Look Back at 2023 with Team BIC

As 2023 comes to a close, it’s safe to say it has been a busy year for Team BIC! From factory anniversaries, new office locations, product launches to team initiatives and various ways of giving back, we’re taking a look at some of this year’s most memorable moments. 

Bringing team members together with causes and initiatives that mean the most to them. 

  • World Mental Health Day and the Yellow Tulip Project: BIC’s employee resource group SWIM - Supporting Wellness & Improving Mental Health partnered with the Yellow Tulip Project to plant tulips at BIC’s Shelton, CT office. When they bloom next spring, these tulips will serve as a welcome reminder of the Yellow Tulip Project’s mission of bringing awareness to mental health and support BIC’s culture of inclusion and belonging. 
  • Pride Month and DEI Allyship: To honor our value of inclusion and celebrate Pride Month, BIC team members around the globe came together to reflect on the importance of allyship by supporting LGBTQIA+ organizations, getting involved in local Pride parades, and learning about various ways to be an ally. Learn more about these initiatives in our careers blog. 
  • Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky: BIC team members from North American and Dubai took part in panels as spokespeople to discuss strategies that empower women professionally and allow for a gender equal workplace. Read our blog article to discover more about some of the BIC team members who participated here. 
  • Global Education Week: Each year Team BIC hosts Global Education Week where team members volunteer at local classrooms and donate writing and coloring projects to schools around the globe. This year we are proud to have donated 4.4+ million BIC products to 677+ underserved schools worldwide, supporting 425,000+ students. 
  • International Women’s Day: In celebration of International Women’s Day, team members from across the globe got involved with this year’s Embrace Equity theme through various guest speaking, volunteering, and mentorship initiatives. Read more about these initiatives and hear from some inspiring women from Team BIC in our careers blog. 
  • The BIC Foundation: In support of BIC’s Writing the Future Together commitment to education, the BIC Foundation connected Team BIC with various non-for-profit organizations committed to bettering education this year such as Môm'Artre, Foundation Culture Spaces, the Moleskine Foundation, AIESEC, and more. 

Continuing our ongoing commitment to the development of early career talent. 

  • NAM Summer Internship Class of 2023: Team BIC welcomed 20 undergraduate and graduate interns who made their mark throughout the 10-week summer internship program in North America. Learn more about their experience in our careers blog. 
  • Decision Makers Challenge in Mexico: In partnership with Universidad Panamericana’s 16th annual “Decision Makers Challenge”, high school students were invited to use their innovative-thinking and problem-solving skills solve a business case study with Team BIC. 
  • Graduate Apprenticeship Program in Clichy: Around 20 new apprentices joined us this year at Clichy HQ to gain a meaningful professional experience and contribute actively to the success of our global projects. During this year they will have the opportunity to participate in several events that will help them to improve their collaborative mindset and reinforce their vision of our global organization and initiatives. After an onboarding session in September, we had our first “breakfast training” session in November and they recently had the chance to visit our pens manufacture in Marne-La-Vallée! 

Celebrating our BIC legacy and long-term success through various factory anniversaries. 

  • 10 Years of Manufacturing Excellence in Bizerte: BIC recently celebrated the 10th year anniversary of its manufacturing plant in Bizerte, Tunisia. Strategically located between East and West, BIC Bizerte produces and exports Stationery products to the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  
  • BIC Rasoirs Celebrates 50 Years of Manufacturing Excellence: Established in 1973 and located near Verberie in the Paris region, BIC Rasoirs initially manufactured components for lighters and writing instruments. Today, the plant focuses on shavers, producing between 2-3 million shavers and 7-8 million blades each day. 
  • Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence and Innovation at BIC's Cuautitlán Factory: Since 1973, this facility has been the driving force behind BIC's Human Expression products. With a dedicated team of over 1,150 members, the Cuautitlán factory in Mexico proudly stands as the largest Stationery operation for BIC in the world. 
  • 50 Years of the Manaus Factory: Located in Brazil, BIC’s Manaus factory recently celebrated 50 years of legacy, excellence, and innovation. With 820 direct positions, teams in the Manaus factory – the only BIC facility to manufacture all three product categories – produce 3.7 million products daily, totaling around 1.3 billion products annually.  

Reigniting our beloved brand through our iconic products. 

  • BICVERSE in Fortnite: Developed by Team BIC and Inkuba, BICVERSE has arrived in the Fortnite universe where players can discover the exclusive BIC map and explore our iconic products in this unique digital experience.    
  • New Guinness World Record set by BIC: The Champs-Élysées in Paris was transformed into a massive open-air classroom for a unique dictation event, breaking a Guinness World Record as the largest of its kind. The star of the event was a special edition BIC 4 Color pen used for the dictation exercise. 
  • The iconic BIC lighter celebrates 50 years: With its plastic body, adjustable flame, and flint ignition system, the BIC pocket lighter was officially launched in 1973. This year marks 50 years that Team BIC has been producing this iconic product, bringing safe, simple, and joyful lighting occasions to every heart and home.  
  • BIC join forces with “The Marvels”: Team BIC partnered with Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels”, to bring fans the “Wright with Might” sweepstakes, which showed participants what it means to bring out the powers within themselves and unlock their full potential. The winner of the sweepstakes won a trip to see “The Marvels” film at its red-carpet premiere and also among the prizes were limited-edition 4 Color pens inspired by the movie! 
  • BIC’s Metaverse Debut: Team BIC expanded our Human Expression capabilities with BIC’s debut into the Metaverse in the launch of Supercampus, a unique education-themed universe on Roblox. Thanks to the effort of our teams, BIC’s legacy of championing self-expression and commitment to education is brought to life in the Metaverse where players can put their creative and problem-solving skills to the test.   
  • The BIC EZ ReachTM launches in Europe: The BIC EZ ReachTM lighter, which successfully launched in the U.S., officially made its way to Europe in 2023! Due to the success of Team BIC’s lighter campaign in the U.S., Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart are also the faces of the BIC EZ ReachTM European campaign.  
  • BIC Easy Rinse shaver takes off: After its debut at the end of 2022, the BIC Easy Rinse shaver is celebrating one full year of helping consumers save time and beat the clogged razor with its new anti-clogging design. To further solidify the product’s success, Team BIC proudly launched the All Shave. No Clog. campaign which debuted in the heart of New York City. 

Broadening our horizons through our global community. 

  • New subsidiary opens for BIC’s West and Central Africa (WACA) region: In support of our Horizon Plan, BIC has furthered its presence in the WACA region with the newly launched subsidiary in Ivory Coast, West Africa, where team members are already making their mark and helping to push our business forward.    
  • Team BIC debuted the Why Work for BIC video: BIC team members from around the globe came together to produce and launch the Why Work for BIC video, which captures the essence of Team BIC by showcasing our offices and factories, and highlighting the various ways our team members are empowered to make their mark.  

With 2023 wrapping up, it’s thanks to the efforts of Team BIC that this year was full of many accomplishments and team successes, and as 2024 approaches, there’s excitement in the air about what’s to come! Curious about how you can get in on the action? Join Team BIC to make your mark: careers.bic.com.