Toys have long been an essential “ingredient” for a child’s mental as well as emotional growth. Parents put such strong emphasis on their choice of playthings in order to make sure they are making a positive impact on their children’s development.

Though it is all fun and game, educating children and having a good time with safe toys are serious business for Galey Industrial Co., Ltd. The Hong Kong-based toy maker has been serving the global toy market since 1979. Even after all the drastic changes that came with it over the years, Galey’s mission statement has always been the same: to bring joy and fun to every child and peace to the world.

Galey excels in manufacturing high quality and competitively priced art and craft items, battery-operated toys, educational toys, electronic preschool toys, as well as plastic products. “Our toys are usually shipped to US and European markets, like the UK, France, Germany and Italy,” said Mr. Frankie Cheng, manager of Galey Industrial. “We also have customers from South America and South Africa. In addition to these existing markets, we are now looking into the East European consumer market…we find that there should be lots of potential in it.”

Making all the magic happen at Galey, obviously, is the dedicated production team behind the scene. Galey currently operates with an office in Hong Kong, and a factory in Dong Guan of China. With a total of 16 divisions working side by side, the Hong Kong office is mainly responsible for the administrative, shipping and marketing fronts, while the China-based factory grinds to produce the highest quality toys. “Apart from the actual production process, our factory in China – which is staffed by 1,200 workers – also handles R&D (research and development), engineering, purchasing, and other functions,” Mr. Cheng elaborated on Galey’s operation.

The R&D division, which is the heart and soul of Galey, brainstorms product ideas using suggestions from customers, exhibitors and in-house designers, before sending them to the engineering division for further development. Then the safety testing will ensure that every piece of product measures up to the standard Galey has set. “We are proud to say that it is due to our relentless and strict approach to quality control that has earned us the ISO9001: 2000 certification,” Mr. Cheng said with much pride and joy. With the help of advanced machinery (developed by Galey’s in-house technicians), Galey rolls out as many as three full 40’ containers worth of toys each day.

With so many quality playthings being produced day by day, how does Galey go about reaching the potential customers who would appreciate them most? Mr. Cheng explained, “Joining trade shows has always been one of the most effective marketing channels. We need to expose ourselves to the market as much as possible – we have been able to network with many international customers via trade fairs. In addition to that, we also place advertisements in leading trade magazines worldwide, while our company website has also been a very powerful tool to provide customers a flexible and timely alternative to get to know our products, simply because the website can be viewed anytime and anywhere.” Mr. Cheng also mentioned that the company’s success and renowned reputation as a toy-making veteran also has much to do with winning a great number of long-term customers, who have been kind enough to refer new businesses to the company. “It is only because they think so highly of us. There is nothing we value more than the quality of our toys,” Mr. Cheng further emphasised Galey’s top priority.

Apart from the high level of safety and quality of its toys, Galey also prides itself on its innovative product ideas, as well as efficient service provided by its well-trained and knowledgeable frontline staff. “Here at Galey we understand the importance of skilled manpower. We have always invested much time and energy in training our staff and providing the support that they need, so they can better assist our customers while expanding our business scope,” Mr. Cheng added. Every employee – whether they are working in the factory or office – has been trained to take responsibility for the products they make. “Quality and safety come first” as something they should care about and work for most.

Being a diverse, well-rounded toy manufacturer means that Galey always has something new to offer to the market. “One of our current many best sellers are the Deluxe Potters Wheels, which allow children to perfect their pottery skills and stimulate creativity using the clay and pottery machine provided. This particular item is especially popular in Europe and USA, where many parents are keen on helping their children discover their artistic talent,” Ms. Lianne Yau, product manager of Galey Industrial, described enthusiastically. In addition to the fun-packed pottery kit, Galey has also recently renovated an exciting line of kitchen appliances to the second generation of children. It includes everyday items that can be found in a real kitchen, such as toaster, kettle, coffee maker, blender, microwave, oven, washer and many more.

Success does not come easily for any business, and Galey fully realises it. “Faced with the international phenomenon of low birth rates, we have to actively search for new potential markets to substantiate business volume,” Mr. Cheng stated. “Another problem that is commonly found among toy manufacturers is obviously the counterfeit issue, which has been a rather painful battle for us. We tackle this problem by constantly updating our product lines, improving quality, while introducing new toys on a regular basis – it is really part of survival.”

Galey has many ambitious plans in store for the future. Looking ahead, the group plans on putting increased focus on developing educational toys in order to do its part to promote healthy children development. Also, with its expanding OEM capacity, Galey steps up to purchase more machinery equipments and facilities to cope with the increased orders and workload. Side by side, the group is ready to further diversify its product lines.

With three long-established mottos: winning over markets with well-rounded playthings, serving customers with utter respect and full-on professionalism, and producing quality toys that will bring joy and peace to the world, Galey is here to stay, and will strive to provide customers with only the best it sets to offer.

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