Clariant, the Swiss leather chemical maker, took a step back in 2005 to offer N-Methylpyrrolidone-free (NMP-free) finishing products to the leather industry. This has ensured that its customers are well prepared for the December 2010 introduction of binding European Union (EU) legislation regarding the use of the solvent in leather the company said in a statement released on August 18.

The IULTCS announced on August 16 the addition of LASRA to the International Union and welcome the Director of LASRA, Dr Warren G. Bryson, to the executive committee.

Smit & Zoon and their new subsidiary, Smit Finishing have prepared a selection of leathers to be shown at the 2010 ACLE leather fair, Shanghai.

Large India group, Tata have announced a rise in profits thanks to improving sales in its automotive division, Tata Motors. The group are also a major manufacturer of leather and leather products in India. Indian benchmark indices edged higher at the onset of the trading session, driven by a solid surge in shares of commercial vehicles major Tata Motors triggered by turnaround Q1 June 2010 results. Tata Motors share price jumped close to 6% on extending August 10. The group acquired the Land Rover and Jaguar brands from Ford which helped lift sales.

Good sales performance in emerging markets have led to Lanxess, the German specialty chemicals company, to lift their full year outlook they reported on August 6. The leather business unit performed well within the Performance Chemicals segment. Second-quarter net profit hit euro 131 million up from euro 17 million last year. Q2 sales rose to euro 1.83 billion. Full year forecasts have been adjusted to euro 800 million up from an original range of between euro 650-700 million. Demand from markets in Asia and Latin America helped lift profits.

According to the China Leather Industry Association's latest data released. The total production value in the leather sector surged 25.4% in the first half to 325.5 billion yuan from previous year, 18.2% points higher than last year.

A leather conservationist requires leather samples to assist with their research project on acid-deterioration in leather. Can you help?

Oropon M-range: Oropon MS gran (for soft leather types) and Oropon MT gran (for firm leather types) are bating agents that optimise cutting yield. These newly released pancreatic enzymes are formulated as granules, which are safe to handle, gently slacken the hide structure and allow deep bating without loosening the grain. They are specially designed to optimise the area yield whilst keeping the grain fine and tight, even in the flanks.

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) authorities, including the engineers from Lucknow, following the orders of the high court, raided and collected water samples at the three prominent tanneries in Jajmau, on August 4. The team also conducted a random checking of five other tanneries in Jajmau.

America based leathergoods maker, Coach reported better-than-expected quarterly sales and earnings on strong demand for its less expensive Poppy handbag line and rapid growth in China, sending its shares higher. Lower leather costs helped the company to improve their margins in the last fiscal year which ended July 3.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A free business event in central London on 21^st June 2010 – the first Morocco British Trade Day - is giving UK leather sector businesses the opportunity to meet Moroccan exporters of quality leather goods.  At the trade day one-to-one business meetings will be arranged to allow UK companies to establish relationships with key Moroccan exporters.

The UK Leather & Hide Trades' Benevolent Institution (LHTBI) celebrated their 150th anniversary with a reception and lunch at the Leathersellers' hall in London on May 27. Approximately £2000 (US$2900) was raised during the event to support the 82 LHTBI recipients representing former leather and leather product workers.

A group of around thirty people representing different aspects of the leather sector met over lunch during the APLF show in Hong Kong on March 29. The aim of the lunch was to discuss a strategy to launch a worldwide campaign to raise the profile of leather as a luxury and distinctive material to the end-user. The campaign, known as ‘Leather Naturally!’ aims to bring the whole supply chain together from large meat packers to tanners as well as major manufacturers and retailers of products containing leather.

A UK student’s collection inspired by restriction, straight jackets and the textures of animal hide will appear on the catwalk at London’s Graduate Fashion Week in June.
Gemma Francis, a third year Fashion Design student at Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU) has used shiny and matt metallic leather, metal studs and custom-made nails in her catwalk collection, which is to appear at the prestigious event at Earls’ Court on June 8. The leather was supplied by GH Leather.

Satra divisional manager Christine Ohren-Bird has been appointed as the new Chairman of British Standards Institute (BSI) committee TCI/69. She takes over the role from Richard Turner, who retired as Satra chief executive in 2009 and served as chairman of TCI/69 for 34 years.

TFL have released their new TFL Colour Trends catalogue for the season Autumn/Winter 2011/12. In the catalogue, TFL present the colour trends for the leather garment, footwear, accessory and upholstery segments.

Following announcements in May from global leather chemical makers Stahl and Clariant, Lanxess have also announced a rise in prices of leather chemicals. In a press statement dated May 21, Lanxess said that they were increasing their prices worldwide for leather chemicals by between 5% and 8% with immediate effect.

Clariant’s Business Unit Leather Services, a leading provider of chemicals and services to the leather industry, announced on May 17 global price increases for its leather product portfolio.

In only its second year, Footwear Materials, Manufacturing & Technology, (fMM&T) in India attracted several thousand leather and footwear professionals.  Representatives of both domestic and overseas companies in the leather and footwear industries attended.

Italian shoe and bag maker Tod's said it sees rising profits in 2010, confirming a recovery in luxury goods sales seen in the United States and Asia.

The recent situation in the Chihu tanning cluster located in the town of Zhangpu, Fujian province seems to be getting closer to a resolution. Previously, the local authorities had indicated that they did not want to house any new tanneries in the area and instead were keener to attract what they called ‘high-tech’ businesses from Taiwan and elsewhere. This is despite the fact that construction was already underway at a number of sites in the Zhangpu area.

Satra Technology Centre will be exhibiting at the 20th Guangzhou Shoes & Leather Exhibition in China to visit stand 339-340 in hall 11.2.

The forthcoming edition of Le Cuir A Paris will be held from September 14-16 in hall 4 of Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition grounds, Paris. The organisers will be introducing a new exhibition concept called ‘home made’ which will be highlighting hand made/home made items. This space, designed by François Bernard, will be presented in eight steps highlighting the newest colours, textures, surface treatments and sensorial aspects adapted for use on leather for interior decorations and product design. Each step will be materialized with a luminous macro photo of leather together with real samples to be touched. Visitors will see within a calm, half-light the look and feel the new home furnishing innovations.

Following a recent meeting of the IULTCS executive in Hong Kong, the first IULTCS certificate of approval for a research proposal has been granted it was announced on May 10. The IUR under chair of Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer accepted a proposal from Professor Walter Wen-Chien Kuo of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan for a project entitled ‘Tannery wastewater treatment and reuse using horizontal bio-filter and constructed wetland.’ This certification process, now in place, has the goal of supporting global R&D efforts for sustainable leather manufacturing.

The Italian tannery and footwear machinery manufacturers association, Assomac, have announced that the next edition of the machinery and chemical technology show, Tanning Tech, will take place October 12-14 in Bologna alongside the autumn/winter edition of Lineapelle. Following a recession hit edition in 2009 the worlds most important tanning machinery exhibition aims to continue to ‘drive’ a recovery in the sector through innovation.

Hermes, the French luxury brand, posted the largest surge in first-quarter sales of all European luxury goods companies on May 6, pointing to a continued polarisation of the market in which well-established brands crush weaker rivals. Hermes is particularly known for their high-end leathergoods and footwear.

