New Scripto Pen Plant

Scripto Tokai, maker of Scripto writing instruments and lighters, has begun construction on a new $30-million plant in Rancho Cucamonga that is believed to be the first major writing-instrument facility to be constructed in the United States in 20 years.

The state-of-the-art plant, which will be completed late this year, will replace Scripto’s 50-year-old facility in Monrovia, operated by its Anja Engineering subsidiary. The old plant produces finished Scripto products such as ballpoint and erasable-ink pens and components for others in the industry.

Anja’s 300 employees will be invited to transfer to the new plant, the company said.

“As sales grow in our quest to become the country’s dominant writing instrument company by the end of the decade, we will be creating new jobs to fulfill specific needs,” said John W. Tucker, Scripto’s president, who operates out the company’s headquarters in Atlanta.

The new plant will concentrate on developing new products and instruments “that will become the industry standard of excellence well into the next century,” he said in a statement. The new facility is located adjacent to Scripto’s disposable lighter manufacturing plant in Rancho Cucamonga.

Scripto, which was founded 62 years ago in Atlanta, was purchased in 1984 by Tokai Seiki of Yokohama, Japan.