides were handled in much greater numbers. The carcase weights were also heavier increasing the number of 36kg+ in the kill. There was strong demand from Italy and also from the croupon cutters which helped keep the price fairly steady during September and into early October.

Genesis Bioventures Inc, USA, recently entered into an agreement that will give them a controlling interest in Prion Developmental Laboratories (PDL), a private company. PDL, in turn, have a USDA-approved rapid strip test for Chronic Wasting disease which affects deer and elk. Using the same technology, they have also developed a rapid strip test for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).

On July 1, Munzing Chemie marked their 175th anniversary with live music and fireworks and presented fire fighting equipment worth €150,000 to the Heilbronn fire brigade. This makes Münzing Chemie one of the oldest companies based in Heilbronn am Neckar, north of Stuttgart.

In 1965, a number of Scottish tanneries joined together to form one group and linked three tanning families: the Muirheads, the Langs and the Martins. But it was another twenty years before they formulated their STI corporate identity. While this latest change in their name accords with their twenty-year pattern, it would be a mistake to overlook the group's continual investment in buildings, equipment and human resources or their determination to cut out all waste from the business including duplication of effort.&rtreturn;They have created a greater efficiency by merging jobs and gaining strength from the overall group which each company might not accomplish on their own. Throughout, the group have remained in private ownership with around 90% owned by members of the Muirhead or Lang families and the remainder with past and present workers through share option schemes. No one person has a controlling interest.&rtreturn;One prime example of how the synergy between the various companies can benefit is in the choice of equipment installed. Iain McFadyen, managing director of Bridge of Weir and NCT Leather, told Leather International that Scottish Leather Group are 'not afraid to spend money when it is felt necessary or will add benefits.' If they see a machine which can do the job better then they will buy it 'provided it meets our criteria of productivity, quality, safety and the environment.' &rtreturn;A case in point is the recent installation of GeMaTa's Spraystar at Bridge of Weir. They had received good reports from Andrew Muirhead & Son so were able to go to the Glasgow plant and carry out their own trials. They liked what they saw so much that they ordered one for themselves. So pleased have they been with the results they have since ordered three more.&rtreturn;Today, the group consists of two wet-blue tanneries and two finishing plants: Bridge of Weir Leather Company, established in 1905 and famous for automotive leathers; NCT Leather located next door in Bridge of Weir, established in 1936 and processing both wet-blue and wet-white; W J & W Lang, Paisley, 1872, also manufacturing wet-blue and wet-white; and Andrew Muirhead & Son, Glasgow, 1840, specialists in high performance upholstery leathers with particular emphasis on fire retardancy. Until recently, the group also operated Garston Leather, UK, founded in 1899 and purchased by the group in 1998 to assure their supplies of wet-blue. &rtreturn;The past five years have seen a huge amount of change within the group. This has largely been due to key workers retiring. James Lang, managing director of Andrew Muirhead, found he had to build a new management team. &rtreturn;Jonathan Muirhead, group chairman, says that they put great store on recruitment and building a skills-based workforce. He said the group offer an attractive final salary pension scheme and are trying to redress the low paid image of the leather industry generally. &rtreturn;Despite his name, James Lang has spent most of his working life with Andrew Muirhead. He says that the formerly fragmented group are now very much a corporate structure. Muirhead's particular strength is in meeting very high specifications on a project-by-project basis. They have invested heavily in the technology required to develop leather to serve niche markets such as the aviation industry and there is a further £1 million investment underway at their Glasgow factory.&rtreturn;More than 100 airlines in 45 countries feature Muirhead leathers. In addition to their comprehensive range of high-quality flame-retardant aviation leathers, Andrew Muirhead have also developed a unique leather which meets the stringent requirements for heat release, smoke and toxicity emissions and they believe they are the only company in the world able to offer this. Recent investment in a smoke emission and toxicity chamber for testing products to meet the Airbus directive ABD0031 demonstrates their commitment to supplying this demanding market with the quality product it requires.&rtreturn;Lang says that Muirhead try to be different. They operate much as a small company might, processing 3,500 hides/week and allowing companies to order small batches which would not be possible with large, volume driven companies.&rtreturn;Despite their dynamic and flexible approach to their small specialist customers, they can also offer the type of investment in technology and human resources which is normally only possible with the backing of a much larger group with greater financial resources.