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The mbw® story

The mbw Vertriebsges. GmbH is an owner-managed company in the promotional products industry and has been operating at Wanderup and Eggebek since 1980. The medium-sized family business, which specializes in the procurement and refinement of representational advertising media, has carefully and trustingly established commercial relationships with suppliers all over the world.

The market launch of the first pedestrian reflectors by Monika and Walter Both on 28 November 1980 marked the beginning of the journey through the company's successful history. The "Blinkis" were discovered in a Scandinavian holiday at the end of the 1970s. The founders of (at that time still)"MB - the idea" were immediately enthusiastic and decided to make this excellent article known in Germany. After the first steps in the retail trade and cooperation with the German traffic guards, it was quickly clear: the way leads into the promotional products industry. Soon other articles were added: bicycle helmets, bottle openers, wrapped, colourful T-shirts called Snaky's and finally SQUEEZIES® as well as first stuffed animals and squeaky ducks. The latter have meanwhile become two of the strong pillars with the MiniFeet® and Schnabels® brands. Herr Bert® originally a SQUEEZIES® has proven to be a true all-rounder and is used as a mascot for well-known companies.

Since 2007, mbw® has been part of JCK Holding in Quakenbrück. JCK is the umbrella organisation of a diverse and powerful group of companies that today operates worldwide. The subsidiaries are mainly active in the following business areas: apparel, sports and outdoor, promotional products and rehabilitation materials.

The motto of the family holding company is: Benefit from each other, grow together. As a management and investment holding company, JCK offers its subsidiaries an excellent infrastructure, above all through its global orientation and its particularly strong presence in Asia.

JCK regards the responsible and constructive cooperation of its subsidiaries as a decisive factor in strategic planning and securing the future. Trust, uniformity and longevity are the values that have shaped decisions since the foundation of the first company in 1838 and still distinguish it today.

JCK's actions are conservative in the best sense of the word and are characterised by financial solidity. In the production and processes of companies, particular importance is attached to sustainable and holistic decisions. The managing directors of the individual subsidiaries should always keep the book of action in their hands. The independence of the companies is to be preserved. Together with the subsidiaries, customers and suppliers, we want to drive developments that generate valuable synergy effects for all parties involved.

The market demands on the quality and safety of the promotional items used are high. In order to meet the numerous requirements of the European standard, mbw employs its own quality manager in Wanderup. Quality control in Germany is carried out on the one hand by our in-house quality management. On the other hand, accredited test institutes in the Far East. Numerous articles are OEKO-TEX®, TÜV PROOF or GS certified. The test reports of renowned test institutes ensure transparency. Social responsibility is a top priority at mbw. The company is a member of the BSCI and prefers to produce in factories that also meet the requirements of BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) or ICTI (International Council of Toy Industry). The Social Compliance Team in Shanghai examines and advises the manufacturers of the mbw® articles.

After the company's founders left the company at the beginning of 2015 and retired, Jan Breuer became the sole managing director of the company. The top priority after the change in management was to maintain existing values, because these values have shaped the company over the past decades and made it what it is today. However, it is also necessary and inevitable to give room for new, creative ideas that will help with the continuation and further development of mbw®. The team, which now comprises more than 80 employees, is proud of a company with a heart in the midst of an up-and-coming community in northern Germany.

Milestones in the history of mbw®

  • 1980 Foundation by Monika & Walter Both  
  • 1981 The bear is loose 
  • 1982 1st fair in Nuremberg 
  • 1983 Relocation to Süderweg 9 
  • 1984 The first major successes 
  • 1985 1st visit to TALMU in Finland 
  • 1986 Joined PSI in 1986 
  • 1987 1st PSI Fair 
  • 1988 move to Tarper Str. 2 
  • 1989 First IT system 
  • 1990 The first steps in the USA 
  • 1991 Entry Far East 
  • 1992 Expansion of Tarper Str. 2 
  • 1993 Bicycle helmets 
  • 1994 Snaky's World
  • 1995 What are SQUEEZIES®?
  • 1996 New building Süderweg 1
  • 1997 MB becomes mbw
  • 1998 Work in the standards committee
  • 1999 Our first "company pensioner"
  • 2000 Reflex bands
  • 2001 EN 13356, the "Reflector standard".
  • 2002 Softplush, the hit
  • 2003 The team grows
  • 2004 A new warehouse
  • 2005 tru: lup, silicone bracelets
  • 2006 20 years PSI member
  • 2007 JCK-Holding acquires mbw in 2007
  • 2008 Oeko-Tex
  • 2009 Microfiber cloths by mbw
  • 2010 CityDucks® conquer the world
  • 2011 Bert® family grows
  • 2012 New logo / new claim
  • 2013 MiniFeet - the new brand
  • 2014 Wind of change - Jan Breuer becomes GF
  • 2015 Beak beak
  • 2016 Colourful Life.
  • 2017 BigHeads & ChillyFriends
  • 2018 New webshop mbw.sh
  • 2019 New building in the industrial park Wanderup
  • 2020 Cloud-based ERP merchandise management
  • 2021 Allover-Print Made in Germany
  • 2022 Own direct transfer printing machine
  • 2023 mbw takes over brand.it GmbH