A. T. Cross Company History
America's oldest manufacturer of fine writing instruments was established in 1846. Manufacturing in the Providence, RI, facility first was limited to elegantly tooled gold and silver casings for wooden pencils.
With more than 21 registered patents, the A. T. Cross Company soon developed and marketed many important "firsts" in the field of writing instruments. These include the propel-repel mechanical pencil, a forerunner of today's mechanical pencils, and the Stylographic pen, the precursor of the ball-point pen by more than 70 years.
The company was sold in 1916 to Walter R. Boss, who later brought his sons Ellery (in the 1920s) and W. Russell (in the 1930s) into the business. Ellery retired in 1966, and W. Russell, who later retired in 1985, was joined by his sons Bradford in 1958 and Russell in 1961. Cross entered the international marketplace in 1962 and became a public company in 1971.
David G. Whalen became President and Chief Executive Officer in 1999, Russell A. Boss is Chairman of the Board and Bradford R. Boss is Chairman Emeritus.
A. T. Cross headquarters in Lincoln, RI, has been expanded several times to meet international demand for fine writing instruments.
Cross writing instruments are now distributed in more than 140 foreign markets. The company has writing instrument marketing subsidiaries in the U.K., Spain, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada.
Products
Cross refillable writing instruments include ball-point pens, mechanical pencils, Selectip rolling ball/porous-point pens, gel ink pens, multi-function pens (including stylus options for PDAs), electronic pens for tablet PCs, and fountain pens.
The proud tradition of innovation and excellence that has marked A. T. Cross for more than 150 years is apparent in our product history, and is clearly reflected in the broad array of writing instruments, watches, and accessories offered by A. T. Cross today.
Quality
"People expect more from Cross," said David G. Whalen, commenting on the quality of A. T. Cross products. This is greatly attributed to Cross' employees, who share in the company's goal of quality in the manufacturing process. Cross allows any employee in production to reject a part or product that appears faulty.
Cross' commitment to its customers extends to its lifetime mechanical guarantee (warranty) on all writing instruments. Any Cross writing instrument returned for service is repaired or replaced at no charge.
