(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
While at the Baltimore Pen Show, I reached out to the folks at Kenro Industries to see if I could visit them since I was spending a few days in NYC afterwards. They aren’t open to the public but thankfully, they said yes to my request for a behind-the-scenes peek. You may already know that Kenro Industries is the distributor for brands such as Aurora, Otto Hutt, Sheaffer, Y-Studio, and more recently, Ferris Wheel Press. (As of last month, Montegrappa is no longer using distributors in North America.) Kenro is also the company behind the acquisition of the Esterbrook brand in 2018. I got a chance to chat with Bryan Hulser, Partner and Director of Marketing at Kenro Industries, who gave me a tour of their space and some insights into Kenro’s history and what they’re working on.
When I first asked Bryan about visiting Kenro, he told me “we’re just in an office space, you know that, right?” And yes, I did know that, but I wanted a real life look at what goes on in a typical day at Kenro, and I figured you did too, so here we go!
Justin, Kenro’s Sales & Marketing Manager, is showing us how real it is at the office! These boxes were the first thing I saw when we walked in! They are the new Cubes that are waiting to be unpacked and shipped out to retailers!
The shipping department is one of the larger rooms in the office.
Before shipping, sometimes you also need to assemble the product boxes first, like the ones the Cubes are packaged in. Ask Justin how easy they are to assemble, lol.
Just another day for Byran Hulser, in his office with the artwork for the Esterbrook Nature blotter paper set behind him.
Ryan Sirignano, Partner and Director of Sales, is working on upcoming product launches and making sure vendors are stocked up (thank you, Justin, for snapping a pic of Ryan cuz I forgot to do so during my visit.)
I spent most of my time talking with Bryan, but was fortunate to get a chance to chat briefly with Joel Blumberg, the founder and President of Kenro Industries. I hadn’t planned to speak with Joel so I didn’t come prepared with any questions, but it was nice to hear him talk about how he got started with pens. Prior to pens, Joel had a business wholesaling/importing manufactured leather that other companies would make products from (like for shoes, purses, etc.). A business partner asked for his help to bring Aurora Pens to the US, and the rest they say is history!
We talked a bit about how the pen market is changing, shifting from predominantly male to a more diverse audience, not just in gender but in age as well. How technology has made it so people are writing less, but despite that, people are learning about fountain pens and discovering (or re-discovering) the joys of writing by hand. We had such a lovely conversation; I bet we could have talked all day if we had the time.
Thank you, Joel Blumberg, for allowing me to crash the office today and spend a few minutes chatting with you!
Just a fraction of the Ferris Wheel Press inventory (they can’t keep their products stocked fast enough!)
The minimalist boxes can only mean ystudio (and not the Aurora, which are known to come in massive boxes!)
Kenro Industries has been known for many years as a distributor – which means that they get products from the partner brands, like Aurora, for example, and arrange for delivery to retailers/vendors. They also handle any warranty issues and special orders. With the revival of the Esterbrook brand in 2018, they also had to learn what it was like to be a manufacturer. Their first model was the Esterbrook Estie, paying homage to the Esterbrook nickname. They also designed and released a nib adaptor, which allows folks to use their vintage Esterbook nibs in their modern day Estie! This was a nod to the past, while still looking forward.
Esterbrooks!
I love the “box of parts” that have labels and stickers all over them. Love the Esterbrooke Estie wall art too!
Along with being a manufacturer, Kenro is changing how they have traditionally marketed and distributed products. With Esterbrook they are engaging more with the community at large, not just the fountain pen users. For example, they have worked with local brand ambassadors to hold meetups prior to international pen shows where they haven’t had a presence before. This allows them to connect with the local community and get them excited for their products and the pen shows.
Bryan told me the story about how the collaboration between Esterbrook and The Coffee Monsterz Co happened - basically, he was introduced to Helen Wang at Yoseka’s Stationery Fest last fall and they’ve been working on this ever since! For those who are following this release, the pens and inks will be launched on April 5th at 9am PT.
Look what Bryan is showing me!!!
The Esterbrook Estie collab with Helen Wang of The Coffee Monsterz Co!
Look how cute everything is!! So glad I got to see this in person!
Kenro is also doing more collaborations with pen-adjacent communities, such as watches. In addition to the collab they did with Accutron, a well-known watch brand, they’ve partnered with Frederique Constant (another watch brand) for an exclusive rollerball. They are always keeping an eye out for the next collaboration or partnership that are good fits.
The Esterbrook x Frederique Constant Estie is a black rollerball that has a cool texture that’s based on the Frederique Constant logo. (Ignore my crappy photo which makes the pen look purple.)
Now that we got the tour and pen chats done, let’s do some Rapid Fire Questions! (I did not ask Joel because I was nervous enough already and I didn’t want to take up more of his time 🙂):
Last item from the Kenro inventory that you just had to get for yourself:
Bryan: Ferris Wheel Press (super excited for all of it)
Ryan: Aurora Conte
Justin: Esterbrook King of Night
Planner or Journaler:
B: Planner
R: Planner “I love to-do lists” (Traveler’s)
J: Not really either…yet!
Favorite paper size?
B: A5
R: A5
J: Any
Favorite paper?
B: Any, not too picky
R: Bank paper
J: Any
Stickers or washi?
B: Stickers
R: Washi
J: Stickers, I think
Fountain Pen (FP), Rollerball (RB), Ballpoint (BP), or Pencil?
B: Rollerball - Retro 51 in particular
R: FP, followed by pencil and BP. No need for a roller.
J: FP to have, but Otto Hutt RB for regular use
Fave NY Food?
B: Pizza
R: Pizza
J: Pizza (I sense a theme here.)
Is anyone surprised that this is what Bryan and I had for lunch? Luigi’s was SO GOOD!
Fave pen show food?
B: Sushi
R: BBQ with Hinze Pen Co in Dallas
J: Any food that’s local to the show
Coffee or Tea?
B: Black, or with a splash of soy
R: Black
J: Tea, Black or touch of French Vanilla
Fave place to visit/travel to?
B: Montreal, but any place that’s easily walkable
R: Recently traveled to London for the first time. Loved it!
J: Haven’t traveled that much, but really enjoying traveling to pen shows!
Thank you, Bryan, for taking the time to show me around the office and chat about Kenro Industries and Esterbrook!
Thank you all so much for the time and hospitality! I had a great time!
(Disclaimer: Kenro Industries is not open to the public, so please don’t just pop on in!)
