'No longer enemies' - Leather federation signs agreement
14/09/2007
The Federation of the German Leather Industry has signed an agreement to co-operate with its leathergoods and footwear counterparts.
It will even move to share a headquarters with them, setting up office in the existing offices of the Federation of the German Footwear Industry (HDS) in Offenbach, near Frankfurt.
The three organisations made the announcement and signed the agreement at the start of the GDS exhibition in Düsseldorf today (September 14), with deputy chairman, Thomas Heiner, signing for the leather association.
In a press conference afterwards, Ralf Rieker, chairman of the HDS, said: “We don't want to be enemies any longer. We can share opinions and problems, looking together at important subject such as intellectual property protection. There's no point spending our time arguing about which of the three organisations is worst off. It makes much more sense for us to work jointly together to shape the future."
