The Zippo ceremony
They're the Porsche or Chanel equivalent of lighter designs, you're not going to get better than a Zippo and they've just celebrated a high milestone.
The company have created their 500 millionth windproof pocket lighter. A historic milestone for the renowned Pennsylvania company.
George Duke, the founder George Blaisdell’s grandson and current Zippo owner and chairman of the board, presented the 500 Millionth lighter to employees at an exclusive ceremony and placed it in a new exhibit at the company’s museum, where it joined other historical lighters, including the first Zippo lighter ever made.
“Eighty years ago, my grandfather made sparks fly when he created the first Zippo lighter – 500 million later, I know he would be proud and amazed at just how much the company he dedicated his life to has grown and thrived,” said Duke.
“This is an extraordinary achievement and a true testament to his dream and vision. Today would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of our employees - both past and present - our distributors worldwide, and of course the millions of Zippo fans who carry on this legacy.”
To put this milestone into context, in the UK, 500 million Zippo lighters placed end to end would be the equivalent height of putting 285,566 Big Bens on top of each other and would cover the same distance as travelling from John O’Groats to Lands’ End 28 times.
The actual 500 Millionth Zippo lighter boasts a classic brushed chrome finish with two-tone engraving, a distinctive bottom stamp indicating June 5, 2012 as the date of manufacture and a time stamp and individual serial number of “1” on the front of the case.
In celebration of the milestone, Zippo closed its manufacturing plant at 10:45 AM, allowing all 620 Zippo employees to take part in the ceremony. Following the final engraving of the 500 Millionth lighter, employees formed a human chain between the manufacturing plant and the company’s nearby museum. The 500 Millionth lighter was passed down the chain, from employee to employee, and finally presented to Duke when it reached the museum.
To further commemorate the achievement, Zippo is dedicating nearly all production today to the manufacture of two highly collectible commemorative lighters: a 500 Millionth replica and a deluxe limited edition model. All lighters made today will feature a custom bottom stamp used only once, making them one-of-a-kind and enhancing their collectability even further.
Both the 500 Millionth replica and deluxe limited edition model will be offered worldwide in August via the 2012/2013 Zippo Choice Catalog. Additional information regarding the 500 Millionth collectible commemorative lighters can be found at www.zippo.com.
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