From a top-of-the-line piece of leather to a genuine leather sofa, its life does not merely end in the tannery; instead, it spans the entire process from growth to completion.

On May 25, 2026, the R&D team of the VALORO brand set off for Europe once again. After flying over 9,000 kilometers from Shanghai to Milan in Italy, they left Waduts, the capital of Liechtenstein, in the early morning of the next day. They crossed the core production areas and upstream supply chains in southern Germany and embarked on a multi-day journey to trace the origin of European cowhide. 

This trip was fully supported and accompanied by BestHides, a top German supplier of raw hides and a long-term strategic partner of VALORO. The aim was to reveal to consumers the rigorous standards and extraordinary journey behind a top-quality cowhide, from the ranch to the finished product, in a transparent and full-chain manner. 

01 | Southern German Alpine Pasture 

The natural gifts of the northern slopes of the Alps. Wastlhuber

On the early morning of May 26th, Max accompanied us to the first stop of our journey tracing the origins of Europe - an Alpine mountain pasture located in the south of Germany, at an altitude of approximately 1300 meters. 

This place is located at 47.58° north latitude (equivalent to south of Mohe in Heilongjiang Province of China), with the snow-capped Alps towering behind it. The pure meltwater from the glaciers flows downstream, nurturing fertile soil rich in minerals and high-quality grasses with a natural aroma. 

The temperate mountainous climate here provides a pure environment with distinct seasons: the average temperature in summer is 20-25℃, and the winter is mild, reducing the stress response of the cattle; moreover, due to the scarcity of mosquitoes at high altitudes, the natural defect rate of the cattle's skin surface is significantly reduced. 

It is precisely in such an exceptional environment that BestHides operates its pastures in accordance with the highest standards of the European Union. The core breeding involves large noble cattle breeds such as German Gran bulls and Simmental. An adult bull can reach a height of 1.7 meters and weigh approximately 700 kilograms. The output of one cowhide panel can reach 70 square feet, making it an ideal raw material for the rare and high-quality VALORO leather sofas. 

The cattle here have at least 3 hours of outdoor free movement every day. They drink melted snow water from the mountain top and eat natural grass and scientifically balanced organic grains. This "scientific feeding + natural grazing" model has resulted in the dense texture of the cattle's skin fibers and abundant fat content. This is an inherent foundation that cannot be replicated in artificial laboratories.

02 | Southern German Alpine Mountain Livestock Farm 

European modernized scientific farming. Wastlhuber

After leaving the mountain pasture, a ten-minute drive brought us to the Wastlhuber farm. The farm owner, Mr. Thomas Lindner, and his family greeted us. This family-owned farm, covering approximately 200 hectares and housing 5,000 bulls, showcases the meticulous management of modern European livestock farming. 

The environment in the livestock farm is clean and well-ventilated, with scientifically rigorous zoning. Each cow is equipped with an individual electronic ear tag, which can monitor over twenty health indicators such as feed intake, water metabolism, and activity level in real time, enabling full life-cycle traceability. The cow sheds are equipped with automatic water dispensers and special straw soft mats that are changed twice a day, demonstrating Europe's ultimate pursuit of humane farming. 

In the feed storage area, there are local high-mountain alfalfa, high-quality barley and corn stalks. After natural drying, they retain the most original nutrients and coarse fibers. It is precisely this scientific, intelligent and humanized management system that ensures the dense and uniform structure of the cowhide fibers produced here, with very few natural scars and the complete preservation of the original oil, making it the preferred raw material for high-end leather sofas. 

Ms. Audrea Lindner, the owner of the farm, said: "I was born here and now I live here with my family. I have been deeply engaged in animal husbandry all my life and my career is centered around this farm." 

Furthermore, it must be said that the Germans are really very considerate in their hospitality. To entertain us, they even meticulously set up a hay stack tea break area, with beer bottles and fruit platters arranged on it. It was a typical outdoor dining scene of the Oktoberfest (German beer festival).

03 | Munich Slaughterhouse 

International meat production giant. Vion

On the afternoon of May 26th, the R & D team of VALORO visited the core supplier of BestHides - the international meat production giant Vion Group's slaughterhouse located in Bavaria. Mr. David, the CEO of BestHides, accompanied us on this visit. 

BestHides has 12 cooperating slaughterhouses in southern Germany, and Vion is the main supplier of raw hides for BestHides. All of Vion's raw hides are exclusively provided to BestHides. Generally, slaughterhouses mainly focus on beef production, with cowhide accounting for only 0.5%. 

