Netherlands-based Rompaleder Ltd. was founded 100 years ago, December 20, 1906, and started off as a tannery for vegetable leathers. After the Second World War the company changed its activities to serve the Dutch shoe industry by manufacturing leather for shoe uppers. Exports at this time were at a very low level and the growth of the shoe industry in the southern part of Holland consumed all production.
In the second half of the last century the footwear industry in Holland declined; factories were closing and/or transferring their activities to Portugal and Spain and subsequently to China and India in the late nineties.
Rompaleder considerably reduced its staffing levels and modernised to maintain production in Holland. New markets were found in eastern European countries and leathers were developed for the leathergoods and upholstery industries.
In 1999 the company sold its original facility to the municipality and invested in a new state-of-the-art building in an industrial area.
It developed new process-oriented production lines which led to high productivity and a greater capacity competitive edge. Its central location, near international harbours, airports and chemical companies, gave the company a much stronger position and chance of survival.
New markets were developing in Europe, especially in the eastern Europe where a great deal of production for the shoe, bag and upholstery industries takes place. New leathers have also been developed, for example, a shoe leather designed to keep feet cool, anti-bacterial leather and vegetable tanned leathers for fashion goods.
