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Parker Pen Company
The Parker Pen Company is a writing instrument manufacturer founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin. Parker was previously a sales agent for another pen company before creating his own business. The company was one of the top two writing instrument sellers worldwide from the 1920s through the 1960s. Some of its innovations include the "Lucky Curve" fountain pen feed and Quink (quick-drying ink). The Parker Jotter ballpoint has sold more than 750 million units since its introduction in 1954.
Through various ownership changes, Parker was acquired by Gillette in 1993, then by Newell Rubbermaid in 2000. The company faced challenges when generic copies of its products arrived on the market after patents expired. In response, both the original Janesville location and the Newhaven, England factory were closed, with production consolidated in Nantes, France.
Parker Pens were historically favored by U.S. presidents from Kennedy through Clinton for signing legislation. Today, Parker manufactures various pen lines including fountain, ballpoint, and rollerball pens across different product ranges.
George Safford Parker, the founder, had previously been a sales agent for the John Holland Gold Pen Company. He received his first fountain pen related patent in 1889. In 1894, Parker received a patent on his "Lucky Curve" fountain pen feed, which was claimed to draw excess ink back into the pen barrel when the pen was not in use. The company's first successful pen, released in 1899, was the Parker Jointless. The Lucky Curve feed was used in various forms until 1928.[citation needed]
From the 1920s to the 1960s, before the development of the ballpoint pen, Parker was either number one or number two in worldwide writing instrument sales. In 1931, Parker created Quink (quick drying ink), which eliminated the need for blotting. In 1941, the company developed the most widely used fountain pen model in history, the Parker 51, which led to over $400 million in sales during its 30-year history. Manufacturing facilities were set up over the years in Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Mexico, USA, Pakistan, India, Germany (Osmia-Parker), Brazil and Argentina.[citation needed]
In 1954, Parker released the Parker Jotter ballpoint pen with its original nylon body and inverted "V" clip. The Jotter would go on to sell over 750 million units during its history. In 1955, the company introduced its Liquid Lead pencil, which used liquid graphite to write like a pen. However, the Scripto company had introduced a similar product called Fluidlead a few months prior. To avoid a costly patent fight, the companies agreed to share their formulas with each other.[citation needed]
The company bought retailer and catalog company Norm Thompson in 1973, and then sold it in 1981. In 1976, Parker acquired Manpower just as the temporary staffing market was surging. In time Manpower provided more revenue than the pen business. A 1982 spinoff, Sintered Specialties, Inc., became SSI Technologies, a manufacturer of automotive sensors.[citation needed]
A management buyout in 1986 moved the company's headquarters to Newhaven, East Sussex, England, which was the original location of the Valentine Pen Company previously acquired by Parker. In 1993, Parker was purchased by the Gillette Company, which already owned the Paper Mate brand – the best-selling disposable ballpoint. In 2000, Gillette sold its writing instruments division to the company Newell Rubbermaid, whose Sanford Stationery Division became the largest writing instrument manufacturers in the world at that time, simultaneously owning such brand names as Rotring, Sharpie, Reynolds as well as Parker, PaperMate, Waterman, and Liquid Paper.[citation needed]
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Parker Pen Company
The Parker Pen Company is a writing instrument manufacturer founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin. Parker was previously a sales agent for another pen company before creating his own business. The company was one of the top two writing instrument sellers worldwide from the 1920s through the 1960s. Some of its innovations include the "Lucky Curve" fountain pen feed and Quink (quick-drying ink). The Parker Jotter ballpoint has sold more than 750 million units since its introduction in 1954.
Through various ownership changes, Parker was acquired by Gillette in 1993, then by Newell Rubbermaid in 2000. The company faced challenges when generic copies of its products arrived on the market after patents expired. In response, both the original Janesville location and the Newhaven, England factory were closed, with production consolidated in Nantes, France.
Parker Pens were historically favored by U.S. presidents from Kennedy through Clinton for signing legislation. Today, Parker manufactures various pen lines including fountain, ballpoint, and rollerball pens across different product ranges.
George Safford Parker, the founder, had previously been a sales agent for the John Holland Gold Pen Company. He received his first fountain pen related patent in 1889. In 1894, Parker received a patent on his "Lucky Curve" fountain pen feed, which was claimed to draw excess ink back into the pen barrel when the pen was not in use. The company's first successful pen, released in 1899, was the Parker Jointless. The Lucky Curve feed was used in various forms until 1928.[citation needed]
From the 1920s to the 1960s, before the development of the ballpoint pen, Parker was either number one or number two in worldwide writing instrument sales. In 1931, Parker created Quink (quick drying ink), which eliminated the need for blotting. In 1941, the company developed the most widely used fountain pen model in history, the Parker 51, which led to over $400 million in sales during its 30-year history. Manufacturing facilities were set up over the years in Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Mexico, USA, Pakistan, India, Germany (Osmia-Parker), Brazil and Argentina.[citation needed]
In 1954, Parker released the Parker Jotter ballpoint pen with its original nylon body and inverted "V" clip. The Jotter would go on to sell over 750 million units during its history. In 1955, the company introduced its Liquid Lead pencil, which used liquid graphite to write like a pen. However, the Scripto company had introduced a similar product called Fluidlead a few months prior. To avoid a costly patent fight, the companies agreed to share their formulas with each other.[citation needed]
The company bought retailer and catalog company Norm Thompson in 1973, and then sold it in 1981. In 1976, Parker acquired Manpower just as the temporary staffing market was surging. In time Manpower provided more revenue than the pen business. A 1982 spinoff, Sintered Specialties, Inc., became SSI Technologies, a manufacturer of automotive sensors.[citation needed]
A management buyout in 1986 moved the company's headquarters to Newhaven, East Sussex, England, which was the original location of the Valentine Pen Company previously acquired by Parker. In 1993, Parker was purchased by the Gillette Company, which already owned the Paper Mate brand – the best-selling disposable ballpoint. In 2000, Gillette sold its writing instruments division to the company Newell Rubbermaid, whose Sanford Stationery Division became the largest writing instrument manufacturers in the world at that time, simultaneously owning such brand names as Rotring, Sharpie, Reynolds as well as Parker, PaperMate, Waterman, and Liquid Paper.[citation needed]