Robert gave us a detailed introduction to the series of international authoritative certifications obtained by the Vion Group, including: 

· Certified Quality Bayern: Bavaria Quality Certification 

·Full name of OSI: OSI Group represents strict supply chain standards 

·IFS: International Food Standard (IFS) Food Certification 

·Orgainvent: Certification issued by the local food quality control agency in Germany 

·100% Simmental: 100% Simmental Certification 

·HALAL: Halal certification, a food production certification that complies with Islamic religious rules 

·HILTON FOODS: Certified by Hilton Foods Group 

·German / European meat industry compliance certification mark 

·EU Organic Certification (EU Organic Logo) 

·QS. Their food quality inspection system. German QS Food Quality and Safety Certification 

·IFS PIA Product Integrity: IFS Product Integrity Assurance Certification 

·McDonald's: McDonald's Supplier Certification 

Before entering the production workshop, everyone needs to change into professional sterile protective clothing. They had prepared the appropriate sizes for each member of the VALORO research and development team one month ago, which shows the company's meticulous working attitude. 

Here, the strict animal welfare regulations in Europe are fully implemented: Cattle must be kept in a resting period of more than 24 hours before slaughter, in order to minimize stress reactions and prevent the secretion of adrenaline from damaging the cortical fibers. 

What we are observing now is the process of removing the hide. The entire process only takes 35 seconds to remove the hide from a 700-kilogram cow. This automated hide removal equipment is currently the most advanced in the world. 

The daily processing volume of raw hides in the factory is approximately 500-600 pieces. Each hide undergoes strict quality control in terms of appearance, texture, and toughness, ensuring that each top-grade cowhide can be traced back to the ranch, the breeding cycle, and the processing batch, meeting the full-chain transparency standards of luxury brands.

04 | Bavarian Rawhide Production Line 

German rawhide processing procedure. BestHides

On the morning of May 27th, Source Trace Travel entered the core stage - visiting the headquarters and raw hide production line of BestHides in Bavaria. As a German high-end raw hide supplier that has been serving luxury furniture and car interiors since 1980, BestHides processes 10,000 raw hides every week and undergoes monthly third-party quality inspections by SGS Germany. 

On the production line site, the team witnessed the entire process from raw leather to refined materials: 

01 Precise sourcing: The raw skins from the slaughterhouse can reach up to 70 feet in length and have all been cooled and disinfected. 

02 Mechanical Tearing: The original skins are uniformly sent to the professional rollers for standardized tearing process. 

03 Handcrafted meticulous trimming: Manual removal of defects one by one, while preserving the high-quality outer layer. 

04 Professional Rating: Each piece is evaluated for texture, color, completeness and weight, and given a grade accordingly. 

05 Laser Traceability: Laser engraves the serial number of the bull's ear tag. One tag, one code, fully traceable throughout the process. 

06 Frozen Preservation (-2°C): Before storage, the leather is left to rest at a constant temperature of 2°C in a cold storage facility for 12 hours to stabilize the leather texture and its properties. 

07 Traditional Salt-Curing Method: After cooling, it undergoes professional salt curing to preserve its freshness, retaining its original texture and superior quality. 

08 Second-stage pickling: After salting, the meat is divided into grades again. It is placed flat on the surface with the meat side down, and then sorted and selected for quality assessment. 

09 Regular Packaging: High-quality raw skins are neatly folded and packaged according to standards, ready for transportation to the subsequent processing stage. 

On the spot, Max presented the team with four VALORO Waloire-exclusive raw hides: "The average weight of the selected cowhide is between 65 and 67 kilograms, with most exceeding 60 kilograms, and the average area is 65 square feet. This huge size offers significant advantages for the high-end market in China." 

Both parties reached an agreement on the raw hide purchase order for the second half of 2026 on-site. This provides a solid guarantee for the mass production delivery of VALORO Waleri.

05 | Housen Finished Leather Production Line 

New work by a master leather tanner from Germany. Singer International

On the afternoon of the 27th, the team arrived at the Singer International finished leather production line in the small town of Hausen near Regensburg. Mr. Stefan Singer, the CEO of Singer International and also Max's teacher and a well-known leather processing expert in the local area, personally received the VALORO research and development team. 

Entering the interior of the Pichang factory, under professional lighting, each piece of finished leather displayed its natural texture and smooth luster. Mr. Stefan gave a detailed explanation of the production process of this batch of large quantities of goods: These nearly uncoated full-grain leathers not only retain the original natural aroma of the leather, have a soft touch, but each one also comes with a clear traceability code, detailing the model, color number and thickness. 

The R&D team of VALORO conducted rigorous sample color comparison and thickness testing on-site. Based on the demand for the autumn new products, they repeatedly compared multiple color samples and finally successfully finalized the purchase order for the finished leather for the second half of 2026. Both parties conducted in-depth and fruitful communication regarding leather quality standards, supply cycle, and long-term cooperation details.

VALORO Waloire insists on tracing back to the source. This is not for telling a story, but to let every user know: What you own is not just a sofa, but a precious gift from nature. 

When your fingertips glide over the delicate texture of the VALORO leather sofa, what you are touching is not only the exquisite craftsmanship of the artisans, but also the changing seasons, dawn and dusk, and the local conditions of the Alps. 

Adhere to direct sourcing from European origins, and carefully select top luxury leathers from around the world. The journey of traceability for VALORO is still ongoing.