Pangea is quick to point out its leather is “waste from another industry” and “a 100 per cent upcycled material”, with Tim Lieckfelt, executive vice-president of global purchasing, telling West Wheels: “We visit the abattoirs to ensure our quality standards for raw hides are being met (and) we recently added a global director of supplier development to drive both our and LWG standards throughout the supply chain.”

Sustainability is key in the modern car industry, and so is perception. Can carmakers deliver eco-friendly and sustainable leather interiors to a growing consumer base that demands them? Pangea, a Detroit-based leather manufacturer specialising in automotive interiors, believes so.

In a wide-ranging talk with RLSD, Laurie Busch, automotive leather supplier Pangea’s Global Vice President of Design, discusses the company’s rebrand, and how it has helped shape its future. She also touches on how leather is having to reapply for the job it was already doing, and the importance of educating the public about sustainability.

GST AutoLeather — now named Pangea — is committed to leather. But that means it has to make the material better.