250 years of Faber-Castell: "Doing ordinary things extraordinarily well"

Founded in 1761, Faber-Castell is now in the 8th generation of the family and is headed by Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell. In the mid-19th century, Baron Lothar von Faber not only made his company into the major manufacturer of wood-cased pencils but even in those days developed a wide assortment for writing, drawing, colouring, and creative handcrafts. When his granddaughter Baroness Ottilie von Faber married Count Alexander zu Castell-Rüdenhausen in 1898, the king of Bavaria gave consent to the name Faber-Castell. The Castell family still owns the oldest private bank in Bavaria and one of the oldest German wine-producing estates. They belong to the old aristocracy, with a history going back nearly 1000 years. Until today, A.W. Faber is not only the oldest brand of pencil in the USA, but also the oldest brand name ever.

Tradition with an eye to the future

It is now two and a half centuries since the cabinet maker Kaspar Faber laid the foundations of the business in the village of Stein near Nuremberg: Faber-Castell will be celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2011. More than any other, it was Lothar von Faber who shaped the development of this traditional company. By marking his pencils with the company name he created the world's first branded writing implements. "From the beginning, it was my sole aim to raise myself to the highest position by making the best that can be made in the world". The standards he set for his business – not just striving for top quality, but also his sense of social responsibility and commitment to the welfare of his employees – remain equally valid to this day. And so for Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, chairman of the board of the Faber-Castell group, a decisive factor for a successful future is the customer benefits arising from some unique products.