Benjoy: Philippines' Eminent Toy Exporter With Three Decades Of Industry Expertise

Their success is also our success and we attribute this to the quality of the products we manufacture and our commitment to delivering on time and meeting their customer expectations. We continue to accommodate small start-up entrepreneurs and help them grow their businesses in toys and baby items. We accept even small order quantities to allow entrepreneurs to test and promote their ideas. We even assist them in creating designs for their toys,” adds Mary Ann Pastores.

Overall Journey

Benjoy was founded in June 1992 and has since manufactured toys for various companies in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Production rose from 1998 to 2008, but growth was modest until 2018. Benjoy products are primarily handmade, with little variation in production areas and processes till 2018. The firm had also relied on referrals and inquiries, with minimal marketing activity. In 2018, a new President took over, and with that came improvements in the operations, such as the expansion of production areas and the upgrading of machinery and equipment. Benjoy, also opened doors for local buyers in the Philippines and launched its product line, Soft Hugs, which includes plush toys and baby gift items.

“We continue to uphold the intent and purpose of Ben Alderson and Dorothy Joy Alderson, the original owners and founders of Benjoy. They established this company not only for profit but also to generate employment for Filipino artisans. The British couple wanted to give Filipino workers an opportunity to showcase their talents to the world while also helping to elevate their families out of poverty,” emphasizes Mary Ann Pastores.

The team behind Benjoy’s success is the same one that helped the company’s founder build it up in the 1990s. Loyalty Meneses and Mary Ann Pastores are two key personalities who helped shape the organization and spearheaded its expansion. Loyalty Meneses took over as President of the company immediately following Ben Alderson and managed its operations until 2018. Before taking over management in 2019, Mary Ann managed finances. Susan Macahia, in charge of Product Development, Zenaida Tababa, the Production Manager, and Marissa Escalona, the Production Supervisor, are assisting in the management of operations. Jeffrey Ordoñez, Marketing Director, is the newest member of the team spearheading Benjoy’s international and Philippine market expansion.

Benjoy’s goal is to continue to adapt to the client companies’ needs and preferences, delivering them designs and products that add value to their brands and companies. Benjoy intends to expand its production capabilities to other companies in the United States, Europe, and Asia as well as increase its production capacity and invest more in facility expansion and equipment modernization. The firm also intends to grow its product brand Soft Hugs and launch additional brands in the future to meet the ever-growing demands of children and young parents. All in all, Benjoy, envisions itself to be a soughtafter manufacturer of soft toys and baby accessories that can be relied on to deliver the high-quality products that buyers demand. As Alderson would state “I’d like to make the Philippines the premium quality stuffed toy producing country in the world. Profit must be aggressively pursued, but not solely through a short-term vision of market share, but also through long-term relationships with buyers, suppliers, and workers.”