YPIE Blog Day Six: Andrew Muirhead & Son

Ben Brook of CD (UK) Ltd, writes about what the Young Professional Industry Experience group learned on day six.

The day started with Sean Duffin, our fellow Young Professional Industry Experience participant and production manager at Andrew Muirhead & Son, part of Scottish Leather Group, giving us a tour of the tannery and finishing factory This allowed us to see the full manufacturing process, right the way from raw hide through to finished leather.

He also introduced us to Nick Muirhead, managing director, who spoke about the company’s history and some of the challenges they currently face.

Muirhead differs to CD (UK) Ltd, being a manufacturer as opposed to a distributor first and foremost. There are some overlaps, however, as both companies deal with raw materials that are then sold on to craftsmen who are able to turn the material into a final product. We even supply to some of the same big brand customers.

I was surprised at the amount of development Muirhead offers its staff at all levels of the business. E-Learning courses are encouraged to all factory workers and they offer a range of qualifications. This appears to help Muirhead retain and develop staff, which can only help the business in the long term.

After hearing a lot of criticism of leather and its negative effect on the environment, I was surprised to see the level of commitment Scottish Leather Group has when it comes to the environment. In order to help change these perceptions, Scottish Leather Group has invested heavily in a Thermal Energy Plant, which converts waste product in to energy. Designed and made especially at Scottish Leather Group, the plant has helped in a number of ways and keeps the Scottish Leather Group in front of its competition and ahead of industry regulation.

Perhaps not the most fun, but definitely the most memorable part of the day was visiting the tannery. Here we saw (and smelled) the raw hides as they are delivered to the factory. Sean was kind enough to offer us ear plugs for parts of the factory, however I would also make a suggestion that nose clips are also offered to visitors in future…