Cartamundi management and some employees cut the ribbon, opening the new factory.
A market in development: the growth of collectible cards
The collectible cards category originated more than 30 years ago when Cartamundi took on production for Wizards of the Coast at the launch of the very first collectible card game Magic The Gathering. Since then, this market has experienced tremendous growth especially in the 1990s with the launch of other successful games such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. Although the market remained stable between 2000 and 2019, a rise in demand for these products has been showing again since 2019. Today, the market flourishes mainly in the United States, Europe and Japan.
The renewed popularity is due to several factors, including innovations in packaging and production techniques, the strong focus on increased card quality, the expansion of the assortment, as well as the emergence of new games with popular licenses such as Disney Lorcana and Star Wars Unlimited, which appeal to a wide audience. Collector cards are increasingly seen as attractive, valuable products, often with very unique designs, stimulating a growing collecting culture.
Increased capacity and flexibility
With the expansion in Turnhout, Cartamundi is strengthening its focus on collectible cards. The plant is increasing its production capacity by 40%. The additional capacity allows the company to better meet the growing demand of its customers, both existing partners such as Magic The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Flesh & Blood, as well as new customers responding to popular cultural trends.
The expanded capacity and innovative production capabilities allow Cartamundi to respond more flexibly to market developments. The Turnhout plant plays an important role as an innovation center with far-reaching transformation as a ‘digital factory of the future’.
Sustainability central to new expansion
The expansion of the Turnhout plant is not only an investment in capacity, but also in sustainability. The new facilities use energy-efficient heat pumps to cool, heat and ventilate the building. LED lighting and preparations to install additional solar panels contribute to a lower carbon footprint.
Cartamundi also encourages sustainable commuting with initiatives such as a bicycle leasing program, improved bicycle parking and safe bicycle connections. The plant has WADI systems to collect and gradually infiltrate rainwater, and additional charging stations have been installed to further green the fleet. When purchasing new machinery, Cartamundi also considers energy consumption to maximize efficiency.
The renovation of the existing, more than 50-year-old building is also an important part of this sustainability effort. This will prepare the building for the future, with an emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency.
Expansion creates jobs
The expansion of the plant brings not only technological and sustainable benefits, but also new employment opportunities. Currently, 370 employees already work at the Turnhout plant. Once the plant expansion is fully operational, this number will increase by about 50 employees. In this regard, Cartamundi attaches great importance to taking sufficient time for thorough onboarding and training. Currently, there are still 35 open positions, so Cartamundi continues to look for additional employees.
Investment in the future
With this investment of nearly 25 million euros, Cartamundi is strengthening its position as a world leader in the production of playing cards, board games and collectible cards. The expansion in Turnhout is a crucial step to both support growing demand from existing customers and serve new markets. Cartamundi continues to focus on innovation, customer focus and sustainability, making the company ready for the challenges of the future.
This investment was realized by construction company Laeremans of Heist-op-den-Berg.
The expansion of the Turnhout plant
Press release
Read more about it here.