It was not predestined that Charly Louvel to work with exotic hides, but judging from his story, he had sensitivity for the stuff.

Born in a family of forest workers, Charly first chose that training field before obtaining a Management in Forest Work degree in 2005. Unfortunately job opportunities are scarce and after a series of small jobs, he gets a call from a temp agency and is offered a two-day placement in a tannery where “it stinks and the work is not very pleasant”.

Despite the warning, he takes the placement and starts working in the river tannery, stapling, unstapling and placing hides on trestles as they come out of drums. In the meantime, he also succeeds in obtaining a qualification of “gardien de la paix”, but decides to keep the job in the tannery because he was kindly welcomed, that the place was friendly and he liked the job.

Career opportunities

In 2008, after working six months as a handler, he takes on a job in the dyeing station where, thanks to the know-how of his supervisor, he learns preparation of dyes, handling drums and dealing with the dyeing procedure. When his boss becomes ill, Charly is left in charge and must solve problems on his own. “It was sometimes nerve-wracking, he says, but I really liked it because the permanent search for the right colour is very motivating. I had more responsibilities, had to question my abilities, adjust to what the hides needed”.
When his boss returns, Charly moves back to his station but gets bored.

In 2009, to increase his skills and fill a gap, Charly gets transferred to the finishing section. Here, his task is to bring the best finish to the skin. This change was made easier thanks to his experience with dyeing. “I had a good vision for colours and a sound understanding of the hide.”

A question of trust

In 2012, the finishing supervisor wants Charly to move on and incorporates him in her team. As months go by, he increasingly takes tasks from the finishing supervisor. He also follows training at CTC to study the transformation of leather with particular emphasis on the finishing stage.

In September 2013, Charly becomes finishing supervisor with his main task being to coordinate the activity of the sector while ensuring the quality of leathers and the satisfaction of customers. He therefore builds a bigger team which now includes 22 workers. Charly deals with the management of orders, the validation of colours, the coordination of the teams. He takes care of customers’s demands when they want to change colours or articles.

“Learning is permanent, he says. Curiosity, perseverance, a sense of relation-building, the investment and the passion for the material are indispensable assets to succeed in the fascinating world of leather. I’m proud of the authenticity and nobility of the material I work on, of my job and the company. I thank the management for believing in my even before I did!”