Blog





https://bji.mydigitalpublication.co.uk/december-2024-january-2025/page-42
Townsend Leather is proud to be a featured article in the recent publication of Business Jet Interiors International. The article highlights the many ways that leather is not only a sustainable choice, but is the preferred choice.
We love leather and all aspects of the production, including education. There is a lot of greenwashing and greenwishing out in the world, especially surrounding leather, but this article aims to clarify how you can count on leather to be your best sustainable material choice. For further conversation or information, contact us at info@townsendleather.com
A version of the article appears below.
Or see more at our sustainable page: https://townsendleather.com/about-us/townsend-the-environment
Townsend Leather Sustainability Facts:
Leather is the sustainable textile choice
The way forward for the aviation industry, and truly every industry, is putting focus on sustainability. True sustainability starts with knowledge and battling the onslaught of misinformation, greenwashing, and greenwishing. There are many options of textiles and seat coverings on the market, but when you are looking for the green/environmental/sustainable choice, there is only one option: Leather. Leather is the sustainable textile choice.
“The year 2025 will be all about sustainability. And sustainable – is leather. The only way to get a textile that is natural, safe, high-quality – sustainable, is leather. Unmatched durability, green from its start as a by-product, an inimitable fiber structure, natural, safe, the longest lasting, and truly sustainable, leather is the choice.”
Fact: No animal in Townsend Leather’s production is killed for leather.
Leather is inherently a green product. It is made from the waste of a different industry.
Leather is a by-product of the meat industry, free-range, well-cared for, humanely raised cattle are farmed for meat, what is leftover would be burned, but the leather industry turns this waste into something life-long lasting. Not letting waste be wasted, showing respect for the animal and the environment, the leather industry turns the trash of one industry into something reusable and beautiful.
Fact: Leather is humankind’s oldest textile.
Leather has been around almost as long as humans, the skills and craft to produce leather have changed a lot over the years, but the threads of that connection to history and craft remain.
Fact: Because of its irreproducible natural fiber structure – leather is natural, durable, repairable, and life-long lasting.
With skilled technicians, a hole or tear in leather can be repaired, filled, and seamless. The intricately woven fiber structure of leather cannot be reproduced in any fabricated product. This unique, natural, woven fiber structure allows leather to last a lifetime, often longer than the frame it is used on, it allows it to withstand time and harsh conditions. The natural durability of leather can handle wear and tear that would destroy mass-produced materials, like vinyl and others. The durability of leather is unmatched, it can last as much as 4 times longer than fabric coverings.
Fact: Townsend Leather’s production is sustainable
Townsend Leather is the manufacturer, we are not distributors or resellers, we harness the history of the “leather-making region” that we are homed in, to handcraft the highest quality and most beautiful leather for seats and feets. Because we are the manufacturer, we can change in real-time, create only what is needed, and have a literal hand on everything we do leading to reduced waste and increased efficiency. We are AS9100 certified ensuring the highest of quality. Quality leather last longer, and quality manufacturing means less waste, less reworks, less frustration. With our hearts on the history of leather craft, we put our minds to the future and utilize the most cutting-edge technology in our production leading to a reduction of chemicals, reduction of water, and a reduction of energy usage.
Our production process uses water-based finishes and vegetable-based retanning agents creating leather that is free of dangerous chromes post-consumer recyclable, and low VOC.
A word on chromes: there is some misinformation about chromes. All chromes are not equal and all chromes are not bad. The idea of chrome-free leather is a green-whishing effort, playing on the misinformation and unfounded belief that all chromes are bad. Chrome-free leather is not inherently any better for humans or the environment, it is just simply a different process. Chromes are a natural element found in many things. The natural chromes found in Townsend’s production allow for the most luxurious feel and best quality leather, and they are the same chromes you find in broccoli – safe, natural. Removing broccoli-type chromes from your leather does not make it a better leather.
Our natural production process allows the leather to stay as true to its natural form as can be, we do as little as possible to it. Allowing the natural beauty of the produce to shine. When you visit Townsend Leather’s facility you will notice that no one needs to wear a hazmat suit or extreme safety protections, because the process is natural and safe. There is no fear of dangerous chemical spills or toxic exposure. Unlike vinyl or other human-made textiles, leather is natural and the production process is safe, leather is not made with harsh chemicals and dangerous production processes. Leather is not made from PVC, ethylene, chlorine, or crude oil.
The organization Leather Naturally, which ‘promotes the use of globally manufactured sustainable leather and seek to inspire and inform designers, creators, and consumers about its beauty, quality and versatility’ is a great resource for more information about the sustainability of leather and Townsend Leather is a proud member. Luxury car manufacturer, Bentley, is also a member of Leather Naturally. Bentley has recognized that leather is the sustainable textile and understands leather is the way forward for luxury sustainability.
Fact: Leather is the sustainable choice and there are even further sustainable actions you can take
As a purchaser of sustainable materials, you can truly impact our collective future. First by relying on leather as the go-to solution for sustainable textiles. But also ensuring you are choosing quality manufactured leather, like an AS9100 manufacturing leather company.
Within your leather selections, you can choose Embossed products. Embossing allows for the greater reduction of waste, increasing yield, and better utilization of the hide selection process and product mix. Creating a uniform look with an even further reduction of visible defects for patterns or a consistency of grain for grain embossings, which leads to a superior cutting yield and even further improved wear performance. Choosing embossed products can often reduce your order quantity and waste by half.
Also utilizing a leather manufacturer with specialized additional offerings such as quilting and cutting. A cutting program can save you a tremendous amount in waste and cost savings. Receive only the material you need, save on shipping weight costs, save on storage, maximize your yield. Townsend Leather offers a cutting program which is truly a cost and waste-saving program. It is the greatest method for waste reduction, to the point where even the scrap that is left from our computer-driven machine cutting is utilized for other products making it a full-cycle green process.
Fact: Leather is natural and beautiful.
When the leather in your design project has served its purpose and is discarded you can feel good knowing that it degrades through biological means. It will only take 50-100 years to decompose in a waste facility, meanwhile vinyl will take 10 times that, 1000 years – before it has broken down.
Leather is the sustainable choice, but it is also the comforting choice, the historical choice, the savings choice, and the beautiful choice.













