Goat skins in our fur warehouse

Some hides find their way from regional butchers to the G. Neuenschwander Söhne AG (GNS) warehouse in the Emmental District. The trade of raw hides forms the original core business of GNS. From goat and sheepskin to the fur of wild animals like deer and chamois all the way to fox fur – these have all been carefully preserved, stored, and traded for over 150 years. 

However, in the past several years, the hide-trade has sharply fallen in response to decreased demand. This is partially due to trends in consumer behaviour: Cheaper, synthetic alternatives made from petroleum have replaced natural materials, and vegan living has also driven the demand for artificial leather and fur. On the other hand, tanning work has shifted to low-wage countries. It is also considerably cheaper for European tanneries to source their raw materials in Asia instead of using local resources. In a market where price rules, every penny counts.

All this has led to the growth of the GNS stockpile – and soon the warehouse will be bursting at the seams. It contains thousands of hides that are considered worthless on the market and are lying idle.

We want to counteract this development and make use of local resources instead of throwing them away. In our view, natural materials from Switzerland are much more sustainable and future-proof than their fossil fuel substitutes.

Learn more about tanning.