Société Bic

Société Bic is a company based in Clichy, France, founded in 1945, best known for making disposable products including cigarette lighters, magnets, ballpoint pens, and shaving razors. It competes in most markets against Faber-Castell, Global Gillette, Newell Rubbermaid and Stabilo. The Bic pen, more correctly titled the Bic Cristal, is the company's best-known product.

Bic also creates watersports products.

History

Bic was founded in France by Marcel Bich with Edouard Buffard in 1945. The two bought a factory and made parts for mechanical pencils and fountain pens. Bich noticed that fountain pens leaked and needed to be refilled, the process of which may result in more ink loss. In December 1950, Marcel Bich introduced his own ballpoint with a thick, paste-like ink and named it the Bic. The 'h' from Bich was dropped in order to avoid the English pronunciation ("bitch"). Although the pens weren't new (Bich obtained patent rights from Argentine-Hungarian inventor, László Bíró), the process of manufacturing was. An inexpensive and reliable ballpoint was introduced. In early September 2005, Bic sold its 100 billionth disposable ballpoint, making it the world's best-selling pen.

In Belgium, France and Greece the name has become generic, referring to all disposable ballpoints as "un bic"". In Quebec, disposable razors are also known as "bics". Ten years after the release of Bic pens in Europe, the pens were introduced to the USA. Americans were wary. There were other pens on the market. Bic's market share increased with televised advertising, with the slogan "Writes first time, every time." Bic sold the pens for 29 cents each and, within a year, prices dipped to 10 cents.Fact|date=August 2008 Bic is the top-selling disposable lighter in the USA, partly due to the success of the [http://www.aef.com/industry/news/data/2002/2035 Wells, Rich, Greene (WRG, 1967-1990)] advertising agency's "Flick Your Bic" campaign.

Ownership

The Bich family owns about 40% of Bic stock and controls 55% of its voting power.

ponsorship

Bic sponsored a professional cycling team in the 1960s, led by the French winner of the Tour de France Jacques Anquetil

Revenue

*Stationery (pens, pencils, highlighters, markers, crayons, and correction products): 43%
*Lighters (disposable, utility, and special-edition): 49%
*Shavers (men's and women's): 8%

External links

* [http://www.bicworld.com/ BIC World] - Company website
* [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/53/53693.html Société BIC Company Profile] - Yahoo! Finance
* [http://www.bicsportsurfboards.com/ BicSurf]
* [http://www.bicpromopens.com BIC Promotional Pens]
* [http://www.bicsport.com/ Bic watersports]