&rtreturn;Lang describes himself as 'maniacal' about making sure a customer gets what he wants and when he wants it. The company offer consistency, reliability and will meet any specifications which they are contracted to. For example, when the Four Seasons were building a six-star hotel in Hong Kong, they approached Muirhead with a request for special colours, special effects, fire retardancy and smoke density. The ongoing contract specifies leather for seating over the four floors containing 399 guest rooms (including 54 suites), six meeting rooms and two ballrooms. &rtreturn;They promise bespoke leathers to a high specification and undertake to deliver in ten days. Muirhead also have a distribution centre in the north of England, in Burnley, where they hold 12,000 hides in stock in a variety of colours and types. &rtreturn;Sales are broken down roughly 50:50 between exports and domestic trade with the US and the Far East being their biggest customers. They have a network of agents/distributors which pretty much covers the world and who trade under the Muirhead name.&rtreturn;In September, they launched their first non-chrome tannage in aniline and semi-aniline although Lang is not happy with these definitions. Basically, the non-chrome leathers will be offered with either a light finish containing no colour (aniline) or with a surface colour coating which actually offers a better yield.&rtreturn;Their prime aims are serving niche markets and investing in technology, automation and human resources to give them a versatility which will appeal to their specialist customer base. They have embraced a management system - Lean Manufacturing - which is a no waste concept. Their focus is on cutting lead times, reducing the amount of work in progress, addressing delays and more efficient machine changeovers to cut down time.&rtreturn;<b>Wet-blue</b>&rtreturn;Hugh Gilmour has been with W J & W Lang for many years where he served as general manager. His efforts were recently rewarded when on April 1 he was appointed managing director, followed a month later by the announcement that he would also be managing director of Garston Leather.&rtreturn;He explained his dual role by describing how, in the past, all three of the tanneries were competing against each other for hides and driving the prices up. It became obvious that some form of consolidation or centralisation was necessary. Now, all administration for the wet-blue facilities is centred on Lang's at Paisley, including all raw materials purchasing and invoicing. &rtreturn;It also became necessary to look carefully at what duplicated efforts could be eliminated. And a very lean management team was one of the first requirements. Commercial manager Billy Riddell is now responsible for all raw materials purchases and sells surplus wet-blue for all three tanneries.&rtreturn;In addition, a new position has been created and since May 1 Gareth Scott, as raw hide procurement manager, visits the abattoirs and checks incoming hides as part of the Scottish Leather Group commitment to quality. According to Gilmour, the group do not buy cheap and are prepared to pay for quality. &rtreturn;Jonathan Muirhead says that the group have taken advantage of meat quality schemes which are in place with major retailers such as M&S and Sainsbury's. By using the same abattoirs as these chains, they are able to benefit from regular inspections and an insistence on top quality meat. The knock-on effect of ensuring first rate beef means that the hides are better too.&rtreturn;Gilmour says that they will never settle for second place and always strive to be the best. Quality is paramount and this is accomplished through the choice of equipment, offering good career prospects to people and by improving the working environment which aids health and safety issues. &rtreturn;By striving for continual improvement, standards rise and this encourages even more. Quality, environmental, and health and safety systems are in place throughout the group.&rtreturn;Both Lang and Garston have been processing around 8,000 hides/week. Of this throughput, around 80% of Lang's production is retained within the group, with the remainder, along with the Garston output, going to export. They take in around 30% of green Scottish hides and for the rest purchase from the UK, Ireland and Europe according to end-product requirements.&rtreturn;Gilmour says that the company's philosophy has been to move away from high to moderate volume with an emphasis on quality hides, quality customers and quality suppliers and this is paying off. &rtreturn;Five years ago they had between 20 and 30 suppliers but this has been reduced to 6-8 main suppliers. With operational costs continuing to rise (power, electricity, waste disposal), it is not cost effective to put through low grade materials with all the associated costs. &rtreturn;They are investing heavily in the effluent treatment plant in order to reduce water, waste and treatment costs. In addition, having three plants enables the group to conduct different tests across the three sites, which gives them a broader perspective, and by paying attention to detail they can take some of the costs out of the business.&rtreturn;<b>Bridge of Weir</b>&rtreturn;This is both the name of one of their finished leather companies and also the location of NCT (National Chrome Tanning). Despite the difference in their product, because they share the same site it was appropriate that they appoint one managing director for both, Iain McFadyen.