SMOBY

SMOBY is the leader in French toys. It is based in the Jura, the cradle of the French toy industry. It was founded in 1924, in Lavans-lès-Saint-Claude, but had a very different activity... manufacturing wooden pipes. After the war, the founders, the Breuil and Moquin families, converted it into a manufacturer of household appliances, before moving into toys in the 1970s. Jean-Christophe Breuil, the founder's grandson, took over the reins of the company in 1993. He embarked on a number of acquisitions, including Majorette in 2003 and Berchet in 2005, making him Europe's number two toy maker. But the crisis caught up with the small family business in 2007, and in 2008 it was bought by Germany's Simba - Dickie, making the group one of the world's leading toy manufacturers. While SMOBY manufactures indoor toys, it has also diversified into outdoor toys, such as slides and swings.