FORBES: It seems a local company has made the pages of “Forbes” magazine. Again.

For at least the fourth time, Zippo Manufacturing Co. has been featured in the national business publication.

Appearing in the Sept. 8 issue, “America Doesn’t Smoke Much Anymore. So How Is the Zippo Manufacturing Co. Having Its Best Years Ever?” by Abram Brown appears in the Sept. 8 issue of “Forbes.”

The article serves as another reminder to Bradfordians that while the Zippo name brings to their minds images of goods made locally in our small city, to the world it is a well-known brand sold internationally that has made countless cultural appearances.

According to the article, while the number of smokers is half what it was in the 1950s, Zippo had record sales in 2013. This year, May and June brought the best sales in the company’s history.

It seems the keys to Zippo’s continued success include marketing to younger consumers, offering new lines of items like clothing and camping gear and growing its overseas’ market — particularly in China, the article indicates.

The entire article can be accessed on Forbes’ website.

Oddly enough, China was a major player in Zippo’s last appearance in “Forbes” in 2007, though this month’s article is sure to bring more smiles to locals than the article seven years ago.

In 2007, “Pirate’s Ball” by Deborah Orr discussed the decrease in sales and legal battles Zippo experienced due to counterfeit lighters manufactured in China.

In contrast, a “Forbes” article from 1996, “Flaming Success” by Christie Brown, had a tone very similar to this month’s article. It talked about Zippo’s sales rising, despite fewer smokers.

Back in 1982, “The Lighter Side” by Stanley W. Angrist appeared in “Forbes.” The year marked the famous lighter’s 50th anniversary. It indicated that in those first 50 years, the only year sales were down was 1964 — the year the Surgeon General’s report on the hazards of smoking appeared.

A review of the four articles gives the reader a sense of the company’s rich history, too.