"Build your product withbehlnd lt 1W% and success wlll follow."

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George C. Blaisdell

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h is a rare thing in these days ofplanned obsolescence for a productb grow in appeal as its designremains relativefu unchanoed. TheZppo lighter is such a pduct. Ithas become a classic svmbol ofAmerican quatity, rankiirg with thelvlodel-T Ford, the Singer sewingmachine and a few otEers.

33An American Classic"

The Zippo Manufacturing Companywas foirhded in Bradford. Pennlvl-

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vania when our father, Georqe G.Blaisdell, set out to create a-"lighterthat uorks." He quaranteed thd newliqhter to "work 6lwavs or Zpoo willfiitfree."The vear was 1932 and the orioinaldesijn has changed only to im-provethe oroduct or the method tomanufacfure iL

During the past half a cenh.rry, theZppo lighter took its stand inAmerican history, from its beginningsin a small PennJvfuania oarac-e tothe pockets of s6McemEn in-allconiers of the world.

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The 30's

The Empire State Building wasconstructed in 1931. This fineexample of American architecture,in the Art Deco style of the period,has become a classic symbol ofdurabilitv. lt was a time ofinnovation.. . and a time for theZippo windproof lighter to be born.

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The Beginning

The Zippo story begins on a muggysummer night in Bradford, Pennsyl-vania. lt was 1932, during the midstof the Depression. Ceorge C.Blaisdell, then co-owner of theBlaisdell Oil Company, met a friendat the Bradford Country Club, whowas lighting a cigarette with a onedollar Austrian lighter. It was acumbersome looking device with aremovable brass top."You're all dressed up," chidedBlaisdell. "Why don't you get alighter that looks decent?""Well, Ceorge," his friend answered,"it works!"Blaisdell was impressed andobtained 0.S. distribution rights forthe lighters, but could not sell themprofitably. They were clumsy to use.Blaisdell set out to design anattractive lighter that would work;one that would look good and beeasy to use.

Blaisdell knew his craft. He learnedit as a youth in his father'smachine shop, working fifty-ninehour weeks at ten cents an hour. Herefashioned the Austrian lighters by

designing a rectangular case thatwould fit in the hand. The top wasattached to this case with a hinge,and the wick was surrounded with awindhood.

The "attractive lighter that works"was born. Fascinated bythe nameofanother recent invention, the zipper,Blaisdell decided to call his newlighter "Zippo". Except forimprovements in the flint wheel andadvances in case finishes, Blaisdell'soriginal design remains basicallyunchanged today.

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Early Sales Efforts

Sales of the new lighters movedslowly at first. During his first monthof business, Blaisdell's receipts for82 lighters totalled $62.15. Fie hadset up shop in a small room abovethe old Rickerson and Pryde garageon Boylston Street, employing sixpeople.

Blaisdell explored many ways tointroduce his product to the people.For instance, through a boyhoodfriend who now operated theBradford Bus Station, Blaisdell gaveZippo lighters to the long distancedrivers. The drivers in turndisplayed them to their passengers.

Blaisdell gave lighters to jewelersand tobacconists, telling them tokeep the lighters if they could notsell them. But he discovered thatretailers were hesitant to stock theproduct without the support ofadvertising. In

.1937, with $3,000 of

mostly borrowed money, Blaisdellran a full page ad in EsquireMagazine.

He waited for the response to pourin, but was soon disappointed.Looking back, he realized that hedid not have sufficient distributionto benefit ftom this type ofadvertising.Between 1934 and i940, Blaisdellmoved more than 300,000 Zippolighters throu gh punchboards.Popular throughout the UnitedStates in tobacco and confectioneryshops, poolrooms, and cigar stands,punchboards were a game ofchance. For two cents, a playercould punch any hole on a 1,000 or2,000 hole board. lf the choices

matched the ones on the board, theplayer would win a prize. In 1940,they were ruled illegal.In 1936, Zippo lighters were given asprizes in another way. A life insur-ance company in lowa ordered 2CX)

engraved lighters to be presented toits salesmen as contest prizes. Atthesame time, Kendall Oil Company inBradford ordered 500 engravedlighters for its customers andemproyees.

