Tanneries and locations: Haining City, China. Three tanning units are located on one large site. Kasen is one of the largest single unit tanneries in the world.
Production: Kasen process 42,000 hides per week from raw, tanned and crust to finished leather for furniture and automotive upholstery. The plant also includes a cutting and sewing operation as well as Kasen's own furniture upholstery business.
Tannery employees: 3000 (10,000 across the whole group)
Key customers/brands: Own Kasen furniture brand and unspecified automotive OEM's
Other information: Zhu Zhang-Jin started the company aged 24 in 1988 with six workers, $5,000 and no previous experience in the tanning industry. From such humble beginnings Kasen are now one of the leading manufacturers of upholstery leather in the world. His vision to begin making upholstery leather when most Chinese entrepreneurs at the time focussed on footwear upper and garment has been a key to their success. Kasen now have their own furniture business (located next to the tanneries), which uses their own leather. They also supply automotive OEM's. The business is now listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and the Kasen empire now reaches across the globe through a network of retail outlets. The company also own their own cattle farm in Brazil.
