juegorama

I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
LETTER FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR.
2011
has drawn to a close and there are two significant issues that need to be highlighted in our analysis. On the
one hand, the past year has been exceptionally difficult in terms of the economic climate, with major drops in
consumption in our big markets such as Spain, Portugal and Italy. In other areas, performance has been moderately
positive, affected by the global crisis. However, within this extremely complicated context, Famosa has performed very
favourably in all markets, as a result of significant internal efforts for improvements in many different areas. To round
it off, the 2010-2011 financial year, which ended in August, surpassed expectations both in terms of sales and
EBITDA, and the 2011 Christmas campaign (3rd four-month period) was also more successful than anticipated.
Throughout the year, we made significant reforms, in accordance with our previous Strategic Plan 2009-2012: we made
great advances in the area of safety in the workplace, although the number of accidents increased again to an unacceptable level
in the last four months of the year. There is a lot of work to be done in this field. The strategic brands - Nenuco,
Nancy, Pinypon and Feber – continued to grow in many markets, opening the way for an ever more significant
international presence for Famosa. From this point of view, specific growth plans were developed in France, Italy,
Europe and Mexico. We managed to increase our market share to an impressive 10.4% in Spain and 9.3% in Portugal.
We also opened our US subsidiary and expectations are very high for the 2012 campaign. We made significant advances
internally in strengthening our management model, developing and implementing Customer Service and Planning
processes, and launching Pricing and Product Industrialisation and Development processes. The level of service
throughout the year was satisfactory. The Christmas campaign deserves special mention in this regard - growth in
volume and the level demanded make the challenge increasingly difficult. We have also begun to roll out the actions
foreseen in the Human Resources Plan, in the areas of communication, selection and training.
I believe that, on balance, the year has been exceptionally positive, and we should all be proud of that. However, it
goes without saying that 2012 presents an even greater challenge. The economic climate has not improved, nor does
it show any signs of doing so in the short or medium term. As such, maintaining growth is going to be an arduous
and complicated task. We have to step up our efforts in order to achieve this.
Over the coming weeks we will be announcing our new Strategic Plan for 2012-2015. The following are a few of the
Plan’s key points:
Mission (FAMOSA’s purpose as a company): FAMOSA offers children aged between 2 and 7 happiness, in the form
of toys that help in their complete development.
Vision (how we see ourselves in the long term): FAMOSA supplies the preferred brands of Dolls and
Ride-On/Outdoor toys in the European and American markets.
All of the above is based on the Values we must promote, and that must form the basis of what we do every day:
Tradition and Innovation; Safety; Quality; Teamwork; Passion; Fun and Integrity. We will have time to discuss these
and many other aspects of the Plan in detail over the coming weeks.
José de la Gándara, Managing Director.
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I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
SAFETY.
TRAINING IN SAFETY/RISK PREVENTION IN THE WORKPLACE
During the month of December, different training courses on risk prevention in
the workplace were held:
- Forklift handling course. This took place in Ibi and was aimed at employees in
the different sections where this kind of equipment tends to be used. 36
employees have already taken the course, from the assembly, injection/blow
moulding, internal logistics and workshop sections. Staff from the logistics section
have yet to be trained.
The objective of the course was to train workers in the handling of goods
transport and lifting equipment, so that they can safely and correctly use this
equipment for the purposes for which it was designed, preventing harm to
themselves and others as well as facilities and loads.
The training comprises two parts:
The
expression
“Culture of Health
and Safety in the
Workplace"
describes an organisation whose members
habitually behave in
line with what that
organisation values as
practices that promote
safety and health. A
culture of safety
means a group of
people
whose
behaviour (the way
they act every day) respects and promotes the safety and health of its members.
A theory element, on the components of the equipment, design, manufacturing
regulations, use and maintenance, as well as the risks involved in use, and preventive measures.
If we want preventive systems to work and provide us with the desired results, if
we really want to promote a culture of prevention within our companies, then we
must initiate and stimulate a change of attitude towards this preventive behaviour.
