Rigberg's Back With Eco Ideas

After eight years in the world of inspirational gift items, collectable dolls and children's house wares, former Just Toys executive Allan Rigberg is back in the mainstream toy business with a new venture, Healthy Kids World, a primarily consulting-based effort focused on developing environmentally friendly, health-oriented products. It's a move, Rigberg told Playthings, long in the making but more relevant than ever.

“I've been in the world of alternative health for the past 20 years and have watched as adults and children all over the world became unhealthy due to their lack of knowledge about what is right and wrong regarding exercise, diet, lifestyle...” Rigberg says. “Looking at the environment through documentaries like Michael Moore's Sicko and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, seeing how products are made and packaged, looking at how my own grandchildren are growing up and the kinds of products they use, I know that we have major issues that need to be dealt with. I want to help the world and the toy business by being a conduit for healthier kids' products and ideas.”

Rigberg envisions Healthy Kids World as a “one stop shop” for people to bring their ideas and products to someone knowledgeable about alternative health and environmental issues, as well as experienced in kids' products.

The biggest challenge, he expects, will be price related, as most bio-friendly products have higher costs for raw materials. “The upside,” he explains, “is there are several grassroots soldiers already creating products that just need re-tooling for the kids' markets. Most of these small ventures don't have the experience or resources to take them to the next level. With the right guidance and retail connections, we can introduce these products to a larger market.”