Newell Custom Writing Instruments
Newell Custom Writing Instruments is Newell Brands' stationery division responsible for writing products sold under brands including Sharpie, Paper Mate, Expo, Parker, and Waterman.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Newell Custom Writing Instruments is an American stationery manufacturing business and a division of Newell Brands. It is the modern successor to the Sanford organization, a writing-products company established in Massachusetts in 1857 by Frederick W. Redington and William H. Sanford Jr. The business began as the Sanford Manufacturing Company and developed from ink production into a broad portfolio of writing, marking, and technical-drawing products. The company's history reflects the geographic and corporate changes of American manufacturing. Sanford moved from Massachusetts to Chicago in 1866. Its Chicago facilities were destroyed in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, after which the company built new premises and resumed operations. Following the Second World War, the Sanford Ink Company was required to relocate from its existing site to make room for an expressway. It subsequently established operations in Bellwood, Illinois, where it continued to maintain a facility. Sanford became a public company in August 1985. On February 14, 1992, it was acquired by the Newell Company, which later became Newell Brands. The acquisition brought Sanford into a larger consumer and office-products group and was followed by additional portfolio expansion. Newell had acquired Keene Office Products and Rogers Office Products in 1991, and later added Eberhard Faber, Berol, Phillips, and Rotring. These transactions increased the range of writing, school, office, and technical-drawing products associated with the broader Newell stationery business. The division's best-known product families include Sharpie permanent and specialty markers, Paper Mate writing instruments, Expo dry-erase markers, and the Parker and Waterman pen brands. Its portfolio therefore spans mass-market school and office products as well as premium writing instruments. The company also has a history in product formulation and marker technology. It introduced the first Expo dry-erase marker in August 1976 and launched Expo II in November 1986 with an alcohol-based ink formulation rather than the methyl isobutyl ketone formulation used in the earlier product. The Expo II name was later discontinued in the 2010s while the product line moved to the alcohol-based ink approach. In 2000, Newell Rubbermaid acquired Gillette's writing-instruments division. That transaction brought additional writing brands into the Newell portfolio, including Paper Mate, Parker, and Waterman, with Gillette having previously acquired Parker Pens in 1993. Sanford's stationery operations subsequently appeared under changing organizational names, including Sanford, L.P. and Newell Rubbermaid Office Products. In 2019, Sanford Business-to-Business, commonly abbreviated as Sanford B2B, was renamed Newell Custom Writing Instruments. Newell Custom Writing Instruments manufactures or manages products through a distributed international organization. Its operations and locations have been associated with the United States, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, France, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. The company is identified with a plant in Atlanta, Georgia, while the historic Bellwood, Illinois facility also remains part of the Sanford story. As a Newell Brands division, it is not a separately listed public company and does not report an independent stock ticker.
History
Newell Custom Writing Instruments traces its corporate history to the Sanford Manufacturing Company, founded in Massachusetts in 1857 by Frederick W. Redington and William H. Sanford Jr. The original business was associated with the manufacture of ink and later became one of the significant American names in writing and marking products. In 1866, the company moved to Chicago. Its Chicago location was destroyed in the events surrounding the Great Chicago Fire five years later, but Sanford rebuilt and resumed production. After the Second World War, the Sanford Ink Company had to leave its existing location to accommodate construction of an expressway. The company relocated to Bellwood, Illinois, where it continued to maintain a facility. This period helped establish Sanford as a durable industrial supplier rather than only a local ink maker. Over time, its portfolio expanded into writing instruments, markers, and related office and school products. Sanford became publicly traded in August 1985. Its next major corporate transition occurred on February 14, 1992, when it was acquired by the Newell Company. Newell had already expanded its office-products interests through the acquisition of Keene Office Products and Rogers Office Products in 1991. Further acquisitions followed, including Eberhard Faber in 1994, Berol and Phillips in 1995, and Rotring in 1998. Rotring added a German technical-drawing and precision-writing heritage to the broader portfolio. In 1998, Sanford was divided into Sanford North America and Sanford International. In 1999, Newell acquired Rubbermaid, Little Tikes, Graco, and Curver and adopted the name Newell Rubbermaid. The corporate structure continued to evolve as the stationery business was organized under names including Sanford, L.P., and later Newell Rubbermaid Office Products. Sanford's product development history includes the Expo dry-erase marker. The first Expo marker was launched in August 1976. In November 1986, the company introduced Expo II, which used an alcohol-based ink instead of the methyl isobutyl ketone formulation associated with the earlier product. Expo II was discontinued as a separate named product in the 2010s, while the line moved toward the alcohol-based ink formulation. Another decisive portfolio expansion occurred in 2000, when Newell Rubbermaid acquired Gillette's writing-instruments division. Gillette had acquired Parker Pens in 1993 and already owned the Paper Mate, Waterman, and Liquid Paper brands. The transaction brought important writing brands and product capabilities into the Newell stationery organization. Parker and Waterman positioned the portfolio in premium and fine writing, while Paper Mate complemented the company's mass-market pen and school-supply businesses. The business was known for many years as Sanford Business-to-Business, or Sanford B2B. In 2019 it was renamed Newell Custom Writing Instruments. The current organization operates as a Newell Brands division and commercializes products under several established brands, including Sharpie, Paper Mate, Expo, Parker, and Waterman. Its manufacturing and operating footprint is international, with locations identified in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela. The division is associated with a manufacturing plant in Atlanta, Georgia, while Bellwood remains an important location in the company's historical and operational record.
