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Post by Cor_DutchArt on Feb 7, 2009 1:13:04 GMT 1
It seems that, after Märklin, Herpa also came in bad weather!
For now it are just rumours and I realy hope it isn't true!
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Post by PCS2911 on Feb 7, 2009 3:06:41 GMT 1
I really really hope this is just a rumor!!! Otherwise I am afraid that other manufacturers may run into problem in different magnitude sooner or later. Then there would definitely be delays on the planned models.
The financial tsunami is so destructive!!
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skunk
87thScale addict
5th B-day
Posts: 2,762
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Post by skunk on Feb 7, 2009 8:34:58 GMT 1
Oh no... losing my job seems on a lower level of magnitude than losing Herpa (maybe because I haven't lost my job?). I should buy some Herpa stuff, I suppose.
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stanhas87
87thScale addict
1978 Dodge Monaco CHP
Posts: 4,906
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Post by stanhas87 on Feb 7, 2009 22:11:09 GMT 1
Dear All:
All this do not surprise me, because in general, when there are economic trouble, the small or limited activity Companies are the ones who get in trouble. Is worth to mention that even the largest Toy Company in Earth, Mattel, did had losses here and there (not with Matchbox, tough).
Since Herpa is almost an icon, I also hope that they survive 2009.
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Post by Cor_DutchArt on Feb 8, 2009 17:53:52 GMT 1
"Investor in drei Wochen"
Dennoch gibt sich Schindler zuversichtlich: "Momentan verhandeln wir mit einem neuen Geldgeber, der Herpa auf eine solide finanzielle Basis stellen wird." Kurzarbeit sei für das Unternehmen aus Dietenhofen im Landkreis Ansbach derzeit keine Option. Schindler geht davon aus, dass in den nächsten drei Wochen ein Investor gefunden wird. "Danach wird alles ganz normal weitergehen", sagte Schindler. Herpa hat sich auf die Herstellung detailgetreuer und hochwertiger Automodelle für Sammler spezialisiert.
From: Bayerischer Rundfunk.
This is just a part of the hole article...
And my German is not that perfect..
But "Herpa" say: We need an investor to give the company a new healty base.
We believe we succeed in that within 3 weeks.
Than we can go on the way we used to.
(free translation...)
BTW, I've got a message from their customer service.
They supplied separate parts but that is finally over.
It was an After-sales service that ran out of hands.
The problem is that when you needed 10 sets of headlamps, Herpa kept 10 incomplete models... So I think for them it was a wise decision to stop this.
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BillC
87thScale addict
Posts: 2,541
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Post by BillC on Feb 9, 2009 2:20:05 GMT 1
Here's a rather free translation of the entire report from Bavarian Radio Broadcasting:
Economic Crisis
Herpa defers salaries
The Franconian miniature automaker Herpa is searching desperately for an investor. The financial situation is so serious that employees’ salaries have been deferred.
The 2008 financial year went badly, Klaus Schindler, Herpa’s marketing manager, told Bavarian Radio. Herpa is in a difficult situation, added Schindler. This led to the postponing of January salary payments to the 200 staff members.
"An investor in three weeks"
Schindler is confident nonetheless: "We are currently negotiating with a new backer who will place Herpa on a solid financial basis." Shortened hours are not an option for the enterprise from Dietenhofen in the Ansbach district.
Schindler assumes in the next three weeks an investor will be found. "Afterwards everything will proceed completely normally,” Schindler said.
Herpa specializes in the production of accurate and high-quality auto models for collectors.
I hope he's right!
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skunk
87thScale addict
5th B-day
Posts: 2,762
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Post by skunk on Feb 9, 2009 18:35:10 GMT 1
Herpa is a bit too important to go under - and they're not just large, they're also an industry leader. Hopefully they won't have to do too much reorganizing, but hopefully we also won't see any more ridiculous "New Trabbi" style schemes.
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stanhas87
87thScale addict
1978 Dodge Monaco CHP
Posts: 4,906
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Post by stanhas87 on Feb 9, 2009 20:23:49 GMT 1
Here's a rather free translation of the entire report from Bavarian Radio Broadcasting: Economic CrisisHerpa defers salariesThe Franconian miniature automaker Herpa is searching desperately for an investor. The financial situation is so serious that employees’ salaries have been deferred.
The 2008 financial year went badly, Klaus Schindler, Herpa’s marketing manager, told Bavarian Radio. Herpa is in a difficult situation, added Schindler. This led to the postponing of January salary payments to the 200 staff members.