A practical module on the handling of the two pieces of equipment, giving the
students an overview of how the different elements work, their practical applications, and how to use them. They are trained in the different uses of load maintenance and basic handling (with particular emphasis on safety).
Motivation and positive reinforcement are the determining factors in changing
attitudes. To motivate workers to adopt safe behaviour, it is necessary to recognise,
highlight and reward that behaviour - in other words, value both it and those who
adopt it.
-PSO Course (Preventive Safety Observations). This course was held in Ibi
and was aimed at managers and area supervisors. 35 students received training,
including the members of the company's Health and Safety Committee. The
computer program that will manage all the information compiled in the observations is currently in the final stages of design. It is estimated that these will be
initiated at the beginning of March.
Safe conduct must be a value in itself. It has to become a valued habit, one that is
recognised by the workers themselves, by the prevention representatives, by the
supervisors and by management, who must make their support and recognition
explicit and must promote safety and prevention as core values of the company.
The main objectives of this course were as follows: to motivate managers and
operators; to prevent undesired occurrences; to improve safety levels; to allow
managers to visibly exercise their leadership in the field of prevention; to get
people used to talking about Safety in the Workplace and getting involved in
Preventive Tasks.
All of the above is aimed at fostering a true culture of risk prevention in the
workplace, culminating in documentary prevention; discussing the need to
integrate prevention through the corporate culture.
The end result of implementing a culture of health and safety is to achieve safe
behaviour and specific conduct that can be observed and carried out by everyone.
The fact that company management has decided to initiate Preventive Safety
Observations undoubtedly helps change the way the entire company approaches
safety.
Periodic PSO’s on aspects of safety in the normal working behaviour of
employees shows them, with facts as well as words, that safety is a real priority that
sparks changes in the perception and behaviour of workers vis-à-vis safety
measures in the way they normally carry out their work.
Basic training course on fire prevention concepts and first aid.
On 15 December, the emergency team from the Madrid offices took part in a
course designed to give them basic training in fire prevention concepts and
first aid. The session was split into several modules, culminating in the
attendees acquiring the necessary abilities to react in the case of an incident.
Thus, the aims of this training session were to equip all Famosa employees with
the knowledge and skills needed to handle intervention equipment in the case
of a fire, to coordinate the emergency team if an incident should occur, to
provide guidelines for the team members, to involve the other staff members
and to carry out a general evacuation drill.
The session was designed in such a manner that the team would progressively
incorporate the intervention procedure guidelines, from alarm to evacuation,
at all stages. Irrespective of the tasks allocated to each person, all team
members should be familiar with the stages of the intervention procedure, so
that they can overlap, collaborate or take each others’ places, should the need
arise.
The drill covered the steps from the time a fire is detected until the last missing
worker is found. The total time taken was 5 minutes and 20 seconds, although
the priority of the exercise was not rapid evacuation, but rather making the
procedure as real and effective as possible, resolving all of the situations that
arose.
The excellent level of involvement of the emergency team in carrying out the drill
successfully, as well as the collaboration of the other employees, are worthy of note.
FAMOSA PRODUCT DATA FOR 2011.
Top 10 mini-dolls: 8 out of 10 are Famosa products (Barriguitas and Pinypon are the winners in this category).
TOP 10 Battery-powered vehicles: Feber is the leader in this category. Of the top 22, only 1 belongs to the competition.
Top 10 Dolls with mechanism: 9 out of 10 are Famosa products
(Nenuco and Mila and Malo are the winners in this category).
TOP 10 Tricycles and scooters: 8 out of 10 are Feber products. Feber is the leader in this category.
Top 10 Fashion Dolls: 6 out of 12 are Famosa products (Monster High is the clear
winner, but there is no Barbie at the top. Nancy is above Barbie at Christmas.)
TOP 10 Yard and Garden: 5 out of 10 are Feber products. Feber is the leader in this category.
OVERALL TOP 20 TOYS: Famosa has the highest number (8) of toys in the top ranks for 2011.
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I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
HUMAN RESOURCES AT FAMOSA.
Human Resources at Famosa. Workplace Climate Survey.