- 2019
Renamed Newell Custom Writing Instruments
[1]Sanford B2B adopted the Newell Custom Writing Instruments name.
- 2000
Gillette writing division acquired
[1]Newell Rubbermaid acquired Gillette's writing-instruments division, expanding the group's brand portfolio.
- 1998
Sanford divided into North American and international divisions
[1]Sanford was organized into Sanford North America and Sanford International.
- 1992
Acquisition by Newell
[1]The Newell Company acquired Sanford on February 14.
- 1986
Expo II introduced
[1]Sanford launched Expo II in November with an alcohol-based ink formulation.
- 1985
Sanford becomes a public company
[1]Sanford became publicly traded in August.
- 1976
First Expo dry-erase marker launched
[1]Sanford introduced the first Expo dry-erase marker in August.
- 1947
Relocation to Bellwood
[1]The Sanford Ink Company moved to Bellwood, Illinois, after its prior location was needed for expressway construction.
- 1871
Chicago facility destroyed and rebuilt
[1]The company's Chicago location was destroyed during the Great Chicago Fire, after which new facilities were built and operations resumed.
- 1866
Move to Chicago
[1]The company relocated its operations from Massachusetts to Chicago.
Products and positioning
A multi-brand writing and stationery manufacturing division serving mass-market office, school, and marking needs alongside premium pen categories.
Permanent and specialty markers
Sharpie
Sharpie is one of the division's principal marker brands. It represents permanent and specialty marking products used across school, office, household, creative, and industrial contexts. The brand is part of Newell Custom Writing Instruments' broad marker portfolio.
Pens and everyday writing instruments
Paper Mate
Paper Mate is an everyday writing-instrument brand associated with mass-market pens and school and office stationery. It entered the wider Newell writing portfolio through the acquisition of Gillette's writing-instruments division in 2000.
Dry-erase markers · 1976
Expo
Expo is the division's dry-erase marker brand. The first Expo marker was introduced in 1976, and the Expo II product launched in 1986 with alcohol-based ink. The Expo II name was later discontinued, while the line continued with alcohol-based ink technology.
Premium writing instruments
Parker
Parker is a premium writing-instruments brand in the Newell portfolio, known for fine writing products. It became part of the broader Newell writing organization through the 2000 acquisition of Gillette's writing-instruments division; Gillette had acquired Parker Pens in 1993.
Premium writing instruments
Waterman
Waterman is a premium pen brand associated with fine writing and positioned alongside Parker within the division's higher-end writing portfolio. It entered the Newell organization through the acquisition of Gillette's writing-instruments division in 2000.
Technical drawing instruments
Rotring
Rotring is a German technical-drawing instruments brand acquired by Newell in 1998. It formed part of the broader stationery and writing-products portfolio associated with Sanford and Newell, although the current commercial relationship to Newell Custom Writing Instruments is not fully detailed in the available source material.
Brand decisions
2019
Adoption of the Newell Custom Writing Instruments nameStrategyBackground
The stationery organization had operated under the Sanford Business-to-Business or Sanford B2B identity.
Action taken
The division changed its name to Newell Custom Writing Instruments.
Aftermath
The renamed division continued to commercialize multiple Newell writing brands, including Sharpie, Paper Mate, Expo, Parker, and Waterman.
2000
Acquisition of Gillette's writing-instruments divisionM&ABackground
Newell Rubbermaid was consolidating major writing and stationery brands under its office-products operations.
Action taken
Newell Rubbermaid acquired Gillette's writing-instruments division.
Aftermath
The transaction added or reinforced brands including Paper Mate, Parker, and Waterman within the Newell writing portfolio.
1992
Newell acquisition of SanfordM&ABackground
Sanford had become a public company in 1985 and was operating as an established writing-products manufacturer.
Action taken
The Newell Company acquired Sanford on February 14.
Aftermath
Sanford became part of the Newell group's expanding office-products and consumer-goods portfolio.
1986
Introduction of Expo IIGeneration changeBackground
Sanford developed a successor to the original Expo dry-erase marker.
Action taken
Expo II was launched with alcohol-based ink rather than methyl isobutyl ketone.
Aftermath
The Expo II name was discontinued in the 2010s, while the product line changed to the alcohol-based ink formulation.
1976
Launch of the Expo dry-erase markerProduct launchBackground
Sanford was expanding beyond traditional ink products into specialized office and classroom marking products.
Action taken
The company introduced the first Expo dry-erase marker.
Aftermath
Expo became a continuing marker line within the company's writing-products portfolio.
Sources1 sources
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