| Type | Privately held |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bespoke Leather Goods |
| Founded | 1856 |
| Founder(s) | Fredrick Krolle |
| Headquarters |
London, England 43 Berkeley SquareLondon WIJ 5AP |
| Website | www.tannerkrolle.com |
Tanner Krolle is a manufacturer of leather goods based in London, United Kingdom.
Contents |
In 1856, Frederick Franz Krolle founded the company.[1][2] He came to England from Germany, married an English woman and had four children—two of which were sons, Albert and Harry. Frederick was a saddler and initially the goods were exclusively saddlery. Through the remainder of the 1800s, as a result of the steam age, the company moved into travel goods. Customers such as Army and Navy stores, Harrods and Fortnum and Mason were the mainstay of the business.
Albert and Harry joined the business around 1870-1880 and by the turn of the century the business traded as A. Krolle, Albert being the eldest brother. However, by 1912, Harry had left the business. Albert served in World War I and during that time his wife, Amy Adelaine, ran the company. By this time the product range included kitbags, suitcases, hatboxes, shoeboxes, as well as dressing cases. Throughout the First World War the company made Sam Brown belts and other military equipment for the British Army.
In the early 1920s business slowed. At around this time Frank Squires, a salesman, introduced Albert Krolle to Frank Garrett, Managing Director and Chairman of R.T. Tanner and Co. Ltd. The two quickly became friends and F. Garrett suggested moving the entire A. Krolle business to Dorset Rise into R.T. Tanner & Co. Ltd. premises where there was spare space. This saved the A. Krolle business, which became an equal partnership trading as Tanner and Company. Customers at this time included include Harrods, Asprey, Debenham Freebodies, Dickens and Jones, John Pound, Drews, and Finnigans, all of which were interested in the company's handcrafted leather goods.
In the 1930s and 1940s the business grew as Albert's son, Geoffrey Krolle, joins the business. Tanner and Co. continued to receive tenders from the Ministry of Supply for straps, gun instrument covers, cockpit covers, canvas and leather equipment for military use. Unfortunately, in 1940, the entire building in Dorset Rise was destroyed through bombing and fire and all records, archive material, historical pieces were lost. New premises were temporarily found in Wheatsheaf House in Carmelite Street in the old Daily Mail building. By the end of the 1940s, R.T. Tanner and Co. Ltd. moved to Crayford and the company began exporting to the U.S.A. to stores such as Brooks, Saks, Gimbel, Crouch Fitzgerald and London Harness. Harrods remained the biggest customer along with Fortnum and Mason as the product line was expanded to include zip suitcases, pullman bags, attaché cases and document cases.
In the 1950s, A. Krolle died and the structure evolved as Tanner and Co. bought another high-quality leather manufacturer, J.D. Watts for £6,000. Soon after, on 23 November 1956 Tanner Krolle and Co. Ltd. formed, a move which restored the Krolle family name into the trading title.
The 1960s and 1970s continued to see growth and the name Tanner Krolle was first mentioned on products sold to Fortnum and Mason and eventually Harrods. Selfridges and other department stores were added and the product range was extended as the company began exporting to the continent.
In the early 1990s, Tanner Krolle was purchased by Chanel, with Alain Wertheimer presiding over the acquisition [3] and later in 2003, a private equity group acquired the company which owns Tanner Krolle to this day.
Tanner Krolle continues manufacture leather goods and accept commissions from style icons and royal households worldwide. Notable customers include Jackie Onassis, who bespoke equestrian accessories and luggage, Diana, Princess of Wales,[4] who travelled extensively using Tanner Krolle luggage and later commissioned school trunks for Princes William and Harry, as well as Saudi Arabia’s late King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.