Pride 🏳️🌈 2025
Townsend Leather supports Pride Month… Full Aritcle
Blog
Townsend has always stood for togetherness, and each year Pride month is a moment for us to put specific focus on how we include, how we support, and how we make ourselves visible to those who are so often pushed to the outsides and marginalized.
Pride is visibility, pride is community, pride is resilience. Our celebration of the rainbow is a simple but meaningful action, to show we are here visibly in community.
For our annual Pride Day celebration, this year we celebrated our hand-crafted care.
We gathered for photos wearing our matching LEATHER shirts, we grabbed rainbow sunglasses, candy, and cupcakes…
But, we also came together with hearts and hands to add hand-written positive messages to our giant Pride Hide.
Our Pride Hide is a digitally printed luxury leather hide, printed with a custom pride graphic and intentional space left for Townsend Leather partners to add heartfelt messages of care and support.
Later this year, we plan to donate this hand-crafted heart-filled Pride Hide to the local Fulmont Pride festival at FMCC, where it can serve to spread good vibes crafted by our local community and it can become a photo backdrop zone for anyone to stand with the history of our local leather region and the support of our community at their back.
We show up for each other at Townsend every day, ready to work as a team, craft amazing things, do cool stuff, and support each other along the way – so in a way, this was a day like any other at Townsend. But getting to put a spotlight on something we care passionately about, while we craft, work together, and support, is a special day indeed.
A day of coming together, of support, and of care for our fellow humans.
If you want your very own Townsend LEATHER shirt, a version of it is available in our Amazon shop (link below) or email us and let us know!
Townsend Leather is so proud to announce a new partnership with JAB based in NYC.
Designers in New York City and the surrounding area are now able to have their leather dreams lovingly tended to by the passionate experts at JAB Anstoetz.
JAB has a network which reaches to all parts of the city and beyond, and passionate team members who know all parts of design and beyond.
JAB ANSTOETZ
INTERIOR FURNISHINGS ARE OUR PASSION:
For customers around the world, the name JAB ANSTOETZ stands for visionary design and top-quality textile creations that set new trends time and again. Not only does our range of precisely coordinated furnishing textiles encompass a vast palette of exquisite decorative and upholstery fabrics, JAB also offers a refined collection of wallcovering, drapery hardware, and rugs.
This partnership of Townsend and JAB comes at a perfect time as the need for design resources and expertise is growing across the tristate area. JAB with their beautifully appointed showroom has a nearly endless supply of leather samples at their fingertips, and with Townsend just hours away, our supply and information network couldn’t be easier.
Three of the JAB design expert representatives who will help you on your leather love journey are:
Lynn Kuhn, has years of experience both in trade showrooms and on the road in the greater NY area. She puts her art experience to use in designing the perfect spaces for clients.
Sandra Prendergast, a bilingual (English/Spanish) Independent Sales Representative and Interior Design Specialist, has a passion for all things beautiful. With a deep understanding of the interior design landscape, Sandra is an experienced independent sales representative based in Long Island. Originally from Mexico with 10 years of experience working with high-end surfaces, plumbing fixtures, fabric, and wallcovers, Sandra brings a unique blend of cultural insight and expertise to the interior design industry, specializing in helping designers and architects find the perfect solutions for their projects. You can find her on instagram at: prendergast_goodsfordesign
Ruth Reiner, an interior designer by education and experience, who made the switch to Sales Rep many years ago and really found her fit with that change of focus. She is a service-centric rep, who can assist clients in sourcing the most appropriate fabric, leather, or wall covering for any interior design project. A fun and knowledgeable go-to rep, she is a quick responder and loves to put information and samples right into the designer’s hands as quickly as possible. I respond very quickly so the designer can get the information and sampling they need to meet their deadlines and move the project forward.
Find out more and follow JAB and click the links below to find your rep:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube
The incredible team at Stacy Garcia Design Studio sat down with Townsend’s own Sr. VP of sales, marketing, design, ingenuity, and care… the mind and heart behind every Townsend Leather product and new creation, Sarah Eckler.
The Stacy Garcia Team asked Sarah for insights on color, collaboration, and customers. Read the full interview on the Stacy Garcia page: https://stacygarciainc.com/partner-spotlight-an-interview-with-sarah-eckler-sr-vp-at-townsend-leather/ or below.
