The Dixon Ticonderoga Company is an office and art supplies maker from the USA, with headquarters in Heathrow, Florida, which offers a number of brands. One of the most well-known is 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.
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 available in different grades: #1 (Extra Soft), #2 (Soft), #2½ (Medium), #3 (Hard), and #4 (Extra Hard).
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. The pencil's name originates in the graphite ore mined on Lead Mountain and processed in Ticonderoga, New York since 1815.
The company is now a subsidiary of FILA S.p.A., a manufacturer of school and art supplies based out of Milan, Italy. In 2008 the company acquired 200 year old German-based manufacturer, LYRA. Dixon planned to begin distribution of Lyra products in the US in mid-2009.
As of 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.
Dixon Ticonderoga now makes a variety of pencils, including the Classic, Black, Noir, Tri-Conderoga, Microban, Lassie, SenseMatic, and colored pencils.
Dixon Ticonderoga pencils were the favourite 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.
Famous quotes containing the word company:
“In common with other rural regions much of the Iowa farm lore concerns the coming of company. When the rooster crows in the doorway, or the cat licks his fur, company is on the way.”
—For the State of Iowa, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)