famobil

SUMMARY
1
www.famosagroup.com
Message from the CEO
Letter from the CEO, José de la Gándara
2
Safety
All accidents can be prevented
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
4
Quality
Interview with José Miguel Sanjuán
Interview with Evelio Guill Beltrán
7
CSR
We are working on our first corporate
social responsibility plan
8
Product
FAMOSA ends 2012 as leader in mini dolls with
Pinypon and Barriguitas topping the rankings
2012 ends successfully for Nancy, market share
growth and outperformance vs. Barbie
Nancy and her fun 'girls' day out'
Pinypon at the cutting edge with its new
microsite. More Pinypon fun online!
Our brands continue to win over new
Facebook fans
Building with FAMOSA's FamoClick
FAMOSA makes its mark in the US
Russia's little girls flock to Nancy
10
The move
New facility in Alicante up and running
11
FAMOSA in Mexico
170 days accident-free
This issue's special guest is.... Freddy Martínez
19
Production Department
Interview with Salu Blanes
21
People
Interview with Marisa Francés
Letter from the CEO
Letter from the CEO
José de la Gándara
A few months ago, FAMOSA started work on a corporate
social responsibility (CSR) program on which we report in
detail in this edition of Oh! FAMOSA.
tactical and the company goes about its business in line with
these principles, consumers, customers, employees,
suppliers and society in general will view the organisation as
a responsible, credible, committed and trustworthy
business, which will significantly enhance its image in their
Corporate social responsibility goes beyond legal
eyes and increase these stakeholders' inclination to engage
compliance, which marks the minimum common
with it. However the benefits do not stop there as astute
denominator. The CSR management concept encompasses
execution of a well-designed
a set of business practices,
CSR strategy should pave the
strategies and management
way, medium term, for a series of
systems designed to deliver a new
higher-quality products and
equilibrium between the
Our CSR program is vital
services that are more closely
economic, social and
aligned with what customers are
environmental dimensions.
because today's consumers
looking for, along with higher
are demanding increasingly
margins and more sustainable
Far from being a fleeting
profitability.
management trend, the growing
responsible, committed and
years of experience are making CRS
solvent companies
One of the first decisions taken
an increasingly important element
by FAMOSA in this arena has been
of business survival. Better still, for
from the social,
to sign up to the United Nation's
companies capable of building it
Global Compact, created to
into their management models as a
environmental and
spark dialogue between business
key driver, CSR can deliver growth.
financial standpoints. .
and society on the basis of 10
principles related mainly to
Our CSR program is vital because
human and labour rights, the
today's consumers are demanding
environment
increasingly responsible,
and the fight against corruption. I would
committed and solvent companies from the social,
urge you all to take a look at the Global
environmental and financial standpoints. CSR takes on a
Compact's website (http://
particular sensitivity and significance in our sector due to the
www.unglobalcompact.org/) to see
company's impact on children. This is apparent in
for yourselves the impact that
increasingly stringent requirements in terms of product
initiatives of this kind can
safety and quality, environmental performance, human
have on our company's
rights in general and labour rights in particular.
future.
It is also crucial because all of the stakeholders orbiting
around our company, from our employees to the unions,
shareholders, media, government, etc., are demanding
more and more commitment and responsibility from it.
Many of the initiatives pursued in the past were already
headed in this direction: safety programs, career
development, environmental protection plans, ICTI
certification and our sponsorship of children's charities. Our
goal is to have all of these initiatives, and many more, form
part of our CSR program, which is designed to inject
coherency and unity of action into everything we do on
this front in order to yield better results for FAMOSA and,
logically, society. In the months to come we will deploy
actions and initiatives under the umbrella of this program
that will affect all of the company's areas and
professionals to a greater or lesser degree.
A strategic CSR commitment, as opposed to a hollow
communication or tactical ploy, brings a series of
important benefits in terms of boosting business
performance. The biggest advantage is that if the
rollout of the CSR commitment is strategic and not
1
2
Safety
famosa
Workplace safety is a
right and an obligation
Last month, our CEO, José de la Gándara, participated in the
Rural Leader Development Program 2007/2013 organised
by Adesho, a non-profit organisation whose aim is to
promote economic, social,
cultural and environmental
development in the town of
Hoya de Huesca.
the company's core tenets as well as an employee right.
Above all, he said, it is one of the most powerful tools for
reinforcing organisational leadership, managing change and
achieving excellence.
During his speech, De la
Gándara stressed the fact that
safety measures were just as
important in companies as in
the mountains. Against this
backdrop, he gave some
alarming figures: two people
die every day in Spain due to
workplace accidents, 30%
more than the European
average , adding that the
average cost of time missed
due to workplace injuries is
2,500 a month .
He drew a comparison between
corporate safety and mountain
safety by suggesting that the
risks entailed by both activities
are very similar (risk
environments, targets to be
achieved, social and financial
pressure), albeit insisting that
safety is good business as it
implies cost savings, legal
compliance and profit
generation.
Lastly, De la Gándara
underscored a message of vital
importance in both the
corporate arena and mountain
environment: All accidents can
be prevented.
His key message was to remind
his listeners that safety is one of
José de la Gándara speech. CEO of FAMOSA
World Day for
Safety and Health at Work
28 April marked World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
This year's event focused on the prevention of occupational
diseases. The inadequate prevention of occupational
diseases has profound negative effects not only on workers
and their families but also on society at large due to the
tremendous costs that it generates; particularly, in terms of
loss of productivity and burdening of social security systems.
