What have we done to the world to get into the crossfire with a number of eco-groups? How strong is the ‘ecological’ sales argument to convince the general public to buy ‘green’ rather than greenish. Is price more important than ecology or vice versa? Have any of our representative international associations such as ICT, Cotance or the various national associations ever looked into this? This would be important to know in the light of the proliferation of eco-groups or animal rights groups that actively try to take control of the way the leather industry runs its business.
A press release dated March 23 stated the following (see April page 8 for the full story): ‘To address growing demand for often illegal cattle and leathergoods that are putting pressure on tropical forests in Asia and the Amazon, The Forest Trust (TFT) and the Macintosh Retail Group announced the launch of a new initiative today that will use production of ‘green’ shoes, bedding, flooring and textiles to fight slash-and-burn cattle ranching and production of toxic glues that are decimating rain forests and damaging the environment.

While old Europe limps on, struggling to keep up with the emerging economies of the Far East, a serious economic crisis in Greece, which is creeping towards the likes of Spain and Portugal, threatens to destabilise the European Union. Meanwhile Italy recently decided to issue a €24 billion emergency economic package to cut costs and avoid becoming ‘another Greece’.

During May we received a flood of financial results for the first quarter of 2010. All, without exception, have been positive and the results are unsurprisingly better than the first quarter of 2009. But then again Q1, 2009, was at the depth of the global downturn.

Export tanners in China may still be lacking hides to soak. During the long upward march of hide prices, they have been buying hand to mouth hoping that things would get better. We now know they didn’t. At the same time these tanners failed to negotiate full compensation from leather buyers for their increased costs.
In early May, one of the major US packers surprised everyone by offering discounted prices directly to tanners. Together with the softer tone of the cow hide market, many tanners took that as a signal that the hide market was running out of steam. Fewer buyers showed interest and those who asked for offers only a day earlier suddenly decided to withdraw from the market.

Anpic ‘la Feria de America’ have switched dates from their usual February position and the show will now take place this year. The 36th edition of the international fair will now be held from 11 to November 11-14, 2010 at the Poliforum León Exhibition Center, León, Guanajuato, Mexico. All future editions will now be held in November.

Maximise the yield of your raw hides say leather chemical makers, TFL. They have extended their beamhouse product range with the release of Erhavit FA, an economic liming agent supporting the optimisation of area yield, without making the leather loose. This liming agent optimises the opening-up of the hide structure and is very effective in reducing swelling and wrinkling during the liming process.

Natuzzi, the world leader in leather upholstery, have appointed Ignacio Corral as their new product manager in the UK. Corral joined the team in May and will be operating from the UK head office in Dartford, where he will be responsible for the UK’s product collection. His key role will be to analyse consumer insight to ensure that the brand is correctly positioned for the UK market, and that sales targets are met. Natuzzi said in a release dated June 23.

Shanghai Richina Leather Co (SRL) announced on June 23 plans to cease ovine leather production operations effective Friday, September 3, 2010.

PrimeAsia Vietnam began operating their newly constructed 16,500 sq ft (1536m2) solar farm in September of 2009. It is the largest solar farm in a tannery and is designed to reduce carbon emissions and minimise PrimeAsia’s reliance on fossil fuels in its operations they said in statement on June 21.

At the end of May 2010, TFL France received its re-registration according to the ISO 9001:2008 Standard. All quality processes were re-examined for compliance with the current standard.

A delegation of leather and leather product makers from Morocco held a one-day trade event in London on June 21. The delegation of 17 leather and textile businesses formed part of a Morocco trade day at the Intercontinental Hotel in London.

The Italian leather chemists association AICC (Associazione Italiana dei Chimici del Cuoio) are holding their general assembly on July 1 to elect a new secretary following the recent passing of Dr Umberto Sammarco. The assembly will take in Castelfranco di Sotto, Tuscany in the Villa Montefalcone.

Effective immediately, or as existing contracts permit, BASF is raising its prices for formic acid in Europe as follows:
Formic acid, 85%: + 30 euros/ton
Formic acid, 99%: + 40 euros/ton

The British School of Leather Technology, part of the University of Northampton held their annual prize giving ceremony to graduates on June 8 in London. The following awards were presented.

The AICC (Italian Leather Chemists Association) informs with regret that Professor Dr. Umberto Sammarco passed away on April 29, 2010, aged 64. His wife, Gilda, and son Mirko survive him.

The long-standing relationship between the Scottish Leather Group, the largest manufacturer of bovine leather in the United Kingdom, and the University of Northampton’s British School of Leather Technology (BSLT)* has been commemorated at an event at the Leathersellers’ Centre, Park Campus, Northampton it was announced on June 15.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have assured complete technical and financial assistance and support for the leather products and tanning industries around the cluster of Sialkot. It was announced on May 30 that UNIDO are supporting the relocation of businesses from the city to the purpose built leather business complex.

Archaeologists have discovered what they say is the world’s oldest known leather shoe. The shoe was perfectly preserved under layers of sheep dung and is made of cowhide and tanned with oil from a plant or vegetable. It is believed to be about 5,500 years old, older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, scientists say. Leather laces criss-cross through numerous leather eyelets, and it was worn on the right foot. There is no sign of the left.

Exactly what products does BASF produce, and for which industries? Quick answers to those questions are now available for customers and any other interested parties on the BASF company website at http://www.basf.com/productfinder.

Total net sales for Italy based leather furniture group, Natuzzi for the first quarter 2010 were €126.4 million with an improvement of 13.6%. Upholstery net sales were €111.3 million with an increase of 14.9% compared to the same period of 2009. The contribution by geographic area was the following: Europe (excluding Italy) 42.4%, Americas 32.3%, Italy 14.1% and rest of the world 11.2%.

The Draper’s Footwear Awards 2010 were presented June 3 at a gala dinner at the Grosvenor House hotel in London. The awards are among the most prestigious prizes presented by the British footwear industry. The awards honour the achievements of the most innovative and passionate footwear retailers, brands and young designers from the UK and Ireland. The category ‘Footwear Buyer of the Year’ was sponsored by GDS – International Event for Shoes, the German footwear show and was awarded to Helen Povey of the Office retail chain by GDS director Kirstin Deutelmoser in front of 400 guests.