Tanning Division

The Wallace Tannery was established in 1992 primarily to take advantage of the supply of casualty calves and cows collected by WCL.

Since that time the Company has expanded its collection area so that it now covers the greater North Island. 25% of the wet/blue production of the Tannery is made up of casualty calves and cows with the balance being hides from meat processing plants.

Wallace has the technical expertise and equipment to process from the lightest slink skins up to the heaviest bull and ox hides. With a dedicated and skilled labour force of up to 140 at the peak of the season, the tanning operation produces a consistent quality product which is demanded and recognised by its customers worldwide.

The Tannery is able to wet blue over 6,000 hides per week. In 2004 the Tannery wet blued more than 250,000 hides, 180,000 calfskins and salted 100,000 hides and 120,000 calfskins.

The purchase of the multi species Thames Plant in 2001 now gives the Division a guaranteed supply of lamb and sheep pelts. Accordingly in mid 2004 following our policy of adding value to materia, the supply of which is guaranteed, the Tannery began wet blueing pickle pelts. This year we are moving into crusting these pelts in a new building. It is envisaged that we will crust a large percentage of the pelts we receive including those from outside sources.

Products

• Wet Blue Calf
• Wet Blue Hides
• Wet Blue Drop Splits
• Wet Blue Grain Splits
  1. Split in Blue
  2. Split in Lime
• Wet Salted Bull