Ohmann Leather

Leather

In last century’s thirties sir Ohmann started a company for supplying the Noord-Brabant shoemakers with leather. Mr.Ohmann died during the Second World War and his only employee moved the company to the center of the country, Apeldoorn to be exact. We talk with his grandson about Ohmann Leer’s developments.

Interior-specialist in leather 

Ohmann Leer stopped supplying shoemakers. The company serves two markets today: that is furniture production and repair companies, on the other side they supply creative interior specialists and architects. Ohmann Leer developed from shoemaker supplier to wholesalers and into a brand-name itself, servicing the top parts of the market. And that certainly does not just mean furniture. These days they also upholster floors and staircases with leather. Ohmann is also involved in the decoration of ships. This development turned the company into a player in the fashion industry who specializes in and anticipates on tomorrow’s fashion trends. Ohmann’s leather is tanned in Germany, they keep the supplies in Apeldoorn. The tanned leather is produced by European and South-American cattle.

Ohmann Leer’s export consists of 40% export to Germany, Belgium, North-France, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Australia and London. Expectations for the future according to mr.Brocken (managing director) are more export to East-Europe, because of the developing market there. Brocken played a major role himself for the export to Belgium: “We hear a lot about Belgians not wanting to do business with the Dutch, which is untrue. What we forget is that in the Netherlands we tend to choose the quick business deals, in which we differ from other countries. They attach more value to long-lasting business relationships in Belgium, so you need to invest time, trade will follow from that. But, when you manage to build that relationship, they will be loyal customers for years.”