Between 16 November and 9 December, all Famosa employees had the opportunity to participate in the Workplace Climate Survey. The questionnaire
was designed in such a way that the results could be compared with those of other companies that do the same type of surveys. The questionnaire was
divided into 73 closed questions and 2 open ones, giving employees a chance to express their opinions on the company's strong and weak points.
The participants replied over the Internet, using a confidential personal password given to them by the consultancy firm Alcor, which specialises in this
area. Anyone without Internet access was given the chance to fill out the questionnaire on paper.
Why is it important to know what employees think? If we believe that people’s behaviour has a bearing on their jobs and on the company’s results, it is
important that we know their point of view and how they perceive things, in order to improve their involvement, identifying the strengths and weaknesses
in our people management skills. This study was not an audit or an external judgement, but rather for the purpose of compiling basic information to
improve management.
We would first of all like to congratulate everybody on the high level of participation in the survey. 579 people completed the questionnaire. This is 89.5%
of the Famosa employee base. 73% – a high proportion - replied in the form of comments to the open questions. This means that a large number of
participants believe this study to be useful.
The overall workplace climate indicator at Famosa is at a medium/low level (IS 35), although it varies greatly by country. The overall indicator is 35, but in
Spain it is 26, in Mexico, 72, in China, 54, and in Portugal, it is 91.
In summary, we can highlight the following:
1- The positive aspects that stand out from the results for Spain:
-The high level of intrinsic motivation that people show for their work.
-A positive relationship that people have with their work, which is a good indicator of their favourable attitude towards their performance.
-The positive perception of the solidity of Famosa’s company project. This is especially noteworthy, given the difficult times we experienced only 3 years ago.
-The reasonable level of trust in Management.
-The recognition of the company’s efforts in the field of safety and risk prevention.
2- The main areas for improvement shown in the global results are:
-The hierarchical relationship with immediate superiors is evaluated, showing a low level.
-Communication, both regarding the immediate environment and the company as a whole, in both ascending and descending directions.
-Training, professional development and salaries.
-Use of the customer as a lever for change and involvement towards improvement, as well as continuous improvement in the work environment.
-Teamwork and cooperation between areas.
-Efficient work through processes and alignment of objectives between different levels.
-Lack of shared vision concerning Famosa’s company project, about which more confidence is evident, rather than shared knowledge.
All employees will receive the results of the survey split up into areas and questions, as well as some lines of action to be taken by management with a view
to improving the results for the next survey in November 2013.
Thank you once again to everyone for your participation, and I urge you to keep striving to make Famosa a better place to work every day.
Antonio Fernández
Human Resources Manager
Prize-giving ceremony for
Famosa employees in Monterrey
ur colleagues in Monterrey held a party on 25 December to
O
celebrate the end of the season. With the aim of promoting integra-
tion and motivation amongst employees, prizes were awarded for Best
Attitude to Work, Best Forklift Operator, Best Availability, Best
Support, Best Finished Product Warehouse Operator and Best Manufacturing Warehouse Handler. In addition to the prize-giving ceremony,
there was a raffle and a karaoke.
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I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
2ND FAMOSA JUEGORAMA.
S P E C I A L . C E L E B R AT I O N O F T H E 2 N D FA M O S A
JUEGORAMA.
Open Day and presentation of the study entitled “A day in the life of a child”.
W
ith less than a month to go until Christmas, on 30
November 2011, our factories in Ibi and Onil played host
to journalists, local authorities and friends as we celebrated an
Open Day, during which we showed them what day-to-day
life is like in the Famosa factory.
activities, homework/study, watching TV, family outings
and play. These activities leave only two hours per day of time
dedicated exclusively to play - a vital activity for children’s full
development.
Playing is not a waste of time, which is why the experts who
took part in the study have raised the alarm: we must leave
children time to play. However, even though the busy routines
of today’s children leave almost no time for playing, little ones
manage to fit play into all their daily activities, except for
after-school activities and while they are watching television.
