Colorful, Wild and Full of Ideas
Interview with Dennis Käseberg, Managing Director of Maped Deutschland GmbH
Painting, drawing, doodling - when children take a pen in their hand, more than colorful pictures emerge. Painting promotes fine motor skills, concentration, imagination, and creativity. Maped Deutschland GmbH is also aware that painting has many positive effects on a child's development. The company from Marienheide has set itself the task of enabling every child to change the world with their hands. For this purpose, it distributes exceptional writing and school supplies; pens that stand out, that are colorful and glittery or those that do not need to be sharpened. Pens that excite children - and their parents.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Käseberg, what does the name Maped stand for?
Dennis Käseberg: Maped is an acronym for ‘Manufacture d‘Articles de Précision et de Dessin’, which means the manufacture of precision and drawing articles. This is also the focus at our location in Marienheide.
Wirtschaftsforum: Maped is a French brand that has to compete against renowned German manufacturers in the market. What has the development looked like to this day?
Dennis Käseberg: Maped Germany originated from the company helit innovative office products GmbH, which was acquired by the French Maped group in 2006; Maped hoped to gain access to the German market through this acquisition. On September 1 of this year, the helit business unit and thus the office goods sector was sold in an asset deal; since then, we have been operating as Maped Germany GmbH in the school and creative sector independently on the German market.
Wirtschaftsforum: How is the French parent company positioned?
Dennis Käseberg: Maped is a family-owned business that started with compasses in 1947, diversified increasingly and became the market leader for stationery in France. Today, about 2,000 employees work for the group, which currently has 18 branches and four production sites. Through distributors and trading partners, the company is present in 147 countries around the world. In Marienheide, we focus on sales with 15 employees, achieving a turnover of about 11 million EUR.
Wirtschaftsforum: Given the tense economic situation, what are the future plans?
Dennis Käseberg: We have been very spoiled in recent years, having double-digit growth rates, and are currently feeling a market upheaval. The brick-and-mortar trade, especially specialty stores, is under increasing pressure due to growing competition from discounters and online retailers. Therefore, we still expect steady growth, but no longer at double-digit rates. Additionally, there are traditional, strong brands on the German market that we as a French brand need to compete against. On the other hand, we are talking about approximately 650 million EUR in revenue during the school season; so there is still great potential despite everything.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do Maped products enable the utilization of this potential?
Dennis Käseberg: Our products are different; they stand out. Maped is a colorful, loud, conspicuous brand that combines exceptional designs with unique features. Maped was the first to introduce widely foldable and bendable rulers and triangles, as well as colored pencils with animal patterns and those that do not need to be sharpened. We leave standard products to the big brands. With more playful and fresh products, we deliberately occupy a niche. Maped has a pronounced spirit of innovation and launches 70 to 90 new products each year, which keeps the assortment varied.
Wirtschaftsforum: You took over as managing director on March 1 this year, having previously been Sales Director at helit. What do your tasks look like today?
Dennis Käseberg: I continue to be responsible for sales and at the same time take on various strategic areas to strengthen our market position. For instance, we want to develop new concepts and ideas to expand our brand awareness. This involves discovering new marketing strategies, such as collaborating with macro and micro influencers on TikTok, using LinkedIn, as well as developing the assortment further and restructuring logistics. It’s a mix of operational and strategic tasks.
Wirtschaftsforum: Are there specific products or areas that are expected to gain importance in the future?
Dennis Käseberg: The coloring area is growing disproportionately fast, while classic pens are declining due to the increasing use of tablets in schools and government offices. Therefore, we see good chances in the market for our niche products such as glitter felt-tip pens, erasable felt-tip pens, or color-changing pens. The challenge lies in conveying the additional benefits to the consumer. Issues such as digitalization, AI, and sustainability will also play a role. Innovations are primarily driven in France, but for example, we were the driving force behind the FSC certification. Within the group, we are the third largest unit; the German market is the largest. Therefore, our opinion carries certain weight. We continue to commit to enabling children to change the world with their own hands – true to our maxim ‘Tomorrow is in your hands’.