Pelikan International Corporation

What Pelikan International Corporation does

Pelikan International Corporation is a heritage stationery and writing-instruments business whose brand traces to 1832 in Hanover, Germany. The company produces more than 12,000 articles spanning fountain pens, ballpoint and rollerball pens, fineliners, pencils, highlighters, and markers, as well as colouring and painting supplies (coloured pencils, paint boxes, crayons, paints), handicraft items (Creaplast® modelling clay, crafting papers, scissors), gluing and correcting products, school supplies (notebooks, compasses, rulers, the griffix® four-stage writing learning system), and office generic items. The professional design-writing line includes Jazz®, Snap®, Pura®, and the Red Dot Award-winning Ineo®, while premium instruments are sold through the dedicated Pelikan Passion fine-writing platform. Pelikan operates localized e-commerce and marketing sites across more than 24 countries spanning Europe, the Americas (Argentina, Colombia, Mexico), the Middle East (UAE), and Asia/Oceania (Japan, China, Malaysia), with regional manufacturing in Puebla, Mexico, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico, Argentina, and the UAE.

The business model is the sale of physical consumer and institutional stationery products through a multi-channel distribution network that combines direct e-commerce on country-specific websites, a dedicated teacher/education B2B portal (Pelikan Lehrershop), physical retail partnerships, and wholesale distribution to office-supply and stationery resellers. Pelikan is part of the Hamelin Group, a diversified paper, office, and stationery conglomerate headquartered in France that acquired Pelikan in 1996 and added Herlitz in 2009; the international parent Pelikan International Corporation Berhad is listed on Bursa Malaysia (KLSE:PELIKAN). Customer segments are education (students, teachers, schools), professional/office workers, and art/creative users, served across four geographic regions.

Name

Pelikan International Corporation

Legal name

Pelikan Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG

Website

https://pelikan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1832

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Pelikan International Corporation is a heritage stationery brand founded in 1832, producing over 12,000 writing instruments, art supplies, and school/office products sold through localized e-commerce sites, retail, and institutional channels across more than 24 countries under Hamelin Group ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Writing Instruments & Stationery

NAICS

Office Supplies (except Paper) Manufacturing (339940), Stationery Product Manufacturing (322230)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Writing instruments
• Stationery products
• Art supplies
• School supplies
• Office supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Selangor

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Writing instruments sales: Sale of writing instruments including fountain pens, ballpoint pens, rollerballs, fineliners, pencils, highlighters, and markers
2. Art and craft products: Sale of colouring and painting products including coloured pencils, paint boxes, markers, crayons, paints, and accessories
3. School and office supplies: Sale of school generic products (notebooks, compasses, rulers, geometry sets), office supplies (sealing waxes, carbon papers, stamp pads), and handicraft items
4. Fine writing instruments: Premium fine writing instruments sold through Pelikan Passion platform

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pelikan International Corporation manufactures and sells branded writing instruments, art supplies, and stationery products, including fountain pens, ballpoint pens, pencils, ink cartridges, markers, highlighters, notebooks, and school/office supplies. The company distributes its products globally through retail, e-commerce, wholesale, and a dedicated B2B portal serving teachers and schools. Operating across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia, it leverages nearly two centuries of brand heritage.

Product overview

Pelikan International Corporation is a leading provider of high-quality paper, office and stationery articles headquartered in Falkensee near Berlin. The product portfolio comprises over 12,000 articles spanning writing instruments (fountain pens, ballpoint pens, rollerballs, fineliners, pencils, highlighters, markers), coloring & painting products (colored pencils, paint boxes, markers, crayons, paints), handicraft items (modeling clays, crafting papers, scissors), gluing products (glue sticks, liquid glues, contact glues), correcting & erasing supplies, school supplies (notebooks, compasses, rulers, griffix® writing learning system), and office products. The professional design writing line includes branded products like Jazz® (Classic, Pastel, Elegance, Noble Elegance), Snap®, Ineo® (Red Dot Winner 2023), and Pura®, while the Fine Writing category offers premium instruments under Pelikan Passion. The griffix® four-stage writing learning system guides children from pencil to fountain pen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jazz®: Professional ballpoint pen line with multiple variants including Classic, Pastel, Noble Elegance, and Elegance.
• Pura®
• Ineo®
• Snap®
• griffix®
• Creaplast®
• Pelikano®
• Twist®
• Pina Colada®
• Happy Pen®
• ilo®
• Hang Stick®
• Erase 2.0®
• Inky
• Silverino®