It was a JOY FULL year!
We were recognized as a Top Work Place in the capital region,
We were recognized as a Top Work Place by USA Today,
We were recognized as a Best Place To Work,
We introduced beautiful new Stacy Garcia products,
We brought on new friends and representation,
& We celebrated our 55th anniversary...
So much to celebrate, so much to enjoy.
Thank you for joining us in the joy of this year.
Share your joy with us:

We love our community and are proud that we have crafted here for 55 years! And we are still growing!
If you want to join our Top Workplace / Best Place to Work award-winning, heart-filled, craft-focused, leather-making, joy-spreading team, you can! We are growing and hiring, you can apply to join our team here: https://townsendleather.com/careers/apply
At Townsend, we believe in the power of Togetherness. We believe in the power of community. And we believe in the power of giving. This is why we do everything we can to support one another and our Glove Cities community.
Townsend Leather is proud to consistently give back to our community. Each year we give at least $10,000 in local community support.
We have a dedicated arm of our team called our HUGS team focused on helping our community in any way we can. Through volunteer work, donation of goods, or financial support – there is always some way that Townsend can give out a “hug” and we always welcome it. www.townsendleather.com/hug


We focus on helping our internal community as well. Through our Hides of Hope program, we have a Partner-funded, Partner-funding “bank” to help each other through tough times and celebrate with each other in great times, our Stronger Together shirts even help support our system:
But the thing we are maybe best at is, spreading joy! We spread joy by crafting the world’s best leather for seats and feats used and loved by people all over the globe. We spread joy by working together as a team, looking out for each other, supporting each other, celebrating with each other. We spread joy by being active members of our loved community. We spread joy by being us.




































































































I Got A Job I Love.
Along with so many other great people! We love what we do, who we do it with, and who we do it for.
Get a job you love too! ❤️ Join me at Townsend Leather, the award-winning Best Place to Work and Top Workplace!
Townsend is proud to have the best jobs in the area and make the best leather in the world, and YOU can join me here.