The door had opened for Blaisdellinto the import'ant specialtyadvertising market.

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Growth and Development

As sales grew, Blaisdell expandedhis operation into the entire secondfloor of the Rickerson and Prydebuilding, with a new office at 21 PineStreet. In 1938, the factory andoffices were moved into a formergarage at 36 Barbour Street.

The thirties were a time for change.From 1932 until 1937, both theinside and outside cases were madefrom square brass tubing. ln 1938,Blaisdell modified the design andmanufacture of the lighters with adrawn case. The result was a moremodern rounded design thatcompletely replaced the oldsquare-cornered model.

The 40's

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Wartime Production

With the onset of World War ll, theUnited States Government stoppedproduction of many consumerproducts. Rather than discontinuemanufacture of Zippo lighters,Blaisdell arranged to produce themfor the Post-Exchanges.

Brass was unavailable for non-military uses, and Zippo lighterswere made of low grade steel. Thisgave them a poor finish, so theywere sprayed with black paint, thenbaked to a crackle finish. Zippolighters of this period can beidentified by their dull black cracklefinish.Most servicemen owned them sinceZippo's wartime production wasearmarked entirely for the military.Zippo lighters lit smoking lampsand campfires in swamps andjungles, cooked soup in helmets,and saved lives as signal fires. Somelighters stopped bullets that mighthave proven fatal. One Army pilotbrought his disabled plane to safetyby using a Zippo lighter toilluminate his darkened instrumentpanel.

Ernie Pyle

George Blaisdell became known as"Mr. Zippo" through the dailycolumn of famed war correspondentErnie Pyle. The two men developeda warm correspondence that beganwith a fan letter from Blaisdell. Heoffered to distribute Zippo lightersthrough Pyle to deserving service-men stationed overseas.

About this offer, Pyle remarked, "lwas amazed at the modesty of thepresident's letter. He said, 'Youprobably know nothing about theZippo lighter.' If he only knew howthe soldiers coveted them. They'llburn in the wind, and pilots say theyare the only kind that will light atextreme altitudes."Pyle was said to have written hisshortest war story on a Zippolighter. In 1945, while on board theUSS Cabot in the South Pacific, Pylewas being pressed by a youngofficer to reveal the ship's destina-tion. He borrowed the 6fficer'slighter, and scratched a single word:'TOKYO."The announcement of the firstall-out attack on the Japanesemainland was flashed throughoutthe ship on a Zippo lighter.

The Post-War Years

Zippo lighters achieved a fameduring World War Il that wasinstrumental to their Dost-wargrowth. It was a time when a hungrycivilian market was buying anything.Sales of Zippo lighters soared.ln spite of this, Blaisdell haltedshipments in 1946, when he foundthe striking wheels not up to hisstandards. At that time, he wasbuying them from an outsidesource,

Blaisdell consulted leading metal-lurgists, tested numerous types andcombinations of steel, and experi-mented with a number ofmanufacturing operations. Finally,he and his engineers developedwhat is considered to be the highestquality striking wheel in the world.Even today, the operationsconcerning the knurling of the flintwheel are a company secret.

The 50's

The Juke Box, a uniquely Americaninvention, brought popular musicinto a vast number of public places. . . It brought joy to the masses.From Sinatra to Elvis, it spannedthe decade with style and possesseda distinctly American personality . . .

and Zippo's personality was glowingstronger than ever.

Growth and Development

The fifties were a time of rapiddevelopment and growth through-out the United States. Advance-ments were made in all fields, andZippo lighter manufacturing wasno exception.A new etching procedure wasdeveloped. lt saved time andmoney, and allowed for moredetailed work to be engraved intothe lighters.

Closer to home, a number of buildingprojects were undertaken toaccommodate Zippo's increased salesand production. A new buildingincorporating the chrome plating andfabricating plant, was completed onCongress Street in 1954.

