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The Dixon Ticonderoga Company is an office and art supplies maker from the USA, with headquarters in Heathrow, FL, which offers a number of distinctive brands. One of the most well-known is Ticonderoga - the yellow No.2 pencil, known for its distinctive green and yellow ferrule, smooth laydown and premium wood. Other brands include Dixon and Oriole pencils, Dixon Industrial products, Prang school and art supplies and Lyra art products.

The Ticonderoga is a pencil model distributed by the Dixon Ticonderoga Company, which was originally located in downtown Jersey City, New Jersey. The classic Ticonderoga pencil is commonly referred to as "The Cadillac of Pencils", a name made famous by former Vice-President and Spokesman for Dixon Tichonderoga, Kevin MacDonald. While their products are akin to those of similar companies, because of the company's 18th century origins and large size this brand name has long been a fixture of life in the United States and elsewhere, especially for primary school children. Recently they have ceased US production of the Ticonderoga Pencil, but own and operate facilities outside the US in Italy, France, Asia, Latin America and Germany, with products priced competitively in the market and still an excellent value for the quality.^{[citation needed]}

In most office supplies stores and also retailers across the United States, including Target, Walmart and Kmart, Dixon Ticonderoga pencils can be found as #1 (Extra Soft), #2 (Soft), #2 1/2 (Medium), #3 (Hard), and #4 (Extra Hard)^{[citation needed]}. Ticonderoga pencils have a green and yellow ferrule. There are also variations that include a black (noir) and woodtone (American Naturals) skin, a model called "EnviroSTIK" that are environmentally friendly and feature no coating along with the traditional ferrule and a green eraser, "My First Ticonderoga" which is thicker, round and geared for smaller children, and another variation with a triangular cross-section called the Tri-Conderoga. The company also sells a broad line of writing markers including highlighters, permanent markers, dry erase and writing, under the Ticonderoga name, which it just introduced in 2008.

The company has its origins in the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company of New Jersey, an organization founded by Joseph Dixon and his son based upon the Tantiusques graphite mine in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.^[1] The pencil's name was inspired by Fort Ticonderoga in New York, since the inventor's father fought there. The company is now a subsidiary of FILA S.p.A., a leading manufacturer of school and art supplies based out of Milan, Italy. In 2008 the company acquired 200 year old German-based manufacturer, LYRA, which is famous for its Rembrandt line of colored and artist pencils. Dixon will begin distribution of Lyra products in the US in mid-2009.

As of 2007^[update], the director of business development for the Dixon Ticonderoga company is Lee Corso (who is better known as a sports broadcaster on ESPN). According to USA Today, his on-air trademark is waving a pencil to make his points^[2].

Late 2008 Fila executives eliminated US senior executive leadership and what remains of the North American (US & Canada) operations is run from Mexico City.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Dixon Ticonderoga website