Jazwares is expanding its European presence with a brand-new wholly-owned office in Bilbao, Spain, to service the Iberian market.

Jazwares has announced a significant milestone in the company’s European growth strategy by opening its latest wholly-owned office in Bilbao, Spain.

Iberia is an important toy market and this expansion marks Jazwares European operation’s first direct supply model with retailers in Southern Europe. Jazwares also has offices supplying retailers directly in the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Santiago Guerra Lopez, a highly respected and influential figure in the Spanish toy industry, has been appointed as managing director of Jazwares Iberia. With over 18 years of invaluable experience as the executive vice president at Bizak, a leading Spanish toy company, his appointment and the opening of the office is a significant step forward in Jazwares’ European development and growth strategy.

Jonny Taylor, senior vice president of Europe, commented: “Iberia is an incredibly valuable European market. We have built a solid business to date and we are very thankful for our distributor Toy Partner and its work in distributing Jazwares’ products to this point.

“With a clear focus on European growth, now is the right time to transition to a direct-to-retail supply model in the region. We are thrilled to welcome Santiago aboard to spearhead operations for Iberia. His proven track record and local market expertise combined with Jazwares’ world-class product portfolio means we are well positioned to take our Iberian business to the next level.”

Santiago said: “I am both delighted and proud to join Jazwares and lead the operations in Iberia. The opportunity to grow our business within the region is significant. Jazwares is enjoying huge success worldwide as one of the fastest-growing global toy companies. With the strength of our product portfolio, highly talented team and strategic plans, it’s an exciting time to join.”