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Garrett Leather Begins "Super" Year
Garrett Leather Corporation was a proud supplier to Super Bowl XLIV. Over 6000 square feet of Garrett Caressa® Pewter was recently installed for seating in the suites at Sun Life Stadium in Opa Locka, Florida for this year’s Super Bowl. Steve Miller at Stadium Completion Corporation of Delray Beach, Florida was responsible for selecting, purchasing and fabricating the leather from Garrett, which was readily available to ship in time for the big game in February.
Understanding Leather Price Points
What is “quality leather”? Why are some leather products $2 a square foot while other products are $15 a square foot or more?
There are many factors that drive the price of leather. Lower prices do not necessarily translate into lower quality. Here are a few questions to consider before making your next leather purchase.
Where did the hides originate? Where the hides originate plays a major role in the quality of the final product. In South America, the warmer, drier climate causes hides to have more bug bites and other flaws, resulting in lower cutting yields. Unfortunately, the demand for lower quality South American hides has contributed to the destruction of rainforests in Brazil. On the other hand, European hides, especially those from South Germany and Austria, provide the highest quality leather in the world. In Europe, artificial hormones are not used. Instead, the animals grow at a natural rate, resulting in tighter, stronger hides. In addition, ideal climate conditions reduce the number of bug bites and other flaws to the hide.
Where is the leather tanned? Leather is tanned in Italy, China and in many parts of the world. However, not all countries have the same human rights concerns, equal pay, or environmental initiatives. Italy leads the world in producing the highest quality leather, while maintaining the highest standards for environmental responsibility.
What type of hide is being used? Bull hides are larger and have a stronger fiber structure then cowhide. Therefore, products made from bull hide usually have a higher price point then those made from cowhide.
What is the quality of the raw material being used? Upon arrival at the tannery, hides are inspected and separated into different grades based on the number of markings on each hide. Full grain products that maintain the natural grain require the highest grade of raw materials.
How is the product produced? Leather production is a lengthy process. Producing one dyelot of leather may take between eight to 12 weeks. In addition, some leather products require more procedures during the tanning process to achieve the characteristics of the end product. For example, a labor-intensive, time-consuming, manual technique is used to produce the unique two-tone effect of hand-tipped leather.
What additional costs does the company incur? Some leather vendors are large, publicly owned companies with many employees and exclusive showrooms to maintain. Other leather suppliers are family-owned businesses with less over-head costs to pass on to the customer.
Garrett Leather offers superior quality, European, full grain, upholstery leather tanned in Italy. As an individually owned company, operation costs and overhead are carefully monitored, while customer service is a top priority. By specifying Garrett Leather, many designers are pleasantly surprised to find that they may purchase beautiful leather, receive superior service and pay reasonable prices, without sacrificing quality.
March Aviation Promotion
A special promotion will be available for all of our aviation customers during the month of March. Details will be arriving in the mail very soon!
2010 Pricing
Garrett Leather works very hard to control costs while maintaining superior quality and service standards. We are pleased to announce that prices will remain unchanged from 2009. If you would like to receive a 2010 price list, please click here.
New Sales Representative For South Florida
Kristen Lentowicz has agreed to expand her territory effective March 1st to include the entire state of Florida. Kristen has done an excellent job of growing northern Florida and establishing great relationships with her customers. We are confident that she will have the same success in South Florida!
Kristen Lentowicz
Contact Kristen today to schedule an appointment.
Kristen Lentowicz
321.297.8621
klentowicz@garrettleather.com
Did You Know?
Sky Rugs, a subsidiary of Garrett Leather, offers leather rug binding in over 400 colors. All rug binding is sold by the yard and is cut-to-order. Choose from nine different widths and a variety of patterns and textures.
Please continue to check our website for updates regarding new products, services and upcoming tradeshows. |
