What Pittards does

Pittards Group Limited is a UK-based, publicly listed (LSE:PTD) leather manufacturer founded in 1826 in Yeovil, Somerset, currently operating under administration. The company designs, engineers, and produces performance leathers with proprietary technologies tanned directly into the leather fibre structure — including WR100X (water resistance), Firebloc II (fire retardancy), Armor-Tan (abrasion resistance), Gripster (enhanced grip), Tri Protex (anti-bacterial), Parados (chemical resistance), and Oiltac — serving fashion, sports, military and services, automotive and interiors, aviation, rail, motorcycling, equestrian, outdoor performance, and consumer electronics end markets. Its technology is validated to international standards including EN 407.63, ASTM D64213, and FAR JAR CS 25.853, and is backed by ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 9001:2008 certifications, LWG bronze rating, and REACH compliance.

The business operates a vertically integrated model with tanneries and finished product manufacturing in Yeovil (UK) and Edjersa/Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Ethiopia glove production scales to over one million pairs per year, supplying both internal finished goods and third-party brands. The company has built a portfolio of consumer-facing sub-brands (1826, England, Soho, Heritage) and acquired Daines & Hathaway to extend into premium leather accessories, sold via own e-commerce, an on-site Yeovil retail store, and global independent stockists. The B2B performance leather operation supplies leading global brands across the ten end markets, while the B2C segment serves craftspeople and individual consumers directly. Pittards is currently operating in administration, with website and e-commerce operations continuing under administrator oversight.

Customer concentration is moderate: the business has a long-standing relationship with the UK Ministry of Defence (over 40 years) and supplies multiple large enterprise brands across each of its ten verticals, but customer logos are predominantly undisclosed and revenue is spread across fashion collections, performance leather B2B, finished goods, and direct-to-consumer channels. The mix of small-ticket e-commerce (gloves from £4.79, bags to £145.83) alongside enterprise B2B supply provides a degree of customer diversification, though the administration status introduces significant counterparty and going-concern risk.

Name

Pittards

Legal name

Pittards Group Limited

Website

https://pittards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1826

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Pittards is a 200-year-old UK leather manufacturer (LSE:PTD, in administration) that designs proprietary performance leathers — water-resistant, fire-retardant, antimicrobial — and finished gloves and bags, supplying global brands across fashion, sports, military, automotive, aviation, and consumer electronics from tanneries in the UK and Ethiopia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performance Leather Manufacturing

NAICS

Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (316), Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing (31611), Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (31699), Footwear Manufacturing (3162)

SIC

Leather & Leather Products (3100)

akta.pro primary industry

Protective, Safety & Tactical Leather Goods Manufacturing (Holsters/Pouches/Gear) (IMAOAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports, Outdoor & Adventure Packs Manufacturing (Backpacks/Duffels) (IMAOAHAE), Leather Goods Components & Subassemblies Manufacturing (Straps/Handles/Hardware Assemblies) (IMAOAHAI), Wallets, Small Leather Goods & Accessories Manufacturing (IMAOAHAB), Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI)

Keywords

• Performance leather
• Leather manufacturing
• Leather tannery
• Leather gloves
• Technical leather

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeovil

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2C E-commerce and Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of stock leather (skins, hides), leather goods (bags, accessories), gloves, and crafts supplies through pittards.com e-commerce store and on-site retail store at Yeovil headquarters.
2. B2B Performance Leather Supply: Supply of performance leathers to major global brands across fashion, sports, military, automotive, aviation, consumer electronics, equestrian, and rail sectors. Leather specifications meet demanding technical standards for specialized applications.
3. Finished Product Manufacturing: Vertical manufacturing packages from leather specification through product design and development to final stitch. Manufacturing of gloves and footwear in both UK and Ethiopia for third-party brands. Also includes Daines & Hathaway premium accessory brand.
4. Fashion Brand Partnerships: Two collections per year produced in line with forward design cycles and seasonal colour trends. Luxury leathers supplied to leading brands for shoes, gloves, bags, clothing, and small leathergoods including watch straps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pittards designs and manufactures engineered performance leather (water-resistant, fire-retardant, abrasion-resistant, antimicrobial, grip-enhanced) supplied to global brands in fashion, sports, military, automotive, aviation, and consumer electronics sectors, and produces finished leather goods including bags, gloves, and accessories for direct-to-consumer sale through its own e-commerce site and Yeovil retail store. The company operates tanneries and product manufacturing in the UK (Yeovil, Somerset) and Ethiopia (Edjersa and Addis Ababa), with over one million pairs of gloves produced annually in its Ethiopian division.

Product overview

Pittards is a leather manufacturing company founded in 1826 offering two main product lines: Performance Leathers (engineered technical leathers with specialized properties) and Leather Goods (finished products including bags and gloves). Performance Leathers include technologies such as WR100X (water resistant), Armor-Tan (abrasion resistant), Firebloc II (fire retardant), Gripster (enhanced grip), Keratan, Microspike (antimicrobial), Oiltac, Parados (chemical resistant), Tri Protex (anti-bacterial), CIG (camouflage), and Upholstery leather. The finished goods include Women's Bags (England, Soho, Heritage collections), Women's and Men's Gloves (cycling, gardening, ski, dress styles), Gardening/Work Gloves (1826 collection), Leather Accessories, and Gifting products. The company operates tanneries in UK and Ethiopia with manufacturing in Somerset, England and Ethiopia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1826: Leather work and gardening gloves collection inspired by Pittards' long gloving heritage, utilizing natural benefits of rugged wild hides from Ethiopia.
• England Collection
• Soho
• Heritage
• Daines & Hathaway

Products and services

• Performance Leathers

Quantifiable outcome

• Glove production capacity of over 1 million pairs per year in Ethiopia
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Daines & HathawaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Pittards rescued the premium accessory brand Daines & Hathaway in 2010, adding vertical leathergoods manufacturing capability in the UK. This acquisition expanded Pittards' finished product manufacturing capabilities beyond their existing leather production.
• VivobarefootminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPittards partnered with Vivobarefoot for the 'In her shoes' video feature showcasing sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices. Pittards has been trading with Ethiopia for about 100 years and established its own manufacturing there in 2005.
• Bravehearts EthiopiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partnership in Addis Ababa working to find ways into work for disadvantaged people, providing skills training and advancement opportunities. CEO Reg Hankey visited Bravehearts to support their mission.
• GOALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partnership in Addis Ababa providing skills training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged people. Part of Pittards' community investment program in Ethiopia.
• University of NorthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject-based initiatives with University of Northampton providing paid internships for young designers and developers. Part of talent development and educational partnerships.
• London College of FashionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing paid internships for young designers and developers through project-based initiatives. Supports talent development in fashion and leather industries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Pittards_UK
• Facebookfacebook.com/PittardsUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/pittards_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pittards-plc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pittards