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5 MINUTES WITH ... VERENA RÖTHLINGSHÖFER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MYOMA BASED IN FÜRTH For a year now, a group of people have been knitting away on behalf of ‘MyOma’. The team, currently 25 grandmothers and one grandfather, hand-make hats, scarves, gloves and other fashionable and warm woollen creations that are sold via the internet. Hand-made products are a current trend especially during Christmas when demand rises – just like the number of grandmothers who want to knit for the company which is based in the Franconian town of Fürth. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA TO START “MYOMA”? Watching TV, I came across a feature on older ladies and grandmothers who met to have coffee and knit. This was when I realised that there were probably many grannies who were often home alone, knitting for themselves or family members. Grannies who welcome topping up their pensions as well. This holds incredibly high potential. SO YOU FOUNDED THE LIEBLINGSOMA GMBH? Yes. Together with my brother Jörg and Jan Dzulko, a good friend. NUMBER OF THE MONTH 3.52 With 3.52 start-ups per 10,000 inhabitants, Munich shows more entrepreneurial spirit than Hamburg (3.18), Berlin (2.67) or even the Rhine-Main region (3.22) in the Information, Communication and Digital Technology sector. Moreover, Bavaria is the territorial State with the highest number of company start-ups in this fi eld. With 1.81 start-ups per 10,000 inhabitants, the State is at the top nationwide. WWW.INVEST-IN-BAVARIA.COM DO ONLY FRANCONIAN GRANNIES KNIT FOR YOU? They are still the majority. In Bavaria, particularly here in Franconia, this old craft and tradition is rooted very deeply. However, we have inquiries from all over Germany, even from Austria and Switzerland. So in addition to Fürth, other MyOma branches could develop there. HOW DID YOUR GRANDPARENT TEAM COME TOGETHER? We placed ads in small weekly papers looking for grannies who knit and 50 grandmothers contacted us. So we organised a get-together where each granny had to knit a hat. Step by step, we built our knitting team which incidentally also includes a male representative. ARE ALL YOUR CREATIONS HAND-MADE? Our hats, scarves or phone covers are made completely by hand and consist of high-quality yarn such as merino, cotton or alpaca. We do not use any machines and thus do not mass-produce cheap goods. With a MyOma creation you have a unique product that lasts for a very long time and keeps you warm. We also accept special orders and create modern fashion items as well. CAN YOUR GRANNIES KNIT FROM HOME? Everyone is free to knit wherever he or she pleases. We also have a large, cosy kitchen in Fürth where our grannies and our grandpa enjoy meeting for a coffee and knit away together. With this approach, we also pursue a social aspect – after all, MyOma also sets out to help older people avoid loneliness and solitude. We have already forged a some friendships across our team. HOW DO YOU DISTRIBUTE THE INDIVIDUAL KNITTING ORDERS? We are in direct contact with our grannies and accordingly distribute the orders to those who have the time and capacity. Then, the grannies either come to our kitchen or we send them a package containing the yarn and relevant knitting instructions for the desired product. DOES THE CUSTOMER KNOW WHICH GRANNY OR GRANDPA KNITTED THEIR HAT? Yes. We‘ve developed a highly personalised approach. We have brief profi les on the internet for every granny and our grandpa. And every customer delivery includes an autograph. www.myoma.de Only the City-States Berlin and Hamburg have a higher ratio. However, compared to Munich, these two metropolises show a weaker performance. The German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM) examined start-ups between 2008 and 2011 for the study. PAGE 2
IN FOCUS: BAVARIA’S TOY INDUSTRY PERSUASIVE QUALITY AND A GLUT OF GREAT IDEAS Bavaria is known for Lederhosen and laptops, beer gardens and mountains, lakes and castles. But also when it comes to toys, Bavaria is famous world-wide for its successful toy manufacturers who win over the hearts of children and persuade parents with quality and innovations. Many of the well-known German toy manufacturers come from Bavaria and can boast a long history. The traditional companies contribute signifi cantly to the variety of products offered at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. “They account for about 30% of German exhibitors”, confi rms Kyra Mende, spokesperson for the Toy Fair. She stresses: “Especially in Bavaria and particularly in Franconia, it can still be felt today that toy production is fi rmly connected with the region and that some companies even play a major role worldwide in the premier division of toy manufacturers.” SO, IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, HERE IS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF BAVARIAN TOY SPECIALISTS: Haba – Wood for Inventors The Habermaaß GmbH from Bad Rodach sees itself as the ‘inventor for children’ and with a broad product portfolio, ranging from wooden and textile toys to decorating ideas and accessories, offers a wide selection for babies and children. The company was founded in 1938 by Eugen Habermaaß and Anton Engel and is still family-owed. The high-quality goods are popular with children and their parents. After all, Haba stands for quality and tradition – which is increasingly important for responsible consumers. Bruder – An Eye for Detail Bruder predominantly produces toy vehicles in Germany – in Fürth Burgfarrnbach to be precise. These vehicles are characterised by their high attention to detail on a 1:16 scale. No other manufacturer offers comparable products at this scale. Numerous vehicles were awarded the ‘spiel gut’ quality approval seal. The company has a local and international customer base. Playmobil – A Children’s Classic Playmobil fi gures have invaded children’s rooms from the town of Zirndorf. The core element is a 7.5 cm plastic plaything. The hands, arms, legs and head can be moved, and tools and everyday objects can be attached to the fi gures. WWW.INVEST-IN-BAVARIA.COM Of course there are suitable play worlds such as castles or airplanes that the children can assemble themselves. The label’s name and characteristic blue logo were designed by artist and graphic designer Rainer Willingstorfer. Every children’s room in Germany probably has at least one Playmobil fi gure, vehicle, farm or pirate ship. Sigikid – The Stuff of Children’s Dreams The origins of this toy manufacturer date back as far as 1856 when Heinrich Scharrer from Nuremberg created a business for mirrors, glass beads and toys made from pearl in the Upper Franconian town of Bayreuth, 100 km from his home town. Sigrid Gottstein took over the company in 1968, specialising in the production of high-quality children’s toys. She created her own product line called ‘Sigikid’ – a combination of her fi rst name ‘Sigi’ and the word ‘kid’. Since then, the Bavarian toy manufacturer from Mistelbach has made countless children happy with colourful toy clocks, baby comforters, cot mobiles, stuffed toys, dolls, baby and children’s fashion lines as well as bags. BIG – Plastics in Motion The BIG toy factory in Fürth is among the leading manufacturers of high-quality plastic toys worldwide. Their famous ‘Bobby Car’, which was developed to help small children learn to walk, is of particular note. The toy car has a centred seat so children can sit as if on a motorcycle and move the car with leg paddle movements. The company logo, the BIG buffalo, symbolises strength, robustness and durability – which is exactly what distinguishes the toys from this Bavarian company. Käthe Kruse – Dolls from Grandma’s Days Not much has changed – the ‘Käthe Kruse Manufaktur‘ in Donauwörth still produces dolls by hand just as they did 100 years ago. The late Käthe Kruse who founded the factory (1911), began to make dolls for her daughters as early as 1904, simply because she didn’t like the commercially available models. The bodies of Käthe Kruse’s dolls are made of cloth and hand-stuffed with deer or reindeer hair. In addition to these coveted collector’s items, the product range has been extended by Kruse’s daughter and successor Hanne Adler-Kruse, ensuring that the tradition and quality of the hand-made dolls has remained the same. There is even a Käthe Kruse doll museum in Donauwörth. PAGE 3
Page 1: BUSINESS BAVARIA ISSUE 12 | 2012 WH

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