Scottish Leather Group has made a £13m investment across its businesses and is starting up a new recruitment campaign.
The family-owned firm, which can traces its roots back over 500 years, has been a supplier of leather stretching back over eight generations.
Now, responding to a 75% increase in orders compared to the same time last year, it is looking to hire around 60 new roles to help meet demand from the likes of Aston Martin, JLR, Polestar, Lucid, Emirates and Spring Air.
More than 380 staff have been recruited since the start of 2021, but the group is now seeking more staff in accounting, engineering, manufacturing, laboratory, software development and IT - plus more apprentices.
Scottish Leather Group recently purchased the old Chivas Regal bottling plant in Paisley, turning it into a leather cutting facility for the automotive and aviation sectors. It also has a research and development sew trim facility to help customers tailor their own seat designs.
Chief commercial officer Nicolas Muirhead said: “We have seen businesses across the world reassess their supply chain and focus on durability and environmental impact, and every single time they reach the same conclusion - leather is the best product on the market to meet that challenge.
“Scottish Leather Group is a world leader in delivering low carbon leather produce and we have seen demand continue to build as sustainability reaches the top of the agenda for businesses on a global scale.
“Our investment plan across all four of our businesses is not only substantial in our commitment to Renfrewshire, but also a marker for belief in the local workforce.
“We plan to recruit 60 staff over the coming months, ranging from senior executives to recent graduates and apprentices,“ he continued, adding: “Around £13m has been committed to our Bridge of Weir plant, which will see our entire business become a true net zero organisation by 2025 – well ahead of industry standards and Scottish and UK Government targets.“
The group comprises three separate firms - Bridge of Weir Leather, Langs and Muirhead - which employ around 1,000 people.
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