Habermaaß GmbH
Encyclopedia
Habermaaß Inc. is a German
toy manufacturing company based in Bad Rodach
, Bavaria
. The company defines itself as an “Inventor for inquisitive minds”, offering a broad selection of products such as wooden and textile toys, home furnishings and accessories for babies and children. Today the company is still a family run company, under the leadership of the managing partner Klaus Habermaaß and the managing director Harald Grosch.
In 1940, only two years after its foundation, when Anton Engel withdrew from the company, Eugen Habermaaß became its sole managing director. When he passed away, in 1955, his wife Luise Habermaaß took over the management of the company. At the same time, their son, Klaus Habermaaß, later to become the managing director of the company, decided to start an apprenticeship in cabinetmaking. On finishing his engineering studies in 1961, he became actively engaged in the running of the company, which grew and expanded in the following years.
The small manufacturer of wooden toys sets out to become a market leader in the sector, facing up to the challenge of globalization. The toy manufacturer based in Upper Frankonia expands first in the USA where in 1980 the American company “Skaneateles Handicrafters” becomes part of the Habermaaß Inc., first as a production and later as a sales and distribution site. Renamed in the following years as “T.C. Timber”, in 2002 the company receives the definitive company name of “Habermaaß Corp. Inc.". In the meantime, in 1993, a subsidiary is founded in the French
location of Evry
near Paris
under the name of “HABA S.A.R.L" and in 2005 the “HABA UK” site is established in the United Kingdom
.
In order to expand their product range even further the corporate family of HABA and Wehrfritz decided back in 1987 to found Jako-o GmbH, a joint mail-order company for children’s fashion, toys and accessories which in 2004 was enlarged with the addition of the sales branches Fit-z and Qiéro.
en toys have been a trademark of HABA. The company became known in particular for its construction blocks, which up until now have been an integral part of the product range. Over the decades the product range has expanded: first incorporating other wooden toys such as pulling figures, vehicles, clutching toys and a complex upgradeable ball track system, followed later by the first society games. Which is how in 1986 the most famous HABA game “The Orchard” was created. The connections with the closely related Wehrfritz company were also taken advantage of in the upcoming development and production of children’s furniture –all made in a child friendly way using only the finest woods.
Even today the main focus of the company still lies in manufacturing out of wood. However, progressively different materials have been incorporated: with dolls and fabric animals, rugs, furniture for children’s rooms and illumination articles finding their way into the product range which is further complemented by gift articles, accessories and children’s jewelry. All products made by the Habermaaß company, however, have one shared aim, fostering the healthy development of children.
. It is from here that all business and the daily activities of the different branch offices are monitored and directed. The company holds distribution branches in the USA, France and the United Kingdom. Today the company is firmly established in both the European and world markets – with distribution areas stretching from Japan
, Russia
, the Near East
and Europe
to North
and South America
.
. This standard defines the quality management of a company: it guarantees and certifies high quality and outstanding values of not only the products of a company but also the business processes within the company. Our clutching toys, for example, are not simply made of high quality raw material, but are also produced, procured and developed (the entire process within the company) according to quality standards. Furthermore the company has been granted the DIN ISO 14001
certificate for environmental management. The company purposefully carries out environmental policies, fulfilling self-imposed objectives.
Many HABA playthings have also been designated with the “Spiel Gut” (Good Toy) stamp.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
toy manufacturing company based in Bad Rodach
Bad Rodach
Bad Rodach is a town in the district of Coburg, in Upper Franconia, a north Bavarian Regierungsbezirk, Germany. It is situated 10 km southeast of Hildburghausen, and 17 km northwest of Coburg...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. The company defines itself as an “Inventor for inquisitive minds”, offering a broad selection of products such as wooden and textile toys, home furnishings and accessories for babies and children. Today the company is still a family run company, under the leadership of the managing partner Klaus Habermaaß and the managing director Harald Grosch.
History
In 1938, Eugen Habermaaß and Anton Engel founded “Habermaaß & Co.” as a “factory for fine wooden products”, and a couple of months later “Wehrfritz & Co." in cooperation with Karl Wehrfritz.In 1940, only two years after its foundation, when Anton Engel withdrew from the company, Eugen Habermaaß became its sole managing director. When he passed away, in 1955, his wife Luise Habermaaß took over the management of the company. At the same time, their son, Klaus Habermaaß, later to become the managing director of the company, decided to start an apprenticeship in cabinetmaking. On finishing his engineering studies in 1961, he became actively engaged in the running of the company, which grew and expanded in the following years.
