The Leather Industry

The leather industry manufactures hides and skins into leather, the raw material for the shoe-, leather goods- en automobile industry. There is indeed a big difference between the leather industry and the leather processing industry, a mistake that is often made.
The Dutch leather industry has undergone a great sanitation the last few years. That´s one of the reasons why the number of tanneries in the Netherlands has dropped to about 20. Most of these tanneries can be found in the middle of the Netherlands (province Midden-Brabant; Tilburg, Dongen, Rijen, Waalwijk). However, the biggest tannery is located in the eastern part of the Netherlands (province Gelderland; Lichtenvoorde).

The Dutch leather industry has invested a lot in environmental friendly machinery and modern production methods. A couple of reasons for these investments are:

• The strict environmental laws in the Netherlands;
• The innovative character of the Dutch Leather industry;
• The severe competition in the leather industry world-wide;
• The demand for a high quality of leather.