BIC

In 1942, Marcel Bich and his partner, Édouard Buffard, set up a business creating writing instrument parts in a factory in the Paris suburb of Clichy, where they began production of pen holders and pencil cases. Marcel Bich bought the patent for the ballpoint pen from Hungarian inventor László Bíró, and using Swiss watchmaking tools, he devised a manufacturing process that produced stainless-steel balls for the tip of the pen. Bich soon perfected the design of the ballpoint pen, and the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen became the company's first product in 1950.

Bich formed Société Bic in 1953, and the company was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. The design of the pen has remained mostly unchanged since its initial launch, and as of 2021, remains the best-selling pen in the world.

Global expansion

Between 1950 and the 1970s, Bic expanded globally into Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. In 1958, the takeover of the American company "Waterman Pen Company" allowed Bic to establish itself in the United States.In December 2015, Bic acquired 100 percent ownership in Cello Writing, India, and the company was renamed as "Bic Cello ". Cello was founded in 1995 and, as of December 2015, is India's largest manufacturer and distributor of writing instruments. In 2019 Bic inaugurated a new facility located in Nairobi, Kenya, which serves the East Africa region. As of May 2021, Bic has over 25 factories around the world. Bic's global headquarters remains in Clichy, outside of Paris, France. Its U.S. headquarters are in Shelton, Connecticut.