Maped is an independent, family-owned French company best known for its school supplies, stationery, drawing and colouring products, office accessories, and creative items for children. Established in 1947 in Annecy, France, the business has grown from a specialist manufacturer of precision drawing instruments into an international group focused on children’s learning, creativity, and development.1

The name MAPED is an acronym derived from the French Manufacture d’Articles de Précision et de Dessin, which translates to “Manufacture of Precision and Drawing Articles”.2

According to the latest corporate figures, Maped reported €177 million in revenue in 2025, with approximately 1,600 employees, over 3,500 product references, 18 international subsidiaries, and a presence in more than 120 countries.3

Key facts

1947–1984: Precision instruments

Maped was founded in 1947 by Claude Lacroix in the Annecy region of France. The company originally specialised in precision drawing and geometry instruments, particularly metal compasses. For nearly four decades, its primary activity was producing geometry sets and precision instruments for technical drawing offices, designers, and architects. Before computer-aided design became widespread, drafting tables, rulers, and precision compasses were essential professional equipment.4

1985: Diversification

A significant turning point occurred in 1985 when Maped expanded beyond technical drawing products to manufacture scissors. In the same year, Jacques Lacroix took over the family business, marking the beginning of the company’s transformation from a specialist precision-instrument manufacturer into a broader school-supplies company.5

1992–1993: Erasers and office products

In 1992, Maped acquired Mallat, a French manufacturer known for erasers, including the distinctive pink-and-blue variety. This acquisition facilitated entry into the erasing and marking-products market. The following year, Maped established a subsidiary in Suzhou, China, accelerating its internationalisation and enabling the addition of staplers, punches, and office accessories to its portfolio.6

During the late 1990s and 2000s, Maped developed a significant international presence by establishing subsidiaries in countries including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, the United States, Greece, Germany, Turkey, India, and Peru. This strategy allowed the company to sell and manufacture products closer to its major markets.7

Today, Maped maintains a presence in more than 120 countries with 18 international subsidiaries.8

Throughout the 2000s, Maped’s identity evolved to focus increasingly on children, education, creativity, and everyday school life.

Color’Peps

In 2005, Maped launched Color’Peps, a major range of colouring products. This line has become one of the company’s most important product families, representing a significant share of group sales.9

Writing instruments

Maped expanded into writing products in 2008, introducing instruments such as the Twin Tip 4 four-colour ballpoint pen.10

Maped Creativ

The company subsequently moved into creative activities for children. Launched in 2019, Maped Creativ focuses on hands-on kits and activities designed to combine play, making, and learning.11

Maped has utilised acquisitions to expand beyond traditional stationery.

Helix (2012)

In 2012, Maped acquired and integrated Helix, a major British school-accessories brand. This strengthened Maped’s position, particularly in English-speaking markets.12

Joustra (2016)

Maped acquired Joustra, a French company specialising in creative products for children, in 2016.13

Juratoys (2022)

A significant strategic shift occurred in 2022 with the acquisition of Juratoys. This brought several children’s brands into the wider Maped group, notably Janod, Kaloo, and Lilliputiens. The acquisition signalled that Maped was no longer solely a stationery company but increasingly a broader children’s learning, creativity, and play group, aiming to create a comprehensive offering around children’s academic and playful development.14

Maped’s extensive product portfolio spans several traditional and modern categories.

Writing

• Ballpoint pens
• Pencils
• Mechanical pencils
• Writing accessories
• Felt-tip pens
• Highlighters

Colouring

• Coloured pencils
• Wax crayons
• Markers
• Brush pens
• Colouring accessories
• Children’s colouring products

Cutting

• School scissors
• Children’s scissors
• Multipurpose scissors
• Cutting accessories

Geometry and drawing

Reflecting the company’s heritage, this category includes:
* Compasses
* Geometry sets
* Rulers
* Set squares
* Protractors
* Technical drawing instruments
* Drafting accessories

Erasing and sharpening

• Erasers
• Pencil sharpeners
• Combination sharpener/eraser products

Office supplies

• Staplers
• Punches
• Desk accessories
• Organisation products
• Office stationery

Creative activities

Through Maped Creativ and related businesses, the group offers:
* Modelling products
* Creative kits
* Craft activities
* Educational activities
* Children’s DIY projects

The current catalogue encompasses scissors, colouring products, sharpeners, erasers, compasses, rulers, writing instruments, highlighters, and creative activities.15

Beyond the core MAPED name, the group operates several notable brands and ranges:

• Maped: The core school and stationery brand.
• Helix: School accessories and stationery, particularly strong in the UK and English-speaking markets.
• Color’Peps: Colouring products.
• Maped Creativ: Creative and activity kits for children.
• Maped Picnik: Reusable food containers and drinkware designed for school and everyday use.
• Helit: Office and organisation products.
• Janod, Kaloo, Lilliputiens: Children’s brands acquired through Juratoys.16

Maped’s modern identity extends beyond manufacturing stationery. Its stated mission is to “give every child the power to change the world with their own hands”. This philosophy posits that children learn by drawing, writing, building, experimenting, making mistakes, and creating. Consequently, Maped positions its products as tools supporting education and creativity rather than mere commodities.17

The company identifies five core values: inventivity, sincerity, audacity, responsibility, and citizenship. Its broader ambition is to facilitate access to education and help individual talents emerge.18

Maped remains an independent, family-owned business associated with the Lacroix family, which has managed the company across generations. The firm employs a rotating governance system involving Antoine Lacroix and Romain Lacroix, where presidency and general-management roles alternate every three years.19

This family ownership distinguishes Maped from many large stationery brands that belong to multinational conglomerates.

