Company Details
Name: Scottish Leather Group
Date Founded: 1965
Sector: Manufacturing
Key Products/Services: Sustainable and innovative solutions, including leather and biofoams for automotive, aviation, mass transit, upholstery, and luxury goods industries
Website URL: www.scottishleathergroup.com
Executive Summary
Scottish Leather Group is the UK’s largest leather manufacturer, and provides innovative leather solutions for some of the world’s best-known brands in automotive, aviation, mass transit, upholstery, and luxury goods, with sustainability, technical excellence, and customer focus at its core.
Its patented circular manufacturing process makes it unique in the leather industry, and it’s recent key achievements are the launch of BioPRO®, the world’s first naturally fire-resistant biofoam made from leather co-products, alongside BioTAN® and FreeTAN® technologies that offer leather with increased bio-content whilst reducing fossil-fuel derived components.
Recognition through awards such as the CeeD Award for Operational Excellence and Innovation and the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership Technical Excellence Award further reinforces Scottish Leather Group’s reputation as a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and world-class craftsmanship.
The Challenge
- Supplying highly technical industries, we require constant R&D to compensate for any cost disadvantages against competitors.
- Environmental improvements mean we need to continue to move to net zero. This is the right thing to do and also brings forward a differentiator in a competitive environment.
- Manufacturing has a poor image in terms of career choices but really reflects a different time. Modern manufacturing in Scotland is focused on agile, innovative businesses supplying some of the best brands in the world – This is not public perception.
The Solution
- We must add value and innovation to make our offer more appealing to customer who are increasingly seeking value and differentiation. This takes dynamic thinking and openness to change
- Stronger and more coordinated support from agencies around planning (Solar Farm) and services such as travel.
- Better depiction of our end customers and the nature of working in manufacturing e.g. Emirates, Aston Martin, RR, Singapore, etc. Depiction of strong careers where we are really seeking people to grow in our business, there are plenty of opportunities.
The Impact
- Measured by bringing new technology and services to customers right around the globe.
- Standing out against global competitors without greenwashing and being seen to lead the way.
- We need to attract in higher calibre people into manufacturing businesses across the board. In other countries engineering and manufacuturing is seen socially as more positive than in UK.
Future Plans
The Business will continue to use the unique strength that being Scottish projects in terms of quality and trust and combine it with the innovation and people investment to bring value and new products / services, to customers around the world. Even looking at recent changes in geopolitical and tariffs that may afford opportunity.