Wood
Starz Puzzles, LLC
High Quality Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles
At sixty-two, Thomas Cholewa concluded a remarkable 35-year career as a commercial artist. Alongside his wife, Terri, both passionate puzzlers, Tom cherished many evenings spent in each other’s company, piecing puzzles together. They envisioned this serene routine as the essence of Tom’s retirement. However, in 2016, leveraging his artistic background, Tom had an innovative idea — to design his own puzzle. Starting with a single concept, he meticulously hand drew and cut puzzle pieces from paper. Through countless trials and errors, he ultimately crafted a puzzle design that was uniquely his own. Unbeknownst to him, the shape he created formed a geographic pattern resulting in a tessellation, leading to an endlessly engaging puzzle. The resemblance to a star inspired the name — Starz Puzzles.
In August of 2016, after establishing an LLC and utilizing a small space provided by C&A Marketing Corp, a company he had founded years earlier, Tom embarked on the journey of manufacturing his design. He was determined to distinguish his company from traditional puzzle makers, aiming to create a brand synonymous with high-quality puzzles and exceptional artwork.
Unlike other companies that relied on royalty-free images, Tom pursued original, vibrant artwork from talented artists. The next few years were marked by experimentation with materials, cutting techniques, and packaging designs, alongside crucial elements like sourcing and, most importantly, patents. He sought patents for the unique puzzle shape, the innovative flat sleeve packaging design, and a distinctive manufacturing process that involved cutting the puzzle before applying the artwork — an approach that set him apart from conventional manufacturers. This resulted in a puzzle that was vibrant in color, durable, and water-resistant.
In August of 2016, after establishing an LLC and utilizing a small space provided by C&A Marketing Corp, a company he had founded years earlier, Tom embarked on the journey of manufacturing his design. He was determined to distinguish his company from traditional puzzle makers, aiming to create a brand synonymous with high-quality puzzles and exceptional artwork.
Unlike other companies that relied on royalty-free images, Tom pursued original, vibrant artwork from talented artists. The next few years were marked by experimentation with materials, cutting techniques, and packaging designs, alongside crucial elements like sourcing and, most importantly, patents. He sought patents for the unique puzzle shape, the innovative flat sleeve packaging design, and a distinctive manufacturing process that involved cutting the puzzle before applying the artwork — an approach that set him apart from conventional manufacturers. This resulted in a puzzle that was vibrant in color, durable, and water-resistant.
