Meccano specializes in the category of children’s constructions, covering ages from 4 to 15 years.
The first Meccano factory was founded in Liverpool in 1907. Due to international success however, it inaugurated two new production areas: in Berlin in collaboration with MARKLIN in 1912 and in Belleville (France) in 1920. Subsequently, due to increasing sales in France and its colonies, the production unit in Belleville could not cope with the demands and thus, in 1930, a larger factory was built in Bobigny, outside Paris, similar to the parent factory in Liverpool. A new factory was built in Calais in 1959 and it continues to be today the only production center of Meccano internationally. At the end of 1970, Meccano was acquired by the American GENERAL MILLS packed goods company, which subsequently acquired the English subsidiary of the company in 1981. This acquisition marked the final production reestablishment of Meccano at the factory in Calais. However, Meccano was not considered a priority and thus, its products did not sell well, resulting in a significant decrease in overall sales. In 1985, it started the production of metallic parts, until it succeeded in 1999 in producing two systems of construction (metallic and plastic).
Each system includes product series which, in fact, educate and entertain, while meeting the expectations of children of ages from 4 to 15.