Neil’s first job after leaving school was as a bricklayer’s labourer. However, this didn’t suit him and he left to join the leather industry. He has now been with Pittards for 35 years, a continuation of a combined family history that amounts to over 100 years of working for the company. His father and grandfather both worked at the company before him, as an electrician and chief engineer respectively,  but he still had very little idea of what was involved in leather manufacture. His first impression was, as he puts it, ‘A bit of an eye-opener’.

He started work in the tan yard and has progressed to the role of Dye Shop Team Leader. He is responsible for ensuring that the skins allocated to a customer are processed to that customer’s specifications. This requires an eye for detail to ensure that the process recipe is followed and the right chemicals are used. There is also a need for precision to ensure that the right amounts of chemicals are used and the awareness and understanding to recognise when errors have been made in process recipe provided. New developments are always coming through from the company’s Research & Development team and it essential to stay up to date with these and be prepared to apply them. His biggest challenge though is ensuring that everything is done, to specification and on time.

After 35 years, he can say that he is proud of his job and really enjoys it and there is certainly enough variation to keep it interesting. However, for Neil, the best thing about the job is the people he works with. He would recommend the industry to newcomers as it offers prospects and a career path if you have the ambition and will to push for it. As Neil says, ‘People will always want leather’.