Société Bic S.A., commonly called Bic and stylized as BiC, is a French manufacturing corporation based in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine. It sells a world-leading brand of lighters and pens since its founding by Marcel Bich (1914–1994) in 1945, and a competitive amount of shaving goods. For several years, it sponsored Formula One and bicycle racers. History In 1942, Marcel Bich and his partner, Édouard Buffard, set up a business creating writing instrument parts in a factory in the Paris suburb of Clichy, where they began production of pen holders and pencil cases. Marcel Bich bought the patent for the ballpoint pen from Hungarian inventor László Bíró, and using Swiss watchmaking tools, he devised a manufacturing process that produced stainless-steel balls for the tip of the pen. Bich soon perfected the design of the ballpoint pen, and the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen became the company's first product in 1950. Bich formed Société Bic in 1953, and the company was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. The design of the pen has remained mostly unchanged since its initial launch, and as of 2021, remains the best-selling pen in the world. Global expansion Between 1950 and the 1970s, Bic expanded globally into Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. In 1958, the takeover of the American company "Waterman Pen Company" allowed Bic to establish itself in the United States. In December 2015, Bic acquired 100 percent ownership in Cello Writing, India, and the company was renamed as "Bic Cello (India)". Cello was founded in 1995 and, as of December 2015, is India's largest manufacturer and distributor of writing instruments. In 2019 Bic inaugurated a new facility located in Nairobi, Kenya, which serves the East Africa region. As of May 2021, Bic has over 25 factories around the world. Bic's global headquarters remains in Clichy, outside of Paris, France. Its U.S. headquarters are in Shelton, Connecticut. Products and product diversification Stationery Following the success of the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen, Bic released its next pen, the 4 color pen, in 1970. The 4 color pen allowed one to change the ink color without changing the pen. Lighters In 1970, Gillette purchased S. T. Dupont Paris, whose principal product was luxury cigarette lighters. During this time Dupont explored the possibilities of marketing a disposable lighter, developing an inexpensive disposable lighter called Cricket, which it introduced in the United States in 1972. Later that year