The FIFA world cup is due to kick off in Johannesburg and Cape Town on June 11. Interest in the matches is always high and this series in South Africa will be no different. Football fans all over the world will be keeping a check on the progress of their favourite teams using wallcharts which will become fascinating souvenirs when the final is over.

The 81^st ICHSLTA AGM took place in Hong Kong on March 28 prior to the APLF. Delegates (from China, US, Turkey, France, Australia) confirmed that they had all seen a recovery in past few months following a very difficult 2009. An exchange of information on tariffs and environmental protection policies were discussed.

Stahl will increase prices for several of its leather finish and performance coatings products, effective June 1, 2010, or as contracts allow.

The board of directors of Natuzzi, a world leading furniture company, announced on March 25 the
financial results for the full year 2009.

Net sales for full year 2009 were €515 million, decreasing by 22.6% with respect to €666 million reported in 2008. Upholstery sales were €451 million down by 23.3% from €588 million in 2008. The contribution by geographic area was: Europe 46.7% (excluding Italy); Americas 31.0%; Italy 11.9% and rest of the world 10.4%.For full year 2009 the group reported an industrial margin of €186 million, or 36.0% on total net sales, up from 28.1% in 2008. Operating loss was €10.6 million compared to an operating loss of € 35.0 million reported in 2008.The group reported a net result of €17.7 million for full year 2009 as compared with a net loss of €61.9 million for 2008, with an improvement of approximately €44.2 million.

Clariant, the specialty chemicals maker, announced on April 29 sales of CHF 1.817 billion in the first quarter 2010, compared to CHF 1.604 billion in the previous year, an improvement of 13% in Swiss Francs and 16% in local currency. However, sales were still clearly behind pre-crisis levels. The Q1 results the new Leather Services business were highlighted as performing well. (US$1 = CHF 1.08)

Major retail brands such as Adidas, Clarks, Nike and Timberland issued on April 27 a last-chance message to leather suppliers – they will drop any supplier using farms not registered by the Brazilian Government by July. The registration of cattle farms is a vital first step to protect the Amazon from further deforestation.

The Leather Working Group (LWG) has been working closely with Greenpeace and other NGO’s in support of their campaign to eliminate deforestation in Brazil caused by cattle ranching. The LWG recognises the importance of leather as a co-product of the meat industry and as a consequence has now included a section on hide traceability within its latest environmental stewardship document due to be launched later this year.

Insurers for a number of High Street chains in the UK have been ordered to pay up to £20 million ($31 million) in compensation to 2,000 people who received chemical burns from leather sofas made in China. Burns were caused by dimethyl fumarate (DMF) sachets used to prevent mould growth during shipment. The ruling was made by the high court in London on April 26.

The ISA TanTec tannery in Saigon, Vietnam has been awarded second prize in the German Energy Efficiency Awards by the German Energy Agency (EnergieEffizienz). Viessmann Werke, a heating technology system manufacturer won the first prize.

Visitors to the 2010 Guangzhou Leather Fair, Guangzhou, China, June 1-3 will be see Clariant’s new collection of leathers, based on their spring-summer 2011 colour and fashion trends. Leathers covering most types, including shoe uppers, handbags, garments, and sofas will be shown. On booth 0110 0112 & 0131 0133 in hall 11.2, Clariant will demonstrate how innovative products and processing techniques, offering environmental benefits and optimum processing economy, can enhance the natural beauty of leather with the look and performance to suit individual customer requirements.

The LEATHER International Power List 2010 is ready to roll and we
are once again inviting all readers and online users to have their say as to who they
consider to be the most important and influential tanners on the
planet. First published in August 2009, the LEATHER International
Power List highlighted the twenty leading tanners in the world.
A review of the 2009 results can be seen by clicking on the power list menu option.

International tanning group Pittards, Yeovil, UK are back in the black with a full year pre-tax profit of £1.6m ($2,4m) compared with a loss of £0.4m (0,6m) in 2008. Revenues for the year to the end of December 2009 fell to £24.6m ($37.4), down from £26.8m ($40.7).

This year’s Leather Finishing Training Course run by Stahl at the BSLT (British School of Leather Technology) in Northampton, UK was given to 14 students from India, Pakistan, Uganda, France, Italy and Kenya. The course showed students the basic principles of leather finishing and the ways in which finishing products could be used in formulations.

Since the acquisition of the DyStar Group and its German assets by India based Kiri Dyes & Chemicals Ltd on February 3, DyStar has made major progress. Steve Barron, CEO DyStar comments: ‘We are pleased with the speed of implementation of essential measures such as negotiation and signing of important contracts with our suppliers, service and financial partners.’

Having postponed the SLTC Convention in 2009 until there was an upturn in the market, the SLTC will be holding their next event from July 22-25, 2010, at the Erinvale Estate Hotel and Spa in Somerset West.

The Forest Trust (TFT) and the Macintosh Retail Group announced on March 23 the launch of a new initiative that will use production of ‘green’ footwear, bedding, flooring and textiles to fight slash-and-burn cattle ranching that are decimating rain forests and damaging the environment.

The second edition of Footwear Materials, Manufacturing & Technology exhibition (fMM&T) is set to take place at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, New Delhi, May 7-9.

The impact of the REACh regulations that came into force across the European Union on June 1, 2007 in most cases will not have a major effect on chemical costs that will be passed on to tanners, nor on the availability of chemicals. During a Unido sponsored meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on January 18, Jakov Buljan, Unido consultant, outlined the impact of the regulations known fully as Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. He said that at the beginning of 2010 a further 15 chemicals had been added to the banned list and he gave an overview of how the regulations work.

According to Mamdouh Mekky, chairman of the African Federation for Leather (AFLAI) and chairman of the Arab Union for Leather Industries the first phase of relocation of Egyptian tanners from the downtown tanning district of Cairo to the new purpose built tanning zone at Robikki will take place at the end of 2010.

JBS the world's largest beef processor, may raise as much as 2.16 billion reais ($1.23 billion) with the sale of new shares to fund its direct distribution business.

A total of 66 companies recently attended the APLF in Hong Kong from Pakistan. The fair is seen as the major international show for the Pakistan’s tanners with existing and new buyers attending from all over the world, particularly Asia.

Fimec the Brazilian leather and footwear suppliers show is set to take place in Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil from April 13-16.
The 34^th edition of the show takes place at the Fenac exhibition grounds’ and organisers hope that up to 50,000 visitors from around the world will attend the international fair for leather, chemicals, components, machinery and equipment for the footwear and tanning industries.

More than 500 shareholders, representing roughly 25% of the share capital recorded in Clariant's share register attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on March 29, in Basel.

Pittards Ethiopia Tannery Share Company (ETSC) from Ethiopia have been awarded as the first Tannery of the Year (2009) at an awards dinner and ceremony held in Hong Kong on March 29. ETSC were chosen from a final shortlist of five regional winners by a panel of six judges following final presentations which were made during the APLF event in Hong Kong earlier on the same day.

Four months after production stopped following DyStar falling into administration the production location in Geretsried, Germany has a new owner it was announced on April 1. ‘Pulcra Chemicals have purchased the site, the facilities and the production means and they want to restart the production as soon as May’, says insolvency administrators of DyStar Miguel Grosser of the law firm Jaffe Rechtsanwälte Insolvenzverwalter and Dr Stephan Laubereau of Pluta Rechtsanwalts. ‘We are very proud to be able to present an investor after all this time. Against the background of difficult general conditions and heavy setbacks it was a very hard process to find a solution which gives all parties an edge.’

