The History of Occidental Leather
Occidental Leather, a trailblazer in professional carpenter’s tool belts and pouches, was established by the visionary Darryl Thurner in the village of Occidental, Ca. in 1979. At that time, tool bag manufacturers were yet to fully comprehend the unique requirements of professional carpenters. Darryl’s innovative approach to quality and design swiftly evolved into a meticulously organized method of carrying essential tools in the then-thriving California stick framing industry. This was a significant shift, a testament to Darryl’s foresight and grasp of the industry’s needs. The ‘hand-specific’, intuitive tool holder placement, a feature that evolved with every prototype Darryl Thurner developed, became the envy of his co-workers, who experienced a substantial enhancement in their ‘working rhythm’ on the job.
Left-side bags were designed with the angle square neatly tucked between the central and outer “fastener” bag; right-side bags were designed to hold the most used tools: knife, pencil, lumber crayon, level, pencils, hammer. Nothing compared to the field functionality he developed for himself. For example, before 1979, there was no holster for an angle square; it was just thrown in the fastener bag and fell out every time a carpenter moved! His co-workers asked him to make tool bag “systems” for them in noticeably short order.
The official beginning
Thus, the foundations of the Occidental Leather niche market handcrafted, function-engineered working systems were laid in 1979 and formally incorporated in 1980. The focus of any entrepreneur is to bring to light better ideas. Hence, the development of ‘high-end’ custom-made tool belt systems and accessories was born of necessity. Mr. Thurner discovered that the modern tool belt could be a work of art and an expression of craftsmanship. A quality tool belt system can give pleasure on its own. Besides its functional usefulness, leather unquestionably has an appeal and functions in a way that advanced synthetic materials cannot match. Occidental tool belts are now a legendary, practical, well-designed daily companion to the trades. Their quality and durability make them a wise investment. Each part is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans, ensuring the consummate quality and precision assembly that have made Occidental’s products second to none.
A renaissance in the tool belt industry
Promoting his designs at job sites and trade shows made it apparent that Darryl Thurner would have to teach “old dogs new tricks.” No new tool bag designs had been introduced for 20 years, and many tradespeople’s work habits and concepts were rooted in poor, nonfunctional designs that were not suited for the work habits of the new world of carpentry. As more and more professionals were exposed to the Occidental design systems, a renaissance of the “tool belt industry” was born.
More specifically, no evolutionary series of tool belt designs has indelibly marked the industry’s history. For this reason, it is a tool belt a carpenter can trust. Occidental has the winning combination of people, spirit, pride in craftsmanship, and a fierce determination to succeed despite incredible odds. Many thought they did not stand a chance against the formidable competition of significant players.
Expansions while staying true to roots
Product demand grew as Occidental Leather gained acceptance by building supply and hardware stores. In 1981, the business grew out of its facility in Occidental. It moved to a more prominent location in Valley Ford, CA, a small coastal community forty-five miles north of San Francisco, CA. Five years later, Occidental outgrew that location and was offered land to build a larger facility by the local postmaster to keep them in town! They built a modern facility across the street, behind the Post Office, and remained there for six years until it became apparent that they would need at least three times the space to continue.
In 1995, Occidental Leather® moved to a historic downtown Santa Rosa, CA building. Darryl Thurner put together an “A” team of carpenters, engineers, electricians, and plumbers who renovated the turn-of-the-century building in a miraculous time. Once again, Occidental flourished there for another 10 years.
In early 2003, Mr. Thurner purchased the former Ross Road Lumberyard, a rural commercial property in Sonoma County in Graton, CA. Working day and night for four months, the property was transformed from a forgotten junkyard into a beautiful well, landscaped manufacturing compound, which they moved into in May of 2003. Occidental Mfg. Inc. continues to manufacture and innovate Occidental Leather® products for the construction industry at this location and is now the only remaining tool belt brand manufactured exclusively in the U.S.
