Grand fire destroys Ecco Leather leather factory in the Netherlands

In the night from Sunday to Monday, the leather factory of Ecco Leather in Dongen (Province of Noord-Brabant) was completely destroyed by a major fire. The entire complex, including the production and warehouses, was on fire. Local media report this, including the Brabants Dagblad and Omroep Brabant. Around 9:45 p.m., the first flames on the building on the four -bundle were spotted. The fire brigade had the building burned down in a controlled manner and had the fire under control around 5:30 a.m. There is little to nothing of the 14,000 square meter building. The cause of the fire at Ecco Leather is still unclear.

The fire means the loss of the last tannery in the municipality of Dongen – a village with a rich story in leather processing. Mayor Hans Slagboom speaks of a serious loss for the community: “The soul of Dongen suffers when the tannery disappears,” the mayor told Omroep Brabant. He hopes Ecco will rebuild the factory.

According to the Brabant’s historical computerate Centrum, there were seven tanneries in Dongen. The favorable location near cattle breeding areas made the village an important player in the leather industry. In 1891, 85 tanneries were active. After the crisis years of the last century, this number decreased quickly until finally only one left: Ecco Leather.

Ecco Leather: an innovative tannery

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In 2020, the company worked with Bonne Suits for a series of custom -made leather suits. Ecco Leather is also a partner of the Dutch fashion company and LVMH price finalist Zomer.

It is not yet known whether the company has plans to rebuild the factory. In a message to Fashionunited, Ecco Leather announced: “We are now fully concentrating on our employees: inside and the resumption of our activities so that we can continue to serve our customers around the world.”

Reaction of the Schoenkartierier: “deep traces”

The destruction of the factory concerns the broader creative and manual sector. The Schoenkartier from Waalwijk announced that it was deeply affected. The organization writes on LinkedIn:

“The fire at Ecco Leather BV in Dongen has left deep traces. A place where it has been working on leather innovation and craftsmanship has been destroyed in a short time. Ecco is part of our partner program – a collaboration in which we very much appreciate your vision of material, sustainability and design. Leather from her support.