Berolis a formerBritishstationerymanufacturing company,based inLichfield.The company, established in 1845, manufactured a wide range of products includingwriting implementsandartmaterials. In 1995 it was acquired bySanford L.P.,a division ofNewell Brands,becoming a subsidiary of it until the last factory closed in 2010. Since then, Berol survived as a brand of imported products.[4]
 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Privately held company(1856–1995) Subsidiary(1995–2010) Brand(2010–present) |
| Industry | Stationery |
| Founded | 1856 |
| Founder | Daniel Berolzheimer |
| Defunct | 2010[2] |
| Fate | Company acquired byNewell Rubbermaidin 1995, then closed in 2010. Berol survived as a brand. |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Writing implements,art materials |
| Owner | Newell Brands(2010)[3] |
| Subsidiaries | Osmiroid International[1] |
Berol's product lines included art materials such asacrylics,pastels,oil pastels,inks,crayons,adhesives,and othermediums;while the writing instruments line composed ofpencils,colored pencils,pens,andmarkers,plus accessories.[5]
History
editThe "Eagle Pencil Company" was founded byFranconianimmigrant Daniel Berolzheimer fromFürth[6][7]in 1856 opening a pencil shop inNew York Cityand a factory inYonkers.In 1894 the company extended its business opening office, warehouse and showrooms inLondon.[8]
Eagle Pencil also opened a factory inTottenham,that started operating towards the end of 1907. The outbreak of theWorld War IIin 1939 saw the factory pause pencil manufacture and instead produce secret military equipment. Pencil manufacture recommenced in 1946.
A series of post-war corporate acquisitions meant that the Eagle Pencil name was no longer appropriate. In 1969 the company name was changed to "Berol", the owning family's now-shortened surname.[1]Berol's head office remained at the Tottenham factory until the need for extra production space led to a move to Whetstone, London.
In June 1967 the company opened a purpose built factory on the Hardwick Industrial Estate in King's Lynn, Norfolk. The company's head office moved from Whetstone to King's Lynn in 1978.
In 1986, Chairman Kenneth Berol, announced the family's intention to sell the company as there was no sixth generation family successor. In 1987, Berol was acquired by the Empire Pencil Corporation of Tennessee.[1]
In February 1992 the company decided to close the Tottenham factory and moved some production to King's Lynn. 1995 saw theNewell Companyacquire the Berol Corporation with Berol being placed in its Sanford division.
2003 saw the King's Lynn factory close with 230 redundancies.[4]Some production was transferred to the formerParker Penfactory inNewhaven, Sussex,but the factory was closed in 2010. From then on, all products under the name "Berol" were imported goods.[2]
Products
editProduct lines manufactured by Berol were:[5]
| Type | Products |
|---|---|
| Writing implements | Graphiteandmechanicalpencils,fountainandballpointpens,markers |
| Art materials | Colored pencils,acrylics,pastels,oil pastels,inks,crayons |
| Accessories | Adhesives,pencil sharpeners,solvents |
References
edit- ^abcdBerol Historyon Berol website (archived), 8 Nov 2016
- ^abParker Pen Newhaven closure plan revealedby Ruth Lumley onThe Argus,16 Jul 2009
- ^Berol trademark name
- ^ab"Jobs hope after King’s Lynn businessman buys Berol site"Archived2014-08-19 at theWayback Machine,Lynn News, 10 Feb 2014
- ^abAll productson Berol website (archived), 24 Feb 2018
- ^Theodor Lemke (1891)."Geschichte des Deutschthums von New York von 1848 bis auf die Gegenwart · Band 1".books.google.de(in German).Retrieved2024-11-16.
- ^"Bleistiftfabrik Berolzheimer und Illfelder".fuerthwiki.de(in German). FürthWiki e. V. – Verein für freies Wissen und Stadtgeschichte, 90705 Fürth (Germany).Retrieved2024-11-16.
- ^"Emile Albert Berol, 81, A Pencil Manufacturer",The New York TimesObituaries, 9 Oct 1993
External links
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