With Bertrand's extensive knowledge of the injection molding business, he knew he could design and manufacture plastic bricks that retailed for less than Lego. Traditional Lego bricks were too small for little children to handle, but Ritvik's Mega Bloks would be large and sturdy enough for toddlers to play with. One was that he aimed to make plastic bricks much like Lego, but in a jumbo size suitable for very young children. But Bertrand thought he had two competitive advantages. Victor Bertrand's friends apparently tried to dissuade him from making a plastic interlocking construction kit like Lego. In Canada, Lego sets were manufactured by contract with the Samsonite Corporation. By the early 1970s, Lego had sales of $50 million, and the brand was known around the world. It came out with its signature interlocking plastic bricks in the mid-1950s. The world's leading brand of construction toy was Lego. They appealed to a wide range of children, from early school-age kids to teenagers. These kinds of toys tended to be perennial. Erector Set, another leading brand, came on the market in 1913. Batima Blocks came out in Belgium in 1905, and the American construction sets Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs dated back to 1916. Construction sets had been toy industry staples since the early years of the 20th century. He was interested in construction block sets, and believed there was room in this market for growth. By the early 1980s, Ritvik Holdings controlled a leading share in the Canadian market for plastic injection molded toys.Īt this point, Victor Bertrand set his sights on expanding the business beyond Canada. It owned plastic injection molding operations, design operations, tooling manufacturers, and marketing services. Ritvik Holdings grew to become a vertically integrated company. Ritvik also negotiated contracts with Canadian manufacturers to make toys for foreign brands. Ritvik Holdings was a distribution business, making sales in Canada for toys manufactured elsewhere. He named it Ritvik Holdings, taking the name from the combination of his first name with his wife's, Rita. In 1967, he was confident enough of his ability to start his own toy distribution company. By the age of 20, Bertrand was already very knowledgeable about the toy industry, plastics, and injection molding. He was born in 1943, and while still a teenager he worked to support his parents, going to school in the evenings. Victor Bertrand had his first job in the toy industry at the age of 17. The company is run by the sons of the founders, Rita and Victor Bertrand. The company's sales grew precipitously in the late 1990s, and Mega Bloks, formerly Ritvik Holdings, went public in 2002.
Although Lego is the market leader in this category, Mega Bloks showed that there was room for more. Mega Bloks successfully challenged Lego's dominance in the interlocking building blocks category, winning patent infringement cases brought against it in various courts. The blocks designed for older children are smaller, and indeed are the same size as the blocks of Mega Bloks' key competitor, Lego.
Its toys in the preschool category are mainly large blocks that are easy for young children to hold and manipulate. It markets to two main categories: children under the age of five, and children five and older. The company's principal product is sets of plastic building blocks. Based in Montreal, Canada, the company sells its plastic interlocking toys in more than 100 countries worldwide and has offices or manufacturing operations in 11 countries. It is the world's second biggest manufacturer of construction toys, and one of the fastest-growing toy brands in the world. Our vision: To be the most dynamic and innovative toy company, building quality products that are expandable and universal.ġ967: Victor Bertrand founds Ritvik Holdings.ġ984: Ritvik shows Mega Bloks at trade shows.ġ989: The company divests all other product lines.ġ996: Blackstone Group invests in Ritvik.Ģ002: The company goes public as Mega Bloks, Inc. NAIC: 339932 Game, Toy, and Children's Vehicle Manufacturing
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