Supporting a New Distributor at ACLE 2017 by James Milford.
Earlier this month the All China Leather Exhibition took front of stage in Shanghai as it opened its doors to the world of leather at the New Exhibition Centre. The show had around 23,000 excited visitors across the three days seeking out suppliers who can help their company grow in the leather industry. The Clayton Leather Group exhibited their leather in Shanghai by supporting the group's sole distributor to the Chinese market Brothers Leathercraft, who were officially named as the group distributor this year and exhibited at the show for the first time.
Located in the first hall J & E Sedgwick’s Traditional Bridle leather, Clayton and Sons’ shell cordovan and horse front were proudly on display generating continued activity around the stand. Small leather goods manufactured from the bridle leather were on display enabling visitors to see the various leathers as a finished product. The 152-year-old walrus leather exhibit, which has travelled with the group across the globe on various exhibitions, was a definite eye catcher throughout the show.
Where many exhibitors had mixed feelings on whether the show had been successful or not, the Clayton Leather Group’s distributors stand had a constant flow of visitors. Many visitors wanting to know more about the versatility of English traditional bridle leather and how this leather could suit their requirements. The time and care taken to produce every hand finished piece of leather by the group is something that the Far East market appreciates, clearly shown by the number of visitors to the stand.
Many companies use the show as an opportunity to talk to current customers to further build relationships. In the case of Brothers Leathercraft more than half of their customers come from their e-commerce site so this was the first time the company could meet their customers face to face. The chance to discuss orders with current customers on this scale is rare for Brothers Leathercraft, giving them real value to exhibiting in Shanghai this year.
A few weeks have passed now since the show ended and the dust has finally settled for this year’s ACLE. Next destination for the Clayton Leather Group is Hong Kong in March 2018 for the All Pacific Leather Fair.
Staff update
We would like to welcome Jessica Aiers to the UK Leather Federation. Jessica joins the UKLF for six months as maternity cover whilst Milly Fyfe has some time out to have a baby.
Jessica has worked for a range of clients in very different industry sectors, ranging from the global automotive giant Ford Motor Company to most recently the heritage charity sector, creating and bringing to market a brand new tourism product called Champing™. Having worked freelance for the past eight years, Jessica is used to getting stuck in to a new challenge and loves learning new things.
With her post-graduate qualification in direct marketing and experience in various working environments, Jessica can demonstrate a very broad range of skills; including international event management, brand development, copywriting, website development, media and public relations management and social media campaign development.
Jessica is really looking forward to the opportunities ahead and will be in touch soon. She can be contacted by email: JessicaAiers@UKLF.org or mobile 07591 207375 from the 16th October.
Medium Combustion Plant Directive imminent.
UKLF members are advised that the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD), published in December 2015, will be transposed into UK law before the end of December 2017. The new regulations will affect combustion plants, such as boilers, with a thermal input rate of between 1 – 50MW and would place limits on emissions of dust, SO2 and NOx.
All affected plants will require permits for operation and will have to be registered with the EA or SEPA. Any new plant would have to be registered and compliant with the new regulations by December 2018, existing plant above 5MW would have to be registered by January 2024 and compliant by January 2024, and existing plant below 5MW would have to be registered by January 2029 and compliant by 2030. There is a derogation for biomass boilers until 2030 and exclusions for plants in which the gaseous products of combustion are used for the direct heating, drying and any other treatment of objects or materials.
For further information, please contact Kerry Senior at UK Leather Federation (01604 679955, kerrysenior@uklf.org)
A fantastic job opportunity awaits at Hutchings & Harding Ltd
Managing Director Matthew Fagan, pictured, is on the search for a financial controller to fill a wide ranging post that will include accounting, finance, administration, customer and management responsibilities.
Matthew commented that 'candidates will need commercial, organisational and IT skills and should have either full or part accountancy qualifications.
There is a genuine career opportunity to progress to Director level for someone willing to learn, be flexible and take responsibility. You can view the full job description and advert by clicking here.
A new collection by outstanding glove maker Riina O
Recently we met up with Estonian born glove maker Riina Õun. Riina is the creative director and the head glove maker at Riina O. She is a leather accessories designer with more than 10 years of experience in glove design and leather craft, based in London.
Riina O gloves are regularly presented at London Fashion Week, styled with prominent brands´ collections and have flown to Vogue shoots across the globe, from Beijing to New York and back, as well as being worn by selected celebrities, ranging from the legendary American actress Whoopi Goldberg to French pop icon Petite Meller.
Her desire is to carry on traditional glove hand making techniques into the new century, combining old craft with modern technological advantages and high-end design to create outstanding accessories.
Riina O has recently launched a new collection entitled 'The Flowers of Evil' Inspired by Charles Baudelaire´s eponymous poetry collection "The Flowers of Evil", with an example pictured.
Riina would like to collaborate with educational institutions and training providers to host glove making demonstrations and courses to help keep the unique craft alive. Riina can be contacted by email: info@riinao.com
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