The history of the company is characterized by change and the ability of different generations to courageously accept and skilfully shape even far-reaching changes.
When 25-year-old Gustav Adam Schwanhäußer took over a pencil factory founded ten years earlier in 1865, nobody could have imagined that it would grow into a globally successful company. Today, the Schwan-STABILO group of companies is managed by the sixth generation - and generates an annual turnover of around 800 million euros with around 5,300 employees worldwide. (As of 30.06.2024). This makes Schwan-STABILO one of Germany's leading family businesses, which together secure around 60 percent of private-sector jobs.
"We are and will remain a family business," emphasizes Sebastian Schwanhäußer, CEO and executive shareholder of Schwan-STABILO. "No matter what challenges we face - we think in terms of generations, not years." For him, family businesses are characterized by flexibility, quick decisions and personal responsibility. "If we do it right, we are closer and bolder - with our strategy and the way we manage employees and develop products and solutions. We don't jump on every trend, new things have to make sense in the long term."
April 2025: Listen to the success story in an interview with Sebastian Schwanhäußer in a contribution from Klassik Radio.
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In 1855, Georg Conrad Großberger and Hermann Christian Kurz received permission from King Maximilian 11 of Bavaria to manufacture pencils. Their business grew rapidly, but they could no longer cope with the many orders. Debts piled up and they asked for a large loan, which they did not receive. Eventually they had to put the factory up for sale. In 1865, Gustav Adam Schwanhäußer bought the Großberger & Kurz pencil factory for 32,000 guilders. Two years earlier, the factory had been valued at 70,000 guilders, so it was a good deal! Gustav modernized the machines, introduced new processes and expanded the product range.
In 1875, Gustav Adam Schwanhäußer chose the swan as the logo for his company, which is still the oldest figurative mark registered with the German Patent and Trademark Office.
In 1875, Gustav Adam Schwanhäußer applied for a patent for colored copying pens, which were available in black, red and blue, putting the then still purple competition in the shade. Suddenly, office work was not only functional, but also colorful!
Gustav Adam's eldest son Eduard joined the company in 1893, carrying on the legacy with a doctorate in his pocket and a passion for quality. The younger son, August, a chemist with an eye for detail, ensured technological progress and set new standards. Together, the brothers brought new momentum to the company, which was reflected in rising sales.
At the industrial exhibition in Nuremberg in 1906, the Schwan pencil factory presented a gigantic 30-metre-high pencil surrounded by 12-metre-high No. 270 pencils. This pavilion was designed by Ludwig Ullmann, who was assistant building inspector in Nuremberg from 1898 to 1901. The total cost of the building was 12,821 marks, which was more than the purchase of the new diesel engine the year before.
As more and more women in Europe discovered the joy of make-up at the beginning of the 20th , August Schwanhäußer and his son Erich, who was now also working in the company, also demonstrated a true innovative spirit: they recognized the potential of an existing product - the so- called dermatograph, which originally used as a marking pen in medicine. In 1927, they launched it on the market as the first eyebrow pencil - an international success that also attracted customers such as US cosmetics entrepreneur Max Factor was enthusiastic. The company also offered lip liner, kajal and nail whitening pencils.
Between 1924 and 1926, Eduard Schwanhäußer's sons the company: Gustav, Herbert and Waldemar. Erich Schwanhäußer, son of August, joined the family in 1926.
The brothers Eduard and August Schwanhäußer planned to expand the business on a plot of land outside the town, but the start of the First World War put a stop to the project. Exports came to a standstill, raw materials became scarce, many workers were drafted - including Eduard and August. Female staff kept operations running and women also drove the Nuremberg streetcars. The initiative for this came from Eduard Schwanhäußer.
In 1925, Schwan the first thin-core colored pencil on the market, the Schwan Gold STABI LO, which impressed with its stable lead and even wear. It was a real all-rounder and, according to the advertising, was suitable for numerous materials - from silk to leather and wood. And the best thing? Women even painted their legs with it!
The iconic graphic, a splayed white hand on a dark background with the swan logo, became the brand's distinctive symbol. The slogan "The colored pencil that never breaks Swan Gold STABILO" coined the unmistakable trademark.
The product range was streamlined and in 1932 the three brands STABILO, OTHELLO and SWANO were created. High-quality pens were grouped under STABILO, OTHELLO was recommended for the general public and SWANO became a brand for children.
STABILO as a word mark was first registered wirh German Patent and Trademark Office in 1926. It was then re-registered with the Patent Office in 1939 for a wider range of products.
At the end of 1939, employees were drafted into the war and raw materials
became scarce. The factory in Maxfeld was severely damaged by Allied
attacks in 1945.
In the summer of 1945, the employees were already ready: "We've
already brought shovels. Can we start right away?" No sooner said than
done - more than 30 pencil workers laid the foundations for the
reconstruction.