INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (WJW) — Just in time for the Christmas season, a local toy company has set up shop in a new location in Northeast Ohio.
Wild Republic is relocating their U.S. corporate headquarters from Twinsburg to 7711 East Pleasant Valley Road in Independence.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Tuesday afternoon.
To celebrate the grand opening and continue with its 40-year giving tradition, the company has earmarked nearly 11,000 plush toys that will be distributed to different agencies that care for children in distress, including Big Brothers, food banks and foster care organizations.
CEO of Wild Republic, and grandson of the company’s founders, Vishnu Chandran said they plan to give back to the new community the company calls now calls home.
“To ring in the relocation as well this year’s Global Day of Giving, we wanted to make sure we are giving back to the community we are now a part of in Independence, Ohio, and are honored to have Mayor Gregory Kurtz in attendance as our special guest,” Chandran said. “Our relocation coinciding with Giving Tuesday is just another reminder that giving back to our community and the world we live in is the main pillar of our company and will continue to be in the years to come.”
Founders G.B. and Kamala Pillai have sponsored several animal sanctuaries and rescue organizations throughout the world, along with an orphanage for young girls in India. In 2022, Wild Republic partnered with Planet Water, a non-profit organization focused on alleviating the global water crisis by bringing clean water to the world’s most impoverished communities and educating them on water health and hygiene.
