Governor says Troll and Toad owners kind of entrepreneurs state needs to rebound

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear joins Troll and Toad owners John and Lana Huston Monday for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the company’s newest facility at the old American Greeting Card plant in Corbin.

Looking out on a crowd that included officials who helped work out the details to make Troll and Toad’s move into the former American Greeting facility possible, and many of the 100 employees who physically packed up and moved the company from its Barbourville location in October, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear praised Troll and Toad owners John and Lana Huston as the type of entrepreneurs Kentucky needs to help the state’s economy continue its rebound.

Beshear joined local officials from Laurel, Knox and Whitley counties at the facility on Ky. 1223 in North Corbin Monday to cut the ribbon.

Beshear noted the Hustons have hired an additional 50 employees since moving to the 1 million-square-feet facility. Plans called for adding another 100 jobs over the next two years.

"We appreciate your investment in the Commonwealth and your confidence in the region," Beshear said.

Beshear noted that Troll and Toad is a prime example of a company adapting to changes in technology to establish and grow business. While e-business accounts for an average of 15 percent of a company’s business, about 78 percent of Troll and Toad’s business comes in via e-business. That is about five times the average and ranks Troll and Toad 449th in e-commerce sales.

Beshear presented the Hustons with a Kentucky state flag, asking them to add it to the U.S. flag, flying in front of the building.

"I’m excited but not satisfied," Beshear said, noting he wants to continue to work with the legislature to encourage entrepreneurship in Kentucky.

John Huston thanked Beshear and other officials who have worked to make Kentucky more business friendly.

"The reason for our success is because of the people from the governor to someone we hired last week," John Huston said.

 Troll and Toad deals in collectable card games, such as Magic the Gathering, Pokeman and Yugioh, miniatures for games such as HeroClix and Mage Knight, board games and role-playing games.

The orders, which primarily come via the company’s website, www.trollandtoad.com, come into the plant and then are pulled from the inventory shelves, packed and shipped around the world.

Of the more than 1,000 orders the company receives each day, John Huston said about one-third come from outside the United States.

In 2009, the company generated about $8 million in sales.

"We just keep growing and getting bigger," Huston said previously.