Freudenberg, Germany, have decided to close their leather division at the end of September but will continue to meet their orders until that time. The company had previously closed their beamhouse in Germany and were having their hides wet-blued under contract in Poland.
The leather division is only a small part of the overall organisation and experienced a difficult time last year with very high hide prices and loss of orders from the US in the wake of September 11.
The finishing plant will close and the recipes, brand name and other assets may be offered for sale.