The 26^th edition of the APLF ended on March 31, just before the Easter holidays, with an upbeat mood existing among most that attended. The word most used this year was ‘confidence’ with most exhibitors happy with the level of visitors attending the show and placement of orders looking forward. It believed that consumer demand in China, India and the rest of South East Asia is behind the new optimism as demand from the US, Latin America and Europe is still fragile.

The 26th edition of the APLF got underway today at the HKCEC in Hong Kong. Speaking at the opening press conference APLF show director, Michael Duck said the mood in the leather industry, particularly in Asia was much better than last year and that everyone was more optimistic.

The South African Skin Hide and Leather Association (SHALC) have decided to resume the promotion of genuine leather. After a gap of almost twenty years, active generic promotion of genuine leather and the registered Leather Mark is back on the agenda, according to Colin Gerrans, SHALC chairman.

The China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) has clarified the position of the Chinese government towards the development of the nations tanning industry. There are approximately 700 tanneries operating in the country which are considered to be medium and large sized operations which have adequate pollution control and turn over more than 5 million RMB (US$732,000) a year.

Andrew Muirhead, manufacturers of upholstery leather and part of the Scottish Leather Group, have completed work on their recently acquired additional premises, adjacent to its existing factory in the east end of Glasgow. The new 10,000 sq ft premises will be accessed through a service yard at the rear of the original factory.

More than 300 consumers who suffered toxic burns from sofas bought from Land of Leather will not receive compensation, the High Court has ruled. The decision at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on March 18 follows months of legal discussions with the defunct retailer's insurers, Zurich.

DyStar have reached agreement to use the production plants in Leverkusen and Brunsbüttel in Germany and will restart production at these sites in March.

The New England Tanners Club have announced that they will be hosting an education seminar, which will take place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on April 30. They have speakers from Clarks North America, Environmental Resource Management and the United States Hide, Skin and Leather Association. The seminar will also include a discussion on the Leather Working Group and restricted substance legislation management. Drinks and a dinner will follow the event. Cost is $35 per head. More information will be posted on the club website www.newenglandtannersclub.com

Clariant, a leader in supply of chemicals and services to the leather industry, launched on March 15 a new Aqualen topcoat system that meets the demand of leather upholstery and shoe manufacturers for high aesthetic qualities and pleasant feel with durability.

The APLF takes place in Hong Kong at the end of this month (March 29-31) and it is positioning itself as a leading Asian platform for leather in fashion. Despite the growth of other shows such as Fashion Access and Prime Source under the APLF umbrella, the leather and leather supply sector is still the largest exhibitor group at the show.

The China Leather Industry association have told Leather International that it is now official policy to locate new tanneries in the country to specialised tanning clusters as it aims to tighten up the regulations to build new sites.

Specialty chemicals group Lanxess are focusing on optimising their top coat systems, especially those used for automotive leathers, and on expanding their market share. Lanxess’s Leather (LEA) business unit have invested in new technologies and has now purchased a new type of rollercoating machine for its technology centre in Leverkusen. Michael Franken, head of finishing in LEA’s product development application section, comments: ‘There is an increasing demand for new, environment-friendly processes for applying leather finishes and other coatings. We have therefore invested in product development so that we can play an active part in this trend.’

Construction at the proposed Fujian tanning cluster in South Eastern China came to an abrupt halt last Autumn after the local authorities in the Fujian province froze further construction and withdrew investment last Autumn despiet the fact that construction of the new tannery cluster and central treatment plant had already begun. The local government in Fuijan stopped construction and said that they wanted to use the land to attract high-tech companies, particularly from nearby Taiwan.

The Corium club an alumni of past and present students from the British School of Leather Technology in Northampton, UK will be hosting three social events in March and April in Northampton, Hong Kong and in Scotland. Details are as follows:

National Beef Leathers have announced that they are to invest around $20 million to upgrade the former Prime Tanning site in St Joseph, Missouri. The tannery employs 100 people.

The 26th edition of APLF- Materials Manufacturing & Technology (APLF - MM&T) edition will be held this month in Hong Kong and will focus on fashion and a strong platform for the strong asian markets, particularly China.

Turkish leather finish chemical specialists, Sarchem will be celebrating 15 years in business this year and have recently expanded their R&D and production facilities at their headquarters in Tuzla. Capacity will increase by 20% after the recent investment.

Two London based fashion students, from the London College of Fashion have used leather at the centre of their fashion collections. The winner of the MA Design award was given to Sarah Jane Williams whose leather handmade bags are absolutely exquisite. Briana Smith another student also used novel applications of leather in her collection. The leather used throughout Williams collection was sponsored by Roy Winnard of Metropolitan Leather Ltd. Details and pictures from both collections are as follows:

Stahl, the speciality chemicals group, which includes leather chemicals, have completed a financial restructuring, with unanimous consent from major lenders as well as hedge fund counterparts for its debt-for-equity offering.

Former Leather International editor, Robert Higham was presented with an award for his contribution to journalism in the leather industry. The award which was originally announced during the British School of Leather Technology (BSLT) centenary last June was presented by Dr Mark Wilkinson (right) associate dean, applied sciencies, University of Northampton at the BSLT in late February.

Following a two-day meeting in the German town of Rheingau, the new executive management team of the DyStar Group have began working. In the presence of DyStar’s new shareholder and chairman, Manish Kiri, the team discussed topics such as the restart of production in Germany which is expected for end of March, strategies to quickly improve DyStar’s supply situation and ways to finance all projects essential for achieving the envisaged results.

Lanxess, one of the world’s leading suppliers of leather chemicals, are offering customers a genuine competitive advantage with the colour and trend forecast for spring/summer 2011. The specialty chemicals group have produced a special collection of leather samples that shows the trends for the spring/summer 2011 season.

International buyers were out in force at the 18th edition of Le Cuir A Paris. The show took place February 9-12, 2010, in hall 4, Paris Nord Villepinte and hosted 224 exhibitors including 17 new companies. Leathers for the spring/summer 2011 edition were shown.

Natuzzi Group, the largest Italian company in the furniture industry and a world leader of leather sofas, announced on February 16 the opening of a new Natuzzi store in Seoul. This is the first Natuzzi’s mono-brand store in South Korea, and a step towards the 2010 retail expansion plan of Natuzzi Group.

Gulzar Firoz, chairman, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) has appealed to the Pakistan president, prime minister and commerce minister to urgently consider bailing out the leather industry from a deepening crisis, according to a press release on February 24, from the PTA.

Effective January 1, 2010, the former Textile, Leather & Paper Chemicals division of Clariant was split into the four stand-alone operating business units which will be known as Leather Services, Textile Chemicals, Paper Specialties and Emulsions.

Tanners, Heller-Leder and Helcor-Leder-tec have announce that they have been awarded as the first German and European manufacturer to achieve gold status by the Leather Working Group (LWG). Heller-Leder are located in the town of Hehlen, approximately 70km south of Hannover.

Stahl has announced a range of six new Corilene fatliquors. They represent the latest in wet-end economy. They combine sustainability, efficiency and flawlessness to produce really soft leathers meeting current fashion needs across the leather industry and across the world. Between them they cover so many possibilities that one or more of them can nearly always be used to advantage in the production of a huge variety of leathers.

