Miro Company Explained

Miro is a game manufacturer in France. Its most notable publication is "La Conquête du Monde," the first version of Risk ever produced.[1]

History

Miro was founded in Paris in 1936 by Fred Mirowitch and Leo J. Frankenthal. The company changed hands in 1950, after which it became the producer of French-language versions of Waddington Ltd. and Parker Brothers games, later becoming a subsidiary of General Mills. In 1980, General Mills merged its three toy business in France (Miro Company, Parker Brothers France and Meccano France) forming Miro-Meccano.

In 1985, General Mills spun off its toy division as Kenner Parker Toys, Inc. Miro-Meccano was renamed Kenner Parker and the Meccano brand and its factory in Calais were sold.

In 1987, Tonka purchased Kenner Parker for $555 million, borrowing extensively to fund the acquisition. However, the cost of servicing the debt meant Tonka itself had to find a buyer and it was eventually acquired by Hasbro in 1991.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: La Conquête du Monde. Boardgame Geek. 2007-04-26.
  2. News: Swisher . Kara . 1991-02-01 . HASBRO BUYS TONKA FOR $500 MILLION . 2024-01-30 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.