Skip to content
MeridianProduct Partners

Custom plush · New Jersey + Qingdao

Custom plush toys, from first sketch to your shelf.

We develop and manufacture plush and soft toys for brands, retailers and creators. Specialist partner factories in Qingdao make them, and our New Jersey team takes care of design, sampling, US safety compliance and delivery.

See how it works Tell us about your project
  • 5–10 daysfirst sample
  • ~50 daysproduction
  • 3specialist factories
  • USimporter of record
Multi-head embroidery machines in a partner factory’s embroidery workshop

How it works

Six steps from idea to delivery

A clear, predictable path from idea to finished product. You always know what happens next, and who is responsible for it.

  1. 1

    Share your idea

    Send a sketch, a tech pack, a reference photo or just a description. We review it with you and talk through size, materials, quantity and timing.

  2. 2

    Design & specification

    We turn the idea into a production-ready spec: pattern, fabrics, fill, embroidery, labels and packaging. It is confirmed in writing, in English and Chinese, before any sampling starts.

  3. 3

    Sampling

    The first sample is typically ready in 5–10 days. You review it, we revise, and we repeat until it is right.

  4. 4

    Production

    Your order is placed with the partner factory best suited to it. Bulk production typically takes about 50 days after sample approval.

  5. 5

    Testing & inspection

    Lab testing to US toy safety standards, your Children’s Product Certificate, and an independent inspection before the goods ship.

  6. 6

    Delivery

    We arrange freight and customs clearance and deliver to your warehouse, fulfilment centre or retailer DC.

Read the full guide: how custom plush is made

What we do

End-to-end plush development

Use us for the whole journey, or for the parts you need help with.

All services

What we make

Plush and soft goods of every kind

If it’s soft, sewn and stuffed, our partner factories can almost certainly make it.

  • Character & mascot plush

    Brand mascots, original characters and licensed-program plush, from small clip-ons to large display pieces.

  • Baby & infant

    Rattles, teethers, loveys, security blankets and soft cloth books, made on a dedicated infant line.

  • Cushions & pillows

    Shaped cushions, throw pillows, body pillows and home textiles, including large-format pieces.

  • Pet toys & beds

    Squeaker toys, crinkle toys, tug toys and plush pet beds.

  • Keychains & mini plush

    Bag charms, clip-ons and mini plush for retail, events and merchandise.

  • Plush bags & accessories

    Plush backpacks, pouches, tote bags, headbands and slap bracelets.

Why Meridian

Qingdao craftsmanship, with a US team accountable for it

Factories in Qingdao have made the world’s plush for decades. What’s often missing is someone in the US who owns the result. That’s us.

  • Accountable in the US

    You work with, and contract with, a New Jersey company under US law. One team is answerable for your program from first sketch to delivery.

  • Compliance handled

    ASTM F963 testing through an accepted lab, your Children’s Product Certificate, tracking labels and origin marking, and we act as importer of record.

  • Specs that survive translation

    We confirm your specification with the production floor in Chinese, line by line, and put it in writing before sampling starts.

  • Right-sized for your brand

    We consolidate orders across programs, so growing brands can work with established factories that would normally need larger volumes.

Inspectors checking finished plush at long tables, with approved reference sheets pinned on the wall above them
Final inspection at a partner factory, checked against approved reference sheets.

Manufacturing

Three partner factories, each with a speciality

All three are in Pingdu, Qingdao, the heart of China’s plush industry. We match your program to the factory that is built for it.

Explore our factories
  • Two rows of multi-head computerised embroidery machines in a bright workshop
    Partner factory

    Volume & Infant

    Retail-scale character plush, plus a dedicated infant line.

    building area
    20,000 m²
    staff
    120+
  • Embroidery department with rows of multi-head computerised embroidery machines
    Partner factory

    Character Fidelity

    Collector-grade detail, matched to a character bible.

    pattern-making & sampling
    In-house
    embroidery department
    In-house
  • Two conveyor-belt needle detectors used to check finished pieces for broken needles or metal
    Partner factory

    Large Format

    Cushions, pillows, home textiles and pet beds at scale.

    factory area
    12,000 m²
    staff
    300

Built to Japanese & Korean retail standards

All three partners were set up to supply Japanese and Korean retailers, whose factory requirements are stricter than most US programs ask for.

Needle control

Every needle issued and returned is logged, broken needles are accounted for, and every finished piece passes through a needle detector.

Foreign-object & insect protocols

Strict rules on what can be brought onto the floor, insect control at entrances, and checks for stray material in fill and seams.

Independent third-party audits

Our partner factories hold current social-compliance and quality-management audits, and reports are shared with customers who need them for retailer or licensor approval.

Guides

Learn the process before you start

Plain-English guides to making plush, US toy safety and choosing materials.

FAQ

Common questions

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Email us and a real person will reply.

What is your minimum order quantity?

It depends on the size, fabric and complexity of the product. Because we consolidate orders across programs, we can often reach factory minimums for smaller brands that could not place an order on their own. Tell us your target quantity and we will tell you straight away what is workable.

How long does it take?

A first sample typically takes 5–10 days once the design is agreed. After you approve the sample, bulk production typically takes about 50 days. Add sea freight to the US, which usually takes several weeks door to door. We give you a full timeline with your quote.

Do I need a finished design or tech pack?

No. A sketch, a photo of something similar or a written description is enough to start. We help turn it into a full specification. If you already have a tech pack, we work from that.

Who handles US safety testing and certification?

We do. We arrange testing to ASTM F963 and CPSIA requirements through a CPSC-accepted third-party lab, prepare the Children’s Product Certificate, and make sure tracking labels and country-of-origin marking are in place.

Which factories will make my product?

We work with three partner factories in Pingdu, Qingdao, each suited to a different kind of product. We match your program to the right one. Factory names are shared under NDA once a program is live.

Can you produce licensed character products?

Yes, for rights holders and their licensees. Our partner factories produce licensed plush for existing licensee programs and can work to a character bible and licensor approval process. We do not make unlicensed copies of anyone’s characters.

Will you sign an NDA before I share my design?

Yes. We are happy to sign a mutual NDA before you send artwork or specifications.

Why work with a US company instead of going direct to a factory?

You contract with a New Jersey company under US law, and we act as importer of record, so one accountable US team is responsible for the spec, the testing paperwork, the inspection and the delivery.

Have a plush project in mind?

Tell us what you are making. We will reply with questions, a realistic timeline and a quote, whether you are at the sketch stage or ready to produce.

Tell us about your project info@meridianppartners.com