&rtreturn;McFadyen is a good example of how the group take talented young people and train them up. McFadyen joined in 1976 as a management trainee across the group. At that time NCT still made finished leather and, in 1989, their new tannery was opened by the Princess Royal.&rtreturn;However, in the early nineties, wet-blue became more profitable while footwear upper leathers were struggling, so NCT pulled out of finishing. However, they continued to grow and today there are three externally identical buildings where once there was just one.&rtreturn;Ten years ago or so, McFadyen was appointed managing director of NCT and then about eighteen months ago he took over at Bridge of Weir from John Henderson, who served a dual role, to allow him to concentrate on his group responsibilities.&rtreturn;Bridge of Weir occupy Baltic Works, the adjacent site to NCT. Originally this was the site of the Martins tannery and it got its name from Martins former address in Glasgow in Baltic Street. Martins closed in 1980 and initially remained empty other than for storage. Bridge of Weir moved part of their production into Baltic Works when NCT stopped making finished leather.&rtreturn;For a while, Bridge of Weir still continued in their original Clydesdale Works a short distance away. Then the decision was taken to invest in the Locher and Baltic Works site and the old tannery buildings were demolished and the site levelled for future redevelopment. &rtreturn;No matter who you talk to at the Scottish Leather Group, you will hear continual mention of the word 'investment' - investment in people and investment in equipment -- and it is obvious all around you. Not only have Bridge of Weir just purchased four GeMaTa Spraystars, they have also recently installed a Cartigliano vacuum drying line and a £460,000 Pirovano computerised resin and pigment mixing system.&rtreturn;One particular investment, amounting to £1.2 million, starts with a Bauce throughfeed sam setter followed by a Cartigliano wet staker, then a conveyor to a Cartigliano 6-plate vacuum dryer. This is followed by Cartigliano staking, conditioning and stacking machines. &rtreturn;The first Spraystar cost them £135,000 and the remaining three with ancillary equipment £850,000. Nor does it end there. At the time of my visit there were two new Dose stainless steel drums in evidence with two more due the following week and a further two due in December; an additional investment of £750,000. This is a very impressive tannery which has come a long way since its foundation one hundred years ago. &rtreturn;And there is more investment elsewhere, one example being in Feltre conveyor handling equipment worth £350,000 in the adjacent NCT plant. &rtreturn;<b>Group evolution</b>&rtreturn;Until five years ago, there were five autonomous companies within the group, each with their own managing director. There was no group managing director but a group chairman from outside the industry who was a chartered accountant and served in a part-time executive capacity. This led to autonomy going haywire with each company pulling in different directions and competing against each other. While undoubtedly they were establishing strong individual brands, they were also driving prices of raw materials up, duplicating each other's efforts and overall the group lacked cohesion.&rtreturn;To remedy the situation, they decided to appoint a group managing director and John Henderson, managing director of Andrew Muirhead at the time, was their choice. While customers still retained the perception of autonomous companies, each with a clear difference, behind the scenes they were now pooling their resources and creating greater efficiencies.&rtreturn;Then a couple of years ago, they went one step further and appointed a group chairman from within the organisation which is when Jonathan Muirhead took over. He says: 'The board had been headed by an independent chairman who served in a part time capacity. This structure reflected a subsidiary company autonomy (I don't think it went haywire!). However, it was decided that better performance and greater efficiencies could be achieved by the appointment of a group managing director. Then came the time when it was felt right for an internal appointment as chairman but we would not want to discount the possibility that my successor might be from outside.'&rtreturn;Jonathan Muirhead is a sixth generation tanner with the original tannery being founded in 1758. Andrew Muirhead was Jonathan's great grandfather. His grandfather, Arthur, founded Bridge of Weir in 1905 making this their centenary year. &rtreturn;Arthur Muirhead was a farsighted tanner who predicted that the way forward for leather manufacture would come through transportation. How right he was. &rtreturn;When Jonathan joined Bridge of Weir 35 years ago, their main competitors in upholstery leathers were Connolly, Roser and Costil, now all gone. The big three in the US, Garden State, Eagle and Seton, all still around today although not necessarily tanning in the US, concentrated on their domestic market. &rtreturn;The Scottish Leather Group will continue to excel, making the type of leathers predicted by Andrew Muirhead - transportation leathers - for the automotive and aircraft industries. And given their exceptional level of investment, there is no reason why they should not continue to thrive.