Townsend Leather loves our community and is proud to be crafted in the Glove Cities. We are growing as a company and are really excited about the team and culture we have cultivated over the years.
For many years, we have been named a Top Place to Work and the Best Place to Work, with 40 Under 40 award-winning leadership, and even more special awards, just for our company culture. We take the act of creating a team very seriously and hope to provide lifelong jobs for our community.
We offer highly competitive pay, bonuses, an impressive full benefits package, and we are looking, right now, to grow our Production Team and Shoe Leather Teams as well as some other areas, and everywhere across Townsend has a lot of growth potential for the future; despite the current times and challenges, we are super busy and are projecting even more growth in the coming years.
- Townsend is a many times winners of Top Workplace and Best Place to Work – recognized as the best place to work in the capital region by not 1 but 2 places that do this stuff for a living. Townsend is the Best Place to Work.
- We love what we do, who we do it for, and who we do it with. Our company culture is like no other. We make the world’s best leather, and we do it as a team. Making the world’s best anything is cool, making the world’s best leather is beyond cool.
Townsend Leather loves our community and is proud to be crafted in the Glove Cities. We are growing as a company and are really excited about the team and culture we have cultivated over the years.
For many years, we have been named a Top Place to Work and the Best Place to Work, with 40 Under 40 award-winning leadership, and even more special awards, just for our company culture. We take the act of creating a team very seriously and hope to provide lifelong jobs for our community.
We offer highly competitive pay, bonuses, an impressive full benefits package, and we are looking, right now, to grow our Production Team and Shoe Leather Teams as well as some other areas, and everywhere across Townsend has a lot of growth potential for the future; despite the current times and challenges, we are super busy and are projecting even more growth in the coming years.
- Townsend is a many times winners of Top Workplace and Best Place to Work – recognized as the best place to work in the capital region by not 1 but 2 places that do this stuff for a living. Townsend is the Best Place to Work.
- We love what we do, who we do it for, and who we do it with. Our company culture is like no other. We make the world’s best leather, and we do it as a team. Making the world’s best anything is cool, making the world’s best leather is beyond cool.
See more about our career opportunities at our Job page:
www.townsendleather.com/job
Townsend Leather is so FULL of love. We work by and with our hearts and it shows all around. Here is just a glimpse of the love and hearts in and around Townsend.





























Maybe you’ve seen our “Get a Job You Love ❤️” billboards around, or maybe you’ve been to an Amsterdam Mohawks game and saw Townsend there, or maybe you’ve come across us online somewhere – and you might have wondered what all those icons/stickers/little weirds were.
Each one has a story, a Townsend story.

Townsend’s leadership team is full of award winners, notably 3 distinguished as 40 Under 40 winners, with Tim Becket as the most recent recipient: https://townsendleather.com/2020/lifestyle/40-under-40
For many years, Townsend Leather has continuously won awards for our Team, our culture, and our Leadership – making us the Top Work Place and Best Place To Work: https://townsendleather.com/2020/lifestyle/topworkplace
We believe in our company, in our people, and in our culture. We believe in making it better every day. Awards like these are not necessary, they aren’t something we specifically strive for, but to be recognized for the things that we hold near and dear to our hearts, feels good: https://townsendleather.com/2018/lifestyle/townsend-top-work-place

