How long have you been with the company?
I am in charge of the legal department of the STAEDTLER Group, being responsible inter alia for all matters relating to trademarks and also to technical IP rights.
I started at this company in 1991, and in 1995 I was appointed as the head of the legal department. Since 2007 I have also been in charge of technical IP rights. We have very interesting products; you can actually feel them and take them in your hands. Unfortunately we are confronted with a lot of fakes and therefore have to find effective answers to defend our original products, especially by means of IP protection. It is a very dynamic and international business, since our products are sold in over 150 countries. The job is very interesting and requires a very broad knowledge.
What are the main brands you have?
The two main companies of the STAEDTLER Group are Staedtler and Eberhard Faber and they have various products under them.
Staedtler has a wide range of products corresponding to eight product lines. All products of Staedtler bear the brand STAEDTLER and the company’s logo—the so-called MARSHEAD, recalling the Roman god of war. In the 1970s the MARSHEAD was given an abstracted form, but in 2001 it was redesigned and given a much more naturalistic form.
One of the oldest brands of the product lines is MARS: its first trademark application was filed in 1900. Then we have the NORIS products and its first trademark application was filed in 1901. Characteristic of the NORIS products is the yellow and black design for pencils, pens and other stationery products. NORIS CLUB is the brand for a range of products intended to be used by pupils. Then we have LUMOCOLOR for a wide range of markers. LUMOCOLOR was first used in the 1950s as brand for an overhead pen. TRIPLUS is the brand for a product range of triangular pens in a unified design, started in 2001. The design features allow all products to be recognized as one unique range. ERGOSOFT is the brand for a range of wood-cased pencils with a specific smooth surface, which enables a better handling of these pencils. Then we have KARAT for high-quality water pencils.
Eberhard Faber has its own product assortment, containing inter alia modeling clays. All products bear the brand EBERHARD FABER, which is the name of the company. One of the most famous brands of EBERHARD FABER is FIMO, which is the market leader in the sale of oven hardening modelling clays. Eberhard Faber has also developed a product assortment of clays for disabled and elderly people to improve their mobility, which started this year in Germany.
What is the business model?
The STAEDTLER Group is owned by the STAEDTLER foundation. The profit mainly goes to scientific research in German polytechnics and universities. The STAEDTLER Group is a very international-oriented organization. Staedtler has subsidiaries in 23 countries and 85% of our turnover is in exports. We deal with our own subsidiaries, distributors and some sales companies all around the world and the distribution is made B2B.