About Us
At T. Abdul Wahid Tanneries, creating a culture of optimism and harmony with nature has always been a genuine resolve. Our legacy in leather has allowed us to innovate with the times. Our state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant, equipped with RO, Chrome Recovery, and Mechanical Evaporation systems is just one example that allows us to recycle 95% of the water utilised.
Founded in 1949 by Mr. T. Abdul Wahid, our strategically located tannery between Chennai & Bangalore consists of two divisions - Tannery 1 & 2.
Tannery 1 boasts cutting-edge machinery, processing a range of high-quality leathers while focusing on local sourcing to reduce the carbon footprint and Tannery 2 excels in post-tanning and finishing operations, serving top brands with high quality finished leather. Behind the scenes, our R&D division heavily tests and develops new leather articles to stay ahead of fashion and leather trends. Our footwear division is also equipped with all the capabilities to produce quality-comfort footwear using quality leather.
With a combined capacity to produce over 1.2 Million sq.ft a month, our tanneries have consecutively held Gold ratings from the Leather Working Group, and our SATRA-certified inspectors ensure that international standards are met to sustainably output the best of leather.
Historic Timeline
1949
Our founder, Mr. Thadey Abdul Wahid, leased a small tannery in Pallavaram, Tamil Nadu to commence the manufacturing of semi-finished veg-tanned leather hides
1956
The manufacturing units for hides were expanded to Ranipet, Tamil Nadu by taking over three more tanneries in the locality.
1959
TAW’s first-ever long-term lease for a massive tanning facility was signed in Ambur, Tamil Nadu to manufacture goat skins, bringing state-of-the-art mechanization into the tannery
1964
Expanded tanning techniques to WBC (Wet Blue Chrome) tanning and exported it to the USSR while continuing the export of semi-finished veg-tanned leather to the USA, UK, and Italy.
1972
Expanded to the manufacturing of finished leather tanning by acquiring another tannery, and mechanized its production by importing advanced machinery from Italy and Germany. With 14 purchasing centers during this period, 10,000 - 18,000 pieces of leather were being soaked daily at TAW.
1983
T. Abdul Wahid Matriculation Higher Secondary School was established as the first English-medium school in Ambur, which educated over 2000 students today.
1985
From finished leather to leather goods - TAW founded a massive footwear division, exporting finished shoes to Germany and the USA.
1990
With success in the export of finished shoes, expansion took place at TAW to add another footwear unit to its arsenal.
1998
At the age of 88, Mr. Thadey Abdul Wahid passed away, and passed the torch to the next generation of TAW.
2004
TAW installs the first-ever reverse osmosis plant in its tannery, pioneering great strides toward sustainable manufacturing practices.
2011
Installation of a second-stage RO treatment plant alongside mechanical evaporation to make TAW one of the most sustainable manufacturing plants in the tanning industry.