Toy Association staff visited Melissa & Doug’s headquarters in Wilton, Connecticut on October 21 to deliver a toy safety presentation as part of the company’s Quality Learning Series.
The Quality Learning Series is designed to build and strengthen product safety and quality knowledge among design and engineering teams at Melissa & Doug and Spin Master (Melissa & Doug’s parent company). The Toy Association’s Jos Huxley, senior vice president of technical affairs, delivered a presentation on product recalls, emphasizing their importance as part of the broader product safety ecosystem and also shared insights on identifying hazards and avoiding recall risks to strengthen the product development process.
Following the presentation, The Toy Association team, which also included Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing communications, and Joan Lawrence, senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs, met with Melissa & Doug’s management and quality department to discuss current industry priorities, including tariffs, state-level extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation, and ongoing supply chain challenges. The Association also provided an overview of its new Center of Excellence (CoE) framework, which is focused on delivering targeted resources and expertise to help members navigate evolving business and regulatory landscapes.
The visit concluded with a tour of Melissa & Doug’s office and test laboratory.
“Meeting face-to-face with our members allows us to truly listen, learn, and stay aligned with their evolving needs,” said Kathrin Belliveau, chief policy officer at The Toy Association. “These conversations deepen our understanding of the challenges companies face and help us ensure our technical and regulatory work continues to serve them effectively.”
The Toy Association welcomes opportunities to visit member companies and deliver similar presentations or discussions tailored to their teams. Members interested in hosting an on-site session or meeting are encouraged to reach out Kathrin Belliveau.