Eldon (toy company)
American toy and office supplies company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eldon Industries, Inc. was a toy and office supplies company located in Hawthorne, California.
Private company (before 1991)
| Eldon Industries, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Type | Subsidiary (1991–2002) Private company (before 1991) |
| Industry | Toys, office supplies |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Fate | Acquired by Rubbermaid in 1991; merged into Newell Rubbermaid in 2002 |
| Headquarters | Hawthorne, California, United States |
| Key people | Robert Silverstein (president, CEO, chairman) |
| Products | Slot cars, toy vehicles, playsets, office supplies |
| Parent | Rubbermaid (1991–1997) Newell Rubbermaid (1997–2002) |
History
Robert Silverstein, then working in the sales and marketing department of Eldon, became the company's president by 1949.[1] Beginning in 1957, Eldon expanded into polyethylene-based toys Billy Blastoff and Big Poly.[2] Silverstein would become the company's CEO and chairman on May 1987.[3]
On August 6, 1990, Rubbermaid announced their intentions to acquire Eldon for $235 million via a stock swap.[4] The acquisition was finalized in 1991.[5] Silverstein left the company the same year.[1] In May 1997, Rubbermaid sold Eldon and several other businesses to Newell.[6] Eldon remained a subsidiary until late 2002, when Newell folded it into the company.[7]