TFL's new Erhavit DC is a highly effective liming agent designed to improve the cleanliness of the grain as well as the cutting yield and reduce seasonal fine hair and roots.

Hamy were founded in 2004 with the aim of producing the most natural and environmentally friendly leather in the world. They have spent ten years researching ways to achieve their objective and their Japanese lacquer coated and printed leather is the result.

Automotive leather has become a worldwide trend creating new challenges for the retanning and fatliquoring of leathers that need to meet the highest standards, ie fogging, VOC, heat and lightfastness, density, elongation, softness, odour, migration, free formaldehyde, hazardous substances etc. To meet all these requirements, Clariant have developed several new retanning agents and fatliquors.

Umberto Cilião Sachelli, director of Apucacouros upholstery and footwear leather tannery, was invested as president of the Brazilian tanning industry association CICB, on September 14. The ceremony was held at the Courovisão fair in Novo Hamburgo.

Tony Mossop died on September 23, 2005, aged 63, of complications following a stroke earlier in the year. He had a life-long association with Mossop Leathers (later Mossop-Western). He served the company in various capacities - as owner, managing director and chairman of the board of directors. Over the years he made an immeasurable contribution towards the success of the company. Even after his retirement Tony continued his close relationship and the company say: 'Tony will be deeply missed as a colleague and a good friend.'

Paul Jones, FCMI, has joined BLC Leather Technology Centre as business development manager. He will support the testing team and help to develop long-term relationships with major retailers and suppliers. In addition, he will manage the Leathermark Registration Scheme and a range of other key business areas.

Jody Stobbe was recently appointed as the new regulatory compliance manager at Buckman Laboratories. She will be responsible for maintaining Buckman's hazardous material transportation compliance for the United States and ensuring environmental compliance for the Memphis plant at 1256 N McLean Blvd.

Effective October 16, 2005, Joachim Henkmann, division manager Performance Chemicals Leather Italy in Arzignano, will take over responsibility as division manager Performance Chemicals Leather Greater China in Shanghai.

Francisco Javier Jardí, technical manager of the leather department at Spanish company Cromogenia-Units SA is to retire after 38 years of loyal service. Jardi studied chemical engineering in Barcelona and after several years of professional activity in this field, he joined the team of commercial technicians in Cromogenia's Leather Department. Later on he became responsible for the export market. In 1996 he assumed the post of general manager of the department. He is a well-known expert in the international leather industry and plans to remain in contact with the sector even after his retirement.

Ernie Hagen is back as CEO with SRL (Shanghai Richina Leather Co Ltd) after a gap of just over five years. He replaces Dennis Thams who left the company at the end of August.

Ch Ahmed Zulfiqar Hayat has been unanimously elected chairman of the Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PLGMEA) Central for the year 2005-2006 during the first meeting of newly elected third central executive board. Hassan Ali Bhatti and Rashid Ahmed Zahir were elected vice chairmen of the association for the northern and southern zones respectively by virtue of being chairmen of the zonal boards.

The managing director of the Florence Shoe Co Ltd, Aqeel Ahmed, was elected as the president of Indian Shoe Federation on August 19, 2005, at the annual general body meeting held at Chennai.

Meriturn Partners have completed their acquisition of Irving Tanning Company, the Hartland, Maine-based side and shoe leather tannery which has been operating under Chapter 11 protection since March 17, 2005.

