In 1938, businessman Eugen Habermaass formed two companies in Bad Rodach, Firma Anton Engel with Anton Engel and Wehrfritz & Co. with Engel and Karl Wehrfritz. Two years later, Engel and Wehrfritz left the partnership and Eugen Habermaass took over management of both companies. He ran the companies until his untimely death in 1955, always with active support of his wife, Luise. She would shepherd HABA on after the death of her husband, becoming a rare example of a woman running a major company. She would continue to play an active role in HABA even after her son, Klaus Habermaass, took over management. She passed away in 2003.
HABA made its first appearance at a toy fair in 1950, later publishing a German-English catalog and extending operations into Switzerland and the Netherlands. It was during this time the “HABA” abbreviation became the established brand name for the company.
Sabine, Heike and Volker Habermaass are the third generation of the family to manage HABA and are prepared to lead it into the future. While maintaining the standards of the past – a focus on craftsmanship and natural raw materials – they also keep their eyes on the future. Their focus remains on children and families and how HABA can enrich their lives through play.
The HABA FAMILYGROUP headquarters are located in Bad Rodach. The company started life being operated out of the Habermaass family home, with Plant I located next door. The house was demolished in the 1970s to make room for Plant I’s expansion. The company would continue to grow, adding Plant II, Plant III and the Elsa warehouse over the years.
The current state-of-the-art headquarters is located opposite Plant I. Boasting a natural and colorful design, the facility consists of two connected buildings, Brauhof and Leschenhof.
design
A Legacy of Quality Design
From the start, HABA has combined creativity, high-quality materials and safety in our toys. That legacy continues today.
HABA USA is the exclusive American distributor of HABA toys and games. In 1980, Habermaass Corporation, Inc. purchased Skaneateles Handicrafters, a small wooden toy company in Central New York State accredited for making the first wooden toy trains in the United States in the mid-1930s. Skaneateles Handicrafters became TC Timber and continued to manufacture wooden trains until 2002. Today, HABA USA is part of the HABA FAMILYGROUP and is still located in Skaneateles, NY.