Across the Canadian border, inNiagara Falls, Ontario, Zippo openeda small plant in 1950 that is siill agrowing operation.In 1955 coroorate offices were builtadjoining the Barbour Street factory.

II

From i939 to 1950, Zippo's salesrepresentation consisted of twocigar salesmen who sold the lightersas a sideline. The two men coveredvast areas, one travelling fromDenver to Pittsburgh and Saulte Ste.Marie to Arkansas, and the otherselling from Richmond to Key Westand west to EI Paso, Texas. Theydealt mainly with tobacco whole-salers.

In 1950, Blaisdell organized his ownsales force. District Managers wereresponsible for specific areas of thecountry. They were not restricted totobacco wholesalers, and were freeto call on jewelry, drug store, andgrocery wholesalers, among others.

The 60's

Landing on the moon was a giantleao for mankind out of the 1960sand into the future. This singularachievement is a landmark inAmerican technology and dedica-tion. lt expanded our horizonsinspiring us to greater heights . . .

and Zippo was inspired to designthe all new slim lighter.

Manuf;acturing Zippo Lighters

.ta The improved technology ofthe 6O's

was a part of Zippo's progress. TheCongress Street complex grewthrouoh a series of additions tobecorie the primary location for thefubrication and assembly ol Zippoproducts. Here the numerous stepsin the manufacture of the Zippolighter are seen as theyprogressto a

completely f inished product.

The inside units are formed from.0.18 inch strips of stainless steelstip stock, fed through punchingand forming presses, then welded.

Stainless steel plates with brass flinttubes are presied into the formeoinside uniis and soldered into placewith the aid of induction heating inan automatic conveyorized ma-chine.

Stainless steel chimneys are buffedto a brilliant finish on an automaticbuffino machine. The inside unitsare thdn sent to final assembly,which includes riveting in the sparkwheel and cam spring, inserting thewick and the cotton and flint springassembly. Q.uality control checksfollow all stages of production.

The cases lor Zippo lighters areformed from .027 inch brass stripstock fed automatically into ablanking and forming press. TheZippo trademark is stamped in eachlighter base and case parts aretrimmed and notched. Lighter casetoDS are attached to bottoms withniikel-silver hinges which are spotwelded into position.

After the cases are assembled, theyare buffed to a high polish whilepassing through conveyorizedbuffing machines. lf a brush finish isdesired, the sides pass through aseries of Carborundum abrasivebelts. The cases are then sent to theplating department where they arenickel and chromium plated onan automatic plating machinewhich has 36 stations. The solutibntanks used in this process vary inlength according to the time cyclesoecified for each solution.

The lighters then go to the BarbourStreet factory where some of themundergo an extra process. Acrylicchips are adhered to some modelswhile others are engraved withspecific designs. Lighters destinedto become advertising specialtiesare etched with a companytrademark or message and thencolor-filled. Lighters then go to thefit-up department where the casesand inside units are put together.The last stop in the process ispackaging, where lighters get a finalcleaning and inspection beforebeing put into boxes for shipment allover the world.

hoduct Dversificationand the Zippo Guarantee

In .1962, after 28 years of making

only lighters, Zippo cautiously tookits first step towards diversification.It came out with a six-foot flexiblesteel oocket rule. The success of thisproduct led Zippo to expand its lineto include a pocket knife, a moneyclip knife, a key holder, a magnifier,a pillbox, an all-purpose knife, a

letter opener, a greenskeeper, acard set and a golf ball. All of theseproducts can be imprinted withtrademarks or messages and IikeZippo lighters, are guaranteed to"work always or Zippo fixes themfree." (Even the golf ball is guaran-teed playable for 180 holes.) Theguara ntee, established by CeorgeBlaisdell, is the foundation uponwhich the success of this companyis built.

