STIGA

STIGA is a Swedish-origin brand whose history spans garden machinery, outdoor equipment and recreational sports products. The business was founded in Tranås, Sweden, on 6 March 1934, when Stig Hjelmquist established Firma Fabriksprodukter. The name STIGA emerged during the company’s early development: a company called Stigma was established in 1938 and the name was changed to Stiga in 1949. From the beginning, the brand developed a broad product identity rather than concentrating on a single category. STIGA’s first products to achieve wider recognition were table-tennis goods. Production began in 1938, and by 1943 the company was manufacturing complete table-tennis sets under its own management. These sets typically combined bats, a net, fastening equipment and balls. The company subsequently added table hockey, introducing its first table-hockey game in 1957. The game became a major success and helped establish STIGA as a recognizable household name in Nordic recreational products. The brand also became associated with snow racers, sled-like vehicles with a raised seat, runners and a steering wheel. Garden machinery became another major pillar. STIGA began producing lawnmowers in 1958. International expansion followed, including the opening of sales offices in London and Helsinki in 1971. In 1976, King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated a new STIGA factory measuring 18,000 square metres; with the wider site reaching 34,000 square metres, it was described at the time as the largest factory in the Nordic countries for motor-driven lawnmowers. In 1981, the business was reorganized into three divisions: Sports, Gun and Garden. By 1997, STIGA had representation in approximately 40 countries, including markets in New Zealand, North and South America, and Eastern Europe. The modern corporate structure of the garden-equipment business developed through consolidation in Italy. In 2000, STIGA was acquired by Castelgarden S.p.A. through a merger involving Alpina Professional & Garden S.p.A. Castelgarden, Alpina and the acquired STIGA operations were subsequently brought together with the British firm Mountfield to form Global Garden Products, commonly known as the GGP Group. In 2017, GGP was renamed STIGA Group. The group is headquartered in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy, and operates through subsidiaries in Austria, Italy, Benelux, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It distributes products in more than 70 countries. The STIGA name also remains connected with a Swedish sports-products business, STIGA Sports AB. Bengt Bandstigen founded Banda in 1966; the company later became STIGA Sports AB. It began selling STIGA table-tennis products in 1983 and acquired the STIGA Games division in 2006. Consequently, the STIGA name is used across related but organizationally distinct areas: the Italian-headquartered STIGA Group is strongly associated with lawnmowers and motorized garden tools, while STIGA Sports is associated with table tennis, table hockey and snowriders. The brand’s present identity therefore combines a legacy of Swedish recreational products with an international garden-equipment group formed through European consolidation.

STIGA began in Tranås, Sweden, on 6 March 1934, when Stig Hjelmquist founded Firma Fabriksprodukter. The company developed under the STIGA name during the late 1930s and formally changed from Stigma to Stiga in 1949. Its earliest important product area was table tennis. The company produced table-tennis articles from 1938 and began manufacturing complete sets under its own management in 1943. These sets brought together rackets, a net, an attachment system and balls, making the sport accessible as a packaged home and leisure activity. The company broadened its recreational portfolio in the post-war period. It introduced its first table-hockey game in 1957, a product that became highly successful and helped make the brand familiar beyond the table-tennis market. STIGA also became known for snow racers, which are sleds equipped with a raised seat, runners and a steering wheel. Garden machinery became a parallel business: the company began producing lawnmowers in 1958 and later developed a wider range of motorized garden tools. Internationalization accelerated in the 1970s. STIGA opened sales offices in London and Helsinki in 1971. On 4 June 1976, King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated a new factory in Sweden. The factory covered 18,000 square metres, while the complete site measured 34,000 square metres and was described at the time as the largest Nordic manufacturing facility for motor-driven lawnmowers. In 1981, STIGA reorganized its operations into Sports, Gun and Garden divisions, reflecting the company’s increasingly diversified portfolio. By 1997, it had representation in about 40 countries across Europe and in markets including New Zealand, North America, South America and Eastern Europe. A major structural change occurred in 2000, when STIGA was acquired by Castelgarden S.p.A. through a merger with Alpina Professional & Garden S.p.A. The Italian garden-equipment operations later expanded through the acquisition of the British company Mountfield. These businesses were assembled into Global Garden Products, or GGP Group, which combined the STIGA, Castelgarden, Alpina and Mountfield heritage in a broader European garden-machinery organization. In 2017, GGP Group adopted the STIGA Group name. The resulting group is headquartered in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy, maintains subsidiaries across much of Europe and distributes in more than 70 countries. The sports side of the STIGA heritage followed a partly separate corporate path. Bengt Bandstigen founded Banda in 1966, and that company later became STIGA Sports AB. STIGA Sports began selling STIGA table-tennis products in 1983 and acquired the STIGA Games division in 2006. It continues to use the STIGA name for sports products such as table-tennis equipment, snowriders and table hockey. The contemporary STIGA identity therefore reflects two connected strands: an Italian-headquartered international garden-equipment group descended from the original Swedish business, and a Swedish sports-products company preserving the brand’s long-standing recreational-product activities.

