ACCO Brands, a global leader in branded office products, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its iconic Rexel 56 Range of stapling products this month.
Since its introduction in 1956, the 56 Range has made the Rexel name synonymous with stapling around the world.
Rexel was founded in 1939 by entrepreneur George Drexler. Drexler’s aim was to develop a range of office products that were unmatched in the industry. The introduction of the 56 Range is a great example of Drexler’s commitment to his customers in a growing industry in which stapling was associated with complicated machines.
The original 56 Range comprised of six compact staplers and the range’s namesake - No. 56 staples. Although each model in the 56 Range was intended to serve a different stapling function, it revolutionised the market as each model used the same staple size. This simple concept satisfied 98 per cent of office stapling needs.
Since its inception, the 56 Range has remained a leader in the stapling market, continuing to evolve in design and function. While familiar names such as the Matador, Meteor and Gazelle are still in production today, the models have been updated a number of times to incorporate key innovations over the last 60 years. Regarded as the biggest transformation for the 56 Range, in 1999 the staplers were redesigned to be “shaped for the hand, by the hand” enhancing user comfort.
Karen Couling, EMEA Product Manager Stapling & Punch at ACCO Brands, comments: “We’re thrilled to mark six incredible decades of the iconic 56 Range of stapling products. Since its launch in 1956, the range has thrived in popularity and remained among Rexel’s signature products.
“It’s important we continue to develop the products under the Rexel brand to reflect changes in the market, and the 56 Range is a great example of this. The key to the 56 Range’s lasting success is its evolving design, allowing it to stay ahead of industry developments and constantly adapt to the evolving needs of customers.
“We celebrate the 60th anniversary of the range this year but with something new and exciting on the horizon, 2017 is also set to be significant for the 56 Range.”
The simple concept and pioneering design of the original 56 Range is the key driver for its wide popularity and due to this the range has reached several milestones since 1956. Perhaps the most significant of these was in 1995 when production numbers of the Matador stapler reached 10 million. Of course the No. 56 staples are another reason for the range’s widespread success. Manufactured to Rexel’s standards of unmatchable quality, each staple guarantees trouble free and accurate stapling. Because of this, Rexel’s No. 56 staples remain the best selling staple available today.