Prevention is more effective and less costly than treatment
and rehabilitation. All countries can take concrete steps now
to improve their capacity for preventing occupational
diseases.
The event also sought to highlight the importance of a team
effort to create a safe and healthy work environment.
Working together for risk prevention" is not just a slogan
because when it comes to preventing work-related injuries,
working together is much more than a good intention: it is
a prerequisite for a functioning prevention effort.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work also
launched one of the day's key messages: workplace health
and safety makes good business sense. However, this should
not conceal the fact that ultimately it is the injured or sick
employee who pays the highest price for work-related
accidents and occupational diseases.
Safety
The importance of good posture
In March the company provided four ergonomics training
sessions ( Back pain workshop ) targeted at all employees
involved in administrative work with continual use of
screens at the work centre in Las Atalayas, Alicante.
The course was given by professionals from Grupo SAF and
lasted four hours, sufficient time to allow for theory and for
putting the theory into practice, providing employees with
guidelines for preventing work-related back problems.
These courses will also be given in Madrid (in June and
September) so that all administrative staff in Spain will
benefit from this expertise
Panels will be set up in all sections of the company on which
boxes will be placed with suggestion forms that can be taken
by any employee. Once this form is filled out, it must be
placed in the suggestion box where your managers will
check that it has been correctly filled out. A copy will then be
sent to the submitting employee and to Agustín Álvarez,
who will bring it before the internal committee.
This committee will meet four times a year between
September and August. The ideas submitted will be
evaluated along as series of parameters such as applicability,
viability, savings and safety implications. The top three ideas
and others deemed worthy of merit will receive prizes
(details of the prizes to come later).
Rollout of new systems at FAMOSA
The workplace health and safety department is taking the
steps needed to certify FAMOSA under OHSAS 18001: 2007
for occupational health and safety management systems.
We need your help
In collaboration with the factory engineering department,
Famosa is coordinating the deployment of a continual
improvement system as part of the lean management
project being pursued in the manufacturing division; the
idea is to encourage FAMOSA employees to generate ideas
with scope for application in one of the company's three
core strategic policy areas: quality management,
environmental protection and workplace health and safety.
Ideally the suggested projects should be viable and impact
as many employees as possible, and not only their narrowly
defined jobs but also their teams and the related processes.
The goal is to get all FAMOSA employees to engage
proactively in the search for continual improvement at the
company.
This standard mirrors and certifies the attainment of
excellence in terms of control of occupational health and
safety risks, control of health and safety performance and
continual improvement of workplace safety practices. It is
more stringent than prevailing legislation and is an
expression of growing concern by stakeholders regarding
workplace safety matters.
The goal of occupational health and safety management
system certifications such as this is to provide organisations
with the framework for an effective system that can be
integrated with other management systems and
requirements.
To be efficient such systems need to be developed as part of
a structured management system that is integrated within
the organisation
3
4
Quality
famosa
FAMOSA
environmentally committed
FAMOSA is sensitive to environmental issues, which is why,
true to our business philosophy, we have assumed an
environmental commitment. The various systems
implemented recently are tangible evidence of this pledge:
the environmental management system (EMS), the quality
management system (ISO 9001:2008) and the occupational
health and safety system
(OHSAS 18001:2007).
The EMS has the power to
deliver numerous internal and
external benefits including
energy and resource savings,
an enhanced external image,
lower costs, higher customer
confidence, better internal
communication and higherquality processes, among
others.
In the months to come AENOR
will certify the implementation
environmental management
certification by AENOR
José Miguel
Sanjuán
Environmental
expert
José Miguel began his career at FAMOSA when he was just
14 years old. Thanks to his commitment and motivation, he
is currently responsible for the company's workplace safety
and environmental policies. His relationships with his peers
can only be described as exceptional and he enjoys
organising team projects
Tell us about your extensive trajectory at the company...
I started out in the kitchen at 14. Later I worked in the
electronics department where I made the dolls' voice
circuits. From there I went on to work in the repair area
where I was promoted several times and was named
manager at 19. Next I headed up the mechanical doll
assembly section. After that job, I was appointed Safety and
Environmental Manager, a job I continue to perform today.
of the EMS in our facilities, which is why your efforts and help
are vital to guaranteeing the optimal effectiveness of the
firm's environmental initiatives.
Quality
I gather you travelled extensively for a time. Tell us about
that phase of your career at FAMOSA.
I travelled constantly for years. On one of my trips to
Ecuador, I was held in customs and two local policemen
went through my luggage. They took my magazines and
began to sniff them. Used to the Spanish police force's
sniffer dogs, I asked the policemen why they were doing it,
telling them that in Spain they trained dogs to do this work.
Very angry they told me that in Ecuador they were the once
who were trained for this purpose. I had to shut up at that
point as things were looking a little grim (they confiscated by
antacid tablets), although in the end everything turned out
alright.
I gather you found the time to organise games and team
lunches with your colleagues
The games took place after work and during the weekends,
the idea being to foster relations between colleagues who
wouldn't cross paths for months as they were working
different shifts. We played card, billiards and clay pigeon
shooting, held board game competitions and took 25km
hikes. These events would finish up with what we called our
fraternity meal and a prize ceremony.
Your best and worst memories?
The best is when I was promoted to manager. The worst:
when I saw FAMOSA's warehouses in Onil empty.
What do you like most about FAMOSA? And least?
What I like most are my colleagues and the company's
growth ambitions. What I like the least is the fact that we
have lost the dream that FAMOSA was something that
belonged to us and that our children would follow in our
footsteps.
Which of FAMOSA's values do you identify most closely
with?
