Box-of-all-trades: OtterBox delivers power of protection

Otter Products LLC, a Fort Collins-based company, has gained national recognition for its nearly indestructible products. The maker of OtterBox, a waterproof, crushproof protective case, is branching out to other markets by making specially designed cases for devices such as Zippo lighters and the Apple iPod.

The Zippo Cargo Case by OtterBox is the only Transportation Security Administration-approved way to carry fueled Zippo pocket lighters in checked airplane luggage. The case is, like most Otter products, waterproof to a depth of 100 feet, dust-proof and drop-resistant.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Federal District Court Rules Corporate Transparency Act Unconstitutional . . . But Most Small Businesses Must Still Comply

Lyons Gaddis Real Estate and Business Attorney Cameron Grant shares important details of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).

The seemingly extravagant level of protection is exactly what allowed the June 2005 change in TSA regulations, which is fitting for Otter’s mission. “We are always looking for a solution to make a product usable in a location that it can’t be used,´ said Curt Richardson, CEO Otter Products, which he founded in 1996.

The company is also making a considerable impact on the iPod market, with its full line of protective cases for the portable music players. The iPod cases, which are available from $14.95 to $49.95, are all water-resistant and impact-protected. According to the iPod Web site, the “OtterBox delivers the ultimate in stylish ruggedness.”

The focus on iPod protection was easy. “Part of our target market is to build cases that are interactive for technology,´ said Richardson. “The iPod was a natural one because they are always getting creamed. Just take one of those iPods out of the wrapper and it’s going to get scratched. Our case allows it to be taken out anywhere.”

This move to participate in niches of various industries is part of Otter Products’ re-invention over the past three years. The company, which started as a sideline for a plastics molding company, has outsourced all manufacturing and now concentrates on marketing. This year, the company hopes to achieve 100 percent growth, due largely to the multitude of new products.

“Every product we have is new in the last three years. Even the OtterBox is completely redone,” remarked Richardson. “We’ve retooled to meet the consumer’s need.”

Interactive technology protection allows people to carry their valued electronics anywhere, he explained. Instead of buying a rugged PDA for a lot of money, just to replace it in a few years for newer technology, a $20 to $100 Otter case can make a less-expensive PDA more rugged.

Otter keeps a close eye on the electronics market, watching for those devices people value most. For Richardson, personal pride in a device is the key to knowing if people will want to invest in a protective case. “We ask: Do people hold their electronics as near and dear to themselves? Cell phones are seen as disposable, whereas if someone has an iPod, it is their precious, their baby. They have invested a lot of time in it. They hold it near and dear.”