Be Excellent to Each Other is a credo we gladly live by at Townsend. We are Partners in this together, crafting side by side and continually being excellent, together. You can buy this as a shirt and proudly wear your excellence: www.bonfire.com/be-excellent-to-each-other-2/
Townsend is an equal opportunity employer and is a proud supporter of the HRC and its mission. We are heartfelt intent on balance, growth, and innovation for all, especially those that face marginalization and unfair barriers.
We are Stronger Together. We love our team. So we do everything we can to support one another. We have a “Hides of Hope” Partners supporting Partners system where we can work together to help each other through tough times and celebrate with each other in great times, our Stronger Together shirts even help support our system: https://www.bonfire.com/stronger1609829160together/
We love our Glove Cities community. Which is why are proud to give our around $10,000 in local community support each year. We love hugs and this is one small we we can gift out and hug our community: https://townsendleather.com/contact/hug
Thumbs-ups are the best, right?! We love high-fives, air-high-fives, hugs, and every kind of hand-gesture-celebration! Sometimes we are just feeling thumbs-upy!
We love t-shirts at Townsend! We love to rock and we love shirts. We love to rock so much we made a shirt about it, we love shirts so much, we made a website for them! https://www.townsendleathershirts.com/

Townsend Leather makes the world’s best upholstery leather. We are masters of cowhide, and that is not a brag, it is just a fact. Our team is the world’s best at crafting leather. Our team is cool. This cow is cool, just check out their sunglasses (that’s how you can tell they are cool), everyone at Townsend is always wearing metaphorical sunglasses because they are endlessly cool.
Townsend is also full of goofballs, shirts, leather, and fun. Some of our absolutely legendary Partners are known as the “who what where guys”. And can often be found severing as our own 3 stooges crew: https://youtu.be/u5OCvnLdjMs

At Townsend, we love what we do, we love who we do it for, and we love who we do it with. Everything we do is based on passion and craft. We are a team of thinkers and problem-solvers, innovators, goal-setters, question-askers.
We only seek out doers, action-takers, and awesome people. So, since we look for those things, our team is already staffed with the greatest people in the area. When you join our team, you will be surrounded by the greatest people with the biggest hearts.


We loved being at BDNY this year. The designs, the beauty, the inspiration, and of course the conversations and delving into projects… we love it all.
This year held some much-welcomed optimism for the future of design, with numerous projects kicking off and an overall excitement for what is to come in the world of design. Townsend’s newest leather products, especially a sneak peek of the newest Stacy Garcia (https://samples.townsendleather.com/product_line/stacy-garcia-blue-label-arden-weave-cowhide-sg-ard), were big topics of conversation and many samples were requested.
If you did not get your hands on the samples you desire at BDNY, visit our Sample Store now and build a lightbooth to choose everything you need to make your design dreams come true: https://samples.townsendleather.com/
And whether you got to bask in the design delight of BDNY or not, you can contact us to schedule a tailored leather presentation, just contact us at: info@townsendleather.com and we will coordinate with your local Townsend Leather rep to get a stunning leather presentation in front of you and your team, so you can get your hands and hearts onto everything Townsend has to offer.

































We are excited to get face to face with designers and put you all hand to hand with our leathers.
Townsend Leather is looking forward to a few weeks of travel and design, leather and luxury. We will once again be joining the thousands of folks, passionate about the aviation industry at our booth in Las Vegas for NBAA. Visit us to see so much leather, our newest offerings, and to have a drink at our Cocktail Party.
NBAA Booth #1421, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, October 22-24
Little less than a month later, we will be going from the skies to the sky’s the limit designing, with everyone at BD | NY in New York. Where we will be showcasing Stacy Garcia® Blue Label Leathersm brand new offerings, and so much more.

BDNY Booth# 2325, Javits Center, New York, November 10-11

And we will be stretching out from Vegas to Los Angeles through October for a Qunitus Roadshow. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Palm Desert to connect with designers and leather lovers.
Quintus Roadshow, Las Vegas 10/22, LA 10/24, Palm Desert 10/25
Townsend Leather will be celebrating our 55th anniversary, showcasing beautiful leathers, and highlighting brand new collections at all of these shows. Games, giveaways, leather, and fun can all be expected. If you want to be sure to connect with us at one of these events contact us at info@townsendleather.com

If you will be at NBAA be sure to stop by our Cocktail Party.
in our NBAA booth #1421, on
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23rd
FROM 2-5 PM
Beer, wine, leather, passion, great times, great conversation, games, and more all provided by Townsend Leather.
Townsend Leather Superstars were interviewed in the upcoming Business Aviation Magazine about Townsend’s unique approach and focus on customers and relationship building. We treat everyone as partners, because we are in this together. You can talk to Sherry and get an autograph from her in our NBAA booth.
55 years celebrating a love of leather and limitless craft.
55 diamonds, 55 years, 55 moments of craft of love of leather. Townsend Leather is 55 years old this year, founded in 1969, and still hungry for the future – we are celebrating and honoring a love of leather and limitless craft.

