Karlie -Their know-how, made in china or Hungary

The Karlie product range comprises a complete assortment of international novelties and innovations as well as the proven classics. At the moment, the company supplies over 8,000 products for dogs, cats ferrets, rodents, birds, fish, as boutique and literature products.

International suppliers are evaluated based on strict Karlie quality and environmental guidelines.

Commercial Concept

Regardless of whether the pet retailer is a small shop or a large chain, Karlie is able to supply orders to every customer, whether it involves just a few products or its complete product range.

In addition to this, they can offer their customers their expertise in compiling sales-boosting assortments and product combinations.

Information concerning the market potential for products or product ranges is gathered from extensive sales and marketing analysis. To gather this information, Karlie visits national and international fairs and collects every possible bit of information about pet products from various sources includeing magazines, its own customers, other vendors, and suppliers.

The aim of different product-placement proposals depends upon the available sales area and stocking philosophies of relevant chains. The product presentation is supported through specially styled display and shelf systems.

In addition to the products themselves, Karlie also develops the packaging. The design is either based on Karlie's corporate design or on the particular label in question. The space-saving and sales-boosting elements play an important role in the development of their packaging. To support their many international customers in their sales efforts, product descriptions are offered in up to seven languages.

The Karlie product range may be divided into the following categoryies: dogs, cats, rodents, birds and fish. Further product classification is determined by the product's function: training, transport, care, etc.

The same system resurfaces again when one examines the different teams involved in the development of new products. Here market trends are examined and products are taken from the innovation phase to development and finally to the ready-to-market stage. The product development and purchase departments are working hand-in-hand. Tests using requested product samples or produced prototypes (including packaging) are conducted using pets. The main criteria for these tests include: appropriateness for the species, durability, acceptance, comprehensible product description, practical packaging, value for money. All products offer the option of production under own branding or via private label.

Distribution

Karlie sells its products worldwide. For the German and Austrian markets, it has its own field service network in place. The other countries are serviced by its export department. This department works closely together with large importers which supply their respective national pet markets. Karlie's modern logistics center is well-equipped for these activities: Individually arranged parcels as well as full pallets with separate groups of products may be sent anywhere in the world.

Karlie prepares automatic workflows for shipments to and from their largest customers and suppliers, allowing it to minimize products' time to market.

Production

Karlie produces in Germany and Hungary, and in China, the company Best Quality Ltd. produces for Karlie via a joint venture. Leather products are produced in Germany, and the factory in Hungary processes nylon and belt materials. The production in China covers the product groups collars, leashes, scratching posts, cushions and beds for pets, brushes and combs as well as pet toys. Having its own manufacturing facilities allows Karlie to reduce the development time from the project engineering phase to the bulk production to a minimum. This enables Karlie to respond to market trends of special customer's requests. It is also worth mentioning that the Karlie production facility in Bad Wunnenberg – Haaren has been working closely with sheltered workshop in Paderborn for many years.

Of special interest: Karlie's operation in China

An operation in China offers interesting prospects for a European vendor of pet products. This applies particularly to those products which are labour-intensive – when compared with a European operation, production in China is highly efficient.

Karlie decided to start its own operation in China several years ago. Together with a business associate, Mr. Blaschke began searching for a new location for his factory. In Guang Zhou, a city in southwest China, he found a plot of undeveloped real estate which was sufficient for his purposes.

Construction began shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony. After only a few months, the production of Karlie products was begun. The workers at the factory came from the city in which the factory is located and are not living at the factory site as is typical for China, but instead in their own homes in the direct vicinity of the factory.

The production began with cat furniture such as scratching posts, grooming articles and pet toys made from latex. During this time, production had expanded to include nylon articles and beds/cushions for pets.

The new factory in Guang Zhou is particularly attractive and quite impressive, including a beautiful new showroom and a large patio area complete with pond, making the factory's environment an object of interest as well. Of course, the production plants are also worth mentioning. With more than 20,000 square metres, the possibilities are endless and particularly suitable for producing goods for pets. As such, Best Quality Ltd. and Karlie are able to ship at least six overseas containers of goods per week.

In summary, one may say that Karlie's strength lies in the combination of its nearly 30 years of know-how together with the high-quality production and distribution possibilities it has available worldwide.

•Founded in 1976

•1980: establishment of wholesale business

•1987: Production facility for leather goods set up in Paderborn, Germany

•1990: Opening of modern processing factory in Pecs, Hungary (nylon and belt materials)

•1991: Move to new business premises in Wunnenberg-Haaren, Germany.

•1999: Built modern logistics center adding it onto the German headquarters

•2002: New factory in China begins producgion

•2003: Completion of second logistics center with capacity for 8,000 pallets in Haaren.