On a quiet street at the edge of Grand Rapids city limits,
Uncle Goose is crafting more than wooden toys — it’s creating a legacy. Known for its high-quality, handcrafted alphabet blocks, the family-run international business where tradition, sustainability, and imaginative design to create products that resonate with children and adults alike are born.
For owner Pete Bultman, the journey began in the late 1970s when his father, a former Amway employee, took a bold leap. Burned out from corporate life, he quit his job and experimented with wooden toys. Initially, he built oak coaster wagons, but the timing — during a recession — wasn’t right.
“He realized no one in the U.S. was making those classic, inch-and-three-quarter alphabet blocks anymore,” Bultman says. “That’s when the idea clicked, and he decided to give it a shot. It’s funny how Grand Rapids was perfectly suited for it, with its furniture and automotive manufacturing history.”
Big ideas often start in a garage
The business started in the family garage. As a teenager, Bultman remembers helping his father hand-cut blocks and embossed letters. Over the years, the operation expanded, eventually moving to a larger workshop. But the business faced a critical turning point when Bultman’s father passed away at 48.
“My brother and I took over,” Bultman says. “I was in engineering school at the University of Michigan, and my brother had an art background. Together, we lifted some of the restrictions my dad had kept to stay small."
But the brothers learned hard business lessons as they grew, like when the bank called in their note, and the business had to start over. Not everything in business works out like a fairy tale.
Bultman eventually became the sole owner and restructured Uncle Goose, emphasizing process-driven growth and implementing sustainable practices.
Today, Bultman believes that looking back on their journey, the company has remained true as they commit to his father's values while innovating to adapt to modern challenges.
A commitment to sustainability
One of those challenges is sustainability. For its blocks, Uncle Goose sources Great Lakes basswood, known for its softness and light color, which make it ideal for embossing. The company also developed creative ways to use scrap wood, turning leftover pieces into new products like story-building sets and flashcards.
“We’re trying to use every bit of wood we can,” says creative director and Kendall College of Art and Design alum Sarah Crookston. “It’s about making beautiful, functional products while minimizing waste.”
Mark Tobin, co-founder of Cherry Hill's
Hopscotch Children’s Store, who has carried Uncle Goose's product line since opening this neighborhood-based but international store, agrees: “Sustainability, like environmental sustainability, of course, non-toxic, safe products, vegetable-based inks, soy inks... those are very important to us.”
Building the child’s imagination
At the heart of Uncle Goose’s mission is fostering imaginative play. Crookston says the blocks’ open-ended nature encourages children to explore, build, and create without limitations.
“We consistently hear from parents that our blocks are the first toy their kids reach for,” she says. “A block can be anything — a car, a tower, a grocery item. It’s all up to the child’s imagination.”
Bultman shares a personal example of how imaginative play makes a difference. His nephews, despite having iPads, often choose the blocks when visiting Uncle Goose’s workshop.
“They’ll stack them, knock them over, and start experimenting,” Bultman says. “It’s amazing to watch their thinking processes develop. That kind of play builds critical thinking skills that last a lifetime.”
Blending art and education
This philosophy of encouraging creativity extends to Uncle Goose’s product development. The company has expanded its offerings to include Braille blocks, sign language blocks, and sets featuring planets, mythology, and even cryptids like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
“Uncle Goose is very respectful of the culture for the language blocks,” says Tobin, whose store proudly displays information on the available world language blocks. “They’re beautiful, they’re works of art.”
“We want our products to grow with the child,” Crookston says. “What starts as a toy for stacking and motor skills can later be used for spelling, counting, or storytelling.”
Remaining local
Staying true to its Michigan roots hasn’t always been easy. Rising material costs, especially during the pandemic, forced the company to get creative. But being based in Grand Rapids, with its history of furniture and automotive manufacturing and being known for decades for advancing greener practices, has its advantages.
“This region is ideal for what we do,” Bultman says. “The availability of skilled labor and affordable space allows us to keep our operations here.”
The company's commitment to quality has resulted in a loyal following locally and globally. Tobin observes, “People love these brands... not just brand loyalty, but we want to have stuff that people feel good about buying for children—not just plastic junk.”
A legacy of creativity
Uncle Goose remains deeply connected to its local community despite its global reach. The company’s blocks can be found in shops across West Michigan, like Hopscotch Children's Store and in West Michigan stores, including Periwinkle Fog, Sandcastle Toys, and Rebel, to name just a few.
For Bultman and Crookston, the most rewarding part of their work is hearing how Uncle Goose products touch lives. Bultman recalls a letter from a mother whose blind son received a set of Braille blocks.
“She sent a video of him playing with the blocks and realizing they were made just for him,” Bultman says, taking a beat before finishing his thought. “It was so moving. Moments like that remind us why we do this.”
As Mark Tobin and his wife, Emily, split their time during this interview between serving their walk-in customers and packing up hundreds of orders for destinations worldwide, he reflects on the enduring appeal of Uncle Goose’s designs, “I think what’s old is new, and I think people discover... we have stuff in here for sure that adults could buy—for the young at heart.”
Photos by Tommy Allen, except images of products supplied by Uncle Goose.
From furniture to shoes, from arts to education to even policy creation, design is everywhere you look. Designed in Michigan, a story series coming out of West Michigan, is devoted to sharing the expansive role design plays in Michigan's past, present and future. It is made possible through the support of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University.