Otanka S.A. was established in 1985. It was registered in the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in 1986. The company started its activity, in 1977 in the USA, selling machinery and equipment for the leather industry from Canada to Argentina the whole Americas, including the United States. In beginning 1979 business shifted to Asia, where we started to visit and supply machinery to Thailand-Indonesia - Malaysia - Singapore. Visits were done on regular basis, and as from the beginning of the 1980 we started to work for the South-Korean leather industry in the area of Seoul and Busan. Since that date, we specialised in serving the Korean leather industry, supplying Italian tanning machines from various suppliers: Fratelli Carlessi spa - Industria Meccanica 3P snc - Incoma spa - Bergi-OFB spa - Rizzi spa - Mostardini - Ficini - Emmezeta - CM spa and so on. The Korean leather industry found its boom in the late eighties early nineties, and we took a share of that boom, especially when the new industrial zone in Banwol was founded. It required the move of several Korean tanneries to the industrial facility, which we took part in supplying a fairly good share of Italian machinery. We do not want to forget the Busan market of the split leathers and shoe uppers tanneries. We supplied most of the machinery and equipment of Nam Chung Co Ltd supported by Serim machinery in Busan for the after-sales services, and maintenance of the machinery. Now that a major number of Korean tanners went out of business due to the I.M.F crisis, some tanners moved to China and specially to the Qingdao area, we took a part also in this move, in the mean time, korean machinery manufacturers are getting more and more important on the market, so that the machinery import since few years is slowing down a lot remaining only: new technology machines and labour saving equipment and machinery. In January 2000, we started a new line of business, and namely selling chemicals and technology for the Korean tanners, in producing their leathers in the best way caring about ecology, and pollution. We supply, besides the usual machinery for the tanneries, chemicals for the wet-section (pre-soaking-soaking-liming-tanning process). We have a team of leather specialists, and chemists, working closely with us and we are supported by few chemical manufacturers, and Italian tanners in the very well known area of Arzignano (Vicenza), and Santa-Croce (Pisa). Lately we came into an agreement with the leading water jet cutting system, machinery manufacturer EXPERT SYSTEMTECHNIK GmbH Bielefeld Germany. We provide them with all assistance in the leather industry in general: automotive, upholstery ecc. sales, service maintenance and spare parts .We hope in a fruitfull and successfull cooperation in EUROPE, U.S.A. and ASIA. We hope to have given you some informations on our organization. We have offices in Switzerland, USA, Korea (Seoul and Busan). Sincerely yours Michael Cervenka President