In September of 2024 Townsend Leather celebrated a birthday of 55 years and we are looking forward to 12 more months of celebration and honoring.
This year will be a continuous celebration of our history and our future, of what it took to get to today, and where we are going, of the people who lead the way and the people who are taking the reigns.
We kicked things off this fall with our annual longevity luncheon where we took a day to focus on us, on each other, on the history and the future. Below is a very brief remixed recap video of the photos, videos, and memories we talked about at our Longevity Luncheon. It certainly doesn’t cover it all, but it is a fun smattering of good times.
It was a day of laughs and tears as we looked back over Townsend’s 55 years. Starting in 1969 with Red Kucel who set out to create a great place for him and his friends to craft leather. We ventured into each decade, sharing stories photos, and songs, but took a special moment to honor some of our Townsend Leather legends who joined the team during each of those decades. We celebrated Townsend Leather partners who have been here for 5 years those who have been here for as far back as 35 years, and even one Townsend superstar who has been with the company for 45 years!
This year we will take a flight through history, and ride of memories, feel the celebration of 55 years of Townsend Leather and the legends that brought us to today.
Leaning into our “the sky’s the limit” attitude this year, we will be riding high and feeling the breeze all year as we find little moments to celebrate our history and look out to the horizon of our bright future.












































So much more to come on this, we are excited.
If you have a favorite Townsend memory that you want to share with us from the past 55 years, send it in through this secret gift-giving form (you will get a gift for sharing a story)
Through all the changes, ups & downs of Townsend’s history, we have always stood for Partnership and values.
Our passion for design drives us and we get very excited to see our network grow and design dreams coming true across the world. So we are pleased to announce a new relationship, in the greater Colorado area, with the esteemed Estudio Casa. Estudio Casa will be representing Townsend Leather in Colorado and the surrounding areas.
Estudio Casa led by the hard-working and experienced, Franco Bradley, has been delighting the most discerning of design customers for almost 10 years.
“The mission of Estudio Casa is to offer the best services in the industry, creating a living space where your design vision becomes reality with our personal attention to detail.” – Franco Bradley (Principal)
Townsend is very excited to have the eyes and skills of Franco and Christin Collins, Estudio Casa’s Senior Account Manager, join the Townsend Leather team and help make design dreams come true for A & D and Hospitality designers in:
Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, & New Mexico.
Find Estudio Casa on social media, @Estudiocasa_us
For more information about Estudio Casa or to get connected with your new rep for this territory: email us at info@townsendleather.com
Estudio Casa
D: (303) 381-2912
C: (703) 944-8737
S: (720) 708 – 8578
A: 595 S Broadway Suite 116W Denver, CO 80209










All are welcome here.
This Pride month, Townsend Leather celebrated inclusivity and did it in the bast way, together.
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.
We put pride in our hands and on our walls with new “All are welcome here” pens and plenty of posters.
Everything was kicked off at a boiling hot summer fest next to the pond on our campus.
Being visible, being loud, being together… matters. We are proud to have pride.


















Townsend Leather has been a supporter of the Trevor Project, https://www.thetrevorproject.org/, and annual supporters of the HRC, https://www.hrc.org/, for many years. https://townsendleather.com/2023/lifestyle/pride-2023 And we are proud to have earned the titles of Top Work Place and Best Place to Work for so many years and we know that part of why we earn those awards is that we have committed to creating a workplace that is supportive and inclusive.
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, together.




















