Subject:
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Internationalization of Lego - A History
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 4 Jan 2007 01:38:56 GMT
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Viewed:
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3570 times
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There is an often repeated Line In Wiencek’s World of Lego Toys that during the
depression
Ole went door to door selling his toys, often trading them for
food. But this is apocryphal,
even in the 1930’s Lego did not sell toys to
individuals, but sold them wholesale to stores
or distributors. By the 1940’s
they had 2 sales agents in Denmark and later as many as 4.
When Lego began getting to big for Denmark they started to sell toys in foreign
markets by
directly licensing the toy to manufacturers or, in most cases,
selling the toys wholesale
through an independant sales agent. Later they
would create their own sales company, often
hiring the independant agent as
the director.
Here is that list, as best as I can figure it out. It’s not complete so any
updates, additions,
or especially, corrections would be appreciated.
Denmark
1944-1949
Legetøjfabriken LEGO Billund A/S. The earliest incorporation of Lego. Changed
from a private
sole-trading company to a private corporation.
1949-present
Lego A/S. Another change in incorporation
1973-present
Lego Danmark A/S. A seperate sales company for Denmark. Previously sales were
handled by the
parent corporation.
1974-1979
Lego Overseas A/S
1980-present
Lego Trading A/S. This was responsible for sales to primarily Eastern European
countries as well
as other unrepresented countries.
Australia
1962-1992
LEGO Australia Pty. Limited. Lane cove, N.S.W (Sidney). A subsidiary of the
Courtaulds Group via a
license from Lego AS. Lego Australia was a subsidiary
of the UK Courtaulds Group and sets were
imported from the UK after the
Wrexham plant was established.
1993-present
LEGO Australia Pty. Ltd. Lane Cove, N.S.W. A sales subsidiary of LEGO A/S
Austria
1957-1962
Sales via an independant agent
1963-present
LEGO Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Wein. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Belgium
1957
Sales via an independant agent
1958-1971
SPRL LEGO Belgium PVBA. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1972-1995
SA Lego Belgium NV
1996-present
Sales through Lego Benelux
Benelux
1995-present
LEGO Benelux B.V, Breda, Netherlands. This sales company replaced the separate
Lego
Belgium and Lego Netherlands. There may have been at least a year of
overlap. At least some
1995 catalogs list both sales companies on the back
page.
Brazil
1986-1999(?)
LEGO do Brasil Ltda. São Paulo. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
This date corresponds with the start of manufacturing operations,
LEGO do Amazonas Brinquedos Ltda. in Manaus
Canada
1962-1987
Schwayder Brothers, Inc. Stratford, Ontario
A subsidiary of the US Schwayder Brothers, via a license from Lego AS
The Stratford plant (an exsisting Samsonite plant) produced Lego (along with
Samsonite
Luggage and furniture) starting in 1961. Until 1965 it exported Lego
to the US
1988-present
Lego Canada, Inc. Markham, Ontario. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Finland
1959
Sales via an independant agent
1960-present
Oy Suomen Lego Ab, Espoo. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
France
1959-present
Lego SA. Chartes. Cédex. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Germany
1955
Test sales from Lego AS in Schleswig-Holstein
1956-1962
LEGO Spielwaren GmbH, Hohenwestedt. Holsten. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1963-1998
LEGO GmbH, Hohenwestedt. Holsten
1999-present
LEGO GmbH, München
Hungary
1973-1991
Sales via an independant agent
1992-present
LEGO Hungaria Kft. Budapest. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S. This date
corresponds
to the opening of a micor-motor factory. LMM Kft.
Iceland
1955-1977
SÍBS/Reykjalundar, Reykjavik, via a license from Lego AS.
Arni Einarson ran a “sheltered workshop” where tuburculosis patients
manufactured the
sets. From 1955-1960 the sets were sold under the name SÍBS
kubbar (SÍBS building blocks).
Starting in 1961 SIBS bought the boxes/packaging
from Lego. They stopped manufacturing
the toy once the Lego line became too
complex.
1978-2003
SIBS/Reykjalundar. Reykjavik. An independant distributor.
After the license expired Lego did not set up a sales company due to the small
size
of the market.
2004-present
Reykjalundar Plastiðnaður. An independant distributor.
Italy
1958-1960
Sales via an independant agent
1961-1969
LEGO S.p.A. Via Colombo, A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1970-present.
