Habermaaß
Habermaaß GmbH is a German toy manufacturing company (commonly referred to as HABA) 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.
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| Limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) | |
| Industry | Toys, Furniture |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Klaus Habermaaß, Harald Grosch |
Number of employees | 1900 |
| Website | www.haba.de |
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 died, 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 United States 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.
Product range
Since the company was founded in 1938, wooden 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 Thuringia. 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 US, 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.
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.
Karuba, one of HABA's strategy board games, was nominated for the 2016 Spiel des Jahres award.[1]