Millau, a city in the Occitanie region of southern France, is witnessing the court-ordered liquidation of its last remaining tannery, Pechdo, which began operations in the early 1900s and this decision delivers a heavy blow to the local economy and the city’s centuries-old leathermaking heritage.

The announcement came from Millau’s mayor, Emmanuelle Gazel, during a press event introducing another local company, Cyclamen.

According to Millavois, the tannery had been struggling for several years to stay afloat.

Its director, Caroline Krug, fought to keep operations going despite repeated setbacks. But the collapse of a large storage structure last June, which was not covered by insurance, became the final blow for the business already weakened by financial strain.

With the closure, 33 employees are now left without jobs. For many in Millau, this is more than just a factory shutdown it’s the loss of a historic trade that shaped the town’s reputation across France and beyond.

Pechdo specialized in tanning bovine and goat hides.

The liquidation of Pechdo not only ends the story of a company but also signals a worrying decline for traditional leather industries in smaller French towns.