Another of the conclusions reached by the study – which was
based on 52 real families – deals with the time children spend
with the people around them. Little ones spend most of their
day with their teachers as opposed to only 20% of their time
with their mothers and 10% with their fathers. Grandparents
have a special part to play, as children spend a quarter of their
day with them.
The Open Day was held as part of the celebration of the 2nd
Famosa Juegorama. This year, a study entitled "A day in the
life of a child" was presented. Almost 70 people attended this,
the 2nd Famosa Juegorama, including the Mayor of Onil, José
Ramón Francés; the Mayor's Deputy for Industry, Trade,
Tourism, Museums, New Technologies and PromoIbi, from
Ibi, Rafael Serralta; and more than 40 journalists.
Finally, the study also revealed the three activities on which
children spend most of their time: 50% of their day is spent
sleeping, 30% is spent at school, and the remaining 20% is
split between eating, playing, after-school activities, TV, etc.
“Playing is not a waste of time”
All the invitees had the chance to learn the secrets of our work
on a guided tour of the factory, during which Antonio Quereda, our Industrial Manager, described the daily life of a toy
company like Famosa, and in which Famosa professionals
were the stars of the show.
Furthermore, the guests enjoyed the Nenuco Restaurant,
specially devised for the occasion, which offered them a menu
featuring original, unforgettable culinary creations such as
“Bloody Nancys”, “Feber cheese wheels” and “Barriguitas
spring rolls”.
However, we must not forget the most important issue, the
reason why almost 70 guests came to the Famosa factory,
some from as far away as Orense and Barcelona: the presentation of the study entitled “A day in the life of a child”, prepared by Famosa in collaboration with the Toy Technological
Institute (AIJU).
“A day in the life of a child” is a snapshot of the daily routines
of our children. The study revealed how we overload them
with activities. There are a total of 24 daily routines, amongst
which the study detected 10 activities – eating, sleeping,
personal hygiene, travel, crèche or school, after-school
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I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
2ND FAMOSA JUEGORAMA.
C E L E B R AT I O N O F T H E 2 N D FA M O S A
JUEGORAMA.
n 30 November, our Onil factory was transformed both inside and out to receive the 70 or so people from the
O
media, management team, authorities, etc who didn't want to miss the biggest event in the toy sector in 2011: the
2nd Famosa Juegorama.
blue carpet was rolled out as far as the Nancy statue
A
to welcome the guests to the 2nd Famosa Juegorama.
Inside, the old dining room underwent a complete
transformation to become a multi-purpose room, decorated for this very special event.
As the guests arrived, they were served coffee to warm
them up in the old dining room. Next was the press
6
conference to present the study on "A day in the life of a
child", given by Famosa's Managing Director, José de la
Gándara, the Product, Sales and Marketing Manager,
Eduardo Garagorri, and the Head of the Pedagogy
Department with the Toy Technological Institute
(AIJU), María Acosta.
Over 40 media representatives as well as members of the
local authorities followed the press conference in this
room, which was beautifully decorated for the occasion.
Left to right: former Mayor of Onil, Elisa Ribera; Ibi Mayor’s Deputy
for Industry, Rafael Serralta; Mayor of Onil, José Ramón Francés; and
Chair of the AIJU, José Antonio Pastor.
I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
2ND FAMOSA JUEGORAMA.
A fter the press conference, the guests made their
way to the Famosa site in Ibi. As they arrived,
Famosa employees were waiting to give them a
guided tour of the Feber facilities. During the visit,
cameras interrupted the routine of the Famosa workers, who were the subject of photographs and
interviews all day.
The journalists were first impressed by the moulds
and the injection and blow moulding machines,
and then, on the assembly line, by two of Famosa’s
star products for this Christmas - the Feber Villa
and the California Ferrari.
Back in Famosa’s impressive showroom in Onil, many of the guests recognised some of the brands from their childhoods: Pinypon, Nenuco, Nancy,
etc. For around an hour, the Famosa showroom became an improvised
television studio, where each guest chose a corner and where Famosa’s
management team were at their disposal.
