OtterBox

Last updated
Otter Products, LLC
Company type Private
Founded1998;26 years ago (1998) in Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.
FoundersCurt Richardson
David Bridge
Headquarters
Fort Collins, Colorado
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products Mobile phone accessories
iPad accessories
Apple Watch accessories
Xbox accessories
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$923.6 million [1]
Number of employees
c. 766 [1]
Website otterbox.com

Otter Products, LLC, or simply OtterBox, is a privately owned consumer electronics accessory company based in Fort Collins, Colorado, that produces cases for mobile devices. The company was founded in 1998 as a manufacturer of water-resistant boxes meant to house electronic devices, mostly catering to outdoor enthusiasts. [2] Since then, OtterBox has produced both water-resistant and non-water-resistant protective phone cases for smartphones.

Contents

History

In 1991, Curt Richardson made the first “OtterBox,” a water-resistant box, in his garage after he noticed an increase in the popularity of water sports. [3] After settling on the design of the Otterbox, Richardson started the company in 1998. [4] He was strongly influenced by the 1986 book about business theories, E-Myth, by Michael Gerber. [3]

In 2001, the company began to produce iPod cases, [4] which were introduced in 2004. [5] OtterBox ceased the production of iPod cases in 2010 to focus on mobile devices. [4] As of 2024, the company provides military-grade accessories for protecting battlefield military technology. [6]

In July 2012, Curt Richardson announced he would be stepping down as CEO and taking up the position of chairman. [7] He was replaced by Brian Thomas. [7]

In November 2014, the company announced the departure of CEO Brian Thomas. The company appointed the company's president, Peter Lindgren, to the role of CEO to replace Thomas, who served until March 2016. [8] In early 2016, Jim Parke, the CEO of Blue Ocean Enterprises, Inc, was appointed as the CEO of Otter Products, LLC. [9]

As of December 2022, JC Richardson, son of founders Curt and Nancy, took over the role of CEO of Otter Products. He took over the role, having previously sat on the board. [10] . In August 2024, Richardson announced that Trey Northrup, formerly of Lixil Group and Whirlpool Corporation, had been hired as CEO, with Richardson moving to the role of board chairman. [11]

Employees

By early 2009, OtterBox had approximately 70 employees. [3] In 2010, the company opened an office in Cork, Ireland with ten employees to handle the European, Middle Eastern, and African markets. [3] In 2011, it opened a Hong Kong office, [12] and soon after, a smaller sales office in Dubai was set up. [4] In 2012, OtterBox had 363 employees. [13]

Spin-offs

Three start-up businesses grew from OtterBox: Nerdy Minds, Wild Rock, and 1OAK Technologies. [14] All three founders of these businesses worked at OtterBox and are now backed by the company. [14] On May 22, 2013, OtterBox acquired the San Diego–based smartphone and tablet case manufacturer LifeProof. [15]

Products

As of 2024, OtterBox provides cases for products by Amazon, Apple, BlackBerry, Google (Nexus), HTC, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, and Samsung. [16] The company has produced eleven different lines of cases while four lines are no longer in production. [16] The company also manufactures screen protectors under its "Clearly Protected" line. [17]

In May 2017, OtterBox announced a new product line, a line of coolers and tumblers called "Venture Coolers". [18]

In January 2019, OtterBox announced a partnership with Corning to create a new line of screen protectors named "Amplify" for iPhone, Galaxy, and other mobile phones. [19]

In 2020, OtterBox launched power banks, charging kits, and cables that work with both Apple and Android products. [20]

In 2021, OtterBox branched into gaming accessories with mobile game clips and carrying cases for Xbox controllers and iPhones. [21]

In 2022, OtterBox launched a program called the "OtterBox Protection Program" [22] for all new cases.

Honors and awards

In 2012, the company was named one of the Best Medium Workplaces by Great Place To Work.

Otter Cares

The Otter Cares Foundation primarily focuses on grants for education, non-profits, and communities. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorola</span> American telecommunications company (1928–2011)

Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was founded in 1928 as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation by brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin. The company changed its name to Motorola in 1947. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, Motorola was split into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions, on January 4, 2011. The reorganization was structured with Motorola Solutions legally succeeding Motorola, Inc., and Motorola Mobility being spun off.

iPod Line of portable media players by Apple (2001–2022)

The iPod is a discontinued series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices that were designed and marketed by Apple Inc. from 2001 to 2022. The first version was released on November 10, 2001, about 8+1⁄2 months after the Macintosh version of iTunes was released. Apple sold an estimated 450 million iPod products as of 2022. Apple discontinued the iPod product line on May 10, 2022. At over 20 years, the iPod brand is the longest-running to be discontinued by Apple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Fadell</span> Inventor of the iPod, engineer

Anthony Michael Fadell is an American engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor. He was senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. and founder and former CEO of Nest Labs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Rubinstein</span> American electrical engineer (born 1956)

Jonathan J. "Jon" Rubinstein is an American electrical engineer who played an instrumental role in the development of the iMac and iPod, the portable music and video device first sold by Apple Computer Inc. in 2001. He left his position as senior vice president of Apple's iPod division on April 14, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorola Mobility</span> American consumer electronics company

Motorola Mobility LLC, marketed as Motorola, is an American consumer electronics manufacturer primarily producing smartphones and other mobile devices running Android. Headquartered at Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois, it is a subsidiary of the Chinese technology company Lenovo.

