Horse Industrial Limited

Outdoor playthings bring lots of healthy fun

The old saying: "all work and no play make Jack a dull boy" definitely rings true today. Toys make good companions for the young ones and enhance the kids' growth. But with electronic and computer games dominating the market these days, outdoors toys which draw children to an active day outside have been somewhat "neglected".

Hong Kong-based Horse Industrial Limited is one of the leading suppliers in this special market niche of outdoor toys. According to the owner, Mr. Summei Ng, the company is thriving on three main missions: to produce toys that are easy for children to play with; to render playthings that are fuss-free for the parents to manage; and to encourage our next generation to enjoy the great fun outdoors.

Horse Industrial began in 1983 as a plastic toys manufacturer, and over the decade has strategically altered its product focus to accommodate the changes in the market. Nowadays, the toy maker is mainly engaged in vinyl products accessorised with metal and plastic elements. According to Mr. Ng, Horse Industrial's main product line today is play tents.

"One of the biggest health tips for the kids who like to play outside – and their parents and guardians too – is to avoid prolonged direct sunlight exposure. Since our play tents are designed to provide shading, they are must-haves for a day of fun in the sun and perfect companions for a big day out."

"In fact, play tents have become our specialty. Judging from what I have seen at trade fairs around the world and the feedback from our clients, I would dare to say that we have the widest range of play tents in the market," a proud Mr. Ng tells MegAsia.

Horse Industrial's product catalogue includes cubby houses and many other play tents that are shaped in a car, a bus, a train, a police truck or a fire engine and any shapes you can imagine. They also have a series of tents themed in military. These special designs are created to arouse the kids' interests, and to lure them to go outside and play, as well as to inspire their imagination.

An innovative three-in-one pavilion is a recent excitement in the company's catalogue. "By simply reorganising a few parts and accessories, this multi-functional product can become a very playful pavilion that provides sun shade, a play tent for the kids or even with a soccer goal. This three-in-one tent has proven to be a very unique twist and so easy to use. Essentially, this multi-tasking play tent renders a great opportunity for a quality fun time for the whole family," introduces Mr. Ng.

This creative three-in-one pavilion has combined the designs of a number of Horse Industrial's existing products, all of which are aimed at group play for children. Prominent examples are those beach toys and games – from water polo sets that include a floating goal and ball, to beach volleyball net which comprises a metal frame, to other smaller gadgets, like beach frisbee in circle, hexagon and other shapes.

"Not only is the beach a great place for family fun, it is also a great haven for water sports. That's why we also have neoprene swimming jackets and wind surfing suits," continues Mr. Ng.

Besides catering to all those fun and games in water, Horse Industrial also manufactures a wide range of ‘sporty toys' to simulate several popular ball games.

"Again, we put into special designs in these ball games to create something very special – our four-in-one sporty game centre. This compact toy and game set is made up of different elements of four different ball games – namely soccer, basketball, baseball and golf. As these are the most popular ball games in the world today, the four-in-one toy set helps the kids embrace these games as they grow up."

As a dynamic player in the industry, Horse Industrial acts fast in diversifying its business and product range to premium gifts. "It happened that some of our clients have approached us with new premium gift ideas. For those ideas and new projects within our capabilities, we would take them on board to emulate our own branded products. That's how we began branching into the premium market," Mr. Ng says.

Though still quite a new venture, Horse Industrial's current collections of premium gifts have expanded to include frisbees, kites, carrier bags, paper baskets, plastic badges, PVC key rings, wallets and drink coolers, etc.

"I think our success in product diversification is due to our realistic approach to product design. Most of our products are made from the same materials, like plastic, vinyl, neoprene and metals. By being creative in mixing these elements together for our practical designs, we are able to come up with many innovative products that really work and appeal to the end-buyers."

As for the supplier's competitive edge, Mr. Ng says it lies in the company's persistence in product quality. "We have to differentiate ourselves from the pack by constantly upgrading the quality of our products. Although investment in product quality improvement increases cost, I firmly believe that it is definitely worthwhile," explains Mr. Ng.

"Most buyers these days, particularly those from Europe, like the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and France, etc., are very safety-concerned to have the toys produced in compliance with various safety and quality requirements. We are happy to carry out special factory audits or product tests to fulfill our customers' needs. We are committed to going for all measures to ensure the high quality of our products," Mr. Ng concludes.