Sanford and Sharpiegate
Sharpies’ controversies are often hidden behind the public figures that adore them.
Florida, Georgia, and… Alabama?
In September 2019, President Trump made national news for a controversy surrounding Hurricane Dorian. Most well-known as Sharpiegate, Trump’s Sharpie-altered map of Hurricane Dorian’s path towards Alabama garnered criticism from NOAA and the National Hurricane Center. [1]
It’s common knowledge that Trump loves Sharpies, and uses them whenever he can. Since some liberal critics take pride in boycotting every company he touches (even building whole websites around it), you’d think that the corporation that makes Sharpies, Sanford LP, and its parent company, Newell Brands, would experience some blowback.
And yet, Newell’s stock increased by 15% in the week after Trump showed off the image. Maybe Sharpies are seen as too necessary to give up, or as value-neutral and just used by people with ulterior motives. The truth, of course, is that being endorsed by politicians is just part of Sharpie’s marketing tactics.
From Chicago to Shipping Worldwide
Sanford Manufacturing Company was founded in 1857 as a Massachusetts seller of inks for bookbinders, but relocated to Chicago a decade later. [2] Their headquarters remained in the greater Chicago area until 2004, and the Made in Chicago Museum refers to them as “Chicago’s Sanford MFG Co.” [3]. This sense of camaraderie implies that Sanford is a key part of Chicago’s history.
Sanford was pretty keen on keeping their production local, too. Today, a plant in Maryville, TN assembles over 90% of Sharpies sold in the US. They are shipped felt tips and polyester reservoirs, but handle the plastic molding and ink production.
This lines up with their public image, too — until the mid-70s, Sanford tried to keep a low profile to avoid making risky decisions. However, Henry Pearsall’s ascension to president in 1979 meant big, neoliberally-minded changes were coming.
In 1984, Sanford opened their first non-US plant in Mexicali, Mexico. In 1985, Pearsall announced that Sanford’s stock would be traded publicly on the stock market. In 1992, he announced that The Newell Company bought Sanford Ink for over $680 million today.
Since then, Sanford-under-Newell has bought out other household names in writing like EXPO, Mr. Sketch, and Prismacolor. They’ve also expanded their marketing campaigns vastly, marketing themselves across the world with the slogans “Write Out Loud” and “Uncap What’s Inside”. Sanford’s begun using Newell’s international factories, too — today, felt tips of Sharpies could be made in Venezuela with Graco carseats, Colombia with Rubbermaid containers, or Germany with Yankee Candles.
Below is a timeline of major events in Sanford’s history.
Making Colorful Remarks
Since this product line is so global — manufacturing in nine countries and selling in over 20 — it would make sense that they would be steeped in global controversies.
When Henry Pearsall announced the opening of the Mexicali plant, it wasn’t just because Sanford had overgrown their US footprint. Around the same time, the EPA released new regulations concerning the health of workers who spent long hours breathing in polyester and felt by-products. Unable (or unwilling) to make these changes, Sanford executives fueled an instance of downward harmonization, looking for a nearby country that could produce the same parts without all those pesky labor laws. [4]
Even though Sanford/Newell hasn’t commented about Sharpiegate or Trump’s use of Sharpies at all, they still produce and ship custom pens to the White House, adorned with Trump’s signature. [5] This isn’t a new phenomenon — George W. Bush often used the custom-printed Camp David Sharpies given to him in office. [6]
But Newell Brands is an S&P 500 company worth billions of dollars. If we disagree with these politically-rooted choices, can we do anything about it?
Our Future Isn’t Written in Permanent Ink
It’s easy to feel like Sharpie sales are “too big to fail”, but they’re not. A public outcry over, say, a lack of response towards their pens being used to spread misinformation concerning a natural disaster, can make a difference. 90% of Sharpies are produced in the US, and we as a nation are Sanford’s largest market. Sanford LP and Newell Brands should not get to pretend that their global commodity chain makes them impervious to national issues.
[1] Naylor, B. (2019, September 4). Trump Displays Altered Map Of Hurricane Dorian’s Path To Include Alabama. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757586936/trump-displays-altered-map-of-hurricane-dorians-path-to-include-alabama.
[2] Newell Office Brands. (n.d.). About Sharpie. Retrieved from https://www.sharpie.com/about.
[3] Clayman, A. (2011). Sanford Ink Company, est. 1857. Retrieved from https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/sanford-ink-company.
[4] James, I., & Meyers, Z. (2018, December 10). This Mexican city was transformed by factories. Its people pay a heavy price. Retrieved from https://www.desertsun.com/in-depth/news/environment/border-pollution/poisoned-cities/2018/12/05/mexicali-industrial-city-factories-maquiladoras-border-pollution/1295896002/.
[5] Crowley, M. (2019, September 5). Trump and Sharpie’s Maker Land in Different Kind of Storm. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/us/politics/trump-sharpie.html.
[6] Bedard, P. (2006, September 17). Washington Whispers: Better Make It a Sharpie-or Else. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20101203081823/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/articles/060917/25whisplead.htm.
