Naipes Heraclio Fournier facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Playing card manufacturer |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Headquarters | Vitoria, Spain |
| Products | playing cards, game sets, advertising cards |
| Parent | Cartamundi |
Naipes Heraclio Fournier S.A. is a famous company that makes playing cards. It is located in Vitoria, Spain, and has a factory in Legutio. This company has been making cards for a very long time. Since 1986, it has been part of the United States Playing Card Company. Later, in 2020, a Belgian company called Cartamundi bought the United States Playing Card Company.
Contents
The Story of Fournier Cards
How It All Started
Heraclio Fournier González was the youngest son in his family. His father, Lazaro Fournier, was an industrialist. Heraclio started working with his brother Braulio Fournier in their family's factory. Their business was called Fournier Hermanos. They worked together to create a new kind of playing card.
After some time, Heraclio decided to start his own business. He moved to Vitoria-Gasteiz in 1870. There, he opened a factory called "Naipes Heraclio Fournier." This factory mainly made playing cards. But it also printed stamps and books.
New Designs and Awards
In 1875, Heraclio found new ways to print cards. He also created new designs. Two years later, he worked with an art teacher named Emilio Soubrier. He also worked with a painter named Diaz de Olano. Together, they designed a new brand of playing cards. This became the first brand of his famous Spanish playing cards. In 1880, his business grew. He moved his factory to a bigger place on Fueros Street.
The next year, Heraclio often traveled to France. He wanted to make his card manufacturing even better. In 1889, he won a prize at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. This was a big world fair. One year later, he decided to change his playing cards. He created a new deck with 12 different colors. After these changes, he won many more prizes. He won awards in Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona.
A Family Legacy
Heraclio Fournier passed away in Vichy in 1916. After his death, his grandson, Félix Alfaro Fournier, took over the company. Félix was a big collector of playing cards. In 1970, he bought a large collection of cards from Thomas De la Rue. Then, he opened a special place called the "Museo Fournier de Naipes". This is a museum dedicated to playing cards.
By 1948, Naipes Heraclio Fournier was the best playing card maker in Spain. In 1986, the United States Playing Card Company bought Naipes Heraclio Fournier. This meant Fournier joined a group with other famous card brands. These brands include Bicycle, Aviator, Bee, and KEM.
Growing Worldwide
In 1993, the company continued to grow. It became more popular in countries all over the world. Because of this growth, they had to move to a new, larger factory. This new place had enough space to meet the high demand for their cards. The company also received an important certificate called ISO 9001 - 2000. This award from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance shows how good their production process is.
Today, the company sells about 16 million packs of cards every year. They sell to many casinos around the world. This makes them one of the most important playing card makers globally.
What Cards Do They Make?
The company makes many different kinds of cards.
- Poker and Bridge playing cards: These are the cards most often used in casinos. The company sells about 6 million packs of these cards each year.
- Spanish playing cards: These are Fournier's most famous cards. The company sells around 10 million packs of these every year.
- Tarot playing cards: These cards are used for special games or fortune-telling.
- Trading cards: This includes many fun cards. They make fantasy art cards, card games for children, and cards for advertising. They also make sports cards.
See also
In Spanish: Naipes Heraclio Fournier para niños
