Schleich

Schleich was founded by Friedrich Schleich in 1935, making protective masks against aspestos and other dangerous materials. After the end of World War II, his factory was in ruins, but from some left over materials he made bendable doll, a so called Biegefigur, and from metal wire, fabric, and wood, a production was started with an extended range of Biegefiguren ( Bendies). In 1965, the production was expanded with the development, production and marketing of comic figurines such as Snoopy and The Smurfs. In the early 1980s they added animal figurines and Muppet characters to their range of products. Until the end of 2006, Schleich was a family-owned business. It was then taken over by the British investment company HG Capital, who paid 165 million euro for an 80% share.