Aaron Laithwaite, founder and CEO of Hydes hails from a small town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. His adventurous side surfaced early with avid and competitive involvement in downhill ski racing and mountain biking. His love of cars was ever present, but at a young age it was only realized in his dreams.

Creating work around cars has been a life-long passion and the road has been winding. Aaron began in the leather industry in ’97 by co-founding a leather furniture wholesale operation. While learning the business, he began to develop an interest in customizing the designs of his products to meet the needs of his clients. The products were popular and the company grew quickly.

Wanting to have more creative input and control, he acquired an interest in a leather furniture manufacturing business. From that point on he assumed the roles of material sourcing and product design. Immersed in the leather supply sector he developed strong bonds with several tanneries around the world resulting in a deep and intimate understanding of his product and industry.

With his desire to be connected to the car industry still on the bucket list, he created a contract hides division for auto interiors as an off-shoot of the furniture manufacturing/wholesaling. Soon it began to grow into a sizable share of the company’s revenue. Eventually he separated the contract hides from the parent company, renamed it Hydes Leather and subsequently sold his interest in the furniture business and the joint-venture.

With all the focus firmly on Hydes, the company is booming. Aaron and the staff at Hydes love what they do. Creativity, passion, and dedication to the dreams of their clients keeps everyone working at full throttle.

Like the rest of the Hydes Team, our GM Ben is a true car nut or "petrol head" as he calls it in his native England. With an extensive background in the tech, tourism and sales and marketing world, working for 2 person start ups, multinational corporations and everything in between. Ben has a wealth of experience with all things tech, sales, logistics and marketing.

As a car fan, Ben jumped at the opportunity to join the Hydes Leather team in 2022 and hasn't looked back. In his spare time, he runs his own marketing business and is an avid skier, backcountry snowmobiler and mountain biker. When it comes to cars, Ben has a bit of an obsession with vintage and modern BMWs and classic British sports cars (Morgans in particular!).

Even as a kid, Bion has always been into cars and trucks and drew them from a young age; hot rods with big rear tires, drag race engines, side pipes shooting flames out and brightly coloured paint jobs. He loved them all as long as they were loud, fast and fun. So when he was hired as the Sales Manager at Hydes Leather and was told they were going to SEMA in the fall, he was ecstatic. Being able to sell the best leather in the industry to the builders and upholsterers he had seen in the too-numerous-to-count magazines that he had read over the decades was a dream come true. 

Even now, 4 years later and as the Director of Sales, Bion awakes each day, excited to go to work and talk to his clients about the current projects they are working on and how Hydes Leather can enhance their craftsmanship with the best materials on the market.

So let me ask you, "What project are you working on?"

Eoin (pronounced Owen) is originally from the charming streets of Dublin, Ireland, and now embracing the breathtaking mountain landscapes of Whistler, BC, Eoin brings over 6 years of invaluable expertise in Sales and Customer Success, honed across diverse B2B industries.

Despite his professional prowess, Eoin wears his automotive journey with a touch of nostalgia, proudly reminiscing about his first wheels—a trusty 2002 Nissan Micra. His passion and admiration for cars is deep-rooted in iconic TV shows and movies like Top Gear, The Italian Job, and the legendary James Bond series.

As a devoted member of our team, Eoin is thrilled to blend his love for cars with his extensive background, dedicated to guiding our cherished customers through their automotive upholstery endeavors with unparalleled care and expertise.

Eoin hopes his enthusiasm, knowledge, and commitment promise to elevate your experiences to new heights.

Born with a sparkle of chrome in her eyes and a passion for the roar of an engine, Sherri Candland swapped out dolls for diecasts and playgrounds for pit lanes from a young age. Brought into the world of racing and everything automotive by her father, she quickly learned that stock just wouldn't do and custom reigned supreme.

In her career, Sherri created the largest airbrush training program in North America and has represented many highly acclaimed custom builders in the industry. Her passion turned to marketing and securing large sponsorships for events and builders over the years.

She joined the Hydes team over 6 years ago as our Social Media Marketing Manager and keeps us relevant on those platforms daily.