In response to customer demand, Italian leather chemicals company Silvateam entered the wet end market in 2005 and now, in order to consolidate its presence, the company has acquired the ILLO line of wet end chemicals.

Established in France many years ago, the ILLO brand was acquired by another Italian manufacturer in the 1980s, from which time the product range has established a good reputation on the international market.

Silvateam has now studied and tested the range in line with the company’s specific quality controls to ensure that it meets the requirements to produce medium to high-end quality articles and that it is environmentally friendly and is satisfied that it can go to market under the company’s name.

The company now intends to improve and expand the ILLO line in order to remain up-to-date on the requirements demanded by fashion trends for shoes, leather and clothing. This work will be carried out by Silvateam’s researchers based at the company’s laboratories and customer service facilities in Italy who will work in close collaboration with tanneries. A technical research laboratory will also be established in Guangzhou, China, to meet the specific needs of the Chinese market.

Silvateam will present the ILLO product range at the upcoming APLF fair in Hong Kong where the company will launch new finishing trends for fashion articles for the autumn/winter 2008 season.