Stabilo (pens)

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STABILO is a German maker of pens for writing and coloring as well as highlighters for office use. The company was founded as Grossberger & Kurz Bleistiftfabrik (pencil company) in Nuremberg in 1855 and acquired by the Schwanhäusser family in 1865. Taking the first part from the family name, the company was renamed Schwan Bleistiftfabrik and started using the swan logo as one of the earliest trademarks. In the 1930s it expanded into cosmetic pencils, and this side of the business has grown to a significant part of the company since the 1970s. In 1967 it started a German-Malaysian joint venture called Swan Malaysia Sdn Bhd in Malaysia. The company changed it's name to Schwan-STABILO in 1976 and to STABILO International in 2005. It has three manufacturing plants for pens, one in Weissenburg, Germany, one in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and since 1991 one in Czesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. Cosmetics pens are manufactured at the company headquarters in Heroldsberg, Germany, and in the Czech Republic and sold as OEM products, but not under the STABILO brand. Total employment in 2006 was 3000 people, and the company made €260 million that year. STABILO introduced fluorescent markers for highlighting in 1971 and is European market leader in this product category. STABILO fine point pens are excellent for sketching and drawing. These pens have good shelf life with cap-on. The cap of these pens has an air passage for air circulation.