With everything that is being done to manage workplace
health and safety risks and the firm's environmental
commitment.
What do you think about the company's entry into new
markets such as the US and Russia?
I think it's great, the more growth the better.
We improve day after day
by striving for customer satisfaction
Thanks to the efforts of all of FAMOSA's departments, we have made progress on implementation of the quality management
system under the ISO9001 standard.
Our goal is to achieve this certification in Spain this year and to extend it to other markets and subsidiaries next year.
This system mirrors management's commitment to guaranteeing customer satisfaction, to continual product improvement and
to working under an ISO-inspired quality management framework.
The system will help us to classify our processes and interfaces with other departments and will provide a broader vision of how
processes are performed in other areas.
Our obligations:
• If your area has procedures that are included in the quality management system, you need
to read and be familiar with the procedure and instructions as they apply to you and with the overall
quality management policy.
• Ensure that we are doing what we say we will.
• Document compliance with quality management requirements by means of the registers
defined for each procedure.
• If you participate in an audit, provide the auditor with responses that are consistent with
the procedure/instructions.
5
6
Quality
famosa
Evelio Guill
Beltrán
Quality Control,
laboratory head
The day will come that Evelio celebrates his golden
anniversary at FAMOSA as he has been with the company
since 1967, arriving when it celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Having held several different positions, Evelio is currently in
charge of the quality control laboratory.
Evelio, 46 years at FAMOSA. A long time, wouldn't you say?
Indeed. Time passes by very quickly. We barely notice its
passage, especially when we are young. Later on one starts
to value time far more, perhaps because one begins to
realise that it is running out.
Provide us with a brief overview of your time at the
company.
I started to work at the company at 14. Back then we worked
at the various centres the company had all over the town.
Two years later we moved into the new warehouse at San
Antonio 8, where I was in charge of the machines that put
the dolls eyes in. Later I was responsible for the machines
that put in and combed the dolls' hair. In 1985 I was moved to
quality control where I continue to work, specifically
running the lab.
What is the best memory you will take with you from the
company?
Above all the teamwork. Although sometimes challenging, it
is the best way to translate everyone's efforts into something
viable and productive. In fact, I believe that relationships and
coordination between the various departments should be
boosted.
How has the company changed since you joined it?
Different times and different approaches. We have gone
from being a company with owners that had built everything
from scratch, with small workshops, some of which even
located in their homes (making them innate manufacturers),
to one with international ambitions, managers with varying
backgrounds and owners that are financial in orientation.
Which of FAMOSA's values do you identify most closely
with?
The relationship between the company and its employees.
Even though we might not agree with many of the decisions
taken by the company, we have the option to discuss and
debate them. I also identify with the company's
commitment to legal compliance with product, labour and
fiscal laws.
What do you think of FAMOSA's new facilities close to
Alicante?
I can't really say as I honestly don't know them. I've only been
there once.
Are today's toys good quality or were they better in the
past?
Today's toys are different. In the past toys were more
elaborate and more carefully finished as they were made
onsite by people with a lot of experience in toy making.
Nowadays toys have to meet many more requirements in
terms of chemical components and safe finishings.
What toy would you take with you as a company souvenir?
Without a shadow of a doubt Pipo Gestitos, a mechanical
doll that made gestures as he spoke. I was very involved in
designing its entire mechanism. It was the first doll to be
partially manufactured in China; the heads were put on and
the dolls were finished here at FAMOSA.
Please add whatever you like in this section
I would like to underscore the importance of the quality and
safety of our products as these traits, coupled with continual
innovation, are the essentials that set us apart from the rest
of our competitors. Nowadays, thanks to the entry into play
of low cost producers, it is possible to place a large number
of articles on the market without the need for direct
manpower or installations.
CSR
CSR is genuine when it materialises in initiatives
by and for a company's stakeholders
In the past few years we have shared major changes as a
company. One of the most profound changes is our
involvement over the last few months in developing our first
corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan. As a starting point,
I think it is important to explain the meaning of this term,
which no doubt rings a bell for many of you.
Here at FAMOSA we understand corporate social
responsibility as the voluntary integration of prevailing
social, environmental and economic concerns and issues
into the strategic activity that defines us as an organisation,
in continual dialogue with all the stakeholders that comprise
it.
Taking this approach, FAMOSA is making a special effort to
get closer to its people and, above all, to integrate the
corporate citizenship concept into our daily operations on a
strategic and cross-departmental basis.
mission and values, integrating these principles throughout
the value chain.
• To identify how specifically FAMOSA creates value for
society, its stakeholders and its people.
• To highlight the development opportunities and
possibilities within FAMOSA's reach that have the power to
contribute proactively to fulfilling the promise to give back
to society what it has given to us.
The drafting of FAMOSA's CSR plan is framed by the need to
reorganise and refocus initiatives that are already being
carried out (such as donations to charity, workplace health
and safety measures and the code of conduct) while
advancing on the creation and development of new
proposals for contributing to the progress and growth of all
of us that make up FAMOSA.
The real CSR dimension at FAMOSA
• To champion and defend the responsible company model
strategically enshrined strategically in the Group's vision,
Defining stakeholders
We have used consultation tools (questionnaires, panels,
interviews, etc.) to communicate with our stakeholders,
understand their expectations and needs and draw up an
initial stakeholder map that going forward will serve as a
reminder of the dialogue pledge that binds us: integration of
the core tenet that FAMOSA assumes a responsibility that
gives rise to specific obligations relative to different groups
or audiences that have legitimate relative interests.