And when you are ready to get Stacy Garcia Collection leather samples in your hand and on your projects, view the entire collection here: https://samples.townsendleather.com/collection/stacy-garcia-blue-label-for-townsend-leather
Partner Spotlight: An Interview with Sarah Eckler, Sr. VP at Townsend Leather
For over ten years, Stacy Garcia Design Studio and Townsend Leather have collaborated to create innovative, high-quality leather collections tailored for hospitality, commercial, and aviation industries. Townsend is known for its unparalleled craftsmanship, deep understanding of material innovation, and ability to push the boundaries of what’s possible in leather design.
With the launch of our latest Stacy Garcia x Townsend Leather collection, we sat down with Sarah Eckler, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Townsend Leather, to discuss the collaboration, the inspiration behind the new collection, and what makes partnerships like this so valuable in the design industry.
Q: Townsend Leather and Stacy Garcia Design Studio have been partners for ten years now. What has made this collaboration so successful?
Sarah: Our partnership with Stacy Garcia Design Studio has been built on a shared passion for craftsmanship, innovation, and forward-thinking design. What makes this collaboration so successful is Stacy’s ability to bridge artistry with real-world applications. The team doesn’t just create beautiful concepts—they understand materials at a technical level and how designers will actually use them in high-end interiors.
From hospitality and commercial spaces to private jets, the demands on leather vary greatly. What makes this partnership unique is that Stacy Garcia Studio approaches each collection with a deep understanding of these different industries, ensuring that what we create is both visually stunning and highly functional. That’s a rare quality in a design partner, and it’s why we love working with them.
Q: The newest Stacy Garcia x Townsend Leather collection features a natural hide and an embossed woven-inspired leather. What was the vision behind this collection?
Sarah: This collection was all about elevating texture and dimension while maintaining the timeless appeal of leather. We wanted to create something that celebrates the natural beauty of hides while also adding a level of artistry and craftsmanship through embossing.
The natural hide showcases the organic character of leather—each piece has its own unique grain, markings, and depth, making it an instant classic for high-end interiors. Meanwhile, the embossed woven-inspired leather is a true statement piece, offering a tactile experience that mimics the depth and structure of woven materials while maintaining the durability and flexibility of leather. The collection blends subtle sophistication with bold craftsmanship, making it incredibly versatile.
Q: How did color and material trends influence the development of this collection?
Sarah: We’re seeing a growing demand for earth-driven palettes and layered textures across hospitality, aviation, and luxury commercial interiors. Designers are moving away from flat, uniform surfaces and leaning into depth, warmth, and organic influences—which perfectly aligns with our approach to leather.
For this collection, we curated a range of rich, tonal hues that feel timeless yet fresh. There’s an emphasis on warm neutrals, deep charcoals, rich mineral tones, and sophisticated browns—colors that bring an effortless sense of luxury. These hues are incredibly adaptable, allowing designers to use them across a range of interior styles, whether it’s an elegant hotel, a private jet, or a refined corporate space.
Q: Townsend Leather serves multiple industries, including hospitality, commercial, and aviation. How do you see this collection being used across these different spaces?
Sarah: One of the greatest strengths of this collection is its versatility. Each leather was designed to meet the performance needs of high-end interiors while maintaining the elegance that designers expect from luxury materials.
- In hospitality spaces, the natural hide is perfect for upholstered seating, headboards, and statement furniture, adding warmth and an artisanal touch to hotels and lounges. The woven-inspired leather can be used for feature walls, bar fronts, or custom panels to create rich, textured focal points.
- In commercial spaces, these leathers bring a layer of sophistication to boardrooms, executive offices, and lounge seating, adding depth without overwhelming the design.
- In aviation, designers love working with our embossed leathers because they add a high-impact aesthetic while remaining incredibly durable. The woven texture in this collection offers the refined look of handcrafted materials but is engineered for performance, making it ideal for private jets and first-class lounges.
What’s exciting is that these leathers don’t just blend into the background—they create memorable, tactile experiences in every setting.
Q: What makes partnering with Stacy Garcia Design Studio unique compared to other collaborations?
Sarah: Stacy Garcia Design Studio brings a rare mix of strategic thinking and creative vision. Many design studios focus on aesthetics alone, but Stacy and her team have a deep understanding of what makes a product successful—not just in terms of visual impact, but in how it will be used, marketed, and specified by designers.
