Sharpie® Markers’ History Go back to profile
Write out loud!™
Sharpie® Markers is the number 1 brand in the world. Sharpie® Markers write on almost anything with bright, lasting colour!
- 1857 - Frederick W. Redington and William H. Sanford, Jr. found Sanford Manufacturing Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company focuses on producing and selling ink and glue.
- 1866 - The company expands and relocates to Chicago.
- 1899 - After narrowly escaping the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Sanford’s original factory succumbs this time to yet another disastrous fire. By 1900 Sanford has rebuilt its headquarters in downtown Chicago.
- 1927 - In celebration of Sanford’s 70th birthday, the company commissions Norman Rockwell to create a painting for advertising use. The ad appears in several magazines with the caption, “It’s lucky for you, child, your Gran’dad wrote this will with Sanford’s Ink!”
- 1930’s - 1940’s - Sanford continues to grow. Quality products and strong distribution help the company prosper, even through the Great Depression. In 1940 the company changes its name to Sanford Ink Company.
- 1964 - Sanford turns its focus to the emerging marker business and introduces the Sharpie® Marker. The Sharpie® Fine Point black Marker becomes the first pen-style permanent marker. It writes on almost any surface from glass, wood and stone, to plastic, metal and, of course, paper. NBC talk show hosts Johnny Carson and Jack Parr are some of the first celebrity endorsers.
- 1979 - A new style tip is introduced in four colours, the Sharpie® Extra Fine Point Marker.
- 1989 - The Sharpie® Ultra Fine Point is introduced. With its slim barrel, metal pocket clip and precise tip that produces clean and accurate lines, the Sharpie® Ultra Fine becomes the first marker to truly write like a pen.
- 1991 - 1997 - The popularity of Sharpie® Markers continues to soar in the 1990’s due in part to the $5 billion memorabilia industry. Autograph seekers and celebrities alike use Sharpie® Markers on everything from posters and trading cards to balls and jerseys.
- 1997 - 2002 - Over this six-year stretch, five different Sharpie® Markers make debuts. Sharpie® Markers are also introduced in a variety of new colors, including Aqua, Berry, Turquoise and Lime. By the end of 2002, over 200 million Sharpie® Markers have been produced, enough for approximately two Sharpie® Markers for every household in America! The Sharpie® Brand gains added notoriety with its successful advertising and marketing campaigns. The Sharpie® Brand jumps into sports marketing by sponsoring PGA golfers Arnold Palmer, David Toms, Chad Campbell and Gary Player. The Sharpie® Brand becomes the title sponsor of NASCAR’s most popular event, the Sharpie® 500, as well as sponsoring NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Kurt Busch. Terrell Owens and the Sharpie® Brand score a touchdown -- an unexpected, now famous end-zone celebration in 2001 results in approximately $5 million in publicity.
- 2002 - 2005 - New Sharpie® Brand products really gain momentum during this time with the launch of 6 new Sharpie® Brand product lines, and the introduction of 12 more colours, bringing the spectrum of Sharpie® Markers to 24 bold colours! An American icon celebrates 40 years... the Sharpie® Brand celebrates its major milestone by teaming up with Kurt Busch and renaming the home of the Sharpie® Brand - Shelbyville, Tenn., to Sharpieville USA for the day in March and working with athletes and celebrities in the kick-off of “Autographs for Education”, a program where the Sharpie® Brand teams up with sports figures to support community-based educational organisations. Only the most trusted highlighter deserves the most recognised name in marking. Accent Highlighters are repositioned under the Sharpie® Brand name.
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