Let's take a breath after all the questions I have raised regarding development programmes and their (limited) success, although the question is not closed. On the contrary, we are just starting. If an importer of country X purchases hides from country Y and if the importer processes these hides in his country X, then the hides from country Y become automatically of X origin. That's very hot stuff indeed. This leaves a door open to misunderstandings if we want to avoid less diplomatic words. The same question applies to shoe uppers that are made in country A and soles produced in country B, all assembled in country C, making thus country C the country of production and origin of the shoe.

Tanning Tech was initially supposed to be a biennial machinery and chemical fair in Milano - then it was moved to Bologna. Still today we wonder why!

Fashion up! is the new seasonal statement from Clariant's Leather Business designed to enable tanners to stay one step ahead in leather fashion. Metropolitan, Timeless Elegance, Ethnic, Original Charm and Simplicity are the five key moods for the autumn-winter 2006/07 season, developed by Clariant's own Fashion Group in conjunction with Italian designers. The re-designed promotional kit is equipped with a multi-sensory CD-show, leather samples, pictures, trend and article descriptions complete with corresponding wet-end and finishing recipes. Clariant's traditional Fashion Poster has made a comeback as an added-bonus for customers. All prototype articles are exclusively made by Italian stylists and will be displayed on the Clariant stand at fashion shows and fairs around the world.

The idea of placing Le Cuir A Paris within the overall structure of Premiere Vision Pluriel at the Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte was both logical and successful. Le Cuir A Paris had always hoped to attract visitors from the prestigious Premiere Vision and while this occurred to some extent in the past when the show dates coincided, it became a much more likely prospect when the shows came together under the same roof.

This edition of Le Cuir A Paris was another success and exhibiting companies have welcomed the establishment of closer links between textiles and accessories exhibitions. Almost 250 exhibitors from 20 countries presented their best products and innovations in finished and semi-finished leathers, exotic and special skins, furs, textiles and components.

Overview

From stretch leathers from Makouros, to live shoemaking demonstrations by ABECA, the 6th edition of Courovisão was a showcase for the Brazilian industry featuring machinery, chemicals, as well as design.

There can be no doubt that this year the All China Leather Exhibition was bigger than last year. It occupied more halls than in 2004 and people were still queuing to get in on the afternoon of the first day. According to the organisers, exhibition space was up 20% over last year, which was itself much bigger than the year before.

TFL have released their forecast of fashion colours for the leather industry 21 months in advance of the spring-summer 2007 season. The themes have been created by Italian designers Sergio Belloni and Carmen Rimoldi, who were advised by a panel of international expert colourists.

Cognis and LANXESS in Türkiye are cooperating in a joint venture to supply leather chemicals to Russian tanneries.

The Real Sheepskin Association's Furniture/Furnishing Design Award 2005 was presented at the New Designers event which was held at London's Business Design Centre.

The Seba construction company are to build a new LTL13.5 million (€3.91 million) plant for the Naturali Oda leather processor in Lithuania, according to the LETA news agency. It is expected that the European Union will provide funding worth LTL6.1 million (€1.8 million) in the form of structural funds towards the project.

BLC Research have announced changes to the structure and management of the organisation. Since September 1, 2005, two separate divisions have been operating under the auspices of the holding company BLC Research.

The second IULTCS Eurocongress will be held in Istanbul from May 24-27, 2006.

Garston Leather Limited, part of the Scottish Leather Group, have informed their workers of the possibility of closure. The workforce of 50 was told at a meeting on September 6 that because of adverse trading conditions, the company is expected to close on October 7, 2005.

Mebo is a bold and individual new accessories brand for today's conscientious consumer. Launched in 2005, the brand consists of a range of leather bags influenced by the beauty and diversity of design from cultures around the world.

Emag supply hides and skins from the raw to crust states sourced in New Zealand and Eastern Europe. The company have relaunched their website [http://www.emag.ch] designed to become an important source of information for their customers worldwide.

The commercial court of Strasbourg has authorised Costil to continue trading for four months until November after the company declared insolvency. Costil Strasbourg began trading again three years ago and the company achieved stable profits in the first two years.