Repair Clinic

It is difficult for some customers tobelieve that this place really exists.many lighters arrive here with notesexpressing skepticism about theguarantee. The clinic makesbelievers of the skeptics. Zippo sunconditional guarantee covers thepostage as well as the cost of repair.When lighters arrive with money orreturn postage, Zippo reimbursesthe sender, sianding firm by thestatement that "no one has ever paida cent for the repair of a Zippolighter." The lighters arrive at theclinic in all states and conditions.Some bear the ravages of havingbeen soaked in water, buried insnow or imbedded in mud. Othershave been mangled beyondrecognition by everything fromwashing machines and hydraulicpresses to golf-fairway gang

mowers. At least one was recoveredfrom the belly of a fish, and morethan a few of them have stoppedbullets while being carried by C.l.'sIf at all possible, the original lighteris repaired and sent back to itsowner. In the case of lightersmangled by grinders or flattened bybulldozers, the owner is given a newlighter and Zippo keeps the old onefor its museum. The whole orocessis comDleted within 48 houis afterthe lighter arrives at the clinic. Thenthe lighter is returned to thecustomer with a note expressingthanks for the opportunity to repairthe Zippo.

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The famous Zippo guaranteesimply states "When any Zippoproduct is retumed to our factoryfor repair, we will fix it free regardlessof age or condition ' - postage paid.

The 70's

Computers came of age in the 70sappearing in science, industry andeven the arts. The computerrevolutionized our times. Advancesin ieihnology reduced their size andmultiplied their functions. ln thenear iuture computers will be ascommonplace in the Americanhome and office as the teleDhone.

Some things are done best as they\vere in the past. Advancedtechnology has always played animpo(ant part in Zippo's manufac-turing processes, but the old valuespersist even today. The care andattention to detail . . . the Dride inproducing a good produci. .. thewillingness to back it up are all partcf the legacy of George Blaisdell..\hhough he passed away in 1978,his ideals will continue to influenceZippo's direction.

A hometown company that remainsin Bradford, Pennsylvania, Zippoowes a great deal of its success tothe hard work of its Ioyal andcapable employees. Building on afoundation of mutual goals, thecompany and its workers havecreated an exemplary success story.In times that have seen controversyabout productivity and workerrecognition, Zippo takes pride in itshigh degree of company morale andlow turnover rate. Manv of its

employees have more than 25 yearsof service with the company. Zippodemonstrates its concern foremployee Iongevity through arecognition program, awardingattractive jewelry and gift items tothose who have oassed a hallmarkwith the company. On each itemthere is a jeweled emblem thatsymbolizes the years of service.Diamonds and rubies set in solidgold give testimony to theirproductive years with the company.

Though based in the town ofBradford in a picturesque area ofPennsylvania, Zippo has expandedits operations nationally andinteFnationally through a widenetwork of sales representatives.Industrial sales division managerscovering each of Zippo's territoriesoversee more than 1000 advertisingspecialists who sell Zippo productsto a wide range of companies andbusinesses. The Zippo regionalsales managers oversee a networkof wholesalers that move theproduct through the distributionsysrem.

Zippo complements its salesprogram with direct mail and awardwinning national advertising cam-paigns.

The 80's

We are proud to offer you this lookd our Dast and to share with vouor-ri hobes for the future. We ftrmtybdieve that Zippo's oriqinal;rinciples will 'ehdure aid point theLry t<i our company's futr,ire. We

-e a chanqe in America. . . a retumo the valuds that produced theirest products and technology ini<orv and the creative work forcetia iirolemented them. The BO'srFresdnt a decade of opporunity.@po will share in the growth of,trerica's fuhrre.

More than a half a centr.rry of growth andsuccess is recorded in the history of theZippo Manufacturing ComPanY. Weattribute the firm's achievements to astrict adherence to the ideals upon whichthe company was founded - qualitY,

seMce and integriff. Employees,dedicated to these ideals, and loyalcustomers are the mind, the hands andthe heart of Zippo.

A glorious past does not guarantee aglowing future. Only a continuing effortto o@and Droduct lines, to penetrate newareai of diatribution and to satisfy'customers will assure brighter and moreayciting days to come. We are committedto the attainment of increasingly highercoals without sacrifice to the famousind respected Zippo reputation.

Sincerely,

,,.4 //1 /J/%..// d4,1^l-/Michael A. SchulerPresident