To end the day, the old dining room was once again transformed, this time
into the Nenuco Restaurant, where the guests enjoyed a specially-created
menu for the occasion, including Bloody Nancys, Barriguitas spring rolls
with soy and sweet and sour sauces, Pin loaf with Pon sausage, and Feber
cheese-filled wheels. A selection of delicious dishes rounded off an unforgettable day.
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I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
WE DISCOVER.
FA M O S A
I N
P
C H I N A
edro San Gil, Managing Director
of Famosa Internacional Ltd.
Data for a brief profile of Pedro San
Gil:
Education: Degree in Law and
Masters in Supply Chain Management.
Age: 35.
Family status: Married with 2
daughters.
Length of time working for the
company, and particularly in
China: I joined Famosa in September 2003. I began working for
Famosa Internacional Ltd. in January
2007. Total: 8 years and 4 months.
Questionnaire:
1. Tell us about the department you
manage:
a. How many people make up your
team?
The team is currently made up of 57 people in 3 offices:
There are 16 of us working in Hong Kong, in the Financial Administration, Purchasing,
Customer Service and Sales departments.
In Shenzhen, the Chinese city that borders Hong Kong, we have our second office, with
38 people working in the Product Engineering, Cost Engineering, Dress Samples, Quality
and Operations departments. This is a more technical office, where we make prototypes,
moulds and finished products. As a result, our colleagues spend a lot of time working in
the factories of our suppliers, where our toys are made.
The office in Shanghai is our smallest, with 3 employees. From here we mainly provide
support to Play by Play for all of their purchasing operations in China, and to Famosa in
the soft toys category.
b. Since when?
In 1991, Famosa decided to set up its own team to work in China. Paco Ferri arrived in
Hong Kong at the end of 1990 and spent the first seven years working with the purchasing agent Li & Fung. In 1997, once the volume had risen enough to make the costs
worthwhile, Famosa Internacional was created, with a team of 8 people initially. The
Shenzhen office was opened in 1998 and the Shanghai office in 2004.
3. Why is it important for the other employees to “discover” you?
We are another link in the chain that makes it possible for the product to arrive on time
and in the quantities the company needs so as to provide a service to our customers. I
wouldn’t say it’s important, but they should at least know where the Three Wise Men and
Santa Claus get their toys ;-))
4. What is it like to work for a Spanish company in China, both professionally
and personally?
It is extremely enriching, in all aspects. On a personal level, it has given us the chance to
get to know another culture, and to travel in countries that are a bit further from Europe.
“On a personal level, it has given us the
chance to get to know another culture.”
6. What was the most difficult situation you faced in your department?
The closure of a factory. When this happens in China, you have very little time to
coordinate the steps you need to take to achieve two objectives. The first is that the moulds,
which are the property of Famosa, must leave the country before the government takes
control. If you do not manage to do this, it can take up to a year to get them back, which
puts continuity of production of toys at risk. The second challenge is to ensure that
confirmed orders are not affected and that the customer does not notice.
The most serious case happened to us a year ago with the PYP supplier. Fortunately we
managed to meet both of the above objectives, thanks to the hard work, effort and
coordination of all departments.
c. What nationalities?
Our team is entirely local, with the exception of 3 Spanish people.
d. Who has been there the longest?
In Hong Kong, that honour goes to Joey Shum, the Administration Manager, and Lucy
Choy, the Purchasing Manager. Both were part of the team that Li & Fung assigned to
Famosa at the beginning and they went with Paco Ferri in 1997, when Famosa Internacional was established.
In Shenzhen, the veterans are Kent ..., our longest-serving Quality Inspector, and Kap
Devon, head of Cost Engineering and assistant Head of Engineering. They both joined
Famosa when the Shenzhen office opened.
e. When did the last person join the team?
In February 2012, we will be joined by a couple of new colleagues in the Purchasing and
Quality departments. They will help us to continue giving the support the Group needs.
2. Sum up for us what Famosa’s department in China does. What is your role
within Famosa?
The departments within our office are: Financial Administration, Purchasing, Customer
Service, Engineering, Quality and Operations. We basically manage the development
and production of those items the company finds it more competitive to produce in
China. Our work begins when we receive a design to make a functional prototype. It
continues with the moulds, price negotiations and production capacities, and ends when
we ship the goods and provide support to our internal and external customers.
