France’s Rodez Commercial Court has declared the court-ordered liquidation of Tanneries Pechdo, marking the loss of one of the country’s few independent tanneries, its 33 jobs, and an industrial symbol of the Aveyron region.

The ruling handed down on November 3 follows a lengthy safeguard procedure initiated before the court on December 11, 2024. The 5,000-square-metre industrial site in Aveyron had stood in the Plaine Coste area since 1900, and was awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label ten years ago.

“We’re closing with a full order book,” manager Caroline Krug tells FashionNetwork, noting that the company had recovered after two difficult years, returning to €3 million in revenue. “And then, in mid-June, we had a fire — a dust collector, even though it was brand new, exploded. Production was halted for three weeks. And, for the first time in our history, we missed payments.”

Caroline Krug co-managed the company with the former owner from 2013, before taking full ownership in 2017. The company focused on fully integrated production, from French raw hides through to the finished product. It had notably specialised in technical leathers for personal protective equipment (PPE) for law enforcement, firefighters, and other professionals.

The manager says she has long been seeking a partner to support the company’s development, to no avail. “I think the future of tanneries in France is in the hands of the largest groups,” concedes the independent industrialist.

On the public-sector side, the manager mentions numerous meetings over the past year with ministers, generals, and legislators, with a view to securing a government order for the army via one of her clients. “There won’t be any French leather in it anymore,” ultimately laments Caroline Krug.

The announcement of the liquidation prompted a reaction from across the industry, with messages of support posted on social media. This has left the manager of Tanneries Pechdo with a certain bitterness. “There are a lot of people who write to me very kindly and who are outraged, but they haven’t bought a single square metre from us for a very long time. Ultimately, a business runs on orders.”

Caroline Krug says she prefers to devote her attention to the company’s 33 employees, some of whom have worked at the tannery for 40 years. There is also concern for the company’s customers: “Some are at serious risk of closing because, without Pechdo, they no longer have their supply,” says the manager, who also points to the blow to Millau’s industrial heritage. “It’s quite a story, but you can’t just stay in history: you have to be able to carry it into the future,” laments the industrialist.