Kenneth N. MacDonald Becomes President and CEO

On 29 December 1964, our board of directors elected Kenneth N. MacDonald president and chief executive officer of the Esterbrook Pen Company. He succeeded Sydney E. Longstreet, who remained chairman of the board. The appointment was reported the following day by the Courier-Post in Camden. eww.penhero.com MacDonald had spent approximately 24 years with Esterbrook and had advanced through a series of management positions. He became vice president of marketing in 1961, joined the board in 1962 and was appointed senior vice president with responsibility for marketing and domestic and international operations in 1963. In April 1964, he became executive vice president, adding manufacturing to his responsibilities. His new role also extended internationally: he became chairman of Esterbrook Pen Company Ltd. in England and president of Esterbrook Pen Company of Canada Ltd. eww.penhero.com The leadership change came during a period of considerable transition. Earlier in 1964, Esterbrook had relocated its long-established Camden manufacturing operation to a new 120,000-square-foot facility in Cherry Hill, while newer products such as the Felt-Riter and Phaeton 300 reflected efforts to compete in a market increasingly shaped by ballpoint and felt-tip technologies. MacDonald would serve as the final president of the independent Esterbrook company before its merger with Venus Pen and Pencil Corporation in 1967.