BOSTON — Gillette Co. is considering the fate of its writing pens and other stationery business. The Boston-based consumer products major retained Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. to help it review options for the business, including a possible sale or spin-off. Gillette spokeswoman Michel Szynal said the business had sales of $745 million last year, out of Gillette's total of about $10 billion.
Szynal said her firm does not reveal sales from its pen operations, or the size and location of injection molding operations related to pen manufacturing.
Gillette's main pen plants are in Santa Monica, Calif., which focuses on Paper Mate products; Newhaven, England, where it makes Parker pens; and Nantes, France, where the Waterman line is produced. Other major Gillette stationery products include Liquid Paper correction items.
Sales and profit for Gillette's stationery business declined 13 percent and 83 percent respectively last year.