A family-founded plush design and manufacturing company, built and guided through generations.
Maxie Plush Marketing was built on 30 years of private-label plush expertise and the belief that every client deserves a partner who treats their program like it's the only one.
Max Levine
Founder, MGMarketing Group
Built on 30 Years of Craft. Named for the Man Who Started It All.
After years as a sales rep for one of the most recognized and beloved plush brands, Max Levine saw an opportunity to create something new. He founded his own company, MGMarketing Group, focusing on a unique niche: helping major retailers—many outside the toy industry—use plush to support a cause or drive a marketing initiative. He drew on decades of experience, but also on what came naturally to him: building genuine relationships, connecting dots, and taking bold, thoughtful action.
For over 30 years, Max built a thriving business, partnering with clients like Kay and Jared Jewelers, Brooks Brothers, Destination Maternity, Dressbarn, and many more. Time and again, he earned their trust through careful attention to detail, unwavering follow-through, and a true commitment to understanding and delivering on what each client needed.
Heather Levine Hayden.
Heather, Max’s daughter, grew up with plush all around her—from visits to her father’s showroom to a home filled with the most sought after plushies. After college and early work in digital media, she worked alongside him, gaining experience in manufacturing, sales, and private-label development. When she was furloughed in 2020 from her job in digital advertising sales during the pandemic, Heather used the time to create Luckables—a line of plush characters representing symbols of good luck. Launched in 2021, the collection found its way into toy stores, specialty gift shops and more. At the same time, she began focusing on private-label plush, blending what she learned with her own approach.
Heather Levine Hayden
Founder, Maxie Plush
A Name That Means Something.
Heather and Max spoke every day, sharing conversations about business, ideas, and life. Max - or Maxie, as his wife and closest friends called him - was her mentor in every sense. In December of 2025, Max passed away after his second battle with cancer.
Maxie Plush Marketing was created and lovingly named for him and is a continuation of what he built, run the way he always ran it: with care, with craft, and with the kind of attention that makes every client feel like the only one.