Dixon Ticonderoga Company
 | |
| Founder | Joseph Dixon |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Heathrow, Florida, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Office and Art Supplies |
| Parent | FILA SpA |
| Website |
www |
The Dixon Ticonderoga Company is an office and art supplies maker from the USA, with headquarters in Heathrow, Florida. The company offers a number of brands, with one of the most well-known being Ticonderoga - the yellow No. 2 pencil known for its distinctive green and yellow ferrule. Other brands include Dixon and Oriole pencils, Dixon Industrial products, Prang school and art supplies, and Lyra art products.
History
The company has its origins in the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company of New Jersey, an organization founded in 1827 by Joseph Dixon and his son based upon the Tantiusques graphite mine in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.[1] The pencil's name originates in the graphite ore mined on Lead Mountain and processed in Ticonderoga, New York since 1815.[2]
In 2005, the company was acquired by FILA, a manufacturer of school and art supplies based in Milan, Italy. In 2008 Dixon acquired 200 year old German-based manufacturer, LYRA. Dixon planned to begin distribution of Lyra products in the US in mid-2009.
Since 2009, the director of business development for the Dixon Ticonderoga company is Lee Corso (who is better known as a sports broadcaster on ESPN). According to USA Today, his on-air trademark is waving a pencil to punctuate his speech.[3]
Ticonderoga pencil
The Ticonderoga is a pencil model distributed by the Dixon Ticonderoga Company, founded in the 19th century, which was originally located in downtown Jersey City, New Jersey. Recently they have ceased US production of the Ticonderoga Pencil, but own and operate facilities outside the US in Italy, France, Asia, Latin America and Germany. Dixon Ticonderoga Pencils are no longer made in the USA.
Dixon Ticonderoga makes a variety of pencils, including the Classic, Black, Noir, Tri-Conderoga, Microban, Laddie, My First (formerly Beginners), SenseMatic, and colored pencils. The pencils are available in different grades: #1 (Extra Soft), #2 (Soft), #2½ (Medium), #3 (Hard), and #4 (Extra Hard).[4]
Dixon Ticonderoga pencils were the favorite pencils of the author Roald Dahl. Dahl began using them, along with yellow lined legal pads, whilst living in the U.S, and upon returning home to the U.K had them specially shipped over for use in his writing shed at his home in Buckinghamshire.[5]
References
- ↑ Tantiusques, Leadmine Rd, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
- ↑ Adirondack History Center Museum
- ↑ Hiestand, Michael (2005-04-20). "Corso penciled in for variety" (Newspaper article). USA Today. Retrieved 2006-12-10.
- ↑ "Ticonderoga - The World's Best Pencil". Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ "Dixon Ticonderoga". Retrieved 11/03/2007. Check date values in:
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