The Glasgow-based company has developed BioPRO Foam, a collagen-based seating foam produced from a byproduct of leather manufacturing. The material is naturally fire-retardant and is free from chemicals including melamine and PFAS. The company said the technology has secured a global patent.
Speaking to The Scotsman, Muirhead said the idea emerged after the business discovered collagen’s foaming properties while exploring new uses for leather industry byproducts.
“We established that collagen had foaming properties, and it felt like a natural link to explore,” he said. “The foam we created was naturally fire retardant and allowed us to remove nasty chemicals like melamine and PFAS from traditional foams.”
Scottish Leather Group has recently reopened a production site in the Glasgow area to manufacture the material, with aviation customers already signed up. The company operates its own tannery, cutting facility and foam production site, allowing it to control the entire production process.
Muirhead told The Scotsman that early customer discussions under non-disclosure agreements generated a strong response, describing BioPRO Foam as “a truly industry product”.
The family-owned business, which traces its roots in the leather trade back eight generations, supplies leather to automotive brands including Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and McLaren, as well as airlines such as Emirates, British Airways and Singapore Airlines. It also operates manufacturing facilities in China and Mexico.
According to information reported from the interview, North America is currently Scottish Leather Group’s strongest export market, with Muirhead attributing this in part to U.S. tariff policies encouraging manufacturers to source more products domestically.
Source: The Scotsman
