A. T. Cross Company
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Accessory |
| Founded |
Providence, RI, USA (1846) |
| Founder | Richard Cross |
| Headquarters | Lincoln, RI, USA |
Area served |
USA Europe |
Key people |
Charles Mellen President |
| Products | Writing instruments, Stationery |
| Revenue |
 US$ 158.3 million (2010) |
|
US$ 9.32 million (2010) | |
|
US$ 6.37 million (2010) | |
| Total assets |
US$ 144.63 million (2010) |
| Total equity |
US$ 72.47 million (2010) |
Number of employees | 930 (2010) |
| Website |
cross |
A. T. Cross Company is an American company that competes in the writing instrument, stationery and premium sunglass businesses. It claims to be America's oldest manufacturer of fine writing instruments. Richard Cross made the first Cross Product in 1846.[1]
Overview
Cross designs and distributes writing instruments, journals, leather goods, timepieces, reading glasses and other accessories worldwide.
History
The company was founded in 1846 in Providence, Rhode Island, and initially manufactured gold and silver casings for pencils, reflecting the Cross family's history as jewelers. The company was founded by Richard Cross who passed it on to his son Alonzo T. Cross. The company developed many writing instruments, including forerunners of the modern mechanical pencils, and the earliest stylographic pens. The company was sold to Walter R. Boss in 1916 and Boss family members remain involved with the company.
The A.T. Cross Company has been a manufacturer and marketer of writing instruments since 1846. Sold primarily under the Cross brand, offering ball-point, fountain and selectip rolling ball pens and mechanical pencils. The company also designs and markets branded personal and business accessories, including reading glasses, personal and business accessories and sunglasses. Its products are manufactured in China and distributed in more than 140 markets. The company has writing instrument marketing subsidiaries in the U.K., Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada.
In 2014 A. T. Cross Company acquires for $15 million, the company Sheaffer held by the Group BIC.[2]
Products
Cross is known for its writing instrument lines, beginning with mechanical pencils, and produced the first stylographic (a technological forerunner of the modern ball point pen) pens in 1879. The current product line includes fountain pens, ballpoint pens, gel pens and mechanical pencils.[3] The first Cross fountain pens were likely produced in 1930, but not again until the 1980s.
Cross writing instruments are generally sold in the mid-range of the market, rather than the luxury end.
In late 1997 Cross and IBM teamed-up to introduce a digital writing pad, called the CrossPad, which was discontinued in 2004.[4]
All Cross writing instruments carry a lifetime mechanical guarantee.
Notes and references
- ↑ Official Cross history
- ↑ Bic dit adieu aux stylos Sheaffer, Challenges, 21 août 2014
- ↑ "Cross Pens & Pencils - Official site".
- ↑ CrossPad product support
External links
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