The steps taken to date will set the foundations for future
initiatives and programs in which we hope you will
personally engage and which comprise FAMOSA's first CSR
Action Plan. We are aware that CSR is a real competitive
advantage for companies that know how to put it into
practice and that doing so is only possible if the strategy and
commitment are genuine and materialise in initiatives
forged by and for its stakeholders.
7
8
Product
famosa
FAMOSA ends 2012 as leader in mini dolls with Pinypon
and Barriguitas topping the rankings
In 2012 FAMOSA achieved outright leadership of the mini doll
product category. Pinypon topped the charts with a market share of
32.7%, while Barriguitas ranked second, commanding 21.9% of the
overall market. The Pinypon House in the Snow was the best-selling
playset during the 2012 Christmas sales campaign. And Pinypon
continues to rank #1, garnering a market share of 34.9% in April, up
2.8 percentage points from March 2013.
Pinypon's House in the Snow
2012 ends successfully for Nancy, market share growth
and outperformance vs. Barbie
Despite being a challenging year due to the economic situation and the Monster High craze, Nancy posted growth of 4% in sellout sales (sales to end consumers), outperforming Barbie for the first time in its history. This positive trend has continued yearto-date; indeed, according to the latest NPD panel data, Nancy sales are up 20% to April, while Barbie is down 31%. Moreover,
there are initial signs that the Monster High phenomenon is beginning to falter, with sales down 15% year-to-date. 2013 is
shaping up to be a record year for Nancy: judging by all the new products licensed, it could well end up within the top three in the
toy market.
Nancy and her fun 'girls' day out'
Nancy ran an event dubbed 'Girls' day out' in April and May in collaboration with
Spanish hairdresser chain Llongueras. The idea was to give mums and daughters
some quality time together, along with a Nancy doll at a very attractive price.
Moreover, one Nancy Hairstyle Briefcase was raffled off every day of the
promotion of on the campaign's dedicated microsite
http://plandechicas.nancyFAMOSA.es. This original initiative was marketed in
Llongueras hair salons, in the online media and on the social networks, where it
generated significant buzz, both in the Nancy and the Llongueras profiles.
Pinypon at the cutting edge with its new microsite.
More Pinypon fun online!
In June Pinypon rolled out a new microsite to support its star summer product launch, the Pinypon water park http://www.parquesdivertidospinypon.es. The microsite is a very comprehensive and fun online space filled with competitions,
promotions and information on the brand that makes girls' favourite mini dolls.
The launch is being supplemented by a joint promotion with Parques Reunidos (the leading leisure park operator in Spain). For
every Pinypon water park purchased, buyers will receive one free children's ticket for one of its leisure parks (Aquopolis, the
Warner theme park or the Madrid amusement park). A world full of fun!
Our brands continue to win over new Facebook fans
The number of fans of our brands on the world's biggest social network, Facebook, continues to grow month after month. The
number of fans rose in all of the group's profiles in 2012 thanks to growing brand recognition and the specific competitions and
campaigns carried out within the various profiles with a view to boosting their fan bases. Fan numbers continue to swell in 2013.
Nancy ended 2012 with 18,000 fans (growth of 18%), Pinypon with 17,000 (+4%), Barriguitas with 13,000 (+13%), Feber with 7,000
(+2%) and Nenuco, 6,800 (+12%). We continue to register new fans and to share brand experiences and information with our
followers.
Product
Building with FAMOSA's FamoClick
Our construction toy brand Famoclick was launched in March with two novel product lines: Animals in Action and Monster vs.
Zombies. The toys are developed around popular themes such as wild animals in danger and the sinister world of zombies.
This product launch is being backed by a substantial marketing campaign: two television campaigns in the spring that delivered
encouraging sales results, with another two planned for the summer. The campaign is being accompanied by a special launch
pack. The plan is to expand the FamoClick brand further in 2013 with the launch of a bug-based line of construction products
planned for Christmas. We will keep you up to date on developments and encourage you to try these new toys out.
FAMOSA makes its mark in the US
The Ferrari F430 made a recent appearance on a television show in Dallas, Texas. The
show was dedicated to toys and mentioned the Ferrari F430 as one of the best toys for
the spring.
Moreover, thetoyinsider.com, a prestigious website used by
numerous families to view toy reviews, has included the Happy
Caterpillar Tunnel on its list of top toys for the spring/summer
season. This website rates toys that have to power to make
children get up from the sofa and TV and drive them outdoors to
play.
The Play Advances Language (PAL) prizes awarded in the US
recognise toys, games and books whose design, content,
quality and character promote language development in
children. Famosal's My Little Nenuco Travel With Me and Pinypon
Fairies received prizes in this year's edition based on their promotion of languagebased fun and creative play.
Russia's little girls flock to Nancy
In March Nancy won the Gold Bear Best Toy of 2012 prize in Russia with
Nancy Protect Animals. This means that Nancy has taken this prize for
two years in a row, reinforcing Nancy's brand positioning in this fastgrowing toy market, particularly among 3-6 year olds. Nancy is one of
the best-selling doll brands in Russia,
boasting one of the highest brand
recognition levels among young Russian
girls.
One of the requirements judged when
awarding this prize is the ability to 'play
with it'. The nominated toys/products are
given to children aged between 5 and 14
for testing for 10 days in Moscow's main
shopping centres. During this test period,
the children and their parents test the
various products and vote for their
favourites. To promote the doll and its
packaging, we are going to include the
Gold Bear logo on the prize-winning
doll's packaging. Congratulations!
