Geobra Brandstätter (Zirndorf / Germany; www.playmobil.de) reported a further rise in sales for 2013 – up 4% to about EUR 612m (2012: EUR 591m). Turnover for “Playmobil” toys reached a new record of EUR 552m (EUR 531m), up 5.3% year-on-year. The "Lechuza" plastics plant pot division also contributed to the company’s higher earnings, as sales climbed 1% to EUR 47.5m (EUR 46.9m).

The group consumed about 25,000 t of plastics for Playmobil manufacture in 2013, which it then used to manufacture 62m sales packs, Geobra announced at its annual press conference, held at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg / Germany on 29 January 2014. In line with established practice, managing directors Andrea Schauer and Steffen Höpfner did not reveal any figures on the earnings situation.

During the presentation, Schauer underlined the commitment of group owner Horst Brandstätter to production in Europe, adding that Geobra plans to make significant investment this year, too. Following last year's record of EUR 100m, in 2014, the company plans to invest about EUR 95m. Geobra`s new 90,000 m² logistics centre in Herrieden, close to the largest Playmobil production facility in Dietenhofen / Germany, is about to be completed. Once operational, it will accommodate the group's finished products from plants in Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain and Malta. The centre is due to begin operation in July this year.

Technical manager Robert Benker told Plasteurope.com that Geobra is planning to spend around EUR 30m on injection moulding machines for new Playmobil products, although the funds will not go towards raising capacity. He did say, however, that Geobra is constantly modernising its machinery by replacing older models.

The export quota grew by two points in 2013 to just under 72%. In its largest export market, France, Playmobil recorded a single digit increase, while in the biggest European toy market, the UK, sales were up by 8%.

For the current year, in which the company can look back on 40 years on the toy market, Playmobil has announced 147 new toy ideas. "This is our anniversary year, and we are planning for sales growth in the medium single-digit range," said Schauer, underlining her positive expectations.