S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No8 August 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- Mr Price Sport: ‘Brands small – but important – part of our business’, says MD Anthony Findlay.
- Plastics manufacturer Igus and e-bike manufacturer Advanced Bikes develop first recyclable plastic bicycle frame.
- Arena Trims moves.
05 Export & Trade
- SAFLEC AGM: Trade with SACU down, trade with non-African world up, leather the star performer, finances a concern – a mixed year, but ‘expect the recovery after the storm’.
08 Profile
- Cape Town’s extended Gottardo clan: Multiple businesses and a shared passion for leather, from bags to furniture.
14 Government’s Master Plans
- Alternative to master plans isn’t anarchy, says Dr Morné Malan of the Free Market Foundation.
14 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Drip Footwear’s financial crisis – a cautionary tale.
20 Technology
- Huntsman to launch new footwear soling for running, hiking and safety.
20 Financial Results
- Vans is still in freefall, ‘but VF Corporation’s rate of decline has moderated’.
- Second half improvement for Rip Curl and Kathmandu owner KMD Brands.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety Group (OFC), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), FrontierCo/Busby (06), Haesloop Agencies (10), Kaytex Belts (12), Leather Finishing Products (16), Saddler Belts (04), SAFLEC (07), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (21), Shotland Packing (14).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 18 September 2024.
- Plastics manufacturer develops first recyclable plastic bicycle frame
Midrand, Gauteng, SA (31 July 2024) – Industrial polymer developer and manufacturer, igus, has developed the first injection-moulded polymer bicycle frame designed for advanced bikes, a milestone in sustainable mobility. igus collaborated with German e-bike manufacturer Advanced Bikes to create a bicycle frame made entirely of recyc ...moreSAFLEC AGM – ‘recovery after the storm’
Sponsored by the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC). Durban, KZN, SA – This year’s SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) AGM – the 22nd – was a much smaller occasion than in previous years, an acknowledgement of a reduced budget. It was, however, quite upbeat. ...moreAn extended family with multiple businesses, and a shared passion
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – It’s a complicated leather dynasty covering 2 generations and 6 family members (so far), mixed heritages, and 4 varied businesses which have 2 things in common – they use leather, and they rely on design creativity to produce saleable products.Tiziano Gottardo and his son from his third marriage, ...moreDrip Footwear’s financial crisis - a cautionary tale
Rapid Expansion BackfiresDrip Footwear, a once-promising South African sneaker brand, is facing a severe financial crisis that has sparked intense scrutiny and debate. The company’s rapid expansion into shopping malls has backfired spectacularly, leaving it with a R20 million debt, a foreign exchange blunder, and the looming threat ...moreMr Price Sport: ‘Brands small – but important – part of our business’Durban, KZN, SA – Mr Price Sport will continue to look for opportunities to carry branded products, MD Anthony Findlay says.“Brands make up 10% to 15% of our merchandise, which may be small, but it’s an important part of the selection.”Through a collab with the SA distributor of U.S. brand Everlast, which is associ ...moreAlternative to master plan is not anarchyNote: This article is about the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition’s master plans as a concept, not about the R-CTFL Master Plan specifically. ...moreHuntsman to launch new footwear soling for running, hiking and safety.The Woodlands, Texas, U.S. – Huntsman’s Polyurethanes business will launch a ‘gripping’ new soling development for the footwear industry at the NW Materials Show at the end of August.The new portfolio of high performing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) products is aimed at footwear brands producing running, hiking ...moreVans still in freefall, ‘but VF rate of decline moderated’VF Corporation reports first quarter fiscal 2025 results and reiterates FY25 free cash flow guidanceDenver, U.S. (06 August 2024) - VF Corporation today reported financial results for its first quarter (Q1'FY25) ended June 29, 2024, announcing a quarterly per share dividend of $0.09.Bracken Darrell, President and CEO, said: "As I com ...moreRip Curl, Kathmandu owner KMD Brands preliminary result: Second half improvementChristchurch, New Zealand (20 August 2024) – KMD Brands Limited provides the following unaudited preliminary results for the year ending 31 July 2024 (“FY24”): Rip Curl and Kathmandu sales have shown continued improvement on first half sales trends during both the third and fourth quarters of FY24, as outlined below. ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Hail-fellow, well-met, in a genuine way - Obituary: Denis Manning – Kronies Footwear, Trenzado Footwear (29/03/1954-18/03/2025)
