EMI

E.M.I. = Első magyar iróngyár (First Hungarian Pencil Factory)

Company has been founded by Wutzel and his partner in 1891. EMI really was the first of its kind in Hungary. Their main products was pencils, ink pencils, copier pencils and chalks. Check their products of what I’ve collected at page EMI collection.

Timeline

=> First 25 years <=
1891 – “Első magyar iróngyár” was founded by “Wuzel és Társa” (Wuzel and his Partner).
1893 – Production started at the newly built factory.
1902 – Company going to limited, new name is “Első magyar iróngyár R.T.” (First Hungarian Pencil Factory Co. Ltd.).
=> Struggling after WWI <=
1917 – Factory stopped producing and they was looking for new directions.
1921 – Pencil manufacture was took over by Schuler.

History

The life in Budapest of the 1890s was eventful and full of change, characterized by large-scale ongoing construction projects and industrial investments. There was a strong demand of the state for present as many Hungarian company as they can, therefore they gave a good opportunity for those entrepreneurs whose wished to build local businesses.

Recipe to easy business : filling the hole with state guarantees

real-life example of logo and scribing of EMI

There was a pencil manufacturer Wutzel Frigyes from Nuremberg, Germany who planned to try his luck. In Nuremberg there already were big pencil manufacturers like Faber, Staedtler, Schwan and even more competing ones. In contrast with Budapest, where wasn’t yet any pencil company at that time, nor in the whole country of Hungary. E.M.I. has been founded in 1891 by “Wuzel és Társa” (Wuzel and his Partner). The co-founder was Bach Hermann, but his name remain hidden and wasn’t mentioned. Contract with the state contained conditions like Company has to build factory and start production within three years and need to produce pencils at least for 25 years continuously. The promised benefits beyond the low-cost factory-ground was popularization and public office orders.

Difficulties taking over place of imported goods

Two years later, in 1893 production was started in their factory in Budapest. As the state announcement described a “modern and monumental factory” was built. Despite the recommendations there was only three trading company which sold E.M.I. products in 1896, after the first three years of their existence. To imagine the scale of production, at this time they were employed 44 workers in the factory, and were produced to export to Austria in three quarters and only the smaller part was sold in Hungary.

Way to success – a new strategy and changed business form

People in Hungary still had the habit to use imported pencils and other stationery. Being unable to change old entanglement has been decided to target youth with domestic products. From 1901 regulations were issued for schools to use E.M.I. pencils exclusively, therefore it soon took over in the majority of them.

list of registered trademarks

A number of pencils with Hungarian title appeared at this time, like “Hazafi irón” (patriot pencil) between 1903 and 1914, or “Unicum irón” between 1905 and 1920. These were included in the list of compulsory school equipment. E.M.I. products was used more and more also in the public administration offices.

In the meantime from 1902 “Első magyar iróngyár” was changed to limited, company management has changed. The possibility of buying shares was opened.

After 1917 – last days of EMI

We can say for sure that 25 year contract with the capital has been ended, so they had to seek for new directions to find how to continue. Production in the factory has been stoppped.

There’s a news report from 1917 announcing that EMI started to merge with an other company, the “Szárazvámi krétagyár” (Chalk factory of Szárazvám – today it called Müllendorf, Austria). It is unclear whether the merge was successful or not. The other part of the news telling us that the merged companies was planning to build a new factory at Sopron, and move there together. The essence of this plan was to make contract, now with city of Sopron for another 25 years for benefits. However WW1 changed everything. There was unsure that city of Sopron will become part of Austria or remain within borders of Hungary, due to that uncertainty the plan was cancelled.

Finally, sometime around 1921 Schuler József took control over the factory of EMI.