Opening up the eyes of tanners

Carmine Intiso, independent consultant and creator of chemicals processes aimed at eliminating tanners' problems, told Leather International in Bologna that he wanted to open the eyes of the tanners in the western world before they are swallowed up by China. Trained as a tanner, he has made it his business to formulate his own processes and mix his own chemicals in his constant search for solutions. Among the many projects undertaken by Intiso, one his more recent has been tanning sheepskins with tea which he says makes a lovely leather. He has also developed an unhairing process for pickled pelts which revitalises the immunised hair and allows for a very clean unhairing, removing the keratin from the skin which becomes stuck to the corium in the pickling process. Intiso has been in the leather industry for 44 years, graduating from the Solofra tanning school in 1962. He later emigrated to Canada where he worked for BASF, Robsonlag Tanneries (Barrie-Oshawa) and Henkel as technician and technical director. Since 1959, he has made contacts with 700 tanneries, 300 chemicals companies, 50 raw hide dealers/slaughterhouses and 30 machinery companies in 45 countries. Due to his commitment to the leather industry, he is planning to educate his sons into the industry and Pietro Livio Intiso will be joining the British School of Leather Technology in Northampton, UK, in June 2004.