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Company presentation
Our company We are a family business and have a tradition of almost 50 years in the toy industry. Guided by our motto „Play – Experience – Learn“, we create, develop and market educational toys, such as puzzles, games, wall toys made of wood, pretend play and hand puppets as well as creative and decoration materials. We are located in Olbernhau in the Saxon Ore Mountain region in Germany. We regard ourselves as the partner for creative and outstanding game and product ideas, which support early childhood development. Our target group is kindergarten and pre-school children aged two to seven. Our main customers are kindergarten and school suppliers, wholesalers and retailers in more than 50 countries on all continents. We distribute our own brand beleduc globally. For the Hape brand, including Hape Collection and Hape Bamboo, we have the exclusive distribution rights in Germany and Austria. In our company head office, we employ 31 people, one trainee included. 2
Our history in a nutshell 2007 beleduc acquired the German company Frรถhling, which has a long tradition in wooden toys.
1992 The company beleduc Lernspielwaren GmbH was founded in Olbernhau in Germany. The company is under the leadership of the owner Sabine Handstein.
2001 beleduc Ltd. was founded as a production and distribution company in Ningbo in China.
2010 beleduc started the distribution of the Hape brand, including Hape Collection and Hape Bamboo in Germany and Austria.
2002 The company Hape International was founded for the production of OEM products and the creation and development of the Hape brand.
1988 The company beleduc was founded as a distributor for Didago products in Belgium.
1963 The company Didago was founded in Belgium.
2010 beleduc extended its office and warehousing capacities in Olbernhau.
1986 The company Hape Kindergarten Service was founded in Germany. 1983 Peter Handstein started his career in the distribution of kindergarten and school supplies. 3
1995 Happy Arts & Crafts was founded as a production company in Ningbo in China.
Our history 1963
1998 beleduc moved the majority of its production activities (some 90 percent) to Ningbo in China.
The company Didago (Didactic Godon) was founded in Belgium. The company became specialised in the automatised production of educational materials for use in kindergartens, preschools and schools.
2001 beleduc Ltd. was founded as a production and distribution company in Ningbo in China.
1983 Peter Handstein started his career in the distribution of kindergarten and school supplies.
1986 The company Hape Kindergarten Service was founded by Peter Handstein, to distribute educational toys in Germany.
2002 Hape International (Ningbo) Ltd. was founded for the production of OEM products and the creation and develop ment of the Hape brand on its premises of some 60,000 m².
1988 The company beleduc (Belgian educational materials) was founded as a distributor for Didago products in Belgium.
2006 Hape International started operations of its new manufacturing site with a surface of some 50,000 m² and a workforce of some 1,000 people.
1992 beleduc was acquired by brothers and sisters Peter and Sabine Handstein.
The company main office and production facilities were relocated to Olbernhau in the Saxon Ore Mountains region in Germany.
The company – now named beleduc Lernspielwaren GmbH – is under the leadership of Sabine Handstein.
The company started the distribution of beleduc products on the Asian market as well as direct shipments to its customers globally.
2009 beleduc extended its warehousing capacities in Ningbo in China. beleduc started the direct distribution of its products to kindergarten suppliers in China.
1993 beleduc moved to a new production site and upgraded its machinery in Olbernhau.
beleduc started direct shipments to customers in Asia, America and Australia for smaller quantites.
2010 beleduc extended its office and warehousing capacities in Olbernhau.
1995 Happy Arts and Crafts (Ningbo) Co. Ltd. was founded as a production company and started its operation with some 60 employees.
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beleduc started the distribution of the Hape brand, including Hape Collection and Hape Bamboo in Germany and Austria.
Our mission „We believe that children do not play to learn, but they learn because they play.” This is the guiding principle of our company philosophy. It is at our heart to promote the enjoyment of playing together and to teach numerous skills that children between two and seven years of age should acquire. Keeping this in mind, it is our continuous ambition to create and develop educational toys that enable all children around the world to call and strenghten their potential. We wish that our products will find durable use in kindergartens and families alike. We hope that we can accompany as many children as possible on their way into a creative and self-determined life. We would like to offer them a good time full of play, fun and excitement, which makes them experience and learn as well. “Children do not play to learn, they learn because they play.”
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Our philosophy Internationality With our products, we would like to reach as many children on all continents as possible. For this wish to come true, we represent ourselves regularly on toy shows in many countries and strive to find new partners for our ideas and products. Partnership Cultivating long term partnerships with our customers, distribution partners and suppliers have a central meaning to us. In this way, we achieve to make our common ideas and visions come true. Personal relations with our partners are important to us. We have individual contact persons for our customers and suppliers. We value open and constructive communication. This enables us to take into account our customers’ individual requests and work with them for reliable concepts and solutions. Product development We would like to develop products that impair knowledge to our children and teach them skills and abilities with fun and enjoyment. In this process, we work closely together with pedagogues. Not least, it is our children to have their say about whether a product can be placed on the market. All our products are tested in the kindergartens by the little experts. Safety We would like our children to explore the world playfully and light-heartedly. Therefore, product safety is of utmost importance to us. Not only do our products meet the strict international requirements for the safety of toys but exceed them. This is certified by independent and renowned test laboratories on a regular basis.