Nancy Protect Animals
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10
The move
famosa
New facility in Alicante
up and running
The new factory in Alicante, which is up and running, will
reaching cruising speed this summer, once we move the
R&D teams in. As you know, we began to move the
equipment at the beginning of 2012 and by January we had
the machines in operation.
According FAMOSA's head of operations, Antonio Quereda:
We moved quickly because our priority was to safeguard
the spring/summer campaign. The company's most
important segments include ride-ons and outdoor
playhouses, precisely the products we used to make in Foia
de Castalla and now make in Alicante .
We have invested 2 million to kit out the new facilities and
the result is 28 new injection and blow injection machines,
four assembly chains and a modern and innovative factory
layout.
Delivering on our word
But not everything is new as our business philosophy and
policy remain unchanged and we have kept our workforce
and supplier base intact. As a result, we will move over 300
employees to the new factory.
More than 200 people are already working in Alicante
including the staff from the finance administration,
purchasing, logistics and HR departments, as well as a
warehouse for immediate dispatch of the products coming
out of the factory. The move will be completed in the
summer when the research, design and development teams
move in, along with the three pieces of equipment that are
still operating at the Ibi factory.
Lastly, Quereda notes that the new working conditions are
better than those at the old factory in Foia: Our 22,000m2
surface area is smaller than what we had before but the
layout is better, providing more functional, efficient and
profitable use of resources and better working conditions .
FAMOSA in Mexico
How time flies
financial year!
we are already getting ready for a new
A year of dizzying change in Mexico and Puerto Rico, but
also a year for consolidating our organisational structure.
What's the news? Perhaps the most important development,
and the one we are most proud of, is the fact that we are 170
days accident-free at the time of writing this article. And by
the time this newsletter reaches your hands, six months will
have passed without injury, putting us very close to the 200day mark. The huge effort being championed by
management on the workplace health and safety front is
evident wherever you turn at the Monterrey factory. This is a
joint effort and when we reached our first 100 days free of
injuries in our short history we celebrated it with the factory
workers. In order to keep our targets ever present, we all
signed the commemorative banner. The next milestone:
365 days accident-free.
Mexico celebrated Children's Day in April. As a toy company
we can hardly pass that celebration up! We organised two
events to mark the day. Firstly, a drawing competition for
employees' children. The theme was simple: draw what your
mum or dad does at the factory. We received 34 drawings, a
very high participation rate. The other major event was a
party organised for our employees' children. We gave the
children free reign with our ride-ons, playhouses, activity
centres, etc. They spent a memorable day. We relied on the
factory workers to explain each of their duties at the factory.
Everyone enjoyed the morning, children and adults alike.
The children were given a toy as a going-home present.
Drawing contest
At the production levels, we are in possession of the moulds
for Four in a Row, the Pirate Ship, the flip-flap table, the
ghost picnic table and Feber Runny, with more on the way.
We are very pleased with our growth although we remain
cautious. We have thrown ourselves into the quality
management program which is being overseen in Spain. The
Inventory Turnover project being carried out since March is
vital to controlling this process.
Later in this section Adriana Torres tells us about the Anabella
launch as part of the campaign in Mexico against
discrimination in which we are participating and Juan Mora
tells us all about the strategic decision taken on the logistics
front: the opening of a new distribution centre in Mexico
City.
Drawing contest
I'm sure many of you will travel to Mexico this summer.
Please let us know and come to visit us. We'll try not to be
offended if you don't come to Monterrey: we know well that
Cancun and Acapulco hold a greater appeal than a factory
visit!
From Mexico City, Puerto Rico and Monterrey, our warmest
regards to everyone. As always, please get in touch with
anything I can be of help with.
Juan S. Bonet
Americas Director of Finance and HR.
jbonet@famosa.es
Juan S. Bonet, Americas Director
of Finance and HR
11
12
FAMOSA in Mexico
famosa
Interview with ...
Freddy
Martínez
Director of Sales
in Mexico
Up close and personal
¿SOP o SAP?
Given the choice, neither ;-). No,
seriously, SOP. These are everyday
tools that are vital for controlling
the various countries' needs.
An actress to accompany you on
a weekend escape?
In Mexico, I am a big fan of Lucero,
and in Spain, Penélope Cruz, more
appropriate for my age ;-)
Where would you like to drink
your next whiskey?
I don't mind where but with my
great friends at FAMOSA who are
already like family to me.
Out of curiosity,
have you ever been robbed?
I have never been robbed directly
but as good as. Once I paid for
merchandise which when it arrived
fell totally short of expectations and
was very disappointing. I felt totally
cheated; it was a lot of money,
around 5 thousand Mexican pesos
or 295.
That's why I always advise people to
look closely at the goods they plan
to buy before paying for them
We are getting ready for year-end and who better the star in
this edition of the newsletter than our sales head. Freddy had
the good fortune to be born in Chiapas, possibly one of
Mexico's most beautiful states. He later moved to Mexico
City to work in sales jobs.
Freddy, tell us more about your prior sales experience and
the firms you worked in.
I have been working in sales for over 21 years, 20 of which at
Hasbro, the world's number two toy maker. I held several
positions there, from invoice analyst to key account national
manager. However, the most cherished experience was the
field work, having spent four years as salesman, getting to
know how our key customer accounts worked. These key
accounts included the self-service stores, department
stores, specialist stores and wholesalers, providing me with
broad vision of the Mexican market.
