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|Amerkjilj bv 808 GULLA In the beginning, there was a potato. But not just any potato. IS In 1952, the Hasbro coy company introduced Mr. Potato Head, the first toy product M| advertised on television—and the cornerstone of a dynasty that would help define several gen- ■ erations of childhood with playtime icons such as G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, the Transformers {■ and hundreds of others. Today, the mighty Hasbro, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in (■ Pawtucket, ILL (pop. 72,958), has annual net revenues in the billions of dollars but continues II its original mission: to help Americans have fun. “It’s simple,” says Wayne Charness, Hasbro's vice president of corporate communications. “Our job is to make people smile!" Citizens of Pawtucket and folks all over Rhode Island smile with pride about having Hasbro—producer of the world's greatest toys and games—on home soil. In 2(X)0, the Rhode Island Jjjfj# Tourism Board even installed 47 6-foot, 150-pound Mr. Potato Head figures as landmarks around die ' state and named the toy its official ambassador. The j| Hasbro Childrens Huspir.il. a first-cl.i\s children-- nearby Providence, opened m I' 1 '; die company's generous Cliaritable Tium alleviates die financial hardship of many local families. According to Pawtucket Mayor James Doyle, who worked for the company as a teenager. Has bro has never lost sight of its small-town roots. My Little Pony "They’re excellent citizens of the town,” he says, citing Original Deluxefliiittake Absolutely the best value in delivered gifts - each in its own collector's tin - festively decorated, elegantly presented, and combines the world's finest ingredients for a delicacy like none other you have tasted. Golden sweet pineapple and papaya, hand-picked from our farms in Costa Rica. Ripe, red cherries, plump raisins and fresh, native pecans. All blended in our honey-rich batter. Your cake is hand-decorated with glaceed cherries and pineapples and rare, decorator-quality, native pecan halves. Baked to perfection and finished with our secret glaze. Toll-Free: 800-292-7400 * n ” lar Deluxe $20.95 Mention Code 61 05,0 to get Medjum DeLuxe your 1/4 lb. of coffee FREE! (Hbv . i 4 ) $30.1,5 www.CollinStreet.com uui Large DeLuxe Also available online: Pineapple Pecan. (MtivP. u A $49.45 I Cake, Apple Cinnamon Pecan Cake, Texas #1 j . ApricOl Pecan Cake Blonde Pecan Cake, and a variety of {l-fo 11* -O' ' $29 95 moufli-w.itcrimj rlii’esrrakes old-fashioned ’ _ Jioitii’nidiii’ pies, cakes, and more. I,J ApriCOt Pecan Cake s‘" , rr, r, <•’ ,h i,L) S3B - 45 mm W. Seventh Ave. (on.iiana, TX r r > 110 Producing | Fun and Gamei for Generations | 55- i 1 i 1 »»5 i * i i 1 fp| 1 f Ne " P ° rt ' A ”~ 555-5 J 1 i 111,1 it., r: i , ,11,1 r T- i. : I ArLH 1 !: ‘ : i 1 r; ;; 1 i; i I L (' i II .1 . _T± J,,L ._ 'j ’ L-l _L_.—L ' L_ r _J— r ,-LIZI I , LTIT~~L.~T ,_t , 1—...1. I-. L-, -L-, -L r .l, L I L I J r 1 i ' i L r r WPr l 55 £ Wr 1 1^ mmt' WTmt * jgS '■' “‘J Kr A when brothers Henry and Helal Hassenfeld sold textile remnants, pencils boxes and school supplies. Henry’s son, Merrill, took over as president in the 1940 s and widened the company’s product line to include toys, paving the way for worldwide success. In the last 20 years, Hasbro has strategically purchased other companies responsible for introducing generations of Americans to memorable toys and games such as Tonka trucks, Play-Doh, Easy Bake ovens, Nerf balls, Weebles and Furbys, among many others. The acquisitions turned Hasbro into a multinational conglomerate with 7,000 employees in 30 locations and 20 countries. Hasbro Games division, located in East Longmeadow, Mass. (pop. 14,010), is the world's leading manufacturer of board games. Tlx- division employs nearly 1,800 people and manufactures more than 100 differ- ent games, producing 80 million games a year. Thanks to Hasbro's acquisition of two historic game manufacturers—Milton Bradley in 1984 and Parker Brothers in 1991 —the division mils out scores of classics, including the preschooler favorite Candyland, which turns 50 this year. Others include Clue, Trouble, Sorry!, Battleship and the world's best-loved word game, Scrabble, which has sold more than 100 million copies globally. "Board games have been a part of people’s lives since they . were kids,” says Mark Stark, the M Games Division’s vice presi- dent of marketing. “Genera tions have come to trust these brands. ' And customers put their money where their Hasbro’s Candyland game turns 50 this year. m WSLJtm the company’s numerous charitable programs and ongiing contributions to the American Gtncer Society. Hasbro got its start in the early 1920 s HRfniSaESBS. ZLP*' .VoCf «» *•» 7T^ Page 8 • www.americanprofile.com