Araa Leathers

Down on Thiruvengadam Street in Periamet, you will find us at New No. 20. This neighborhood is known for its history with leather, and we are right in the thick of it. The street is narrow and usually crowded with carts and bikes. Inside our place, there is always the strong, earthy smell of leather hides waiting to be moved. We have stacks of material piled up in the corners and on the heavy wooden tables. It is a bit dusty and the floors show the wear of years of boots walking over them. We don't have a showroom with bright lights. Instead, we have shelves filled with samples and scraps from different batches. The work is physical and often leaves our hands a bit dirty by the end of the day. Sometimes we sit on the stools near the entrance just to catch a breeze from the street. The neighbors are mostly doing the same kind of work, so we all know each other well. It is a loud area with constant shouting and the sound of machinery, but it feels like home to us. We just keep our heads down and handle the leather as it comes in. It is a simple operation on Thiruvengadam Street, nothing more and nothing less than what you see when you walk through the door. The fan overhead keeps the air moving while we sort through the latest shipment of skins.