The kid’s a fighter.” That’s how former ShopTalk! owner and writer Dan Preston described 37-year-old Jeff Ballard back in 2004, when Jeff first opened Thoroughbred Leather, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky. Jeff was facing stiff competition from more experienced leather purveyors and the ShopTalk! article was a welcome surprise. “The article compared us to the top leather brand in the US,” Jeff recalls. “When people read the article, they thought, ‘Maybe we should give Thoroughbred a try.’ It was a real boost to the company.”
With a little help from ShopTalk!, Jeff Ballard and Thoroughbred Leather took off like a racehorse. For almost two decades, Jeff Ballard has been providing leather workers with superior leather made from American cattle and processed to exacting standards of excellence.
“I have got two different Amish customers coming in today,” Jeff says, speaking with me on a busy Monday, right before Christmas. “One customer makes saddles and western tack here in Kentucky. The other Amish customer makes all kinds of leather products - belts, bags, cell phone cases - and sells them on Etsy. It takes a little bit of time to figure out
