Source: stock.adobe.com

The annual Inc. Best in Business list is out, and this year’s field includes a handful of familiar players that are being recognized for going above and beyond in putting purpose before profit.

Radio Flyer, GPI, Toy’n Around, and Just Funky secured positions in a field of 240 companies being honored in the class of 2022.

“Inc. Magazine is dedicated to showcasing America’s most dynamic businesses and the great things they do,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “The Best in Business awards shine a light on those that have gone above and beyond their original mission to make a social, environmental or economic impact, benefiting those around them.”

GPI secured a spot on the Small and Mighty list for its work advancing Black entrepreneurship. GPI, which offers manufacturing, sourcing, and logistics services to the toy and game industries, is a longtime contributor to The Toy Book and recently launched a new program to support business owners in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community.

Related: Supporting Diversity and Inclusion in Toys and Games

“Coming on the heels of announcing our Mass Market Manufacturing program for Women and BIPOC businesses, this is quite an honor to be recognized for the effort our staff has been putting forward,” says GPI President Mike Fisher. “Everything we do is focused on our customer relationships: being a strong partner, adding value to our customers, and in general, being a company that organizations want to do business with.”

Chicago’s Radio Flyer, which is featured in The Toy Book‘s 2022 Innovation & STEM issue, landed spots on the Consumer Products and Enduring Impact lists for its work in supporting STEM education.

Related: Flying into the Future: How Innovation is Reinventing Radio Flyer

Toy’n Around, a Minneapolis-based rep group that helps companies sell products to Target, Best Buy, and other retailers, secured a spot on the Small and Mighty list in the Child Welfare category. The company set a 10-year goal to feed 1 million kids. “The Million Kids Initiative” hit that mark in less than two years.

Just Funky, a manufacturer of licensed pop culture products, landed a spot on the General Excellence list for its work supporting educational initiatives.

See the entire 2022 Best in Business list at inc.com.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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