Josef Seibel acquires German children’s shoe manufacturer
Josef Seibel, the German producer of The European Comfort Shoe, has acquired Der Kleine Muck, a complementary brand of children’s shoes as it seeks to further strengthen its expanding role throughout many world markets.
The purchase of Der Kleine Muck, which produces around 300,000 pairs a year, will boost the Seibel group’s total annual production level to around two million pairs.
"One of the leading motives behind the acquisition was the expertise of Der Kleine Muck’s staff," explained Carl-August Seibel, the sole owner of Josef Seibel and great grandson of the eponymous founder.
"The quality of their shoes will be maintained, but many designs will be modernised before their introduction into shops in many of our key markets. Josef Seibel shoes are currently sold in about 3,000 retail outlets in 34 countries and Der Kleine Muck could become available in a goodly proportion of these in the medium term," explained Carl-August Seibel.
"The acquisition will see increased sales growth. Some of the fastest growth rates should be recorded in the USA where we have our own subsidiary and American sales account for nearly 25% of our worldwide annual sales," he added.
A decade ago, Josef Seibel was selling 200,000 pairs of shoes compared with two million today. Acquisitions and exports that currently make up 50% of the group’s turnover have fuelled the company’s growth.
