Wickett & Craig has been named one of two finalists for the Americas in the 2016 Tannery of the Year Awards by World Leather magazine!
Currently in its fifth year, this award aims to recognise and reward the best tannery in the global leather industry, celebrating those that have excelled in terms of their commitment to environmental sustainability, who take care of their employees and work closely with the local community and authorities, have established strong relationships with customers and suppliers and are committed to innovation and quality.
NATURALLY CRAFTED AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY VEGETABLE-TANNED LEATHERS
Wickett & Craig have been making superior vegetable-tanned leathers in the traditional method since 1867. From their state-of-the-art facility in Curwensville, Pennsylvania, their skilled workers process more than 400 jumbo steer hides a day.
Hides are sourced from the finest North American cattle (you might like to know that continental cattle breeds such as Limousin, Simmental and Charolais are preferred over Black Angus).
The masterful mix of tradition, craftsmanship and modern technology that goes into the vegetable tanning process is nothing to be scoffed at - it takes around six weeks to transform one hide into leather. The finished product is globally recognised for its quality and durability, and is demanded by high-end designers and leading manufacturers (cough cough, Rolls-Royce supplier, Connolly Leather).
Though the craft of vegetable tanning is steeped in tradition, Wickett & Craig focusses on continual improvement, investing heavily in keeping its environmental performance high as well as the local community itself.
Located just 250 metres from the site of Curwensville’s elementary, junior high and senior high schools, tannery and children share the local area without complaint or controversy.
There is an education programme in place to encourage local workers, most of whom live within 15 kilometres of the town, to attain tertiary education. There are also company policies to recycle and reuse as much water and dyestuffs as possible, and to purchase as much material and equipment as possible from local suppliers, including local small hardware stores.
No doubt you can see why we are proud to be the Australia's certified distributor of Wickett & Craig's superior leathers, and this is just a quick snapshot!
You can find out more about Wickett & Craig, and why they have been named as a finalist in the 2016 Tannery of the Year awards in an in-depth report in the August/September 2015 issue of World Leather magazine, which you can download below.
We wish Wickett & Craig all the best in the
2016 Tannery of the Year finals, which will be held
in Hong Kong in March!
images courtesy of Wickett & Craig