The small manufacturer of wooden toys sets out to become a market leader in the sector, facing up to the challenge of globalization. The toy manufacturer based in Upper Frankonia expands first in the USA where in 1980 the American company “Skaneateles Handicrafters” becomes part of the Habermaaß Inc., first as a production and later as a sales and distribution site. Renamed in the following years as “T.C. Timber”, in 2002 the company receives the definitive company name of “Habermaaß Corp. Inc.". In the meantime, in 1993, a subsidiary is founded in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
location of Evry
Évry
-Administration:Évry is the préfecture of the Essonne département. It is also the official seat of the arrondissement of Évry, although in reality the sous-préfecture buildings and administration are located in the neighboring commune of Corbeil-Essonnes.Évry is the capital of two cantons:*...
near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
under the name of “HABA S.A.R.L" and in 2005 the “HABA UK” site is established in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In order to expand their product range even further the corporate family of HABA and Wehrfritz decided back in 1987 to found Jako-o GmbH, a joint mail-order company for children’s fashion, toys and accessories which in 2004 was enlarged with the addition of the sales branches Fit-z and Qiéro.
Product range
Since the company was founded in 1938, woodWood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
en toys have been a trademark of HABA. The company became known in particular for its construction blocks, which up until now have been an integral part of the product range. Over the decades the product range has expanded: first incorporating other wooden toys such as pulling figures, vehicles, clutching toys and a complex upgradeable ball track system, followed later by the first society games. Which is how in 1986 the most famous HABA game “The Orchard” was created. The connections with the closely related Wehrfritz company were also taken advantage of in the upcoming development and production of children’s furniture –all made in a child friendly way using only the finest woods.
Even today the main focus of the company still lies in manufacturing out of wood. However, progressively different materials have been incorporated: with dolls and fabric animals, rugs, furniture for children’s rooms and illumination articles finding their way into the product range which is further complemented by gift articles, accessories and children’s jewelry. All products made by the Habermaaß company, however, have one shared aim, fostering the healthy development of children.
Company sites and distribution areas
Since it was founded in 1938, the company’s production site has been located in the Upper Frankonian town of Bad Rodach, just a few kilometers away from the federal state boundary with ThuringiaThuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. It is from here that all business and the daily activities of the different branch offices are monitored and directed. The company holds distribution branches in the USA, France and the United Kingdom. Today the company is firmly established in both the European and world markets – with distribution areas stretching from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Quality
It is extremely important for children that products are only of outstanding quality – for HABA, Quality made in Germany is written in capital letters. HABA backs its qualified quality management with the use of high quality raw materials and wood from sustainable forestry, as well as complying fully with all specific security standards.Quality management
The company is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001ISO 9000
The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
. This standard defines the quality management of a company: it guarantees and certifies high quality and outstanding values of not only the products of a company but also the business processes within the company. Our clutching toys, for example, are not simply made of high quality raw material, but are also produced, procured and developed (the entire process within the company) according to quality standards. Furthermore the company has been granted the DIN ISO 14001
ISO 14000
The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment The ISO 14000 environmental management standards exist to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes etc.) negatively affect the...
certificate for environmental management. The company purposefully carries out environmental policies, fulfilling self-imposed objectives.
Raw materials
For their toys HABA uses only water-based varnishes and solvent-free paints that are colorfast, nontoxic and resistant to saliva and perspiration. Children can safely put them in their mouth. Wood is at the core of many HABA products, remaining as it is has been from the beginning the company’s primary raw material. Domestic beech wood is mainly used in production. Sustainable forestry is also an important issue, and the company’s production has been certified according to the PEFC. The PEFC certificate (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) guarantees the use of wood from sustainable forestry. This is to ensure that the environment is protected and living spaces are not destroyed unnecessarily.Security
In their materials and manufacturing HABA toys meet all European security standards and regulations as well all the stringent US standards applied to products for the US market. In Europe, the security standards of HABA toys comply with DIN standard EN 71 for the “Security of Toys”. Furthermore many products have been awarded the “GS mark” (Geprüfte Sicherheit = certified safety) of the LGA Nürnberg (certification company specializing in toy and furniture testing, based in Nuremberg), an independent institute that carries out additional safety and durability tests.Awards
Amongst the most prestigious awards that have been conferred on HABA are the “Best Children’s Game of the Year”, the “German Children’s Games award“, the Toy Innovation Award and the German Educational Game Award.- Best Children’s Game of the Year
- 2000 - Pete the Pirate
- 2002 - Highly suspect
- 2003 - Shiver-stone castle
- 2005 - Akaba
- German Children’s Games award
- 2001 - Klondike
- 2006 - The Black Pirate
- 2010 - Dragon Diego Dart
- Toy Innovation Award
- 2005 - Akaba
- German Educational Game Award
- 2006 - Big Cheese
- 2007 - Said and done!
Many HABA playthings have also been designated with the “Spiel Gut” (Good Toy) stamp.