How did you perceive FAMOSA Mexico when you worked
for the competition? Tell the truth now ;-)
I was familiar with FAMOSA's brands, as Hasbro at one point
distributed FAMOSA's products in Mexico. The brand I knew
best was Nenuco, the most important and recognised brand
in the Mexican market. Before Hasbro, Mattel was FAMOSA's
distributor. When these two competitors saw the potential
implicit in this segment they created their own products,
Little Mommy and Baby Alive, respectively. The only thing I
would add is that while FAMOSA was getting organised to
establish a direct presence it lost almost two years during
which it was seen as weak competition.
FAMOSA in Mexico
Stick your neck out a little: what growth prospects do you
see for the toy sector in general and for FAMOSA in
particular. What would you need to deliver growth of, say,
25% per annum for the next five years?
Had you worked for a Spanish firm before? How are your
daily dealings with Spain?
The Mexican toy market is contracting, more notably in
recent years. The sector has suffered in terms of delivering
significant growth.
Due to the time difference, the main form of
communication is e-mail, although there are procedures
and deadlines in place worldwide which must be followed
for sales and operations planning purposes. We have a
monthly meeting to go over the numbers. I believe there
should be a sales meeting at least once a year.
To deliver continual growth we would
have to enter new product lines
No. I had never worked for a Spanish company.
How are we currently positioned vis-à-vis our direct
competitors?
We (FAMOSA) have posted
significant growth. However
to deliver consistent
growth of 25% for the next
five years we would have
to enter new lines, mainly
boys toys: we have no
presence in this segment
and the fastest growing
category in Mexico is
construction toys.
Our competitors are beginning to see us as a dangerous
rival in the past year, at least in the mini doll category with
PinyPon, Feber (ride-ons and outdoor toys) and, most
notably, in the large doll category in which Nenuco has
been gradually gaining territory.
A message for the rest of the FAMOSA family around the
world
We know these are difficult times and that we face real
challenges. However behind every problem there is always
an opportunity. I am confident that FAMOSA has the right
people in each department and division to achieve the
milestones and objectives we have set for
ourselves around the world.
Freddy Martínez, Director of Sales in Mexico
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14 FAMOSA in Mexico
famosa
We introduce you to ...
Anabell Mejía
For this newsletter we have travelled to Mexico City to introduce
you to Anabell. Born in the city (which makes her a thoroughbred
chilanga), Anabell is very committed to her job and indeed
everything you ask of her. She is mad about her 9-year old son.
Family is very important to her and she loves the cinema. Her strong
personality has not prevented her from making many friends and
getting along with one and all.
She has been working for FAMOSA for four years. She works in sales
administration and has always been in charge of collections. During
these four years she has seen the company change 100%. She is
proud to go to shopping malls and note that shoppers are familiar
with FAMOSA, Nenuco and Feber. She thinks the work put into the
new offices, the showroom, the 'fabulous' factory in Monterrey and
the new warehouse in Mexico City has been well worth the effort.
She thinks there is still some fine-tuning to be done and that to be
better we need to believe in ourselves more. She is grateful to her
Spanish colleagues for their direct dealings and affections.
Particularly Lorena, Delia and Alberto, even though they sometimes
make her ears ring! And she doesn't want to forget the guys at the
Helpdesk. She loves her work.... and Don Pedro brandy with Coca
Cola!!
Anabella is here to fight squarely
for equality and inclusion
Famosa's newest doll Anabella was presented to the
Mexican media on 30 April. The presentation took place at
the Porrúa de Chapultepec book store and was attended by
around 40 publications.
In 2011, the Mexican council for the prevention of
discrimination (CONAPRED) and the 11.11 Social Change
Agency launched a video evidencing the prejudices
regarding skin colour that are passed on to boys and girls
from very young ages. The video made use of two dolls, one
with light skin and another with dark skin. The video itself
showed how it had been
impossible to find a darkskinned doll: the makers
had been unable to find a
single model in a large
number of toy shops and
had to paint one instead.
See for yourself on
Youtube (search for 'Viral
Racismo en México').
19 October is Mexico's Day
against Discrimination. It
provided us with food for
thought and inspired us to
develop new ways to
prevent and overcome
discrimination. To this end,
a group of organisations,
institutions, universities, media and companies have come
together to plan a year of activities (one for every day of the
year plus one) to fight discrimination.
Anabella: the first doll with Latin
American traits
FAMOSA, keen to put its weight behind the fight against
discrimination, has decided to join the Every day is a day for
not discriminating campaign. With the launch of Anabella,
the first doll on the market with Latin American traits,
Famosa is joining the battle against racism and
discrimination.
Anabella is designed to represent young Latin American girls'
childhood more faithfully. She proves that beauty is not just
associated with white skin, blond hair or blue eyes, thereby
encouraging acceptance of, respect for and consideration
of the diversity of physical traits, particularly those that
dominate in this region. She is striking and stands for
everything that is against discrimination. She enshrines
childhood values. She's fun and adventurous. She loves
animals and nature. Anabella and her message will make
sure the message of National Day against Discrimination will
be remembered every time a young girl sees her and picks
her up to play.
FAMOSA in Mexico
FAMOSA continues its expansion with
a distribution centre in Mexico City
The decision has been
taken to open a new
distribution centre in
Mexico City in response
to the growth plans for
Mexico and upon
analysis of how to make
shipments more
efficient and profitable.
This measure will also
ensure better customer
service, cut delivery
times and, logically,
l o w e r p u rc h a s e a n d
delivery transport costs.
Juan Mora
The new distribution
Director de Logística Méjico D.F.
centre will be used to
fulfil orders covering an
area comprising Mexico City, el Bajío and the south and southeast of the country (over 60% of overall business). The target is to
save close to 200,000 compared to current costs.
