Caran d'Ache (company)
Caran d' Ache is a Swiss company with headquarters in Thônex in the canton of Geneva. It mainly manufactures writing instruments forth: pencils, crayons, pens; this both for the school, artist as well as for the luxury needs. Caran d' Ache is the only Swiss company in this industry.
Company
Caran d' Ache was founded in 1924 by Arnold Schweitzer, after he had founded in 1915, " Fabrique de Crayons Ecridor ", a company of pencil production bought up. He gave the operation the name " Fabrique Suisse de Crayons Caran d' Ache " by the pseudonym Caran d' Ache (Russian карандаш, karan wath = pencil) of the famous French artist Emmanuel perry. The Russian word should in turn derived from Turkish kara (black) and tash (stone, slate).
Joseph Reiser and Henri Pretty, who were already actively involved in the company and it took over Caran d' Ache 1947. In June 2012, the company owner Jacques Pretty handed over the reins to his daughter Carole Pretty. By 1974 the factory in the city of Geneva was, in the quarter Eaux- Vives on the rue de la Terrassière; Since then, the company is in Thônex on the French border.
The company is one of the most famous companies in Switzerland, mainly because of its privileged position in the supply of schools with stationery. Until the 1990s, the company was also very limited on the Swiss market. Since then it has an expansive strategy developed and has offices in Germany, France, the USA, Japan and Dubai. For internationalized corporate identity includes sales efforts in the airport shops and the emphasis on the "Swiss- made" as a sign of quality. Sales amounted to about one hundred million francs at the beginning of the 21st century.
Production
Caran d' Ache manufactures exclusively in Switzerland Thônex. 90 % of the wood for the pins is FSC-certified, the wood chips are burned in order to save fuel. The graphite mines are made of pure natural raw material for the colored pencils and crayons natural binders are used.
Caran d' Ache has three different product groups:
- Writing utensils for office supplies: Pencils (since the company was founded ), pen (since 1950), etc.
- Colored pencils and Products for Artists: watersoluble crayons ( Prismalo since 1931 ), while others fade-resistant color pencils, crayons, pastels and pastel pencils ( Neocolor wax- oil-based since 1952, Neopastel oil-based since 1985, Neoart watercolors based on wax since 1999), Stains for watercolors and oil painting.
- Luxury pen: fountain pen, pen, pen refill and accessories made of precious materials since the 1950s.
The Fixpencil
The company launched in 1930 under the brand name Fixpencil one designed by the Geneva engineer Carl Schmid mechanical pen on the market. The Fixpencil was the first mechanical pencil with a clamping mechanism which would allow to use leads of varying diameters. The shell was first Bakelite, later of metal. In addition to the version for pencils is also a wider variation for wax crayon.
Swiss Post in 2005 devoted to the Fixpencil the 2:20 -franc stamp in their series on Swiss design, where these next to the 1 -franc stamp with the "Landi Chair " by Hans Coray, the 85- centime stamp with the Swiss station clock, the 50 - centime stamp with the zipper " riri " and the 15 - centime stamp with a vegetable peeler, " Rex " occurs.