CURT RICHARDSON, OTTERBOX FOUNDER & CEO
Curt Richardson is the founder and CEO of ‘OtterBox’, a company founded in 1998 and currently headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. A life-long entrepreneur, Curt has been involved with many business startups, all starting from a very young age where he always proven to be of ‘innovative spirit’. From his ‘management’ of yard sales in grade 5, to “Curt’s lawn service” in grade 7, and finally in establishing “Richardson’s Tool and Mold” in 1981, Curt has always been involved in some business initiative, honing his skills as an entrepreneur along the way. Although quite successful in these initiatives, he proves to be a true innovator with the creation of ‘OtterBox’.
Otterbox is a company that manufactures protective cases for mobile devices. It originally began by creating and selling waterproof cases for mobile devices, and this evolved to the manufacturing of four lines of device specific cases for ‘today’s hottest technologies’. Interesting to know that the name ‘Otterbox’ was chosen from a brainstorm on names with the founder’s wife! The named seemed appropriate at the time as the cases were waterproof, much like the fur of an otter. The name has ‘stuck’ today due to its catchy originality and the company claiming to be much like the industrious nature of the Otter.
The company has been quite successful in profiting from the meteoric rise in the number of mobile devices purchased by people from all walks of life – from the student to the business executive and everyone in between. The proliferation of these devices brings with the heartache of dropping and breaking theme… Otterbox is dedicated to “all the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device or valuable due to their active lifestyle”
Curt has shown great leadership by recognizing the evolution of his role, from creator and producer of molds in his garage to heading a now large company. He is quick to give credit to the his wife that ha assisted him, to the team that helps him manage the business – he has put in place : in-house sales, customer service, accounting, engineering, public relations, marketing, web design, graphics, supply chain, human resources and their own warehouse.
Furthermore, Curt has promoted Brian Thomas to president an employee that worked his way up through the ranks, displaying leadership skills and great ‘business sense’ and was quick to recognize the potential of Otterbox in industry and working to help Curt make Otterbox an international company.
This review has been particularly interesting for a variety of reasons. I was initially intrigued by the simplicity of the product, what I considered to essentially be a ‘simple plastic case’. Turns out that they have considerable engineering and that they are in fact heavily engineered and are sold at a premium compared to ‘typical’ cases.
Second, Curt’s photo is eye catching in that he seems genuine, friendly and approachable. At the risk of sounding like I have a crystal ball, I get the impression he is a great guy to work for. The style, design and location of the company headquarters are beautiful and employee ‘geared’. He has truly put them ‘first’ and is proving that the success will be dependent on the people around him, and to this end seems to have a very clear idea of what needs to be done for their happiness.
Having been in business for a few years with technology startups, I can certainly appreciate the challenges he has faced in making Otterbox what it is today. In summarizing the founder bio and the company, I have recognized the winning traits and qualities that allowed him to make Otterbox the success that it is. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, I have also recognized those areas where I was lacking certain skills as an entrepreneur / businessman. He is certainly an inspiring success story.
Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Dave Horn 11:23 pm on May 29, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
HI Yves,
I thought this was an interesting profile on Curt, and I happen to think that Otterbox makes some great products. I’d agree at a glance that they just look like plastic, but really they are very well made and I know a lot people who use them for storing and transporting expensive/breakable gear.
I’d agree that his picture does provide a semblance of “genuine” and his approach to provide credit to others and promote people who have worked their way up and demonstrated skill is a trait one would like in a boss/ venture leader. These mean that people will want to work for them and feel like they will get credit for their insights and thus are likely to produce more novel products or ideas.
Dave