Bic Corporation history

King C. Gillette had invented the safety razor in 1903, and the company he founded dominated the market for the next 70 years.

First Bich expanded his business to include the manufacture of plastic barrels for ballpoint pen companies, and then, in 1949, he introduced his own line of ballpoint pens.

Whereas early ballpoint pens were known to clog and leak, Bich's pens proved reliable and achieved immediate success in Europe with annual sales exceeding $5 million by 1955.

BIC arrives in Brazil in 1956.

In 1958 Bich agreed to purchase 60 percent of the company for $1 million.

In 1959, BIC pens were introduced to the United States market with a successful advertising and marketing campaign.

A factory is built in São Paulo in 1960 establishing BIC’s expansion into South America.

In 1963 Waterman-BIC, which later became BIC Corporation, moved into new facilities in Mil-ford, Connecticut.

By 1967 the company was turning out nearly 500 million pens annually, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the United States market.

By 1969, BIC pens had expanded through more areas of Europe, parts of Asia, Mexico, the Middle East and Africa and the company had created a strong following for its imprinted products.

In 1970 Gillette purchased the S. T. Dupont Company, a prestigious French manufacturer whose principal product was luxury cigarette lighters that sold for hundreds of dollars.

In 1971 Waterman-BIC became the BIC Pen Corporation, more accurately reflecting its business.

During this time Dupont explored the possibilities of marketing a disposable lighter, developing an inexpensive disposable lighter called Cricket, which it introduced in the United States in 1972.

BIC introduced this lighter in 1973.

Then in 1975, BIC's parent corporation, the French Société BIC, S.A., introduced a disposable plastic shaver in Europe.

Anticipating that BIC next would bring out the shaver in the United States, Gillette quickly introduced its own disposable razor dubbed “Good News!” in 1976, a full year before the BIC shaver made its United States debut.

BIC Corporation launched its Specials Markets Division in 1978 to serve the promotional products industry with advertising specialty products.

By the end of 1979, Gillette and BIC each controlled about 50 percent of the market for disposables, which had grown to represent 20 percent of the total market for wet-shave razors.

In 1982, with revenues approaching $220 million, BIC acknowledged its expanding status as a leading maker of lighters and shavers by dropping “pen” from its name to officially become BIC Corporation.

In 1985, however, the company was forced to stop selling the sailboard in the United States when a United States District Court ruled that BIC had infringed on a patent owned by Windsurfing International.

BIC reintroduced the sail-board to the United States market when the patent expired in 1987.

During this time BIC attempted a further diversification by launching a line of inexpensive, pocket-sized perfume "spritzers" in 1989.

BIC introduced Wavelengths fashion pens and pencils to the United States in 1990, and they soon became very popular.

Sales of the fragrances lasted longer in Europe, but were eventually dropped overseas as well in 1991.

In its 1992 annual report, the company said it was "vigorously appealing the verdict." The annual report went on to say, "The legal expenses of defending product liability claims involving lighters continue to be heavy.

fox, harriet lane. "bic launch sets off razor wars." marketing, 3 february 1994.

For the fourth quarter of 1995, BIC announced a 22 percent increase in profits and a 17 percent increase in sales.

kaplan, andrew. "scorching demand for lighters." distribution journal, 15 april 1996.

hartman, lauren r. "bic pens a bestseller with shrinkbands." packaging digest, january 1997.

bic corporation web site, june 1998. available at http://www.bicworld.com.

The logo dates back to when the company made only ballpoint pens, but over time, has been used to brand the entire range of BIC® products – stationery products, lighters and shavers. © 2006 Bic

BIC Group fully acquires Cello Pens in 2015.