When his son, Mario Pasin, passed the business down to Robert in 1997, growth was at a standstill and the company wasonly marginally profitable. “I enter so many ventures in business with more nerve than capital,” Antonio once said. Located in Spokane’s Riverfront Park, this giant wagon is the work of artist Ken Spiering, commissioned by the Jr. According to an article from Washington’s Outer Limits, “… artist Ken Spiering’s ideas for a bronze sculpture had dried up – he knew it the instant he drew a sketch of a child urinating in a pond. The wagon is located in downtown Spokane, and the park has many things to offer, within walking distance to the outdoor shopping mall and restaurants.
Pasin believed the automotive method could be used for his wagons, enabling him to mass-produce a cheap, well-built product. By the late 1920s, Pasin had refitted his factory for metal stamping, and Liberty Coaster began putting out stamped steel wagons. Pasin named a 1927 model the ‘Radio Flyer,’ capturing the excitement razor ride ons of the burgeoning radio industry. In 1930, Liberty Coaster changed its name to the Radio Steel & Manufacturing Company. This new name made note of both the new metal technology and the popular Radio Flyer model. In 1987, Radio Steel changed its name to Radio Flyer after its popular flagship little red wagon.
Eventually Pasin found a job that used his woodworking skills, finishing pianos in a piano factory. By the time he had been in the United States for three years, he had saved enough to buy his own woodworking tools and to rent one room to use as a shop. In the evenings, Pasin worked alone, crafting children’s wooden wagons. During the day, he walked the streets of Chicago peddling his samples.
Robert has helped the company dramatically turn around its sinking market share, battling back against stiff competition from bigger toy corporations both foreign and domestic. As mentioned, Radio Flyer closed the manufacturing portion of its Chicago operations in the ‘90s, and they also discontinued the original classic steel wagon, moving over entirely to plastic. Start designing today and thenGet Out and Play with your very own custom stroller wagonthis spring and summer.
By 1923, the wagons were metal instead of wood, and painted bright red. Radio was new, and so was flying, and because Pasin was enamored of both, the wagons became Radio Flyers. As the business expanded, he was known as a handshake guy—no contracts needed. I have an original Liberty Coaster wagon I used to play with as a child. More important than the longevity of the souvenirs themselves, though, Pasin had indeed ensured the lasting popularity of his full-size product. When the adventure is over, I can simply fold the stroller wagon compactly.
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 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.