'Original pogo stick company' to open $8M distribution center in Greenwood.

• Position: Flybar Inc.

Flybar Inc., a New Jersey-baded sporting toy company that is one of the largest manufacturers of pogo sticks, is investing $8 million to open new distribution operations in Greenwood County that will create 36 jobs.

Founded in 1918 as the "original pogo stick company," Flybar, Inc. manufactures an assortment of pogo sticks as well as skateboards, ride-on vehicles, trampolines, sleds, and preschool toys, according to a news release.

The company makes 25 different pogo sticks, including "extreme" models that can take riders up to 10 feet in the air, according to a description on the Flybar website. In the past seven years, Flybar has expanded its inventory to more than 500 products in 14 categories, including other bouncing toys such as foam pogo hoppers, animal hoppers and hopper balls.

The company's products are available at major retailers in store and online.

"Our mission is to create smiles and lifelong memories for our customers, our team, and our communities," said Flybar's president and CEO Saul Wolhendler. "Greenwood's infrastructure...