Townsend Leather joins in on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Some brave and caring Townsend Leather partners got together to raise money for ALS and join in on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! Many joined in the fun with a “domino of bucket… Full Aritcle
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Some brave and caring Townsend Leather partners got together to raise money for ALS and join in on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!
Many joined in the fun with a “domino of bucket dumping” and many got involved with collecting buckets, gathering ice, spreading the word, and cheering everyone on.
We have tapped our friends at The Leather Institute and Studio Vizto to take the challenge as well! We look forward to seeing those videos!
Some Townsend Leather partners have family members afflicted by this terrible disease and we come to this challenge with a desire to truly raise awareness and spread good vibes to those in need. If you don’t know much about the disease, please visit www.alsa.org and find out more about how we can all make an even bigger impact.
Townsend is passionate about our community and about helping each other. It was heartwarming to see a group of passionate, mindful, caring individuals come together – to get uncomfortable, get cold and wet, have their breath taken away for a moment, feel the stiffness in body and mind for just a split second. All in an effort, to have a tiny bit better understanding of what it is like to live with ALS and the crippling effect it has on their brain and spinal cord.
Townsend Leather loves getting involved, bringing attention to things that matter, and having fun along the way. That is why we were proud to gather for a couple minutes, show collective support for a valuable cause, take on a minor challenge, and raise some money for a much larger challenge.
So without further ado, here is a video of our Townsend LEather ALS Ice Bucket Challenge…
(it may take a minute for it to load, you can also view the video on our Facebook page)
A big thank you is deserved for HR Director, Ben Towne, for organizing our Townsend Leather Ice Bucket Challenge. And many more thanks to all the Townsend Leather partners who participated!
Townsend Leather proudly wears this badge of honor…
We are proud to have become a USGBC Member. Townsend Leather believes strongly in sustainable practices and focusing on the “triple bottom line” – Social, Economic, and Environment.
Townsend Leather recognizes the ever-increasing importance of being socially and environmentally responsible along with creating a business that can continue to support our customers for years to come. Which is one of the many reasons we have joined the United States Green Building Council.
TOWNSEND LEATHER, PROUD USGBC MEMBER
From the USGBC website,
“The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and its community are changing the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated.
We believe in better buildings; places that complement our environment and enhance our communities. Places that give people better, brighter, healthier spaces to live, work and play.”
Townsend’s products have been used in thousands of buildings and we are proud to know that we have helped them become a bit more green in their creation.
“Your USGBC membership designates you as a leader in sustainability, a driver of green building innovation, and an advancer of smarter, more healthful communities.”
Townsend is committed to sustainability and environmentally positive practices from start to finish.
TOWNSEND LEATHER SUPPLY
All of our hide supply is a byproduct of the meat industry. If the hides were not reclaimed from the meat industry and kept out of the waste stream, they would be sent to an incinerator. So, leather is inherently green, right from the start.
Every part of the hide is used. The hide is a byproduct of the food industry, and as the hide is produced every byproduct of that production is used as well. Byproducts of hide production are used in the pet food and cosmetics industries.
Townsend’s Bulls and Cows are raised in temperate climate in environmentally safe and socially responsible ways – they are free range and allowed to mature naturally.
All of Townsend’s suppliers use the most technologically advanced machinery and processing to ensure they are using the minimum amount of energy to tan the leather. Our leather is sourced from suppliers located primarily in countries in Europe. The hides are already tanned and the tanning process is strictly regulated in the European Union to assure minimal environmental impact. TOWNSEND LEATHER’S GREEN STATEMENT
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Everything in Townsend Leather’s production is highly monitored and anything that leaves the building, through the air or water, is highly regulated and monitored with very strict requirements. Townsend utilizes its own water treatment plant and effluent waters are monitored and pre-treated before they leave our factory to remove any compounds that do not meet state and federal standards, and then receive additional purification in a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility engineered to meet the needs of the leather industry, assuring complete environmental compliance. Townsend uses vegetable based re-tanning agents and water-based finishing systems in its entire leather making.
Townsend is the manufacturer of the leather and therefore has the ability to create just what is needed and reduce waste in real time. Townsend is flexible and has the ability to change things in the middle of an order to ensure the least amount of waste.
Recently we have gone through lots of efficiency investments and improvements like brand new high efficiency spray guns. These are a vital piece of machinery in our production and have helped use reduce material use and energy use by as much as 40% annually! We also have new energy and time savings machines like an automatic rolling machine and hide stakers. We have eliminated some steps of productions by finding new and improved ways, which allows us to use less energy, materials, and time therefore reducing chemical consumption and emissions by 30%.
Townsend’s products are made with water based finishes, free of dangerous chromes, are post-consumer recyclable and are low VOC. Townsend is always keeping on top of the latest in industry trends and information we are the first to try new methods and explore more efficient ways. GOING GREEN TOWNSEND LEATHER BULLETIN
TOWNSEND CULTURE
Townsend has a culture of “going green” with our volunteer “Green Team” and many efforts throughout the company. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and reduce waste. We recycle everything we can including hundreds of thousands of pounds of cardboard, paper, and plastic. As well as leather scraps. Leather scraps can be reused and made into small leather goods like keychains and wallets. Therefore over the past few years Townsend has drastically reduced its waste output.