Another thing that makes this partnership special is how hands-on and collaborative it is. Stacy’s team is involved at every stage—from initial concepts to selecting finishes and refining details—ensuring that the final product aligns with both design trends and real-world applications. The result is always a collection that feels elevated, thoughtful, and forward-thinking.
Q: What would you say to other companies considering a partnership with Stacy Garcia Design Studio?
Sarah: If you’re looking for a design partner who truly understands both creative direction and market strategy, Stacy Garcia Design Studio is an exceptional choice. They bring a deep knowledge of industry trends, a highly engaged audience of designers and specifiers, and an ability to translate inspiration into commercially successful products. After 10 years of collaboration and multiple collections launched together, we have seen how Stacy and her team continue to evolve with changes in the market and have the ability to stay in front of trends but create products that are also tried and true and timeless.
For Townsend, this partnership has not only resulted in stunning collections but has also helped expand our brand presence in new ways. If you’re considering working with them, expect a collaborative, high-energy process—and be ready to create something that truly stands out in the market. It’s been fun highlighting our collections together over the years at trade shows and through our sales network and other means and we always look forward to the excitement a new launch together brings and the positive feedback we receive from the various markets we target. This latest launch, we received a record number of requests for sampling for the woven-inspired leather once it was featured on Material Bank.
Explore the Collection
The Stacy Garcia x Townsend Leather collection features natural hides and embossed woven-inspired leathers in a range of earthy, tonal palettes designed for hospitality, commercial, and aviation interiors. Whether you’re looking for a soft, organic finish or a high-impact texture, this collection delivers on craftsmanship, innovation, and timeless elegance.
Perfect for:
Luxury Hotels & Hospitality Spaces
Executive Offices & Commercial Interiors
Private Jets & Aviation Design
Interested in incorporating this collection into your next project? Explore the collection here! https://samples.townsendleather.com/collection/stacy-garcia-blue-label-for-townsend-leather
Join us in celebrating World Leather Day this weekend!
April 26th 2025
Looking beyond the surface, World Leather Day is a day to celebrate the sustainability and beauty of leather.
A day to celebrate and focus on the positive impact leather has on our lives. Sustainable, durable, beautiful – leather is so much to so many of us. At Townsend Leather, we know leather, we have a passion for leather, we love leather. This day is a moment to just revel in the natural beauty and versatility of leather. A day to honor this material that we spend all day touching, looking at, and admiring.
We at Townsend well know the sustainability of leather and encourage you to get familiar with the facts, you can see more in our Business Jet Ineriors article https://townsendleather.com/2025/lifestyle/leather-is-the-sustainable-choice
The leather experts and their network of leather masters have hundreds of years of leather knowledge at their fingertips and have made it their mission to help educate on the sustainability and beauty of leather. To get even more leather facts and understand leather more deeply, visit the website of Leather Naturally – https://bit.ly/3qqVZrj
For World Leather Day facts and fun, follow the Hashtag: #WorldLeatherDay
Leather is an upcycled material
Leather is upcycled from a by-product that would otherwise be wasted. It is long-lasting, repairable and its durable quality enables many items to be repurposed at the end of life. www.townsendleather.com/the-townsend-story/townsend-the-environment
Leather is a durable material.
Well-made leather lasts a long time and unlike many man-made, or synthetic materials it looks better with age, acquiring a depth of patina and wear pattern that is individual to the user – much like a favorite pair of jeans.
As we mindfully look for ways to lower consumption, leather very much fits with the ethos of ‘buy less, buy better’. Investing in quality leather is investing for the future. www.townsendleather.com/durability
Leather is a versatile material
Leather is versatile. The skills of the leather makers take the same basic raw material and turn it into many different ‘fabrics’ with different qualities and benefits. Leather can be engineered to be durable enough for furniture yet soft enough for comfortable footwear. It will make the finest dress gloves or protective, abrasion-resistant motorcycling gloves. Leather makes the most supple of jackets or the firmest of walking boots. Leather is the eye-pleaser as a headrest on a jet seat and as the headboard of your hotel room.
There are so many reasons to love leather and any day is a good one to celebrate it, but today, World Leather Day is an especially great one to settle into your favorite leather chair, study the natural beauty, think of the long life it will have, and appreciate the joy and work that went into making that beautiful piece.
