Corporations: Penmaker to the World

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One Problem. Parker pens sell for as high as $150, but the bestseller right now is the $1.98 "T-Ball Jotter," of which nearly 50 million have been sold. Ballpoints now account for nearly 40% of Parker sales, and their sales are rising faster than fountain pen sales; but the company feels that there will always be a big market for the fountain pen, particularly overseas. When countries raised high import barriers to protect local penmakers, Parker set up local subsidiaries and licensed manufacturers in 21 nations. Now well past the high cost of developing the ballpoint and setting up overseas operations, Parker has only one big problem. That, says Dan Parker, is increasing its production fast enough to keep up with the expanding world demand for pens.

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