At the annual meeting of the Tuscan tanners’ association, its president, Riccardo Bandini, praised the work the leather sector was doing collaboratively, despite geopolitical issues and changing consumer sentiment.
During the previous year, turnover dropped around 4% and exports around 1%. However, he praised the sector’s resilience. “The Tuscan district, with its 6,000 employees and its 500 companies - the second biggest tanning district in terms of production - has maintained its overall solidity," he said. "It is particularly significant that our companies have shown themselves to be attractive and committed on multiple fronts.”
Mr Bandini added that the association supports tanners in many ways, including investment in research, as well as collaborative purchasing initiatives for energy.
He pointed out that on a national scale, tanners and similar associations were working to preserve skills and traditions.