Product development took over two years and more than $500,000, but ended up generating $103 million in revenue over the next few years. Developed from the prototype provided by inventors John Dixon and Peter Manning, the Sky Shark was a foam plane that used compressed air to enable outdoor flight. Spin Master's first major success came in 1998 with the launch of the Air Hogs brand, and its first item, the Sky Shark. The Earth Buddy went on to sell over 26,000 units. The company's first product, Earth Buddies, was a small head made out of Kmart pantyhoses and grass seeds, which grew "hair" when watered. Three college friends from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario, Ronnen Harary, Anton Rabie and Ben Varadi, founded Spin Master with $10,000 in Toronto in 1994. Since 2002, Spin Master has received 92 TIA Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 28 wins across a variety of product categories, including 13 TOTY nominations for Innovative Toy of the Year, more than any other toy company. Spin Master employs over 1,600 people globally with offices in Canada, United States, Mexico, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, India and Australia. Its brands include Bakugan, Gund, Etch A Sketch, Erector Set by Meccano, Air Hogs, PAW Patrol, Aquadoodle, Tech Deck, Hatchimals, Rubik's Cube, and Zoomer.
Spin Master is a Canadian global toy and entertainment company marketing consumer products for children.