BIC LAUNCHES INDIA’s LARGEST STATIONERY FACTORY

Factory is BIC’s largest stationery factory in ASIA

Factory will act as an export hub for an array of stationery products

BIC invested INR 300 crore and employs 1500 people

Signed an MOU on Skill Development with Gujarat Government at Vibrant Gujarat 2019

Mumbai, January 22, 2019: BIC Cello (India) Pvt. Ltd, India’s number one pen brand and manufacturer of writing instruments, announced the opening of its largest stationery factory in Asia located near Vapi in Gujarat. BIC’s new state-of-art factory will act as the growth engine for the Indian market and also be an export hub for the parent company, Société BIC.

The new facility in Vapi employs 1500 people and is built to achieve a lighter environmental footprint incorporating renewable energy and zero liquid waste discharge.  The new facility will also be a Green Building with IGBC Gold Certificate post-approval.  The factory campus also houses a learning and development centre offering skill training course with 500 hours of classroom and practical training which is validated by the Government of Gujarat.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Gonzalve BICH, Chief Executive Officer and Director, BIC said, “The investment in this new factory is a demonstration of BIC’s commitment to India. We are committed to build the Cello brand to become the brand of choice for Indian consumers.  We will focus on bringing to market innovative, value added, high quality products at an affordable price. I thank the Government of India and Government of Gujarat for support in bringing this site to fruition”

FACTORY FACTS
Factory Built-up Area	28 acres across 30,000 square meters
Construction Timeline	12 months
Products	Ballpoint pens, gel pens, mechanical pencils etc.
Employment	1500 people among which 70% are women

About Cello, a BIC Group Company: Cello is the market leader in writing instruments in India, offering a complete range of pens, pencils, colouring, and marking products, for all your writing requirements. Since 1995, Cello continues to revolutionize the stationery market with Swiss tips, German inks, rubber grips, and many other features never seen before in India. Cello continues to create excitement in the market even today with its interesting designs, smooth writing experience, and innovative technology. Cello factories produce millions of high-quality products a day, while its nation-wide distribution ensures that you will always find a Cello product available at a store near you.

About BIC: BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers. For more than 70 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide for identifying BIC products which are sold in more than 160 countries around the world. In 2017, BIC Net Sales were 2,041.4 million euros. The Company is listed on “Euronext Paris” and is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes. BIC is also part of the following Socially Responsible Investment indexes: CDP’s “Leadership Level” (A‐) and “Leadership Level” for the additional “Supplier” module, Euronext Vigeo – Eurozone 120, Euronext Vigeo – Europe 120, FTSE4Good indexes, Ethibel Pioneer and Ethibel Excellence Investment Registers, Ethibel Sustainability Index(ESI) Excellence Europe, Stoxx Global ESG Leaders Index.