Pen Company of America (PCA) announced the acquisition of Garland Writing Instruments and Ben-Art Manufacturing in two separate transactions.
PCA, formerly known as Rotary Pen, is a writing instrument manufacturer based in Garwood, N.J. The company sells at retail and in promo, though it does not appear to be formally affiliated with the promo industry through any member groups.
The acquisition is most interesting, however, because it involves Garland Writing Instruments.
In October, we reported that Garland, which made headlines for supplying the pens Nancy Pelosi used to sign the articles of impeachment against then-President Donald Trump, was closing permanently as a result of the pandemic.
“What else can you do?” Garland owner Rick Becker said to WPRI in October. “You do what you can, we have been working hard to keep things going, and it just wasn’t in the cards, and so we have to figure out meting else to do, so we wanted to give everybody a heads up to make some plans, whether that be our customers, employees or suppliers.”
PCA’s announcement doesn’t go into specifics about Garland’s operating status prior to the acquisition or the terms of the deal, but Becker previously noted that Garland’s assets and name would be listed for sale following the company’s closure in October. Garland’s website is currently operational and includes a 2021 catalog with updated pricing.
In any case, the acquisitions augment PCA’s product offering and allow it to expand into other writing instruments categories within the promotional products channel.
“The three companies’ history, in terms of dedication to USA manufacturing, product lines and customer base, is very similar,” said Colleen Shea, vice president of sales for PCA. “The ability to bring all three together in one location, and under one umbrella, will give customers a single source for USA-made writing instruments from economical plastic pens to high-end metal pens.”
For more information, visit www.pencoamerica.com.
