In 1972, after secondary school, Klemens Weßkamp applied to a leather factory, which produced high-quality vegetable leathers for the footwear and leather goods sector according to traditional recipes.

His professional training was completed at a technical school in Essen-Steele, where all the leather professions, from shoe orthopedists to shoemakers and tanners, are taught. Becoming a tanner was virtually inevitable. His father and grandfather already worked in a tannery, where he earned his pocket money on weekends and to him, the smell of leather became 'irresistible'. On whether pit-tanning is a very special kind of leather manufacturing and to what extent he has acquired knowledge in other types of production, Mr. Weßkamp says that unlike today, there was a time when the doors of tanneries were firmly closed to visitors and everything was a big secret.

As an apprentice, he became aware over time that he wanted to advance professionally, so he decided to go to Lederinstitut GerberSchule Reutlingen to obtain training for master craftsmen and leather technicians, which he was able to complete successfully.

In 1989, as freshly graduated leather technician, he joined Gmelich + Söhne in Großbottwar, a tannery producing high-quality furniture leather. He immediately took over the responsibilities as production manager for the beamhouse.

Working 9-10 hours a day, he manages with 17 co-workers, all the processes of the wet processing department, from the evaluation of the raw materials to the manufacturing of wet-blue or wet-white.

He is still thrilled about the creativity connected with his job and the many possibilities to make a great leather in all variations and colours. However, he regrets that far too often, customers are not ready to pay the price for the production of a fine natural product made in a sustainable way.

Klemens Weßkamp has found his dream job and is looking forward to many more years of challenges.