Products and services

• Pelikan Fountain Pens Branded fountain pens sold under the Pelikan label, targeted at students, professionals, collectors, and gift buyers across global retail and e-commerce channels.
• Pelikan Ballpoint Pens Branded ballpoint pens for everyday writing use, sold to consumers and institutional buyers through retail, B2B wholesale, and the teacher portal.
• Pelikan Pencils and Colour Pencils Branded graphite and colour pencils for school, office, and art use, sold to consumers and schools through retail and B2B channels.
• Pelikan Ink Cartridges and Refills Branded ink cartridges and bottled ink refills for Pelikan fountain pens and other compatible writing instruments, sold as recurring consumables to consumers and institutional buyers.
• Pelikan Markers and Highlighters Branded markers and highlighters for school, office, and professional use, sold to consumers and institutional buyers.
• Pelikan Art Supplies Branded art supplies including colour pencils and related art materials for students, artists, and schools, sold through retail, e-commerce, and B2B channels.
• Pelikan Notebooks and Stationery Branded notebooks, diaries, and general stationery products for school, office, and personal use, sold through retail and e-commerce.
• Pelikan Teacher / School Portal A dedicated B2B online portal through which teachers and schools can purchase Pelikan writing instruments, art supplies, and stationery in bulk with institutional pricing.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hamelin Brands GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPelikan is part of the Hamelin Brands Group, a major international provider of paper, office, and stationery products. Hamelin headquarters is located in Herouville St Clair, France. Pelikan operates as a key brand within the Hamelin portfolio alongside Herlitz and other stationery brands.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mitsubishi Pencil Company (uni): Japanese maker of pencils, ballpoints, and markers under the uni brand. Comparable to Pelikan across the core writing instrument categories, with similar emphasis on quality manufacturing and multi-region distribution.
• BIC Group: French global mass-market manufacturer of ballpoint pens, markers, correction products, and glue. Comparable as a competitor in Pelikan's commodity-adjacent categories and across the same global mass retail channels.
• Stabilo: German writing instrument manufacturer with strong positions in highlighters, fineliners, and ergonomic pens for children. Direct peer in the same European school supply market with overlapping product focus.
• Lamy: Premium German fountain pen and writing instrument maker with similar design-led positioning to Pelikan's Ineo and Pelikan Passion lines. Comparable as a heritage German pen brand competing in the same professional and design-conscious segments.
• Faber-Castell: German heritage manufacturer of writing instruments, colored pencils, and art supplies with a comparable global brand portfolio. Closely matches Pelikan in product range, premium positioning, education focus, and international distribution scale.
• Pentel: Japanese manufacturer of mechanical pencils, ballpoints, markers, and art supplies. Comparable to Pelikan across professional writing, school supply, and art categories with similar international distribution.
• Staedtler: German manufacturer of writing, drawing, and coloring instruments with strong presence in schools and professional segments. Directly comparable to Pelikan on heritage, European manufacturing base, and educational channel focus.
• Pilot Corporation: Japanese global manufacturer of ballpoint, fountain, and gel pens plus markers. A direct peer given overlapping product categories, broad international distribution, and significant presence in both education and professional writing segments.

Broad incumbents

• Newell Brands: Diversified global consumer products company owning Parker, Waterman, and Paper Mate writing instrument brands. Overlaps with Pelikan in fountain pens and ballpoints but operates across many non-stationery categories.

Emerging players

• Crayola: Hallmark-owned art and school supplies brand competing with Pelikan's colored pencils, markers, crayons, and paint boxes in the educational channel. Comparable given similar category overlap in children's art supplies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pelikan_company
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pelikan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pelikan International Corporation