Toy FAQs – Toyz School

The controversy surrounding Mellissa and Doug toys is as much as they are popular. The company employs over a thousand employees. While it formerly gained popularity for its proud American-made and handmade toys, a very small percentage of Melissa and Doug toys are produced in the US these days. Currently, most Melissa and Doug toys are manufactured in China, with a small percentage being produced in the UK and the USA. However, no matter where they are manufactured, the toys are all designed at the company’s headquarters in the US and under the supervision of Melissa Bernstein. To see the most popular Melissa and Doug toys just click here. Melissa And Doug Toys Offices In The USA In the US, the Melissa and Doug toy manufacturing company has three offices. The first of these offices were established in Melissa and Doug’s hometown, Wilton, Connecticut. It works as the head office of the company. All Melissa and Doug toys are designed here. Besides designing all toys, a small percentage of Melissa and Doug toys are also made in the Connecticut office. It should be noted that this office is not a toy factory. Hence, the toys that are made here are test toys. Test toys are upcoming toys that may or may not be tested in a control group. One particular toy design can have a variety of test products. These could be made of different materials, in different sizes, and by using different colors. All these tester toys are made by hand by expert designers, including the CEO’s wife, Melissa Bernstein. Since Melissa Bernstein is the company's first and primary toy designer, she oversees the entire design process of all the toys herself. The Wilton office also has a team of other professionals that run the company. The CEO of the company, Doug Bernstein, has his office in the Wilton building too. Along with the founders of the company, other staff that work in the Wilton office includes people working in different departments such as project managers, project designers, marketing managers, technical managers, finance managers, human resources, sales analysts, business analysts, contract analysts, supply chain analysts, finance analysts, integration analysts, business partners, quality analysts, quality control, and product engineers. The other two offices of Melissa and Doug toy manufacturers in the US include warehouses located in Tracy, California, and Cranbury Township, New Jersey. Both the warehouses act as an entry and exit point for the Melissa and Doug toys coming in from China and being exported to the rest of the world. The warehouse staff members work as department managers, laborers, equipment operators, human resource personnel, business partners, maintenance technicians, demand planners, distribution planners, supply chain analysts, and supply chain planners. Melissa And Doug Toys Offices In The UK The Melissa and Doug office in England is located in Rickmansworth, London. The office has staff in sales, finance, supply chain, account management, account compliance, management, administration, relationship management, business planning, forecasting, influence, and collaborations. Similar to the head office, this office only produces test toys that are either based on or improve the ideas of collaborators from across England and Europe. Melissa and Doug Toys Manufacturing Plants in China Since different provinces in China specialize in manufacturing goods from different raw materials, Melissa and Doug have partnered with a few different toy manufacturing plants in China. These manufacturing plants are owned by Chinese corporations but are hired by Melissa and Doug to produce their products. All the Melissa and Doug fabric toys are manufactured in a dedicated toy manufacturing plant in Guangzhou in the Chinese province of Guangdong. Some popular toys manufactured in this plant include plush toys, cuddly hands, soft mini baby vehicles, and the Melissa and Doug beep-beep children’s cars. In the Chinese city of Jinhua in the province of Zhejiang, all of the Melissa and Doug wooden toys are produced. These toys include various wooden puzzles and playsets. Most of these playsets used to be produced in the US before Melissa and Doug outsourced them to Chinese plants. In the city Xiamen in the Fujian province, Melissa and Doug have outsourced the production of all kinds of bags and cases the company designs and sells. These include school bags, toy cases, backpacks, luggage bags, and portable toy chests. The plastic toys and craft supplies manufacturing units are also located in the province of Guangdong. Craft supplies are manufactured in Shenzhen, and the plastic toy manufacturers are located in the city of Shantou. Besides these, some specific Melissa and Doug toys are manufactured in various toy manufacturing plants in China. Some wooden toys and puzzles are made in Ningbo in Zhejiang, while a few educational toys are manufactured in Xiamen, Fujian. Various outdoor toys are produced in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, certain craft supplies are manufactured in Jinhua, Zhejiang, and some special elements for certain toys are made in Nanchang, Jiangxi. Controversy Over Melissa And Doug Toys Manufactured In China While the prices of Melissa and Doug toys have only increased through the years, several educationists and parents believe that their toys are not as high-quality today as they once used to be. Some parents are especially against using Melissa and Doug toys now that they are manufactured in China. While the Melissa and Doug toys manufactured in China follow strict design protocols and go through many quality-checks, the magnetic toys and magnetic elements in other toys sometimes contain traces of toxic petroleum particles. The particles can come from phthalates or Bisphenol A (BPA), and in some cases, can belong to fire retardants or other chemicals. Besides not being eco-friendly, these traces can be dangerous to the health of little children. Young children can ingest them through touching, holding, or licking the toys and cause health problems. However, you can ensure safety by not buying Melissa and Doug toys that contain magnetic elements. You can also look for the ‘non-toxic’ label on the toy boxes to ensure further safety.