Zaz Tannery

We are based over in Jajmau, which is the heart of the industry here. If you walk down our street, you’ll notice that almost every building is involved in some kind of leather work. It’s a gritty, hardworking part of town. Our place is a large, open space that stays quite cool because of the high ceilings, which is a relief during the summer months. There is always the distinct smell of the tanning process in the air, but we don't even notice it anymore. The floors are usually a bit wet or dusty depending on what stage of the work we are in. We don't have a separate office area with air conditioning or anything like that. Our main desk is right there in the middle of everything so we can see what's happening. The workers have been with us a long time and they know exactly what to do without being told. Jajmau isn't the kind of place people go for a casual stroll; it’s a place where real work happens. We have trucks coming in with raw hides and leaving with the finished product all through the week. We don't do any big promotions or have a fancy logo. Our reputation in the neighborhood is what matters most to us. We just focus on how the hides turn out and making sure the orders are ready when they should be. It’s a tough job, but it’s what we know.