Folachier takes a bow at International Leather Forum
18/09/2007
The first International Leather Forum took place in Paris yesterday, 17 September.
Organised by outgoing president of the International Union of Leather Technicians and Chemists Societies (IULTCS), Marc Folachier of CTC, the event consisted of a full day of discussions on four key subjects facing the leather industry.
The topics were training, research and development, marketing and communications. Look out for a full report of the discussion in World Leather magazine.
He commented: “I know it’s impossible to solve all of the industry’s problems in four roundtables, but it’s important to say that I view this only as a kick-off meeting.”
Mr Folachier’s successor as IULTCS president, Elton Hurlow of Buckman Laboratories, said at the end of the event that the International Leather Forum had been “a direct tribute” to his predecessor’s vision and leadership.
“The aim of our discussions today was to challenge the leather industry to re-think its vision and history,” Mr Hurlow said. “We have also established commissions that will submit in-depth reports on the state of research and development and training in the industry.”
He paid tribute to Mr Folachier, saying it had been a visionary idea to offer the “politically neutral platform” of the IULTCS to bring together the leaders of companies across the leather sector. Senior representatives of tanners’ association, individual tanneries, chemicals companies, machinery suppliers and leathergoods manufacturers took part.
“Marc has been the right man for his time,” he concluded, “a time when the industry faces as great a challenge as it has at any time in its history.”
Mr Folachier will remain as president until 1 January, but he used the occasion of the International Leather Forum to hand over the symbol of the presidency of the organisation, a medal, to Mr Hurlow.
