Investment in Corlu pays off
Although the Turkish leather sector has been affected by the international financial turmoil, it seems earlier investment is beginning to pay off.
There are currently six major leather tanning clusters in Turkey and Corlu leather zone is said to have fared best during the downturn. While the other clusters have had to reduce capacities and even close down completely, Corlu tanners appear to be holding their heads above water. According to reports, the region has been well known for its double-face production over the last 50 years. There are more than 40 modern tanneries in the area producing high quality double-face from imported sheep and lambskins (of Entrefino and British origin). Reports indicate that 20 million skins are processed at the site each year.
Chairman of the Corlu Tanners’ Association, Sinasi Gunes, said: "The facilities that we have are better than other clusters and recently we invested $20 million USD for the renovation of our waste water treatment system. Although, we have been affected by the global crisis we are looking for alternative markets and in this respect our competition with China continues."
