About us
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more
We are a steadily growing family-owned business
Our Philosophy
The focus is on the social, practical and cognitive development in children. Good toys support these areas of learning. Pretend Play helps children to develop their curiosity, imagination, creativity and practical knowledge whilst having fun.
It is important to us to offer a balanced range of toys that support children’s learning and development through play. We believe that our product range meets these requirements and comprises toys that contribute to early learning development of your child.
First ideas and conceptual designs are reviewed carefully and are inspired and developed further in close cooperation with both educational sector and parents.
All our products undergo stringent controls and testing throughout the production process from first sample up to mass production.
Our expertise about our production process has expanded and improved constantly over the past decades, maintaining our values and ensuring that we are offering exceptional high quality toys that fully meet our customers and primarily children’s needs. Our product range is reviewed continuously and we strive for further development and newness to our product portfolio.
Product Reliability & Social Responsibility
Product Reliability
Product safety has the highest priority: before putting an item in circulation, it is tested for its compliance with the relevant safety regulations, e.g. EN71. These tests will be carried out regularly.
Social Responsibility
About half of our toys are produced in Germany and the other half in the Far East. For us it is very important that all our production partners are ICTI certified. The ICTI certificate states that the production complies with minimum social standards that are globally recognized, e.g. no child labour. This certificate is checked on a regular basis in the factory. Moreover, we agreed additional minimum standards with each supplier that have to be fulfilled during production. Therefore, our team also audits the factories annually.
COMPANY HISTORY
1949
Company Theo Klein – how it all began!
The company was founded by Theo and Maria Klein for production of brooms and brushes in the centre of Ramberg which is located in the Palatine forest.
Ramberg is a historic brush-maker village that can look back on 200 years of tradition in brush making. Apart from few factories, some with about 50 employees, most of the families in Ramberg have been making brushes and brooms employed as homeworkers since 1890.
Ramberg still has a brush-maker museum (https://www.ramberg.de/burstenbindermuseum/), which reminds us of the tradition of this craftsmanship.
Door-to-door salesmen and traders sold the brooms all over Southern Germany.
The Theo Klein family look back on 150 years of experience and success in the traditional production of brooms and brushes.
1954
The production is outgrowing the parental home and available space. Theo Klein buys land and a production facility located in Burgstraße. This marks a significant expansion of the company.
1956
The success story begins here. The company Theo Klein introduces the first coloured children’s brooms with synthetic bristles to the market to differentiate themselves from the strong competition of other broom manufacturers in the village.
1959
The company exhibits at Nuremberg Toy Fair in a very moderate 6m² booth for the first time. This successful participation with an assortment of only three products (children’s broom, hand broom, metal dustpan) is the transition into the toy industry.
1960
The first injection moulding equipment and tools are bought in the early 60s.
In the years following, the company makes a name for itself in the Toy Industry with quality toys and its growing product range, not just in Germany but also abroad. Product sets such as “For the little cleaner” with broom, brush, dustpan, mop and later also the sweeper become core products of the family-owned business.
1967
Styling heads and beauty hair styling sets are added to the product range. A new building at the Burgstraße location expands the company further. The headquarters of Theo Klein GmbH is still located there.
1968
Claus-Dieter Klein, the eldest son of Maria and Theo Klein joins the company to support his parents in running the business.
1969
Pretend Role Play items Doctor Case and Arts & Crafts Case are added to the product range.
1972
Set up of the French subsidiary company Jouets Klein-Sarl in Wissembourg, Alsace, to service the French market which was the main export market then.
1975
Claus-Dieter Klein joins the company full time after the completion of his studies as Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur (Degree in Industrial Engineering). An own toolmaking facility is implemented under the guidance of toolmaker foreman Gerd Schilling.
1976
Construction of a new production facility at location “Am Sportplatz” in Ramberg.
1979
Introduction of product range “Medical Equipment with Functions”.
1981
Extension of the product range by the new lines ‘Dolls’ and ‘Pretend Role Play’ sets.
1983
Extension of the product range by the new line ‘Tools‘ suitable for pre-school children as well as further development of the remaining articles.
1987
Martin Klein, the third son of Maria and Theo Klein joins the business after completion of his law studies and gaining work experience as solicitor and tax advisor.
1988
Implementation of sales branch in England.
Introduction of the new company logo.
1989
Extension of the product range by the new line “Lawn mower”.
1991
Extension of the product range by the new line “Children’s Kitchens” which still remains a key product range.
1992
Acquisition of 18,000 m² of industrial estate in Landau, at location Rodenweg 3.
1993
Dr. Dipl. Electrical Engineer Michael Klein, the forth and youngest son of Maria and Theo Klein joins the company and starts with the design and development of the product line “Manetico”.
Extension of the product range by the new line “Sand Play”.
For the first time the company uses tools and machines for dual-coloured injection moulding.
Initiative of marketing concept “Klein Education”, a brand for educational learning toys, forms the basis of own brand development.
1993-1994
Construction and implementation of the new distribution facility in Landau.
1995
Launch of new product line “Manetico”, the first magnetic construction building set which by now has been issued a worldwide patent and won numerous awards.
1997
Construction of a new production facility in Landau for further extension of the product range by new lines such as “Technico” and the play kitchens ”Cooking-Star”.
Set up of new affiliate Theo Klein (H.K.) Limited based in Hong Kong. This affiliate works independently and exports to customers worldwide.
1998
Move of plastic manufacturing, tooling and technical departments to the new facility in Landau.
Implementation of robot technology in the injection moulding section.
1999
The company Theo Klein Spielwaren GmbH is quickly considered amongst the world leading suppliers in their product categories with 60% of the whole production exported worldwide.
Up to 150 employees are working for the company in Germany and Western European countries during peak season. State of the art facilities as well as an in-house team for product design and development ensure most efficient performance and continuous innovation from day one.
Licensed Items
The manufacturing in the Far East and production of licensed toys in cooperation with strong licensing partners sees further expansion of the company and growing export share. This results in considerable turnover increase in 2005 which is sustained and increases steadily in the years following. After the successful introduction of the brand Bosch Minithe company secures further agreements with well-known licensing partners which form a significant part of the current product portfolio of Theo Klein GmbH (in alphabetical order):
*Barbie, Bosch Service, Braun, Electrolux, Hot Wheels, John Deere, Leifheit, Miele, Victorinox, Vileda, Villeroy & Boch, Volvo, Weber und WMF.
Own Brands
Apart from the strong licensed brands the company also enjoys considerable success with their own product ranges (*in alphabetical order) thanks to their creative product design team.
*Aqua Action, Coffee Shop, Early Steps, Emmas Kitchen, Fashion Passion, Firefighter Henry, Kids Garden, Manetico, Police Unit Ben & Sam, Princess Coralie, Pure Fresh, Rescue Team Max & Dr. Kim, Shopping Center and Technico.
Novelties
20-40 new products are launched into the market annually.
Klein Worldwide
The company Theo Klein currently supplies creative toys to over 70 countries worldwide.
References
Here you will find sources of supply and general information.
For questions and suggestions you can contact us using the contact form. Thank you.
IDEE & SPIEL
SPIEL & SPASS
SPIELZEUGRING
VEDES
Rofu Kinderland
