Scottish Leather hiring spree as demand rises 75%

Renfrewshire-based Scottish Leather Group is embarking on a recruitment campaign to help it fulfil its new pipeline of orders from clients including Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover, Polestar, Lucid, Emirates and Spring Air.  

Scottish Leather Group has made a £13 million investment as the firm sees an increase in orders of 75% from the same time last year.

The family-owned firm, one of Scotland’s biggest exporting businesses, has been a premium supplier of leather stretching back over eight generations.  

More than 380 staff have been recruited since the start of 2021 with an extra 60 new roles now planned to help meet demand this year alone. 

The new jobs are in accounting, engineering, manufacturing, laboratory, IT and software development. 

New apprentices are also required.

Scottish Leather Group comprises three separate firms — Bridge of Weir Leather, Langs and Muirhead — and employs around 1,000 people. 

The firm’s client list also includes Volvo, McLaren, Rolls Royce and Bentley.

The Covid 19 pandemic and the requirement for many businesses to offer additional cleaning and hygiene services saw the demand for leather increase.

Scottish Leather Group recently bought the old Chivas Regal bottling plant in Paisley and turned it into a leather cutting facility for the world’s automotive and aviation sectors.  

Scottish Leather Group chief commercial officer Nicholas 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.

“It is a really exciting time for our company and, with the new clients coming on board from growing industries across the globe, we are looking forward to growing the team and building on what we can deliver for our clients.   

“Around £13 million 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.”