Pilot (pen company)

Pilot Corporation
株式会社パイロットコーポレーション
Company typePublic (K.K)
TYO: 7846
IndustryStationery
Founded1918; 106 years ago (1918) as "Namiki Manufacturing Company"
FounderRyosuke Namiki
Headquarters,
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Shu Itoh (President)[1]
ProductsWriting implements
BrandsG2, Precise, FriXion, Dr. Grip, Enso, Kakuno, Acroball, VBall, Varsity, Razor Point, Down Force, EasyTouch, Axiom [2]
RevenueIncrease ¥118.60 billion (2023)[3]
Decrease ¥19 billion (2023)[3]
Total assetsIncrease ¥166.47 billion (2023)[3]
Number of employees
1,056 (2023)[3]
Websitepilotpen.com

Pilot Corporation (株式会社パイロットコーポレーション, Kabushiki Gaisha Pairotto Kōporēshon, TYO: 7846) is a Japanese pen manufacturer based in Tokyo. It produces writing instruments, stationery and jewellery, but is best known for its pens.[4]

It is the largest pen manufacturer in Japan, with competition globally from other pen companies like Japanese Pentel Co., Mitsubishi Pencil Co. (Uni-ball), French Bic and American Paper Mate. Pilot has many subsidiaries throughout the world, including in the Philippines, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and France. Most Pilot pens are made in Japan, France and the US. Namiki, Pilot's fountain pens with maki-e lacquering designs, are made in the Hiratsuka factory.

  1. ^ Executives (Corporate profile) Archived 2020-10-29 at the Wayback Machine on Pilot, 20 Aug 2020
  2. ^ Brands Archived 2020-08-16 at the Wayback Machine on PilotPen, 20 Aug 2020
  3. ^ a b c d "Business Report 2023" (PDF). Pilot Corporation. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  4. ^ Patterson, Troy (February 6, 2017). "Fountain pen sales are surging, despite flat luxury global sales". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2017-03-13. Retrieved July 10, 2022.