Innovation is central to Maped’s strategy. Product design is conducted internally, supported by dedicated R&D and testing capabilities. In 2021, the company established the Mino Lab at its French headquarters to observe how children interact with its products.20

Testing protocols cover safety, ergonomics, durability, mechanical performance, chemical compliance, and usability. Quality teams conduct extensive internal testing and utilise independent laboratories to verify regulatory compliance.21

Although Maped is a French company, its manufacturing footprint is international. Integrated production operations are located in China and Mexico, while French operations remain vital to the group’s industrial and corporate identity.22

The company pursues a strategy of producing as close as possible to its markets rather than relying on a single centralised location. Production facilities maintain certified environmental and occupational-health systems, including ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications.23

Sustainability is an increasingly prominent component of Maped’s corporate strategy. The company aims to develop products that are more durable, safer, and sustainable, while designing with children’s needs in mind.

Maped is working to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and production, with a stated objective of moving towards 100% recycled and recyclable packaging materials by 2026.24 The company also holds FSC Chain of Custody certification covering certain FSC-certified school and office products, as well as wooden and paper toys.25

In 2025, Maped received a Relocalisation Award in France for maintaining local production and employment at its Argonay site while investing in sustainable technologies.26

In October 2022, Maped adopted the status of a French entreprise à mission (company with a mission). This incorporates social and environmental purposes into the corporate framework rather than treating them solely as marketing initiatives. The company’s vision is that “children will change the world to make it a better place”, with an ambition to make education more accessible and help people develop their talents.27

Maped occupies a distinct position in the global stationery industry, spanning multiple categories:

• Traditional stationery manufacturer: Compasses, rulers, scissors, sharpeners, and erasers.
• School-supplies brand: Pencils, pens, colouring products, and school accessories.
• Creative brand: Craft and activity products.
• Children’s development company: Educational games, toys, and creative activities via its broader group.
• Lifestyle/school accessories company: Lunch containers, bottles, and reusable products.

This diversification has enabled Maped to evolve beyond its original identity as a precision-instrument manufacturer.

Historical milestones are based primarily on Maped’s corporate history and current corporate information.28

Maped’s registered headquarters are located at 530 Route de Pringy, 74370 Argonay, France. Argonay is in the Haute-Savoie department near Annecy in southeastern France, maintaining the company’s connection to the region where its history began.29

Several factors distinguish Maped from other stationery manufacturers:

• French origins: Maintained its identity as a French company since 1947.
• Family ownership: Remains independent and family-owned, with the Lacroix family playing a central role.
• Technical heritage: Began with precision engineering and technical drawing, unlike many modern stationery brands.
• Global reach: Sells products in over 120 countries.
• Creativity focus: Colouring, creative activities, and children’s products are central to its identity.
• Child-centred philosophy: Modern mission is explicitly built around children’s learning and development.
• Sustainability: Environmental responsibility and product durability are key strategic elements.
• Expansion beyond stationery: The Juratoys acquisition demonstrates ambition in the broader children’s learning and play market.30

Maped’s evolution can be summarised as a transition “from precision compass to children’s creativity”, combining its original expertise in precision engineering with a modern focus on helping children learn, create, and develop through their own hands.31

1. Maped in a nutshell – Maped Helix USA
2. Découvrir Maped – Maped Groupe
3. M comme Maped – Maped Groupe
4. Maped rachète Juratoys et confirme son développement sur le marché du jouet – Maped Groupe
5. Products – Maped India
6. Products – Maped Helix USA
7. Gouvernance – Maped Groupe
8. Innovation – Maped India
9. Maped in a nutshell – Maped India
10. MAPED SAS 530 ROUTE DE PRINGY, 74370, ARGONAY,
11. MAPED reçoit le prix de la relocalisation ! – Maped Groupe
12. Maped devient entreprise à mission et renouvèle son engagement pour les générations futures – Maped Groupe
13. Mentions légales – Maped Groupe
14. Maped ferme Argonay — Le Guide Sulkowski
15. MAPED, engagé pour l’environnement ! – Maped Groupe
16. Maped met la gomme à l’international… tout en préservant son usine française
17. Découvrez notre rapport de Mission 2023 – Maped Groupe
18. Conditions générales d’utilisation (CGU) – Maped Groupe
19. Contacter le SAV Maped France (Maj juin 2026 )
20. Shop – Maped Helix USA
21. ¿Quiénes somos ? – Maped Peru
22. Productos – Maped Peru
23. Descubre Maped – Maped Mexico Corporate
24. Productos – Maped Mexico
25. Ποιοι είμαστε; – Maped Greece
26. M de Maped – Maped Mexico Corporate
27. Découvrir Maped – Maped Quebec
28. Cine suntem? – Maped Romania
29. 1% For Education Fund – Maped Helix USA
30. Travailler chez Maped – Maped Groupe
31. Maped France – Fournitures scolaires et loisirs créatifs