Pen Company of America
Pen Company of America is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of USA-made writing instruments — pens, pencils, and markers — serving enterprise promotional buyers, government agencies, OEMs, and direct consumers from its vertically integrated New Jersey facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1928
- HeadquartersGarwood, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pen Company of America does
Pen Company of America (PCA) is a vertically integrated manufacturer of writing instruments operating from a 50,000-60,000 square foot facility in Linden, New Jersey. The company produces plastic pens, pencils, markers, carpenter pencils, and metal pens — claiming to be the only manufacturer offering a full line of USA-made writing instruments. PCA traces its history to Radiant Pen (founded 1928), operated as Rotary Pen from 1950, was acquired by Rotuba in 2011, and rebranded as Pen Company of America; ownership remains with fourth-generation Shea family members. The firm is privately held and employs 51-100 people.
PCA's production technology centers on plastic injection molding, in-house metal writing cartridge manufacture, digital and rotogravure printing, laser engraving, spring production, and heat-transfer film production, supported by an in-house machine tool shop for mold maintenance and custom tool development. Proprietary assets include the patented RevMark® reverse-clip holster-cap marker design, CPSIA-compliant Pencil Heroes™ superhero pencils, Tub O' Pen™ packaging, and the Garland Writing Instruments metal pen line acquired in June 2021. Annual capacity exceeds 500 million pen components and 750,000 pens per week across 30+ product styles.
Revenue is generated through four streams: (1) custom promotional product sales to Fortune 500 enterprises, government agencies, financial institutions, and sports leagues, with order sizes from 500 to 20 million units and 7-10 business day delivery; (2) direct-to-consumer retail sales of RevMark®, Pencil Heroes™, and Tub O' Pen™ brands through revmarkusa.com and Amazon; (3) OEM and contract manufacturing supplying components to Fisher Space Pen Co. and plastic parts to medical device firms producing surgical skin markers; and (4) value-added services such as kitting, bagging, custom labeling, and drop shipment fulfillment. Pricing is quote-based, and the primary go-to-market is enterprise field sales supplemented by DTC e-commerce, the Thomasnet B2B marketplace, and a Mike Rowe WORKS branded product partnership.
Pen Company of America firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pen Company of America
- Legal name
- Pen Company of America
- Website
- https://pencoamerica.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1928
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Pen Company of America is a fourth-generation, family-owned manufacturer of USA-made writing instruments — pens, pencils, and markers — serving enterprise promotional buyers, government agencies, OEMs, and direct consumers from its vertically integrated New Jersey facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pen Company of America industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Writing Instruments / Promotional Products Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Office Supplies (except Paper) Manufacturing (33994)
- SIC
- Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs) (IMANAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Pen Company of America is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Garwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Pen Company of America business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Promotional Products Sales: Customizable pens, pencils, and markers sold to organizations for promotional/advertising purposes. Orders range from 500 to 20 million units. Revenue from customization services including imprinting, PMS color matching, and logo decoration.
- Retail/Consumer Products: Sale of branded products under RevMark®, Pencil Heroes™, and Tub O' Pen™ brands through e-commerce (revmarkusa.com) and Amazon marketplace. Includes individually packaged pens, markers, and pencils for office and workshop use.
- Custom Manufacturing Services: OEM component manufacturing for other companies including internal metal components for Fisher Space Pen Co. and plastic parts for medical device firms producing surgical skin markers. Value-added services including kitting, bagging, and packaging.
- Value-Added Services: Additional services including kitting, bagging (individual cello bag to 100 pens per poly bag), custom labeling with barcodes, drop shipments via UPS/USPS/FedEx, and custom packaging solutions for warehouse compliance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom promotional orders - 500 to 20 million units |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Pen Company of America product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pen Company of America manufactures and supplies customizable USA-made writing instruments — pens, pencils, carpenter pencils, and markers — for promotional/advertising, office, industrial, and OEM applications. All production occurs at a vertically integrated 50,000-60,000 sq ft New Jersey facility supporting order volumes from 500 to 20 million units with 7-10 business day lead times.
