Tasman Tanning chief executive Neville Dyer says the new dyehouse will be more pleasant to work in than previous ones. Photo / Bevan Conley
Tasman Tanning chief executive Neville Dyer says the new dyehouse will be more pleasant to work in than previous ones. Photo / Bevan Conley
Leather manufacturer Tasman Tanning's new $2 million dyehouse begins functioning this week, in what the company says is a move toward more efficiency and higher standards.
The dyehouse is housed in an addition to the Heads Rd factory. It will hold six revolving drums that colour cattle hides and "convertthem to something that looks like finished leather", Tasman Tanning chief executive Neville Dyer said.
The larger drums will hold 200 to 300 hides, and the smaller ones 150 hides.
The facility processes 20,000 cattle hides a week, from about one-third of New Zealand's cattle.
Of those 6500 a week will be dyed. The rest will be either salted or semi-processed to a wet-blue stage before being exported, mainly to Italy and China.
The extension to the Heads Rd factory building was constructed by W&W Construction, with additional services supplied by local subcontractors.
It had to be done without slowing production. The previous dyehouse, 30 years old, has continued to operate.
Four of six new drums have been installed in Tasman Tanning's new dyehouse. Photo / Bevan Conley
That will change when stage 2 is completed, Dyer said. It involves a second extension to the building, housing six more drums. It is due to start in 12 months and set to cost a little less than $2 million.
The new dyehouse is part of overall improvements that will simplify processing and make it more energy and water efficient.
Tasman has been working with the Whanganui District Council to reduce the chromium, a tanning chemical, in its wastewater. Unless the chromium is reduced dried sludge from the council's wastewater treatment plant will be too toxic to apply to land and have to be contained long term.
"We are still working with council on that. We have reduced [the chromium] further but there is still some way to go. The dyehouse will have filters and systems that will improve it on what it has been," Dyer said.
Tasman Tanning processes 10,000 to 15,000 sheepskins a week during the killing season. Photo / Laurel Stowell
The new dyehouse will reduce the company's chemical use and the solids it contributes to Whanganui wastewater. When stage 2 is complete the plant's dyehouse wastewater should be reduced by 20 per cent.
The upgrade is part of a staged expansion, Dyer said. Eventually the plant could be dying an extra 1000 cattle hides each week and its staff could increase from about 180 to 240.
Partially processed skins are stored, prior to export. Photo / Bevan Conley
The major hindrance to expansion is getting those staff. A sign on the factory's gate says it is recruiting, but it is having trouble finding the right people.
"Ask anybody in Heads Rd. They will tell you the same thing. There's real lack of people that want to come on board. We're hoping to upgrade conditions and make it more interesting," Dyer said.