Of all the products we manage (65 million US dollars in 2011), 65% goes to our logistics
centres in Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico, and this year we will begin shipping to the US.
The remaining 35% is manufactured for sale directly to customers, FOB China.
We also have a showroom open all year round to receive our customers at the toy fairs that
are held in Hong Kong in October and January. Many colleagues from the Sales area
attend these fairs. At the last fair, in January 2012, we were visited by over 200 customers
from all over the world.
“On a professional level, it is an amazing
challenge from which I have learned a great deal.”
On a professional level, it is an amazing challenge, from which I have learned a great
deal.
5. What would you highlight as the most positive aspect of working in this
department? And what do you like least?
The most positive aspect is the magnificent team of professionals that make up Famosa
Internacional.
What I like least is the distance. Within the same company, we sometimes feel that we are
too far away, but we understand this to be normal.
7. Finally, you work in a country where the culture is very different to the
Spanish one. Tell us about the peculiarities of your work environment.
We work in three very large cities, with several million inhabitants. I personally was very
impressed with the efficiency of the public transport system, and with China's ability to
adapt to huge growth in every sense.
Spain - China Coordination: areas and functions
Idea
Concept
MKT
Sketch
Design
Industrialisation
PRODUCT
3D Design
Production
ENGINEERING
Specifications
Moulds
Pre-production
1st load
Prototypes
PRODUCT
Spec
PURCHASING
Pre-pricing
QUALITY
Cost improvement
QUALITY
Specifications
Regulations
SALES
Final pricing
Product Quality
PLANNING
Sales Forecast
Certifications
Laboratory tests
Production
Quality
OPERATIONS
Orders
Production control and planning
Loads and Customer Service
8
SPAIN
CHINA
I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
FAMOSA IN THE MEDIA.
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I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
IN ONE CLICK.
Pin y pon and Nenuco at Dabadum
This year, DABADUM, the trade fair dedicated to children’s
leisure held in Madrid from 6-11 December, played host to two of
this country's most iconic brands, NENUCO and PINYPON.
The Pinypon area consisted of a large, 100 m2 play space, where
children experienced “A thousand and one plans” with Pinypon:
games, workshops, music, fashion, prizes and even a casting
session.
At Nenuco, the little ones played chef with “Nenuco’s Restaurant”.
They had lots of fun with a cookery workshop and games.
Famosa gives out 720,000 bread bags illustrated
with its most iconic brands.
The Famosa Dollhouse is set up in Plaza del Callao.
During the month of
December, Famosa gave out
a total of 720,000 bread bags
illustrated with its most
iconic brands, such as
Nancy, Barriguitas and
Pinypon, in bakeries in five
Spanish cities (Barcelona,
Valencia, Seville, Bilbao and
Madrid).
Be Nancy for a day!
Around 20 little girls and
celebrities enjoyed a very
special day with Nancy in
Lisbon. Surprises, treats…
An activity-packed day
where the little ones had a
wonderful time getting
makeovers, participating in
photoshoots and doing their
Nancy dolls’ hair. 19 media
representatives attended the
event.
New Famosa Corporate Manual coming soon.
Famosa is working on a Corporate Manual which will unify practices at all levels of the organisation, at our different headquarters. It
will be available from March.
Over Christmas, Famosa set up a giant Dollhouse in Plaza del Callao
in the heart of Madrid.
Famosa’s new website due in March.
In March our long-awaited company website will go live. With a
new design and greater presence on social networking sites, Famosa
is getting up to speed with online communications. This will be the
start of an ambitious project, whereby we will update each of the
web pages of the main Famosa brands. The first web pages to get a
complete overhaul will be Nenuco and Pinypon. We are already
working on these.
At the same time, we are continuing to develop new online games,
which have been very well received in terms of visits and brand
image. We also continue to look after our Facebook followers, where
Barriguitas already has over 12,000 friends.
Barriguitas fans receive Barriguitas of the World, dressed just like them.
