The chemical company TFL boasts many headquarters worldwide. An important production center, R&D office for the leather industry and related companies is based in Italy: the new challenges in the post-pandemic era.
The TFL Group is a globally operating company that develops chemicals for the leather industry and related corporations. The Veneto-based company offers its innovative products and solutions to tanneries, leather processing and leather dyeing companies, unceasingly offering new solutions and trends. The commercial activities include the development, production and marketing of chemicals such as tanning agents, dyes and finishing items, mainly addressed to tanneries, which take advantage of such products to create flawless articles.
TFL has “business units” in every major leather goods cluster around the world. It is currently working in 90 countries, supported by exclusive agents and distributors and by local application centers, laboratories or customer service agencies. The production sites in Brazil, France, India and Italy guarantee the Supply Chain to be close to customers. It is a worldwide network to provide the industry with an optimal supply service and assistance.
We met Marika Peretti at her office based in Montebello Vicentino office. She’s been in the company for almost 20 years, managing different roles, up to the current one of Fashion Cooperation Manager “I set up, together with the fashion team, the fashion collections that are launched twice a year as well as of the relations with brands and designers. Closeness to our customers – she states – is very important to us, it inspires us to foster new ideas, we listen carefully to their needs and develop products that often exceed their expectations. The indepth knowledge of our application technology technicians allows us to develop the right solution for their needs. In order to provide optimal service on site, TFL has application laboratories in most of its business units, located around the world. All centers are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and Italy is the main hub for tailor-made training courses and presentations for customers. For example, right here we built a real tannery where we carry out the complete wet and finishing cycle, devoted to furniture and automotive sectors. Our center devoted to footwear and leatherware is instead located in the headquarters of Castelfranco di Sotto.”
How did you go through the pandemic and what strategies did you undertake?
“We have intensified the R&D activities and, to keep in touch with our suppliers, representatives and customers, we have relied on digital technologies. At TFL the creative aspect to serve the world of fashion is very important. During lockdowns we made many Zoom calls:
for example, in November and January we set up a presentation of the new summer collection live from our Global Fashion Center in Tuscany and we connected with eighteen countries from all continents. In May we consolidated this type of approach with the following autumn winter collection; according to figures, this initiative proved to be successful. We made several live connections with our designer working in the Fashion Center of Castelfranco di Sotto, both with slots dedicated to the single brand or client and to assorted groups: we relied on simultaneous interpreters while our colleagues around the world had gathered in the most important TFL application centers, equipped with maxi screens, their most important customers and partners for the footwear and leather goods sector.
Thanks to the work of a professional video-maker, we presented our moods, making close-ups on the leathers. Before the presentation, we had shipped our book to their offices, so the interested customers and technicians could physically touch the leathers. We also made a customized video that we sent to the participants and we uploaded on YouTube the video of the presentation, in order to allow everyone to watch it again when needed.
In the end, in about three weeks we were able to contact almost 300 brands, customers and distributors.
How important is sustainability in your collections?
It is an essential topic; each collection we present features the RODA® PURE range, result on the research we carry out on the Bioindex, that is, the biodegradability rate of the products used in the production of leathers that can finally be calculated and optimized specifically according to needs of different areas of the world.
Marika Peretti, Fashion Cooperation Manager