For more reasons to love leather: www.townsendleather.com/for-the-love-of-leather
Townsend Leather is hiring!
Put your skills to use with Townsend Leather. If you have looked around and realized you are the smartest, or hardest working, or most talented one in the room – it is time you got a new room, and Townsend Leather is the room you deserve to be in.
People skills, Leadership skills, Organizational skills, Humor skills, Friendship skills, Unique skills, Hands-on skills, Craft skills, Mind skills, Awesome skills, Kick-ass skills, Detail skills, Connection skills, Inspiring skills, Creative skills, Mentoring skills, Magic skills, Leather skills, Love skills, Music-selecting skills, High-fiving skills, Color skills, Learning skills, Listening skills, Teaching skills, Giving skills, Fun skills, Serious skills, Skill skills… whatever your skills are, you can put them to use at Townsend.
Don’t let your skills go to waste, be somewhere they can flourish and get a job you love. Townsend Leather is hiring, join us and put the extra in extraordinary with us.
Passion and craft. We pride ourselves on being a place where people are seen, heard, and celebrated. We have won awards for being a Top Workplace and a Best Place to Work for a decade now and we plan to keep winning more. We craft the world’s finest leather for seats and feets.
With unparalleled benefits, our jobs care for you as much as you will care for it. Growth, action, hands-on and hearts-in, Townsend Leather is a team of people who care about what we do and who we do it with. We are growing and hiring all across the company, so there is a position for everyone and nearly endless opportunities.
See our careers page for more information and to apply: www.townsendleather.com/careers
We are growing and looking for a bunch of talented awesome folks to join our production team. We need every kind of skill and interest, from the hands-on action-forward movement of Dry Floor and Shipping, to the specialized unique skillset of Color-Matching. We even have a unique Leadership open, our Quality Cell Lead – someone who is a wunderkind of quality, attention, and communication. And speaking of communication, we are even looking for a Receptionist – someone who can be the heart of our Customer Service team, jumping and solving problems, doing whatever it takes to keep the customer-pleasing gears turning.
A position for every skill set and every interest – spread the word, tell your family and friends. Think about your career and where you want to go, do you want to punch a clock and go through the motions, or do you want to be somewhere that you are seen, your skills are put to use, and you love what you do – if so, join us at Townsend Leather.
Townsend and our incredible Partners are no strangers to media coverage and awards, but it is especially fun when they both happen in the same week.
The FM Champer named our very own HR superstar, Ashly Capobianco as the winner of the Community Service award!
2025 Fulton Montgomery Chamber Annual Member Awards 
“We’re extremely excited to announce the outstanding individuals and businesses that make our community thrive. This year, we honor those whose hard work, dedication, and innovation have significantly contributed to the continued growth and prosperity of our region.
Let’s take a moment to recognize the incredible achievements of our award recipient:
The Herbert T. Singer Community Service Award is awarded to: Ashley Capobianco, of Townsend Leather – Recognizing her selfless dedication to enhancing the quality of life in our community.
These individuals and businesses represent the best of what our Chamber stands for. Please join us in congratulating all the winners! They will be recognized at our Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber Business Expo & Annual Awards Celebration on April 3!“
In the same week, Townsend Leather was also featured in the newspaper, The Leader Herald.
The Leader Herald reached out to our SR VP of Sales & Marketing, Sarah Eckler. Townsend Leather has been in the “leather-making region” of New York state for over 55 years, and the journalists at The Leader Herald wanted to capture some of the changes over the years to the industry and highlight how Townsend Leather is not only still standing but is, in fact, thriving. You can see the article below and plainly see the passion Sarah has for this work nd the people of Townsend Leather.
Johnstown, NY
Sarah Kucel Eckler, Townsend Leather — Outlook 2025
It seemed to happen almost overnight.
Once, Fulton County was home to a thriving leather industry, with large tanneries and glove-making shops employing nearly 80% of residents. But because environmental regulations, offshore markets and other forces, tanneries began shuttering their doors. By the 1980s, the once-vibrant leather business had faded into obscurity.
Not all of it, however.
Townsend Leather, a family-owned business, survived the purge, and today is alive and well. After four generations, the business — founded in 1969 by the Kucel family — provides goods for airliner interiors, retail applications and hospitality functions. Townsend products are produced inside a facility at 4 Grove St. in Johnstown.