DyStar have announced that after long negotiations Kiri Dyes & Chemcials Ltd (KDCL) have finally become the new owner including the leather business unit. DyStar have confirmed that they will maintain their activities in the leather industry through its formerly acquired Boehme brands. DyStar also confirm that it is committed to continue research, application excellence, quality and ecology that are available to all its business partners worldwide.

Eleven member tanners of Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) led by their chairman, Gulzar Firoz, visited Vietnam and Indonesia between February 1-6 says a press release from the PTA.

A two-day conference headed, ‘Bio-Related Innovative Options for Tannery Application’, also known as Biotan, was the theme of the Leather Research Industry Get Together (LERIG) which took place in Chennai, January 29-30. The conference, which was hosted by the CLRI, attracted around 250 delegates to review recent biotechnology to improve leather processing by making it more environmentally friendly via cleaner processing.

China filed a complaint against European Union shoe tariffs at the World Trade Organization as Beijing continued its legal assault on what it says is unfair Western protectionism. Europe has grown increasingly concerned about China's balance of trade and what some critics view as its artificially weak currency.

Three Year 3 BA Fashion pathway students from The University of Northampton have received £1000 ($1600) of leathercraft bursaries from The Worshipful Company of Curriers.
Garry James Butterfield, BA Fashion was presented with £500 ($800) with Robyn Hedley, BA Fashion and Alex Newton, BA Fashion (Textiles for Fashion) receiving £250 ($400) each to go towards their final year collections.

The Chinese ministry of Industry and Information Technology introduced, at the end of 2009, an important policy guidance document known as ‘Guiding Options of Tanning Industry Structural Adjustment’ or Guiding Options for short. This forms part of the national governments ‘Light industry adjustment and revitalisation plan’.

DyStar’s new owner, Kiri Holding Singapore Private Limited, have appointed Manish Kiri as DyStar’s new president and chief executive officer. Effective February 4, 2010 Manish Kiri will replace J Mark Allan.

Operations at DyStar Textilfarben GmbH and DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. KG at the four German DyStar sites in Brunsbüttel, Leverkusen, Frankfurt am Main and Ludwigshafen are now set to restart under the new management of Kiri Dyes & Chemicals Ltd. (KDCL). The deal does not include DyStar’s leather chemical activities or the manufacturing site at Gerestried.

Since the American Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) introduced the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August 2008, there have been a number of changes to the limits of lead allowed in certain products, and to the testing required in order to show compliance.

The second day of the India International Leather Fair (IILF) held in Chennai, India was just as busy as the first day on February 2. Crowds flocked to a hot and sultry Chennai Trade Centre to visit companies supplying the tanning and finished leather products industries.

Stahl have recently issued a new style fashion booklet ‘Leather Preview Spring-Summer 2011’. Working in close collaboration with the company’s new fashion consultants, Bianco & White, this new presentation follows a similar innovative style to that of the recent ‘Colour Forecast’ booklet. Crisp clean images combine with an impressive selection of real leather samples to present the latest global trends in leather finishing in a way which will inspire and encourage the reader towards the creation of new ideas in leather.

The latest edition of leather chemical maker TFL part 2 of their ECO Guidelines has been published in order to enhance the understanding of ecological aspects in leather manufacturing.

The German Leather Federation (Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie) along with the VDMA, hosted a group of eighteen companies at the India International Leather Fair (IILF) this year. The IILF takes place in Chennai, India January 31 - February 3 and is seen as one of the fastest growing markets for the leather and leather products indusries.

The stands were busy on the first working day of the India International Leather Fair (IILF) in Chennai, India on February 1. The show which is approximately 10% bigger by area this year underlines India as a major global market for the leather and leather products industries.

The 25th edition of the India International Leather Fair (IILF), got underway on January 31 after being officially opened by the Indian minister of textiles, Dayanidhi Maran at the Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai. He told invited guests and visitors that the leather sector was vital to India’s economy especially in terms of export performance. ‘The government will continue to support the leather industry but the sector has to stand and walk on its own without subsidies’, he said.

More than 350 invited guests of the China based German leather producer ISA Tan Tec attended the opening of its new tannery in Vietnam on January 22. ISA Tan Tec are aiming to provide a new standard for sustainability in leather making combining environmental and socially responsible leather production. ‘It is surprising to see solutions for so many challenging issues put into action by the company’, said Tran Van Lieu head of Binh Duong Industrial and Export Processing Zones Authority (BDIZA), Vietnam.

The situation at DyStar’s Geretsried site which houses the leather chemicals division, formerly known as Dr Boehme is getting worse say the insolvency administrators. Both interested investors from India (Kiri) and China (Hubai Chuyan Chemical), which are looking at buying major parts of the business in the are, not interested in buying the facility in Geretsried or the leather chemicals business unit.

The Eco Trends in Leather conference taking place during this year’s APLF in Hong Kong on Tuesday, March 30 have added another high level speaker to the speaker line-up in addition to securing sponsorship. Adidas has joined the list of brands speaking at the event, which also includes Nike, the National Wildlife Federation, PrimeAsia and Lanxess, who are also the premium sponsor.

Slips, trips and falls at home, work and in public places can cause serious injury, lost productivity and major compensation claims. The risk of slipping increases where people walk in conditions of snow and ice. Such risk can often be greatest at entrance and exit points of buildings where partially melted snow and ice creates a hazardous combination, made worse by the tendency of many people to relax attention when stepping inside from extreme external conditions.

At the GDS footwear show, held March 12-14, 2010 in Dusseldorf, Germany, the varied world of street and urban wear will be structured into different segments in hall 3 – together providing an overview of high-selling brands and key design newcomers.

To assist that process and to offer a professional business platform for those in the field of raw materials -- leather and other fabrics, components and machinery, together with related new technology aids -- The APLF- Materials Manufacturing & Technology (APLF - MM&T)edition to be held this coming March in Hong Kong will focus on fashion and a strong platform for the strong asis markets, particularly China.

The IMM furniture show in Cologne, Germany on January 25, saw the launch of Natuzzi’s Editions collection, a brand new B2B trademark by Italian leather furniture company, Natuzzi Group. Editions is the widest of all the three brands belonging to the Natuzzi Group (Natuzzi, Italsofa and Editions) and this is due to the importance that the company is giving to the international launch of Editions.

Hong Kong-listed Yue Yuen Industrial said its operating revenue rose 0.7% year in December to $469.2 million. Last year, the company's operating revenue was $4.97 billion, down 2.9% from $5.12 billion in 2008.

The international golf championship of the Shoe Leather & Allied Trades in 2010 returns to Killarney, Ireland, June 16-18, at the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, set among some of the most breathtaking scenery in Europe. Last year the association raised £14,750 ($23,748) from the event and donated it to the trade charities.

The United States Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA), will conduct a trade servicing mission to Mexico coinciding with the ANPIC Leather Fair taking place in Leon, February 18 -21.

Alvaro Vaqueiro forty two years ago joined Stahl Mexico, known then as Acabados Newark. He was appointed managing director in 1988 and since then has looked after Stahl’s operations not only in Mexico but also in Colombia and Venezuela as well the company’s business in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. He retired at the end of 2009, a moment in time which staff and customers alike are already saying marks the end of an era.

