Part of Townsend's All-Star Cast
I have known Sarah Eckler, for some time but thanks to COVID, had never actually visited with her. Just before our Zoom interview, she emailed me, “Rick, don’t be taken aback if your struck with a loud plaid when we get on!” She went on to explain Friday is their “theme day” companywide...all 190 employees and principals. And today was plaid day!
I knew I would start with that anecdote because it struck the chord I was hoping to most capture in the article - that of a truly unique company with a very close, familial atmosphere. Oh sure, the concept itself is almost ubiquitous these days, most companies claiming “we’re all one big happy family,” but in truth few actually live it. Bucking the trend, Townsend Leather’s cohesive, personal approach is one of their great distinguishers. They not only ARE the walking, talking personification of “family,” but they’ve been that way for decades (long before today’s trendy business edicts).
But it was less of a business strategy...and more about just who he was.
In 1969, Sarah’s grandfather, Albert “Red” Kucel, founded the company. In 1982, he tragically died in an equestrienne accident with no succession plan in place. Sarah’s father, Terry Kucel, took over as the company’s president. While perhaps a little unsure how to re-start and grow at first, he possessed one unique, intrinsic quality. Terry knew the value of people and how the same strong sense of close-connection and support that builds great domestic families – could probably foster the same success within the business. “But it was less of a business strategy...and more about just who he was” she explained. A great example of his compassionate leadership, on more than one occasion was when Mr. Kucel recognized an employee struggling with transportation and bought them a car! “The rest he had to figure out but his unique sense about a strong, closely connected internal culture was innate. And it’s turned out to be one of the biggest and most sustaining elements of our success.”
Terry’s second-generation leadership helped shaped Townsend’s culture and growth for almost 30 years before deciding to retire. Jared Eckler, Sarah’s husband, now represents the third generation of leadership at Townsend. Though not a member of the original family, Jared is certainly well equipped to carry on the same legacy of compassion and family within the workplace. ”He honed these practices over years working with my Mom, who was my Dad’s right hand woman at work, in customer service.” Sarah’s Mom retired from Townsend in 2004 to spend more time with her grandchildren.
Perhaps one of the best examples of Jared’s compassionate leadership is that, to this day, he hand writes a thank you note to each and every employee on their work anniversary – always including something personal about them and recognizing the unique qualities they bring to the team. The initiative he is probably proudest of is the annual “Superlatives Survey.” He collects partners votes for who best exemplified certain values the prior year. Townsend then hosts a celebration lunch wherein a bonus check is presented to the winner in each category.
Literally every single business day, all 190 employees and principals meet together - physically. That means collectively wandering from four separate buildings (from which most would never otherwise connect) and assemble somewhere on their campus; just to see each other, have a few laughs, share some stories of the day, or take a group photo. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t remember anything like this at any company I’ve worked for. But for Townsend Leather, it works and has become an indispensable part of each business day, supporting company culture and the well-being of all employees, whether new-hires or 20-year veterans.
According to Sarah, this makes Townsend a FUN place to work and always trickles down into their pride of workmanship and the quality of the product itself.
And while we’re on product, Townsend manufactures every aspect except the tanning, which occurs just prior to receipt of the raw material. 100% of their leather is sourced from Europe where there’s no barbed wire and other ranching practices that protect hides from common defects. Also, most leather is harvested from bulls for single-hide yield, which is important in avoiding seams across larger products.
I wanted to understand more about the “craft” of leather making, which is still a huge part of Townsend’s philosophy and practice. Sarah was quick to point out that they employ plenty of large machines for cutting, continuous dying etc. – aspects that machines can simply do with more consistency and accuracy than humans. “But” she explained, “in leather making and, particularly in zero-defect leathers used for private aircraft, there is NO machine that will ever be able to parse out micro-defects and other tactile quality anomalies during manufacture like the human eye.”
While Townsend services industries beyond aviation, they have unquestionably earned an enviable position in aerospace as one of the top providers. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to say one aviation leather company’s product is superior to another. As aviation designers most of us know all the big names out there that offer very high-quality product and responsive service. But in observing Townsend over recent years, one thing continues to ring clear. I think Townsend is onto something: Content and engaged employees consistently
deliver a higher quality of workmanship.
Today’s world has a mountain of data to support that.
Simply listening to the pride and empathy in Sarah’s voice as she shared Townsend stories and described their culture makes it clear they have pride in workmanship, a sense of overall security and even fun, from the newest employee to the most tenured.
To wrap it in more definitive terms, Townsend has racked up top company ‘best places to work’ awards in both the Albany Business Review and the Times Union for EIGHT years running.
https://www.townsendleather.com/2022/lifestyle/best-place-to-work-townsend-leather
Post Script: If the Kucel family founded and built Townsend from the get-go, why not their namesake? Well, as Sarah tells it...”The company started as Crescent Leather, then changed to Tiffany Leather. A certain jewelry company, however, didn’t much care for that . . . so my Dad quickly had to come up with a new name. Our factory is on Townsend Ave in Johnstown - and the rest is history. However,” she adds “I like to romance it a bit more saying our factory sits at the end of two towns with a rich leather-making history and heritage.”
