@AuManufacturing Conversations episode 17 — Steve Layton from Layton Corp

In episode 17 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski we hear from Steve Layton of Layton Corporation. The chat was recorded at last Friday’s Good Design Awards.

EmTech, a division of Layton’s company, won Gold for Product Design at the awards for its Enviro Hide product. Enviro Hide is made from recycled leather and has a look and feel of new split leather.

According to the company: “Enviro Hide uses 90% less water than leather production, is 20% stronger than split leather and
it passes all chemical tests around the Australian Government’s mandate on the use of harmful chemicals in manufacturing.”

Layton tells us about two years spent developing the product, which is currently produced in China, launching it here following the award, and the plans to make Enviro Hide locally.

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Episode guide

1:20 – Introduction/company history.

2:50 — Moving away from “fast furniture” and a race to the bottom on price.

4:00 — Enviro Hide, landfill and leather.

6:50 — development challenges.

9:18 — Don’t call it bonded leather.

10:40 — A big supply of raw material from discarded furniture as well as offcuts at China’s tanneries.

12:18 — 70 per cent can be reclaimed, but that’s the limit.

13 — Aiming to release Enviro Suede, the next product, in the second quarter of 2023.

14:04 — Customers so far. Pushing harder with promotion locally following this award.

15:56 — The opportunity to bring production to Australia.

17:50 — The opportunity to licence the process.

Picture: https://www.environmentalmaterialtechnology.com/