MSA Engineering, based in Halifax, UK are now offer wireless capabilities for their ST300 Digital Softness Tester and SG300 Digital Substance Gauge.  Comprising of a radio module that fits into the RS 232 connector on the digital dial indicator, and a receiver that connects via a port to your PC (supplied with software), thus enabling wireless transmission of measurement values from each gauge directly to the PC, using the latest development in interface technologies.

The third edition of the All African Leather Fair (AALF) began on January 20 at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Officially opened by the Ethiopian minister of trade and industry, Girma Birru, the event is the leading leather and leather products show for Africa.

‘Eco Trends in Leather’ will be the topic explored during a half day conference at this year’s APLF in Hong Kong on March 30.  Speakers from a range of international brands and organisations – including Nike, the National Wildlife Federation and PrimeAsia – will discuss a range of topical subjects including deforestation and traceability, benefits of the Leather Working Group, green chemicals and eco design, amongst others. The conference co-organised by BLC and APLF with Leather International magazine as a media partner.

The Department of Export Promotion (DEP), Ministry of Commerce of the Royal Thai Government have announced that BIFF & BIL 2010 – Bangkok International Fashion Fair and Bangkok International Leather Fair will be organised during April 1-4 this year at the Challenger Hall 1 – 3, Impact Muang Thong Thani, Nontaburi, Thailand.

The first day of 17th session of the Unido Leather and Leather Products Industry Panel met in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on January 18 at the Intercontinental hotel. A number of presentations were given to the 37 member panel made up of delegates from all over the world. Topics discussed included current and future leather sectorial trends, the impact of REACh regulations on the tanning industry and an overview of current and forthcoming Unido (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) projects.

The UK based Leather and Hide Trades’ Benevolent Institution (LHTBI) have been supporting the leather industry for 150 years this year. The LHTBI was established in 1860 with a meeting held in a coffee shop on Ludgate Hill, London on July 4, 1860, and the first president was J S Deed. In 2010 the LHTBI will celebrate 150 years of service to former leather tannery workers and their dependents. The 150th president is Jill Williams of Pittards plc, the first female to preside in that time.

The second edition of Footwear Materials, Manufacturing & Technology Exhibition (fMM&T) 2010 will be held at Indian Expo centre Greater Noida from May 7-9, 2010. Managed by leading leather and materials trade fair organiser APLF, UBM India and in partnership with Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA), fMM&T India 2010 is likely to attract more than 6,000 trade visitors and over 180 exhibitors from India and abroad.

Cotance have contributed to a project sponsored by the European Commission and managed by the EACI for the development of sector guides on Intellectual Property for operators in the leather, leathergoods and footwear industries.

CTC have launched a new book entitled ‘Lexique Technique de la Maroquinerie’. This book is the first bilingual lexicon for leathergoods terms focused around the essential technical terms used by professionals.

India’s Council for Leather Exports, the Indian Consulate and NML International are hosting 23 of India’s leading leather apparel and accessory manufacturers for a two-day mini-exhibition in New York next week. The event entitled Know Leather/Now India will showcase their products on January 18-19 at The Westin hotel, New York in Times Square.

The Social Partners of the European Leather Industry (Cotance) addressed, in their Social Sectoral Dialogue Committee Meeting of December 15, 2009 (in Brussels), the allegations made to the leather industry in general and to certain European tanneries and their customers in particular in the Greenpeace report released over internet on the deforestation of the Amazon (http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/slaughtering-the-amazon).

At approximately 7.30 am on Thursday, January 7, a Memphis light gas and water transformer caught on fire in one of Buckman’s facility buildings at their headquarters in Memphis, and was quickly put out by the Memphis Fire Department by 7.51 am. Buckman produce wet-end chemicals for the tanning industry.
The fire which was near a control room area did not involve any chemical products or processing equipment, involved no chemical release of any kind, and thus created no impact to the local community or environment.

Gulzar Firoz, chairman, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) in a press release issued on January 6, strongly opposed the State Bank of Pakistan's decision for an increase in the mark-up rate by 0.5% for the Export Refinance Scheme (EFS) effective from January 1, 2010.

National Beef, the owners of a St Joseph, Missouri, tannery and Prime tanning are being sued by local landowners who say that allegedly toxic sludge from the tannery gave to local farmers as fertilizer has damaged their land.
As well as the two tanning companies the defendants also named in the lawsuit chromium chemicals manufacturer Elementis LTP and the Burns and McDonnell engineering firm of Kansas City, who designed the system that created the tannery’s fertilizer.

Stahl India have recently opened a new leather finish applications laboratory in Ambur, India, demonstrating the importance of the leather and shoe industries in the region.
Ambur is the fourth applications laboratory to be opened by Stahl India, the other three being at Chennai, Kanpur and Kolkata.

Despite the global recession readers and subscribers of Leather International magazine will receive an extra edition in 2010 we can reveal. We will be publishing a tenth edition of the magazine next September.

BASF will be highlighting a number of innovative and environmentally friendly products and processes at the forthcoming IILF in India. The show will take place in the southern Indian city of Chennai, January 31 to February 3, 2010. BASF will be highlighting the following ranges at the show.

Lawsuits were filed on December 17, on behalf of 24 plaintiffs against Prime Tanning Corporation of St Joseph, Missouri and three affiliated businesses over fertilizers they spread on farms in Northwest Missouri.
This is the latest set-back for National Beef Leathers the current owners of the former Prime Tanning site which have so far successfully fought-off other legal challenges earlier this year.

Dow Performance Monomers announced on December 16 that it will increase the off schedule prices for North and Latin American regions for the products listed on the chart below, effective January 1, 2010 or as contracts allow.

At the end of 2009 hide and skin trader Ernesto Moos has decided to close down his office meaning the end of the ‘Moos’ name in the international hide and skin trade, after 173 years.

According to the official administrator they have confirmed that DyStar's leather chemical buisness unit and the Geretsried production site in Germany are not included in the recent deal with Indian manufacturer and supplier Kiri Dyes & Chemicals Ltd (KDCL) which was announced on December 10.

Taiwanese owned tanning group, Tong Hong are making a significant investment in a new tanning facility in Indonesia, Leather International can reveal. The company is investing $12 million in new capital equipment and has earmarked a total of $30 million for building costs and working capital. The new tannery will produce PU coated leather and split suede for the major sports shoe brands manufacturing locally.

Operations at DyStar Textilfarben GmbH and the production at four German sites are set to continue after the company found an investor in BSE-listed Indian manufacturer and supplier Kiri Dyes & Chemicals Ltd. (KDCL). ‘We have found an investor willing to buy the operations and the sites in Frankfurt/Main, Leverkusen, Ludwigshafen and Brunsbüttel. This means that up to 800 jobs in Germany and some 2,000 worldwide may be saved’, insolvency administrator Miguel Grosser from the law firm JAFFÉ Rechtsanwälte Insolvenzverwalter and Dr Stephan Laubereau from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH announced on December 10.
However, it appears that KDCL will not be buying the Geretsried site (formerly Dr Boehme) which is where most of the company’s leather chemicals are produced.

Yeovil-based leather manufacturer, Pittards plc, producer of technically advanced leather and leather goods for sale to retailers, manufacturers and distributors, have announced on December 10, that they have exchanged conditional contracts with the government of Ethiopia for the acquisition of the Ethiopia Tannery Share Company (ETSC).