Truphone is a GSMA-accredited global mobile network that operates its service internationally. The company is headquartered in London and has offices in ten other countries, being spread across four continents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belkin</span> American consumer electronics and networking company

Belkin International, Inc., is an American consumer electronics company headquartered in El Segundo, California. It produces mobile and computer connectivity devices and peripherals for consumer and commercial use. These include wireless chargers, power banks, charging cables, data cables, audio and video adapters, headphones, earbuds, screen protectors and cases, surge protectors, docking stations and data hubs, secure KVM switches and network cables.

Monsoon Multimedia was a company that manufactured, developed and sold video streaming and place-shifting devices that allowed consumers to view and control live television on PCs connected to a local (home) network or remotely from a broadband-connected PC or mobile phone. It was one of 5 major transformations initiated by Prabhat Jain, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur with 5 undergraduate and post graduate engineering degrees from Cal Berkeley and Univ of Vienna, Austria. On the even of Cisco acquiring Monsoon in 2017, EchoStar, the new parent of Sling sued Monsoon for patent infringement, having obtained confidential information about the date of the acquisition by Cisco from a Monsoon employee under murky circumstances. Monsoon settled the lawsuit by agreeing not to sell its products in the USA simply because it did not have the legal funds to fight mighty Echostar's legal maneuvers. EchoStar thus successfully removed its only competitor from the market place. This meant Monsoon's death knell.

Antec, Inc. is a Taiwanese manufacturer of personal computer (PC) components and consumer tech products. Antec's principal products are computer cases and power supplies. Antec also offers PC cooling products, notebook accessories, and previously offered a line of Antec Mobile Products (A.M.P.) which included Bluetooth speakers, headphones, portable batteries, and charging hubs. Antec joined the handheld PC gaming market globally with the CORE HS which is a 32GB/2TB AMD 7840u based Windows 11 device with a 1080p screen and gaming controller built into the device. Originally founded in 1986 in Fremont, California, the company is now headquartered in Taipei City, with additional offices in Rotterdam, Beijing, and Fremont, California. Antec pioneered a number of innovations in the PC case industry, including the switch from beige to black exterior color, and first cases specifically designed for noise reduction with the Sonata and P180. In 2011, Antec was purchased by Ming-Jong Technologies Ltd. of Taiwan, and the combined company adopted the Antec name. Antec products are sold in over 40 countries through its online retail platform, Amazon, and distribution partners. The company is publicly traded on the Taipei stock exchange under ticker 6276.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the iPhone</span>

The history of the iPhone by Apple Inc. spans from the early 2000s to about 2010. The first iPhone was unveiled at Macworld 2007 and released later that year. By the end of 2009, iPhone models had been released in all major markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile phone accessories</span> Accessories for mobile phones

Mobile accessories include any hardware that is not integral to the operation of a mobile smartphone as designed by the manufacturer, and adds utility to the mobile phone.

iAd is a discontinued mobile advertising platform developed by Apple Inc. for its iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad line of mobile devices allowing third-party developers to directly embed advertisements into their applications. iAd is part of Apple's iOS 4. Announced on April 8, 2010, and originally slated for release on June 21, 2010, the actual date was changed to July 1, 2010. iAd was announced at Apple's June 7, 2010, keynote, with an iPad version appearing in the fall. Hosted and sold by Apple, the iAd platform was expected to compete with Google's AdMob mobile advertising service.

The following outline of Apple Inc. is a topical guide to the products, history, retail stores, corporate acquisitions, and personnel under the purview of the American multinational corporation:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LifeProof</span>

LifeProof is a U.S. consumer electronics accessory company headquartered in San Diego, California, and was acquired in 2013 by OtterBox. The company designs, manufactures, and markets cases that protect the functionality and condition of smartphones and tablets from water, snow, dirt, and shock. Their products include cases, flotation jacketing, belt clips, headphones, chargers, connectors, arm bands, bike mounts, and photography equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightning (connector)</span> Proprietary computer bus and power connector by Apple Inc.

