JBS Leathers

The story of JBS® began in 1953 in Brazil, when José Batista Sobrinho (whose initials now form the name of our company) started out processing less than five head of cattle per day. Through determination, discipline, simplicity, years of hard work and a few acquisitions along the way, JBS has grown from a small, family-owned business into the world’s leading provider of quality meat protein, leather and sustainable co-products.

The Cactus tannery started operations in April 1997 with the business support of many of the largest finish tanners from around the world. Since its opening, a majority of Cactus’ production has been exported, with wet blue production expanding into 10 countries in addition to the United States. The further-processed status of finished leather sets wet blue hides apart from other products available on the market.

The Cactus tannery offers a diverse set of services including custom splitting in the blue. The finished product from the Cactus Tannery is used in shoes, boots, handbags, automotive seats and trim, upholstery, garments, luggage, belts, and other leather goods. Cactus wet blue is also proud to have its materials used in the production of boots for the US military.

The Leather Working Group – made up of packers, tanners, chemical suppliers, equipment suppliers and major shoe brands from around the world – has established guidelines regarding environmental stewardship. The Cactus tannery scored the highest point total of any tannery in the world during its last LWG audit, resulting in the GOLD MEDAL ranking. The tannery also enjoys ISO 14001:2004 certification, which it received in recognition of the facility’s superior environmental management system.