Buddy "L" toys were originally manufactured by the Moline Pressed Steel Company, which was started by Fred A. Lundahl in 1910. The company originally manufactured
automobile fenders and other stamped
auto body parts for the automobile industry, instead of toy products. and
trains. Fred Lundahl used to manufacture for
International Harvester trucks. From 1976 to 1990, Buddy L was owned by
Richard Keats, a well-known New York toy designer who went to work for Buddy L the day after he graduated from
Brown University in 1948. In the 1990s, Buddy L made
Splatter Up, a wet version of T-ball. On 31 August 2000, the
Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a
recall for about 113,000 battery-powered children's riding vehicles, marketed as "Power Drivers" or "Buddy L", for repair. The vehicles'
battery chargers can overheat, presenting fire and injury hazards to children. In November 2000, Empire of Carolina and its wholly owned subsidiary, Empire Industries, Inc., filed for bankruptcy and, in July 2001, Empire Industries was sold substantially to
Alpha International, Inc, also known as the Gearbox Pedal Car Company, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (renamed as
Gearbox Toys and now owned by
J. Lloyd International). ==
Gay Toys, Inc. v. Buddy L Corp. ==