A Renfrewshire tannery business has celebrated its 150th anniversary by unveiling a new site in Paisley.
Scottish Leather Group (SLG) marked the milestone of Lang, its specialist tannery business, as the organisation cemented its commitment to the region.
Celebrations took place at the company's new site, on Renfrew Road, which the leather manufacturer agreed to take over in 2020 in a joint-deal with Renfrewshire Council.
As a result of a £13 million investment, new technology and equipment has allowed the firm to ramp up expansion plans.
Robbie Brown, chairman of the SLG, said: “A few years ago, our Lang production moved to Bridge of Weir to bring our specialist tanning together under one roof.
"However, our roots remain firmly in Paisley and we are delighted that this is continued within our new facility as we look to future growth and commit to do so in the community in which Lang was born in 1872.
“Paisley and the wider Renfrewshire region has a great concentration of skills and talent and, as such, it provides the ideal home for us to build on the expertise that we’ve developed in our long-standing history while innovating and increasing the services we can deliver for customers.”
To further mark the special occsion, the SLG's longest-serving employee met with one of its newest recruits as the pair discussed the differences between starting in 1975 and 2021.
Alex Edgar, who is a fleshing and splitting technician at Lang, started with the business 47 years ago as his first-ever job and has remained with the company ever since.
He said: “I’ve always found great enjoyment in work – it’s been a real family to me. People tend to stay for a long time so, really, you watch the young staff come in and grow up within their role.
“The process changed dramatically when I started. There is of course access to a lot more technology than there was back then.
"It means that a lot of the repetitive manual tasks have been automated which is great and there has been a massive reduction in heavy lifting. What remains the same, however, is the need for expertise – there really is no replacement for the human touch here.
“Because of the new technology, we’ve been able to double the capacities we were working on back when I started and it is incredible to see how far and wide our products go.
"From our sites in Paisley and Bridge of Weir, our leather is used all over the world and we can say that our hand-crafted products are found within supercars, aeroplanes and within high-end fashion brands – that’s pretty amazing.”
One of SLG's newest employees is apprentice Adam Frame who started with the manufacturer in 2021.
He said: “My mum previously worked for Lang and completed an internship in the accounting team. She recommended the company for an apprenticeship and it has been great so far.
“Learning from the teams here, many of whom have been around for a number of years like Alex, is a fantastic opportunity and I’ve learned so much already. The company has ambitious growth plans and I’m excited to be part of that journey.”
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