Building on strength

Alexander Schmidt, President of AERISTO, talks to BAM about the company’s history, place in the market, and strategy

Q: Alexander, can you take us through the early history of AERISTO and its entry into business aviation?

AS: AERISTO was formed by market demand. Christian Schmidt, the founder and CEO of AERISTO originally came to the USA to open the distribution facility of our family’s leather tannery. The focus at that stage, in the mid 80s, was on furniture leather, which is why AERISTO is actually incorporated in North Carolina, furniture capital of the world. 

While building the family brand in the United States’ furniture sector Christian also learned a lot about the aviation industry – and how the industry dealt with obtaining very specific technical leathers at a time when there were no companies truly focusing on this industry. The status quo was taking furniture or automotive leather and simply applying flame retardant chemicals on the back so the FAA FAR regulations for materials would be met. 

However, when taking a leather that is made for a certain application and trying to turn it into something else, you have a problem. Like with nearly any other product one tries to convert, the results will never be as good as something that has been properly fabricated from ground up. 

With leather, these aggressive, topical flame-retardant chemicals may lead to a variety of issues: the soft, luxurious hand of the leather will stiffen, weight will be added and, in severe cases, the surface finish of the leather may have an adverse effect. This can lead to discoloration.

At the same time, the consistency of the flame retardant chemicals and the degree to which it is accepted by the porous grain of the leather, will never be consistent. This, in turn, can lead to issues during testing and can compromise the overall integrity of what was meant to be an aviation-grade leather.  

Christian, being aware of the industry’s need for a leather that was made specifically for aviation, took the opportunity to start AERISTO, catering specifically to those needs. Over the past 30 years, we have developed a name not only for high quality aviation leathers, but also as a company that designers can turn to for technically superior leathers properly manufactured for any industry and specifications.   

Q: At what point did you come into the business?

AS: I have been with “it” since day one, when the company was just my father and mother, all the way through to where we are today, operating out of our state-of-the-art facility, just minutes south of Dallas / Ft. Worth International Airport.  

Growing up, my sister and I saw firsthand the dedication my parents gave to the business. We helped whenever we could after school. This allowed me from a very early age to get a feel for the aviation and leather industry and of course has helped me understand our customers much better.  

Q: What sorts of products were in demand when Aeristo started?

AS: Over the past decades, the leather industry has really evolved. The chemical industry in particular has made great strides. There have also been real technological advancements in the machinery used in the tanning process. 

It is hard to believe just how much more consistent, both in look and feel, leathers can be manufactured today, when done properly. All of our inventoried leathers meet the highest of technical standards and these are the standards that pertain in the aviation industry. 

Our customers benefit from our 100 percent inspection process, which allows us to gauge our AERISTO certified manufacturing partners, both in respect to meeting technical criteria set forth as well as the quality of the hide, aesthetically and haptic.  

Q: What ranges are most in demand?

AS: In our industry, we are almost always dealing with very defined spaces and areas, whether it be the interior of an airplane, a yacht, or on a hospitality project. We have seen the trend for a few years now that the leathers cannot be white enough. This, of course, comes with its own set of challenges. However, the overall effect of making a defined area seem larger is achieved by utilizing these lighter colors.

Our AeristoCraft services, where we provide value added processes for leathers to include decorative quilting, custom perforation, embroidery, and so on, continues to grow in demand. While a number of our competitors are now also offering similar services, our attention to quality, precision, and customization remains unrivaled in the industry. 

All work is done in-house at our facility in Texas from the design to the actual hand work done by our skilled craftsmen and women. We do not say no to any projects. We come up with solutions on how to achieve any desired effect which is key to our customer base, who appreciate being able to convey an idea and allowing us to do the rest. 

We have a full design team on staff who can work hand-in-hand with outside designers to realize the end-customers desired vision. Just like with our specialty leathers, everything is customizable.    

Read the full article here: https://issuu.com/bizavmedia/docs/bam016_winter_2020-2021/42?fr=sMzVmNTI3NzQ1NDc