Toys for all the girls and boys
Steve Ciaccio has a smile on his face this holiday season and it was made in China.
If it wasn't for the lead-based paint Chinese companies have coated some toys with, the West Dundee entrepreneur would not be having such a great season.
As many parents shy away from brightly colored plastic toys made in China, Ciaccio's firm, The Cubbyhole, is thriving. As parents are turning to the Internet for toys made in America, they're finding the Elgin resident's Oregon Street business.
"We're shipping 150 to 200 packages a day," he said. "We're at the point where we'll be busy until February. The Internet has definitely enhanced our business."
The packages contain personalized wooden benches that have letters and numbers cut out.
"They're puzzles: the child's name, numbers from one to 10, letters in the alphabet." Ciaccio said. "Parents feel good about them because the shapes, letters and numbers are painted with water-based paints."
He and his company also make wooden train sets, coat racks for kids and wooden toy chests. And they produce children's books and music.
Ciaccio and 15 full- and part-time employees have been making toys for toddlers to 12-year-olds for about 30 Christmases. Through the years, demand for his products have increased, but nothing matches this year's bump in business.
Parents are rejecting Chinese-made toys out of fear lead-based paint may chip and wind up in their children's stomachs. News stories of nationwide recalls for the toys sparked the fears.
Along with the demand, Ciaccio's need for more production space has grown. His business has moved from Elgin to South Elgin to West Dundee. For years, he worked from a storefront building along West Dundee's Main Street. Now, he works from the former fire station along the Fox River.
While some employees sand the wood and assemble the toys, others hand paint them. Then, there are those who package and ship them.
Orders are flying out as fast as he can cut.
"We ship all over the world. We get a lot of orders from servicemen whose families are on U.S. military bases in Germany. We also ship to stores in England and Canada," he said. "We're not retail. We're strictly mail order."
He doesn't have time to sell his products over the counter. The Internet keeps his company plenty busy. You can visit the company at: www.cubbyholetoys.com.
"So many Web sites have a link to ours and so many people are looking for American-made products," Ciaccio said.
"They feel good about our products because they're sturdy and safe," he said. "We have kids who have grown up with our toys and now are ordering them for their kids. So, we are going through a second generation of customers."
In an effort to get the last orders shipped in time for Christmas, the crew at Cubbyhole has working like mad.
"It's crazy here. We have been working seven days a week for the last seven weeks to fill the orders," he said. "I should send the president of China a thank you note for all the business he sent me."