Adults who garden also love this wagon, which can hold up to 150 pounds of cargo. There is also a skating park, a carousel, an ice cream stand, and a myriad of playground equipment for kids. The wagon is really cool; its bed is padded and its handle is a slide. A near-century goes by, replete with ultra-cute photos of children being pulled by friends, siblings or parents in Radio Flyers. One hundred million were built, and the company put a billion wheels on the road. But in 1997, Antonio’s grandson Robert became CEO, and he soon realized the unprofitable, privately held company needed a thorough modernizing—or it would be out of business in a few years.
These in-person customer discovery sessions were crucial to the product’s eventual design, Pasin notes. The Liberty Coaster Company began producing the wooden bodied “No. 4 Liberty Coaster” in 1923. In 1927, Pasin replaced the wooden body with stamped steel, taking advantage of assembly line manufacturing techniques and earning him the nickname “Little Ford”. 1500 wagons a day rolled off assembly lines even during the Great Depression. Since 2002, the company has produced plastic as well as metal-bodied wagons. Radio Flyer, the maker of iconic children’s toys and namesake of the not-so-little red wagon dominating the southeast corner of Riverfront Park, celebrated its 100-year anniversary Thursday.
“Her favorite thing to do when she is admitted is to go on wagon rides. That’s the one thing we can do every time to pass the time and to keep her happy and to help keep her as comfortable razor ride ons during treatments,” Laura said. Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money. Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals. “It’s just been this incredible partnership,” says Pasin, who’s led the company since 1997 and is the grandson of Antonio Pasin, who founded Radio Flyer in 1917.
You start by choosing a base for your Radio Flyer Stroller Wagon. Every stroller wagon base will have a push handle, which is similar to a jogging stroller. These push handles can adjust for height, or fold all the way down for storing, and this is what makes your wagon a stroller instead of simply a decked-out wagon. Because steel was needed for the war effort, the Radio Flyer wagons of the World War II era were made of wood. The company redesigned the wheel bearings to be smooth and quiet during this period. They featured all metal bodies, colorful wheels, and plenty of imagination-sparking details.
Radio Flyer is one of the oldest remaining national toy companies still owned and operated by the founding family. The Radio Flyer team interviewed hospital staff and conducted in-field observations before putting pen to paper on a design. From there, the team sketched, prototyped and tested custom versions of the iconic wagon that could best meet the needs of patients frozen ride on toy and hospital staff. After several months of design and production, the Hero Wagon was born. This wagon includes Radio Flyer’s patented one-hand folding design making it easy to store– ideal for hospitals’ tight hallways and restricted storage space. “That was just a brilliant brand-building idea, because the World’s Fair was such a huge deal,” Robert says.
Local communities can also play a part in the Hero Wagon story. Beginning now, anyone has the option to donate a Hero Wagon by visiting starlight.org/wagons. For more information about the Hero Wagon, please visit radioflyer.com/hero-wagon. The 45-foot radio flyer wagon tall Coaster Boy wood and plaster statue of a young boy and wagon was constructed by Radio Flyer for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, Century of Progress. This playground sculpture of an icon from the past is dedicated to the children of the future.