A new company called Corio Outfitters has launched in Brookfield.
Corio, which is a play on the Latin word for leather, makes high-end leather products geared toward professional males. They are produced at equine leather product manufacturer Walsh Products Inc. in Brookfield. Walsh president and chief executive officer Paul Trieber is a partner in Corio, along with Joseph Burkwald and Andrew Rose-Rankin.
Corio’s products, also offered in partnership with The Speakeasy Leather Co., include briefcases, weekend bags, backpacks, messenger bags, tablet cases and coffee sleeves. They are all made from English bridle leather, vegetable tanned to different shades and handcrafted in a process that takes about 15 hours, Burkwald said. The buckles and hardware are the same as on Walsh Co. products.
“Every bag will be a little bit different,” Rose-Rankin said. “Each one will have its own unique characteristics.”
The retail price for Corio’s Standard Briefcase is $1,795.
“The durability in a bag like this, it’s almost an heirloom piece,” Trieber said.
Among the company’s early customers was Milwaukee restaurateur Joe Bartolotta, who uses the messenger bag, Trieber said.
“People are looking for products that last and are made in the United States,” Burkwald said. “We’re committed to taking the old ways of leather-making and incorporating it for the modern working professional.”
