Inside Out

USAOPOLY is known for putting the twist to some of the most popular board games out there like Monopoly and Clue. But CEO Dane Chapin is putting a twist on getting his employees to work. Chapin wants to help the environment and is willing to put up the cash to prove it. Any employee willing to buy or lease a hybrid automobile will get $100 per month towards that lease or loan. Not only that, but if they car pool they get $5 for that too. That's right; the company will help pay to get a person to work. Chapin estimates that employees—who commute more than 50 miles a day and car pool—can add almost $3,500 annually to their pockets. That should make for happy Mondays no matter what!...TV strikes again! But this time it's a good thing. TV is boosting the do-it yourself business for the hobby industry and appears to be working the same magic for tween decorating as well. Capitalizing on this trend, Action Products is expanding the popular Cool Things wood accessories line within the Curiosity Kits brand. The new products speak to the latest room décor trends and needs within the tween market. Thanks to television shows such as “Trading Spaces,” “While You Were Out” and “Room Makeover,” tweens are getting the do-it yourself bug. With over 100 products in the line already, tweens will be able to decorate their rooms as often as they change their minds...What Kids Want seems to be, well, just what kids want. The company made “Entrepreneur” magazine's Hot 100 list of America's fastest growing new businesses. It's the only toy company to make the list...In what might not be such a surprising move, Brio elected Daniel Sachs chairman of its board of directors after Bengt Ivarsson resigned. Sachs is the president of Proventus AB, the company that recently bought 30 percent of Brio's stock back in July...While New York may have an International Toy Building, China is building a whole “city.” The “International Toy City” is a 320,000 sq. meter wholesale trade center in the Huangpu district serving the province's 80 billion yuan ($9.67 billion US) toy business. Construction on the center began in mid-2003 and the first phase is scheduled to open in March, The Standard, a business newspaper in China reported...And speaking of the Toy Building, its facial 'makeover' looks spectacular, showing off the fine design of the original architecture and craftsmanship.