Business Central September 2021

70 | LEATHER INDUSTRY Tasman Tanning Thriving firm caters to varied markets T T Karen Phelps Tasman Tanning processes hides on contract for customers such as ANZCO and Silver Fern Farms. C ovid-19 has seen business boom for Tasman Tanning. While initial fears were of a slowdown, a few months after lockdown last year the company was hiring more staff and is still looking to boost numbers to meet demand, says company CEO Neville Dyer. “We train on-site so anyone can apply and we’d love to hear from people,” he says. Based in Whanganui, the company started as a small family business back in 1953. Today it is still locally owned and operated and is Australasia’s only end-to-end leather processor specialising in bovine leather with the majority of product destined for the export market. This means hides come to the company raw as opposed to being sourced partially processed from third party suppliers. Neville says that while competitors have moved their operations offshore staying local is important to Tasman Tanning. The company has not only survived but thrived by focusing on distinct markets: indus- trial, furniture and speciality leathers. It is this that has also safeguarded the business in the current economic climate as people stuck at home due to Covid-19 restric- tions have sought to improve their surround- ings and splashed out on big-ticket items like cars. Also with many governments spending on infrastructure projects the need for safety footwear has increased. There are two aspects to Tasman Tanning’s business. Tasman Tanning processes hides on contract for customers such as ANZCO and Silver Fern Farms. Tasman Tanning also purchases some of these hides for further processing into leather for manufacture into goods for its key clients. Neville says that the New Zealand raw material is viewed as a quality product by T T to page 72 international markets and as such is highly sought after. He says that traceability is becoming increasingly important for consumers and it’s an area where Tasman Tanning has a real advantage as it is an end-to-end processor with greater control. It is presently developing a system that will be rolled out later this year that will see product able to be traced back to the farm gate via a QR code customers can scan. “This means consumers could scan a code and see where their car seat has come from,” he says. “We see this as a growing area and a real point of marketability for our New Zealand leather.” Darrell Hoskin MANAGER 390 Heads Rd, Wanganui 4501 PH: 06 344 7002 FAX: 06 344 7449 MOB: 027 437 0095 darrell@hoskincarriers.co.nz www.hoskincarrierswanganui.co.nz MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD “Your One Stop Engineering Shop” • Jobbing Work • Installation of Machinery • Factory & Field Maintenance • Designer/AutoDesk Inventor • Machining & Fabrication • ASMI Certified Welders • Preventative Maintenance • Structural Steel • Conveyor Systems • Waterjet Cutting • Stainless Steel Specialists • Aluminium Fabricators & Welders Call us on 06 344 4108 or drop into ELITE at 437 Heads Road, Wanganui enquireies@eliteengineering.co.nz | www.eliteengineering.co.nz Specialising in Tannery Engineering, Maintenance, Cylinder Reblading, Processors and Drums. Nationwide servicing available TANNERY REBLADING NZ LTD Garth 027 279 88 66 | tanneryrebladingnz@xtra.co.nz