Speedball is a US manufacturing company of stationery and art products, based in Statesville, North Carolina. The company was originally established as the "C. Howard Hunt Pen Company" in 1899,[2] to manufacture dip pens.
Over the years, and throughout the acquisition of other companies, Hunt expanded its range of product to stationery, office supplies, and even furniture. After major restructuring and divestiture in the 1990s, Hunt sold its fine art product lines, which became Speedball Art Products Co., L.L.C. in 1997, originally a brand of pen launched by the company in 1915.
Speedball currently produces and markets a wide range of products that include printmaking, writing implements and art materials.
History
In 1899, C. Howard Hunt formed his own company and established it in Camden, New Jersey. To start his business, Hunt brought several pen makers from Birmingham, England. George E. Bartol, a Philadelphia grain and commodities exporter, was among its shareholders. In 1903, Bartol became president and director of the company, where he remained until 1917.