We, the Gmelich company, depend on protecting and preserving animals for our very existence! For this reason, we source suitable raw materials mainly from Germany and Austria, i.e. from countries where animal welfare is anchored in law – in Germany even in the constitution. It is only healthy and well-treated animals that provide the hides and skins that our customers want to see used as the leather on their sofas, shoes or jackets. It is precisely this connection to animal welfare that enables us to produce fine Gmelich leathers and set ourselves apart from overseas mass-produced goods by providing us with high-quality raw materials (hides with fewer injuries, insect damage, etc.). For this reason alone, it is very important to treat the animals as gentle as possible.
The raw material is a so-called by-product of the meat and dairy industries. Without making leather from these skins, disposal or destruction is inevitable. Instead of disposing of this by-product, we process it into a durable, high-quality product.
We, the team at Gmelich, are committed to protecting the environment:
Eine umweltgerechte Lederherstellung verlangt große Sorgfalt und aufwendige Verfahrenstechnologien. Wir sind ständig daran interessiert, neue Erkenntnisse aus der Lederforschung und Ledertechnik in unserem Betrieb umzusetzen, damit wir auch in Zukunft exklusives und wertvolles Leder mit modernsten Methoden für Sie herstellen können. Deshalb haben wir insbesondere in den letzten Jahren viel Zeit und Energie in innovative Techniken und Verfahren investiert, die uns eine möglichst schonende Lederherstellung erlauben.
Producing environmentally friendly leather requires great care and sophisticated technologies. We are always interested in implementing new findings from leather research and leather technology in our company, so that we can continue to produce exclusive and valuable leather for you using state-of-the-art methods. For this reason, we have invested a great deal of time and energy in recent years in the development of innovative techniques and processes that are as gentle to the leather as possible.
As a result, our company has undergone voluntary environmental certification by the internationally acclaimed Leather Working Group (LWG), one of the highest and most rigorous standards in the industry.