Sadly, Denis Manning passed away on Tuesday, 18 March after a battle with cancer, 11 days before his 71st birthday.Denis arrived in South Africa with his wife, Jane, in March 1976 and settled in Pinetown. He joined Kronies as a trainee factory manager and worked there for many years, firstly with Hans Krohn and Doug Roberts and then ...moreCanton: As big as ever
China Import and Export Fair, also known as the “Canton Fair”, is the World’s No.1 Expo in terms of scale. Canton Fair will see its 137th session to be held from April 15 to May 5, 2025 in Guangzhou, China.With an exhibition area of 1.55 million square meters, the 137th edition of Canton Fair converges 28,000+ exhibitors ...moreTraditional Guinea Leppi fabric now officially recognised as a PGI
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (15/04/2025) – Leppi fabric dyed using local plants is the traditional fabric of the Foutah Djallon region in Guinea. Its Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation, recently granted by the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI), safeguards the fabric from misuse inc ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Rwanda plans tannery parkKigali, Rwanda – According to an article in The New Times on 08 April, Rwanda is to establish a tannery park, including a centralised effluent treatment plant, to service more than 1 tannery.The planned tannery park is to be in the Bugesera Industrial Zone, about 50 kilometres from Kigali.The Times reported that the Leather Value Ch ...moreBack to off? - Sam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourOur industry has been submitted for years to the unrealistic and ideological EU sustainability directives, mainly pushed by Dutch ex-EU commissioner Frans Timmermans, who, not happy with the damage he has done in the EU, now tries to ruin the political atmosphere in his own country. These directives have more to do with ideology than with ...moreCountry hides and skins: Changed markets for a forgotten source
Changes in the global leather market have impacted most on the bottom rung of the leather value chain – ‘country’ hides and skins. This was starkly illustrated when S&V African Leather received a call from someone in the Eastern Cape who had previously made a living collecting them for sale to agents acting on behalf of hide and skin collectors. The agents were still there, he said, but they weren’t interested in buying what he had to offer. Where should he look?rnrn A call to trader Gareth Diesel in East London, who works for and with Elliott Brothers and its subsidiary, East London Abattoir, confirmed that market had died in the province.rnrn He suggested we ask Greg Feinberg, MD of SA’s biggest hide and skin trader, pickler and wet blue tannery, Cape Produce Company, for ‘the bigger picture’. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- New standard for PFAS assessment for consumer products ‘is useful for manufacturers, consumers, laboratories, and regulators’W. Conshohocken, Pa., U.S. (07 January 2025) – A new ASTM International standard will provide users with a road map for planning and executing assessments of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products and articles. The new standard, which will be published as F3700, was developed by ASTM&rsqu ...moreThe recipe for success and safety - the strategic value of ISO 22000 certification in the food industry
Durban, KZN, SA (08 January 2025) – In today's increasingly globalised food industry, consumer trust and product safety is everything, but businesses must go beyond mere compliance and strive for excellence to thrive in this competitive context. ISO 22000 certification offers a strategic solution to achieve these goals, providing th ...moreUnderstanding respirator PPE
The subject of Respirator Personal Protective Equipment is confusing until one understands the basic concept requirements.OHS Act defines Respiratory Protective Equipment as a device which is worn over at least the mouth and nose to prevent the inhalation of air borne hazardous chemical substances and which is of a type or conforms to a s ...more
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