Malibu Resident Helps Produce And Procure Medical Supplies

CHATSWORTH — What do toys and N-95 masks have in common? More than you’d think, and those commonalities are saving lives.

MGA Entertainment, the Chatsworth-based toy manufacturer that’s one of the largest in the country (it is best known for the Bratz doll line and for owning toy manufacturer Little Tikes) is using the factory where it normally makes Little Tikes plastic toys to make ventilator valves and goggles for hospitals. Through what it is calling “Operation Pac-Man,” it has also launched an effort to get masks from overseas factories to local hospitals.

MGA CEO, founder and Malibu resident Isaac Larian launched Operation Pac-Man after hearing reports of critical shortages in local hospitals. He reached out to his international supply chain, and found a Chinese factory that could produce two million masks, and partnered with logistics tech provider Flexport to airlift them to the United States. Each week, tens of thousands of new masks roll in that the company distributes free of charge to local hospital workers. Operation Pac-Man has also ordered over 500,000 face shields and 300,000 goggles. MGA Entertainment is also 3D printing ventilator valves, and making its 15 3D printers available to any hospitals that need them.

Larian said that he believes that businesses should do what they can to mitigate a crisis that has touched him personally. “My advice for other business owners is, frankly, step up to the plate,” he told Beverly Hills Weekly. “Do something – anything. A lot of people, unfortunately, think that it’s not their problem. It’s everyone’s problem. For me, [just] after I launched Operation Pac-Man, it hit me at home. My aunt died from this and my cousin is in intensive care.”