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Swingline is a division of ACCO Brands Corporation that specializes in manufacturing staplers and
Swingline was founded in 1925 in New York City by Jack Linsky. At that time, it was known as the Parrot Speed Fastener Company and opened its first manufacturing facilities on Varick Street, and in Long Island City in 1931. Eight years later the company changed its name to Speed Products and created the first top-opening stapler, allowing easy refilling of a full strip of staples. The design of this stapler, called the "Swingline" in 1935, eventually became the industry standard. In 1956 the company was renamed Swingline, and in 1968 introduced the Swingline 747, their most popular model yet. It was then sold to American Brands for $210 million in 1970. At the time of the sale, Jack Linsky was president and chairman and his wife Belle Linsky was treasurer. They owned 19 percent of the stock. Swingline became a division of ACCO, under Fortune Brands, in 1987.
For decades, the Swingline sign on the Long Island City building, measuring 60 feet high and 50 feet wide, became a local landmark visible to travelers on highways and trains between
hole punch
A hole punch, also known as hole puncher, or paper puncher, is an office tool that is used to create holes in sheets of paper, often for the purpose of collecting the sheets in a binder or folder. A ''hole punch'' can also refer to similar t ...
es. The company was formerly located in Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...
, New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, but the plant was moved to Nogales, Mexico, in 1999.
History
Swingline was founded in 1925 in New York City by Jack Linsky. At that time, it was known as the Parrot Speed Fastener Company and opened its first manufacturing facilities on Varick Street, and in Long Island City in 1931. Eight years later the company changed its name to Speed Products and created the first top-opening stapler, allowing easy refilling of a full strip of staples. The design of this stapler, called the "Swingline" in 1935, eventually became the industry standard. In 1956 the company was renamed Swingline, and in 1968 introduced the Swingline 747, their most popular model yet. It was then sold to American Brands for $210 million in 1970. At the time of the sale, Jack Linsky was president and chairman and his wife Belle Linsky was treasurer. They owned 19 percent of the stock. Swingline became a division of ACCO, under Fortune Brands, in 1987.
For decades, the Swingline sign on the Long Island City building, measuring 60 feet high and 50 feet wide, became a local landmark visible to travelers on highways and trains between Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
and Long Island.
In 1999 Acco closed Swingline's Long Island City plant, which it had occupied for fifty years, and moved production to Nogales, Mexico. About 450 workers lost their jobs. At the time it was the largest single job loss in the city caused by the North American Free Trade Agreement. When the closing was announced in 1997, Acco was criticized by New York's mayor, Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 19 ...
, who said the city could do without a company that did not want to pay workers an adequate wage.
A custom-painted red Swingline 646 stapler was prominently featured in the 1999 comedy movie '' Office Space''. Swingline later introduced an official red model (only this time a model 747), in response to an increased demand from fans of the film.
Management
The company's founder and longtime president, Jack Linsky, was born to a Jewish family in northern Russia, one of seven children. His father Zus was a fabric peddler. Preceded by Zus, the family emigrated to New York'sLower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally ...
in 1904. He found work at a stationery store at the age of 14, and by 17 he was a salesman. He then launched his own wholesale business, Jaclin Stationery, which imported German-made staplers. A trip to Europe in the 1920s inspired Linsky to create an "open channel" stapler not requiring a screwdriver to open to insert staples.
Linsky's wife Belle Linsky, who was born in Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
, became an avid art collector along with her husband.
References
External links
* {{authority control Companies based in Lake County, Illinois Manufacturing companies based in Illinois ACCO Brands brands Office supply companies of the United States Manufacturing companies established in 1925 1925 establishments in New York City