‘Visionary advocate’ for leather dies
The Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) has announced the death of Shep Hermann, chief executive of the Hermann Oak Leather Company in St Louis, Missouri.
Mr Hermann was the fourth-generation leader of the company, which makes veg- and chrome-tanned finished leather. LHCA described him as “a persistent and visionary advocate for the leather and hide industry”.
He studied mechanical engineering at Princeton and also attended the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business before returning to St Louis to take over the running of the family firm in 1985.
He used his knowledge to introduce lean-manufacturing principles to the Hermann Oak tannery, but also developed in-depth knowledge of, and became an authority on, traditional veg-tanning methods.
