New agent: Introducing Leer Group

New agent: Introducing Leer Group

Weesp, the Netherlands, April 4, 2018 – We are pleased to announce that Leer group has joined as our latest authorised partner, focusing on technical solutions for our customers in India. It is a collaboration of experienced leather technologists with a combined experience in the leather industry of well over a hundred years.

Leer Group believes in challenging the status quo in everything they do. They believe in thinking differently. The way they challenge the status quo is by offering solutions that will make a positive difference in someone’s life by being simple to use, creating superior value, and sustainably shape the future of the leather industry. India’s ambition is to become the main leather producing market in the future. They want to contribute to this goal by adding the joint experience in this field across the country in line with their mission.

ON THE COLLABORATION WITH SMIT & ZOON:

Smit & zoon is 100% focused on leather and, as a nearly 200-year- old family business, looking for long term commitment. Smit & zoon will strongly invest in India in the coming years by supporting the tanneries in their growth goal and meeting their environmental restrictions.

Smit & zoon will do so by:

• Opening of testing- and application labs throughout India
• Give extensive technical support
• Opening a factory in Chennai
• Production of fashion articles in labs to support our customers
• CSR implementation and usage of Smit & zoon’s Product Passport which will help customers save costs and control waste management.
• Sufficient local stocks
• Dedicated distribution network

With the acquisition of Codyeco/ Kemiter by Smit & zoon, Leer Group is very confident that Smit & zoon will have a very prominent role in the future of the Indian leather market. Smit & zoon is already very strong in the upholstery/car upholstery market and, with this investment, we also became an important producer of chemicals for shoe upper and leather goods. Since we now have access to all segments and are in close contact with major brands, we will be able to translate the needs into the creativity of articles in order to support the customers in their sales & marketing activities.

Leer Group is confident that Indian customers will join and support their ambitious goals. They have received and are still receiving positive feedback from Indian customers. Leer Group’s aim now is to meet and exceed these expectations.

The long-term vision and values of Smit and zoon complement their mission. As Leer Group stated:

Smit & zoon as a family owned business with a long positive history and contribution to the leather industry makes it an honour for us to be their the authorised partner here in India.