Catching Up with an Industry Legend: Michael Hammer at the Empire Pen Show 2025
If you’re a fountain pen enthusiast who loves deep dives into the minds of industry insiders, Alexandra Richardson’s latest upload is a must-watch. In a special “Revisited” episode of her popular series Fountain Pen 20 Questions, Alexandra sits down with Michael Hammer, the President of SamPro Fine Writing, amidst the bustle of the Empire Pen […]
Burke Rehabilitation: Leading the Way in Comprehensive Healing
During Covid, I began to more greatly appreciate the heroes and healthcare. It was a few years later that I learned it firsthand. In the fall of 2021 I was diagnosed with a dangerous sinus procedure. During that surgery, the membrane between the cheek sinus was penetrated so air escaped into my brain. It took […]
Hammer Family Collection
Introducing Hammer Family Collections: Bringing MABEF Easels Closer to U.S. Retailers As we listened to the marketplace, we realized that many customers were precluded from purchasing directly from MABEF. Through our evolving relationship with Laura Mariotto and our shared values as family-run businesses, a new path forward became clear. Launching Hammer Family Collections (HFC) We’re […]
A Legacy Written in Ink: Sampro’s History with Fine Writing Instruments
Our entry into the fine writing instrument business started in 1979 with an art supply calligraphy distributor, Pentalic. Â Working for a Renaissance art supplier Lou Strick, Pentalic offered a range of calligraphy nibs start a calligraphy pens and other European art supplies. It started with one pen-the original Pelikan 120. Â This top selling quality fountain […]
Growing Up in a Family Business
When people ask me what it’s like to grow up in a family business, my response is usually the same: “What’s it like not to?!” All kidding aside, being raised in a family-run company shapes you in ways you don’t even realize at the time. From an early age, I learned the value of hard […]
A Legacy of Hard Work: Honoring My Father, Bob Hammer
My father, Bob Hammer, was a man defined by integrity, discipline, and relentless determination. His career began in the 1950s at Colgate-Palmolive, where he learned the fundamentals of sales and professionalism that would shape the rest of his life. By the early 1960s, he’d become a regional sales manager for Carter’s Ink Company, and not […]
Building a Legacy: 45 Years in a Family Business
Being part of a family business for 45 years is more than just a career — it’s a way of life. It’s the kind of life that starts early in the morning and sometimes doesn’t end until long after the lights are off. It’s the kind of work where you don’t clock out at 5 […]
Wearing Many Hats: From Neiman Marcus to the Family Business
I grew up surrounded by the rhythms of retail. My family’s story goes back to my grandfather’s clothing stores in Yonkers, New York — places where community, craftsmanship, and customer care were more than buzzwords; they were a way of life. Those early experiences taught me one enduring truth: when you’re part of a family […]