National Beef Packing have posted a 13% increase in profits this year thanks to reduced cattle purchases, lower cattle prices and other cost cutting, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Princess Royal officially opened the new marketing suite at UK based tanners and leathergoods manufacturers, Pittards on December 7. Prior to the unveiling the princess toured the tannery at the company headquarters in Yeovil, Somerset to observe the manufacture of bovine side and small skin gloving leathers which are both manufactured on the single site.

Specialty leather chemical manufacturer Buckman have been named winner of The Greater Memphis Chamber International Business Council’s 2009 Global Business Award.

The Catalonian town of Vic in Spain has one of the highest tannery concentrations in the country but has seen some of its most famous names scale back their activities this year.

Modeurop, the fashion forecast group at DSI (Das Schuhinstitut) and Clariant, the maker of colorants and chemicals for the dyeing, tanning, retanning and finishing of leather, have established an innovative, colour forecasting partnership, it was announced on December 3. This cooperation will provide tailored, reliable and consistent colour forecast to the footwear leather processing industry. It targets the entire value chain, from tanneries through to shoe manufacturers and retailers.

The India International Leather Fair (IILF), organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) from January 31 to February 3, 2010 at Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai will celebrate its 25th edition next year.

Stahl’s new Design Studio consultants, Bianco and White, have used their first presentation of a fashion colour forecast to provide Stahl with a new way of looking at colour. The ever-popular poster, is now supported by a new-look colour preview book. The number of colour groups has been reduced to four.

Following the formal commencement of insolvency proceedings on December 2, DyStar Textilfarben GmbH will continue full operations. ‘We will maintain business activities, the global supply of dyes, additives and services for the textile and leather processing industries are currently continued’, the insolvency administrator appointed by the Frankfurt District Court, Miguel Grosser from the law firm JAFFÉ Rechtsanwälte Insolvenzverwalter, has confirmed in a press statement.

Workers who lost their jobs at the Prime tanning plant in Hartland, Maine have been told that they are eligible to apply for special federal assistance.

Stahl’s strategy for the development of its Colours and Tanning Products (C&TP) division has received an extra boost in the last couple of months under the dynamic leadership of Jacques Potier. The company hope that their C&TP division will grow substantially in the coming years through a determined increase in wet-end chemical activities throughout the world.

British tanner and leather goods manufacturer Pittards are buying the Ethiopia Tannery Share Company for a total £3.8m ($5.6 million) cash it was announced on November 30

It is looking likely that no investor will be found to rescue the beleaguered German specialty chemical maker, DyStar. In a press release from the administrator dated November 30, job losses in all but one of the company’s plants will take place on December 1. This includes the leather chemical division located in Geretsried formerly known as Dr Th Boehme.

Specialty chemicals group Lanxess will be exhibiting a comprehensive range of products at the India International Leather Fair (IILF) in Chennai, India, on January 31 to February 2, 2010. Jürgen Hackenbroich, head of the Asia Pacific region in the Leather business unit, comments: ‘Lanxess continues to provide the Indian leather industry with premium products for so called ECO leather. Our technologies conserve resources and minimise both the amount of waste generated and the use of critical substances.’

The 44th edition of the LERIG symposium will take place January 29-30, 2010 at the headquarters of the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Chennai.
LERIG (Leather Research-Industry Get-together) is an annual event organised jointly by CLRI and the Indian leather industry.

The export-oriented leather sector expects to bounce back from slow business targeting the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. It is hoped that the supply of hides and skins will be higher this Eid compared to last two years when a state of emergency had been in force.

The Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) has warned the ministry of finance, government of Pakistan not to impose any value added tax (VAT) on the country’s leather and leather goods industries. The PTA say that they are already facing financial hardship due to the continuous break down of the electricity supply and an increase in gas prices.

Time appears to be running out for employees at the Germany based specialty chemicals group, DyStar according to a press statement released by the administrator. No buyer has come forward to buy the company which went into administration at the end of September. DyStar includes a leather chemicals unit which was formerly known as Dr Boehme located in Geretsried.

Richard Langton, partner, Russell Jones & Walker, lead solicitors for the claimants in the Linkwise/Eurosofa DMF Group Litigation provides a legal context to the toxic sofa story and appeals to Leather International readers to help identify other harmful substance(s) which may be being used in some leather making processes following an overwhelming response from consumers to reactions that may not always be related to DMF

According to a report from hidenet.com, the EU voted against the extension of anti-dumping duties on footwear sourced from China and Vietnam on November 19. The vote is a victory for some EU retailers and suppliers who have been paying out in excess of $544 million a year extra for leather shoes sourced from China and Vietnam, as a result of tariffs imposed by the EU.

Clariant have confirmed that the plant and job closures announced on November 19 will not affect the Leather Business Unit worldwide.

Clariant, the specialty chemicals maker which includes leather chemicals, announced on November 19 plans to further optimise their global production network in order to address overcapacities and to reduce costs.

The Danish shoemaker Ecco is continuing its investment in Thailand after seeing a clear sign of economic recovery since the start of the second half.
Ecco (Thailand) Co is allocating between 700 million and 800 million baht ($21 – 24 million) in total throughout next year to upgrade production facilities and set-up a research and development centre.

VESLIC, the Swiss leather technologists association, founded in May 1919 in Lucerne, Switzerland, celebrated its ninetieth anniversary with a special two-day convention on November 6-7. The members met in Basel to travel by bus to the quaint and picturesque village of Barr in the Alsace Region of France.

Retanal AOX, a retanning agent with an antioxidant effect, from Spanish leather chemical producer, Cromogenia provides the leather with a soft feel. It also has a good filling effect and produces clean, level dyeing. However, the main difference with synthetic retanning agents is that Retanal AOX has antioxidant power with oxidisable fatliquors types such as lecithin, fish etc. This avoids aging of the leather and the possible formation of chrome VI.

International tanning group, Sadesa announced on November 13, that their Sena tannery in Thailand has been awarded the highest-level 'gold medal' against the Leather Working Group (LWG) environmental protocol. Certification was given following a LWG leather-manufacturing audit.

The Italian Economic Promotion Agency for the region of Tuscany announced on November 11 that it is to invest €250,000 ($350,000) of mainly EU funds in a project to develop Vietnam’s leather and footwear industries.

Colomer Leather Group and Henan Prosper have announced that the Colomer y Munmany finishing plant formerly located in Vic, Spain is gradually being transferred to the new plant, which is nearing completion of the construction phase, in China.

According to the sources in China, some members of the local authorities in Zhangpu, Fujian Province are considering stopping any further construction of the part-built tannery cluster in the area.

TFL have released their ‘TFL Colour Trends’ catalogue for the season spring/summer 2011. In the catalogue, TFL present colour trends for the leather garment, footwear, leathergoods and additionally, for the upholstery industry.

Yeovil based leather manufacturers Pittards have announced that HRH the Princess Royal will be making a visit to their Yeovil premises on December 7, 2009 and will officially open their new marketing suite.

Shahid Mahmud, acting chairman of Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), central region, has said that he is vehemently opposed to a 0.5% increase in export finance rates announced by the State Bank of Pakistan on October 31. It is felt that the new rates will hit the valued added leather and finished leather products industries.

A new wax filler, FI-22-532, is an aqueous wax dispersion which has been introduced by Stahl for use in producing ‘burnishing’ and ‘wax pull-up’ effects, especially on shoe upper leathers.

