Marcel Bich

Marcel Bich, baron Bich (French: [bik]; Turin, 29 July 1914 – Paris, 30 May 1994) was a manufacturer and co-founder of Bic, the world's leading producer of ballpoint pens.

Marcel Bich
Born29 July 1914
Turin, Kingdom of Italy
Died30 May 1994(1994-05-30) (aged 79)
Paris, France
NationalityItalian, French
EducationUniversity of Paris
OccupationEngineer
Engineering career
InstitutionsSociété Bic
ProjectsBallpoint pens, lighters, razors

Early years

Bich was born in Turin, Italy on 29 July 1914 to Aimé-Mario (1882–1955) and Marie Muffat de Saint-Amour de Chanaz (1886–1967). His family moved to Spain and then to France where Bich was naturalised as a French citizen in 1932[1] and later studied law at the University of Paris.

The Bich family originated at Châtillon, and earlier in the Valtournenche valley, in the Aosta Valley. King Charles Albert of Sardinia created Emmanuel Bich, mayor of Aosta, a baron in 1841. That man's grandson, the father of Marcel Bich, Aimé-Mario Bich, was an engineer who moved to France after failing to gain commercial success in Italy.

Business success

In 1945, Marcel Bich and his partner, Édouard Buffard, bought an empty factory in the Paris suburb of Clichy.[2] Using Bich's knowledge of the writing instrument trade, gained while working as a production manager for an ink maker, they began production of fountain pen parts and mechanical lead pencils.

In 1953, Marcel Bich bought the patent for the ballpoint pen[3] for US $2 million from Hungarian László Bíró who had been producing such pens since 1943 in Argentina.

The company formed by Bich still exists as the Société Bic Group and is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and majority-owned by his family.[4]

Yacht racing and sailing

Bich was a keen sailor. He funded four campaigns to compete in the trials to select a challenger for the America's Cup in 1970, 1974, 1977 and 1980, and was inducted, posthumously, into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 1998.

Personal

Bich was one of three children, he had a sister Marie Thérèse Louise Antoinette Léandra Bich (1913–1970) and brother Albert Bich (1916–1989).[5]

He was married to Louise Chamussy in 1937. After her death in 1950 he went on to marry Jacqueline de Dufourq (1911–2007, divorced) and, in 1956, Laurence Courier de Mere (1932–).[6] He had 11 children:

  • Bruno Bich was CEO and Chairman of Bic since 1993-2018;[7] his son Gonzalve Bich is CEO since 2018 and executive vice president at Bic[8]
  • Claude Bich is former executive vice president and holder of the Barony.[3]
  • François Bich - Director and former General Manager for the BIC Lighter business 1969-2016[9]
  • Marie-Aimée Bich-Dufour executive vice president for Sustainable Development and member of BIC Corporation Foundation

Death

He died on May 30, 1994 in Paris, aged 79.[10]

References
  1. "2014: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Marcel Bich, founder and president of BIC Company". BICWorld.
  2. "Our Heritage, Your Passion". BICWorld. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  3. Saxton, Wolfgang (June 1, 1994). "Marcel Bich, 79, Dies; Cheap Pens Yield Riches". New York Times. New York. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  4. "Rockville Register - Finance & Business News". rockvilleregister.com.
  5. "Family tree of Aimé-Mario BICH". Geneanet.
  6. "Family tree of Marcel BICH". Geneanet.
  7. "Governance". BICWorld.
  8. "Governance". BICWorld.
  9. "Governance". BICWorld.
  10. "Obituary: Baron Marcel Bich" (2 June 1994) The Independent
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