"An investor in three weeks"
Schindler is confident nonetheless: "We are currently negotiating with a new backer who will place Herpa on a solid financial basis." Shortened hours are not an option for the enterprise from Dietenhofen in the Ansbach district.
Schindler assumes in the next three weeks an investor will be found. "Afterwards everything will proceed completely normally,” Schindler said.
Herpa specializes in the production of accurate and high-quality auto models for collectors.
I hope he's right! Dear All: Agreed. The same way I did not liked the news about the bankrupticy of Matchbox in 1982, I also do not like to hear that Herpa, Wiking, Busch, Rietze, AMW, Ricko, Masterpiece, Aetharn, RPS, Spark may go under. They are the cream of the crop, period. |
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jeffh
Junior Member
Posts: 120
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Post by jeffh on Feb 9, 2009 21:01:59 GMT 1
What is really ironic (or poetic justice if you are a cynic) is that Herpa has in recent times been the least adventurous and most risk averse in their 1:87 vehicle product portfolio, with new releases being limited to promo models, magic models or improved quality re-releases of their old 1970's/1980's models.
Admittedly, the Herpa financial problems may have more to do with their funding profile than their product mix, but it appears that Herpa are not keen on deviating from a cast-in-stone product mix strategy.
Herpa would do well to emulate Masterpiece and Ricko who are represented on this forum and engage with the forum members to derive feedback and obtain different viewpoints.
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Post by hofan on Feb 9, 2009 22:51:21 GMT 1
Hello:
I am not sure how this financial trouble erupted but remember that Herpa is not like Ricko or Masterpiece concentrating on certain number of personal model cars per year (it used to be).
I believe they have more than half of their investment/sales on model planes and they did some road machinery that retails at extremely high prices and lately they released this Yacht that retails for about 150.00 Euro and I just don't understand how the sales can be high enough to make this profitable?
Look at their range, I don't believe that any of their BMW models (which counts for more than half of their PKW line lately) are losers though I am sure they were partly(?) financed by BMW and so for their Audi's and MB's. Same goes for their improved quality re-releases of their old 1970's/1980's models which sells for todays prices while the big money were invested years ago. How about their young timers and magic series? they sure are proved winners in relatively short time so it seems to me that they were Conservative on these lines and the big money were spent somewhere else and that is how they got in trouble. Their latest model choices for Magic series and Adventcalendar reflect their careless strategy that did haunt them in the end.
I sure hope they get over it and hope they pay more attention to customer feedback.
Just my two cents ;D
Regards
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skunk
87thScale addict
5th B-day
Posts: 2,762
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Post by skunk on Feb 10, 2009 19:01:57 GMT 1
What is really ironic (or poetic justice if you are a cynic) is that Herpa has in recent times been the least adventurous and most risk averse in their 1:87 vehicle product portfolio, with new releases being limited to promo models, magic models or improved quality re-releases of their old 1970's/1980's models. Admittedly, the Herpa financial problems may have more to do with their funding profile than their product mix, but it appears that Herpa are not keen on deviating from a cast-in-stone product mix strategy. Herpa would do well to emulate Masterpiece and Ricko who are represented on this forum and engage with the forum members to derive feedback and obtain different viewpoints. I certainly don't disagree with you, I used to buy nearly exclusively Herpas - that's certainly no longer the case, as the competition has improved and Herpa has turned rather dull. However, they DO listen to message boards, but to mo87 rather than this one. Mo87 is definitely more important as far as Herpa is concerned, so I can't fault them for that. |
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lynn
Apprentice
Posts: 85 
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Post by lynn on Feb 10, 2009 19:43:40 GMT 1
Someone has bought Herpa already today according to the local post in Germany.
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aps
Novice
Posts: 13
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Post by aps on Feb 10, 2009 20:47:57 GMT 1
BTW: Porsche is interested in buying Märklin!
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JanS
Junior Member
Posts: 142
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Post by JanS on Feb 10, 2009 21:48:13 GMT 1
The man to bail out Herpa is Andreas Fürst von Leiningen, who is already a silent partner in the firm for the last 14 years (yes, Herpa was in trouble at that time as well!) and well known to the firm. This is confirmed in an article in the Nürnberger Nachrichten.
I heard about this 'option' on the first day of the Messe before I even knew that the problems were that big.
JanS
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Post by Albert on Feb 10, 2009 22:37:08 GMT 1
and would it all suppouse any change for us, the collectors?
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