Mould is particularly problematic affecting both leather and finished leathergoods. It is often seen after shipping where products have been stored for periods of time. Mould needs a source of food and a source of moisture to grow: leather acts as an ideal food source for mould, therefore it is vital to ensure moisture is controlled in all stages of manufacture, storage and shipping.

Clariant, the worldwide specialty chemicals maker, announced on November 4, sales of CHF 1.69 billion ($1.65 billion) in the third quarter, compared to CHF 2.09 billion ($2.05 billion) during the same period in the previous year. This represents a 19% decline in Swiss Francs, and 14% in local currency.

A Cotance delegation, led by president Nalle Johansson (Elmo, Sweden), met in Brussels on October 30 with the European Commission vice-president Günter Verheugen for a de-briefing session following the previous meeting of July 3 where the current economic trading climate for Europe’s tanners was discussed. Three key points were agreed at the latest meeting with the Commission by the Cotance delegation.

Indecision by local government politicians, environment agencies and low-level civil unrest among farmers are causing confusion among tanners in the Fujian province tanning districts. One tanner we contacted was hoping to complete construction of a new tannery in a new Zhangpu tanning zone in the province.

Dr Stephan Laubereau, preliminary insolvency administrator for DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. Deutschland KG is currently working on the new production plan for all the German production locations. In addition to this he is responsible for keeping production running and bears all related expenses including energy and environmental costs or costs for the machine maintenance.

The recently formed Taiwanese International Leather Association (TILA) met on September 19 in Dongguan, China to discuss a number of industry related issues. A total of 94 delegates discussed the implications of ICHSLTA’s contract 6 following the ICHSLTA’s council meeting in Shanghai at the beginning of September as well as other trade and technical issues facing Taiwanese tanners in Taiwan and Greater China.

The DyStar production facility in Leverkusen has been started again according to press statement released on October 28 by the preliminary insolvency administrator of DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. Deutschland KG, Dr Stephan Laubereau. ‘We are very happy’, explained Laubereau.

‘Defy the recession with an eye to the future’. This was Assomac’s slogan during the Tanning Tech and Simac trade fairs, held in Bologna October 13-15. Assomac, organisers of the tannery and footwear machinery shows say that the exhibition signalled a strong response to the difficult circumstances worldwide. However, both shows were much smaller than in the past and only a handful of new or updated machinery was shown following a difficult year for the sector.

Stahl have appointed a new team of Italian fashion consultants, Bianco & White, to support their fashion design, colour and advice programme. Based in the fashion centre of Milan, the consultancy is run by Carmen Rimoldi and Sergio Belloni, both of whom have had many experience of working with the various sectors of the leather industry on a worldwide basis.

Valencia, Spain’s third largest city, will host the next IULTCS congress September 28-30, 2011. Dr Vicente Segarra of Inescop’s leather department based in the city has been elected as the chairman of the organising committee. Daniel Sánchez the former chairman has stepped down from the role after a recent relocation to China as technical director of Meihua Leather.

Satra, the UK test house, have seen an increase in requests for dimethylfumarate (DMF) testing of leather footwear and furniture, following the recent directive issued by the European Union (2009/251/EC) restricting the import of products that contain dimethylfumarate. They are also witnessing a large and regular number of product recalls.

A recently updated tannery in the US town of Hartford, Wisconsin, caught fire on October 17. What is known as ‘the town's oldest business’ appeared to escape major damage during the fire.

Local residents are battling a Christchurch tannery's bid to renew its consent to put tannery emissions into the air.
Lowe Corporation seeks a 35-year consent for the continued operation of a coal-fired boiler, which uses a 26 metre high chimney at their plant in Belfast for airborne emissions.

A final decision regarding the future of German based chemical and dyestuff maker, DyStar will become clearer by the end of November say the company’s liquidators.

A new wax filler, EX-FI-13-547, has been introduced by Stahl for use in association with ‘American Lifestyle’ finishes on a wide range of leathers, to which it gives a heavy/dark pull-up effect. It is particularly well-suited to use on shoe upper leathers.

The new tannery is being constructed by the Taiwanese tannery group, Tyche will begin production in the first quarter of 2010. The new factory is located on the east coast of China in Fujian province, at Zhang Zhou city.

The demand for chrome-free tanning continues to increase - not only for automotive leathers but also for footwear and leathergoods. To answer demand TFL, one of the leading companies for ‘free of chrome’ technology, have launched Sellatan CFX liq.

The new Colomer Moda sheepskin tannery and fellmongery currently under construction in Henan province, China is near completion of the first phase. Part one of the tannery building will be ready to begin operating in December with a daily production capacity of 15,000 pieces.

At the beginning of October, a test run was successfully completed at ISA Tan Tec’s new eco-tannery in the Vietnamese city of Saigon. Everything is working according to plan, says founder and managing director Tom Schneider:

Tanning Tech, the tanning equipment and chemical technology show, was a shadow of its former self as it took place alongside Lineapelle and Simac (the footwear machinery show) in Bologna, October 13-15.

The leading European exhibition for the tanning industry, Lineapelle has been busy after a quiet start on October 13. The trend selection area located at the centre of the show located in the outskirts of the Italian town of Bologna. A total of 788 Italian and 347 foreign exhibitors which includes 577 tanneries is highlighting leathers for the autumn/winter 2010/11 season.

Giulio Tandura has sold his stake in the Italian machinery maker Linta to Gemata to become the new director of Carlessi Srl. The new company was unveiled on their stand at Tanning Tech held in Bologna, Italy on October 13.

According to a number of reports Italian police have arrested a number of tanners in the Arzignano region of Italy relating to VAT tax evasion. The police operation which has been underway in the region for the past six or seven months are investigating around 120 Italian tanneries in total.

BLC have announced that there has been a management buy out (MBO) of BLC Leather Technology Centre Ltd. BLC is a global research, training and testing organisation for the tanning and leather products industries located in Northampton, UK

Following the closure of Italian tannery machinery makers, Fratelli Carlessi earlier this year a new company is being launched at the Tanning Tech exhibition this week. The new enterprise, Carlessi Srl, will be officially unveiled at the new company’s stand on October 13 in Bologna.
The former Carlessi company were most known for their leather through feed toggle drying tunnels and related equipment.

The European Commission is likely to propose a 15-month extension of duties on footwear made in China and Vietnam, European Union diplomats have said, despite broad opposition from major shoe corporations and many European governments.

Rostaing Tannery located in, Huyen Long Thanh, Dong Nai, Vietnam have relaunched their company website: www.rostaingtannery.com.

Dr Mark Wilkinson and Dr Jeffry Guthrie-Strachan of BSLT, University of Northampton, along with other colleagues would like to invite the Corium alumni and friends, to join them next Wednesday, 14 October for early evening drinks from 6pm onwards.

Satra Technology Centre are offering a special deal on the complete set of equipment to test protective gloves to EN 388 standards. This is a cost-effective way for manufacturers to perform the complete set of abrasion, cut, tear and puncture tests at source.

At a signing ceremony in Sao Paulo, Brazil on October 5, four of the world’s largest beef and leather companies agreed to ban the purchase of cattle from newly deforested land in the Amazon. The four, which includes Marfrig, Bertin, JBS-Friboi and Minerva – are some of the largest meat and leather processors in the world.