“We look like a different company today in terms of what we produced back in the ’70s and ’80s,” said Sarah Kucel Eckler, Townsend’s senior vice president for sales and marketing. “It was high volume. Leather was more of a commodity. We were running as much square feet as we could produce in a year.”
Eckler’s father took over the business in the early 1980s after her grandfather unexpectedly died.
The business survived the exodus of work overseas by finding niche markets to service. Eckler credits her father and mother for realizing the company could survive by working with major airliners. In addition, Eckler’s grandfather created a unique five-stage spray line that her father used to create colors for the leather.
“We were in touch with a designer that could no longer source leather anymore from where they were getting it for a head-of-state project that the people that were buying the plane were very particular [about],” she said. “For one week [the team] worked around the clock, perfecting these colors. We sent our samples and they improved them, and so then we got that business.”
Eckler said that after that particular project the business gained more clientele via word of mouth. As more technology came about for private planes, clients wanted more customization options for the interior.
“Cessna came on board with us in the ’90s and then Gulfstream, and now we work with all the major aircraft OEMs,” she said.
Eckler added that being flexible and producing custom colors, finishes and effects gave the company an edge, since their competitors who don’t make their own leather — instead they stock it — faced long lead times from suppliers and high minimums. For example, if a client wanted a custom purple leather, they would have to purchase at least 3,000 feet. At Townsend, they’ll make one hide if needed.
“Our customers are very demanding, as you can imagine. Someone that’s buying a bombardier global that costs $80 million doesn’t want imperfections in their leather,” Eckler said. “It’s kind of a high-stress job, but I think everyone at Townsend has a passion for leathermaking and having fun, and taking so much pride in what [we] do.”
To produce its products, Townsend uses humanely raised, free-range animals that are allowed to mature naturally. The company also has a unique cutting program that is intended to reduce waste during the process.
Eckler said that on average the company produces 3 to 4 million square feet in a year. The company currently employs more than 150 people. Townsend buys the raw material for its leather from southern Germany, where it’s tanned before being shipped to the Townsend facility. Currently Townsend’s biggest seller is what it calls the “classic cow hide,” but in reality it’s German bull hides.
“We do everything — from the aniline dyeing, embossing, finishing,” Eckler said. “Some products have a hand-tipping effect, pearlized finishes, antiques — pretty much anything you can think of. We also are offering a cutting service for some of our larger customers that have repetitive cuts.”
Eckler wasn’t always sure she wanted to join the family business. However, when the company nearly went bankrupt in the 1980s and ’90s, she saw how much work her parents were putting into the company to help it survive. She officially joined the company in 2001.
Since then Eckler has seen Townsend’s products reach all over the world, from Dubai to Las Vegas. She added that the company is always looking for new blood to continue its leathermaking traditions.
“We’re always looking for people that want to learn, grow with the company and learn the craftsmanship side of it,” she said. “But there’s that aspect to it, for sure, because you can’t learn coloring or dyeing overnight. But there’s a lot of new technology that we’re taking advantage of with color spectrometers to read out colors, and [we have] the new machines we have for cutting and quilting. We definitely want to keep up with technology so we need people that are computer-savvy nowadays.”
Eckler said she is proud of Townsend Leather’s legacy in the region and likened the employees at the company to her family.
“Whether it’s in a home or a hotel or a boat, it’s pretty neat what we do here in Fulton County,” she said. “We’re just really proud to keep up the leathermaking tradition of this area, [and] we intend to keep doing that.”
If you are a lover of leather, design, and savings… this is for you.
For a limited time only, you can shop Townsend Leather’s beautiful Overstock leathers for
up to 50% off.
Various overstock leathers are always available and right now we are offering discounted pricing up to 50% off list price. We are clearing space for our growing projects and ever expanding business. These are first-quality leather hides that are looking for the perfect design or upholstery use.
Contact us at info@townsendleather.com to place an order and make your selection from the leathers shown here: samples.townsendleather.com/overstocks
https://townsendleather.com/blog/by-design
Our passion for design drives us and inspires us to share. Every once in a while we take a moment to gather some design-focused elements of what we do and who we are and curate them together in a periodic periodical we call, By Design from Townsend Leather.
It’s a glance into what’s new and what’s spotlighted at Townsend right now, and the newest editions is available now.
townsendleather.com/by-design
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