What is "ganz"

Ganz may refer to:

• Ganz Works, a Hungarian manufacturer of electric railway equipment.
• Ganz (toy company), a Canadian toy company known for Webkinz
• Ganz, Styria, a town in the district of Mürzzuschlag in Styria, Austria
• Ganz (surname), people with the surname Ganz

Ganz is a Canadian company best known for distributing plush animals and collectibles. They are the manufacturer of Webkinz, the toy with an interactive virtual-reality Internet site for children.

Founded in 1950 by Holocaust survivors Samuel Ganz and sons Jack and Sam Ganz, it was originally called Ganz Bros.Toys. and sold products for the Canadian home market. They were also carnival suppliers and manufactured many products in their own factory. A private company with headquarters just north of Toronto in Woodbridge, Ontario, Ganz is known as a user of Ty's copyrighted TyTips fabric, which is used for several of the older Webkinz.

The success of Webkinz, first released in 2005, and other similar items helped the fortunes of the Ganz family who then decided to start The Webkinz Foundation. The Webkinz Foundation is a charitable organization that focuses on supporting children's programs worldwide and provides the company with valuable marketing and tax benefits.

Ganz is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Ábrahám Ganz, Swiss merchant and founder of the Ganz companies
• Bruno Ganz, Swiss actor
• David L. Ganz, American politician
• Edwin F. Ganz, American politician
• Howard Ganz, Current President of Ganz (toy company)
• Joan Ganz Cooney, American businesswoman and television producer
• Josef Ganz, German car designer
• Lowell Ganz, American screenwriter
• Maurizio Ganz, Italian former footballer
• P. Felix Ganz (1922 -1990), of Chicago, Illinois
• Rudolph Ganz, Swiss pianist, conductor, and composer
• Sebastian Ganz, fictional character
• Valerie Ganz, Welsh painter
• Victor Ganz (1913–1987), art collector
• Robert A. Ganz, MD, gastroenterologist and medical inventor