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Our philosophy Quality In order to provide for a durable use of our products in kindergartens and at home, an outstanding quality is needed. Therefore, we emphasise high quality materials and their accurate manufacture. Environmental safety We wish that our products are safe for the environment. For our products, we use wood to a great extent, a natural renewable resource that preserves both the environment and the people. The origin of the raw materials is as critical to us as the energy efficiency in the manufacturing process. Social responsibility It is at our heart to take responsibility for the people being involved in manufacturing and distributing our products. We are glad that we can employ people from the region at our main office. With our suppliers from abroad we require that the workers and employees will find safe working conditions, appropriate compensation and that their social well-being is taken care of. Unfortunately, not every child can grow up equally well and light-hearted. Therefore, we support many small social projects locally as well as wider projects abroad.
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Our organisation and logistics Organisation
Olbernhau Germany
Ningbo China
At our main office in Olbernhau, we create and develop our products in co-operation with professional designers. From here, we distribute our own brand beleduc globally and the Hape brand, inclusive Hape Collection and Hape Bamboo in Germany and Austria.
Our subsidiary beleduc Ltd. in Ningbo distributes our products in the emerging Chinese market and in other Asian countries.
Logistics Olbernhau Germany
Central warehouse Europe Warehousing space: ca. 1,500 m²
Ningbo China
Central warehouse Asia, Australia and America Warehousing space: ca. 2,000 m²
Thanks to our capacity of two warehouses, we can deliver to our global customers within two weeks’ time. We deliver fast, efficiently and ecologically reasonably.
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Our regional sales structure
We deliver our products to more than 50 countries on all continents. The export share of our total sales turnover is 65 percent. Europe is our most important market, having a share of 76 percent of total sales. Germany, France, the Benelux countries and Scandinavia contribute the major part to our sales turnover in Europe. Our share in Asia, with the traditionally strong market in Japan and the dynamically growing market in China, amounts to some 17 percent. North and South America contribute some six percent.
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Our sectoral sales structure
With a share of more than 53 percent, kindergarten and school suppliers contribute the major part to our total sales turnover. In 2011, the sales share to retailers amounted to nine percent, which corresponded to double the figures, as compared with 2009 (2009: five percent). The sales share to online dealers increased even more. In 2009, the share was at around one percent of total sales. In 2011, this figure increased to some eight percent of our total sales turnover. We are glad that our products – being traditionally strong in the kindergartens and schools – increasingly receive recognition and greater use in families as well.
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Our product development Idea Children give us the inspiration for new products. Thanks to a close co-operation with pedagogues and kindergartens, we get ideas and impetus. Enhancements and construction The product idea will be developed towards a specific concept. By the help of professional designers, the idea will be transformed into a prototype. Test in the kindergarten Padagogues test and evaluate the prototype concerning its conceptualisation. Not least, the final users, our children, decide whether a prototype will enter the next stage of the product development process. Sample manufacturing In co-operation with our suppliers, we develop the first samples of the new product. With the samples, we make sure that the new product meets our requirements regarding functionality, play and teaching value as well as understandability. In addition, we emphasise the new product’s compliance with international product safety standards and quality requirements. Production After all relevant criteria concerning play value and functionality as well as product safety and quality for the new product have been met, it can be manufactured regularly. Product At the end of the product development process is the marketable product, which promotes playful experiencing and learning.
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Our product range beleduc games • Colour games • Number games • Motor skill games • Reaction games • XXL games • Wall games
beleduc puzzles • Layer puzzles • Knob puzzles • Frame puzzles • Floor puzzles • Lacing puzzles
beleduc role playing and hand puppets • Role playing • Hand puppets • Hand glove puppets • Finger puppets
beleduc creative • Paint • Create • Do handicrafts
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Our product safety and quality In addition to its play value, understandability and functionality, a product’s safety is a necessity. Our products meet all of the strict international requirements for the safety of toys (e.g. EU Directive 2009/48/EC). All of our products undergo product safety testing for compliance with the international norms (e.g. EN71 and ASTM) with independent and renowned test laboratories. Our main supplier – Hape International (Ningbo) Ltd. – which belongs to our company family is ICTI Care Process, ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified.
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Our awards Our work is not only rewarded by the children smiling!
Auf der Empfehlungsliste „Spiel des Jahres“ 2012
On the recommendation list „Children’s Game of the Year 2012“ Spiel des Jahres e.V. (Germany)
Nominated for the German Educational Game Award 2011 (Germany)
Number 1 Category Play and Learn Bebemania 2010 (Bulgaria)
German Educational Game Award 2009 (Germany)
Family Fun Toy of the Year 2007 (USA)
Award and study group Kinderspiel + Spielzeug e.V. (Germany)
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. . r e i e p n x c e e lear n p lay For more information visit our website: www.beleduc.de
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