A. T. Cross Company

The largest and oldest manufacturer of fine writing instruments in the United States, A.T. Cross Company produces a broad line of high-quality pens, pencils, and other gift items and markets them in more than 140 countries worldwide. For decades a much-coveted status symbol, Cross writing instruments were first made in 1846, when Alonzo Townsend Cross founded the company. Over the ensuing century and a half, the Cross brand developed into one of the strongest names in U.S. business, becoming a fixture in homes and offices everywhere. A.T. Cross encountered rough sledding in the 1990s as sales of pens dramatically slowed, and the company hoped to return to its past glory in the early 21st century through the introduction of "hipper" new products and by diversifying outside its core area in order to evolve into a personal accessories firm.

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