Following the purchase of 51% ($49.5 million) of Zenda Leather by large Brazilian beef processor, Marfrig, in September more detail has emerged as how the company will operate. For customers of Zenda Leather, which has tanneries in Uruguay, South Africa and Argentina, they should see little or no difference in the senior management or day to day operations a source told Leather International.

The next council meeting of the ICT (International Council of Tanners) will be held on November 12, in Istanbul, at the invitation of the Turkish Leather Association.

Following reports in the press in Asia (South China Morning Post (SCMP), September 29) Shanghai Richina Leather (SRL) have said that they will work with local residents following complaints of foul odours in the area close to their tannery in Shanghai.

Natuzzi, Italy’s largest furniture company and a world leader in leather upholstery are celebrating their 50th anniversary with an exhibition exploring the use of leather. Currently taking place at their flagship store on Finchley Road, London as part of the London Design Festival, the exhibition sees the brand collaborate with five London based artists for the first time.

A PhD and KTP research associate student from the University of Northampton is working to find a treatment for red rot, an age‑old problem affecting the leather industry. Anne Lama has been appointed to carry out a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project to research, design and implement a new generation of conservation materials to preserve leather and combat red rot.

During the annual election of the central executive committee of Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) held September 29, Gulzar Firoz, owner of Firoz & Co, Karachi was elected as chairman of the Pakistan Tanners Association unopposed for the sixth time.

DyStar Textilfarben GmbH, DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co Deutschland KG as and DyStar Holdings GmbH – global providers of dyes, auxiliaries and services for the textile and leather processing industry - have all filed an insolvency petition with the local court Frankfurt am Main for the company’s business operations located in Germany.

Italian beamhouse machinery specialists, Costruzioni Meccaniche Persico, will be launching a new full hide fleshing machine at the Tanning Tech 2009 show in Bologna next month. The show will take place October 13-25 at the Bologna Fiera alongside Lineapelle.

Satra are planning to expand their Far East operations and have started by adding Geoffrey Graham as  Far East operations manager to their China team. Graham will be based at Satra's Dongguan office, but will travel extensively to liaise with members and co-ordinate activities in China and south east Asia.

The New England Tanners Club is hosting its annual golf outing at the Nippo Lake Golf Club in Barrington, New Hampshire. The event will take place on Tuesday October 13, 2009 with the first tee time starting at 8am. Following 18 holes of golf will be dinner and awards at the Nippo Lake restaurant.

The third edition of the leather, footwear component & technology fair, ‘Meet at Agra 2009' is being held on November 7-8, 2009 at the Kalakriti Ground, Fatehabad Road, Agra, India. The exhibition is organised by AFMEC (Agra Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Chamber).

A good business mood prevailed at the 17th edition of Le Cuir A Paris last week. From the very first day, the prestigious designers and buyer from the fashion sector came to discover the materials on offer for the autumn/winter 2010-11 season.

This website, the worlds leading online resource for the global leather making industry, has been optimised for better viewing on mobile phones. As a part of a general system upgrade, the site has been optimised for use on iPhones, Blackberry as well as standard mobile browsers.

JBS, the world's leading beef and protein products producer, agreed to merge with Bertin SA, it was announced on September 16. JBS will be the major shareholder. Following the recent purchase earlier this year of Brazilian tanning group BMZ by JBS, combined with the tanning capacity of Bracol, Bertin's leather division, the new company will become the largest leather processor in the world by volume. It is estimated that the respective equity value JBS and Bertin will be approximately 60-40%.

Marfrig Alimentos SA, the world's fourth-largest meatpacker based in Brazil, have acquired a 51% share in the Uruguay tanning group Zenda Leather. Marfrig said in a statement that it had agreed to pay $49.5 million to buy a 51% stake in the Uruguayan leather producer.

Due to the ongoing and steadily increasing demand for natural shoe upper and fancy leathers, burnished leather effects have experienced a revival. Customers are looking for both, easy and intensive burnishing effect and natural feel and aspect as well.

Exhibitors from Italian tanneries and related businesses made up 44% of all the stands (336 in total) at the Le Cuir A Paris show which took place at Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte, September 15-18. Despite the Anteprima show taking place in Milan this week many see Paris as a place to reach top-level designers from outside Italy. ‘65% of our visitors are from outside France and many come from the USA and Asia, particularly Japan as well as from Europe', Beatrice Rousseau, show manager, Le Cuir A Paris, told Leather International.

CTC Groupe, the French footwear and leather research centre have opened a third laboratory in China, this time in Dongguan.

China based tanner, Shanghai Richina Leather (SRL), a subsidiary of Richina Industries announced several organisation changes effective September 4, 2009.

The next edition of ‘footwear Materials Manufacturing & Technology India 2010' exhibition (fMM&T India 2010) an international fair organised by APLF Ltd in partnership with the Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA) and supported by the Council of Leather Exports (CLE), Indian Shoe Federation (ISF), Agra Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Chamber (AFMEC) has been announced. The next event will take place between May 7-9, 2010 at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, New Delhi.

Anyone who has recently completed or will shortly be completing research studies relevant to hide preservation, hide and leather defects, leather manufacturing technology, new product development, tannery equipment development, leather properties and specifications, tannery environmental management, or other related subjects, you are encouraged to present the results of this research at the next annual convention of the American Leather Chemists Association to be held at the Grand Geneva, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, June 10 - 13, 2010.

The term ‘synthetic leather' should be banned say some leading leather industry experts. Or put another way, the word leather should be protected.

Anteprima – Trend Selection, the presentation of luxury materials including leather will take place in hall 1 of Fiera Milanocity, Milan from September 21-22.

UNIC, the Italian tanners' association and organiser of the Lineapelle leather fair hosted a Trend Selection mini exhibition in London on September 9. A similar event also took place in New York earlier this month. A small group of 12 Italian tanners and one from Spain showed highlights of their autumn/winter 2010/11 collections to invited buyers and designers at the one-day event.

Following the 80^th AGM meeting of the International Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders Associations in Shanghai on September 3 the council have decided to leave the contents of the International Contract number Six unchanged. The Chinese delegation had requested that the contract be changed but following opposition from the delegates from Australia, USA and France among others it was agreed to keep the contract unchanged.

The Italian tanners' association UNIC issued a statement at the beginning of September committing their members to social and environmental responsibilities drawn up by the EU to trade unions.

Complete Leatherwork, the brand new book by the designer Katherine Pogson covers all aspects of working with leather, from basic materials, threads, dyes, and adhesives to pattern making, skiving, channelling, and even more advanced skills such as moulding and surface decoration.

As part of its comprehensive comfort testing programme (which includes advanced moisture management test AMMT, and whole shoe thermal insulation test WSTIT), Satra Technology Centre, located in the UK, have designed and created a new small size 'sweating foot' component to meet growing demand to test women's and children's footwear for breathability and comfort.

PrimeAsia Leather Corporation have announced that its China tannery has been upgraded to gold status and its Taiwan tannery has maintained its silver status following being reaudited against the Leather Working Group (LWG) environmental protocol.

Bridge of Weir Leather Company, part of Scottish Leather Group, announced on September 3, that it is to launch a joint venture in China as demand for their hides continues to increase.

The All China Leather Exhibition got underway on September 2 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre covering five halls and featuring the CIFF and Moda Shanghai shows also.