The only seasonal manufacturing site busier now than Byer’s Choice headquarters may well be a certain workshop at the North Pole. Hank Flynn, of FOX29 Philadelphia, reported how the hectic pace hasn’t eclipsed the Chalfont brand’s personal touch.

Among the staff assembling the distinct figurines — called carolers and kindles — is Donna Chando, who has been at it for 20 years. She and her colleagues can produce an estimated 5,000 figurines a day

It’s a remarkable feat, considering how much of the process is done by hand. Each face, for example, results from clay that is hand-pressed into molds. The high-touch aspect of this process results in a brand notable: no two carolers are the same.

The clothing, dressing, and shipping functions are also hands-on.

The Byers’ story began in the 1960s, when Joyce Byers employed her fashion design and art skills to make gifts for family and friends. Using scraps of cloth, clay, and even hair from her children and pets, she crafted a series of singing carolers.

Now, more than 80 artists work 51 weeks a year (they take the first week of January off) to create figures that are shipped around the globe.

More on Byer’s Choice, including an upcoming event featuring Charles Dickens’ great-great-grandson reading A Christmas Carol, is at FOX29 Philadelphia.