It appears that we can talk about ecology all year round and maybe I should stop limeblasting on this subject for a while. However, it is too rewarding to be able to talk about it and land some uppercuts on some prominent chins.
Last month I was made aware of the existence of LWG. Have you ever heard of this acronym? I bet you have not, but you ought to take a look because LWG stands for Leather Working Group and from where I sit they make life in the leather industry difficult rather than making it easier.

I have seen an article from Ron Sauer (The Amazon – The LWG – I beg your pardon) which is critical of the role that NGOs and the Leather Working Group (LWG) have on influencing the tanning industry. Sauer’s comments, which I normally respect and agree with, are, in my opinion, generally way off the mark in this instance.

In today’s business environment, the world is one community when dealing with safety, human rights and environmental matters. And it should be! As brands and business operators, we have a moral and fiduciary responsibility to our stakeholders to manage our businesses socially and environmentally responsibly.The financial stakes are high, too.

While preparations for the important G20 meeting are still ongoing, China has already made it clear it wishes no foreign intervention in its currency policy which it considers a national matter. According to pundits the Yuan could be up to 40% undervalued. Good for Chinese exports, bad for the rest of the world.

Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, announced on July 29 sales of CHF 1.894 billion in the second quarter 2010, compared to CHF 1.609 billion in the previous year. Sales increased 18% in Swiss Francs and 20% in local currency. (CHF1.04 = $1.0). The newly formed Leather Services Business unit grew above group average.

On July 24, Ambur Open, a 2-day exhibition of footwear components, accessories and finished leather was inaugurated. The event took place at the newly built Ambur Trade Centre, Ambur and is about 3 hours from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Many large tanneries are located in the area. 120 companies exhibited in the first Ambur Open event.

Fuxin Leather Production Base is a newly established leather processing centre located in Liaoning province, Northern China. The local authority plan to build a modern leather complex for northern China.

Clariant will show their cutting-edge performance- and ecology-focused technologies and product innovations on show at the 2010 All China Leather Exhibition in Shanghai. The show takes place September 1-3.

The 113^th edition of the UK Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists annual conference and dinner is set to take place at Tankersley Manor, Bamsley, South Yorkshire. The event will take place on September 25 and accommodation can be booked directly with the venue quoting the SLTC.

French luxury goods giant LVMH on July 27 reported a 53% jump in first half net profit on the back of better-than-expected sales and predicted a sound showing in the second half. The group is a significant buyer of leather for leathergoods and footwear.

The German specialty chemicals group LANXESS are one of the leading manufacturers of leather chemicals worldwide. On their website the company are now offering a sneak preview of the leather trends for autumn/winter 2011/2012.

In an announcement issued by Economic and Trade Commission in Fujian province, five tanneries in Fuzhou city with annual production below 20,000 pieces of standard cattle equivalent are included in the list of enterprises to face closure.

Insurers acting for UK retailer Argos have launched a £13 million ($19.4 million) lawsuit against a Northamptonshire leather company in a dispute over the so-called toxic sofas imported from China.

Indonesia’s footwear industry has won an investment of US$550m from six Taiwanese and South Korean footwear manufacturers who are relocating their plants from China and Vietnam, according to the Indonesian Shoes Association (Aprisindo).

Hermes, the French maker of luxury leather handbags and silk scarves, raised its 2010 revenue forecast after second-quarter sales increased faster than analysts estimated on demand in Asia.

Entitled: ‘Corium – Quo vadis?’ - Perspectives for Leather Markets - the Cotance 2010 round table will take place in Bologna on October 11, prior to the Lineapelle exhibition. The event gathers the tanning sector’s key industrial players, their suppliers and customers, academia, governmental and political authorities and high-level civil servants.

At the general assembly of Cotance held in Stockholm on June 4, Albert Roselló, Serpelsa Furs, was elected president of the European Leather Industry organisation for the period 2010-2012.

The Leather Services Business of Clariant Chemicals (India) have rolled out the spring/summer 2011 leather collection across southern India. In June the road show visited Chennai and Ranipet, while in the road show hit Kanpur, Jalandhar and Kolkata followed by other key cities. It is a perfect platform to display Clariant’s Melioderm dyes to the leather manufacturers.

A 2500 square metre leather finishing laboratory, known as the Guangzhou Technical Centre (GTC), has been opened by Stahl in the Huadu Industrial Area of Guangzhou. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the local government and 250 guests invited from the Chinese leather industry.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, visited Scottish Leather Group (SLG) on July 15, to officially open their £6million ($9 million) Thermal Energy Plant (TEP) located at their Bridge of Weir site, near Glasgow. The plant is a world first in the industry, as SLG continue to lead the way in sustainable low carbon leather manufacturing.

The officers of the IULTCS announced on July 14, the recent addition of ITAB – Yogyakarta Special Region & Central Java to the International Union and welcome their president, Sutanto Haryono, and representative, Suliestiyah Wiryodiningrat to the executive committee. The ITAB – YC have 12 members that include leather and leather product producers and exporters.

The 17th international technical footwear congress, UITIC, is set to take place in Leon, Mexico, October 7-9.

International fashion brand and retailer, Burberry have reported total revenues up 27% compared with 2009 for the three months up to June 30. Retail sales are up 16% with comparable store sales up 10%. Most of the double-digit growth was from Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Strong growth markets included the UK, Italy, Germany, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Leather and footwear exports topped US$2.3 billion in the first half of 2010, 10.9% up over the same period last year. The US was the largest importer, accounting for 28.9% of all exports, the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association said on July 13.

China's Ministry of Finance said on June 23 that the country would grant zero tariff status to 4,762 categories of commodities now imported from 33 of the world's least developed countries beginning July 1. The status includes leather products.

With their finger firmly on the fashion pulse, Le Cuir A Paris are one of the leading leather industry trade shows that offer material and colour trends for future seasons. The next show takes place in Paris, September 14-16.

Stahl have launched their colour trends for the autumn/winter 2011/12 season. In many countries, autumn brings with it a palette of bright, vivid colours which everyone looks forward to even though these colours will soon take on a more sombre aspect as winter takes over. Stahl’s completes its series of forecast with the issue of the leather preview for this season, reflecting the changes of nature both in the effects on leather and in its four groups of colour predictions.

Firefighters were called to put out a small blaze at the Pittards tannery in Yeovil, at 8.32am, July 12.

Henan Prosper, the largest ovine and woolskin tanner in the world have announced on June 28 the latest phase of the tannery extension and upgrade at their plant and headquarters in Henan province, China.

Italian leather furniture company, Natuzzi have announced on July 8, the launch of its first standalone store in Scotland. The Glasgow store will launch this August on St Vincent Street. Renowned for its stylish furniture for the living room, the Natuzzi store will provide 480 sq metres of space, elegantly filled with furniture and accessories for your home. Natuzzi offer the total living concept with products that reflect how you live and are customisable to your living requirements. Please find attached images of the Wave and Surround sofa models, the Surround features an inbuilt audio system with iPod docking station.