Conceria Incas

As the first Italian tannery to achieve multiple environmental certifications, including ICEC sustainability certification and EMAS registration, Conceria Incas has established itself as an environmental sustainability leader in the global leather industry. The tannery supplies leather to luxury fashion brands including Hermès, Chanel, Dior, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga, positioning itself in the high-end leather market segment. The company's Leather 40075 product line represents a fully certified eco-sustainable organic vegetable tanning system that has reduced water consumption by 53.7% and sodium sulfide use by 32.5% compared to conventional methods.

Conceria Incas was founded in 1972 as part of a larger industrial aggregation that included up to 14 tanneries, with the company name representing an acronym for "INiziative Conciarie ASsociate" (Associated Tanning Initiatives). The enterprise originally operated in Santa Croce, a traditional center of Italian leather production, before undertaking extensive expansion efforts.

In 1979, the company constructed a new factory equipped with an integrated processing cycle and purification plant, representing an early commitment to environmental considerations in leather production. Production operations commenced in 1982 at this facility, making Conceria Incas the first tannery in Italy to equip itself with chrome and liming bath recovery systems. The company relocated its operations to Castelfranco di Sotto in 1983, establishing its current operational base.

The tannery continued expanding throughout the following decades, with an 8,000-square-meter facility addition constructed in 2002 and inaugurated in September 2004. This extension expanded the existing 11,000-square-meter facility, bringing the total facility size to approximately 20,000 square meters. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, marking five decades of continuous innovation in leather production and environmental sustainability.

The Conceria Incas facility in Castelfranco di Sotto encompasses approximately 20,000 square meters of production space, housing a fully automated wet department that operates 40 processing drums controlled by computerized systems. The facility employs nearly 200 workers across all production departments, including tanning, finishing, quality control, and administration.

The tannery maintains a monthly production capacity of approximately 1,400,000 square feet of finished leather, translating to an annual output of roughly 1.5 million square meters of leather across diverse product categories. Production operations run continuously with the automation systems updated regularly to incorporate digital evolution in manufacturing technology.

The facility includes comprehensive infrastructure for complete vertical integration, from raw material processing through finished leather production. An on-site effluent treatment plant manages all wastewater independently, providing environmental compliance control throughout the production process. Advanced finishing equipment and comprehensive testing laboratories ensure quality standards across all product lines, with individual drum processing controlled through computerized systems that allow precise management of tanning variables.

Conceria Incas divides its production across three distinct brand lines, each serving different market segments and employing specific tanning methodologies. The Incas brand focuses on full vegetable-tanned varieties, processing calf, water buffalo, and specialty skins including kangaroo leather through natural tanning methods exclusively. For detailed information about kangaroo leather properties, processing methods, and applications, see the dedicated Incas Kangaroo article. Il Veliero Dal 1955 produces chrome-tanned materials using calf and water buffalo leather for applications requiring the characteristics of chrome tanning. Italtan specializes in leather for jackets and luxury water buffalo hair products, serving the apparel and fashion accessories market.

The company's highest-volume product is classic calf shoe upper leather, produced in a broad range of colors to meet footwear manufacturer specifications. Aniline calf represents the most requested article in the product catalog, accounting for a substantial portion of annual sales. Vegetable-tanned baby calf leather comprises approximately 70% of total output, reflecting market demand for naturally tanned materials in heritage footwear and leather goods production.

The tannery also sources deerskin from New Zealand, processing this specialty leather alongside buffalo and goat skins for diverse market applications. The majority of leathers produced combine chrome and vegetable tanning methods, utilizing the characteristics of both processes to achieve specific performance and aesthetic properties required by luxury brand clients.

All production begins from raw materials, with the company maintaining complete control of the tanning process from initial processing through final finishing. Approximately 30% of production is exported directly to international markets, with the remainder supplied to Italian manufacturers who incorporate the leather into finished goods for global distribution.

Conceria Incas has maintained continuous investment in manufacturing automation since its establishment, adopting Hüni automation systems in 1983 during the relocation to Castelfranco di Sotto. The tannery upgraded to Olcina Systematic control systems in 1997, advancing the automated management of drum processing operations.

In January 2005, the facility installed Hüni's Microtan LT system, representing the latest generation of tanning automation technology at that time. The system enables operation of 36 drums through just four control panels, with each drum programmed individually to execute specific processing protocols for different leather types and tanning methods. This automation allows precise control of chemical concentrations, temperatures, processing times, and mechanical action throughout the tanning cycle.

The wet department operates as a fully automated unit, with continuous updates incorporating digital evolution in process control and monitoring systems. Temperature and humidity conditions are monitored continuously, with production managers adjusting oil and water quantities daily based on environmental factors and specific leather characteristics. The automation systems integrate with the facility's effluent treatment plant, managing water recovery and waste stream processing throughout production operations.

All finishing processes benefit from advanced equipment that enables consistent color application, surface treatments, and final preparation of leather for shipment to client manufacturers. The facility's testing laboratories conduct continuous quality verification, measuring physical properties, color consistency, and chemical composition to ensure compliance with client specifications and regulatory requirements.

Conceria Incas became the first Italian tannery to obtain ICEC sustainability certification, establishing a precedent for environmental performance documentation in the Italian leather industry. The company became the first European tannery to achieve EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) registration in 2007, implementing comprehensive environmental management systems subject to regular third-party verification.

The tannery achieved ISO 9001 certification for quality management systems in 2000, followed by ISO 14001 certification for environmental management systems in 2006. In 2008, Conceria Incas became the first tannery to display "100% made in Italy" certification, documenting complete production within Italian facilities from raw material processing through finished leather. The company received ICEC's "Sustainable Company" award in 2014, the first tannery to achieve this recognition.