Barriguitas of the World are back, 30 years after they first appeared. They were welcomed with a wonderful event held in October in three
Spanish cities. Toy shops in Seville, Barcelona and Valencia held a very special event, where they invited Barriguitas fans to come to their
shops dressed as Barriguitas of the World.
I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
IN ONE CLICK.
Nancy celebrates her second Christmas Concert, "Winter Warmer Music”.
Nancy celebrated her 2nd Christmas Concert, entitled “Winter Warmer Music” in Madrid's Teatro Monumental on 26 November. The
concert was presented by Maestro Polo Vallejo, with musical direction by José Antonio Montaño leading the Orquesta Sphaerarum, and
storyteller Pep Bruno.
The concert was the perfect backdrop for Nancy Animals in the Snow to be introduced: the scene was set in a cold, snowy place, and we were
entertained with music by Vivaldi, Corelli, Scarlatti and Handel.
Techno Trends installs telepresence equipment at Famosa.
Oh! Famosa in the Practical Management of Risks in the Workplace magazine.
Famosa hired Techno Trends to install telepresence and videoconferencing equipment on our premises, with the aim of improving
communication between our offices. We opted for a solution
with a number of Cisco devices: a Starterpack with Movi, an
MCU 4203 with Conference Me, and seven C20 sets. These
solutions will improve the quality of videoconferencing meetings
at all levels within the company.
It is barely 6 months old, and already our in-house magazine has
been mentioned in Gestión Práctica de Riesgos Laborales (Practical
Management of Risks in the Workplace) magazine. In January, the
specialist magazine published an article on Famosa, in which Oh!
Famosa's role as a vehicle for internal communications was
highlighted.
NEW US SUBSIDIARY.
“The North American market offers Famosa the opportunity to bring its
European landmark brands to the US consumer”
Famosa’s subsidiary in the US opened on
1 December. The headquarters are in Mt.
Laurel, 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia, and there are currently five employees (with one more to join soon) in the
Sales, Customer Service, Marketing,
Operations and Finance departments. Ed
Young, General Manager for Famosa in
North America (US and Canada) told Oh!
Famosa about the work that he and his
team will do over the coming months, and
about the key points of the North American market.
Ed Young, General Manager
for Famosa in North America. “The North American toy market is the
biggest in the world, with a turnover of 21
billion dollars. Wal-Mart, Toys R Us and Target account for 57% of
the market share.” This is why Ed admits to being "delighted with the
chance to be a part of the creation and consolidation of a business in
the biggest market in the world." He also explains how “the North
American market offers Famosa an excellent opportunity to bring
some of its brands, which are so well known in Europe, to US consumers."
In order to achieve this, his team – made up of professionals with
experience in brands such as LeapFrog, MGA, Hasbro and Mattel (Ed
himself worked at LeapFrog for over seven years) – is focusing on
introducing four Famosa brands to the US and Canadian markets:
Nenuco, Nancy, Pinypon and Feber. To do this, they will have to
compete against rivals of the calibre of Mattel, Hasbro and MGA.
For now, in the two months since the sales subsidiary was created in
the US, Ed’s team has concentrated on meeting the main regional
distributors in order to present the Famosa brands. According to Ed,
the response has been very positive, so much so that, by this summer,
they will have introduced Pinypon, Nancy and Nenuco to the range
of brands distributed by Toys R Us, Target will sell Pinypon, and
Nenuco will be available in Kmart.
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I N T E R N A L I N F O R MAT I O N MAG A Z I N E, YE A R 2 · N º 2
PEOPLE.
“Mine is the first voice our
customers hear and I am the first
person visitors see, so I make an
effort to project the image Famosa
wants to portray”
Nuria Moreno-Cid, 7 years with
Famosa, Receptionist in Madrid.
In 2005, Nuria applied for a job that
struck her as interesting. A short time
later, she was sitting in a room,
surrounded by the dolls of her
childhood, waiting to be interviewed
by Famosa’s HR department.
