ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
Moore Pearsall Leathers and Tannery Warehouse merged to form MPTW in 2009 in order to improve sourcing and global reach for our customers.
We have 85 + years of experience in Sourcing, Developing, Importing and Exporting Leather for Belts / Equestrian / Footwear/ Leathergoods / Garment / Bags and Orthopaedic industries.
MPTW draws on our expertise and well established network of global contacts to provide the right products for large and small manufacturers, artisans and crafts people.
OUR HISTORY
Back in 1930, at the start of the Great Depression, Vern Pearsall was laid off from his sales job at a major tannery. Having been in the shoe and then the leather business all his life, he decided that he could make a living as a leather jobber and wholesaler. After struggling through a few lean years, he was joined in 1936 by his former boss, Alf Moore, to become Moore Pearsall Leathers. A sales office in Montreal followed soon after. Then, a finishing department was opened in Toronto, specializing in veg splits.
1945-1954
1945 : At the end of WWII, business had grown and more space was critical, leading the company to purchase the heritage building at 47 Front Street East in downtown Toronto. Built in 1870, it was unique in that it is a group of one of three attached similar buildings with cast iron fronts : the only ones left in the city of Toronto. It still stands today with the heritage colours and old sign visible.
It was in this 24 foot wide building that we were splitting, shaving, buffing, embossing and measuring while 5 clicking machines cut shoe parts!
Over the next few years, various machines and operations were moved within the building.
1954: Three large machines were located on the top floor so dust collectors were installed on the roof.
THE BIG FIRE
January 4, 1954: A fire broke out in the old wooden elevator shaft apparently due to a smouldering cigarette butt. This quickly rose to the roof and fourth floor where the weight of the machines brought down a large section of the building into the basement.
Production was disrupted. Luckily, space was available in the nearby “Beardmore Building” where this tannery cut and stocked industrial machine belting and cut soles. Within ten days, full production had resumed. Embossing and splitting was carried out in the basement of the burned out shell.
6 months later, we were able to move back into our then “modernized” (in the 50’s style) building.
During our heyday, we were finishing over 5,000,000 square feet of splits annually- selling at prices of 10, 11 and 12 cents per square foot for shoe linings up to about 35 cents maximum for heavier weights! Those were the days.
As years passed, it became more difficult to get our veg tanned split raw materials due to decreasing sole leather production. This, coupled with environmental concerns of water for finishing and potential poor air quality for spraying made our decision to cease finishing splits in the early 1980’s.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE
Our Montreal and Quebec sales continued to grow.
In 1999, due to changes in real estate and target market customers, the heritage building was sold in downtown Toronto. Moore Pearsall Leathers moved to 100 Wingold Avenue to be closer to the newest fashion district in north Toronto.
In 2009, Moore Pearsall and Tannery Warehouse merged to offer more diverse leather selections to a broader customer base. Together, the company is known as MPTW. We continue curate and sell high quality leathers while providing excellent service to our established and new wholesale customers. Join us on your journey to find the best leather for your needs. We're here to help.
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