FUSION LEATHER WORLD

Fusion Leather World (Pty) Ltd is South Africa’s top laminated split leather producer. The company opened an ultramodern factory in Atlantis in 2015 and has been supplying leather to some of the country’s biggest footwear brands for over a decade.

Owner DenzilSpolander believes Cape Town is one of the best places in the world to live and work.

“The infrastructure in Cape Town is very good and the road networks fantastic,” he says. “The first-world support we get from the financial institutions and the efficiency through the Cape Town Port is phenomenal.”

Spolander’s business started with humble beginnings in a rented factory in ParowIndustria in 2005, and has grown into a thriving business which today employs over 120 people.

“Fusion Leather World was set up 10 years ago to primarily produce leather for school shoes,” Spolander says. “Since then, we’ve grown and today supply quality leather to manufacturers of big brands including Barter Toughies and Buccaneer school shoes; we also do Grasshoppers – a Watson brand, and supply leather to Bronx and Puma manufacturers, as well as the people that manufacture for Woolworths and the PEP store group.”

Spolander bought the warehouse in Atlantis in 2014 and converted it into Fusion Leather World’s new base. The facility houses over 100 tonnes of sophisticated leather processing equipment. “At Fusion Leather World we work from wet blue, which is processed stable hides,” says Spolander. “We take it from the stable form and we work it into a leather (laminated split leather) that is workable for the production of mainly footwear, hand bags and belts. Everything is done on site until the point at which the leather is suitable to be sold to a manufacturer.” The company sells about 500 tonnes of leather a month in the first half of the year, and up to 700 tonnes a month during the second half.

After working for a leather tannery as a salesperson for 10 years, Spolander quit his job and decided to take the leap and open his own business. He first established the African Gameskin Group (Pty) Ltd in 1998.

The company, based in Bellville, is one of the country’s foremost game skin exporters and manufacturers of top quality upholstery leathers. His clients include Weylandts South Africa, Alpine Lounge and Klooftique Furniture. “I saw a gap in the market where we could commercialise game skin leather for furniture,” says Spolander. “I also started trading zebra skins and Springbok skins for the export market, and then grew it into a supplier of leather to the furniture trade, to big manufacturers.”

A decade later, Spolander opened Fusion Leather World and hasn’t looked back. He attributes his business success to the commitment and dedication of his staff, who he calls co-workers.  “We’ve got wonderful people working here,” says Spolander. “We’ve employed over 120 people from Atlantis and I have about 15 staff working for African Gameskin in Bellville.”

About his relationship with the City of Cape Town, Sponlander says: “The officials we’ve dealt with have been very professional. We’ve worked with the fire chief in Atlantis and have been assisted by various other City service departments.”

Visit www.fusionleather.co.za