Goods
Orgelet, France
Entry in 2018
Exit in 2022
Buyer: Maped
Juratoys
Juratoys is one of the French leaders in the creation and distribution of educational games and toys, mainly made of wood.
Its Janod and Kaloo brands, acquired in 2011, and Lilliputiens, acquired in 2020, are recognised for their design, the quality of their materials and their educational values, which contribute to early childhood development and learning.
Argos Wityu orchestrated the spin-off and carve-out of the 50-year-old French group Juratoys in 2018. Leader in the educational and wooden toys segment, with strong, well-known brands, Juratoys has achieved rapid growth in its business. The company has nearly 170 employees, who generate annual turnover of more than €80m, vs a little more than €50m in 2018. The company’s growth and development has been articulated around several important principles embedded in its strategy:
- Strengthened product design and development oriented towards early childhood learning;
- Permanent commitment to an environmental policy to foster progress and preserve the world in which the next generation will come of age;
- Rapid international expansion, which has increased the portion of sales outside France to almost half the total;
- Digitalisation of the company’s activities in marketing and in the company’s relationships with its distributors and end-customers;
- Acquisitions, such as the merger with the Belgian company Lilliputiens in 2020.
Through its concerted environmental efforts, Juratoys has:
- Reduced its consumption of plastic by 5.3 tonnes p.a. by eliminating packaging;
- Organised the planting of 4,500 trees every year, including 1,500 in France, with Kinomé, a reforestation initiative, and ONF, the French national forestry office, in an effort to be both educational and inclusive;
- Focused on using FSC wood and cardboard as well as packing materials derived from recycled plastic bottles.
The merger of Juratoys and Maped is right in line with the two companies’ mission to support children as they grow and define themselves at every stage in their lives.
The merger will enable the two companies to benefit from their numerous complementary features, combining academic and pleasurable learning. Maped’s international distribution network as well as its industrial expertise will boost growth at Juratoys.