• 2017

  Global Garden Products becomes STIGA Group

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  The European garden-equipment group formerly known as Global Garden Products was renamed STIGA Group.

• 2006

  STIGA Sports acquires the STIGA Games division

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  STIGA Sports AB acquired the STIGA Games division, strengthening its control of the sports and games heritage.

• 2000

  STIGA joins an Italian garden-equipment consolidation

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  STIGA was acquired by Castelgarden S.p.A. through a merger involving Alpina Professional & Garden S.p.A.

• 1981

  Operations are reorganized into three divisions

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  STIGA reorganized its business into Sports, Gun and Garden divisions.

• 1976

  Large Swedish lawnmower factory is inaugurated

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated STIGA’s new factory on 4 June. The manufacturing building covered 18,000 square metres within a 34,000-square-metre site.

• 1971

  International sales offices open

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  STIGA opened sales offices in London and Helsinki as its international distribution network expanded.

• 1958

  Lawnmower production begins

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  STIGA entered lawnmower manufacturing, establishing the foundation for its later garden-machinery business.

• 1957

  First table-hockey game is produced

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  STIGA introduced its first table-hockey game, beginning a product line that became a major commercial success.

• 1949

  The name changes from Stigma to Stiga

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  The company adopted the STIGA name after changing from Stigma.

• 1943

  Complete table-tennis sets enter production

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  The company began making complete table-tennis games under its own management, combining rackets, nets, fittings and balls.

• 1938

  Table-tennis production begins

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  STIGA began producing table-tennis products, an activity that became central to its Swedish brand heritage.

• 1934

  Firma Fabriksprodukter is founded

  [1]Stigaen.wikipedia.org

  Stig Hjelmquist founded Firma Fabriksprodukter in Tranås, Sweden, on 6 March 1934.

A Swedish-origin, European outdoor-equipment and recreational-sports brand combining practical garden machinery with long-established table-tennis, table-hockey and snow-racing products.

• Garden machinery · 1958

  Lawnmowers

  Lawnmowers are one of STIGA’s foundational garden-equipment categories. Production began in 1958, and the category later became central to the Italian-headquartered STIGA Group formed through the consolidation of Castelgarden, Alpina, Mountfield and STIGA operations.

• Garden machinery

  Motorized garden tools

  STIGA Group manufactures and distributes a broad range of motorized garden tools in addition to lawnmowers. The category represents the brand’s principal contemporary business focus and is sold through a European subsidiary network and international distribution channels.

• Sports equipment · 1938

  Table-tennis equipment

  Table-tennis products were among STIGA’s earliest successful offerings. The company began production in 1938 and made complete games under its own management from 1943. The product area is now associated particularly with STIGA Sports AB.

• Games · 1957

  Table hockey games

  STIGA introduced table hockey in 1957. The game became a major success and remains part of the brand’s Swedish games heritage, which is managed within the STIGA Sports sphere.

• Winter recreation

  Snow racers and snowriders

  STIGA is also associated with snow racers, sled-like recreational products with a raised seat, runners and steering wheel. The category forms part of the sports and outdoor-recreation side of the brand.

• 2017

  Global Garden Products adopts the STIGA Group nameStrategy

  Background

  The garden-equipment organization had brought together STIGA, Castelgarden, Alpina and Mountfield heritage under the Global Garden Products identity.

  Action taken

  The group changed its name to STIGA Group, placing the historically established STIGA name at the center of the consolidated organization.

  Aftermath

  STIGA Group became the name of the international garden-machinery group headquartered in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy.

  Source

• 2000

  Acquisition and merger with Castelgarden and AlpinaM&A

  Background

  The Swedish STIGA business entered a broader Italian garden-equipment consolidation involving Castelgarden S.p.A. and Alpina Professional & Garden S.p.A.

  Action taken

  STIGA was acquired by Castelgarden through a merger with Alpina Professional & Garden, creating the basis for a larger European garden-machinery group.

  Aftermath

  The combined operations later incorporated the British Mountfield business and became Global Garden Products, which was renamed STIGA Group in 2017.

  Source

1. 1Stigaen.wikipedia.org