Palitoy: Action Man's home set for green plaque honour
- Published
One of the UK's most successful toy factories, which created toys including Action Man and Star Wars figures, is to be remembered with a plaque.
Palitoy, which started production in Coalville, Leicestershire, in 1937, produced toys for six decades.
It also manufactured Play-doh, Care Bears, Airfix and Mainline Railways before closing in 1985.
The council behind the award said it deserved recognition for helping "stoke children's imaginations".
At the height of its success in the 1970s, Palitoy had sold more than 20m Action Man dolls and employed about 1,000 people.
By the beginning of the 1980s, production of most of the toys had moved to Hong Kong, marking the beginning of the end for the firm.
The manufacturer was nominated to get a green plaque at its former base by Bob Brechin, the factory's former chief designer.
"It is 80 years since Palitoy toys were first made in Coalville," Mr Brechin said.
"I thought the famous toy company should be celebrated with a green plaque at this special time."
Councillor Pam Posnett, from Leicestershire County Council, added: "Palitoy not only helped to stoke children's imaginations with its classic toys and figures it also helped to put Coalville on the map."
The plaque will be installed and unveiled at 14:00 at Coalville Business Park, which now stands on the site of the former factory.
Other places honoured under the green plaque scheme, external include the former home of engineer and inventor George Stephenson and Ladybird Books' original Loughborough base.
Palitoy
Cascelloid, which manufactured plastic goods, was founded in 1919 in Leicester by Alfred Pallett, with Palitoy its toy division
Production of toys at Coalville began in 1937
Palitoy launched its famous Action Man toy in 1966
Following the success of Action Man, Palitoy was sold to US giant General Mills in 1968
Cheaper manufacturing costs in the Far East forced Palitoy to cease trading in 1985
Its factory in Coalville was taken over by Hasbro, but it abandoned the site in 1994
Source: Star Wars Places, external/Leicestershire County Council
- Published4 December 2016
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