The Leather Working Group awarded Conceria Incas a Gold rating certification on November 14, 2016, under Protocol Issue 7.2.4. This certification, conducted by auditor Jutta Knoedler from ITG GmbH, remains valid through November 25, 2026, and requires regular audits to maintain compliance with environmental performance standards. The Gold rating represents the highest level of environmental achievement in the Leather Working Group certification system, evaluating energy use, water consumption, waste management, and chemical handling throughout production operations.

Since 2021, the tannery has held ICEC TS-SC410 and ICEC TS-PC412 certifications, documenting traceability systems that allow verification of raw hide origins. These certifications enable the company to demonstrate that production utilizes hides from 100% deforestation-free areas, addressing supply chain environmental concerns related to leather production.

Conceria Incas launched the Leather 40075 eco-sustainable organic vegetable tanning line as a fully certified product system demonstrating measurable environmental performance improvements. The product name 40075 represents the circumference of Earth in kilometers, symbolizing the global environmental considerations incorporated into the production methodology.

The Leather 40075 line achieved a 53.7% reduction in water consumption compared to conventional vegetable tanning processes through optimization of soaking, liming, and tanning operations. Sodium sulfide use decreased by 32.5%, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining leather quality characteristics required for high-end applications. All vegetable tannins employed in Leather 40075 production are sourced exclusively from FSC-certified wood, ensuring forest management practices meet sustainability standards.

The production facility operates entirely on electricity from renewable energy sources, eliminating fossil fuel-derived energy from the tanning process. The on-site water treatment facility provides independent management of water quality throughout production, enabling rapid response to treatment requirements and continuous monitoring of effluent quality before discharge.

A key element of Leather 40075 production involves "Slow Leather" methodology, where leather is aged for 90 days in controlled environments before retanning operations commence. This extended maturation period allows complete development of leather characteristics without accelerated processing, resulting in finished products that are 100% biodegradable at end of life. ICEC has verified all environmental claims associated with the Leather 40075 line through third-party auditing.

Conceria Incas participated as an industrial partner in the Life I'm Tan project, an EU-funded initiative under the LIFE programme identified as LIFE20 ENV/IT/000759. The project launched in September 2021 and concluded in 2025, with coordination provided by Silvateam and participation from five Italian partners: Silvateam as coordinator, Crossing, Centro Ricerca per la Chimica Fine (CRCF), Conceria Incas, and the Aquarno Consortium.

The project developed a new class of natural tannins derived from chestnut and quebracho wood, engineered to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining leather quality standards required for commercial production. Conceria Incas conducted full-scale production runs on 2,500 raw hides sourced from New Zealand, demonstrating the commercial viability of the new tannin formulations under actual manufacturing conditions.

Testing demonstrated water consumption reductions of 5-25% during tanning phases compared to conventional vegetable tanning processes. Organic matter, measured as Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in tanning bath effluent, decreased by up to 40%, reducing the treatment burden on wastewater systems. Hazardous substances including phenol, bisphenols, and formaldehyde were reduced by over 80% compared to conventional vegetable tanning chemistry.

The leathers produced through Life I'm Tan processes exhibited broad versatility in color development, achieving the range of shades required for luxury fashion applications. Preliminary testing demonstrated potential for waterproof leather applications, expanding the possible uses of vegetable-tanned leather produced with the new tannin formulations. The project also developed processes for converting by-products into animal nutrition supplements and eco-friendly resins, with leather production scraps recycled into organic fertilizers.

Conceria Incas maintains a focus on the high-end leather market, supplying finished leather to luxury fashion brands that require specific quality standards, consistent color, and documented environmental credentials. Client relationships include Hermès, Chanel, Dior, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga, with leather used in premium footwear, handbags, and leather accessories produced for global luxury markets.

The tannery has supplied leather featured in collections by brands including Hugo Boss and Marc Jacobs, appearing in seasonal offerings from these fashion brands. Conceria Incas leather serves numerous other fashion brands across European and international markets, though not all client relationships are publicly disclosed due to commercial confidentiality considerations.

Approximately 30% of production is exported directly to international markets, with the tannery maintaining relationships with manufacturers and brands across Europe, North America, and Asia. The remainder of production supplies Italian manufacturers who incorporate Conceria Incas leather into finished goods for distribution through global luxury channels. This market positioning places the company among the suppliers of vegetable-tanned and combination-tanned leathers for heritage footwear and luxury leather goods.

Conceria Incas operates under the leadership of Piero Rosati, Filippo Rovini, Nicolò and Iacopo Ceccatelli, and Annalisa Rosati, who manage the company's strategic direction, production operations, and market relationships. Earlier company history documented management by four co-owners: brothers Piero and Renzo Rosati, Filippo Rovini, and Valter Ceccatelli, indicating continuity of family involvement in company leadership through generational transitions.

The tannery maintains documented traceability for 33.68% of raw materials processed, with certification systems enabling verification of hide origins and supply chain documentation. An additional 61.39% of materials are classified as "Not Traceable" under current Leather Working Group reporting standards, reflecting the challenges of documenting complete supply chains in global leather production. Since 2021, ICEC TS-SC410 and TS-PC412 certifications have enabled the company to trace raw hide origins, with all documented materials sourced from 100% deforestation-free areas.

The company participates in industry-wide efforts to improve supply chain transparency, working with suppliers to increase the proportion of fully documented materials entering production. These traceability initiatives address growing demand from luxury brand clients for comprehensive environmental and social responsibility documentation throughout leather supply chains, supporting the sustainability claims associated with Conceria Incas products in international markets.