Schleich chooses locally for support on North American expansion
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 1, 2013) — Schleich, a global toy manufacturer based in Germany, has SPARK Spark Strategic Ideas, a full-service agency in Charlotte, to manage their North American market research, social media and various public relations campaigns. In an effort to meet growing demand, Schleich plans to fortify their presence in the United States and Canada.
“Schleich is very excited to collaborate with such a strategically minded agency that will enable us to strengthen our brand in the North American markets,” said Schleich USA Marketing Manager Rita Madsen. “With the synergy between Schleich and SPARK, we will further maximize our efforts to increase the consumer connection with our product lines.”
Schleich specializes in unique, hand-painted figurines of wildlife, farm life and fantasy creatures. Schleich currently holds the license for producing The Smurfs™ figurines and will be releasing a Peanuts™ figurine line this July. The figurines are designed to be as realistic as possible in order to foster an educational experience able to be shared with children, parents and teachers alike. With nearly 50 million figurines sold per year, Schleich products can be found in 50 countries across the globe.
“Schleich’s brand exemplifies imagination and innovation, which aligns with the type of work SPARK produces,” said Anne Marie Holder, CEO of SPARK Strategic Ideas. “Our familiarity with unique companies provides us with the skills necessary to elevate Schleich even further in their North American market.”
In 2013, Schleich relocated their North American headquarters from Ottawa, Ontario Canada to Charlotte, NC creating 60 new jobs for the area. Seen as a burgeoning city, Charlotte will act as a production and distribution hub for Schleich’s products.
About Schleich
The company, founded 79 years ago by Friedrich Schleich in Schwäbisch Gmünd, is one of the largest toy manufacturers in Germany and a leading provider of original play concepts internationally. The famous toy figurines from Schleich are sold in over 50 countries and have found their way into children‘s rooms all around the world. As a global player with Swabian roots, today the company is majority owned by the European private investment group Ardian. The other shareholders are CEO Dr. Thomas van Kaldenkerken and CFO Erich Schefold. The design of the Schleich play worlds and the creation of the production tools are done in Germany, as are the quality and safety tests.
