USHSLA and LIA Finalize Merger, Announce New U.S. Leather Promotion Campaign During Joint Annual Meeting

New entity will be named Leather and Hide Council of America

Washington, DC, September 23, 2019 – The U.S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) and the Leather Industries of America (LIA) formally merged organizations during a signing ceremony last week at their joint Annual Meeting and Convention, September 18 – 20, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois.  USHSLA and LIA members unanimously approved the merger, consistent with both associations’ bylaws, prior to this year’s meeting. 

Effective January 1, 2020, the two associations will form the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) led by current USHSLA President Stephen Sothmann.  LIA President John Wittenborn is retiring at the end of the year, following 15 years at the helm of LIA, and more than 34 years working on behalf of the leather industry.   

“This merger represents a critical step forward, particularly now, when the U.S. hide, skin and leather industry supply chain has more at stake than ever before.  Soft global market demand, international trade disruptions and an increasingly consolidated industry require our representative bodies to take bold action,” said Sothmann.  “The new Leather and Hide Council of America reflects our industry’s commitment to building a strong future and will serve as the premier voice of the entire leather supply chain, both in the U.S. and abroad.”

The signing of official merger documents at the 2019 Annual Meeting and Convention concludes a year-long process of close consultations between both associations and their respective memberships.  The Board of Directors of each association in 2018 announced their intention to merge the two organizations by the end of 2019, citing overlapping membership, increasing alignment of purpose and interests and a desire to secure the future of the entire hide, skin and leather industries in the U.S. 

“The formation of the new Leather and Hide Council of America will create a strong, cohesive and vibrant association representing the entire hides, skins and leather supply chain,” said Wittenborn.  “We thank our members for approving this important merger, which will equip the new entity with the necessary resources and diverse insights to confront existing and emerging challenges, while seizing opportunities.”

In addition to formalizing the merger, USHSLA launched Real Leather. Stay Different., a global campaign that celebrates the versatility, beauty and sustainability of U.S. leather.  The campaign features a new consumer-focused website and social media channels – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WeChat – to amplify its central message: to choose and celebrate real leather.

This was USHSLA’s 40^th annual meeting and LIA’s 102^nd – the final joint meeting of the two associations prior to the LHCA’s incorporation on January 1.

Photo: From left to right: LIA President John Wittenborn, LIA Chairman Bob Hawley of S.B. Foot Tanning Company, USHSLA Chairman Jay Jensen of Southwest Hide Company, and USHSLA President Steve Sothmann sign merger documents during the USHSLA-LIA Joint Annual Meeting and Convention in Chicago, IL, Sept. 20, 2019.

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About USHSLA

The United States Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA) is a full-service industry trade organization devoted to the U.S. hides, skins and wet blue leather products industry. Founded in 1979, the association provides its members with government, public relations, and international trade assistance and support. The USHSLA is a cooperator organization under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s foreign market development programs, assisting U.S. firms develop new markets for U.S. agricultural exports. USHSLA is at the forefront of the industry’s needs, providing members with service, information, and opportunities to compete in today’s global marketplace.

About LIA

LIA was founded in 1917 as the Tanners Council of America and is one of the oldest trade associations in the United States.  LIA represents the vast majority of U.S. tanners and their supplier base, helping its members navigate the complex world of markets, trade and government regulation, and defending the beautiful and natural product that its members produce and sell around the world.  LIA provides environmental, technical, educational, statistical, and marketing services for the benefit of its members and the industry.