|
George Parker wasn't really looking for business; rather, it came to him. He was always frustrated with fountain pens that leaked as they hampered his telegraphy lessons with his students.
He soon sought a way to deal with the unreliable pens and in the process, developed a product that would be known throughout the world for its dependability and elegance. Thus the Parker Pen brand was born.
George Parker - Making a Simple Idea Big
George Parker was quite content to teach telegraphy to his students before the turn of the 19th century. He was passionate about his profession, so much so that he often became frustrated by his student's pens that would frequently leak.
To remedy this problem, Parker bought some rudimentary tools - a scroll saw and file among others - to enable him to fix his students faulty pens.
He was so dedicated at eliminating the leak problem that he actually developed a pen that worked well! Not long after that he took out a pen patent and decided to manufacture more of his reliable pens.
Despite his humble beginnings (his company was simple and austere, with no salespeople or marketers) he took advantage of his Janesville location which was frequented by traveling salesmen.
He urged them to try his pen and market them while on their travels. Word of the trustworthy pen soon spread and in 1892 a local insurance man named W. F. Palmer insisted on bankrolling the company. Parker was initially reluctant but after visualizing his concept and knowing he had a real winner on his hands, he accepted.
Between the two of them, the Parker Pen Company grew to be a wildly successful company reportedly becoming the largest pen maker in the world by 1908 with $250,000 in annual sales.
George Parker died in 1937 but the company continued to expand, developing all kinds of pens including the ballpoint Jotter, the company's most famous pen. Introduced in 1954, Jotters have sold in excess of 400 million globally. Parker Pens remain a trusted brand today and are veritable symbols of style, elegance, and good taste.
The George Parker Quick Bio
Full name: George Stafford Parker
Birth date: November 1, 1863
Birth place: Shullsburg, Wisconsin
Company: Parker Pen Company
Industry: Pens
Key success traits: dedication, willingness to try new things, creativity
Additional:
Parker developed the Trench Pen for use on European battlefields during World War I. It came in exceptionally handy as all one needed to do to make ink was mix a pill with water in the pen cap. It was designs like this that made Parker Pens trusted and adored by writers the world over.
[ More Famous Entrepreneurs ]
|
