IETP recently had the opportunity to chat with Geoffrey Greenberg, Co-President of Just Play LCC. We were interested to find out what prompted his transition from Lawyer to Toymaker? And with challenges and opportunities approaching from all angles, what is keeping him up at night right now?Full Q&A:Geoffrey:My favorite toy as a child was the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle. As a child, we used to watch Evel Knievel do crazy stunts on his motorcycle. The toy allowed us to recreate those stunts in our backyard. It was great because you could wind up the motorcycle and watch it roll, jump and flip. We used to build ramps and launch the motorcycle over our Hot Wheel CarsGeoffrey:My father was in the toy business so I was introduced to the industry at a pretty young age. I studied law and after practicing for a few years made the smart decision to transition to the family business. I’ve always found the toy industry fascinating. It’s very trend-driven so each year is new and exciting. One of the things I noticed early on was the power of licensed properties. Being able to create toys inspired by kids’ favorite characters and story elements with partners like Disney and Nickelodeon, as well as new properties like CoComelon has been very rewarding. Whether it’s discovering the hottest new brand or developing the most innovative new toy, we’re motivated by making play as fun as possible for children around the world.Geoffrey: As we’ve expanded our presence in the marketplace and put more toys onto retail shelves and into the hands of consumers around the world, it’s important to me that Just Play not only aligns with the standards of the toy industry, but also that we play a part in setting the standards for the future. The work that IETP does to simplify the compliance process is important as it enables the broader toy manufacturing community to understand and support necessary standards to create a safe and ethical workplace.Geoffrey:IETP has helped us to more efficiently track and manage the compliance of our manufacturing partners to ensure that we are partnering to provide a safe and healthy working environment where our toys are produced.Geoffrey:The past two years have thrown a lot at us in the toy industry. I spend a lot of time thinking about the impact the past years have had on our teams around the globe. They have spent a lot of time blocking and tackling and adjusting to ever-changing timelines, cost impacts, and other variables due to the global pandemic while still doing their day jobs. I have a lot of appreciation for our team and our partners and how they’ve handled the many challenges we’ve faced – but look forward to work returning to “normal”. I am confident that IETP will play a critical role in helping our global teams adjust to new working norms. Geoffrey:I am inspired by the work that our team has done in the midst of a global pandemic and global supply chain disruption – to create new, fun products that we know kids are going to love. I cannot wait for the launch of our Fall 2022 products. It’s some of the best work that our team has ever done. We’re incredibly proud of the toys you’ll see from us this Fall.Geoffrey: Déjà vu. At the end of 2020, I never expected that in 2021 we would still be working remotely and living in a pandemic. We expected that things would be getting back to normal. Thankfully our teams continued to evolve and adapt and Just Play was able to continue to develop and ship innovative and creative toys.
