AICSUL celebrates 25 years of success
AICSUL, the Association for the Tanning Industry of the South of Brazil celebrated its first 25 years in May.
Founded on May 14 1976, the association was created to defend the interests of tanners in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, and to represent the industry both domestically and overseas.
The Association’s inaugural meeting was held in Curtume Vacchi, in Sapucaia do Sul some 15 km south of Novo Hamburgo, and its first president was Helio Augustin.
At this time, the Southern Brazilian leather trade already supplied the region's powerful shoe industry which, in turn, supplied the domestic market and had started to export. However, it was also heavily criticised for the pollution it created.
The lack of suitable environmental technologies directly led to the industry’s creation of the Centro Tecnologico do Couro/Senai (CT-Couro) and its associated tanning school - both in the town of Estancia Velha/RS. Together, the school and the institution quickly began developing the technologies, standards and training protocols that were required to reduce the industry’s impact on the environment, with AICSUL playing a strong backing role.
Today, Paulo Enzweiler presides over AICSUL and Rio Grande do Sul accounts for 30% of all Brazilian leather production and 75% of the country’s finished leather output.
