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At first glance, Fehn appears to be a baby toy manufacturer like any other. At second glance, however, it becomes clear that what has been happening in Rödental for 75 years has to do above all with foresight and courage. A company portrait.
The Coburg region is located in a beautiful setting on the border between Bavaria and Thuringia. This was once the centre of the toy industry, and several well-known brand manufacturers have their roots here. The company Fehn GmbH & Co. KG is also firmly rooted in the region. Now in its third generation, the company produces high-quality plush toys for babies. This requires not only a great deal of technical expertise, but also a distinctive design approach. Both can be found in Rödental.
Babies and their parents have loved Fehn for 75 years
The market for baby plush toys is international and extremely fashionable. Companies from all over the world are developing designs to delight babies and parents alike. Whether from Denmark, Italy or faraway Australia, the pressure on German manufacturers is high. ‘In-house production is our unique selling point,’ says Arnold Fehn Jr, Managing Director of Fehn, describing his company. ‘We create all of our designs ourselves and work on the new collections in our in-house tailoring department for almost twelve months, which includes design, functionality and the materials used. We invest many hours before a collection like this is ready - here in Rödental, but also at our production site in Sri Lanka.’
Foresight and entrepreneurial courage for three generations
Since 1984, Fehn has maintained two production sites of its own in Sri Lanka near the capital Colombo. At a time when the whole world was travelling to China and outsourcing production, the Rödental-based company opted for a completely different model. "Unfortunately, the production of plush toys was no longer possible in Germany at the beginning of the 1980s. But instead of outsourcing production cheaply, my father wanted to continue making good toys himself." It is precisely this philosophy that the company still adheres to today: an extremely high focus on quality and safety aspects now convinces parents worldwide to buy Fehn brand toys.
Close to the customer, globally networked and always at the cutting edge
Because Fehn is always right where its customers are. ‘We maintain long-standing, close contacts with our business partners all over the world, we observe the market and have a feel for trends.’ This is how the unique Fehn design is created, which fascinates parents and babies alike across cultural boundaries and works for years. Even when sales channels change, Fehn reacts quickly: ‘We have now had digital marketing professionals in-house for many years, as well as our own photographer. This allows us to bring our Fehn world to life for young parents, even outside the traditional retail shop.’
From classic toy manufacturer to baby plush specialist
At 75 years old, Fehn is one of the oldest plush toy manufacturers in Germany. The success story began on 29 July 1949 when company founder Arthur Fehn registered his business as a manufacturer and trader of toys. At first, the company mainly produced articulated dolls and dolls made of papier-mâché, which were popular at the time. The company moves several times and in the meantime also produces mechanical toys as well as the first plush and fabric toys. In 1972, the company builds and moves into its current premises in Rödental. From 1975, Fehn focuses on the production of baby toys made of velour and fabric due to increasing competition from the Far East. ‘Our Fehn history is characterised by change and transformation, but this has always led us to develop new ideas. What has always been important to us: independence!’
A little better every year - that's what drives Arnold Fehn jun.
But back to Rödental in 2024, where the company is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary for good reason. Arnold Fehn Jr. is the third generation to run the company, and most of the employees have been working for him for decades. ‘Our motto for the anniversary is “Family is colourful”, because what makes us successful at Fehn is family,’ explains Fehn. It's not just his customers who buy his products when they start a new family; the company's success is also fundamentally dependent on the family factor. ‘I still admire my father for the foresight with which he made many of the decisions that have sustained this company to this day. In our Fehn family, we rely on facts and make long-term decisions for the benefit of everyone involved.’ Even in recent difficult times such as the coronavirus pandemic or the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, Fehn has kept a cool head. ‘We know what we have achieved together and that is precisely why we are looking positively to the future. In recent years in particular, we have once again clearly positioned ourselves on the market with innovations such as fehnNATUR, which are consistently organic and sustainable.’
Anniversary year ‘Family is colourful’
Fehn has appropriately chosen the motto ‘Family is colourful’ for its anniversary year. ‘Family is something very important to us, whether here in Germany or with our colleagues in Sri Lanka. Our solidarity, our innovation and our commitment to high-quality toys are what will keep Fehn a successful company in the long term. I firmly believe in that.’