The new centre, spread out over a little more than 5,000m2, began to operate on 15 May, initially with seven warehouse
operators, one supervisor and the warehouse manager. The operations replicate existing operations at the Monterrey
warehouse, applying the same manufacturing safety procedures, rules and policies as apply in all the company's facilities.
We hope to enhance our customer service and increase turnover by servicing customers that place small but year-long
consistent orders.
Mexico celebrates
Children's Day
Children's Day in Mexico is a very special day for FAMOSA given its calling as a company that creates fun products for the smallest
members of our households.
Two events were organised to mark the occasion:
1. A drawing competition for our employees' children in which they had to draw their mother or father's job. We
received 34 drawings, a very high participation rate.
2. A party for our employees' children during which they were given free reign of our ride-ons, playhouses, play centres,
etc. A busy day that the children, each of whom was given a toy as a present, will remember.
15
16 In just one click
famosa
Antonio Quereda and Antonio Fernández
tour the Chinese facilities
In early April, Antonio Quereda, COO, and Antonio
Fernández, Director of HR, visited the company's facilities
in China and Hong Kong.
Both met with all the department heads and supervisors.
These executives came back with very positive feedback,
having taken advantage of the trip to encourage the teams in
China and Hong Kong to continue in the same direction, that
of drawing up well-defined processes.
They also highlighted the team's focus on objectives, intradepartmental cooperation and team work and the progress
made in the last year.
Our cutting-edge facilities
in China
The quality control laboratory in Longgang (China) was
inaugurated on 28 March. This is an important milestone on
our roadmap as it will help us become more familiar with our
products and ensure the quality and safety of all the toys we
make. The lab will oversee end-to-end quality throughout
the production process.
Elsewhere, on 8 March Cathy and John organised a major
event in Shenzhen. As well as a very enjoyable dinner, all the
employees participated in different games: besides a
number of raffles, several people were brave enough to sing
karaoke and there was even a fashion show.
Children's Open Day
in the Milan offices
Our offices in Milan recently opened their doors to the
youngest members of our households for two days. On 8
and 9 April the students of Monza school visited our offices
in Italy's fashion capital in a number of shifts.
The children had the opportunity to see for themselves how
an office works, its various departments and the work
performed by each employee to keep everything running
smoothly.
There was only so much teaching that could be done so the
children were also given the chance to put what they had
learned into practice and free time to play with all our toys.
Human resources
Inauguration of
FAMOSA's Online University
Here at FAMOSA we believe that employee training is very important, that we learn something new every day and that we should
never shut ourselves off to learning. As you already know, 'knowledge doesn't take up space'. To this end we have committed to
online training and are implementing an e-learning platform with the assistance of CrossKnowledge.
Why online training?
• It makes course taking more flexible as the training process
can be adapted to each person's schedules and pace of
learning, without forgetting that the priority is to deliver
workplace targets. Participants must approach learning
responsibly, i.e. allocating time between work and training
sensibly.
• Similar content can be taught to the entire group as the
platform's content is translated into 12 languages.
• The cost of online training is lower than onsite training,
which means more courses can be provided to more
people.
• Our HR professionals can track the program's effectiveness
far more exhaustively.
The training program for each of you has been defined
bearing in mind our strategic and business development
priorities, our priority projects and initiatives and the results
of skill assessments.
Here in the training and career development department we
urge you to collaborate with this initiative which we hope
you will enjoy.
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18 Portuguese Department
famosa
The Portuguese team
is making rapid progress
The Portuguese team is headed up by Paulo Carvalhinha,
who runs a team of 12. The team is very close-knit and
displays tremendous dedication to FAMOSA and all its
brands.
The team is structured as
follows:
• Sales: 5 professionals
• Marketing: 3 professionals
• Admin and finance: 3
professionals
Over the last four years the
results have been good: indeed
FAMOSA has positioned itself as
the number two player in the
sector in terms of annual sales,
emerging as the number one
player during the Christmas
season.
The market is highly competitive and the economy is going
through tough times. Nevertheless, our Portuguese
operation has been posting consistent growth, underpinned
by our leading brands in several
categories (dolls, ride-ons and
outdoor toys).
Our Portuguese operation
has been posting
consistent growth,
underpinned by
our leading brands in
several categories
(dolls, ride-ons
and outdoor toys).
In 2013 FAMOSA Portugal faces
the major challenge of tapping
the full potential implicit in the
Angolan toy market under the
framework of the joint venture set
up in Luanda.
Luis Cabral has been hired as key
account manager; his mandate is
to develop the customer portfolio
in Angola.
Production department: repairs and employee store
Salu
Blanes
Head of the
Employee
Store
What do you like best about the employee store and how
would you improve it?
Salu's career at FAMOSA began in 1977. Having held a
number of different positions, she is currently responsible
for the Employee Store. She really believes in teamwork and
admits that we should always take the customer's side of the
story into account.
The best things are the prices and the chance to make the
most of every last part. In terms of areas for improvement,
the store could be a little bigger I think.
What do you do at FAMOSA, Salu?
Your best and worst memories?
I am in charge of the returns and repairs area and my work
consists of counting and checking all returned
merchandise. Whatever is in perfect repair is authorised for
resale and delivered to the logistics platform while defective
toys are repaired and sent to the employee store.
My fondest memory is when the old Nancy began to be
made in Spain again in the original town. This doll was born
in FAMOSA and has come back. The sale of FAMOSA is not a
happy memory as it created much uncertainty. In then end
though everything turned out alright.
Any parts that can't be reused are sent to a small storage
depot known as customer service and are used to meet end
customer enquiries whenever possible.
