ISA Tantec, a leading supplier of leather to outdoor footwear brands, said its Vietnamese production facility was nominated by World Leather magazine as one of the best tanneries in the world. The plant near Saigon was named as a finalist in the category Asia excluding China in the Tannery of the Year 2014 competition.”
“We are very proud that the industry is rewarding our years of commitment to ecologically and socially sustainable leather production through this nomination, states Thomas Schneider, founder and CEO of ISA TanTec, which is based in Germany.
Back in 2010, the magazine conveyed this honour on an ISA TanTec production site in China Through its tannery in Vietnam, ISA TanTec has set a new standard for the environmentally friendly production of leather. The plant needs over a third less energy than comparable production sites belonging to other companies
The jurors also acknowledge the companys focus on employees and its social commitment highly. Among other things, they praise the well-developed culture of employee participation. Suggestions from staff are highly valued and rewarded. The company operates a canteen that employees can use for free, offers extensive health benefits and organizes shuttle buses to and from the plant. When designing the factory, ISA TanTec placed the greatest emphasis on occupational health and safety as well as a pleasant, healthy atmosphere with plenty of natural light and good ventilation. The low staff turnover rate of 1.3 per cent-many times lower than the industry average-is evidence that staff value all of this.
In addition, ISA TanTec supports a host of social projects in Vietnam. The company finances the school attendance of fifty children from low-income families, for example.
ISA TanTec announced earlier this year that it was building a tannery in Mississippi to meet growing demand for Made-in-USA leather. ISA TanTec counts Timberland, Wolverine, Deckers, Clarks, Merrell, Sperry, Rockport, The North Face, Keen or New Balance among its customers.
