Specialty gift manufacturer establishes $1.4M Harrisonburg operation

Boxer Gifts, a British manufacturer of specialty, often wacky gifts, including the “poo timer” and “old age emergency pants,” will invest $1.4 million to establish its first U.S. light manufacturing, distribution and wholesale operation in Harrisonburg, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.

The project is expected to create 15 jobs.

“After selling fun gifts in the United States for over 40 years, we’re thrilled to announce that our first U.S.-based warehouse is set to open in Harrisonburg,” Thomas O’Brien, president of the family-owned company, said in a statement. “After years of distributing our products in Virginia through [third-party logistics companies] and getting to know the wonderful people and the state, we knew this was the perfect place for us. ”

Boxer Gifts plans to retrofit a new facility it purchased in Harrisonburg “to increase capacity and efficiency in accessing its customers in the U.S. market,” according to the statement.

The specialty gift shop purchased a 10,000-square-foot warehouse and .74 acres at 955 Sawtooth Oak Circle on March 15 for $640,000, according to Thomas O’Brien.

Boxer Gifts’ new U.S. operation will allow faster shipping times for U.S. customers, the ability to increase the range of shipments and increased capacity for direct-to-consumer customers, according to a LinkedIn post by the company.

Jamie O’Brien launched Boxer Gifts in 1982 when Thomas O’Brien was 2 years old. The company boasts about being first to introduce novelty condoms to the market. In 2012, it added a gift book division, which now sells titles like “What is Your Dog Really Thinking?” and “Stoner’s Optical Illusions.” Thomas O’Brien became president of the company in 2018, according to LinkedIn.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Harrisonburg to secure the project and will support the company through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides consultative services and funding to companies to support employee recruitment and training activities.