Los Angeles– Toei Animation Inc. has expanded into the lucrative licensing and merchandising business by creating an in-house consumer products licensing division headed by Coy Edmunds, the unit‚s newly appointed Director of Business Development and Licensing. Headquartered in Toei‚s Los Angeles offices, the licensing operation will focus on the U.S. market and will launch with the licensing representation of Toei’s popular Digimon brand. The new Toei licensing operation will make its debut at the New York International Licensing Show being held June 19-21. Edmunds joins Toei Animation from Focus Sports management, Inc. (Los Angeles), where he served as a director and agent for the sports management organization. He previously served as Marketing Manager for United Global Artists (Tokyo), where he developed and executed numerous entertainment and sports-based promotional events. With the formation of an in-house licensing unit, Toei Animation becomes a fully integrated kids-based entertainment studio that develops, produces, distributes and controls the licensing and merchandising for our brands,” said Yosuke Kobayashi President and COO of Toei Animation, Inc.