THE LEATHER HAWKER

“My father was abandoned as a baby on the corner of a
street called ‘Cosway Street’ so he was given
the name Cosway” . . . Ron Cosway

Ron Cosway in his workshop.

When you put on a pair of shoes, fasten your belt or slide into the driver’s seat of your car, has it ever occurred to you what goes into making the leather that we encounter constantly in our everyday lives? One Port Perry resident plays a major role in the process of getting leather from its source to your lifestyle. His name is Ron Cosway and together with his wife Sandy, they operate R & S Leather Sales and have done so successfully for 26 years.

Ron grew up just south of Port Perry in the village of Columbus, living and working on the farm his father managed. Any free time was usually spent doing chores or helping out. “They were tough times” Ron recalls, of his high school years. “But I would not have traded them for anything.”

Cosway is an interesting and uncommon name and its origin has an unusual twist. “My father,” Ron explains, “was born in England and was abandoned as a baby on a street corner. When the police found him they took him in, but had no idea what his name was. They found him on Cosway Street and aptly gave him the name.” Ron smiled as he recalled the story of his father. “The street had formerly been called Stafford, so my dad’s name became Stafford Cosway.”

The people who owned the farm, where Ron’s family lived and worked, also owned Robson-Lang Leathers, a tannery dealing in all types of leather goods. Ron’s father spent time there and during the last few years of high school Ron was also employed by the company. He enjoyed the business and decided to stay on full time, when the opportunity arose.

“The early 1960s were prosperous times in the leather industry,” Ron recollects, and he would certainly know, for he performed most every job within the company.

“I started in the drying department, where leather is cured to enable it to be used for different purposes. From there I went into the shipping department and the sorting areas and finally was promoted into inside sales.” Ron had a knack for the industry and was appointed outside sales rep and later became the USA sales manager.
One day Ron and his brother went on a double blind date, but instead of his date, Ron took a fancy to his brother’s friend, a girl from New York City. In 1969 Ron and that girl, Sandy, were married. Over the next decade the young family were blessed with two boys and twin girls.

Robson-Lang experienced difficult times and the company had to fold, leaving Ron and Sandy to explore new options. “I didn’t know any other business, so I contacted some of my clients and decided to become an agent for them.

They started the business, moved to Port Perry and never looked back. “It’s a great town to raise kids,” Ron said. “The community is so positive and open to new ideas, making it a great place to operate our business.”
Leather is a bi-product of the food industry. Hides are tanned after the animals have been processed and leather plays an important role in our daily lives. Ron’s products are used in the making of police boots and leather belts, dog collars and upholstery fabrics and he has expanded his sales agency to also become a wholesaler.

Sandy and Ron Cosway are seen here in the
workshop in their Mary Street home.
Photo by Jonathan van Bilse

The business takes Ron and Sandy to many destinations, including Florida, Boston and Montreal. “Our son attended university in Ottawa, so every time we went to see him we would spend a few days calling on prospects.” Now they have more than thirty clients in the Ottawa area and their son is actively involved in the family profession.

“The industry is changing. More and more people are buying leather from East Asia, which means we have to rethink the way we do business.” The company now caters to smaller firms, who deal in specialized products, such as dog collar manufacturers and boot manufacturers for the RCMP.

They have overseas clients as well. “I just think it is so great to see a Port Perry company deal with businesses in places like Belgium,” Ron said, as he held up an order from the small European country.

Ron is very active in the community. For many years he has coached soccer and hockey and for seventeen years ran the antique show at Port Perry High School, a fundraiser for the music department.

Last month the Fine Arts department, at PPHS, were able to endow an award to a student who has demonstrated proficiency in different areas of art, music or drama. The award is called the Ron and Sandy Cosway Fine Arts Scholarship. What a wonderful testament to a couple who have given so much back to the community.

By Jonathan van Bilsen
Focus on Scugog