Hatchery Teams Up with American Greetings

Margaret Loesch is playing her (greeting) cards right.

The Hatchery LLC, the entertainment production and marketing company she helped form after running the Hallmark Channel for its first two years, ending in 2001, announced a joint venture Friday with Cleveland-based Hallmark rival American Greetings to develop other entertainment properties that can have merchandise spin-offs.

American Greetings already is deep in that business through its licensing of Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears merchandise.

Loesch and co-partner Bruce Stein created toy and programming franchises including X-Men and The Smurfs.