Seven years have passed since that
interview, during which time this graduate of English has seen Famosa's
headquarters in Madrid grow. "When I started working here the office had
been open a year and a half. Since then, the departments have grown." She
has found her niche in a company that has given her "the experience of
working in an organisation for which children’s dreams are the inspiration
to create products to match those dreams."
“This place was and is my home. From
a professional viewpoint, I have received
a great deal and given back a great deal.”
Soon after earning his degree in Economics and Business
Studies, and with some experience gained in the family
business, Nicolás López began working for Famosa as
Sales Representative for central Spain. This was in 1985.
On 1 September, Nicolás will have been with the
company 27 years, and his position at that time will be
Sales Manager for Famosa in Spain.
“Almost 27 years is a long
time - a whole career"
This “veteran” of Famosa's Madrid headquarters still
remembers his first contact with Famosa in Onil in the
summer of 1985. “In 1985 Famosa was a large company,
as it remains today, and we all have a preconceived idea
of what large companies are like. Big buildings with lots
of glass, reception areas with strict security measures…I
“Working in reception is much more than
looking after the switchboard."
About her job, Nuria says that “working in reception is much more than
looking after the switchboard", although she points out that is conscious
of the fact that she is "the first voice our customers hear, and the first person
visitors see”, so she makes an effort to “project the image Famosa wants to
portray."
The seven years she has spent with Famosa have given Nuria time to gather
a story or two. She told us this one, in which one of her colleagues will
probably recognise herself: “In my second year with the company, there was
a Christmas dinner in Madrid. When we got to the restaurant, a colleague
asked me ‘Nuri, where’s the toilet in this place?’ – it was as if, because I am
the receptionist at Famosa, my functions were the same in the restaurant.
“Obviously I can help you in the office, but in a restaurant I'm not familiar
with…,” I answered. We both began to laugh when we realised what was
going on.”
have to admit, the first time I set foot in Famosa's offices
in Onil, what I saw had little or nothing in common
with what I had imagined, particularly with respect to
the austerity and simplicity that came across, both in
the facilities and in the people.”
Since that summer of 1985, Nicolás has grown with
Famosa, both professionally and personally. He has seen
the company go through difficult times and he says that
Famosa’s ability to adapt has enabled it to be a leader in
its sector, unlike many other toy companies that have
not been able to adapt to changing times, and have
simply disappeared.
“Almost 27 years is a long time, a whole career during
which I have been lucky enough to meet and work with
many people who played a part in my personal and
professional development,” explains Nicolás. He also
recognises that during this time, he has had plenty of
opportunities for change, “but I always decided to stay
here: this place was and is my home. From a professional
viewpoint, I have received a great deal and given back a
great deal.”
“All my life I had heard about Famosa.
My father worked here, and he always
instilled a special fondness for the
company in me”
Lea began working for Famosa in 1972 immediately after
finishing her school exams and doing an entrance exam for
the job of telephonist-receptionist. She wanted to work with
Famosa rather than any other company because she had been
hearing about Famosa “all her life". “My father worked here
since the time the company was founded and he always spoke
very fondly of Famosa to me. I think we, like many, felt that
Famosa was our own,” she recalls.
Lea Navarro,
40 years with Famosa
Customer Service Department
However, despite her good feelings towards Famosa, Lea's
first few days at the job, like any other, weren't easy. As she
recalls, “My memories of those days are of thinking 'This
is madness! So many calls!’ All those little lights on the
switchboard - it was enough to drive you crazy."
After her first position, Lea went on to join the sales
department for Spain, then she looked after everything related
to customers and orders, she worked in Service for the
Portuguese market, etc. 40 years with Famosa have given
her time to do many things, even to collaborate in the setting
up of subsidiaries such as the Italian and Portuguese ones,
“A special fondness for the
company was instilled in me”
and also to gain ample experience and make great friends:
“I’ve learned a great deal here, I’ve had good times and bad,
and I’ve met a lot of people. All of that has taught me to
put a different value on life”.
For any suggestions or comments, please contact us at this email address:
[email protected]
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Nicolás López,
26 years with Famosa,
Sales Manager in Spain