Trevor Crawford, founder of East Coast Leather, has more than 60 years experience in the leather industry. 

When Trevor took a summer job at Donald Dixon’s Tannery at 15 years of age in 1962, he had no idea his life’s course was about to change forever.

Dixons Tannery employed some 400 staff at the time, and was a progressive company, with all the latest machinery and all the latest technology and innovations to produce the highest quality chrome leathers. Trevor had planned to start an apprenticeship elsewhere when the summer was over; instead he stayed at Dixons for 22 years.

He had caught the leather bug and still hasn’t shaken it!

He worked his way up the ranks, and learned business of leather from the inside out. In the early 1980s small local leather goods manufacturers and shoe factories were struggling to survive due to the demands of tanneries for minimum quantity orders. Trevor saw the need was there and with a borrowed compressor and $1,000 in their pockets, Trevor and his business partner went out on their own to launch Color-Rite.

Out of an old tin shed in a backyard somewhere in Wynnum North, they were able to offer custom leathers in smaller quantities to local leatherworkers and manufacturers. The business grew and within a few years was employing 40+ staff.

By the year 2000, Color-Rite was exporting to China where most of the major shoe manufacturers had relocated their businesses. Despite dealing globally, they never forgot their roots and kept the focus local, setting up a shop at their factory on Jones Rd, Capalaba to cater for the Australian manufacturers and artisans. And so East Coast Leather was born.

In 2004, East Coast Leather relocated to The Leather Shed on Trevor and Nancy Crawford’s property in Mt Cotton and it has been there ever since.

Today, Trevor still hasn't managed to retire and together with his daughter Tracy, who herself has over 20 years experience working with leather, still supports local crafters, saddlers and artisans, offering the largest variety of quality leather in Queensland.