Société Bic S.A., commonly referred to as Bic (stylized as BiC or BIC), is a French manufacturing corporation based in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine. Founded in 1945 by Italian aristocrat Marcel Bich and Édouard Buffard, the company produces disposable items, specifically pens, stationery, lighters, and shaving razors.
In 1945, Marcel Bich, former director of an ink factory, and his partner, Édouard Buffard, established a business creating writing instrument parts in a factory in the Paris suburb of Clichy, where they began production of pen holders and pencil cases. Bich bought the patent for the ballpoint pen from Hungarian-Argentine inventor László Bíró and, using Swiss watchmaking tools, devised a manufacturing process that produced stainless-steel balls for the tip of the pen. Bich soon perfected the design of the ballpoint pen, and the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen became the company's first product (under the "BIC" name) in 1950. As of 2005, the Bic Cristal had sold over one hundred billion units since its launch.
In order to avoid problems with sales in English-speaking countries (although in French, his name is not pronounced bitch but "beesh"), Bich dropped the letter H when he formed Société Bic in 1953, and the company was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. The design of the pen has remained mostly unchanged since its initial launch, and as of 2021, remains the best-selling pen in the world.
Between 1950 and the 1970s, BIC expanded globally into Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. In 1956, the company established itself in Brazil, and soon after expanded into the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia in 1957. In 1958, the takeover of the American Waterman Pen Company allowed BIC to establish itself in the United States. The company also continued its development in Africa and the Middle East. In 1959, BIC acquired the Swedish company Ballograf.
On November 20, 1962, BIC launched a range of three luxury ballpoint pens: Chrome, Luxury, and Grand Luxury. In 1969, Bic launched its advertising campaign in the United States. A year later, the four-color Bic was launched. The four-color pen allowed one to change the ink color without changing the pen. Bic's ability to mass produce the manufacturing of their pens resulted in low prices.
In 1971, Bich took control of the French Flaminaire company, a manufacturer of butane lighters, and set its technicians to the task of developing a disposable lighter. The first model of the Bic lighter was introduced in 1973.
The Conté company was acquired by BIC in 1979.
In 1981, BIC launched "BIC Sport", which specializes in windsurfing boards. Bic announced the sale of Bic Sport to the Estonian company Tahe Outdoor in 2019.
In 1985, the "BIC Mini lighter" was launched and, in 1991, the company launched the "BIC Electronic" lighter. The group began its expansion into Eastern Europe in 1995, and, in 1996, BIC Graphic Europe was formed. In 1997, BIC acquired the Tipp-Ex brand as well as Sheaffer. The company further expanded into Asia.
In 1992, Bic purchased Wite-Out Products, an American brand of correction products, and subsequently reintroduced the correction fluid as Bic Wite Out.
In 2000, the Marne-la-Vallée factory opened. Two years later, the company launched BIC Sport kayaks, and the BIC Comfort 3 & BIC Soleil razors were both released soon after. In 2004, BIC acquired Stypen SA and Kosaido Shoji.
In the summer of 2008, Bic launched the Bic Phone, marketed primarily in France and Belgium. It was advertised as a ready-to-use phone with one hour of communication and integrated SIM card and charged battery. The SIM card came loaded with 10 minutes of prepaid calls.
In December 2015, BIC acquired 100 percent ownership in Cello Writing, India, and the company was renamed as "BIC Cello (India)". Cello was founded in 1995 and, as of December 2015, is India's largest manufacturer and distributor of writing instruments. In 2019 BIC inaugurated a new facility located in Nairobi, Kenya, which serves the East Africa region. As of May 2021, BIC has over 25 factories around the world. BIC's global headquarters remains in Clichy, outside of Paris, France. Its U.S. headquarters are in Shelton, Connecticut.
In 2018, BIC introduced a new line of temporary tattoo markers called BodyMark by BIC. Soon after, in 2019, Bic launched the Made For You grooming line, a line of shaving products without gender labels.
In 2020, BIC purchased Djeep, a manufacturer of high-end and personalized lighters. The acquisition allowed Bic to expand its customizable lighter range. That same year, Bic acquired Rocketbook, a smart reusable notebook brand in the U.S., in order to bring together analogue and digital writing.
Among the eco-friendly products introduced in 2021 as part of the BIC ReVolution product line includes three ballpoint pen products, including one made of 73% recycled ocean plastic, mechanical pencils made of 65% recycled plastic, permanent markers made of 51% recycled plastic, as well as correction tape made of 56% recycled plastic.
In May 2021, BIC launched an ad campaign featuring Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg to promote their new EZ Reach lighter.
In January 2022, BIC acquired Inkbox, a Canadian semi-permanent tattoo brand, for $US65 million. Soon after, in August 2022, BIC also acquired Tattly, a company that produces high-quality temporary tattoos designed by artists. In 2023, BIC launched EasyRinse, a razor with the first-of-its-kind reverse blade design and patented anti-clog technology.