Lightning is a proprietary computer bus and power connector, created and designed by Apple Inc. It was introduced on September 12, 2012, in conjunction with the iPhone 5, to replace its predecessor, the 30-pin dock connector. The Lightning connector is used to connect Apple mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, and iPods to host computers, external monitors, cameras, USB battery chargers, and other peripherals. Using 8 pins instead of 30, Lightning is much smaller than its predecessor. The Lightning connector is reversible. The plug is indented on each side to match up with corresponding points inside the receptacle to retain the connection.

Cellhelmet is a mobile accessories manufacturer/distributor, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a satellite office in Shenzhen, founded in 2012. The company appeared on ABC's Shark Tank on March 8, 2013. Cellhelmet is a registered trademark of Kane and McHenry Enterprises, LLC. Its original business model was to include accidental damage coverage with its mobile phone accessories, should they fail to protect a given device. If a device breaks inside of a cellhelmet case, the company will repair or replace it, according to coverage terms. Since, the company has introduced various other cell phone accessory lines, including screen protection products, chargers, data cables, cleaning solution and selfie sticks for cell phones and tablets, which do not carry coverage. cellhelmet made its debut on Kickstarter in January 2012 as the first company to include accidental damage coverage with its protective accessories.

Mighty Audio is an American company based in Los Angeles, California, known for its product Mighty, a portable audio player that plays Spotify and Amazon Music without a phone. The company was Spotify's first partner in the offline streaming music space when they publicly launched in July 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PopSockets</span> Consumer electronics accessory company

PopSockets LLC is a privately owned consumer electronics accessory company that produces removable grips for smartphones. The company was founded in 2012 by David Barnett, who was at the time a philosophy professor.

iPhone 11 13th-generation smartphone by Apple Inc.

The iPhone 11 is a smartphone developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the thirteenth generation of iPhone, succeeding the iPhone XR, and was unveiled on September 10, 2019, alongside the higher-end iPhone 11 Pro at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, Cupertino, by Apple CEO Tim Cook. Preorders began on September 13, 2019, and the phone was officially released on September 20, 2019, one day after the official public release of iOS 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MagSafe (wireless charger)</span> Magnetic connection system for Apple products

MagSafe is a proprietary, magnetically attached wireless power transfer and accessory-attachment standard developed by Apple Inc. for its iPhone and AirPods product lines. It was announced on October 13, 2020, in conjunction with the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro series. The first version provides up to 15 W of power and is compatible with the open Qi standard for up to 7.5 W of power. The second version, announced in 2024 in conjunction with the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, provides up to 25 W of power and is compatible with the Qi2 standard for up to 15 W of power. The connector also enables connecting non-charger accessories such as card holders and cases with communication through an integrated NFC loop. The charger uses a circle of rare-earth magnets.

References

  1. 1 2 Ferrier, Pat. "Out of the box: How the OtterBox empire sprang from a waterproof case". The Coloradoan. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  2. ↑ April Joyner (2011-09-14). "How I Reinvented My Business". Inc.com. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Kristen Tatti (7–20 May 2010). "Richardson out of the garage for good". Northern Colorado Business Report. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Joyner, April. "How I Reinvented My Business". Inc. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Dennis Lloyd (13 May 2004). "OtterBox announces oPod - water resistant case for iPod". iLounge. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "OtterBox-Arming the Military with Rugged Technology". OtterBox. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  7. 1 2 "OtterBox Evolution Continues with New Executive Leadership". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Ferrier, Pat. "OtterBox announces leadership change". Fort Collins Coloradoan . Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  9. ↑ Ferrier, Pat. "Jim Parke leads OtterBox into changing landscape". Coloradoan. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  10. ↑ Ferrier, Pat. "Jim Parke leads OtterBox into changing landscape". Otter Products Press Release. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "Otter Products hires new CEO as former leader moves to chairman role" . Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  12. ↑ "9 News". Archived from the original on 2012-07-17.
  13. ↑ "OtterBox". Inc. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  14. 1 2 Armbrister, Molly. "Three new companies spring from OtterBox's JEremy success". Northern Colorado Business Report. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  15. ↑ "OtterBox Acquires LifeProof". Archived from the original on 2013-06-09. Retrieved 2013-09-12.
  16. 1 2 "Products". OtterBox. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  17. ↑ Archer, Tucker (25 December 2014). "OtterBox vs. LifeProof: What's the Best iPhone 6 Case?". heavy.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  18. ↑ "Unrule the Outdoors with New OtterBox Venture Coolers". OtterBox MediaRoom. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  19. ↑ "OtterBox and Corning Partner to Redefine Mobile Device Screen Protection". OtterBox MediaRoom. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  20. ↑ "Popular phone case brand Otterbox is selling chargers now". NBC News. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  21. ↑ Bouwmeester, Jason (2021-01-14). "[CES 2021] Otterbox branches out with Xbox gaming accessories". Techaeris. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  22. ↑ "New OtterBox Protection Program".
  23. ↑ "Our Grant Program". OtterCares. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.