Tell us about your extensive trajectory at the company...
I began in the finishing area in 1977 doing a little of
everything (dressing, stapling, boxing, etc.)
In 1991 I was named assistant manager at which point my
main job became that of overseeing the entire production
line process. In 2007 I was moved to returns, repairs, aftersales service and store management, which remains by job
today.
Do you see yourself as a factory worker or as a
saleswoman?
Both. I don't sell directly to the public but I do service
employees and their relatives.
What toy would you like to make and what toy would you
like to sell?
I would like to make cookers with all sorts of utensils, plates,
glasses, pans, toy food, etc. And I would like to sell the
puzzles that were so popular in my day.
Which of FAMOSA's values do you identify most closely
with?
Teamwork and responsibility.
What do you think of FAMOSA's new facilities close to
Alicante?
They are much better than the facilities in Ibi and Onil
although we could do with a bit more space and my
commute is longer now.
Is the customer always right?
Yes, we have to listen to them.
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20 Production department: repairs and employee store
famosa
Interview with
Doro
Esteve
Manager for the garden
toy assembly line,
responsible for
transformation and
display manufacture.
Doro, tell us about your career at FAMOSA
Your best and worst memories?
In broad brushstrokes, I started work in 1978 in the Famobil
section. My first job was to assemble the then-licensed
Playmobil figures. PinyPon, created in 1986 and today a
classic, began to take off in 1990. I was offered the job of
overseeing its production. I didn't bat an eyelid before
accepting. I was in charge of that section until 2000 which is
when they decided to move production to China. That year I
moved to the finishings section for dolls where I stayed until
2007, which is when production of all dolls was definitively
discontinued in Onil and moved to China.
My best memories date back to the PinyPon era (1990 to
2000) which is when I felt truly useful in the company. My
work was structured around an annual program and a
weekly production schedule provided by the planning
department which I used as the basis for issuing injection,
assembly and packaging orders (manual and automated).
The worst memory in my case relates the first sale of
FAMOSA in 2002. It brought us years of uncertainty and at
one point I thought all this would come to an end.
Which toy are you fondest of?
What does your current job in the finishings section
consist of?
Since 2007 my job has been as follows: as the manager
overseeing the garden toy assembly line my main job is to
ensure very reasonable quality standards, try to ensure
factory workers are working in the best possible conditions,
meet the production schedules and comply with all rules.
Transformations are small orders, mainly for export, for
which it is not worth issuing manufacturing orders; instead
we adapt base products to meet customer demands by
changing chargers, labels, etc.
Display cases are pieces of furniture made from board or
wood that we fill with our products and send to the large
department stores and supermarkets with a view to
garnering preferential placement on their shop floors.
What would you highlight from your career with the
company?
During the 35 years I have worked at the company I have
held a large number of jobs, initially as factory worker and
later as manager in charge of various productive sections for
the last 23 years. I think I have adapted well to the
innovations implemented by the company, earned the trust
and confidence of my colleagues and the respect of my
bosses.
Without question the projector. It was an honour for me to
have begun to make it in mid-1994 and to have participating
in the making of one million units on 24/10/1999.
Which of FAMOSA's values do you identify most closely
with?
Responsibility, professionalism and satisfaction with a job
well done.
What do you think of FAMOSA's new facilities close to
Alicante?
They are clearly better than the factory in Ibi which was very
old and was a bit of a maze. But we are suffering from a lack
of space. In my opinion the worst thing about the Alicante
factory is the 90 minutes of extra commute we have to put in
every day which translates into loss of quality of living.
People
Interview with
Marisa Francés
Administration Department
Marisa, how many years have you been with FAMOSA?
Have you always been in the same job?
I have spent my whole life at the company, a little over 40
years in the accounting department where I have felt at
home, surrounded at all times by my colleagues.
Tell us what does your job consists of
I perform accounting tasks, mainly relating to the
company's internal services and, to a lesser extent, I deal
with suppliers to update them on the status of their
accounts receivable.
Your best and worst memories?
I have shared many pleasant moments in my everyday work
with my colleagues from whom I have learned a lot. More
specifically, I recall a party hosted by the company one year:
we were all invited to a lunch which was followed by small
sports tournaments (billiards, chess, football, ludo, etc.)
The hardest moment for me was when the company
changed IT system and we were forced to get up to speed in
no time at all, to which end we had to work until all hours
and even the odd weekend.
How has the company changed since you joined it?
What would you highlight from your career with the
company?
My career has been marked by continuity in the same
department albeit adapting to the various changes
unfolding at the company over the years, particularly more
recently.
It has changed hugely. When I started out it was a family-run
company in which we all knew each other personally and
shared close ties. It was a village company in the best sense
of the term as it was involved in every aspect of Onil life,
whether sporting, cultural or religious.
The company has grown to the point of having branches in
far-flung parts of the world, and internal communication
has changed significantly as a result.
There have also been major changes in my department
the accounting department. We have gone from using
calculators and typewriters to computers equipped with the
AS400 system and, more recently, the leap implied by the
new SAP system.
Which of FAMOSA's values do you identify most closely
with?
I value the consideration shown by the company for its
people, its flexibility in adapting working hours to cater to
individual circumstances and the freedom from
interference so long as job targets are consistently met.
What do you think of FAMOSA's new facilities close to
Alicante?
I truly believe that the current location is suitable and readily
accessed by dual carriageway. The offices are spacious and
filled with natural light. The opportunity to work alongside
other departments facilitates communication and makes
our work easier.
Add whatever you like here
I hope that the company doesn't forget its origins and that it
remains involved in the region.
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