A. T. Cross Company

A. T. Cross is an American brand of fountain pens and other writing instruments. The company was founded by Richard Cross.

Overview

Cross manufactures ball point pens, fountain pens, and mechanical pencils. In addition they produce a range of other luxury goods such as watches, desk accessories and leather goods.

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 long history as jewelers. The company was founded by Richard Cross who passed it on to his son Alonzo T. Cross. The company developed many innovative new 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 members of the Boss family remain on the board of directors. The company has been publicly owned since 1971.

Products

Cross are well known for their lines of writing instruments. Initially they produced various mechanical pencils (a product type which has remained in their lineup to the present day), and produced the first stylographic pens in 1879 (a technological forerunner of the modern ball point pen). The current line up includes fountain pens, ball point pens, gel pens and pencils. 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 extreme luxury end. However, they became a "must-have" accessory for the rising professional during the 1970s and 1980s. [ http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.collecting.pens-pencils/browse_thread/thread/10f9743c1e2c65c3/09fd7932574c8628?lnk=st&q=frank+dubiel+montblanc+cracked&rnum=2#09fd7932574c8628]

The company also manufactures a range of wristwatches, cufflinks, desk accessories and leather goods such as pen cases, key fobs, and portfolios, and other items often targeted at the gift market.

In late 1997 Cross and IBM teamed-up to introduce a digital writing pad, called the CrossPad.

Outsourcing

Due to rising financial difficulties in the early 2000s, A.T. Cross began to outsource the manufacturing of its products to China. By 2006, all Cross pen products were Chinese-made, the company had sold the Rhode Island building that housed its headquarters, and the U.S.-based portion of its workforce numbered under 100. [ [http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/04/28/1621381.htm Cross to sell home office ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.cross.com/ Cross Official USA Website]
* [http://www.cross-pens.eu/ Cross Official European Website]
** [http://www.cross.com/companyinformation/history.aspx?cat_name=Our+History Official Cross history]
** [http://www.cross-pens.eu/AboutCrossNav/AboutCross Official Cross history] (alternative page with some different details)
* [http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Cross PenHero.com: PenGallery: Cross]