Zippo makes 400 millionth cigarette lighter
Pittsburgh-AP -- Fewer Americans are smoking these days, but that hasn't stopped sales of the famous Zippo lighters. Workers at a plant north of Pittsburgh have cranked out the Zippo company's 400 (m) millionth windproof lighter. It's etched with the words "400 Million" and is on display at the plant museum. Each of the company's 750 employees gets a duplicate.
Collectors and smokers in overseas markets have continued to drive up demand for the American icon. The lighters are best known for the distinctive click made by the lid of their brass-and-stainless-steel cases.
The company was founded in 1932 in a shop above a garage with just six employees. Zippo lighters became a staple of Americana when they were issued to U-S soldiers in World War Two.
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