The Story of Zippo
George Duke, the current owner of Zippo and the grandson of the company's founder, shared a story about his grandfather: In 1932, right in the middle of the Great Depression, on a foggy summer evening at the country club in Bradford, Pennsylvania, George G. Blaisdell was chatting with a friend. That friend was using an Austrian-made lighter that cost one dollar to light his cigarette. It was an unattractive device; you had to pull down a copper lid to ignite it.
"Considering how you're dressed, can't you afford a better lighter?" Blaisdell asked.
"You know, George," his friend replied, "this thing works!"
Blaisdell was inspired. He purchased the U.S. distribution rights for this lighter, but sales did not quickly bring him profits. The lighter was cumbersome to use, so Blaisdell began designing a more functional and attractive model.
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