Franchise interest taking off for Concorde seat restoration specialists
EXPERTSE: Ahmad Sharafeldin training with Richard Hutchins at the Leather Repair Company in Hull
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
A couple whose classy restorations include seats on Concorde and a sofa used by an iconic pop star are lining up franchise opportunities across the UK as interest increases in their leather repair expertise.
Richard and Carolynne Hutchins, who founded the Leather Repair Company in 2007, have parked their repair and restoration activities to focus on passing on their expertise.
Richard said: “At the moment our focus is purely on developing franchising, training and our leather care products because we’ve received so many enquiries and we need to sort through those and identify the best candidates in the various locations all over the UK.”
Cambridge couple Ahmad Sharafeldin and Riya Muni were the latest franchisees to visit the Leather Repair Company’s workshops in Hull for the tuition which will enable them to add a new dimension to their existing business package of delivering and restoring furniture.
Ahmad explained that their friend Mantas Navickas, owner of the Cambridge Upholsterer, recommended the Leather Repair Company after he trained with the company two years ago.
Other interest has been generated by the company’s work in 2023 to restore the sofa which featured on the George Michael album Patience, and the restoration last year of all the seats on G-BOAC Concorde at Runway Visitor Park in Manchester to mark the plane’s 50th anniversary.
Ahmad said: “From working with Mantas it became clear there’s a good market for leather repair and there are opportunities for us. It’s a job where you never stop learning because there are always new ideas, new products and new customers who didn’t realise that their favourite leather items can be repaired and restored.
“It gives old things another lease of life rather than throwing them away. It saves you money, it’s better for the environment and it makes you feel good when you know you can restore something you have had for a long time.”
The new franchise will cover the entire Cambridgeshire area, with Ahmad taking the lead on leather repair and restoration and Riya focusing on admin and customer service.
Riya said: “Richard and Carolynne have helped us set up the business and get to know some of the other leather items we can work on. They’ve repaired upholstery in homes and hotels as well as planes and boats and they’ve also worked on clothing, bags and saddles.
“The work they did with Concorde and the sofa makes you think about all the famous people who must have used those seats, and the exciting opportunities which could arise for us.
“They’ve shown and explained things very clearly during our two weeks in Hull and we have turned into sponges while we’ve been here.
“One of the most important elements is learning how to deal with customers, managing their expectations, showing them how something will look after it has been restored and repaired and looking after them. All of that gives us the confidence that we have come to the right place and we can do a good job for our customers.”
Richard said: “Our portfolio shows you really can end up working on the most amazing projects because demand is increasing from people who want to recycle their own leather items, bringing new life to family heirlooms which might have been in the family for generations.
“We’ve got every confidence in our new franchisees because Ahmad has a great eye for perfection and detail, Riya is committed to providing a great service for customers and they both have incredible enthusiasm.”