Lego S.p.A. Milan
From 1971-74 Lego produced Italian-specific Minitalia sets.
Japan
1962-1977
Sales via an independant agent
1978-1991.
Nihon Lego K.K. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1992-present
Lego Japan Ltd. Tokyo
Korea
1985-present
LEGO Korea Co., Ltd. Seoul. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Malaysia
1990-present
Lego Malaysia. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Mexico
1994-present
LEGO Mexico S.A. de C.V.. Naucalpan de Juarez (Mexico City). A sales subsidiary
of Lego A/S
Netherlands
1957-1959
Sales via an independant agent
1960-1994
LEGO Nederland B.V. Haren. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1995
Lego Nederland B.V. Grootegast
1996
Sales through Lego Benelux
Norway
1953-1961
Norske Lego A/S. A subsidiary of Svein Strømberg & Co. AS. Via a license from
Lego A/S
The license with Svein Strømberg is the first license for
manufacture/sale outside of Denmark.
1962-present. Lego Norge AS. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Portugal
1957-1974
Sales via Antonio Joaquim de Rocha, Jr, an independant sales agent.
1975-present
Lego LDA. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Singapore
1960-1978
LEGO Singapore Private Limited. An independant sales agent.
1979-present
Lego Singapore Private Limited. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
South Africa
1980-1987
LEGO South Africa (Pty.) Limited. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1987-1992
Office closed due to apartheid sanctions
1993-present
LEGO South Africa (Pty.) Limited. Midrand (Johannesburg)
A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Earlier SA sales may have occured through British Lego Ltd.
Spain
1965-1973
Sales via an independant agent
1974-present
LEGO, S.A. Madrid. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
These relatively late dates (for European markets) may explain the large market
share of
clones (particularly Tente) in Spain.
Sweden
1950-1954
Some direct sales from Lego AS in Denmark
Early ABB sets with Swedish literature are know to exsist. It appears that at
least
limited exports to Southern Sweden took place.
1955-1958
Sales via Svein Strømberg & Co. AS. Norway (?)
1959-present
Svenska Lego AB, Lerum. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
Switzerland
1957-1967
Lego Spielwaren AG, Zurich. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1968-?
LEGO Vertrieb AG, Baar
?-present
LEGO Schweiz AG, Baar
United Kingdom
1959-1962
British LEGO Ltd. London
A subsidiary of the Courtaulds Group via a license from Lego AS
1963-1992
British LEGO Ltd, Wrexham, Wales
This date corresponds with the opening of a Lego manufacturing plant by
Courtaulds.
It appears that Courtaulds was the owner of at least several toy companies
during the
early 1960’s. British Lego, British Trix (owned by British
Celenese, a Courtaulds
subsidiary) and G&R Wrenn. It appears that the same
people were on several of these
boards. So, was British Lego Ltd owned by
Courtaulds or by British Celanese?
1993 LEGO UK Ltd, Wrexham, Wales. A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
US
1961-1972
Schwayder Brothers, Inc., Denver, Colo.
Via a license from Lego AS. In 1965 Schwayder Brothers changed to the Samsonite
Corporation
1973-1975
Lego Systems, Inc. Brookfield, Connecticut.
A sales subsidiary of Lego A/S
1975-present
Lego Systems, Inc. Enfield, Connecticut.
This corresponded with a new manufacturing plant in Enfield.
Jim
jhughes (at) fuse.net
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: Internationalization of Lego - A History
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| (...) Hi Jim, thank you for this LEGO Internationalization history compilation I'm sorry for this correction as I can not bring all the missing informations. LEGO S.A. 16, rue Edmond Poillot Boite Postale 837 F-28011 Chartres Cédex Tel. +33 2 37 91 (...) (18 years ago, 4-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: Internationalization of Lego - A History
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| In lugnet.general, Jim Hughes wrote: <SNIP> (...) Minor correction...it's spelt Sydney, not Sidney :) I'll also try and have a look through my old catalogues this weekend and see what addresses they give for Lego Australia over the years...I think (...) (18 years ago, 4-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: Internationalization of Lego - A History
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| (...) I cannot date these catalogues: (URL) it says: Concessionaria per l'Italia: (Concessionaire for Italy) D.I.G.A. Milano, Via P.F. Mola 19, tel. 396 - 368 D.I.G.A. Milano, Viale Certosa, 125, 364 - 040 bye, w. (18 years ago, 26-Jan-07, to lugnet.general)
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