News July 07, 2025
Counselor Supplier Family Business of the Year 2025: All-American Writing Instruments
Four generations of family leadership and a dedication to Made-in-USA craftsmanship have been constants for this supplier.
The story of the United States officially began with the stroke of a pen. Likewise, a pen has been central to the identity of All American Writing Instruments (asi/76811) – a family-run supplier for nearly a century that proudly honors its heritage and commitment to employees and country by continuing to manufacture in the U.S.
The company was started in 1928 in New York City by John Shea, who manufactured fountain pen nibs under the name Radiant Pen Company. Shea’s son Warren (an Air Force pilot during World War II) started a separate entity, Rotary Pen, and eventually bought an injection molding machine to manufacture parts for ballpoint pens out of his garage in Jersey City. The two companies were eventually brought together and ran by Warren and his brothers for nearly 50 years.
It was in the early 2000s that Warren was looking to retire and potentially sell the business. His son Hap, who worked at the company for decades after he was medically discharged from the Air Force, approached his children about buying the business. It was no small feat. The eldest, Colleen, had lived in France as a tap dancer before returning to the States to work as an executive. Middle son Matt was a corporate attorney. The youngest of the group, Greg, was still in college. “The thought of the company leaving the family and potentially going overseas was enough honestly to make the three of us leave our careers,” says Colleen.
After purchasing the company in 2003, the third and fourth generations of Sheas ushered the business through a seismic transformation, switching from manufacturing components to building finished pens and acquiring its biggest domestic competitor, Ballarini Industries, in 2008. (The Sheas subsequently sold their company in 2011 to Rotuba, a plastics manufacturer and extruder, and renamed it Pen Company of America. All American Writing Instruments is the firm’s promo line name.)
The setup at All American Writing Instruments thrives because of the Sheas’ diverse skills and comfortable family rapport. Colleen’s dynamic personality made her a natural for sales. Matt’s experience as a corporate lawyer gave him insight into the inner workings of business. Greg, who had joined the company later after working as an analyst for the FBI and the Department of Defense, quickly took to operations. (Another sibling, Chris, the second oldest, isn’t involved in the business.) And behind it all was Hap, who had never pushed the kids into the business growing up and brought the same respectful distance to their working relationship.
“Our dad has never stood in the way of us progressing,” Matt says. “He’s always encouraged us to try and grow the company and move it forward.”
Says Hap of his kids: “It’s a very good feeling that they came on board because they wanted to and it’s tremendously satisfying to see how well the company’s done. By the time my father left the business, I wasn’t that young anymore. I realized the company had to change, and they were really the ones who could do it. I just had a lot of faith in them.”
“If you’re going to treat it as a family business, it extends beyond the scope of our immediate family. That’s something we think about.”Matt Shea, All-American Writing Instruments (asi/76811)
All American Writing Instruments manufactures its pens in Linden, NJ – a distinction that has paid off big this year, with inquiries and orders seeing a significant increase. And though the company has always thought of its Made-in-the-USA status as a lucrative niche and strategic advantage prior to tariffs, there are other reasons the Sheas have steadfastly continued to make pens in America – from patriotism to the family’s history of military service to its unwavering loyalty to its employees, whose average tenure is near 20 years.
“If we changed our business and said we’re going to import, 80% of the people here would be gone,” says Matt. “These are people who’ve worked for us for 15, 20, 30 years. If you’re going to treat it as a family business, it extends beyond the scope of our immediate family. That’s something we think about.”
Loyal clients recognize the family feel, and benefit from the supplier’s ability to control its manufacturing, dream up new products and be flexible.
“They’re just a breath of fresh air,” says Stephanie Goulakos, CEO of Capital Gifts (asi/157016), a Washington, D.C.-area distributor who counts the White House and the State Department among its top clients. “They really are accommodating, quick and very helpful. They are solutions-oriented, including both Greg and Colleen, who we work with. It’s just a different mindset than what we typically deal with and we just love them.”
A 2021 acquisition of Garland – another storied American pen manufacturer – brought balance to All American’s product line by offering metal pens to go with the company’s plastic ones. Innovations like pocket pens and scented pens are the norm, and the company is even planning to launch a non-writing instrument item this summer. And through two decades of working together, the bonds and drive shared between this generation of Sheas are as strong as ever. “We know a lot of family businesses that have had issues and fall apart and it’s almost always because of money,” says Greg. “We’ve always focused on success, not money. We want to see the business do well … and the rest will take care of itself.”