OSMO-HTF, “responsible” leather

The two companies, OSMO founded in 2006 and HTF in 2012, together form a duo that has for years become a point of reference in Italy and in the world as regards environmental sustainability, a challenge that began ahead of time, in the first decade of the 2000s. The group from Vicenza has very often been able to be a pioneer compared to competitors about the challenges of the market: this is the case of biodegradable articles, whose first studies and field trials date back to several years ago and were launched on the market shortly after.
The OSMO-HTF group, specialized in the production and sale of technical chemical products and dyes for the tanning sector, represents a constantly evolving company, in search for a combination of personnel (on average young and highly motivated), technologies and processes aimed at achieving success in order not to lose competitiveness in the new global economy. OSMO focuses on the first phase, which goes from the raw material, i.e. the freshly skived leather, to the dyed crust, by virtue of its strong expertise in the field of dyes. The birth of HTF, six years later, instead came as a natural consequence to a need for completion, being it specialized in the branch of leather processing that deals with the final phase, namely the finishing, which enhances the product, as required by operators worldwide.
“The tanning sector – explains Ludovico Massignan, whom we met at the Arzignano headquarters together with the other entrepreneurs who lead the company – is often demonized when it comes to environmental impact. Instead, it is thanks to the tanneries that every year, globally, around 8 million tons of raw hides from the food industry are recovered and valorised, which would otherwise become waste to be incinerated and disposed in landfills. The destruction of this material, rather than its use, would lead to the release of approximately 5 million tons of greenhouse gases.”
Thanks to interventions aimed at improving process technologies and treating polluting effluents, the tanning sector has achieved a drastic reduction in the most conspicuous negative effects on the environment over the last decade. “The new regulations in force – adds Fabrizio Nicoletti – are even stricter, with increasingly severe specifications regarding the environment and the finished product. The large producers of leather goods look for hypoallergenic, metal-free products, but featuring the same characteristics and performance that only chrome leather has been able to give in decades of leatherworking history. Something is changing, but we don’t like to think that it’s only the big names that request the use of eco-sustainable products, far from the oil philosophy and made with a reduced environmental impact process.”
OSMO-HTF’s ambition is for it to become a common desire, regardless of mere economic and propaganda interests. COSMOWHITE (biodegradable leather), presented in 2016, was the first step in this race towards an eco-sustainable future. But the Arzignano-based group, leader in chemical products for the tanning industry, has not stopped. Products with a high percentage of renewable sources, process systems based on the use of enzymes (to the detriment of common surfactants), almost totally biodegradable finishing auxiliaries, are just some of the innovations that will be launched in the coming weeks.
“This challenge – specifies Andrea Piazza – requires commitment and perseverance. Shorten the time to reach this goal has become an essential mission for our two brands. ZenZero, which is a registered trademark, is the cover of this new “book” that our chemical group has decided to write, it is the photo that immortalizes an idea: environmental impact that aims at zero, a preference for products with a high content of bio-derived substances, process balance in harmony with the ecosystem. This journey means exploration and at the same time is a precise path towards a shared goal.”
Metal-free, by now an obligatory choice for those who work in the tanning sector, has seen the OSMO-HTF group at the forefront. “Our first studies and experiments – explain Stefano and Paolo Armelli –, began in 2014, after a few years we were already producing a range that had become vast and articulated over time. We started when it was an idea of few, in this sense we were among the very first to become fully operational. By now it is clear that this is a winning system, to the point that a large number of companies are heading down this path, but few are actually operational: one thing is to prepare a sample, another is to start a whole production featuring several items and able to guarantee the same performance as a chrome leather, if not even better. The discriminating factor is to make the leap in quality compared to chrome, the market in this sense has become very selective: in the end, a customer cannot accept a lower quality metal-free leather than the previous one, he rightly demands more.”
Sustainability therefore becomes an obligatory path
“Since its establishment, – continues Andrea Piazza – OSMO-HTF has been steadily focusing on sustainability, a choice fully supported by the group. This pivotal issue is one of the core values pursued by our corporate philosophy, as confirmed by the constant commitment in terms of in-house recycling, a decision made back when the firm was founded, and by the implementation of a huge photovoltaic system, that ensures 35 kW worth of power. Environmental sustainability is a matter that involves not only the protagonists, that is, the employees, but also the whole processing cycle, ranging from manufacturing operations to the use of low-impact products.
OSMO’s industrial strategy features a holistic vision, through an intense research work we try to meet the new ecological needs widespread in the tanning sector, achieving a high-quality finished product, comparable or better than the classic quality leather processed in the past. But attention to environmental sustainability also affects social and economic aspects. Overall, it means imagining and carrying out an all-round entrepreneurial plan, which looks to the future by reading and anticipating the needs of the markets and the new feelings of consumers and legislators especially with regards to the reduction of toxic substances and pollutants. We like to think that more and more medium-small sized companies, not just the big brands, will pay attention to the eco-sustainability of the product and manufacturing processes. With us, the leathers can be processed without chromium nor aldehyde, and among our products there is an important range of articles with a high percentage (up to 100%) of bioderived substance. All tracked and labeled. The idea of being researchers, but also partners of companies in the planning and development phase, gratifies us and makes us look to the future with optimism, imagining that we are fully carrying out social responsibility in running our company.”
What is your current market situation?
“Our company is renowned both in Italy and internationally. Lately, we have been focusing more and more on the automotive sector, a pivotal industry for the Arzignano tanning district, the world’s most prominent leather cluster. We are also well-appreciated in Santa Croce sull’Arno, mostly focused on the fashion segment. We keep a close eye on all markets, paying attention to the leatherware, footwear and car bodywork sectors, whereas, as far as the furnishing industry is concerned, we have been dealing with a high-end target. Regardless of the end sector, we use specific products, all tested and patented.”
What does your business plan entail?
“Further development is expected both domestically and abroad. Our sales network encompasses many countries, a large part of Europe, but also other continents. During the past years, many factors favored the domestic market, however, already starting this year, we aim at further enhancing exports, gaining a strong foothold in other areas and finding new agents: the markets featuring the most interesting development opportunities Are some areas of the East, especially China, Indonesia and Bangladesh, North Africa and, as far as South America is concerned, Brazil.”
www.osmo.it – www.htfsrl.it

Stefano Armelli

Andrea Piazza

Fabrizio Nicoletti

Giampaolo Armelli

Ludovico Massignan