Mega Toys
 Charlie Woo co-founded Mega Toys with his brother and the encouragement of their parents.
“We were an immigrant family in the late ‘60s,” Woo said. “I went to UCLA to study physics and economics. My family saw me as the American expert who could help contribute to the family business. I really didn’t know much about business because I was a student of physics and economics. I thought being immigrants that building a business would have been difficult because of the cultural and language barrier.” Woo and his family decided to go into the toy business because of its success in Hong Kong at the time. “I knew a few people in the toy business,” Woo said. “I thought toys were a universal consumer product that crossed all cultural barriers. We thought it was a good industry. We wanted to do wholesale, as opposed to retail.” Seven years ago, Woo developed a relationship with Walmart during what he calls a competitive time in the toy industry in which there were a large number of businesses and only a few retailers. “We started with seasonal products,” Woo said. “We started with a small trial order of Easter baskets. They liked the order, and that was a foot in the door. Since then, the business has grown every year.” Today, Mega Toys has seasonal products such as Easter baskets, Halloween costumes and gift products, and Valentine gift baskets. Woo finds satisfaction in the growth of his business and the contributions he has made to the toy industry in California. “Several years ago, we bought some old, abandoned warehouses in a rundown area of Los Angeles,” he said. “We refurbished them to use for our business.” Woo began to get inquiries from other businesses about the properties, including competitors, who were interested in purchasing them for their own businesses. “Thus, we were able to revive a dying part of Los Angeles and create what is now known as Toy District,” Woo said. Woo challenges himself by staying ahead of innovation in the toy industry. “There are less and less customers, while suppliers increase every day,” he said. “You have to lead and not follow. While I am working for today, I think about next year and how do I top myself. I try to stay 2-3 years ahead. I encourage my employees to do the same.”
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