WoodHeroes GmbH

You cannot sense it from the outside: In the former silos of an old animal feed factory on Puchstraße in Graz, five stories high, where grain once was stored, today stand knight castles, Viking ships, spinning tops, animal figures, Eiffel towers, klapotetz and small wooden figures on long shelves. This is the realm of Michael Leipold. One feels almost as if in the workshop of Daniel Düsentrieb: Two machines were specially developed for the production of the wooden figures, the WoodHeroes. One drills slits in tiny arms so that a rubber band can be threaded through, the other mills holes for the head, hand, and foot in the small wooden bodies of the figures. The figures are intentionally compatible with the well-known plastic toys of the competition: same grip hole diameter – four millimeters.

The trained mechanical engineer had a fondness for wooden toys since he was a teenager. At 17, he built the first rocking horses for his relatives. It really took off with his own children: Instead of buying his son the desired plastic knight's castle, Leipold built him one out of wood – which received great feedback. The demand from schoolmates and neighborhood children was unceasing. And Leipold took the step into self-employment. Today, the team also includes a mechatronics engineer and a teacher who tests each prototype from an educational perspective. “Children should create themselves and not just reenact what others have invented,” he says.

The range includes over 250 products: laser-cut craft kits for the little ones, glue sets, and construction toys like the Ellipticon for the older ones, as well as strategy games like "Harald’s Escape," which the Vikings already played under the name "Hnefatafl." Sustainability runs through the entire production process for Leipold: Each piece is designed so that it can be repaired should something break. For Leipold, each kit also represents an investment in the next generation: "With all the AI and technology coming our way, I believe that there will still be a need for people who can work with their heads and hands."

Special:
We want to promote the creativity of small and larger children with our products. Each prototype is pedagogically tested before it goes into mass production. We place special emphasis on sustainability throughout the entire production process.