Product overview
Pen Company of America is a single-product-portfolio company manufacturing USA-made writing instruments. The core offerings consist of Promotional Products (customizable pens, pencils, markers, carpenter pencils), the proprietary RevMark® Industrial Markers line with patented holster-cap design, and the acquired Garland Writing Instruments brand for metal pens. Additional products include Pencil Heroes™ superhero pencils and Tub O' Pens™. The company also offers value-added services such as kitting, bagging, custom molding, and drop shipment fulfillment. All products are manufactured in-house at the New Jersey facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RevMark®: Industrial marker brand featuring patented reverse clip holster cap. Includes fine point, ultra fine point, chisel tip, and white/red ink options.
- Pencil Heroes™
- Tub O' Pen™
- Garland Writing Instruments
Products and services
- Promotional Products Customizable American-made pens, pencils, carpenter pencils, and dry erase / wet erase / permanent markers sold for promotional and branding purposes. Targeted at organizations needing branded merchandise for giveaways, events, customer appreciation, and marketing campaigns, with order volumes from 500 to 20 million units and full PMS color matching, imprinting, and decorating.
- RevMark Industrial Markers Patented industrial markers featuring a reverse clip holster-cap design that attaches to a belt or slides into a pocket for one-hand uncapping, marking, and recapping. Includes fine point, ultra fine point, chisel tip, white ink, and red ink variants with smear- and fade-resistant premium ink. Targeted at contractors, construction workers, warehouse employees, union workers, and tradespeople.
- Garland Writing Instruments USA-made metal ballpoint pens, rollerballs, and mechanical pencils featuring a trademarked colored logo dome and flared top design. Includes recycled metal pens, stylus pens, and executive brass pens. Targeted at promotional product customers seeking premium metal writing instruments made in the USA.
- Office Supplies USA-made office and workshop writing instruments including pens, pencils, carpenter pencils, and markers sold under the RevMark® brand through retail and e-commerce channels (revmarkusa.com and Amazon). Targeted at small offices and individual consumers needing durable, domestic writing instruments.
- Workshop and Industrial Markers Durable markers for workshop and industrial use with tips that withstand tough surfaces such as wood, metal, and pipes. Many models feature a 72-hour cap-off life. Targeted at contractors, tradespeople, and industrial users.
- Pencil Heroes Superhero-themed #2 pencils with working eraser capes, CPSIA-compliant. Includes first responder hero designs such as Healthcare Hero Pencils. Used for school outreach, fundraising programs, and consumer gifting.
- Tub O' Pens Pens packaged in plastic tube containers and sold in display tubs of 50 or 100 pens. Targeted at retail and wholesale distribution channels for consumer and small-business purchases.
- Value-Added Customization and Fulfillment Services Customization and fulfillment services for writing instrument orders, including PMS color matching, build-your-own-pen options, imprint color matching, individual cello bag to 100-pen poly bag bagging, kitting, packaging, custom labeling with barcodes, and drop shipments via UPS, USPS, or FedEx. Targeted at promotional products buyers and OEM customers needing turnkey order fulfillment.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ million pen components molded annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Pen Company of America
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Pen Company of America technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Pen Company of America partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Fisher Space Pen Co.corePCA manufactures internal metal components for Fisher Space Pen Co., which assembles its specialty products in Boulder City, NV. This is a contract manufacturing relationship where PCA supplies specialized metal parts.
- Medical Device CompanycorePCA molds plastic parts that a medical device firm uses to produce surgical skin markers for hospitals and medical facilities. Healthcare industry application of PCA's plastic injection molding capabilities.
- Garland Writing InstrumentsflagshipAcquired in June 2021, Garland Writing Instruments is a USA manufacturer of metal ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils. Now operating at PCA's facility in Garwood, NJ. Makes PCA the only company producing full line of plastic pens, metal pens, and markers in the United States.
- National Industries for the BlindcorePartnership started in 1970 where Rotary Pen (now PCA) assisted in developing a program employing hundreds of blind workers who assembled pens for the US government.
- Thomas Marketing ServicesminorWebsite development and digital marketing services provider that created the pencoamerica.com website.
