Nationality French Organizations founded Bic Children Bruno Bich | Institution memberships Bic Name Marcel Bich | |
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Spouse Laurence Courrier de Mere (m. 1956–1994) Parents Aime Mario Bich, Marie Muffat de Saint Amour | ||
20 mars 2014 marcel bich un entrepreneur audacieux
Marcel Bich ([bik]; 29 July 1914 – 30 May 1994) was a manufacturer and co-founder of Bic, the world's leading producer of ballpoint pens.
Contents
- 20 mars 2014 marcel bich un entrepreneur audacieux
- Tombe de marcel bich au cimeti re de rhuis
- Early years
- Business success
- Yacht racing and sailing
- Personal
- Death
- References
Tombe de marcel bich au cimeti re de rhuis
Early years
Bich was born in Turin, Italy, on July 29, 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 the 1932 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-Marie Bich was an engineer who moved to France after failing to gain commercial success in Italy. The entire Bich family was naturalized in France in 1930.
Business success
In 1945, Marcel Bich and his partner, Édouard Buffard, bought an empty factory near Paris, France. 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 Clichy, France.
In 1953, Marcel Bich bought the patent for the ballpoint pen 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.
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).
He was married to Louise Chamussy in 1937 and whom died in 1950, then went on to marry Jacqueline de Dufourq (1911-2007, divorced) and Laurence Courier de Mere (1932-) in 1956. His had 11 children:
Death
He died on May 30, 1994 in Paris, aged 79.