And by focusing on the best providers, instilling a culture of no-waste, and utilizing low energy machinery and equipment we have also reduced our energy consumption.
Townsend Leather enjoys its own Adirondack-adjacent scenic park and pond and has a small physical footprint of buildings. We participate in annual Earth Day events and cleanup activities, we reuse everything we can and we “strive to make a positive environmental impact.” TOWNSEND LEATHER CLEAN-UP EVENTS
OTHER WAYS TOWNSEND IS SUSTAINABLE
Townsend’s leather is a durable, long-lasting product that does not require replacement or re-processing in order to retain its beauty and serviceability. Unlike fabrics and textiles, leather is easily repaired. Often it can be restored to its original condition when worn or damaged.
Leather is mankind’s oldest textile and is naturally durable. Leather can handle wear and tear that would easily destroy other materials. It is estimated that leather lasts an average of 4 times longer than fabric coverings; the endurance of leather is unmatched. Many leathers will develop a beautiful patina over time, making leather-upholstered pieces “heirlooms” that are cherished and passed down from generation to generation. LEATHER IS ENVIRONMENTAL
Townsend Leather and its sister company, The Leather Institute, are dedicated to providing leather care products and maintenance solutions that preserve the beauty and prolong the life of fine leather seating. The Leather Institute is the premier leather care and restoration training facility in the world, offering training courses in leather care, maintenance and restoration. They use a carefully formulated special line of care and cleaning products that are compatible with today’s water-based leather finishes and will not damage the leather surface. LEATHER IS EASY TO REPAIR
TOWNSEND LEATHER’S CUTTING PROGRAM
Townsend’s Cutting Program is a waste-slashing program. TOWNSEND LEATHER CUTTING PROGRAM
It is designed to reduce waste in a variety of ways. By utilizing the most technologically advanced cutting system and nesting software you can reduce the amount of hide material needed to fulfill your project. And by using less leather the order weighs less, which means lost cost and energy for shipping. And the small amount of scrap leather that is leftover from the cutting process can be reused by Townsend, making the Cutting Program and fully green process.
By utilizing the waste by-product created by another industry as a raw material, by using the latest technology to exceed all federal, state and local standards for environmental protection, by providing after-marketing support solutions for maintenance and restoration, and by manufacturing a durable, long-lasting product of high quality, Townsend Leather continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving and preserving our planet.
USGBC’s mission: which we proudly adhere to as well…
“To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.”
We work hard to make our customers happy and to make things easy for them. One way we aim to please is by understanding our customer’s customers.
This week, we are happily packing up a bunch of Classic Cowhide Sample Sets, with love and care and shipping them out to many Designer Customers.
Our customers will be able to use these curated, highly popular, Townsend product selections in presentations to their customers and make the decision process even easier.
These sets feature some of our most popular leathers. They are selected and arranged to provide a sophisticated neutral color range.
Townsend loves hearing from our customers about what they need to make their jobs easier. We want to get you the right tools to make sure your customers are as informed as possible.
Contact us to let us know how we can make your job easier for you. We also strive to provide as many useful tools and information as we can on our Resources Page, where you will find a variety of pdfs, presentations and other info pieces.
We’ve enjoyed a few red hot summer days so far this summer – out in the beautiful surrounding nature and in leather production.
But the true joy of summer comes in an even broader color scheme.
This summer Townsend Leather has been busy crafting all kinds of custom colors. It has been a colorful season! Take a glance at just a handful of some of the summery colorful custom leathers Townsend has been working on.
Townsend continues to draw inspiration from the de facto theme for 2014, Daring Greatly.
President of Townsend Leather, Jared Eckler, shared Brene Brown’s, Daring Greatly, book and sentiments from it with Townsend partners at the beginning of this year and we are still drawing lessons and learning from it. Brene Brown Daring Greatly
The book draws inspiration in title and content from a famous quote of Theodore Roosevelt. Where he speaks of the power in failure, and the understanding that daring to do, daring to try, daring to act – is more powerful than standing by and waiting.
Jared shared the quote and these words as an opening for our 2014 calendar,
As we begin 2014 in these still uncertain times, I am moved by a Theodore Roosevelt quote that inspired the title for Brene Brown’s book, Daring Greatly.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
I think we can all find inspiration in this message as we toil courageously in the year ahead, take creative risks, consider and try out new possibilities and endeavor each day to work passionately to our fullest potential.
To all of Townsend’s Partners: our employees, our customers, our suppliers:
Let us all know in 2014 the triumph of high achievement, and together, let’s Dare Greatly.
Jared Eckler
We are proud to be such a strong team at Townsend, of great-makers, of do-ers, of dare-ers.
Townsend Leather’s new Corked Cowhide is featured in the current issue of Boutique Design Magazine.
See the online version of the magazine here, Boutique Design with Townsend Leather
We just added a new featured designer project, as one of our “Designer Showcase” posts.
This Designer Showcase highlights the incredible design of Marathon Coach’s coach #1217.
See the photos and details at our Designer Showcase here, Townsend Leather Designer Showcase Marathon Coach
These great photos and design information are also available for your reading pleasure in our most recent BiMonthly Bulletin. Visit our Resources page to view it. And while you are there, in case you missed it, you can also view the previous BiMonthly Bulletin where we dig a bit deeper into our Taj product, Exploring Taj
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