- Mike Rowe WORKScoreOfficial Mike Rowe WORKS products manufactured by PCA. Featured on revmarkusa.com as a product line.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pen Company of America competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BIC USA: Global incumbent in mass-market ballpoint pens, markers, and writing instruments serving promotional, office, and retail customers. Competes with PCA in commodity promotional pens but at massive global scale and lower price points, while PCA competes on US-made and customization.
- HALO (HALO Recognition Solutions): Large US promotional products and corporate gifting supplier serving Fortune 500 and enterprise accounts. Competes for the same promotional pen/marketing merchandise budgets as PCA, but as an aggregator/distributor rather than manufacturer.
- 4imprint: Large US promotional products distributor and direct marketer supplying customizable pens, pencils, and markers to enterprise buyers. Competes with PCA for the same promotional product customers but as a distributor sourcing product globally rather than manufacturing.
- Faber-Castell USA: Global writing, drawing, and coloring instrument manufacturer with broad pencil, pen, and marker lines distributed through office, art, and promotional channels. Comparable product breadth to PCA in pencils and markers, with stronger art/education channel presence.
- Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co. KG: German global writing and drawing instrument manufacturer with broad pencil, pen, and marker portfolios across office, art, and industrial segments. Comparable to PCA in carpenter pencil, marker, and industrial marking categories, but serves global markets versus PCA's US focus.
- Pilot Pen Corporation of America: US subsidiary of Japanese writing instrument major offering ballpoint, gel, rollerball, and marker pens through office superstores, mass, and promotional channels. Competes directly in PCA's promotional and retail pen space with extensive R&D and international backing.
- Newell Brands (Paper Mate, Sharpie, Parker): Diversified consumer products company whose writing portfolio (Paper Mate, Sharpie, Parker, Waterman) competes across PCA's pen and marker categories. Serves the same office, retail, and industrial marker segments but with global manufacturing footprint and broader brand portfolios.
Direct peers
- Zebra Pen Corporation: US-based writing instrument manufacturer producing ballpoint, gel, and marker pens sold through office, retail, and promotional channels. Directly comparable to PCA's promotional plastic pens, markers, and industrial marker lines, competing for similar enterprise and retail customers.
- Fisher Space Pen Co. Manufacturer of specialty writing instruments including the iconic Space Pen. PCA manufactures internal metal components for Fisher under an OEM/contract manufacturing relationship, and the two occupy adjacent niches in US-made premium writing instruments with overlapping distribution through office and gift channels.
Regional players
- Ben Art Manufacturing: US manufacturer of promotional and specialty writing instruments including pencils, pens, and markers, listed as a partner brand on PCA's website. Closest US-based manufacturing peer in product mix, with comparable promotional and industrial customer base and direct product overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pen Company of America social profiles
Digital presencePen Company of America compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Pen Company of America financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pen Company of America leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Pen Company of America subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Pen Company of America funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pen Company of America M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pen Company of America
What does Pen Company of America do?
Pen Company of America manufactures and supplies customizable USA-made writing instruments — pens, pencils, carpenter pencils, and markers — for promotional/advertising, office, industrial, and OEM applications. All production occurs at a vertically integrated 50,000-60,000 sq ft New Jersey facility supporting order volumes from 500 to 20 million units with 7-10 business day lead times.
Is Pen Company of America a public or private company?
Pen Company of America is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Pen Company of America founded?
Pen Company of America was founded in 1928. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Pen Company of America based?
Pen Company of America is headquartered in Garwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pen Company of America make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Promotional Products Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail/Consumer Products, custom Manufacturing Services and value-Added Services.
Who are Pen Company of America's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BIC USA, HALO (HALO Recognition Solutions), 4imprint, Faber-Castell USA, Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co. KG, Pilot Pen Corporation of America and Newell Brands (Paper Mate, Sharpie, Parker). Direct peers are Zebra Pen Corporation and Fisher Space Pen Co.. Ben Art Manufacturing is listed as a regional player.
Does Pen Company of America have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pen Company of America.
What industry is Pen Company of America in?
Pen Company of America's product category is Writing Instruments / Promotional Products Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAHAG, Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms), with a secondary code of IMANAFAJ, Custom Injection Molding & Contract Manufacturing (Job Shops/CMs). Its NAICS code is 33994 and its SIC code is 3950.