Due to the call for more information by friends and colleagues in the industry, Lutz Natonek, J?rg Mumenthaler and Martin Rechberger have issued a statement giving more details of the proposed activities of their new

company ? Travel Retail Experts Ltd.

The three individuals that comprise the Travel Retail Experts Ltd say that in addition to the global agency for WWF plush toys held by Lutz Natonek and the European contract for Disney fragrances for children handled by Martin Rechberger's R-Trade Ltd, the new company has added a new ‘classic’ to their portfolio: mic-o-mic ‘design to play with’.

This is a unique and colourful educational assembly toy successfully marketed by J?rg Mumenthaler before he joined Nici.

‘J?rg was simply too young to stop working and be lost for this industry after his retirement from Nici and when he crossed paths with his old love toy ‘mic-o-mic’, he just could not resist the temptation and the challenge. So when he walked into my office with the idea of working part time and showed us his ‘new, old toy’ mic-o-mic, I didn't hesitate a minute’, Martin says.

‘J?rg has exactly what we needed: the best knowledge and network in the toys' business and in our market anyone could think of and a fantastic new product on top of it!’

It's sort of a ‘back to the future!’ for me, says J?rg Mumenthaler: ‘I have worked with Martin for many years in Weitnauer, selling SWATCH watches from times nobody wanted them (1984) until buyers were queuing for and selling thousands of them in the TR market in Europe. That's how I actually 'discovered' the market for products for children.

‘Seeing that the small Ladies' Swatches were actually bought mostly as gifts for children, we started to look for and develop more products in this category. One of them was mic-o-mic, which made quite big numbers in those times. I am delighted to see it back and thrilled to get it on the shelves and achieve these nice sales figures again.’

For his part, Lutz Natonek said: ‘I joined J?rg's team at Weitnauer when they had signed the global licence with Walt Disney for Mickey's world back in ?… It was a great time and also the start of my liking and belief in kid's products in the travel retail market.

‘When Weitnauer changed focus and organisation to concentrate on the retail business only, this division was disintegrating and after a short time as an independent agent in the same activity, it was actually J?rg who introduced me to Martin three years ago.

‘With J?rg now joining us, this is sort of a big circle closing. Together, we have over 100 years of expertise in marketing new products to the travel retail market, so even the somewhat boasting name of the company fits, doesn't it?’